Chapter 13.5- Doom Days

“We have an hour until breakfast. Draw your wand, Mr Potter” He said and gestured to prepare the classroom for their clash. Harry Potter was an enigma when it came to his magic. He had always been a powerful wizard. The Patronus he had conjured earlier this year had left no doubt in any’s mind of that. Even the fact that he was practiced enough in the spell to call forth two different corporeal forms was something to be said. While the patronus changes form when its user goes through significant change, what is often unsaid along with that fact is the when one’s form changed, the spell became much harder to cast. Almost twice as difficult, he had read. And yet the papers showed the boy achieving it with no strain.

Filius took his stance and waited for the boy to reciprocate. “A wider base is more useful for when you intend to begin with powerful spells and hunker down in shields when attacked. Your legs should be closer together, but not too close so you trip over them when trying to dodge” He said, correcting the stance.

“Having the standard’s duelist shield on your offhand is the only reason to have it out in the open the way it is now. If you don’t drop it to the side or place it behind your back, you risk being struck by an inopportune spell” he said next, correcting that mistake and humming appreciatively when the boy’s hsnd disappeared behind his back.

“Good. Begin” Filius finally said, seeing no more egregious mistakes in his protege’s form. He allowed the boy go first even if to his eyes it looke like he was wading through jelly as he forced his wand through the motions of the spell. Two silvery lances of magic. Shield breakers. A crafty first choice. They were designed to punch through most forms of magical protection and not much else. But they did have the effect of stunning magical upon contact if they didn’t spend their energy on a shield first, so they were best off avoiding.

He pushed one leg backwards and turned to the side, allowing both spells to sail right past him. He returned fire with half a dozen tripping jinxes in half as many seconds, and credit to his reactions, he managed to deflect half pf them and ducked to avoid the rest. He took a deep breath, and took off the metaphorical gloves.

XXXXXX- HE WITH WAY TOO MANY NAMES

The Hogwarts Headmaster stared at the duel as it unfolded before him. Filius Flitwick was a good man, better than most, but he had an independent streak a kilometre wide. It might have been an affectation of his father’s race who were thoroughly individualistic in nature. Normally, he would not have minded. The Charms Master never worked against him. Or at least, he hadn’t risked that until now.

‘All information regarding Harry Potter is to be brought to me on the first instance” he’d ordered after the boy took up residence in the Chamber of Secrets. And yet, Filius had been giving the boy lessons for days before seeing it fit to inform him. He watched them trade spells as young Harry began a series of complex transfigurations that Dumbledore knew were beyond the ability of every student and even a few professors. He watched Filius weave through obstacle after obstacle until the duel reached its natural end and then when it was over, he apparated to his office, careful to leave Flitwick’s wards undisturbed.

When he arrived, he went straight to the pensive and dove in. This was a memory from decades ago. One of the few times that Merrythought had requested his help in her classroom as they covered transfiguration in battle. The students had been allowed to duel in pairs and watching a young Tom Riddle trade spells with Alexander Rosier nearly brought his old heart to a still. Where Riddle stood, his mind could superimpose an image of Harry Potter, and their movements were nearly identical. The same bias to grand gestures with their wands, the same way their eyes flickered to where their spells would land seconds before the spells were even fired, the same over exaggerated twirl of the wrist after each transfiguration.