~Destiny Mess Hall~
To say the men and women of the former Icarus base were used to strange things would be a gross understatement. In the few weeks they had been on board Destiny, they had seen a woman turn into a panther, a man into a donkey, food duplicated with a snap of a pair of fingers, a Phoenix cry over wounds on the Senator's arm, thus healing him of a condition that would have greatly impacted his health later on, and in general, more events that would make even the most revered scientists of their history seem baffled.
After the idea of a friendly duel between Albus Dumbledore and his two students, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had been voiced, the three had decided to agree to put on a show. It would forever be one that would leave lasting impressions on many. It would also give credence to a prophecy that had yet to be resolved in the Department of Mysteries, back on the earth where Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic resided.
Having surveyed the room carefully, Albus knew this duel would need to have some boundaries and protections to keep the audience out of harm's way. He enlisted the help of the House-Elf Dobby, to make sure the dome was large enough and strong enough to keep all the magic inside, and allow for all the people who would watch this duel be able to see it in all the splendor it would have.
"Now, Harry, Hermione, I wish to state that I think we should make this duel go until either one of you is incapacitated, or I am disarmed. Is that sufficient?" Albus offered.
Harry and Hermione both thought it over, and felt it would be better to include a rider.
"Albus, while it is nice to know you are willing to duel us, perhaps we should make it interesting?" Harry asked.
"How so, Harry?" Albus replied.
"I would like to place a wager, with Dobby acting as our bonder. I think Hermione and I can disarm you in under fifteen minutes, if we work together. Or do you think you can truly incapacitate one of us before then?"
Chuckling, Albus thought it would be nice to flex, "Harry, Hermione, I accept the bet. Fifteen minutes, and if I'm not disarmed, I'll make every effort to gently take one of you out to end the duel."
So, Dobby in a special way took both the teen's hands and Albus' and helped create a Bettor's Vow.
Now, unlike the Unbreakable Vow, a Bettor's Vow was just to allow an agreed upon wager between two parties to be carried out. It only carried out a mild penalty of the loser having their magic be suspended for one hour.
The audience, having seen all that the three had done with magic over the past few weeks, were now wondering how one party would even cope without their magic for just an hour. They had not truly known how Harry and Hermione had gone through nearly a whole day without magic back in their early days on board the ancient vessel.
"My money's on the old man. I mean, come on, he taught Harry's parents! I don't see him losing!" Vala claimed.
"You never know, they did agree to only use spells the teens could have learned since they boarded that train the first time. Maybe they can disarm him?" Cam Mitchell offered.
"Would it not be the wiser course of action to simply cheer them all on? No warrior is able to be better than age alone. There are tactics that favor numerical supremacy." Teal'C spoke.
"How about we just enjoy the show, and accept that the available magic users for us to see a duel are low, and this could be an opportunity to see some cool things?" Jack O'Neill said.
The rest of the former Icarus base personnel and visitors from Atlantis merely sat in their seats, waiting for the event to start.
~Dueling Bubble~
Albus Dumbledore, wielding the wand he won off of Grindelwald, faced two of his favorite students, and bowed to them.
Harry Potter, using his trusty wand, bowed as well. Hermione Granger did a small curtsy, as her role was going to be supporting Harry. She would help shield while Harry would press any attack he could to make the duel as interesting as possible.
Immediately, Albus began with a set of spells to bring some animated beasts into the bubble.
Harry sent spells to combat the beasts, and to challenge the Headmaster.
~Ascended Realm~
A being was observing this friendly duel, and felt it needed some more zest. Some panache. Some oomph.
So, they made Albus's spells a little stronger.
They also made Hermione have a focusing issue, which would give even Albus some pause, after he viewed the memory of the duel, courtesy of Dobby.
Lastly, they gave Harry's wand some truly amazing accuracy.
~Dueling Bubble~
The animals had been bested. Transfiguration was employed to great effect, and multiple spells were going back and forth, when something happened. One of Albus' spells caused Hermione to be knocked out. This would have resulted in the end of the duel, had the Ascended being not messed with the combatants.
Harry, having heard the shocked cries from the audience, looked over to see his partner Hermione down for the count. He was about to concede to Albus, when he changed his mind. He sent a spell he had learned in one of the books that had been in the Restricted Section for a reason to Albus, and it was no longer a simple demonstration of magic. It was a fight.
~Outside the Bubble~
Dobby was worried. His best friend Harry James Potter was now looking like a man possessed. The green orbs of the teenager were shining brighter than a Muggle Lighthouse. His hair was standing on end, and there was, to the untrained eye, an unholy sheen to his countenance.
The audience, having never seen Harry get mad, were starting to rethink this duel.
Harry was sending so many spells at Albus that the aged Headmaster had to fight back with just as much effort. It was a kaleidoscope of color. Both wizards were doing their damndest to end the duel.
