TFA: Chapter 7: Skirmishes, Secrets & Schemes Part I

> *"Come off it, Weasley. I wouldn't call anybody anything when you're the idiot of a pureblood who doesn't even know his rights within a wizard's duel."*
>
>

— Harry Potter to Ron Weasley concerning the Wizard's Duel; Draco Malfoy challenging Charlus Potter.

## Summary:

Harry receives James Potter's response to his message, performs well in class, gets a surprising note from Professor Hurst, has flying lessons, and is involved in a wizard's duel between Charlus Potter and Draco Malfoy.

## Plot:

**September 9th, 1991.** Harry Potter gets a letter from James Potter about meeting in Hogsmeade. He is concealing of the purpose of the letter with his friends. Daphne Greengrass works out a schedule where she rotates between partnering with Tracey Davis and Harry in Potions. They spar verbally for a bit about their respective competencies, and Tracey relates that she finds Harry's ability to keep up with Daphne refreshing.

In Potions, with Daphne's methods they finish their potion early, as usual. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Hurst lectures on the nature of the Dark Arts. She explains the Ministry Definition to be Magic that is vile, evil, and dangerous. Or, magic that can cause harm to a witch or wizard. Harry relates to the class the ridiculous nature of that definition, because anything can cause harm to a wizard or witch if it is used in a particular way. She further pontificates on the complexity and nuance of the topic. She explains that some would classify magic as dark entirely based off of intent of the caster, whereas others on the intent of the spellmaker. She finishes with the point that regardless of the definition, it is important to have a firm and solid defense against magic and wizards that can harm one's person.

Professor Hurst holds Harry back after class and talks with him about his understanding of the Dark Arts. She then gives him a slip granting full, unrestricted access to the Restricted Section, and recommends *Intent is Power by Emeric Emalaus.* Emeric Emalaus being the real name of the Dark Wizard Emeric The Evil.

**September 11th, 1991:** Harry, Daphne, and Tracey do very well in their first practical Charms lesson, and learn that flying lessons would be the next day with Gryffindors. Harry is manically happy about this.

**September 12th, 1991:** During flying lessons, all of Slytherin arrive prior to the majority of Gryffindor. Harry does rather well with summoning his broom, and Draco Malfoy complains about the instruction. Neville Longbottom goes flying out of control on his broom, falls to the ground, and breaks his wrist. Draco makes fun of him, and Parvati Patil stands up for him. Draco then takes his Remembrall, and Charlus Potter demands he hand it over. They verbally duel for a bit, before Harry suggests that it might not be in the best interest of Draco to take the Remembrall, or hide it somewhere. Charlus demands the Remembrall, and then unsheathes his wand to duel Draco for it. Draco dives out of the way and almost everyone on the pitch begins fighting. Draco steals Charlus's wand, and flies into the air with it. In doing so, he leaves the Remembrall on the ground, which Harry wandlessly summons. Draco drops Charlus's wand, which he dives for, and catches, only to get busted by Professor McGonagall.

Harry goes to the hospital wing and charms Madam Pomfrey into letting him enter and return the Remembrall to Neville Longbottom. They have a conversation about friendship, in which Neville relates that he doesn't have any real friends, and Harry informs him that there are better friends out there.

At dinner, Pansy Parkinson informs Harry that through the gossip mill she has been informed that Charlus has become the Gryffindor seeker for his stunt. Harry is outraged at this, bemoans that Charlus got away with this because he's famous. He is so frustrated by this turn of events that he gets up to leave the great hall, but is stopped when Draco, in his argument with Charlus, calls a Wizard's duel and calls for Harry to be his second. Charlus declares that Harry wouldn't second Draco in a duel against him, but Harry agrees to it, while manipulating Ron Weasley into realizing that the duel is a ploy by Draco, so he specifies the time of the duel to be different from what Draco initially intended

That night, Draco and Harry go to the Trophy Room for the duel. There, they have a short duel, before Charlus hits Draco with a series of levitated trophies, burying him. Harry heard soft footsteps approaching, and so wandlessly summons a trophy to hit Charlus. Charlus and Ron, hearing someone coming too at this point, run for it. Harry manages to tag Ron with a Full-Body-Bind, but ends up missing Charlus. Professor Snape comes across Draco and Ron in the trophy room, having been tipped off by someone that a duel would be occurring here at that time. He deduces that Draco picked Harry as his second, and Harry manipulated events into getting Draco, Charlus, and Ron into trouble while leaving himself in as little trouble as possible.

Charlus writes a letter to James Potter about discovering the Cerberus in the school.

## Characters Introduced:

Emeric Emalaus. (Emeric the Evil)

The Cerberus, Fluffy.

Chronological Order