FIC: Abandoned: The Re-Write ~ Harry Potter ~ HPLV/HPTR ~ Mature ~ Chapter 13
Title: Abandoned: The Re-Write
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: M/R
Main Pairing: Harry/Tom, Harry/Voldemort
Side Pairings: Ginny/Theodore Nott, Seamus/Blaise Zabini, past-Ron/Hermione, Hermione/Luna, others
Warnings: SLASH, mentions of child abuse/rape/torture, language, character death, minor Dumbledore bashing, Grey-to-Dark!Harry
Summary: A complete re-write of Abandon: Before the start of his seventh year, Harry Potter is abandoned in London by his muggle family and finds himself befriending Lord Voldemort.
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Chapter Thirteen: Study Buddies
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The weekend with a Slytherin presence was odd, to say the least. When the Gryffindors might have spent the day studying in their common room under Hermione's iron fist, they ended up, instead, in the library.
"Do we have to change the way we spend our weekends for them?" Ron griped as the Gryffindors trudged back to the tower to collect their things. When Malfoy had mentioned it at lunch, Harry had agreed to meet up in the library to study.
"You don't have to come," Dean pointed out helpfully. "You could just stay in the common room and work by yourself."
"But then who will help me?" Ron demanded, earning snickers from the other Gryffindors.
Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "It'll be nice to change locations," she offered. "And Luna studies in the library on the weekends, so we can just join her."
"Blaise told me that Nott is the best in their house at Charms," Seamus offered.
"And Malfoy's brilliant with Potions," Harry agreed cheerfully.
"None of them are as smart as Hermione, though," Ron griped.
Hermione flushed at the praise.
Harry rolled his eyes. "'Mione is the most brilliant student in our year," he agreed, "but she's got to work on her assignments, too. This way, you've got other people to ask questions of while she's writing something out. Right?" He gave Ron a sharp look.
Ron sighed. "Yeah, okay. But, Harry, what about when we're done with our work?"
"Bring your chessboard," Ginny suggested, eyes bright with mischief. "The Slytherins don't know how good you are."
The others groaned or laughed as Ron's eyes lit up.
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The Gryffindors weren't the only ones who benefited from adding to their study group; the Slytherins suddenly found themselves with the assistance of the smartest student in the school, as well as the best Defence student. While none of them were able to benefit from the brightest Herbology student, all but Parkinson were in both History and Arithmancy, which made Hermione their new best friend.
The Slytherins also found that the Gryffindors had been spending so long studying together, they all seemed to know about the same level of basic knowledge in each subject, whether they had ever taken it or not. When Blaise and Nott got into an argument about the properties of the number twenty-one, it was Dean who actually ended the argument, even though he'd never taken the class.
"What would you know about Arithmancy?" Nott had demanded, even as he silently thought that the muggleborn had made a good point.
"When you've studied with Hermione as long as we have, you start to pick things up," Ginny offered, not bothering to look up from the paper she was writing for Transfiguration.
"She's the worst when there's no one else to study with," Dean commented, warily making sure Hermione didn't overhear him. "Lavender's the only other Gryffindor in Arithmancy, and she doesn't care to study with Hermione, so she bounces her thoughts off of us. It's easier to let her teach you things than just to sit there and take it."
"And you're okay with letting her use you like that?" Parkinson hissed, eyeing Harry in much the same way that Dean had been eyeing Hermione.
"It's not so bad," Seamus offered. "A lot of what she teaches us goes right over our heads, but knowing some of this stuff helps in other classes. Like, before I studied with Hermione, I had a lot more trouble in Charms, but between her helping with our Charms homework and using us to do her other homework, things are so much easier."
"Like, did you know the Hawaiian unlocking spell is actually easier to cast than the Latin equivalent?" Ginny said, finally looking up at the Slytherins.
"There's a Hawaiian unlocking spell?" Blaise said, intrigued.
"Most indigenous people have their own brands of spells," Dean agreed.
"Indigenous people being the ones that originally were living in a particular region, like the Native Americans of the United States, or the African tribes," Seamus offered, recognising the lack of understanding that most magical-raised wore when Hermione, Dean, or Harry used a term not usually found in wizarding culture.
Understanding dawned in the purebloods' eyes.
