:-[Chapter 49]-:
Harry was surprised in the morning to find a letter on his bedtable, waiting for him. If he was honest with himself, he also felt a little violated that someone was able to come inside of his room, even to simply give him a letter. Opening it, the raven-haired boy started reading the piece of parchment, seeing it was from professor Lupin.
'To Harry James Potter,
Harry, I am sending you this letter not as your professor, but as someone who wishes to speak with you about your parents. You see, I was friends with the both of them when we were at Hogwarts, so many years ago. I am sending you this invitation to have tea with me tonight after your classes. You may bring your friends if you so wish to, I would be glad to get to know what kind of man you are becoming.
Yours,
Remus Lupin'
Harry put the letter on his desk and smiled to himself.
"A friend of my parents, huh? Maybe I can get some information about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew."
:-[T.A.B]-:
The last class of the day was Transfiguration with the Gryffindors. Harry was hoping that they would learn something new but like with teacher Snape, they had practiced only first-year spells. Of course, due to his studies and many hours of practice, the young raven-haired student didn't have a single problem, which earned him points from Professor McGonagall.
At the end of the class, the Animagus asked the young wizard to stayed behind.
"Professor Lupin is waiting for me, Professor. I am scheduled to have tea with him." Harry tried to explain.
"It won't take long, Mister Potter. Please, be seated." the older woman said firmly but not unkindly, gesturing toward a chair.
Harry sat without complaining and waited for his ex-head of house to speak. While he did appreciate her outburst during his Resorting, he didn't forget about the part where she was one of those people who had left him with the Dursleys under the orders of Dumbledore, Hagrid included. If the young wizard was honest with himself, he considered himself neutral towards Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid at the moment.
"Thank you." she said. "How are things in Ravenclaw, Mister Potter? Up to your expectations I hope."
"Very much so yes. Take no offence, but sleeping alone versus sleeping with other people in the same room does have its advantages. Privacy wise, it is much better."
"Yes, I am sure. I must admit that I am rather sad to see you leave Gryffindor with Miss Granger and Mister Longbottom. If I may be so bold to ask, what made you decide to leave your old house? I thought everyone had accepted you." McGonagall said, her tone clearly curious.
"Many reasons, Professor. To be honest with you, the general aspect of Ravenclaw is far better suited for me. I went to Gryffindor because I was influenced by Ron and Malfoy's attitude before the Sorting. While I will always be grateful to you for your special permission to play Quidditch as a first year, the way you simply dismissed our warning last year was too much to ignore."
"I see." Minerva nodded slowly, clearly a little shaken by the sharpness behind the boy's voice. "I will forever regret the way I have treated you that day, you and your friends, Mister Potter. I should have at the very least listened to you but I simply discarded your fears and worries. I do hope that one day you can forgive me."
"Of course, Professor McGonagall. If I may?" Harry said, pointing towards the door with his thumb. She simply nodded her approval and the young student took his leave. He did hear a sad sigh coming from behind him but paid it no mind.
:-[T.A.B]-:
"So, Harry, I heard from Filius that you gave your name to be in the tournament against Beauxbatons?" Lupin asked, after serving tea to the both of them.
"Indeed. I am training hard every day. I am going to win it and make my parents proud, wherever they are." Harry said in a voice that showed no doubt in his heart and mind.
"I am sure they already are. From what I have seen of you, you seem like a remarkable young man. I heard from your professors that this wasn't always the case. I am happy to see that you are more interested in your studies now." the older man said.
"Last year was a lot." Harry admitted. "Even Ron is doing better this year. Our study sessions and training help a lot to keep us focused."
"Which is great to hear." Lupin said, happy to hear that. "Your father wasn't the most studious student either, I must admit but he still had very good grades. He could learn any spell he put his mind too. Your mother, however, was one of the most curious witches I have ever seen. Well, Miss Granger seems to be pretty close." the professor laughed.
"So, my mother was a bookworm?" the young Potter asked, amused by that fact.
"Like myself indeed!" the professor said, smiling. "The library was where I saw her for most of the time once the Sorting Ceremony was done. She loved to spend time there, surrounded by dozens of books at the same time. Lily called it her own little castle within Hogwarts."
Harry smiled, hearing first-hand accounts of his parents that evening with the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lupin seemed like a good man and the young wizard was willing to give him a chance.
"May I ask what did you do, after the war, Mister Lupin?" Harry inquired.
Lupin seemed to hesitate a moment before answering. "Well, I must admit that I left the country and went to France, America and Canada. I traveled a lot as you can see." he finished, chuckling.
"Why did you leave Britain? Was it because of the war?" the young wizard insisted, not giving up on obtaining information from the man.
