Chapter 44
Watchtower 42
Sunday, 9 March 1997
"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," Ginny said as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three minor attacks in a week, and all Mel asks is if it's true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest."
Ron who had been laying on the couch with his head on Hermione's lap both roared with laughter.
Harry ignored them. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more macho."
"Thanks," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?"
"A Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where." Ron shook her head as Hermione roared laughing.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Ginny." Hermione giggled further as she looked down to Ron. "Do I need to look for something now?" He simply smiled and rolled his eyes.
Their moment was broken as Tonks carried a brown paper bag and McGonagall quickly approached. All of them started to tense their muscles in anticipation. Then the sergeant raised a calming hand. "It's fine, no one worry." Then her eyes focused on Harry. "Cadet Potter, new development. I need you to get dressed into your field uniform. Here's two more." she said tossing Harry the bag. "Pack your books too. Extended training mission. You flame in fifteen. You're out for two weeks."
"Flame in minutes? Out for two weeks? Harry clarified. "What the hell? What's going on?" The rest of the quartet looked with shock.
Tonks shook her head. "Training is all I'm willing to say in public. With what we've experienced with Draco and D.M.L.E. We're keeping this need to know."
McGonagall stepped forward, "We have already flamed the Weasleys. They are aware."
"Aware and?" Ron asked, still trying to get a grip.
"Understandably nervous, but accepting and understanding." McGonagall replied then turned back to Harry. "Mr. Potter, I've spoken with your other teachers, I've included the reading list of material for you to review if you have time. Given the nature of events, all of them expressed willingness to be lenient. Your performance this last year has been stellar and clearly no reasonable person could say you are slacking."
"Where-" Harry asked, until Tonks cut him off.
"Need to know Potter. Go. Pack. Now." Tonks reminded me.
Harry nodded and took off like a shot up the stairs.
"Sergeant," Hermione asked, leaning forward with her concern clearly apparent. "Is there anything you can tell us about what's going on?"
Tonks grasped her hands behind her back. "I understand this is jarring. You all are the ones that brought to light the … current concerns of the Ministry. I will go this far. This is not punishment in any way. Just the opposite. I will also say that I have and continue to trust my own life with his instructor. But beyond that we have operational security concerns." Tonks looked at her watch. I do need to prep for their arrival. Have Harry meet me at the Training Hall please?"
McGonagall nodded as Tonks left, "Miss Weasley, would you please go tell Mr. Potter where to meet Sergeant Tonks. Make sure he doesn't doddle. I'll be by the portrait."
Ginny, who had been in a state of controlling her facial expression to try to hide her concerns, hesitated for a moment as she looked to her head of house. Then McGonagall raised her eyebrows knowingly.
"Um, I can-" Ron offered, only to have Hermione cover his mouth with her hand, and look down at him with stern eyes.
Ginny shook herself out of shock and quickly ran up the stairs. When McGonagall left Hermione released Ron's mouth and explained. "The Professor knows exactly what she is doing, and she's trying to give those two a chance to say goodbye."
"Oh." Ron said in a moment of realization.
Ginny made short work of both the tower stairs up and then Harry's stairs to his room, when she stood at the bottom of to stay out of the way. Harry had already changed and was stuffing the last of his class books into his bag and put his bomber jacket on as he scanned his room for anything else he would need. His eyes lit when he saw Ginny.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked as he immediately came to her and wrapped her up.
It was exactly what she needed. "Nervous. Worried." she freely admitted as she wrapped around his neck. "It is just so sudden. And two weeks away… I know I've been spoiled rotten these eight months with us practically living together. If you couple the two weeks with the suddenness… "
"You're nervous." Harry repeated with understanding as he held her close. Ginny nodded as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I am a bit nervous too. But I trust Tonks. You?"
Ginny sighed, "Yeah."
"Okay, so they want put me through some special training. That's not horribly surprising. I've been at the head of class for Hogwarts Defence for a while now and …. with the war…"
"I get it Harry. I just don't like it." She closed her eyes and squeezed tighter.
