TSS: Chapter 24: Extreme Escalations Part I

> *“I must congratulate you on managing to stay out of trouble for an entire week. After the cluster of chaos that comprised your final days of term, in addition to the fiasco on the evening of December twenty-fifth, I think it an accomplishment worthy of acknowledgement.”*
>
>

— Dumbledore expressing his pride in Charlus exemplary behaviour.

## Summary:

In light of the Daily Prophet article, Harry decides that he desires one more thing from his ongoing negotiations with Lucius Malfoy. Harry starts training Charlotte in combat magic. Grace and Harry continue their tutoring sessions, with Harry getting confirmation from the former that the Dark Arts are safe in themselves. Dumbledore prepares to start teaching Occlumency to Charlus. Harry realizes that Peter Pettigrew is the one responsible for twisting Charlus' mind. Daphne gets petrified.

## Plot:

**January 1st, 1993:** In the Great Hall, Harry Potter reads at breakfast the latest article from the Daily Prophet that depicts Draco's attack during the Greengrass Gala. After reading the article he is more convinced then ever that Rita Skeeter is now under the influence of Lucius Malfoy.

**The Past**

**December 31st, 1992:** At the Greengrass Gala, after Lucius Malfoy was practically forced to grovel in front of Lord Weitts asking for forgiveness, Harry, Daphne, Blaise and Charlotte retreat to a private room. There, Harry makes Daphne reveal how she had managed to make Draco commit such a great political blunder. Thus, she explains her plan — to spike his drink with Draught of Hate keyed to Giaus Weitts — that she has enacted with the help of Charlotte.

**The Present**

Harry decides that, in light of Lucius Malfoy's intelect, he should write a letter to his solicitor so that he may obtain one additional thing from his ongoing negotiation with Lord Malfoy.

**January 3rd, 1993:** With the return of the students for the new semester, Harry is in the Slytherin Common Room catching-up with his friends. At some point he departs to meet with Grace in the Dungeons to practice Occlumency. On his way there he stops to talk in private with Tracey who has followed-up on him to check that he is fine given the recently revealed deaths of his aunt and uncle.

**January 5th, 1993:** In the room in the Dungeons, Harry is having a mock-duel with Charlotte to assess her duelling prowess. After the duel concludes, he decides to start teaching her some defensive magic as that was one area where she was significantly lagging behind compared to her offensive repertoire. He postpones teaching her spell deflection until a later date.

**January 7th, 1993:** After another DADA class, Lockhart instructs Harry to stay behind. When the two are alone Lockharts ends up accusing Harry of teaching Charlus Dark Magic, which the boy refutes. Their conversation comes to an end with Harry accusing Lockhart of acting akin to the Dursleys and denying that he is a Parseltongue. Later that night, in the privacy of his office, Lockhart vows to himself to get Charlus Potter into shape.

**January 8th, 1993:** In the training room in the Dungeons, Grace starts teaching Harry how to cast wordlessly. At the end of their practice the two talk with Harry finally asking her about her views on Dark Magic. She ends up confirming to him that powerful magic is the one addictive, not dark one, and that he is ready to begin learning it if he wants to.

In the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore welcomes Charlus for a talk. The boy finds out that Lords Carrow and Warrington are charging his father in order to gain financial benefits due to his Polyjuice debacle. Afterwards, Dumbledore starts telling Charlus about Occlumency.

Some hours later, on the second floor corridor, Emily is sneaking towards the Chamber of Secrets. She is headed to set another *piece* to fall into place so that when her resurrection occurs she may cross into the realm of the living without peril.

**January 10th, 1993:** Whilst heading to the Dungeons for his training session with Grace, Harry is pondering on the letter that he just received from Peter Pettigrew assuring him that he does not think that he is responsible for Charlus foray into the Dark Arts. Eventually, Harry comes to the conclusion that Pettigrew is the one responsible for twisting Charlus' mind.

Meanwhile, while heading to the library to study some more DADA theory for Lockhart's class, Daphne ends up being petrified and taken into the Chamber of Secrets.