"How would some Hawaiian spell be better than one based in Latin?" Parkinson demanded. Like most European purebloods, she was raised thinking that Latin was the most magical language.
"It's seven letters," Ginny replied. "Ho'owehe."
"Alohomora is nine," Blaise realised. "Seven is a more magically balanced number, so it would be a stronger spell."
The Slytherins were silent for a long moment, then Nott asked, "Do you know any other spells like that?"
The Gryffindors grinned and pulled out the lists that they'd started keeping when they first realised how useful those little spells Hermione let slip were.
Down the table, Harry smiled to himself, having kept an ear on their study group. He'd almost taken Parkinson to task about her harsh words about Hermione, but he knew he couldn't stop every nasty thought about muggleborns. Better to just let the Slytherins learn to respect Hermione and Dean on their own merits.
It may not last past this year, Harry thought, but at least I'll have made them think about it.
'Stop going Gryffindor on me,' Tom complained.
Harry covered his smile with one hand. 'How are those papers going?'
'Third years are idiots,' Tom replied without even thinking about it. 'The crap they think I'll accept is...'
Harry, who had graded the third year papers last week, grinned. 'They've only had two years of crap professors, Tom. It can't be that bad.'
Tom decided he was best off ignoring Harry.
"Harry?" Neville said with the air of one who'd called his name more than once.
Harry blinked up at his friend. "Erm, yeah? Sorry."
Neville smiled, getting used to this new, often preoccupied Harry. "Your thoughts on the Twisting Spell?"
"Ouch," Harry replied, earning him some amused snorts. "Oh, you laugh now," he snapped, "but let me cast it on you and see if you're still laughing."
The Gryffindors all covered their amused smiles while the Slytherins looked away. Parkinson was unwise enough to say, "What's so bad about it, then? So you twist something a bit. It's a Light spell."
"Neutral," Hermione corrected, shaking her head.
"Really?" Nott said, looking curious. "I thought for sure it would be Light."
"Have you ever had your hand twisted behind your back?" Dean asked.
"No," Parkinson replied, but the Slytherin boys all nodded; when you fought with the more physical Gryffindors, you were as likely to end up with a twisted arm as you were to be cursed.
"It hurts," Malfoy allowed. "Not as much as some of the Dark curses, but..."
"Depending on what the spell is cast on, it can hurt like the Cruciatus," Harry commented, "and it can kill."
There was an outcry of disbelief about that last, but Hermione said, "If you twist someone's neck enough..." and they all got really quiet.
"You're kind of scary," Nott finally decided, eyeing Harry with respect. "Do you think of every spell that way?"
"Yes," the other Gryffindors chorused while Harry grimaced. Ever since Mad-Eye had begun training him, he'd started considering every spell to see if it could be used to harm an opponent. He especially liked knowing if a spell could kill someone, so he could avoid that.
"I can't help the way my mind works," Harry complained to the study group.
"How about as a defensive spell?" Neville asked, picking his quill up. "Or is your mind too busy trying to harm people?" He smiled to show he'd meant the comment in a teasing manner.
"Twist your opponent's wand hand," Ron suggested. "Just until they drop their wand," he added, seeing the grimaces of the others at the table.
"If you feel good enough about your control, you could use it to twist a nearby object into the path of the spell," Nott suggested. "Not the best spell for defence..."
"If you're knowledgeable enough about the makeup of the spell being sent at you, you could use the Twisting Spell to change it," Hermione suggested. At the disbelieving looks, she sighed and said, "If I see an imperio coming at me, I know enough about the make-up of the spell that I could, in theory, turn the spell into an impervious."
"The roots are similar enough," Malfoy agreed, looking thoughtful.
"Imperio is the stronger spell, though," Dean pointed out, having just argued Arithmancy with the Slytherins. "It won't be inclined to change to a lesser spell."
"It's possible," Harry allowed when everyone looked to their local Defence expert. "I wouldn't suggest that usage, though. Not if the spell is coming towards you, and especially if you're in a battleground; you wouldn't have the time or the concentration. If you wanted to use the Twisting Spell on an incoming spell, you'd be better off twisting the incoming spell off course."
"You can do that?" Seamus whispered.
"Sure," Harry agreed with a shrug. "It's not easy, and directing it is difficult, but it's possible."