~Dueling Bubble~
Albus, not expecting this outcome, tried in vain to get the upper hand. He had vowed to only use spells that could have normally been learned by the two teenagers from their first day aboard the Hogwarts Express up to the day he called them to his office. That day felt like an age ago, at this point. Harry was using magic that many students would struggle with.
Harry only saw one thing: Albus had hurt Hermione. This would not do.
Over the course of nearly half an hour, the two wizards continued to fight. Albus had decided to stop playing around, and put the full weight of his magic into everything he cast, to try and subdue Harry enough to end the duel. Harry countered everything or changed what he couldn't into something harmless.
Albus felt his reserves starting to run out, and yet, Harry was still going strong. His spells were not Dark, as the Ministry might have labeled them, but esoteric. Ancient spells not seen in many an age were coming out of the Holly wand with practiced ease. Briefly, Albus realized that the vow with Hermione and Harry and he had loopholes. Loopholes on the part of just where the books could be obtained from after their boarding the Hogwarts Express. The summer spent after Voldemort got his body back, both teens were in the care of Sirius Black, at his home. The Black Library was as expansive as it was deadly.
Harry wasn't fully aware of all the spells he was casting in such a way that the inside of the dueling bubble was beginning to turn opaque. The air was more like ozone, almost thick enough to block out the cosmic rays of a G type star, had the dueling bubble been near one.
Finally, Harry's stomach rumbled, reminding Harry he was really hungry. One would have to be, as he expended so much magic that any of his Year mates from Hogwarts would have been laid up in the Hospital Wing if they tried to do even a tenth of what Harry had cast so far.
Clarifying his vision for a moment, Harry cast what many would think of as his signature spell, only this time, it was in Parseltongue. "Expelliarmus!"
Albus, try as he might, failed to block the disarming spell, and the Elder Wand soared over to Harry's outstretched arm.
As soon as he caught the old wand, it bonded with Harry in such a way that would be told for ages. Harry James Potter passed out.
~Mess Hall~
The dueling bubble fell, Albus was ceremoniously dumped on his posterior, and Dobby went to go help Harry and Hermione. He gently nudged Hermione awake, and failed to wake Harry.
Albus, looking on the scene with shock, made to stand up and was not able to. His magic was gone, for an hour at least. Fawkes flew over and started singing a song of peace, and Albus decided then and there that he was never going to accept a duel challenge from Mr. Potter again. His old wand was still secure in his quarters, and would have to see him through the rest of his days.
~Ascended Realm, right after Harry caught the Elder Wand~
Harry found himself in a place that did not make any sense to him. It was as if he was inside a painting by the famous Escher. Stairs that went upside down, among other things were present that just had no place being in a rational mind.
Looking around, he saw a man sitting on, of all things, a fully naked woman. Oh, all the parts that modern television studios felt had to be censored if they were broadcast were obscured. Yet, there was no doubt. This man was using a naked woman as a chair. Her body was even shaped like one, though she did not appear to be in any kind of discomfort. Her face wasn't even human, more of an abstract painting. Her legs were that of a fawn's, straight out of Narnia. Her chest was not visible to Harry, nor were her lady parts.
Thinking to himself that he needed to switch to decaf, if he even drank coffee, Harry approached the man.
"Excuse me, sir, where am I? What happened to Albus, Hermione? Destiny?"
"In order: you are in a realm of space that is occupied by those who have shed their physical bodies and live as pure energy, Albus Dumbledore lost the duel, and is resting back on the ship, Hermione will wake up soon, thanks to that wonderful elf of yours, and Destiny is still there, with all sorts of observations and a new databank on magical dueling."
"So, I'm dead? I don't like that idea, though, I guess I can't change what happened."
"No, dear Harry, you are not dead. I pulled you here to deal with that nasty scar of yours. I messed with the duel, to make it more than just a simple fun and exciting show for the people from the other earth, and the three aliens aboard with them."
If anyone who was used to the dulcet tone of speech Harry used at times were to see this conversation, they would be quite miffed at missing out on the yelling.
"Hold on, you messed with the duel? Why? And what about my scar?"
"Harry, there are forces at work that even I can't stop. You have to be able to wield the Elder Wand to truly win the fight you face. Had I not messed with things, Albus could have taken too long to ease you into taking it from him in a much more simple manner. Also, it will help curb a certain Potions Professor of his antagonistic ways towards you. Your scar contained an abomination, and that is all I will say on the matter."
Harry stood there, feeling quite confused. The only Potions Professor he knew was Snape, and he wasn't on the ship.
"Would Hermione and I have disarmed Albus if you hadn't interfered?"
"No, Albus has more magical prowess than the two of you combined, at least, before you both found yourselves on Destiny. If you had been working as a team against him, it was never going to be fair. Albus and the Elder Wand are a combination that has not been bested before today."
"How did you mess with the duel?"
"I made your Holly wand more accurate, and Hermione less focused on her surroundings. She will be back to normal when you return, don't worry. Albus's spells were simply stronger."
"Alright, what do I do now? I can only think of one foe I might have, and they aren't on the ship, nor is Snape. So what did you mean, that I needed the Elder Wand to win the fight I face?"
