Chapter Text
Professor Flitwick was good at designing duelling arenas, Harry mused. The duelling pits looked different this time; rolling grass had sprouted up from the ground, with bushes, shrubs and stones scattered across the pit. The shrubs could provide decent cover and maybe the stones could be useful too.
If he could maybe execute some of the strategies he’d come up with when writing the list of spells he already knew, he might have a decent shot at this.. Unless he was drawn up against Susan Bones and her stupid Stunner again, he thought with a scowl.
He’d been waiting for the Duelling Club Meeting all week, eager to put into practice some of the things he’d learnt. True to his words, Cedric had signed Harry up for Duelling Daily, and he’d spent the weekend engrossed in the thick, glossy weekend edition. He’d flipped straight to the interviews section where professional duellers talked about their careers in the circuit, their personal lives and most importantly, offered tips.
Harry had gone through a couple before finally deciding on one to follow. Douglas Macmillan, a Scottish wizard. He might be a distant relation of Ernie, for all he knew. The boy had once said he could trace his family tree back nine generations, but he had no desire to ask the Hufflepuff. Douglas wasn’t amongst the top duellers or anything, ranking 34th on the Duelling Circuit with 509 registered professional duellers at the time.
He was, however, an older dueller and explained all the tips he gave in a simple manner. Harry had written down the advice on a piece of parchment and tried his best to commit them to memory. He’d also read up on the duels Douglas had fought in and learned that he fought defensively, preferring to bunker down behind strong shields and cast all his spells at fast speeds to overwhelm his opponents when he sensed a weakness.
Flitwick sounded the bang from his wand, pulling Harry out of his thoughts. He looked towards the sheet hanging at the back, which was filling up rapidly with names. Six pits again. With nearly as many people as last time, there would likely be multiple rounds, with the Band 1 students getting to go first.
He spotted his name and smiled. This would be a good test of exactly how much better Bones was than the other 3rd Years who’d been attending the Club for a while now.
Pit 3 - Round 2 - Harry Potter vs Padma Patil
Walking purposefully to Pit 3, he saw Gemma, Padma and a pale-faced Neville Longbottom waiting. Oh right, he’d forgotten there was a round before him. He nodded to Gemma, who must be officiating, before going to stand next to Neville.
“Hey Neville! Didn’t see you at the last meeting! Who’re you up against?” He asked, smiling at Neville. Neville was the only one in the dorm who remained on speaking terms with Harry at present. Ron mostly ignored him, while Dean followed Seamus’s lead, though Harry had spotted the boy shrugging apologetically after one of Seamus’s eruptions.
“Hi Harry! Gran told me to attend after she got word of the club from Professor McGonagall. I’m up against Daphne Greengrass.” Neville replied back with a nervous smile. Harry had seen Neville’s Gran before, and she’d seemed a formidable lady. Daphne Greengrass was a Slytherin 3rd Year. Not one of Malfoy’s crowd though.
And she was here now. She fixed Neville with an inscrutable stare that was made all the more arresting with her blue eyes. Poor Neville must be frightened out of his mind, Harry thought drily.
“Daphne. Longbottom. You’re up first. Head in and begin at the sound of the bang. Got it?” Gemma studied both of them for a moment before nodding. “Good.”
Neville was much larger but the petite, black-haired Slytherin had turned him into a quivering mess before the duel even began. She hadn’t even cracked a smile yet. Scary.
The two walked into the pit and Harry noted that, if you ignored the shaking legs, Neville was standing in a textbook duelling stance. He must have had some experience with duelling then. Probably one of his many cousins.
Several bangs went off at once and Harry realised that all of the duels must be starting at the same time. He looked around to see that Cedric, Roger Davies, Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater and a rather lanky boy from Hufflepuff were officiating.
Turning back to the duel, he noticed that Neville had gone for the rather sensible strategy of running to hide behind shrubbery and trying his best to dodge any spells that were headed his way. Greengrass, he noted with distaste, was taking her sweet time making her way over to Neville while shooting off spells from a distance. Rather like a feline on the hunt.
Neville was putting up a valiant display in dodging but wasn’t firing back with any spells. Harry remembered Neville’s issues in every class except Herbology and frowned. It was only a matter of time before Greengrass caught him however, and she soon fired off a beam of light that caught Neville in the arm and disarmed him.
Harry thought he saw a concerned look flash on Gemma’s face but the Slytherin said nothing and called the duel in Daphne’s favour. A miserable-looking Neville trudged out of the arena followed by a blank-faced Daphne who stalked off to stand next to Gemma. Harry eyed her, a bit annoyed at how she’d toyed with Neville.
