“That was certainly a unique lesson. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of battles like that.” Harry told Hermione and Ron during the free period after DADA.

  “Yeah mate, that was bloody crazy. She seemed really skilled. Like, did you see her Grimoire? Bloody Hell. That thing was gigantic.”

  “I have to say I don’t share her obvious disregard for books, but her experience is undeniable.” She hesitates. “I’m so sure I heard of this battle in the past. Maybe in a history lesson? Do any of you have an idea?”

  “If I had to guess, roughly 2000 BC,” Harry answers absent-mindedly.

  “Right. The battle of the Damned wasn’t it? Where did I read that again?” She gets lost in thought, but stops once Ron asks Harry a question.

  “You’re bloody brilliant, mate. How’d you know that?”

  “Right. Where’d you read anything about this?”

  “I didn’t read about it. She ranted about Menes once.”

  “When did she - I mean, maybe I missed it, but I dunno.”

  “No, you didn’t miss anything, Ron.” Hermione’s voice grew sharper. “When did she rant about him?”

  “A few days into summer break, when she thought no one was listening.”

  “You were with her on your summer break?!” Hermione was almost hysterical. It was the first time either Harry or Ron had seen her like this. “Is that why you weren’t at the Headquarters? Then again, Dumbledore did tell us you were safe; maybe he knew? Still, do you have any Idea how dangerous that could’ve been if she’d been one of You-know-who’s people?”

  “She was the one who intervened in the Wizengamot. I knew her. It was safe.”

  “That was her? Bloody hell mate. How was she?”

  “Really nice. I also learnt duelling from her.”

  [Author Style: Flashback no Jutsu]

  After the visit to Diagon Alley, Harry and Azarynth arrived at a giant castle that looked even better than Hogwarts.

  It looked positively ancient and so sturdy, Harry didn’t know if it was even possible to destroy it. It certainly didn’t seem like it was possible, especially once the wards crashed down on him and he felt the centuries of magic that had strengthened them. It was at this point that Harry knew for sure. This place was safer than Hogwarts, the so-called safest place in the wizarding world.

  While it might not have been as safe for him as it had been for others, considering his school time, the wards were still heavy, and no invading army would be able to take over Hogwarts. Not while Dumbledore was still in the school.

  Despite that, Harry knew that no one, and he meant literally no one, would be able to break into this place, no matter their skill and power.

  Harry had to break out of the stupor he’d fallen into to catch up to Azarynth, barely in time to be in front of the massive gate made of heavy oak bound in iron. It was scarred by weather and old blows, but was so massive that the scars made it look more stable rather than weak.

  “Welcome to Winterfell, Harry. This is the ancestral home of the Veyloran family and all its offshoots, including the Peverells and, with that, the Potters. If you ever need a safe place, you will be welcome here. No matter what happens. Even if Voldemort comes after you, and I am dead, this place will still protect you and anyone of your bloodline. Always remember. You have a home.”

  Feeling the wards welcome him, Harry felt a sense of safety spread. He somehow knew they would protect him. He even got the distinct sense that they would stop even Azarynth if she attacked him, but that he couldn’t attack her either. This was true protection. No arguments, no partiality.

  “Sadly, it’s quite empty nowadays. Only the old ones are still here, and they aren’t quite human. I hope you have nothing against magical beings, because you’ll have to spend a lot of time in their company if you stay here. But you don’t need to worry, they are peaceful and intelligent. If you ignore their looks, they could be confused for humans.”

  She waved him inside, and they walked through a narrow and enclosed path. Warded stone walls made it clear this path was forced upon any attacker should they, by some miracle, get past the wards, which was, in all honesty, impossible, as not even Dumbledore would have been capable of weakening them slightly if he used all of his power. The wards would be resupplied so much faster than he would be able to do damage, that his power would’ve seemed like a joke.

  Still, it was obvious this castle was designed for all eventualities, and that kind of paranoia might come in handy eventually. What he sees next makes Harry stop in awe again. A giant building reveals itself.

