Midnight Duel, Midday Love
Death by Tickling
By Draco664
Death by Tickling
Snape was almost incoherent with rage and fear, magically slashing at the shimmering shield that separated him and the other teachers from Harry and the out of control golem. With each new assault on the golem's shield, it became thinner, and less vivid. Slowly but surely, the barrier was coming down.
More than one of the teachers had almost had a heart attack when the golem first struck out. Not even Moody had reacted to the strike until it had reached the end of its arc, yet somehow, Harry had managed to duck underneath it, then leap back out of range.
Spells from Moody, Flitwick and Snape had smashed into the golem's chest within a fraction of a second, yet didn't do so much as distract the automaton. The combined magic of the faculty was, in theory, enough to drop a flight of dragons, yet the golem only staggered as spells from every direction struck it at once.
It was at that point the shield was raised. In one heart-wrenching moment, The-Boy-Who-Lived had been separated from his teachers.
Nothing in recent history had been subjected to such a magical barrage as the glimmering shield the golem raised. Dumbledore and Moody in particular had all but opened gaping holes in the barrier. It was only the self-healing property of the shield that it took energy from an unassaulted area to patch damaged areas that the faculty of Hogwarts had not yet managed to get to Harry.
Not that the boy seemed to want to be saved. In one instant he had calmly stepped into the golem's range and slashed at its face and arm. Every voice outside the barrier had shouted "NO!" simultaneously. If it had been a spell incantation, nothing on earth could have withstood the combined assault. As it was, Harry just as calmly stepped back and dispassionately watched as the golem's sword blurred through the area he had been standing not a second before.
Moody's sergeant major's voice had brought the teachers back from their shocked state and put them to task, attacking the glimmering shield. "Attack! Ignore wha' happenin'. He can take care o' hi'self!" Moody had yelled.
In between spells, Snape had watched as Harry focused his attacks on the focus stone's chain. His heart dropped as it became terribly apparent that there had been an unbreakable charm placed on the slim gold chain.
The golem must have understood the danger in Harry's new line of assault, as it ceased trading sword blows with Harry, and started launching spells.
Once more, the teachers had shouted their disapproval of Harry's actions, as he leapt at the legs of the golem. With a flick of his wrist, Harry deflected the golem's wand, which sent a spell straight into its own shield. In a crouch, Harry spun and extended his right leg, kicking at the golem's ankle.
While that kick didn't knock the golem completely off balance, it did cause the golem to stagger. Not enough though.
The golem had aimed its wand directly at Harry's heart and fired off a powerful hex. Harry had managed to roll quickly enough that it only struck his arm, but was still in a poor enough position that he had to sacrifice his sword to make it clear of his attacker.
Professor McGonagall's scream of terror at Harry's apparent defenselessness was cut short as the boy's wand dropped from within the sleeve his robe into his waiting hand.
For the next few seconds, many of the teachers were shocked at the speed and accuracy of Harry's attacks. While not attacking the golem directly, preferring to use the Transfiguration Professor's tactics, Harry managed to distract, temporarily restrain, and blind the golem, all within a few heartbeats.
Harry leapt to Snape's left as the golem fired yet another curse in his direction. The predatory grin on the boy's features stunned Snape to his very core. "You're enjoying yourself!" he whispered to himself in disbelief.
"Accio focus" shouted Harry, his wand pointed directly at the glowing focus stone.
Instantly, the stone setting was straining against the unbreakable gold chain, desperately trying to reach Harry's waiting hand. He stood on the tips of his toes, and held his wand over his head, still pointing to the focus stone, trying to change the angle of the summoning charm.
The chain of the necklace slowly rolled up the back of the golem's neck, threatening to come loose over the top of the golem's head. In a flash, the still-blinded golem moved out of offensive mode, grabbing the chain, holding it steady on its metallic neck.
While the golem was distracted, Harry busied himself casting several minor transfiguration spells at the material remains of his restraining spells. Once the golem realised the stone was no longer under attack, it turned its partially blinded head towards the boy and again fired off an attack.
Gracefully, Harry rolled and twisted out of the way of the new assault. With a well-practiced swish and flick, he cast the levitation spell Ron had used to knock the troll out and save Hermione in their first year.
The necklace started to leave the golem's neck, and once more the golem struggled to maintain its grip on the object from which it drew its powers.
Again, Harry used the golem's distraction to change the composition of the rubbish left on the floor.
"Try again, Harry!" Professor McGonagall shouted to her unhearing student. She again lashed out at the rapidly thinning shield.
Moody gave her a disgusted look. "You think he's doing anything more than distracting the thing?"