“How’s it coming along, Gemma? Done with the first one already?” Professor Flitwick squeaked. He’d moved over from one of the other Pits and was smiling excitedly. The Charms Professor was clearly invested deeply in the Club and Harry could only imagine how angry he must have been at Lockhart’s attempt at holding a session of his own.
“Yes Professor. Potter and Patil are up next now. Same instructions, you two.” Gemma said, raising an eyebrow at Padma and him.
“Excellent. I’ll stay to watch this one then. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Pity Minerva couldn’t be here.” Professor Flitwick said while pulling a pad and a quill out of thin air. Was he planning on taking notes? That had Harry feeling nervous again.
Padma climbed down into the Pit before straightening up and settling into her stance. Harry clambered down after her and immediately the familiar cool effect of the residual magic enveloped him.
He took a moment to calm himself, taking deep breaths as he settled into his spot. He lowered himself into a half crouch and smiled, though Padma appeared a bit confused at his unorthodox stance. He waited for the starting signal and mentally committed himself to his plan. There was a bit of a breeze, but he figured Flitwick had charmed it in just for the effect.
They both bowed, while Harry took the moment to look around quickly. Shrubbery everywhere, good. It could work. The grass was soft under his feet and it felt good being in the Duelling Pit again, despite his experience with Bones at the last meeting.
The expected series of bangs sounded, and as soon as Padma opened her mouth to cast her spell, he rolled to the side, disappearing behind the shrubbery. It was prickly and he instantly regretted it. The red spell she’d shot out rocketed through the space he’d been occupying a moment earlier and Harry grinned. He stuck his wand out of the bushes and shouted, “Flipendo,” and watched with glee as the jinx missed Padma by a mile. Good, it was time to see if she’d take the bait.
Seeing that Padma was moving closer and with his plan relying on him constantly moving, he rolled again to the side with a resigned expression and narrowly avoided another spell that Padma had cast. His shirt and trousers were covered in grass now and his arms stung from the thorns, but he was enjoying himself. His last duel had ended rather quickly, and he’d been out of control from the beginning.
Though if this one kept going, she’d probably nail him with a spell soon. It was time to switch things up on Padma. He peered through the brambles and could just about make out her feet closing in on him quickly. Shit, he’d have to be quick with this. This was beginning to remind him of Harry Hunting and that never turned out well.
He focused on the ground beneath Padma’s feet and whispered, “Glacius,” and watched as the Ravenclaw girl slipped as the ground beneath her was covered in a thin layer of ice. Harry was on his feet now and running towards her. With Padma struggling, Harry cast an “Expelliarmus” and caught her wand as it flew towards him. Harry let out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding.
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Harry and Padma had made their way out of the Pit and immediately an excited Flitwick had led Padma off to give her a breakdown on her approach, promising Harry he was next. Greengrass had wandered off immediately after their duel to observe some others that were still playing out, while Neville had quietly congratulated Harry.
“A word, Potter?” Gemma tilted her head towards the corner of the room.
Harry looked at Neville, who shrugged and still seemed in his head about the duel. Unsure if he’d be alright, he looked at him for a moment before following the Slytherin.
“I meant to speak to you earlier. Thank you for the tickets.” Gemma said with a touch of hesitation in her voice. Something about the short hair tucked behind her ears made Harry duck his eyes away.
“Oh, that’s alright. It’s not like I could have gone and I figured you were a Ballycastle fan too...” Harry tailed off, a little unsure.
It seemed Ballycastle was what made her tick though, because she perked up immediately.
“Yeah, I’ve supported them since I was little. My family, the Farleys, are from Ballycastle. You can see the stadium from the grounds of the manor on a clear day. I’ve never been to a game though. My parents aren’t really big fans of Quidditch so they never really let me.” Gemma rattled on animatedly.
Manor. Her family must be one of the old, rich ones. Still, she didn’t seem like Malfoy or Parkinson so that didn’t really matter too much. Besides, Cedric got along with her so she must be alright.
“Gemma, you saw me duel against Padma. Any things you reckon I could improve on?” He asked hesitantly, unsure of how she’d react. The magazine had that listed in their tips section. Constantly ask for feedback as it helps spot weaknesses.
Gemma considered him for a moment before a smirk appeared on her face as she lowered herself to his level. Harry flushed but stared back defiantly.
“Cedric’s little project prodigy asking me for help huh. Here’s some free advice, learn how to cast a shield. You’ve got a brain and you’re slippery. But, one year from now, if you can’t defend yourself from more destructive spells you’re done for. Tell me, how good are you at Transfiguration?”