  “Welcome to the great keep. This is where we're staying.”

  Once they were inside, she took a couple of potions out of empty space and handed them to him.

  “You are malnourished. This should help fix that. Take these three when you wake up and then again when you go to sleep. Your body should be fixed by the time the break is over.”

  Thankful for the help, he took the potion, before she continued, “Do you have one of those house elves? If so, he can be let into these wards. If you don’t, I’ll have to give you a servant of some kind. Maybe an elf maid…?”

  “I think I do. He’s called Dobby, and he’s a free elf, but he respects me a lot.”

  “Call him then.”

  “Alright. Dobby?”

  It popped, and a squeaky voice said, “Yes, great saviour Potter?”

  “Hello Dobby, was it? I am Azarynth, and I own this place. Would it be acceptable if I bound you to Harry, even if temporarily? It would make everything a lot easier. You can refuse of cour-”

  But was stopped by Dobby, whose eyes were shining in happiness. “Dobby would love to be the house elf of the great master Potter!”

  Immediately, magic spread in the room, and Harry felt a connection to Dobby.

  “Well… That was easier than expected. Could you lead Harry to his room right now? He’s starting to sway from exhaustion.”

  After breakfast the next day, Azarynth had asked Harry, “Do you want to learn duelling from me? It‘s quite useful in combat.” Remembering the disgrace of his so-called duel against Voldemort, Harry immediately accepted the offer.

  So here they were, now standing in a large, empty circular chamber.

  “I have to start with theory. Sadly, there’s no other option, but I’ll try to keep it short, alright?”

  Once Harry nodded, she began explaining the rules.

  “The main difference between duelling and real combat lies in the fact that duelling has rules and is one-on-one. Now the normal rules here in Britain, and almost everywhere in the world, are these:

  -No dark magic above the level of Jinxes is allowed (Even with Jinxes, quite a few are forbidden)

  -No spells that cause harm that you cannot countercharm yourself, within at most a minute.

  As you can see, those are both very stringent and very open limitations. Sadly for you, these rules are a luxury you cannot afford, so in our duels, only the unforgivables are forbidden. You can, and should, throw everything at me. We are protected by the wards here, and even the unforgivables wouldn’t get past them, but two of those are useless and only used to cause cause pain or enslave someone, so they are forbidden too, alright? Between the two of us, duels only end when the wards judge the damage as lethal. Knockout doesn’t count. Do you understand?”

  Her face looked serious, and he nodded reluctantly. He wasn’t happy with using such spells, but considering the wards, he would use them.

  “Now onto the next part and the first relevant one. Stances. I will not teach you any duelling stances, because those can be a really bad habit if you are up against multiple opponents or in a chaotic situation with allies. I will instead drill the combat footwork of the elves into you. In my experience, it’s the best in terms of survivability and adaptability, which is the most important part of any real combat. Once again, there are rules to footwork, though, and they are important because at some point you will need to adjust it to fit you. At that point, these rules will become essential.

  -There needs to be a balance between speed and stability. If you are just fast, but unstable, you will easily be thrown over, and if you are stable but mounted to the ground, you are an easy target and will have to shield against every spell. Also, a bad idea.

  -Beyond speed and stability stands versatility. It is the single most important part of your footwork. If you are predictable, you are as good as dead.

  -Lastly, you should dodge whenever possible. Magical power is limited, even at the highest level, and even if it weren’t, shields can be pierced.”

  She made sure he had written them down in case he ever needed them, before continuing to monologue even more.

  “Now onto the interesting part. Magic. Or to be precise, what kind of magic should you use in combat? Quite frankly, everything is usable if you truly master it to the highest degree. For example, I once fought a witch who couldn’t cast a single offensive or defensive spell. I almost lost despite that, because she was a seer and had predicted everything I did days before it happened and prepared countermeasures accordingly. This is essential, alright? Don’t underestimate your opponent because of the magic he or she uses, understood?”