"I know. How's this? I'm not going blindly. I can apparate. I have my Ministry pin with me. I have my link in my pocket. In my pack I've got a couple envelopes of floo powder, as well as my two way letter and the two way mirror. If something goes south, I'm walking in a lot better than I often do."
Ginny nodded. "Better, just…." She looked up and took a deep breath. "Take care of yourself. I'm nowhere near done with you."
"I love you too," Harry smiled, and reached to lift her by her waist and bring her eye level but more importantly bring their lips together. Ginny welcomed tightly wrapping arms around his neck. What they couldn't find the words for they still passed to other. After what simultaneously felt like several and not enough moments they parted the kiss and rested their foreheads together. As he let her down, Harry brushed a few of her strands of hair away and Ginny looked to see the same shade of red still wrapped around his wrist.
"You're still wearing that?" she asked sweetly but surprised.
"Of course." Harry replied. "Gin, your hair bracelet is like one of my most treasured things. I put a durability and freshness charm on it at the beginning of each month."
Ginny smiled and felt very warm at such a simple gesture being so greatly appreciated. "Here," she said, taking his hand and pulling back his sleeve fully. "Let me at least charge it up for you," as she pressed a kiss to the bracelet.
"Lady Weasley, " Harry grinned, "If I didn't know better. I'd say you were becoming a romantic."
Ginny laughed and smiled, exactly what Harry wanted to see. "Only for you… but happily for you." Finally she took a breath. "Tonks wants you in the Training Hall."
Harry grabbed his bag and quickly made it out to the Commons. His two best friends waiting on the right the portrait hole with Mrs. McGonagall on the left. Hermione caught him with a hug by the portrait door. "If it's at all possible, be careful, Harry."
Harry grinned. "Mione, this is me we're talking about."
"That's exactly my point Harry." she smiled.
Ron clasped his hand and hugged Harry. "Give 'em hell, whatever it is."
"No worries, and … keep an eye on the ladies?" Harry asked.
"Mate, you didn't even have to ask."
Finally he looked to his head of house. "Know anything more about this?"
She nodded as she stood rigid by the door. "Yes, Mr. Potter, enough that I do endorse this venture, and you well know how much I value proper attendance to classes. But I also respect the confidentiality they are operating in so no, I will not be divulging any further information."
"Thanks ma'am," Harry nodded as he started out.
"Harry," McGonagall called out. When he turned around, she smiled. "Good luck."
Harry grinned and jogged as fast as he dared to the Training Hall. The last thing he wanted was Snape or Flitch busting him and making him late. He arrived to see Tonks standing by the floo that, by the small flickering flames, Harry could tell that she had unlocked. She smiled as he approached and checked her watch. "Ah, Potter, good." As he crossed the threshold door, Tonks waved her wand closing, locking, and shielding it.
"Anything else you can tell me, Sarge." he asked.
"Grab a broom too." Tonks replied. "I will offer a half apology for the level of security we are operating under, but the Captain and I are concerned considering the recent interactions from the Ministry."
Slinging a quiver over his shoulder Harry nodded. "Understood, I'm just … walking on faith right now."
Tonks smiled. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Harry. I will let you know this is a Training mission. Because there are some skills you need to develop that would be difficult to do here at Hogwarts."
Suddenly but not with surprise, the floo roared to life delivering Captain Moody to the hall. Tonks and Harry both quickly fell into salutes.
"Captain." Tonks greeted with a smile.
"As you were," he greeted as released them. "And for the next two weeks, Potter you are released from that protocol. Treat me like you did when I was your professor and we'll be fine."
Harry's hand hovered over his wand and shot a look to Tonks.
The Sergeant nodded with a grin. "Go ahead Cadet, he wants you to call him on his bullshit."
Moody grinned as he looked at Potter expectantly.
"Technically, sir, you were never my professor. We didn't meet until Professor Dumbledore fished you out of a trunk Crouch had kept you in for a little under a year."
"Damn right!" he said as waved and pointed finger towards Harry. "Constant vigilance." The Captain looked over to the Sergeant. "You've taught him well."
"Learned from the best." Tonks replied with a respectful nod.
"Right, well, no use standing around here chin wagging. Potter, if you couldn't guess, you're mine now." The Captain turned and ordered with a cast of powder, "Watchtower 42,"
"Good luck, Harry." Tonks said with an expression of respect.