“I’m alright. Decent. Not great, though. Why?” He asked, confused.
“Hmm, McGonagall still crows about your father and his proficiency at Transfiguration. Focus a bit more there too. You’d be surprised at the applications Transfiguration has in duelling. Intercepting, attacking, and physical shields. You saw the dogs Cedric used, right?” Gemma replied, and Harry was stunned now.
He’d never thought to consider that. All the spells he’d been dodging could have been intercepted. He cursed himself for overlooking something as simple as that. Transfiguration. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Gemma’s question.
“Now, it’s your turn to help me out with something I’m a bit bothered by. What’s up with Longbottom? What was he doing in the Pit? Is he usually like that?” Gemma asked with a curious expression on her face now. She’d spun around and was looking at Neville now.
“Neville? I mean, he struggles a bit with magic but he’s really good at Herbology. It was just his first time duelling in the Pit, I think. His Gran’s always comparing him to his father, and I think she made him come. Even uses his wand and all!” Harry said, a little wistfully. His own wand was great and all but having his dad’s wand would be cool too.
Gemma whipped around and judging by the look on her face, he’d clearly said something stupid.
“His wand? You mean Augusta Longbottom has got her grandson using his dad’s wand?” She said slowly, as if he were a dunce. Harry blinked back owlishly.
“I-Yeah? Is that not normal, I mean?” Harry asked tentatively. He really wasn’t sure what was so wrong with that.
Gemma, on the other hand, was sighing to herself and looking up at the ceiling. He watched her awkwardly for a moment before she finally looked at him.
“Look, don’t tell Longbottom we had this conversation, yeah? I’ll speak to McGonagall, she’s his Head of House. She’ll sort it out herself. I’m sure she’ll have some choice words for Lady Longbottom.” Gemma said before walking away to Professor Flitwick and excusing herself.
Harry stayed rooted to the spot running the conversation over in his mind before moving back towards Neville who was still standing near the Pit chewing at his lip worriedly.
“Everything alright Harry?” Neville looked at him with a concerned look, casting a furtive look around as if Gemma would return any second.
“Yeah, Gemma just wanted to speak about the duel. Gave some tips. Neville, I was wondering, would you maybe be willing to practice spells with me? In the evening, I mean.” Harry asked, looking at the floor. He was starting to realise that he hadn’t been a great friend to Neville so far, and it was time to change that.
“Practice spells? Together, you mean?” Neville sounded as if it was too good to be true and Harry had to force himself to keep the smile on his face even though internally he felt he could have kicked himself for never bothering earlier.
“Yeah. Cedric gave me a great list of spells to learn and we might as well do it together, yeah? Plus, Gemma kinda hinted I need to work on my Transfiguration if I ever want to use it for duelling. So, I’m thinking I should start on that as well. What do you reckon?” Harry asked with a broad smile on his face. He really hoped Neville would agree.
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The next evening, Harry and an exuberant Neville found themselves in a room that Percy Weasley had directed them to. It was large and spacious with multiple chairs and desks scattered around. It was clearly meant to host more than just two 3rd-Year students, but this early in the year most students barely bothered.
They’d have tried immediately after the Duelling Club meeting yesterday, but Professor McGonagall had arrived at the Common Room. She’d had a severe expression on her face as she took Neville with her, but the round-faced boy had come back with a new wand and seen his Gran get a dressing down in front of him. Good value, Harry reckoned.
The two peered down at the list of spells that Cedric had given Harry. Six in total. The Shield Charm, the Impediment Jinx, the Severing Charm, the Banishing Charm, the Stunning Spell, and the Reductor Curse. They’d have to be smart about this.
“Look, I’ve got a plan. Gemma reckons I should learn the Shield Charm. Based on what I read, it’s a tough one to get right. Might take us all year. So, I think we should divide our time up and learn one of the easier ones alongside it. I’ll let you choose that one. I’ve listed what they do next to them. We can keep Transfiguration at the end.” Harry said, frowning as he considered the list.
Transfiguration was something he’d thought about long and hard. While he knew most of what Professor McGonagall had taught them, he’d figured the best way to get better at it was to practice it all over again. Spend a week on both 1st and 2nd Year before moving on to this year’s material. He didn’t know how or when he’d learn the fancier stuff that could be used in duels but he’d ask Cedric about that after he got these spells down.
Neville took a moment to read the list and consider before answering.
“The Impediment Jinx, I think. They’re all useful but in an empty arena, it might be the best one to know. If we can just slow someone down, it would make all the difference.”
Harry nodded briskly before opening the book.