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Alright. Now, after saying all of that, there are four fields of magic that no doubt rule every battlefield. Transfiguration, Charms, The Dark Arts and Runes. All of them shine on different kinds of fighters.

  Transfiguration is for the more strategically minded who manipulate the surroundings to control their opponents. They are the most capable of bridging power and number gaps. No matter how much more power you have, a true master of transfiguration might just mess you up despite your power. Albus Dumbledore or Professor McGonnagal are masters of transfiguration. They are both a lot weaker than Voldemort, but could no doubt give him a run for his money or in the case of McGonnagal, probably stall him for a few hours before losing.

  Charms are for the clever, but direct. Charm-focused fighters are textbook duellists. They throw spell after spell at their opponents while dodging them. Their fights are short, fast-paced and oftentimes incredibly chaotic. They are the true glass cannons, but they are the easiest path to learn and incredibly effective if done right. Despite that, they tend to be weaker than the masters of the other three combat fields. Professor Flitwick is a master of this path. He was also a duelling champion in the past.

  The Dark Arts are for those who do anything to win. Their spells are brutal, inspiring fear and shock, making opponents lose focus or panic and taking advantage of it. Masters of the Dark Arts tend to have a ton of raw power. That’s their greatest advantage. They are very easy to irritate, though and are very predictable once angry. I think the example is fairly obvious here. Voldemort is a master of the Dark Arts.

  Finally, we have Runes. They might not seem obvious, but they are actually the most dangerous of all four. If you ever were to fight a rune master, you might as well forfeit. I lied when I said Transfiguration masters are the most capable of bridging power and number gaps. It’s the Rune masters in reality. Now you might be asking, if they are so incredible, why are none of the strongest in the world rune masters in this way? That’s because runes only become useful at the Grandmaster level, and there have only been ten rune grandmasters in recorded history. Still, there are two examples I have for you. Odin and Me.

  After hearing all of this, which path do you think fits you the best?”

  “It doesn’t sound very powerful, but charms seem to fit me from your description.”

  “I agree with you. Well, Charms or The Dark Arts. The direct fighting styles fit you the best, I think, but considering your opinion of The Dark Arts. Yeah, it’s gonna be Charms for you. Although I have to add that it doesn’t restrict you to only using charms or something. It’s just the core of your style. But just to be sure, I want to duel you once. Keep the rules of duels in mind, yes? Use everything you have.”

  Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Despite her appearance remaining unchanged, Azarynth suddenly felt immensely dangerous. Her stance had only changed slightly, but every weakness Harry had seen before was instantly gone. Her hands were still loosely hanging by her sides, but somehow her wand had appeared in her right hand. Her left hand had started emitting a white light, and Harry suspected it of holding the rune magic she’d talked about. It was instantly clear to him. He would lose this. Even Voldemort hadn’t felt like this. Despite this feeling, he breathed out and started casting.

  Expelliarmus! Stupefy!

  The red beam of the disarming charm closed in on her, but Harry instinctively knew she would dodge, so he cast a stunner to where she would inevitably end up if she dodged to the right. All of that was a pretty decent plan, so why had he ended up on his back with her sword at his neck?

  “Please. You need to adapt to an opponent. I was obviously preparing a shield charm in my left hand. My plan was fairly obvious, you know? Still, it was a good casting speed, especially on that disarming charm. But you need to start using your brain more. This isn’t a who can throw the most and the strongest spells competition. The essence is survival, and for that, you need to analyse and counter what your opponent does, not just throw everything you have at them. Again.”

  Not as nervous this time, Harry realised what had happened. When he’d felt her presence, he’d immediately fallen back to his old habits of chucking spells on instinct. Just like what had happened when he’d faced Voldemort! He’d been so sure of his defeat that he’d just bet everything on chance instead of even trying. It was at this moment that he decided to try and see every duel as a learning opportunity. He’d even forgotten the rules!