"Prove it," Ginny demanded, leaning forward.
Harry shrugged and pulled his wand out. "Okay."
"Madam Pince is going to kill us," Hermione moaned.
"A Dusting Charm," Blaise suggested as Ginny and Harry both got up. "It's colourful, and you can send it at one of the bookcases."
"Good idea," Harry agreed and nodded to Ginny. "Whenever you're ready, Gin."
Ginny glanced around the bookcase separating them from Madam Pince's desk, then nodded and cast the bright orange spell at Harry.
Harry narrowed his eyes at the spell. "Torqueo," he murmured, to prove he was using the Twisting Spell. When the two spells collided, he bore down on the Dusting Charm. Everything seemed to slow down for a moment as he focussed on the magic, and then the bright orange spell was twisting in mid-air and dissipated against a nearby bookcase.
"You have got to teach me that," Ginny ordered as they returned to their seat.
"That was impressive," Malfoy agreed and the others around the table voiced their agreement.
"How long did it take you to master that?" Neville asked as Harry snuck a drink out of the muggle water bottle he carried with him. Dean had started the practise a few years ago, and the other boys had followed suit, easily able to see the sense.
"Almost two weeks," Harry allowed. "I practised it every day for at least an hour. It's not easy," he added, seeing everyone's faces fall. "It's a lot like trying to break the Imperius: you have to have a stronger will than the caster of the other spell."
"But, once a spell has left your wand, the caster's will shouldn't matter any more, right?" Dean asked.
"It's still your magic," Nott explained. "Your intent, for the spell to hit what you're aiming at and for the spell to do a specific thing, is still a part of the spell. Anyone trying to change your spell in any way is going to have to fight your original intent."
"You know how you can sometimes cause a spell to make a slight correction in flight?" Harry said, having taught the DA that trick last year, though only a very few of them had managed it, and usually not to a great degree.
"So this is sort of like that?" Dean asked.
"It follows on the same principle," Harry agreed. "You're still connected to your spell once it's left your wand, you just have to learn to control that connection."
"So, wait." Ron leaned around Hermione to better see Harry. "If you were facing someone who could control their own spell, and you used the Twisting Spell to change their spell's direction, could they change it back?"
"Depends how far off you twist the spell, I would think," Hermione replied, glancing over at Harry herself.
Harry nodded. "If I twisted a spell so it turned a corner, the caster could never correct that much of their spell unless they were expecting it, and even then, they'd have some trouble. But if you only twist an incoming spell so it's aimed, say, over your shoulder, instead of at your head, the caster could change the course back towards your head without too much difficulty."
"You'd have to be quick to manage that," Blaise commented.
"Or expecting it," Harry agreed. The first time he'd managed to stop a spell of Mad-Eye's with a Twisting Spell, the ex-auror had been too surprised to stop his spell from going wide. The second time, however, Mad-Eye had managed to change his spell's course so it hit Harry anyway. It had been a weird duel.
"Better off just dodging the spell," Ginny commented.
"If you know there's someone coming up behind you, but they're not in the way of the spell if you dodge, twisting the spell would be a good way to deal with them," Ron replied.
"Exactly," Harry agreed, grinning at Ron.
Neville smiled at them all and turned back to his essay. "Thanks, guys."
"You got the Twisting Spell?" Malfoy asked, looking curiously at Neville's paper.
"Better than Harry's spell," Seamus said, grinning. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think Brutús didn't like you."
"Shut up, Seamus," Harry muttered, scowling at the Irishman.
"What spell did you get, then?" Malfoy asked.
Harry scowled in response, but Neville helpfully supplied, "Quadrupedis."
"I've never even heard of that spell," Malfoy admitted.
"It forces the victim on to their hands and knees," Hermione explained, having been the only one to have known it when Harry first received his assignment.
"How would you use that in a duel?" Nott wondered.
The Gryffindors all traded shrugs, so the Slytherins looked at Harry who was still scowling. "Well?" Malfoy asked when Harry didn't supply his answer quickly enough.
"Defensively," Harry muttered. "Casting it on yourself or an ally, you can get them out of the way of an incoming spell. Or casting it on your opponent to keep them from casting at you, since both of their hands have to be touching the ground."
"Really?"