"It was. You are young and have not known war, butit broke me. The loss of so many of my friends and family members was too much for me at the time, so I left."
"Thats it? What about Sirius Black?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
"Wh-What do you mean? Sirius was a traitor who was able to hide his true nature for a long period of time. I think the war changed him from the boy that I thought I knew to a merciless killer. I never would have thought that Sirius was the spy however..."
"The spy? You knew there was a spy among you?" the young boy asked, surprised at this new piece of information.
"We highly suspected it, yes. Especially your mother Lily. She was convinced that the Order of the Phoenix, the group that I was a part of during the war, had been infiltrated by someone. It was a time when even your best of friends could be a traitor to everything you thought you were standing for." Lupin sighed with slight despair.
"It was a dark time, I gather." Harry whispered softly.
"A very dark time, Harry. I cannot tell you how many Houses I have seen destroyed in the course of a single night." Lupin said, his hand holding the cup started to shake a little. "The Death Eaters always came at night with overwhelming numbers. No wards could hold against their numbers. The Potters were lucky, with their impenetrable wards, for a time. Until that day..."
"Do you know why my parents were not in Potter Manor but in Godric's Hollow? From what I understand, the Manor in London has far better wards." Harry asked, curious about this. The portrait of his grand-parents had not been able to answer this during the summer.
"Yes, yes I do. Headmaster Dumbledore had convinced them to put their house in Godric's Hollow under the Fidelius Charm. The Fidelius is the strongest known ward magically possible in our world and only a Potter can add wards on Potter Manor from what James had told me."
"Wait, wait. Dumbledore is the one who had convinced my parents to leave Potter Manor? You are sure of this?" the young raven-haired boy queried, stopping to drink his tea.
"Indeed, I was there myself. Your grand-parents both just died from the Dragonpox months before you were born. Your father didn't know what do to since he was deep in mourning and followed Albus like he was lost. The Headmaster helped us all during those terrible times, becoming more than a simple leader, but a father figure to some."
Lupin had to explain the Fidelius Charm and how it works to Harry. It didn't made sense about why his father and mother had decided to find refuge in a House where you had a single ward, however powerful it was. How didit happen? Why would they do that?
"Professor Lupin, do you know who was the Secret Keeper for my parents? I must assume it was a close friend." Harry continued.
"Indeed, it was. Your parents chose Sirius Black and the man betrayed them and you to Voldemort as soon as he could. I am so sorry, Harry. I should have seen it coming..."
"This isn't your fault, Professor Lupin. Traitors are scum by definition and should be dealt with." Harry said, his voice cold.
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[September 30th, Wednesday, 1992]-:
Harry's training was going very well. On the last day before the tournament was to start, the young wizard was making sure his reflexes and skills were top notch. It would not do to underestimate his opponents just because of their age when they all had magic in them. The raven-haired boy was going to go all out at the beginning.
Inside his magical trunk and the room that it created just for him, Harry was sending a combination of spells against the mannequin the trunk made for him.
"Expelliarmus! Levioso! Depulso!" Harry cast fluidly, making the false wand go away. The mannequin was then thrown into the air and then pushed away in a violent manner out of the small arena made for the moment.
"Pretty good, Master Harry." Hedwig said mentally, even if she was in his room in Ravenclaw Tower. "I highly doubt that a second-year would be able to avoid this combination of spells. Can you do wandlessly too?"
"Yes, I can. I only have to point with either a finger or my whole hand to decide the amount of power that I want to cast with." Harry answered before casting a Levitation Spell on the mannequin to put it back in place.
"How about the Shield Charm?" the familiar inquired.
"I think I have mastered it with a wand, but I do have some complications doing it wandlessly. I should be fine against second-years however."
:-[T.A.B]-:
:-[October 1st, Thursday, 1992]-:
Harry was excited, as was the rest of the school. Everyone could feel the excitement buzzing in the corridors and in the Great Hall during breakfast. Whispers were heard everywhere among the four tables.
"Hi Harry." Hermione said, before taking a seat and filling up her plate.
"Good morning, Hermione. Excited for the day?" Harry asked, giving her the orange juice pitcher.
"Sure! Even if I don't participate, I am rooting for you and Luna, you know that. I am just sad that they stopped classes for the tournament."
"Of course you are Hermione." Ron said, having just arrived and decided to sit with the Ravenclaws for breakfast. "You are the most studious person I know."
"Well, not all of us want to duel, you know!" she defended herself, making Ron lift up his hands in a I give up posture and laugh. "I am sure you'll do well too, Ron. I think only the boys in Gryffindor will be participating right?"
