Harry Potter and the Great Magical War
Chapter 2
The Junior Dueling Tournament
The next few days went by as a blur for Harry. They usually consisted of having lunch with Fred, George, and Ron, then going over to the Burrow for supper and some dueling. But the day of the tournament was finally upon them. Harry threw on a new pair of robes (all of his other ones had been too small for him), grabbed his wand, and ran to Quality Quidditch Supplies. They were sponsoring the tournament, and for its duration, they had turned the shop into a mini arena were the Dueling Tournament would be held.
Harry entered the shop and was greeted by the Weasleys: Arthur, Molly, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. Fred and George gave Harry a quick hello but soon had to return to their store. Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a huge motherly hug and wished him good luck. Mr. Weasley also wished Harry luck and then muttered under his breathe so only Harry could hear, "Even though you don't need it." Ginny gave Harry a quick hello and then left; she was not in a very good mood because her Mom had refused to let her participate. So that just left Ron.
"Alright mate? Glad to see you could make it. Shall we find seats and wait till we're called up?" Ron asked with a smile on his face.
"Sounds good."
So Harry and Ron took their seats. A few minutes later, the judge walked out with the tournament board. Ron was in the first fight, while Harry as in the seventeenth. They sighed in relief; they were in different brackets and wouldn't have to fight each other unless they were both in the final round. Draco was in the last fight of the first bracket. But what surprised them was in the eighth fight was a certain Neville Longbottom.
"Wow, Neville is in this tournament. Now that is bloody weird," Ron said.
"Well, I don't know… I mean, sure, he isn't the smartest bloke but he did pretty good in D.A., and in the Department of Mysteries," Harry replied. His face sunk a little bit once he mentioned the Department of Mysteries.
"True. Let's try to see if we can spot him," Ron suggested.
After a little bit of searching, they spotted him and waved him down. He was happy to see Harry and Ron. They asked him what he was doing there. He replied by saying, "Gran made me. She heard that I did pretty good in the Department of Mysteries from Dumbledore, and said that it would be good for the Longbottom name if I participated in this." The three of them were having a pretty good time just talking but before they knew it, the judge called the first two contestants down.
"Ron Weasley versus Alan Shepard." The judge's voice boomed across the stadium.
Ron and Alan both made their way to the little stage that had been set up. Upon the judge's orders, they bowed to each other and raised their wands. "One….Two…..Three!" the judge yelled.
Alan started to run right at Ron and yelled "EXPELLIARMUS!"
Ron, still surprised by Alan's charge, almost failed to move out of the way in time. He quickly regained his senses and moved to the side. Ron smiled at Alan for being foolish by charging him. "STUPEFY!" Ron muttered as Alan immediately fell over, knocked unconscious.
Ron was declared winner and took his seat. Harry and Neville both congratulated him. A few more duels took place-nothing exciting, as none of the contenders really had a chance in the tournament. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Neville's name was called.
"Neville Longbottom versus Gordon Rhandulf."
The two bowed at each other, the judge counted to three, and they were ready. "STUPEFY!" Neville yelled. A jet of red sparks shot at Gordon, who just smiled and muttered, "PROTEGO!" Neville's own spell turned around and charged back at him. He dropped to the floor at the last second.
"Coward. Is poor little Neville afraid of his own spell? You know, my cousin Draco told me about you. How you're a little coward and that your parents are crazy and stuck in St. Mungo's." Gordon Rhandulf gave a smirk that could rival Malfoy's.
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Ron yelled to Harry.
"Apparently, Malfoy's cousin," Harry spat with great loathing in his voice.
Neville was livid. How dare this monster insult his parents! He leapt to his feet and charged Gordon. "STUPEFY! STUPEFY! EXPELLIARMUS! STUPEFY!!" Neville yelled, just firing curses at random.
Gordon simply laughed and deflected all the curses that were sent at him.
"Bloody hell! Harry, he's good," Ron yelled
"Yeah, and you are going to have to fight him in the quarter finals-well, if both of you make it there," Harry said. They were both silent after this, watching the rest of the fight in horror. Gordon was indeed good; he could end the fight at any moment if he wanted to.
"CRUCICA!" Gordon yelled suddenly.
Neville gave a scream as intense pain engulfed him.
"Ron, what the hell kind of curse is that!?!" Harry cried.
"It is a cousin of the Crucio curse, and sadly it is legal," Ron said with a very sad look on his face.
Gordon continued the curse. Neville was on the ground in pain, screaming and sobbing, having horrible flashbacks of when the Death Eaters had performed the Crucio spell on his parents.
Harry had had enough. He pointed his wand at Gordon and yelled "EXPELLIARMUS!" Gordon's curse was immediately stopped as his wand went flying across the room.