Harry shrugged. "It's also depreciating, if cast on your opponent. It's basically like you're saying, 'Bow to me'."
"Or if you're duelling in mud," Ron offered with a nasty grin.
Malfoy shuddered. "Remind me never to face you in a duel, Potter."
The Gryffindors chuckled, while Harry just smiled and shrugged. "Don't face me in a duel, Malfoy. I'm a terrible opponent."
"Scary opponent, more like," Nott insisted.
The Gryffindors laughed again while Harry sighed.
"So, wait," Blaise said, "how would Professor Brutús manage in a duel with you?"
Harry shrugged. "We haven't duelled," he admitted. He and Voldemort may have duelled in the past, sure, but not since the failed possession and Harry's training with Mad-Eye. The closest they'd come to a duel since was that one fight in the grocery, and Harry hadn't been able to use magic.
"If we started basing how good a Defence professor is on how well they can duel Harry, we'd have nothing but bad professors," Ginny pointed out drily.
"I think you should duel him," Seamus decided, eyes dancing. "You never know where it might lead, especially if you use the spell he gave you for your assignment."
Harry pulled his wand out and aimed at Seamus, who, wisely, decided to duck behind a bookcase. "Get back here so I can curse you," Harry ordered.
"Not on your life!" Seamus called.
"Excuse me," Harry said to his amused tablemates as he rose.
Gryffindors and Slytherins alike burst out laughing as Harry calmly chased Seamus from the library. Madam Pince wasn't as amused by the noise, but other tables also grinned at the sight, and at least Harry and his prey took it out of the library.
Harry eventually came back, but they didn't see Seamus again until dinner, when he walked into the Great Hall sporting orange skin and bright green hair.
"Why didn't you just go to the kitchens?" Ron asked as Seamus tried to hide behind Blaise from the curious eyes of the hall.
"It'll wear off after dinner," Harry said with a shrug.
"It's the only reason I'm here," Seamus agreed, giving Harry a dark look.
Harry shot him a brief smile, then turned his attention back to his food.
"It would be cool to see you duel Professor Brutús, though," Ginny insisted. "I mean, he's a good teacher, right?"
"I thought we weren't basing how good a professor is on how well they can duel me?" Harry replied.
"We already know he's a good teacher," Dean allowed, "but we don't know how good."
Harry opened his mouth to try and refuse them again when Marcus said, 'It would be interesting to see how we'd do in a duel against each other.'
Harry sighed and rubbed at his scar. 'Well, sure, it would be nice to see how we manage against each other,' he agreed, 'but I don't know that I'd want anyone else knowing, especially since they don't know who you are.'
'Are you afraid their image of you will go down if they find out you can't beat a professor in a duel?' Marcus teased. 'Poor Harry Potter, can't even beat his Defence professor, how could he ever save us from Voldemort?'
Harry looked up at his friends, eyes narrowed in determination. "Okay," he agreed.
" 'Okay'?" Hermione repeated.
Harry nodded. "Okay. I'll duel him tomorrow."
"Does Professor Brutús know you're challenging him to a duel?" Malfoy asked.
Harry glanced up at the Head Table, where Marcus was watching them with a smirk. "He'll know by lunchtime," Harry replied.
"What makes you think he'd be willing?" Parkinson demanded. "He's a professor; he doesn't need to prove himself against a student."
"Harry'll talk him into it," Ginny assured the female Slytherin.
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By lunchtime on Sunday, most of the school had heard about the duel between Harry and their Defence professor. Everyone who'd heard about it was interested in going, either to see how amazing their supposed saviour was, or to watch Harry get his behind handed to him, depending on what they thought of the green-eyed Gryffindor. The closest to duelling that the two had come were the semi-choreographed 'show the kids how to protect themselves' duels they had in the classes Harry helped teach.
Dumbledore had even agreed that the duel could be fun to watch, so he'd asked the two duellists to hold their duel in the Great Hall. The professors would create a barrier around the duelling space to protect whatever audience they had.
As soon as he heard that Dumbledore would be watching, Harry wondered if they shouldn't decide not to duel anyway. 'Dumbledore knows how you duel, Tom,' he insisted when the Dark Lord refused to back down. 'What if he recognises your style?'
'Marcus Brutús learned from the same professors Tom Riddle did,' he replied. 'Any similarities can be waved off by mentioning that. Why don't you let me worry about the old bastard?'
