79. Playing with Flitwick
"From whom do you want to hide it? " Griselda asked curiously listening his answer.
" Everybody who's gonna try controlling or using me and unfortunately for me, I have a long list of such people." Harry said shaking his head. They remained silent for some 10 minutes as she continued to look at him while thinking about who knew what..
" I can arrange it.. but, if you fail even a single subject, I'll not only tell everyone about this but also delay your OWLs for 2 years." She said with a gleam of excitement in her old eyes.
"Okay. I'll give my exams during the starting of summer vacation." Harry immediately agreed.
He also asked her about some other things and she said she would help him with all those things after he had atleast Exceeds Expectations (E) in all his exams. They had lunch together before Griselda Marchbanks went back.
"How can you be sure that she will not rat you out?" Amelia asked with a frown.
"I am more than 95% sure that she will follow her words. She only cares about geniuses and if I really get (E) in all my OWLs and NEWTs during my first summer holidays then she would really help me with everything she can, just to see how high I can go.
" How did you gather that? " Amelia asked and Harry burst out laughing remembering the old lady's jab at Amelia.
Harry returned home after chatting with Amelia and Susan for a while longer. He told everyone about his deal with Griselda and encouraged his friends to improve themselves.
"Harry, Everyone wants to know how strong you are so how about we have a duel?" Flitwick suggested.
" Sure professor" Harry immediately agreed. He has been practicing with girls but as he was much higher in skill level, he was not able to learn anything from that. Even Dora is strengthening her basics first with moody and hadn't learnt much.
Everyone took to the fields adjoining his house. Harry and Flitwick stood facing each other.
"Professor, what are the rules?" Harry asked.
"You decide that Harry." Flitwick thought that he already had the advantage of age and experience and so he wanted to let Harry decide what he was comfortable with.
"Except for unforgivables, everything is allowed. Our enemies are not going to follow any kind of rules after all. Let's treat it as a real fight instead of just a dual.
Professor Mcgonagall will be incharge of ensuring professor Flitwick's safety while Dora of mine in case of emergency." Harry stated firmly.
"Isn't it too over the top Harry?" Flitwick, Minerva and other tried to talk him out of this.
"We all here know what we are up against. This fight will not only show me my weaknesses and where I can improve, it will also show all those who has decided to fight on the frontline, what's the least they can expect from our enemies." That shut up everyone.
People gathered at one side, some even going as far as using omnioculars to watch the fight. The guardians - Mcgonagall and Dora were ready to intervene any moment.
Flitwick stood in the standard dueling position while Harry looked as if he just standing for normally making people confused.
Mcgonagall decided to also act as the refree. "Start at the word Go.. Ready! 3! 2! 1! GO!!"
The moment Mcgonagall finished Harry's blasting curse flew towards Flitwick who had also sent his own stunner, Harry's way. Flitwick rolled to the side only to be impacted by a body bind curse as Harry had just tilted his head slightly successfully dodging Flitwick's stunner. As soon as Flitwick fell because of the full-body-bind, Harry's Expelliarmus took away his wand.
"You lost professor. You underestimated me too much." Harry said as he released Flitwick and returned him his wand.
"But, but how?" Not only Flitwick, everyone was stunned speechless by the scene. The match ended in seconds causing everyone to use omnioculars to watch it in slow motion again and again.
"We all underestimated you too much Harry." Mcgonagall said and looked towards Flitwick, " Filius, Harry was dual casting, using non verbal spells and even using wandless casting from his left hand. He just tilted his head slightly to dodge your stunner. He was fast, decisive and precise." Everyone also came to the same conclusion and it left them flabbergasted.
" But, but I couldn't even use my second spell." Flitwick muttered before looking at Harry," Harry, I indeed underestimated you too much. Can we have a match again, this time I will be ready." Harry nodded and they went to stand in their previous positions.
At the word GO, Harry stepped forward towards the left while casting an Incendio. This move not only successfully evaded Flitwick's severing charm aimed at the right side of his chest but also forced Flitwick to dodge the fire by jumping to his right but just then a wave of wind came making the fire again go towards Flitwick who hadn't had the time to stabilize himself, forcing him to dodge in a sorry state by bending backwards and laying flat on the ground making the fire go from above him. But just as he laid on the ground a stone beside his left cheek- left by Harry's blasting curse from previous match, suddenly turned into a sharp and deadly earth spike grazing his skin and drawing blood. Next moment, Harry's Expelliarmus again took away his wand.
"You lost again professor.." Flitwick laid there as Harry went forward to help him up and return his wand. Harry used Episky to heal the scrapped skin.
" Harry could have turned the stone directly below your heart into an earth spike Filius. You indeed lost." Mcgonagall said shaking her head in disbelief.
"Tell me how, Harry. I know there's something else, something more than what everyone is seeing.." Flitwick said looking sharply at Harry. Others watched both the matches in slow motion again but didn't find anything.
"Hermione would be able to answer your question professor.." Harry said looking towards Hermione and then Lily with a smile on his face.