Harry nodded as he followed Moody's lead through the flame.
Harry followed the Captain into a large mossy stone walled room circular in design, with thick oak beams running upright every ten feet with similar connective rafters around the perimeter. On the far side of the room, twenty feet of the wall seemed cut out graning a view of evergreen dotted moss covered mountains. The floors were well worn, hardwood heavily stained and aged. Rod iron sconces held flames that lit alive in their presence. To the right Harry could see a bar with some cabinetry around it and shelving with a cast iron cook stove for a kitchen area. To his left a door, presumably to the outside, next to that clearly a coat and broom rack, then an entrance to a cut stone spiral staircase climbing upwards. There was a fairly well stocked book shelf with a variety of leather bound books next to a clearly well used desk next on the left side of the window to the terrain. A similar study area was on the right side of the window also, with a potion and artifice workbench between it and the kitchen. The center of the room was dominated by a circular grey stone fire pit about six feet in diameter with the center half cut open but filled with medium fire helping to light and warm the room. The flames and smoke rose up into another black rod iron up to the hood hanging from the wooden ceilings ten feet up. Around the fire were three couches and with some chairs between each, the window side kept open, all of them made out of stag hide with woolen blankets thrown over them.
Harry watched as Moody turned back to the hearth they entered through and held his staff up to the six point stag's head mounted over it. The eyes of the Stag glowed.
"Potter, attune into the floo."
Harry was always happy to get access to another address. He grabbed his wand and synched his wand to the floo.
"Good." Moody nodded, "Now, I'll lock us down for now." After the floo powered down Moody turned around their lodgings. "Welcome to Watchtower 42. For reference it is only you and me here for two weeks. You see anyone else, you go ahead and hex 'em." Moody said as he walked over to the kitchen area, his staff thudding loudly against the floor. He opened the cold cupboard and offered, "Butterbeer?"
Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. "So long as this isn't a test I fail for drinking, yeah sure."
The old witch hunter laughed heartily, as he poured himself a highball of scotch. "Nah kid, I'm not testing you with a beer. But I want a drink and… well best not to drink alone." Moody sat Harry's beer on the bar and took his own down to the sitting area by the fire. Harry followed suit and joined the Captain.
As Moody sat back in one of the chairs he set his staff to the side as he opened his drink as Harry sat his bag and broom quiver on the center of the closest couch as he sat on the edge. "Here's the deal, kid. You help bring the problems of the Ministry to light. So I don't need to tell you about them. Especially with Draco's warrant being rejected, Tonks and I want to start playing things closer to the chest with you and the Hogwarts squadron."
Harry took a drink and nodded as he followed along. There were few people Harry would tolerate being called 'kid' from. Dumbledore was not… Captain Moody was. "Now that we're here, can I ask what the training is, sir?"
"Tonks has done great with you and the squad, better than we ever hoped, but you…" Moody grinned as he pointed across the fire to Harry. "You have something special. And Riddle has his crosshairs sighted in on you. So I'm taking you for these two weeks to see how many damn tricks I can teach you to keep your arse alive."
Harry shook his head in surprise. "Not what I was expecting, but thank you sir."
"Don't thank me yet kid, it's going to hurt." Moody answered as he took a drink.
Harry sat forward and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, pain is old friend."
"Kid, you're too young to have old friends." the Captain chucked. Harry chuckled at that too.
"So what kind of tricks do you need to teach me here that couldn't be taught at Hogwarts?"
"Tactical Apparition," Moody said quickly. "Tonks told me she got you up to speed to use it to get around, though we need to add a few more locations to your experience."
"Tactical? Like in a fight?" Harry asked.
"Absolutely," the Captain said. "Tonks tells me you were already quick to start dodging shots?" Harry nodded to confirm. "Next step. Now you have to be pretty quick witted, but you are. And you need some place to get some practice in so…" Moody spread his arms to gesture to the watchtower. "... here we are."
"So where is 'here'?" Harry asked as he rose to take a look out the window. From the shadows he could tell the sun was setting from the opposite side behind the floo wall and there was a valley in the mountain side running, again based on the sun, northwest.