'What am I supposed to worry about, then?' Harry demanded.
'Duelling me, of course.'
Harry promptly decided that, if the bastard was so certain of himself, he didn't deserve Harry's concern.
"So, what kind of duellist is Professor Brutús?" Hermione wondered as lunch was coming to an end. "Do you know, Harry?"
"He's a go-all-out sort," Harry replied, picking at the food Hermione had dumped on his plate.
"What sort are you, Potter?" Malfoy asked.
"Harry likes to dodge," Ron replied with the air of one who had often faced the Boy-Who-Lived and had his bum handed to him. "He's smaller than your average duellist, so he can avoid most spells."
"Is that why Flitwick is such a good duellist?" Parkinson wondered. "Because he's small?"
"It helps," Harry agreed, "but Professor Flitwick isn't a dodger, so it's not quite the same. He's short, but he doesn't have the mobility."
"What about Professor Dumbledore?" Nott wondered, eyeing the Headmaster with dark eyes.
"He's a transfiguration master," Harry said, shrugging. "He uses what's around him and his opponent's spells against them. I would think Professor McGonagall duels much the same way."
"What if there's nothing to transfigure?" Seamus wondered.
"Conjure something," Nott snarked.
Dumbledore rose from his seat and everyone glanced up at him. "As everyone has probably heard by now, Mr Potter has issued a duellist's challenge to Professor Brutús. For those who wish to watch, this duel will be held in the Great Hall in twenty minutes and there will be a barrier to protect the audience from spellfire. For now, would everyone save the duellists please leave so we can move the furniture around?"
The students all left, chatting about what was soon to come. Harry wished his friends goodbye and made his way up to the Head Table, where the professors were gathering. "Thanks for letting us do this, sir," Harry said to the Headmaster when Dumbledore smiled at him.
"It sounds very exciting, my boy," Dumbledore replied. "It will be good to see what six years at this school have taught you."
Harry snorted. "And any other tutoring I might have had on the side."
"Ah, that as well," Dumbledore agreed, smiling all the more. Of those left in the Hall, only Harry and Dumbledore really knew what sort of extra training Harry'd had, and even Dumbledore didn't know the whole of it.
Marcus and Harry stepped back to let the professors transfigure the house tables into stadium-style seating.
"Ready?" Marcus asked.
Harry glanced at him and grinned. "Born ready," he replied.
Marcus grinned back. "So you were," he agreed, thinking of the prophecy. Thinking of the prophecy, however, made him wonder what they were going to do about it.
'Think about it another time,' Harry suggested.
'We should talk about it one of these days,' Marcus replied, not looking forward to such a discussion in the least. Admitting that the prophecy was there was bad enough; trying to find a way around it...
'Not today,' Harry insisted. 'Today is when I kick your behind in front of the entire school.'
'Excuse me, I will be kicking your behind.'
Dumbledore turned to the duellists, the stands ready. "Is there anything in particular you want to use during your duel? Something to transfigure or hide behind?"
Harry and Marcus traded looks. On one hand, both could use a couple of things in the cleared area with them, but anything one asked for, the other could use against them.
"I think we'll be fine using conjured things," Marcus finally decided and Harry nodded.
"Very well."
The two duellists made their way into the cleared space while the professors created the barrier and let the students back in. They'd agreed last night that there was no way they could duel with their link so far open, so both wizards took the time to close their end of the connection. Once that was done, Harry stretched a bit and Marcus vanished his outer robe, so it wouldn't get in the way; the Dark Lord knew how Harry liked to duel, and he intended to have as much mobility as he could.
"Ready," both men said to Dumbledore once the students were settled and they were as prepared as they could be.
Dumbledore nodded and turned to the audience. "This is a one-on-one duel between Professor Marcus Brutús and Mr Harry Potter. All spells will be legal in the kingdom of Great Britain. The winner will be the last wizard able to cast." Dumbledore stepped over to the seat McGonagall had saved him and called, "You may begin!"
Marcus sent out three quick spells in Harry's direction, one where he'd been standing, the other two to either side. Harry ducked all of them by dropping to the ground, then sent a jelly-legs jinx towards the Dark Lord. The spell was low enough that Marcus jumped it, sending a blasting curse into the ground in front of Harry, which Harry avoided by conjuring a table and rolling to one side, sending out more spells as he rolled, most of which went wide.