"Only the three of us yes. With Harry and Neville gone to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, I have way more chances to win it all for Gryffindor!" Ron smiled.
"I am happy that this tournament is making you take your studies more seriously, Ronald. It is a nice change." the brown-haired girl said, eating her food.
"It's hard, not gonna lie, but I kinda like it." Ron confessed. "It is nice not to be at the bottom of almost every class. Will make my parents proud too."
Suddenly, the Hogwarts' Headmaster stood up to his feet and started to speak aloud to the student population who looked at himwith anticipation.
"Students, old and new." Dumbledore started, his voice full of self-importance. "The first day of the tournament is finally here. Gryffindors, please follow Professor McGonagall to her classroom where your dueling will take place. The Slytherins can all stay here as our dear Professor Snape kindly reminded me of the many volatile ingredients in his classroom. The Hufflepuffs can follow Professor Sprout where I believe an outdoor dueling setup is waiting for you. As for the Ravenclaws, please follow Professor Flitwick to his classroom. To all and each one of you, I bid good luck!" he finished, brandishing his arms wide.
Harry put down his fork and knife, bid good luck to Ron and followed the Charms professor, with of course Hedwig who flew herself to his shoulder. Luna and Hermione quickly imitated him and went to each one of his sides.
After a moment of walking behind the diminutive professor, the entirety of Ravenclaw House was inside the Charms classroom, which had been changed quite a bit, to the impressed eyes of many students, even the older years.
"Yes, yes! I can see that you all like the little changes that I did to the class!" Filius Flitwick exclaimed happily.
"Changes? This is not even the same classroom." Hedwig said, equally surprised.
The class had been magically expanded. There were stands on either side of three long dueling tables. Professor Flitwick managed to create a nice atmosphere, with the Ravenclaw flags everywhere.
"So everyone sit, and enjoy the festivities. This is first and foremost a moment for you all to learn about the fine art of dueling. Do your best and be fair. If I see any cheating, you will be expelled from the tournament and bring shame to Ravenclaw. Understood?" Flitwick asked, his voice serious. After seeing a collective nod from his students, a big smile reappeared onthe small man's face. "Excellent! Now, we will start with our first years. We have Miss..."
:-[T.A.B]-:
"Expelliarmus!" Luna yelled but to no avail. Her opponent, Luthor Blackberries was quick to avoid her spell. Fortunately for her, she was also very quick on her feet and was able to do the same, even seeing the small amount of space that she had.
"Levioso!" Blackberries casted successfully on Luna after doing a quick feint with his wand.
The spell hit the blonde-haired witch straight in her chest, making her float in the air, with no other damage. Luthor didn't seem to know what do as he was looking at the crowd for tips. Luna didn't lose any time and cast a second Disarming Charm at her opponent, but didn't stop there.
"Depulso!" she cast in quick succession, effectively sending him arse first on the ground. Luckily for him, Professor Flitwick had previously reassured everyone by putting a Softening Charm on the floor. The older man helped his student regain his wits with a Wiggenweld Potion.
"Well good job to all of ourfirst-years, but most importantly to Miss Lovegood who won for the first-years!" Flitwick applauded, making the crowd roar for the little witch who blushed under the praise. "Now it is time for our second-years to show what they are made of! First, we have Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst!"
The crowd roared again, excited to see more duels.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Once Harry's duel arrived, he was put against Lisa Turpin, who didn't look quite sure of herself, if the raven-haired boy was honest. The young witch was slightly shaking under the scrutiny of everyone's cheers.
"She is not used to being under the spotlight." Hedwig said, having flown to young Luna's shoulder who was cooing at the familiar. "You should made quick use of her."
"We'll see. Ser Barristan Selmy often told us about underestimating an opponent. I shall not start here at the beginning of my career in dueling, event against a twelve-year old." Harry answered mentally to his white owl who immediately agreed with him.
"I am still a little mad that you won't use me in a duel. Familiars are allowed you know."
"Of course I know, but you know why girl. I want to prove to myself first that I can do this by myself." the young wizard answered, before taking his dueling position, one out of Filius' Series.
"You better bring me some crunchy bacon, Master Harry."
Harry only smiled to himself at his familiar's order before returning all of his attention to Lisa Turpin who simply stood there, brandishing her wand at him. The raven-haired boy waited for the professor's signal, holding his wand tightly. Flitwick raised his wand before casting his spell where red sparks flew out of his wand.
Immediately and without giving her a chance, Harry casted two spells in quick succession. "Expelliarmus! Petrificus Totalus!"
The two spells hit her square in the chest, immobilizing her while Harry was catching her wand with his ex-seeker reflexes. His first duel was a success.
