My Way's the Fun Way

Chapter 9

-Harry-

Jolting up with a gasp, Harry looked around as the memories of the fight with the troll rushed in. From the beds beside him he saw Dean and Hermione in similar positions while Madame Pomphrey put away her wand.

"The troll!" his eyes were wide, adrenaline spiking up again.

"Is dead." Dumbledore assured him, Harry noting that the Headmaster and heads of house were in the Hospital wing as well. At those words, Harry collapsed back on the hospital bed, letting out a relieved sigh.

"I must ask, how did you know the banishing charm?" Flitwick asked "Or did you do something else to fling those needles? Accidental magic perhaps?"

"Maybe?" Harry frowned, "I…I was desperate. I knew the needle transfiguration, and the levitation charm, but I knew we wouldn't learn banishing spells for a few years. So, I just sort of pleaded with my magic to work, visualizing what I wanted and tried to will it to happen."

"Ah, I had a feeling that was what happened after listening to the portraits." Dumbledore nodded, a pleased twinkle in the man's eyes "It turns out you're a natural Sage my boy."

"A what?" Hermione piped up, his Ravenclaw friend's curiosity shining through, "Is that a magical power like Parsletongue or being a Metamorphomagus?" Susan had mentioned the latter the other day given that one had recently started at the Auror Academy her Aunt helped oversee.

"Yes, and no." Flitwick answered happily, "While you can be born with the trait naturally it is also something that can be developed through training. In point of fact, attaining Sage status for at least the field you're training in is a requirement for Mastery in any field of wanded magic."

"What does being a Sage mean?" Dean scratched his head, "You said that was how Harry made the magic work so is it just something about wordless magic?"

"The trait of being a Sage, or Sagecraft, is the ability to manipulate one's magic without the need for a spell." Dumbledore lectured "A master of Transfiguration for example could pick up an item and simply will it into whatever shape and material that's possible to attain through magic. Young Harry apparently simply willed the needles and spear to fly."

"We also joined our spell with his on that last one." Hermione frowned, "Are we sages too?"

"Possibly." Dumbledore pondered "It would require testing to be sure but what you and Mr. Thomas did wasn't Sagecraft. It's not typically taught until you're older, but Witches and Wizards are able to link their magic with another's to cast spells larger than any individual of the group could cast on their own. It's rarely used outside of rituals though, so it only comes up during your OWL and NEWT studies. It's a very rare trait to occur naturally but there are tests that can be arranged to look if you two would like. Assuming the two of you don't wish to find out on your own through trial and error."

"If the tests aren't expensive I wouldn't mind." Dean admitted while Hermione nodded.

"What's going to happen to Bletchley?" Harry scowled darkly as he remembered what the Prefect had said, Dean looking just as murderous.

"Besides losing his Prefect badge and any chance of getting Head Boy in a couple of years?" Dumbledore asked, "He'll be spending the rest of the current year, at minimum, in Detention with Professor Flitwick." Given the Charm's teacher's goblin heritage, Harry had a feeling the man had very strong feelings about racism and abuse of power.

-Dumbledore-

Humming to himself, Albus walked into his office, Severus keeping in step with him. "A full day." Severus shook his head "It took a full day of being kept under through magic for all three of them to have their magic fully replenished."

"It was likely still linked when they passed out." Albus nodded, "Madame Pomphrey will likely want to keep them under observation over the weekend just to be safe."

"I-" Severus was cut off by a nervous house elf appearing with a 'pop'.

"Is something wrong Mopsy?" Albus asked the nervous little elf gently.

"It's being Mister Bletchley's father person sir." Mopsy pointed out the window down toward the gate "He's demanding to be seeing you sir."

"Understood, please have him sent up." Albus nodded, turning to Severus once Mopsy disappeared with another pop "I wondered how long it would take him to show up."

"Honestly I'm surprised it took him this long." Severus snorted "Bletchley senior is the epitome of the saying 'small dogs bark the loudest'."

"Ten galleons says he tries 'tricking' us into giving his son back his position by trying to target Harry." Albus was ready for such attempts.

"Sucker's bet sir." Severus scoffed.

"Drat." Albus pouted at his potion's master and old friend who smirked smugly.

"I'll be going. I'll see he gets to your office without issue then I'll leave you to it. I hate spending more time around that buffoon than is necessary." Albus went through the report from Amelia about the upcoming trial for the Dursleys as he waited.

"You had better have a good explanation for this Dumbledore!" Bletchley threw open the door dramatically without being invited. Unfortunately for the man, it was thrown open a little too dramatically and bounced back to smack him in the face.

"Would you like me to pretend I didn't see that so you can try again Bletchley?" Dumbledore didn't bother looking up from the papers on his desk as he put the report away "Or would you prefer we just get straight to whatever it is you wished to speak about?"

"You let another student attack my son!" Bletchley blustered stepping forward to slam the door closed once they wasn't any risk of a second hit to the face, "And stripped my son's Prefect status away?!" yep, he'd had a feeling that was what the man would be after. Pureblood's often held reputation in just as high esteem as gold and someone being stripped of Prefect Rank and blacklisted from becoming Head Boy was a stigma that would be remembered.

"Your son failed to perform his duties and openly wished death upon a student." Albus deadpanned, working to suppress the rage he felt at a student saying such things "If your son is unwilling to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations of being a Prefect then he is unworthy of keeping the badge. I will not be budging on this."

"You would take two first year's words over what was said before my son's? A Pureblood heir?" Bletchley senior pressed, "I am inclined to demand an honor duel!" Albus let his magical presence expand, Bletchley senior visibly struggling to breathe through the thick pressure while Albus calmly filled up his cup with tea.

"You are a full-grown man demanding a duel with a child." Albus gave the minor Lord who'd bought a Death Eater's pardon through the 'Imperius' excuse "As such if you demand for an Honor Duel yourself then I will have to step in for my student, as is the right of the Headmaster of Hogwarts." He took that duty seriously and would defend his students to his last breath if need be. He didn't like killing, it didn't mean he was incapable.

"I-I meant my son would be dueling!" Bletchley senior backtracked rapidly. That was something he wouldn't be able to intervene with directly as both were technically minors. Having an older heir challenge a barely trained much younger of a rival house was a very short-lived fad in the past as older family members could act as a second but Bletchley senior likely expected an orphan to not have one.

"Ah, your son feels confident to take on a natural Sage who managed to kill a mountain troll with unshaped magic and a basic transfiguration spell." Albus nodded calmly as Bletchley Senior choked on their own spit "And after your son was blasted away so spectacularly in the hall. I suppose I can arrange for a duel for the both of them once they're both fully recovered." There was no telling how long that would take anyway, especially since Bletchley junior couldn't just get out of the numerous long running detentions they now had. Not to mention the studying Bletchley Junior would still have to do for their O.W.L exams later in the year. It would give the prodigal first year Sage plenty of time to prepare to duel a less than stellar fifth year from an admittedly poorly performing generation, apart from a few standouts. Bletchley senior was stammering but there was no safe way to back out at this point without severely losing face, something the man would see as a fate worse than death.

"I'm sure you have other business to attend to now." Dumbledore made his dismissal as blatant as he could "And if Severus is still outside could you send him back up? He and I still need to discuss who will be replacing your son as the Fifth Year Prefect."