The duel continued like that, with Marcus trying to catch Harry with a spell he couldn't dodge and Harry casting while he dodged, which often caused his spells to go awry. Admittedly, neither duellist was fighting at their true capacity, since they were being watched, but they were still good enough that their audience 'ooh'ed and 'ah'ed over the performance.
The best moment of the duel, so far as most people we concerned, was when Marcus and Harry managed to disarm each other at about the same time, then continued fighting with the other's wand, once they'd caught them. There had been a minor uproar about whether or not that was legal, but since no one had heard of it not being allowed, and the two duellists hadn't bothered stopping, it wasn't called.
Finally, Harry darted in close and shoved Marcus' wand under the Dark Lord's chin, only to find his own wand in a similar position. Both were breathing hard and were sporting a few cuts and bruises, but they were also grinning, having fully enjoyed the duel.
"Draw?" Harry suggested.
"Draw," Marcus agreed and they stepped apart, handing their wands back.
There was some upset from the crowd at it coming to a draw, but since the duellists were at peace with the ruling, that's what it was. As soon as the barriers were down, Madam Pomfrey hurried over to see to the two duellists while students crowded around to offer their awe and congratulations.
"That was awesome," Harry's friends insisted, once they got a chance to meet up with Harry and Marcus. Madam Pomfrey was shooting the crowd angry looks as she healed the two wizards, and had grabbed Harry's ear twice when some adoring fan had tried to congratulate him with a hug or drag him away, so Harry just grinned at his friends and let the nurse have her way.
"We should celebrate," Seamus insisted.
"We just had lunch," Hermione replied.
"Nothing wrong with a second lunch!" Ron called back, grinning. "Come on, mate. It's like winning at quidditch! Huge party in the common room..."
"It was a draw," Harry reminded his friends. "Not a win."
"Close enough!"
"If we have a party in the common, the Slytherins won't be able to come," Dean pointed out, nodding to where the four Slytherins stood, scowling at Ron.
"Blaise was the one who started the whole thing," Ginny pointed out.
Marcus, having escaped Madam Pomfrey at last, ruffled Harry's hair and offered, "You could have your ridiculous party in my quarters."
"Seriously?" Harry asked, glancing back at the Dark Lord in surprise.
"If they damage anything, I'll curse them," Marcus decided.
The students all grimaced at that, having just seen how many spells their Defence professor knew, even if most of them had been non-verbal.
Harry turned back to his friends. "Okay. Party in Marcus' room."
Marcus silently wondered what he was getting himself into even as they said their goodbyes to those who wanted to congratulate the two duellists. Letting Harry in his rooms was one thing, having spent much of the summer with the boy, but letting his friends into his private space...
'You can still tell them no,' Harry offered, sensing the Dark Lord's indecision.
Marcus sighed and shrugged. 'They'll expect to be allowed to follow you eventually,' he replied. 'Might as well allow them in willingly.'
'I suppose... I'll miss having a quiet place with you, though,' Harry admitted.
A corner of Marcus' lips curled with a brief smile. 'There's always the Chamber of Secrets.'
'That is a depressing place,' Harry retorted. 'I almost got killed down there.'
Marcus chuckled in their heads, even as he stepped forward and whispered the password to his guardian; he may have been willing to let the students in his quarters, but he had no intention of letting them know his password.
Once they were inside, Marcus had to conjure a few extra seats for his guests before requesting goodies from the house-elves. When he turned to join the students, the only open seat was on the couch next to an irritated Harry. The Gryffindors in attendance all looked quite pleased with themselves while the Slytherins looked rather like they weren't sure what was going on, but they could make an educated guess.
'To sit next to you, or not to,' Marcus thought at Harry as the elves popped in with the requested goodies.
'Argh. They-!' Harry complained. 'I'll kill them!'
Marcus shook his head, amused, and settled into the open seat. He gathered himself a bottle of butterbeer and ignored the surprised and gleeful looks from the students as he sat back, perfectly comfortable next to Harry. "To an enlightening afternoon," he said, holding his bottle up next to Harry's.
"To having a room full of soon-to-be-dead friends," Harry replied and they clinked their bottles.