"Northwest Highlands is as specific as I'll get." Moody replied with a grin. "But suffice to say we are nice in the middle of nowhere, in a tower older than Hogwarts."
"What?" Harry grinned in surprise. "But Hogwarts is over a thousand years old."
"Aye lad, but where do you think wizards and witches did their work before then?" Moody rose to meet and walked over to him. He waved his arm out to the valley. "Time was the goal of every grand wizard was out to get their own tower, practice the craft all independent, and all answered to no one. So they fought with everyone. That is a lot of the reason that the Founders got together to form the school. Then they found out if you had some clever talent with you, you could get more done. So Hogwarts grew and…" Moody looked up and around. "...old towers like that became a thing of the now distant past. When the Ministry rose, they claimed them when they fell abandoned. Used them as needed. Eventually management fell under D.M.L.E. for security, safe houses, garrison stations. If there was a reason to, we kept them up and even remodeled them from time to time. The geography here is well suited for auror training so…" Moody smiled as he sipped his drink. "... the registration for this location may have fallen off the books a few decades back."
Harry smiled. "So you've brought me to an off books location in the middle of the war to train me how to fight better."
"Aye, that's about the skinny of it." Moody agreed.
"Not how I planned this year to go." Harry smirked as he took a drink
"Me either, kid. Once upon a time I was retired." Moody returned back to his seat around the fire.
"The war?" Harry asked to clarify and he leaned up against the beam by the window.
"Damn right," the Captain agreed with a sip. "They fished me out of that trunk and I got connected with the Order. Then after the Burrow, D.M.L.E. finally realized how big this was going to get and reinstated me." He finished his drink and rested on the stone fire ring in front of him. "Have a seat Potter. Let me clarify a few details on you." Moody pulled out a well worn copbook and pen and flipped back a few pages as Harry took his seat again.
"Where are you with your non-verbal casting?" Moody asked.
"Not bad, I guess, everything Third year and below I can do silently." Harry bobbed his head back and forth.
"Not too bad at all, kid. Patronus charm?"
"Not silently, but recently upgraded." Harry nodded.
"Oh, got the messenger down?"
Harry smiled awkwardly, with the links and letters. Learning the patronus messenger had become a lesser priority. "No, not messenger, but I bonded it with my elemental magic."
"You bonded… so you have a…?"
"Lightning stag, yeah."
Moody gestured to the open array between the firepit and the windows. "Let's see it. The Courier command isn't too difficult."
Harry took his wand and summoned the stag which emerged in a flash of white energy. It stood and looked back and forth between the pair as comfortably as if it were alone in a forest, with arcs of electricity jumping from antler to antler and flowing across his body.
"That is damn impressive kid. I've never even heard of someone making an elemental patronus."
"Thank you sir."
Moody held his hand out to punctuate his statements. "Now, focus on your stag. Think about a courier, a messenger, a delivery. Keep your thoughts on that. The incantation is tabellarium."
Harry followed the instructions and carefully said barely above a whisper. 'Tabellarium.' The stag's eyes flashed and its attention moved solely to Harry.
"Alright kid, Give the stag a message. Make sure you tell it who "
Harry grinned. "Tell Captain Moody, 'I did it.'"
The eyes of the stag flashed again and it trotted over the Captain. It opened its mouth, but Harry's voice echoed out, "I did it." With the message delivered, the stag dissipated back into fog and faded away.
"Nice work, kid." Moody nodded.
"Thank you, Captain."
"Wandless?" Moody asked.
Harry rolled his eyes and hung his head. "Been working on that for months, if you have tips, I'll take them."
"What are you trying to start with?" Moody asked, almost amused that there actually was something Harry couldn't do. "Nothing too hard?"
Harry leaned over and grabbed his bag then pulled out a white candle, then also grabbed his wand and held them both. "For months, I have been trying to either light this candle or summon this wand."
Moody snickered, "The candle is a universal starting point. Though I admit summoning your own wand is a clever skill to have. Good instincts there Potter."
"Glad you approve, any guidance sir?"
"Show me the candle, try." the Captain nodded.