:-[T.A.B]-:
The red sparks went on a second time for Harry, signaling his second duel of the day to start. He was still fighting against a girl, this time in Sue Li. After having beaten Padma Patil in the duel that was before Harry versus Lisa, the Asian witch was quick with her body, avoiding the first couple of spells the young wizard was sending her way.
"Rictusempra!" Sue exclaimed. The spell flowing directly towards Harry but missed when he took a quick step to the side and cast his own spell in a quick counterattack.
"Flipendo!" he said, sending Sue Li out of bounds.
"Winner, Harry Potter!" Professor Flitwick squeaked the loudest he could.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Filius was looking at Harry Potter with interest. The young boy's reflexes were far better than what he expected from the young one. After all, he had been a major disappointment in his first year when he showed none of the excellency his parents had. Now, he was in the final of his House's tournament to compete in an international competition against Beauxbatons.
Harry was now facing Terry Boot, with which he had a small rivalry going. The latter had been teasing Harry almost everyday since the announcement of the tournament, but to no avail. The raven-haired wizard had not taken any umbrage from the comments, simply saying that he would show him in due time.
Well, now was the time, Filius thought.
Both duelists took their position, which was one of his own stances in one of his many published books, making him smile in pride at them. Filius casted a quick Vermillius, sending red sparks into the air, signaling to the two young men that the duel was beginning.
"Come on, Potter! Show me what you got!" Boot said, trying to provoke his opponent but to no avail.
"Very well, Boot." Harry said calmly. For the final duel of the second-years, the dueling table was now around thirty feet in diameter, giving way more space to the duelists.
Filius watched as Harry was avoiding every spell by simply being in constant movement. He did not need the Shield Charm at all, but the expert eyes of the former Duelist Master were keen and saw that Potter's wand was always ready to block in case of something going wrong.
"The lad is hiding spells, but why?" Flitwick thought.
"Stop running and duel, by Merlin!" Terry Boot said, exhausted at casting so many spells consecutively. "Glacius! Glacius!"
The Icing Spell failed twice to enter in contact with his target, only hitting the wards around the round table, adding to the frustration of Terry. Filius saw immediately what Harry was doing. First, he was slowly but surely making sure Mister Boot's magic reserve would be lessened and second, Harry was causing frustration in his opponent, making him emotional.
Suddenly, Mister Potter slid across the table, avoiding yet another spell. While his was sliding, the raven-haired wizard casted the Disarmament Spell. With his free hand, he caught Terry's wand and cast his last spell of the day.
"Petrificus Totalus." he said calmy.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Harry was celebrating with his friends after a long day of dueling and watching other people's duels. Luna and himself had both won their competition and thus would battle against the other best of what Hogwarts had to offer soon. The last duel of the seventh-years had just finished and Professor Flitwick was now speaking to all of his students.
"Congratulations to everyone for their fantastic display of magic! Miss Clearwater, next time, please try to contain your flames within the dueling table." Filius said, one eyebrow frizzled by the now extinguished flames, making her nod while blushing a deep shade of red. "Yes, yes! I am incredibly proud of all of our winners. As a small token of my appreciation, I offer you one individual hour of dueling practice with myself. Not with charms, but dueling."
"Holy shit! Lucky you, Potter!" Michael Corner whispered to Harry, sitting behind him in the stands.
"Now that everything is over, the day is late and I know you all want to know the results of the other Houses, but the announcement will be made tomorrow, during breakfast." Professor Flitwick said, before receiving some boos from the crowd of students, making him chuckle. "Not to worry everyone. All of your friends will receive the same orders from their own Head-of-Houses. Prefects, please escort our House to the Dormitory."
Harry followed his fellow students and cast a quick Tempus Charm. When he saw the time, he knew it was time to speak with Albus Dumbledore as his month of waiting patiently was coming to an end.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Thank you everyone for reading Chapter 49 of The adventure begins! Please let a review in the comment, letting me know what you think about my story or what you would like to see.
Criticism is always welcome as long as it is constructive.
Thank you to abarai72 for his amazing help in developing this story!
To joharasbel: Thank you again for reading!
To Sarlisark: I like your review. Harry was going first time to learn of to lead and how to be a warrior. For his second adventures in Westeros, he will have to learn... stay tuned!
To modelbuilder1fan1: Thanks again bud!
To Ptool: Thank again for reading yet another chapter! I really appeciate it.
To Blaze 1992: Sirius is going through tough time, that is for sure.
To : I think we will go back then! The majority of the 'votes' are for it.
To ExplodingBlitz: Thank you for your vote!
To Tutcat: Don't worry, Harry will recover his edge!