The judge yelled, "Gordon Rhandulf wins by disqualification. Next up…….."
After Gordon retrieved his wand, he pointed it at Harry threateningly and mouthed, 'Wait till I get my hands on you in the finals!'
By this time Neville had a grip of things and walked over to Harry and Ron. "Thanks, Harry, I appreciate it. You two better watch out for him; he's good. Well, I should probably get going. Bye!" Not even waiting for a reply, Neville was gone.
An hour of rather boring duels went by, the only exciting one being Draco's. Draco himself was almost as good as his cousin Gordon. Harry was surprised at this but did not have much time to dwell on it because he was up next.
"Harry Potter versus Abita Umbridge," the judge announced.
Harry was very surprised at Abita's last name, but quickly entered the stage. "Are you related to former Hogwarts Professor Umbridge?" Harry asked.
"As a matter of fact I am. She is my mother."
"Then why aren't you a student of Hogwarts?"
"Because, as my mum always said, only the Mud-bloods or Muggle lovers go there."
Harry had talked to this mini Umbitch enough. They gave each other a pathetic little bow and on the count of three Abita pointed her wand at Harry and shouted, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!"
The spell managed to hit Harry; his arms and feet bound to each other. Harry was surprised; Professor Umbridge obviously taught her daughter better than her former students. Abita slowly walked towards Harry with a smug look on her face.
"Well, Harry, looks like this match is over." Abita said, her smirk growing larger.
"You will have to get my wand first!" Harry yelled, a plan forming in his mind.
As she walked close to him, she reached down to pluck the wand from his hand. Harry smiled; this was exactly what he wanted. "STUPEFY!" Harry shouted. He'd been counting on the fact that she was too cocky to just use the summoning charm to get his wand; no, she had to take it from his hand. That proved to be her downfall; as soon as Harry yelled the curse, she was knocked unconscious and he was freed.
The crowd applauded Harry as he took his seat. "Nice job, Harry. I thought she had you there," Ron commented.
"Yeah, me too."
The rest of the first round continued, and there was only one other person that really got Harry and Ron worried-some kid named Green. Ron mentioned that this boy's father was an Unspeakable, and the family was supposedly pretty powerful.
"The second round will begin at seven tonight," the judge announced.
"Well, let's go back to my room and read up on a few more spells no one knows about for the second round," Harry said, knowing that they should have a few tricks up their sleeves.
"Ron! Harry! Great job today! Sorry Molly had to leave, but there was some important business she had to attend to. Sadly, I have to go now too. Would you guys mind if Ginny hangs around?" Mr. Weasley asked, but without waiting for an answer, he ran off.
"I heard them talking-apparently there was a Death Eater attack some place in Northern London," Ginny said with a sad look on her face.
"Well, that's bloody great. Let's head back to the Leaky Cauldron and learn a few curses and then have some supper before we head back," Ron said.
"Yeah, sounds good," Harry muttered.
***
"Hey Harry, I think I got it down, look! SLADO!" Ron yelled, and as soon as he said the curse, which was directed at Ginny (she had agreed to let them try the curse on her as soon as they got it down), she immediately fell to the floor. "FINITE," Ron said and took her out of her misery.
"Well?" Harry asked anxiously.
"It was exactly like yours, Harry. I felt like I was being dropped from one hundred feet in the air and as soon as I hit the ground I was picked up and twirled around in midair. I felt like I had to throw up," Ginny said with a disgusted look on her face.
"Do you think that would make you drop your wand?" Harry asked
"Oh yeah. When I was falling in my head, my arms were flying around. Of course that was just my imagination, but I am sure if I was holding a wand it would be forgotten," Ginny said with a smile on her face.
"Great. Let's get going, we're going to be late," Ron said, and with that the three teens headed back to Quality Quidditch Supplies.
The second round went by great for Harry and Ron; they both won without a hitch. To their loathing, Gordon, Draco, and Green also won. The following day, in the quarter finals, Ron would have to fight Gordon, and he was worried. Harry, on the other hand, had some nobody. By the looks of it, Draco and Green had it easy too.
'Well, I guess I will turn in for the night,' Harry thought to himself, but before he could do so, a large barn owl, clearly from Hogwarts, came flying in. Harry grabbed the letter from the owl and tore it open, gasping at what it contained: his O.W.L. results.
Dear Mr. Potter,
Here are the results of your O.W.L.s. If you have any questions about them, please send an owl.
Potions- Acceptable; Divination- Acceptable; History of Magic- Acceptable; Defense Against the Dark Arts- Outstanding; Charms- Exceeds Expectations; Transfiguration- Exceeds Expectations; Care of Magical Creatures- Outstanding; Astronomy- Acceptable; Herbology- Exceeds Expectations.