Harry set the candle on the edge of the fire ring before him. Again he focused, he strained himself. He flexed and moved his hands as Moody told him too. He opened his eyes. He closed his eyes. Sweat started to bead along his forehead, when the Captain finally stopped him. "Stop kid, you're going to blow a blood vessel. You clearly are putting in the effort it. Maybe you're just not ready for it. You're ahead on so damn much… can't expect to be an expert on everything."
"I know," Harry said as he sat back and ran his hand through hair. "I just really want to be able to summon my wand if I need to."
"I get it kid. I know." Moody said and flashed a look to Harry showing him that Moody did in fact know why Harry was so motivated to not have history repeat itself. That registered with Harry.
They spent the evening with Moody testing Harry on various spells, they rest of which Harry was extremely proficient in. In fact, the greatest challenge for Harry wasn't any kind of spell at all. It was stomaching Moody's cooking.
"Like to see you do better." Moody said as he cut into his bloody and damn near raw venison steak.
"As you wish, sir." Harry said, as he hopped off the bar stool and walked around to the kitchen, taking both of their plates with him. Harry started the fire back up on the stove and put the cast iron pan back on. He coated it with oil to get it warming. He quickly grabbed two potatoes from a crate under the bar, washed them in a basin of water and sliced them and set them to fry. He did similar with a pair of onions. As those fried up he looked at the under done steaks, Added salt, pepper, and quickly summoned his clock from his pack. To keep an eye on the time as he opened the firebox of the stove and carefully levitated the steaks inside for wood fire roasting. After a few minutes in the fire he levitated them back on the plates with fried potatoes and onions.
"Where did you learn that?" the Captain asked incredulously after he took a bite at the clearly superior product.
"About the only damn thing of worth I picked up from my muggle side of the family. I know how to cook and stuff." Harry shrugged as he dug in.
"Right, well you're welcome to it then."
"Yes, sir."
After dinner and cleaned up Harry was released to get some bunk time. "Third floor is my room. Take any on the second," the grizzled witch hunter explained as he poured a nightcap. Study for a bit if you want, but tomorrow is an early day for you."
Harry didn't doubt him. He went up the stairs and found the second floor was divided into wedges like a pie or pizza, with the center cut out and one section removed for hall access from the stairwell up to center to give access to the elven opened doors of what clearly were the enlisted quarters. Harry looked and didn't see any discernible difference. Two sets of wooden bunk beds on either side of each room with a nightstand between and a rod iron torch sconce at eye level above it. He took the first on the left. The sconce lit to life as he entered the room and he hug his bag over one foot posts and his broom quiver over the other. Harry flopped onto the olive green wool blanket cover his bed just like the others. No pillow, but he didn't care. He bomber jacket, rolled it, set it down, and laid his head down. Finally, he reached in his pocket and grabbed his link.
"Private to Gin."
"Hey you! Everything okay?" Even over the link her worry was apparent.
"Yeah fine, honestly Gin. Moody wants to train me up on some fighting techniques with apparition."
"That explains why you couldn't practice here at school." Ginny's relief came over clearly.
"Exactly. And after all the Ministry crap Moody wanted to keep everything under wraps."
"So… like do you even know where you are?" she asked.
"Nope!" Harry laughed over the link, he continued to describe the watchtower and the evening. She laughed at the dinner story. Harry took great comfort that Ginny sounded far more comfortable by the end of the link than at the beginning. Which let both of them slip to sleep easier.
A spray of water from Moody's woke Harry from his sleep with a shock. "Wake up, kid." his gravelly voice welcomed back to consciousness.
"What the hell!" Harry said in a shock. He looked up to the doorway only to see Moody already walking down the stairs, laughing maniacally.
Harry got dressed and followed down to the living area. Moody was in the kitchen area and already had the coffee pot brewing. "This I can at least get right," he greeted Harry. He poured cups for both of them.
Harry added a few sugars into his. Hesitantly, he asked, "So… what happens today?"
Captain Moody gave a wry smile. "For the next two weeks, during the day, I kick your arse. In the evenings we add a few more cities to your experience."