  He bowed to her, which she returned with a deeper one.

  Carrying out what he’d decided to do, he waited. His nerves taut, ready to react to the slightest twitch of her muscles. He saw a slight smile grace his teacher’s face before her right hand burst into motion, with his following right after.

  Stupefy!

  The black beam of light that had left her wand flying past his body, while his spell moved right into the direction where she was standing.

  Smirking Harry saw her raise her hand, the white light once again glowing in her palm. But this time he had a plan!

  Accio Bracelet!

  He cast a summoning charm on her bracelet, dragging the mobile shield away from his spell. A look of shock was on her face for a second. She’d obviously not expected that from him! This was his chance! This spell would probably not break the charms he suspected she had on her clothes, but it would occupy her thoughts so that—

  Hearing a loud pop, he felt a strong impact to the back of his knee and fell to the ground.

  “Good try, Harry. Very good try. Still, you got tunnel-visioned towards the end. That’s not a mistake a skilled fighter would let you get away with. Much less someone like Voldemort or me. But the start was good. I think we should end it here. That was indeed enough time to make sure charms are the best for you, well, in all honesty, The Dark Arts fit your fighting style more, but I think you are probably quite reluctant to learn those.”

  “Do you honestly think they are best for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wouldn’t they corrupt me? Like Voldemort?”

  “That’s not The Dark Arts, or to be precise, those were not the spells of The Dark Arts but rituals instead. For example, his Horcr— Oh Shit!”

  She went deep into thought until Harry asked, “Everything alright?”

  “Yeah, just forgot something. Anyway, the corruption of the Dark Arts only happens during rituals.”

  “Then I would be ready to learn that, if you can teach me,” He decided.

  “Damn… alright, but I don’t actually remember that much about it right now. I’ll need to consult my Grimoire about this for the advanced stuff. But I do remember the basics well enough. We should start with those.”

  “Once again, let’s start with theory. The Dark Arts are essentially shock-and-awe. You cast a lot of unblockable, deadly, powerful spells at your opponent, making them run around like headless chickens, not even thinking about attacking. It works like a charm, no pun intended. Especially when you laugh like you’re crazy. That’s why so many dark wizards are documented as crazy. A few of them were crazy, of course, like the current Voldemort, but most were as cold, sharp and analytical as it gets. Prime example being Gellert Grindelwald. He took over most of Europe in under a decade and was only delayed due to being unlucky. Otherwise, he’d have taken over the US in 1926 and expanded from there.”

  Harry’s attention starts to waver during her rambling.

  “Sorry. I started rambling again, didn’t I? I’ll get to the spells now. You want big, flashy spells so that you seem strong. It doesn’t matter whether you actually are strong. If the people believe you to be, they will act as you did in our first duel. Flinging random spells while maybe even running away like headless chickens.”

  A grimoire suddenly appears in her hands.

  “Take this”, she hands it to him, “It contains all of the core spells needed to fight this way. Everything else you can and will create yourself.”

  She turns away. “I need to prepare some stuff for your first real dark magic lesson. I want you to be able to cast everything except for the very last spell in this Grimoire by then. It’s just the very basics after all. Oh, I’ll also need to check something with your wand before the next lesson. But that’ll be a bit later.”

  Once his teacher left, Harry opened the Grimoire she’d given him. It contained ten different spells.

  Most of which he actually knew already! For example, Accio was inside! As a defensive spell no less!

  But others? What was the Killing curse doing among the ‘basics’? Why the heck was Fiendfyre there too?! How was he supposed to learn two of the most advanced dark magic spells in the world within a day?!

  “No use worrying, I’ll just start with the easier ones, and work myself up.” Upon making that decision, Harry looked through the spells to find the easiest ones. He decided to get those he knew out of the way first.

  Accio!

  A book flew into his hands. He had succeeded, so he would continue onwards with the next one he knew.

  Reducto!