A = 1 O.W.L
E = 2 O.W.L.s
O = 3 O.W.L.s
Total O.W.L.s = 15
Check all classes that you wish to take next year, and please note that there is a new class available only to those who have completed their O.W.L.s.
N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures ___
N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts (Must have E on O.W.L. or a total of 13 or more O.W.L.s) ___
N.E.W.T. Transfiguration (Must have E on O.W.L. or a total of 13 O.W.L.s)___
N.E.W.T. Potions (Must have O on O.W.L. or a total of 15 O.W.L.s)___
N.E.W.T. Divination___
N.E.W.T. History of Magic___
N.E.W.T. Herbology (Must have E on O.W.L. or a total of 13 O.W.L.s)___
N.E.W.T. Astronomy___
N.E.W.T. Charms (Must have E on O.W.L. or a total of 13 O.W.L.s)___
Advanced Defense Magic (Students who check this must be approved by the Headmaster)___
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
P.S. There is no need to send this back. I will know what classes you have chosen. Also note that your supplies list will be mailed out on the first of August.
Harry was ecstatic; he had somehow managed 15 O.W.L.s! Not only that, but he would be able to take Potions. Even though the thought of two more years with Snape was not a happy one, he would at least be able to pursue a career as an Auror. Harry quickly checked N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts, N.E.W.T. Transfiguration, N.E.W.T. Potions, N.E.W.T. Herbology, N.E.W.T. Charms, and Advanced Defense Magic. And then he turned in for the night.
Harry woke up early the next morning. The quarter finals were to be held at nine, then the semi finals at one in the afternoon, then finally the championship at seven that night.
Harry headed off to Quality Quidditch Supplies at a leisurely pace. He had a lot of time to kill as there was a whole hour before he had to be there. He was walking past a small magazine stand when his gaze fell upon a stack of issues of the Daily Prophet. He walked up to the stand and picked up a copy, paid the man, and left. He did not want to stay in one spot for too long, for fear that he might be recognized.
The lead story was about two dogs that could change into cats. Harry was not impressed and figured if there was a Death Eater attack it would be on the front page, so he just threw it away.
After lollygagging around for a while, he finally made his way over to Quality Quidditch Supplies. He immediately spotted Ron, this time without Ginny.
"Hey, Ron. Ah, what happened to Ginny?"
"Well, you see, when I was practicing some curses on her, I kind of made a mistake and now she has boils all over her face," Ron explained with an embarrassed look on his face which quickly faded as both of them started laughing.
"Ron, are you sure it was a mistake?" Harry asked, once again erupting with laughter.
After the two of them had calmed down a little, Harry finally asked, "So what classes did you check?"
"I checked N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts, N.E.W.T. Transfiguration, N.E.W.T. Herbology, N.E.W.T. Charms, and Advanced Defense Magic. I managed 13 O.W.L.s," Ron said with a pleased look on his face.
"Wow, that's great, Ron! I checked all of those plus N.E.W.T. Potions."
"Wow, you got an O in Potions?"
"No, I just got 15 O.W.L.s."
The conversation continued for a few more minutes until finally the judge started to speak. "Hello, and welcome back to the Junior Dueling Tournament. The first duel of the quarter finals is Ron Weasley versus Gordon Rhandulf! Now let's get this fight started!"
Ron and Gordon both made their way to the stage. The judge signaled for them to bow to each other, then counted to three, signaling the fight's beginning.
"IMPENDIMETRIA!!!" Gordon yelled.
Ron rolled to the side and avoided the blast, then pointed his wand at Gordon and yelled, "STUPEFY! STUPEFY! STUPEFY!!!" Gordon responded with, "PROTEGO!!" just in time as a shield went up and blocked Ron's first stunning charm. The second one, however, caused the shield to shatter, the third one deflected at the last second.
"DAMN!" Ron swore; he had thought for sure he'd had Gordon.
"Well, Weasel, it looks like you're better than I thought. But that won't be a problem," Gordon sneered with a smug look. Then his whole demeanor changed, his expression melting to a positively evil one. He then pointed his wand at Ron and yelled, "DICRIPTO!!!!"
The spell connected and hit Ron right square in the chest, sending him flying across the room. Harry held his breath. He'd never heard of the curse and wasn't sure if Ron would be alright. Harry was able to breathe out though as Ron slowly got up and brushed his cloths off. "Bastard! … SLADO!!!" Ron yelled.
Gordon tried to deflect the curse, but failed. The spell hit him and he fell to the floor, and after about thirty seconds of writhing painfully, he got a grip of himself. He managed to make his way slowly to his feet before vomiting.
"You will definitely pay for that, Weasley!" Gordon yelled with an expression of unbridled hatred.
The two stared at each other until finally Ron pointed his wand at Gordon and yelled…..