Less than an hour later Moody had escorted Harry to a relatively flat piece of mountain stone that had been obviously been intentionally cleared of the moss that covered the surrounding rock. About a dozen rod iron torch stands stood, unlit only because it was a bright morning. They stood at opposite ends of the circle. "Rules are simple, kid. There are none."
"None?" Harry repeated in surprise and a trepidation.
"You beat four of my aurors." The Captain replied pointing with his staff, with a grin of pride. "You're already well beyond N.E.W.T. level. We're not training for that. I'm training you for Riddle. You think he's going to hold back?"
'Finally,' Harry thought. Reflexively, Harry's muscles tensed in anticipation.
"But since you're a student, here's the scoring. You hit me, that's an A. Knock me down, that's an E. Take my staff, that's your O." Harry nodded to show he was following. Then Moody grinned wildy, and Harry …. Harry knew he was in trouble from the witch hunter. "Now run!" Harry reflexively dashed to the right as he flash his arm shield up which was fortunate when Moody started with a shattering bombarda explosion, laughing as he did. But then … they… kept… coming….
Moody simply turned, continuing to blast at Harry. As he ran the debris on the edge of his heels and rained down upon him. All the while Moody shouted a mix of goading and coaching. "C'mon kid! Do you think Riddle's going to play nice?! You can't just run. You can run at Hogwarts. Pop god damn it! You need to be able to apparate under fire. You think you can just call a timeout, just so you can run away?"
The Captain was right, and Harry knew it. But the Captain was also a lot better at putting pressure on him than other teachers. Harry was reflexively on the defensive, which he hated, throwing up arcane shields for cover as he ran. He knew that Moody wouldn't try to kill him, but he was relatively certain the auror had no issues with inflicting grievous injury, but Harry had delirious hopes of avoiding those.
"Stop shielding damn it! Start popping!" the Captain ordered. At least he was being clear in his instructions. Harry quickly remembered his apparition training and let the adrenaline speed his thinking, and with a roar of frustration…. apparated.
He popped out of the line of fire and popped in behind Moody. "There we go kid!" he celebrated… just as he took his staff, 'flipendo'. Throwing Harry back fifteen feet backward and onto the rocky ground. Moody walked over laughing at Harry on the ground. He bent over and looked at Harry with a wry smile. "C'mon kid, you did actually think you'd get me first time did you?"
Harry grinned as he reached back and rubbed the new bump on the back of his head. "Not really, sir, no. but I sure as hell wasn't going to not try."
"Damn right!" Moody replied, offering him the head of his staff to help Harry stand back up. The rest of the day follow a similar pattern of Harry evading fire, apparating, trying a different angle, and without fail, the Captain knocking Harry on his arse. By the end of the day Harry was tired, he was sore, and he was bloody well pissed off. He was going to try something different. Harry rolled off his backside and back to his feet. With mutual nods the ritual began again, Harry took off running as the shrapnel exploded around him. Quickly he apparated to the far side of the Captain but even as popped over there he leapt into the air to be a more evasive target and finally dodge Moody hex at him. As Harry spun in the air he took the open shot. "Fulgur fulmenso!" Harry's lightning bolt shot as bright and straight as he had ever shot it before. Harry grinned as he got it off. Then rolled hard to the ground but kept his attention focused on the spell.
Only for Moody to spin his staff with a flourish and stab the ground in front of him casting a full sphere protego shield the lightning crashed against like a wave against the rocky shoreline. The Captain grinned and chuckled, "Don't you just hate it when your big spell just gets blocked like nothing?" Harry swore as his head fell down face first into the dirt.
Moody walked over with a smile on his face. "If it means anything. You do pack a hell of a punch. Not too many wizards would be able to stand up to it."
"Thank you sir," an exhausted Harry nodded.
"Let's get you cleaned up. How are you with the hair color change charm?"
"Er, well it took a few times, and a fair bit of help from Hermione, but I eventually got it down."
"Right," Moody nodded. "Well, clean up, grab a jacket for over your uniform, and change your hair up."
"You want to try to keep me low profile?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"In the evenings, I want to start getting some more of the villages and towns under your bet. Give you a place to pop to and broom the fly on you can get to a lot of places quick." Moody explained. "So yes, I'd like to try."
