Dreams of Home

Chapter 18

"Tell me something about yourself, Potter." Professor Black requested, "You are one of the world's best-kept secrets, and I admit myself curious that you managed to elude my family for as long as you did."

Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts Harry shrugged, "It wasn't difficult hiding from the Blacks. They didn't know I existed, so they thought my mother and father were just being recluses. Mum was pregnant with me around the time that they lost my brother, and I was raised in isolation for the most part. Any friends I made were under different aliases, and I said goodbye to all of them when we left America. As for myself, I just love magic, and I love Quidditch. I have to admit there isn't some grand mystery about me, nor is there a lot to my interest. I am single-minded in a lot of things, and right now that is mostly in dueling, while also trying to be the best wizard I can be."

Alphard seemed to contemplate his student's words, and Harry realized they had crossed the boundary lines that the Hogwarts wards extended over, and they didn't continue much further before the Defense Professor stopped. Alphard looked around for only a moment before he began waving his wand in slow concise patterns. Walls of magic began to appear in a large dome-like area, and Harry at this point drew his own wand to help reinforce their area.

It took a matter of minutes before Alphard and Harry observed their work, and seemed satisfied that they would not draw any attention to themselves. Before Harry could comment, a knockback jinx came sailing towards him, and he was forced to hurl himself out of the way as his wand worked to return the spellfire.

It was clear that Professor Black had no interest in gauging his dueling abilities. What the man wanted to see was what Harry was capable of, and Harry would happily demonstrate. In no time, Harry had his balance, and was weaving through a rainbow of curses that left the Defense Professor's wand. Harry was used to shielding and dodging magic he didn't recognize from his time with Dorea and Charlus, which gave him an advantage. Harry's style of dueling had become much more fluid and flexible in his time training with his family. This was something he quickly came to realize when dueling with someone who was famously talented in fighting.

Professor Black dueled like a Death Eater. There was no other way to look at it. The man used hardly any transfiguration, and mostly relied on a variety of curses that would make even Antonin Dolohov envious. This proved to be a weakness though, because as Harry found his rhythm in working his way through Professor Black's spellfire he began to slip his own creations into the battlefield.

Harry was quickly realizing the difference between fighting a great duelist, and a magical titan. He had been wary of dueling with a Black of Alphard's caliber, but it quickly became apparent that the young man was at least on par with his professor in terms of magical abilities. What Alphard Black was lacking now, was creativity.

With a flick of his wand, Harry decimated the ground at their feet creating a mountain of dirt, and dust. In that time he apparated across their warded area while swirling the dust into a tar-like substance that was absorbing Black's curses. The battlefield had become hard to navigate with the environment Harry had created, which allowed Harry to begin flinging wide-range hexes across the area, while also conjuring snakes with the intent to find and bite his opponent. Before Harry could further his strategy the air seemed like it was sucked in around him as if he were in a vacuum. The dirt, tar, and Harry's other creations that were clouding the area dissipated in the air, and Alphard Black was on him in a moment flinging more curses.

Harry swore as he apparated back across the field attempting to regain his balance. He could admit that Professor Black's ability to suffocate the area of his creations was inspiring, but at the sight of his snakes moving across the field, he knew it wasn't a complete loss. Harry was shielding for dear life at this point as the Professor tried to take him down in a way similar to what he himself did to Amelia Bones the day before.