  He cast out in the direction of one of the targets that had been conveniently placed in the room, reducing it to fine mist. Another success. Now onto the last spell he knew.

  Bombarda!

  He cast in the direction of another target, blowing it to pieces. Now he was going to have to rely on the descriptions in the Grimoire to cast the rest of the spells.

  He looked at the description of the next spell:

  Fear curse

  Metus Suggero

  Hate or Anger

  None

  Subtly spreads fear around its caster. Unblockable and undetectable, but weak. Leads to fear only if it already exists, but it can lead to panic attacks if the target is already close to one.

  Inspires irrational actions.

  Doesn’t affect the caster.

  This explained next to nothing! It said there were no wand motions to the spell! How was he supposed to cast something like that!? Just scream the incantation? It was at this moment that a piece of paper fell out of the Grimoire.

  The essence of a spell is the Affiliated emotion as well as the Intent to cast the spell. The rest is not strictly necessary.

  These words made him think of the Patronus Charm. It hadn’t required a wand motion either, just Emotion and incantation. Maybe this would work the same way? He’d just have to summon anger within him using a memory from the past? It was worth a try at least.

  Harry thought back to Pettigrew and immediately felt hatred rise within him.

  Metus Suggero!

  He screamed this incantation at no one in particular and immediately felt his magic being used, but he couldn’t detect any effect. It was at this moment that he remembered the spell was supposed to be undetectable. Of course, he wouldn’t find anything! Despite that, he was pretty sure he’d managed to cast the spell. So he continued onward to the next one:

  Silver shield conjuration

  Argentum Aegis!

  Will to protect(Can be targeted at oneself)

  S motion (Not strictly necessary)

  Summons a silver shield in front of the caster.

  Looks noble and powerful

  Can block everything (except Fiendfyre)

  This spell seemed interesting! It was nothing like he’d have expected from a dark spell. It seemed like a somewhat advanced transfiguration spell. Nonetheless, he tried to cast it— only to hear a hiss coming out of his mouth instead of the incantation. The shield appeared, but it was equipped with snake patterns instead of being the bland silver shield he’d been expecting. Apparently, using Parseltongue for the incantation also worked. Who knew?

  He decided to ignore the weird snake patterns and just wrote it off as a success. Sitting down to finish the last spell that wasn’t obviously dark magic. The anti-apparition Jinx. Which had neither a wand motion nor an affiliated emotion. Just an incantation.

  Nullus Evanescat!

  So he just tried it, and lo and behold, it worked.

  Now came the first blatantly dark spell: The Entrail expelling curse. Without much motivation, he thought of Peter to summon the required anger and cast.

  Eviscera!

  It worked on the first try! The Dummy he had cast at was ripped apart by its own pieces. Now, only three more spells were missing, and all of them were legendary in their own right. The killing Curse, Fiendfyre and the Devil’s fire. He decided to start with the most accepted one— The devil’s shield. It summons a blue fire around the caster that harms the caster’s enemies, but protects his allies. It was famously used by Grindelwald in his attack on Paris.

  It took Harry over three hours of constant casting until a blue fire finally appeared after a cast, and another hour until it actually did any damage to the dummies— this spell was obviously at a completely different level. But now:

  Protego Diabolica!

  A blue ring of fire threatened to engulf the room Harry was currently standing in, but he felt no heat, no danger. In stark contrast to his unharmed state, all of the dummies were heavily affected by the spell— they had turned to ash. Then came the spell Harry was most anxious about casting— the killing curse.

  He knew its incantation by heart, and its affiliated emotion as well. Or so he thought. Because he didn’t see hate. Instead, it said this:

  Affiliated Emotion:

  Will to kill (anger, hate, will to protect or neutrality)

  The will to kill was the required state of mind, and apparently, it could even be cast using the will to protect others! This was not what he’d expected. Not at all. Still he tried it, once again picturing the backstabbing rat, and succeeded on the first try.