After a clean up and change Moody quickly Apparated them to dinner in Appleby at Blind Marksman. The irony made Harry laugh the entire meal. He took his copbook and made notes to help keep his memory straight later.
The next few days were similar. Harry tried variants of distractions, the black fog, the stalagmites, anything he could think of. Unfortunately though, Moody's experience kept him untouched. They would meet at the end of the day at the tavern of Moody's choice and he would analyze Harry's performance and give advice for improvement. Tuesday they popped Chudleigh at Cannonballers. Harry was quick to pick up a souvenir Cannon jersey for Ron. Wednesday was Cornwall at Falcon's Nest. For Thursday Moody brought them to Puddletown at Alchemist's Alehouse, which in addition to the normal tavern services had an impressive potion selection available.
By Friday, Harry was both frustrated but, more importantly he was getting used to apparating under fire. He was getting as quick with his popping as he was with his casting. Now he just needed to see a clear spot and in a flash of lightning pop over. Today he took another approach. The match started as normal, outrunning the explosions then he popped to Moody's side, instantly Harry dropped a stunner Moody, then he apparrated again.
"Oh… clever thinking Potter!" Moody smiled, "How long can you keep it up?"
Moody dodged the first shot, deflected the second, and dodged the third then finally on the forth shot in, Moody got Harry before he could pop away. Harry hit the stone again. Moody walked over again and offered Harry his staff to assist him in rising. "That was your best shot so far, keep with that."
Harry nodded. With encouragement from the auror, Harry kept at it. And kept meeting the ground. Moody's training was without a doubt the most grueling he had encountered. But he knew that was exactly for that same reason he needed this. Again, he picked himself up and grabbed what had to be his third of forth wind of the day. When they started again, Harry didn't even run. He immediately started apparating. Harry forwent the strong spells and focused on volume, throwing stunners in the 'spray and pray' fashion as Mr. Weasley called it. As quick as he could think Harry was popping around the Captain with the deepest determination. After a few pops… Moody's face finally stopped smiling… and Harry started to. Harry doubled down moving and caster even faster. Until… a shot… finally… landed. Harry's jinx landed dead center mass to Moony chest. The Captain's tolerance was sufficient; he stood in a mix of disbelief… but also pride. "Nicely done Potter. I can count on both hands how many people have hit me. You just became number seven."
They celebrated that night in Tutshill at Strange Brew. Moody's advice was 'Don't order anything you don't recognize the name of.' That seemed like good advice. Saturday night was in Dorset at Safe Haven, which also seemed to offer minor medical remedies. Harry was happy for once he didn't need any. He was sore and bruised and scraped, but all well within normalcy.
Sunday was in Kerny at Old Lantern, which was more Hermione's style of the coffee and tea room, with many solitary visitor paging through a book. Harry picked up a brass bookmark with the place's address. Monday brought them to Antrim and one of the nicer inns, Spend the Knight. They embraced the medieval theme with shields and swords along walls and the staff dressed as squires.
By Tuesday, Harry and managed a handful of stuns landing. But Harry wasn't satisfied. Moody had set the grades. The Captain had allowed for, even set the expectation for Harry to beat him. Unlike Snape, Harry got the feeling Moody wanted Harry to beat him. Something Moody and Tonks had said to him was echoing in his head. 'Fight like a muggle.' Harry understood the importance of this training. He didn't just want to barely pass. He wanted Moody's staff, and he was ready to fight like a muggle to do it.
Harry treated the first three sessions like warm ups; Moody won two, Harry winning the third. Harry was loose and Harry was hungry. He wanted this. And the look in Moody's expression, suggested to Harry the Captain wanted it. The round started and Harry started popping and raining stuns around after the sixth apparition, Harry tried his do or die maneuver. In a flash of lightning Harry popped from over fifty feet away from Moody to right next to him. The moment Harry apparated back into physical form he call 'Atrox apprehendere'. He could feel the electricity charge in his hand as, surprising for the first time ever, he punched his teacher in the face. The bolt of electricity and the surprise attack so close cost Moody his balance… and the witch hunter fell.