"You will find out in time. I am bound by some hefty rules, and the only reason I am allowed to speak with you now is that the rest of us felt that scar had to be destroyed. All I can say is you will win so long as you don't succumb to the power that wand carries. Use it for good, and not evil, and it will always be yours. Oh, Hermione needs to become your wife by the time she is 21, so make sure you get on that path!"
"Right. I guess you can't tell me your name?"
"You know my name already, Harry. Finish the instructions laid out in my book, and complete the quest I learned about when I was as old as Albus for the first time."
"Hold on! Albus said that we would go back to our original time when we returned!"
The man, who by now was standing, laughed a great belly laugh. His appearance took on how he looked when the people of Harry's earth last saw him.
"Albus and the Goblins aren't as well versed in the language of our people as they thought they were. No, Harry, there isn't a way back to how everything was at the start of your journey aboard Destiny. Worry not, for in time, you too will understand why this was necessary."
A great flash of light filled the room, fully hiding all the strange stairways, the artwork and occupants of the room going pure white, and Harry James Potter was sent back, at least, in spirit, to the Mess Hall of Destiny.
Merlin had one last thing to do, though it would have to wait until the people on Destiny were inside the habitat.
~Mess Hall~
Harry groaned and slowly began to sit up from his position of being on the floor.
The Elder Wand was still in his hand, right next to the Holly wand he had matched with back in Ollivanders' shop.
The two wands, one with a core from the Phoenix that had bonded with Albus, the other with the core from a Thestral that Death had raised from a foal to an adult, began to vibrate. Suddenly, after less than 30 seconds, the two wands merged into a single wand. It had features blended from both. The two cores had bonded and become a single core, looking like a double helix. There were runes all around the wand, each with a small trace of gold filigree. Parts of the handle were now inlaid with the Potter coat of arms, in addition to a flying Phoenix, and a small outline of Destiny at the bottom of a tree that would not have looked out of place on earth. Surrounding the tree, Destiny and the rest of the symbols was a symbol foreign to Harry. The symbol known to many of the galaxy where Dr. Jackson, Teal'C, and others hailed from, the point of origin symbol for earth was in a bright green.
Getting his bearings, Harry looked at the wand in his hand. It felt amazing. It also scared him. He turned his head, looking to see Hermione sitting up and drinking a small dose of Pepper-Up. When he looked over to see the Headmaster, he saw Fawkes sitting on the old man's shoulder. Hedwig was on one of the tables, being fed bacon by one of her new friends, Ronald Greer.
Feeling like he was famished, Harry called over to Dobby, "I need some food, anything. I've got to eat quickly." Dobby snapped his fingers, and a plate of appetizing food was brought over to Harry. On it were things like roast beef, fried chicken, pineapple pizza with Italian sausage, and of course, a heaping serving of Treacle Tart.
Eating all the food in record time, Harry could have given Ron a run for his galleons.
"Albus, are you okay? Do you need help?" Harry asked, after cleaning his plate.
"I am fine, thank you Harry. That was some duel." Looking over to Harry, Albus saw the wand that he now held. It was distinctive in that it looked like it had been the Elder Wand at some point, and yet, it looked like a cross between Harry's old wand and his former wand. "Harry, you seem to have a new wand. Would you call your Patronus please?"
Hermione had looked intrigued hearing that Harry had a new wand. She was still just sitting on the floor, unsure what to do. She felt something was off in the duel, and was racking her impressive brain trying to understand it.
"Okay Albus," Harry agreed. "Expecto Patronum!"
With the Holly wand, facing off against Dementors, Prongs came out and was majestic. What came out of the amalgamation of the two wands was a little different.
A stag trotted out, though this one was nearly solid. The antlers were adorned with gold circlets all around. The fur was shining like it was freshly bathed. The sheer size of the stag was such that Hagrid would look small next to it.
Everyone in the room, that is, the entire group of people on the ship, felt the pure love and joy of feeling safe. Some even felt like they would need to give up the notion of ever feeling sad if they could feel this patronus every day.
Hermione, sitting close to Harry, felt something that she would not openly admit to with an audience. She wanted Harry to do things to her that are best left to the imagination. She wanted Harry to make new memories that would give Prongs, as the patronus was truly named after James Potter's animagus form, a never ending supply of positive memories to use as fuel.
Albus looked at the patronus, and smiled. It was the best patronus he had ever seen, and he felt that if Harry ever faced another Dementor, the foul creature would die. He also wondered how Tom would feel if Prongs were used against him.
Dismissing Prongs, Harry looked back at Albus and said, "We need to talk about a few things, in a smaller setting. Hermione will not be excluded." The tone of his voice was different, sharper than Albus had heard before.
After having been royally defeated by a boy not even in his 20s, Albus knew that he could do nothing but accept the order as it was.
The rest of the room's occupants finished whatever they were eating, and went to their quarters for the night.
Lady Destiny began to calculate some things.