Harry's friends snickered, even the Slytherins, who had all noticed the faint blush that had spread over Harry's cheeks when Marcus sat. If they hadn't already guessed at the crush, they knew now.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with a great deal of questions about the spells the two duellists had used, as well as some quiet teasing from Ginny and Seamus.
Finally, about an hour before dinner, Marcus kicked the other students out, informing them that he and Harry needed to talk about their lesson plan for the coming week. Ginny and Seamus had started to tease Harry again, but Neville and Hermione helpfully pulled them out of the room, the others following.
Once the room was empty, Marcus dropped his disguise and pulled Harry into a hug. "Maybe I shouldn't have let them in," the Dark Lord muttered into Harry's hair.
Harry snorted and relaxed into Tom's arms. "You'll have to get used to them eventually," he pointed out. "Especially now that I've got Slytherins to entertain as well as the Gryffindors."
Tom sighed. "This is a fairly neutral place for you lot to hang out," he allowed. "And I'm here as a mediator, if things get too out of hand."
"You mean if Ron remembers he's in the same room as Malfoy," Harry retorted.
Tom chuckled. "Or if one of the Slytherins remembers they're in the room with two muggleborns."
"Parkinson is particularly bad about that." Harry sighed and pulled away from the Dark Lord's embrace. "Tom, am I doing the right thing, letting them mingle? Letting my friends think the Slytherins might like them enough to not want to kill them in the field? What if this just gets them all killed?"
Tom shook his head. "You're asking the wrong person," he replied. "The only people I care to have survive this war are in this room."
Harry snorted in amusement while Tom grimaced at how corny that had sounded. "I love you too, you bastard," the teen said.
Tom sneered and pulled Harry into a half-hug. They were silent for a long moment, both watching the fire across from the couch.
Finally, Tom said, "Harry, I don't know if letting them get to know each other will end up for the best or the worst. Perhaps the Slytherins will decide muggleborns aren't so bad. Perhaps your Gryffindors will realise what Dumbledore is preaching isn't quite the whole truth. By letting the Slytherins join you, you may well have killed your friends, but you may also have saved them."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Tom," he said, nuzzling the Dark Lord's neck.
"Imp."
"Bastard."
Tom chuckled. "You're welcome." He sighed and glanced up at the clock on the mantle. "We should make our way down to dinner."
Harry sighed. "Yeah."
They got up and Tom turned back into Marcus, then they started their way down to the Great Hall, keeping a respectable distance.
"You know we're going to spend the coming week talking about that duel," Marcus commented after a long moment.
Harry sighed. "Oh, I know. With any luck, they'll get tired of it by Wednesday and we can talk about something useful for the rest of the week."
"I'll give it a full week."
"Care to bet on that?" Harry wondered, glancing over at the Dark Lord.
Marcus smirked. "Two galleons says they keep asking until the weekend."
"Two galleons say they only ask questions about it until Wednesday," Harry returned.
They shook on it, then continued into the Great Hall.
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A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the duel, but I'm shite at writing them. *shifty eyes* Also shite at writing quidditch, incidentally. *sweatdrop*
~Bats ^.^x
Spell Explanations:
- Torqueo -- meaning 'to twist' in Latin. Twisting Spell
A neutral spell which twists whatever it is cast on. Most commonly used in architecture, but it is possible to use it in a fight. - Detergere -- meaning 'to dust' in Latin. Dusting Charm
A light spell which removes dust from the object it's cast at. - Ho'owehe -- meaning 'to cause to open' in Hawaiian. An unlocking charm
Unlocks doors/chests/etc. Easier to use than the Latin Alohomora because of the number of letters in the spell. - Quadrupedis -- meaning 'on all fours' in Latin.
A neutral spell that causes the victim to fall to their hands and knees. Until the spell is removed, the victim has to keep both hands and both knees on the ground. A strong will can break this spell.
Abandon & Reclaim Series:
Abandon the Prequel: Sixth Year
Abandon chapter 01
Reclaim chapter One
Abandoned Chapters:
One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight || Nine || Ten
Eleven || Twelve || Thirteen || Fourteen || Fifteen || Sixteen || Seventeen || Eighteen || Nineteen || Twenty
INCOMPLETE
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