This time Harry walked over to Moody, with the cockiest grin he ever had. Harry put his arm out to his mentor. "Well earned Potter." the Captain said gravelly as he rose then rubbed his cheek. "I don't remember the last time I was actually punched in a fight."
"You've been saying for months, 'fight like a muggle'."
Moody nodded and smiled. "Indeed I was kid, nicely done."
Moody brought Harry to Angus and Third Eye with a warning to keep your occlumency up." and "Use rarely and carefully, but if you need seer services, this would be your best bet." Harry put serious thought into asking about the final horcruxes. But especially in the middle of training under Moody's watchful eye he decided against it. The point of these dinners was for Harry to be able to apparate back here when he needed.
Wednesday they went to Isle of Skye and House of Cards. "Keep a close hand on your coin purse. But I've heard more than one tip on lips slip around these tables," the Captain warned. Thursday they went to Wigtown and the Wanderlust Tavern. Friday it was Glamorgon and Frosty Mugs where the butterbeer was served in mugs permanently charmed to be chilled. Moody grinned, "I admit my name may be known here. A cool drink at the end of the week is not the worst vice." Harry agreed.
Saturday was the last day for training. Harry had found some level of satisfaction in knocking Moody down twice more. The Captain made it clear he was already impressed with Harry's progress. But he knew his future was facing Riddle. He knew Moody was the next step in that path. Harry wanted that staff! And again, he had a plan.
They met in the training ground. Moody's grin showed he could tell Harry had an idea. The old man chuckled, "This is going to be fun, isn't it."
Harry nodded, "Let's dance." A charge of lightning filled his eyes. It started as normal Harry apparating around the perimeter dropping stun fire. Something that was barely a nuisance to Moody. Then Harry struck.
Suddenly four stalagmites grew up all around Moody. With a quick and decisive charge the Captain slammed his staff into the ground, shattering all four of the pillars. As the shrapnel fell, so did Harry, from as crash of lightning actually above Moody. The witch hunter looked up to see Harry spinning and the lightning whip lash out for him. Reflexively, Moody blocked the blow… with his staff. The whip wrapped around it, and started charging it with electricity.
"You-clever-bastard," Moody grimaced and he held on through the pain. He tried to break free of Harry's grip but the younger man was determined.
"I-learned- from-you," Harry growled as he spun in closer with a strong elbow into Moody and actually laying hands on the auror's staff. Negating the arcane made the fight a battle of the physical… and Harry was in better shape.
"What-else-did-I-teach-you?" Moody spat out as he fought desperately against the pain of the shock and strikes.
Harry looked down to Moody's legs. "Constant …. vigilance!" Harry screamed as kicked the knee of Moody's fake leg, snapping it in two. While obviously no additional pain, the surprise and the loss of balance finally brought Moody where Harry wanted him. Harry somersaulted forward talking the elder auror with him, throwing Moody onto his back. Harry took the momentum and kept going onto his feet… taking the Moody's staff with him. Reflexively he popped back up facing the Captain looking for a counter attack. Harry held the auror's own staff against him.
Moody smiled up at Harry. "Well played you creative damn bastard!"
"Thank you sir." Harry said, falling to ease.
"Mind mending the leg you broke?"
Harry laughed and was happy to do so. Harry got cleaned up and packed up. The rest of the day they made it a slow route back to Hogwarts. Moody started with bringing Harry back to Anglsey at Harpy's Hideaway. Harry took no delay in getting Gin a jersey. After that they made it to Glasgow's Cat's Cradle, which seemed to be more a menagerie with all sorts of creatures. "Animangus?" Harry asked, "You learn quick, kid." Moody smiled as he raised his glass. Soon after they stopped in Inverness at Drinking Druid. They could have broomed back from there.
Friday,21 March 1997
Bill was leaning over his desk, working on the rubbing script recently sent to him for translation. It was actually a bit of a relief getting back to the trade he had studied for. Then he heard a knock at the door. "Enter," Bill replied.
A goblin opened the door, "Mr. Weasley, there is a Mr. Newman, who would like to speak with you."
Billy sighed as he knew that could only bring bad news. "Please show him back."