Combat Practice

As the Triwizard tournament is about to begin and Crouch would most definitely put my name in the Goblet of Fire, I had to prepare for the First Task's dragon.

For now, Zed's shadow should be hidden as a clutch, especially if Crouch sneaks in on me throughout the year and more importantly to stand a chance against good old Voldy. That leaves Jhin's Whisper - a good weapon much later on paired with the shadow, but not enough penetration for dragonskin.

Fleur's method is out because Harry has no Veela blood, Krum is a no because the Horned Tail would cause damage to the eggs, and flying a broomstick, while proven, feels slightly lacking. Magically reinforcing Zed's armor should be good enough to escape unscathed, and i should learn the Disillusionment charm just in case.

Looking further ahead, though, it might be safer to have a fully non-magical fail-safe, though not guns or anything plausibly mechanical because magic somehow screws up electricity. Out of all Runeterra's options, full-fledged chemtech, much like Renata Glasc's or Warwick's, seems practical, albeit slightly volatile.

Still alone in the Room of Requirement, I returned to mindscape to check how that would work, and the voice answered simply:

"You would experience all the pain in the process at once, and then the structure would be tailored to your body. Though, full-body augment is required to tap into the potential of this technology, as you've already guessed sir."

"Got it. Confirm enhancement of bone structure identical to the Wrath of Zaun, Warwick."

The moment those words left my figurative tongue, an inhumane pain numbed all my senses. Although the injections were minimal as I did not transform into an undead he-wolf, my spine felt like it was breaking apart and rebuilt - which it was. After 5 minutes or an hour of full paralysis, I can finally move.

My whole body feels slightly heavier but much more solid, as its inventor Singed, though inhumane, had studied anatomy flawlessly. Small tubes periodically pumped chemicals into the joints and spine, making my whole back side feel invisible. When I think of running, however, my body was automatically lifted up and my bones cracked into position.

As the sense of strength cannot be accurately measured in the mind space, I re-materialized in the physical world. The strong scent of parchment has dimmed, along with the sensation of cloth on bare skin - yet if I chose to focus, they became much more pronounced, overwhelming any proper logical thought. I can imagine how Warwick turned insane: his unending hunt for survival and pleasure must've eroded any reason.

With the Marauder's Map Harry still had, I checked and saw no one outside - then exited to enter a Room with training targets. Using purely physical strength from the enhancement, I could lift twice as much as before - which is two large metal dummies - and dent its surface, though this did dislocate wrist. However, since the pain is reduced and self-recovery enhanced by the chemicals, the injured area merely glowed and show some bulging, disturbingly neon-green blood vessels before returning to its normal state.

While armed, my shadow's actions are accelerated for it mimics my actions, though since its immaterial and only weapons can affect physical objects, the shadow can't show the new body strength. The same for "Whisper" - I can aim more accurately in a shorter time, but the gun's rate of fire is fixed. and projectile damage is independent of the frame.

It took me just that afternoon to get used to my body again, and until Friday, just before the start of Tournament, to cast the optimal hit-and-run combination. In the meantime, me and Hermione also started to practice more combat-oriented spells just in case...

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Wednesday afternoon, Library.

Long shadows stretched on the wooden floor, with dust from old books floating lazily in the golden glow of dusk. The two of us managed to sneak away after almost getting caught chatting in Potions - as if it was such a serious thing - and successfully snubbing Ron for some so-called "quality couple time", though Hermione would never admit it.

My wand hand, which would've felt sore after all the jabs we did today if not for the skeletal structure removing any physical inconveniences, was reassuringly held by Hermione, who stood behind to correct me, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Alright, Harry," she said, her voice slightly squeaky. "Let's try again. It's all about your intent, okay? You have to visualize the shield."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. My mind clearing of everything except the incantation, the motion of the wand, and the mental image. Hermione's assistance was distracting, but incredibly motivating. I raised my wand, pointing it directly in front of me.

"Protego!" I chanted, thinking of Flitwick's castle shield in the last book.

A shimmering, frustratingly translucent barrier flickered into existence, barely thicker than air. It wavered but, through the half-automated focus, held strong.

"That's brilliant, Harry!" Hermione encouraged, awkwardly moving away from my back. She raised her wand somewhat confidently. "Ready for the real deal?"

I nodded again, collapsed the shield and braced myself. Hermione's speed and power was top-notch, and thanks to the playing around the last few weeks, is now even more formidable. She flicked her wand lightly and murmured, "Stupefy."

The jet of light shot towards me, and I instinctively conjured the shield. Her stunning spell collided with my barrier, sending ripples through it before dissipating harmlessly.

I let out an exasperated breath.

"I thought you were supposed to Disarm me!"

"I knew you could do it, Harry!" she smiled and deflected, beaming wickedly. Hermione closed the distance in a few quick strides and gave me a brief, fierce hug, before realizing what she just did and moving away in embarrassment.

My grin stretched wider with such a cute gesture, but refrained on commenting.

"Thanks for helping. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Don't underestimate yourself," Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "Your posture was almost perfect, Harry. You just needed a bit of pressure." She paused, pretending to be thoughtful. "Let's try it again, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke."

"Alright... Ready when you are."

Hermione nodded, her expression that of an evil scientist to her lab rat. "Expulso!" she cried, the invisible spell shooting toward me.

I barely managed to get the shield up in time. The explosion splashed against it dangerously and faded, leaving me unharmed behind.

Hermione's face split into a sinister smile. "Perfect! Now, keep practicing. You'll want to cast it without thinking."

I nodded, despairing inside. 'More like have to - if I don't want a permanent injusry.'

"Do your worst, Hermione!"

She wasted no time firing all sorts of hexes and jinxes at the shield, some with really obscure names that I'm sure was from a curse book. "Hold on, Harry... We still have a few hours before dinner."

As we continued to practice (read: experiment on a helpless subject), the last light of the sun slowly faded, leaving only the warm glow of candles. Though I despaired having underestimated my girlfriend's passion for exploration (hopefully not sadism), I'm glad to have Hermione by my side for whatever the plot would throw at us.