Without looking, the stern professor replied, "If he manages to get the focus off, the golem will stop working. It is the best tactic for success." Again she launched a magical barrage at the golem's shield.
Moody shook his head. "You don't see what he is really trying to do, do you?" he growled.
McGonagall blinked and turned to face the DADA professor. "What are you talking about, Alastor?" she demanded.
With an evil grin, Moody replied, "With us attacking the shield like this, the golem can't use all its power, since it needs most of it to keep the barrier up. That's the only thing that has kept Mr. Potter alive. He is distracting it by trying to get the focus, nothing more. He has a plan."
"Distracting it? Why? What plan?"
Moody resumed his assault on the shield. "Just look for yourself. Only think like a Slytherin."
Moody's sharp ears caught McGonagall's whispered response, and the language she used brought a smile to his face. "Let's just say, it's going to get hot in there." he supplied.
Finally changing the last shreds of rubbish on the stone floor into flammable kindling, Harry crouched and started banishing it all to the feet of the golem. The insects he summoned had all but been squashed, hundreds of tiny smears on the head and face of the golem testimony to the tiny critters.
Again, the golem started firing curses and hexes in Harry's direction, ignoring the objects piling at its feet.
Harry dived to his right, his shoulder scraping painfully on the hard floor, as several curses slammed into the shield behind where he was standing. Leveling his wand at the pile of kindling, he shouted, "Incindio!"
The pillar of fire that erupted around the golem was satisfying to say the least. Rolling to his feet, Harry kept his wand trained on the fire, forcing the flames to become hotter and hotter, beyond what was normal for the type of fuel the fire consumed.
A hollow laugh came from the golem, deep within the fire. "Thank you for the idea, boy. Taste your own fiery death."
Harry's eyes widened in realisation. He desperately started mouthing a new charm before the fire in front of him burst out in all directions. In less than a second, the entire space within the failing barrier was consumed in fire.
Even through the shield, the teachers could feel the heat from the fire. Each and every one covered their eyes as the bright flames roared behind the cursed barrier. Only Moody was able to see what was going on inside the billowing flames, by only covering his human eye. The pale blue orb darted between two obvious lines of sight.
With instincts that had served him well over the last sixty years, Moody spun and rapidly banished every teacher to the other side of the room, before diving away from the disappearing shield.
The implosion of fresh air on flame sucked the oxygen out of everyone's lungs. With the final collapse of the conjured shield, the magically intense fire spread out in all directions.
Several "Finite Incantatem" spells from the pile of teachers kept the fire from spreading too far, cutting it off from its magical inducement. With no ordinary fuel to burn, the flames died out quickly, only a couple of tiny fingers of flame surviving by clinging to the remains of Harry's initial kindling pile.
Where the barrier had been erected was painfully obvious. A large oval of blacked stonework on both floor and ceiling gave mute testimony to the power and restrictions placed on the fire.
In the middle of the charred area, the golem still stood in all its glory, unaffected by the flames. The only difference was the fact that several drops and liquid runs of gold could be seen on its chest and neck. The focus stone lay on the floor in a small puddle of rapidly solidifying gold, no longer glowing.
A large pile of charred and smoking robes lay on the floor. Professor McGonagall gave a heart-wrenching shriek, and ran to where she had last seen Harry Potter.
"That wasn't funny, Harry." said the headmaster, while gently trying to revive his deputy.
"It wasn't my fault, Professor." claimed Harry. "I wasn't sure the golem had been stopped."
An evil cackle escaped the DADA professor. "You stopped it alright, Potter. Some of your tactics gave the spectators heart attacks, but you did well."
"Alastor!" Dumbledore gently chided. "Pretending to be dead was not a tactic that should be praised when others are worried about you. Harry, you should apologise."
"I wasn't!" Harry said, frustration evident in his voice. "The fire-freezing charm we learned was only supposed to be used when a witch was put on a bonfire. Not a magically enchanted and heated fire. Do you have any idea how ticklish it was in there?" Harry turned to face the other disapproving teachers. "I had to hold my breath anyway, there was no oxygen for me to breath inside the shield."
"I think the headmaster is referring to your greeting of Professor McGonagall when you realised that she was not the golem." supplied Moody.
"Oh." said Harry, thinking back.
Still desperately using all his discipline holding his breath, the merciless tickling Harry received from the intense fire ceased. Deciding to feign death, Harry let his mouth flop open and let his eyes lose focus. Seconds later, strong hands roughly turned him over.
Harry let his head flop loosely to one side, unsure exactly who had grabbed him. If the golem was still active, only a transformation would let him escape from this trap.
With no glasses on and a deliberate non-focus, the blurred shape hovering over his was difficult to make out. His hearing was slowly returning after the roar of the flames temporarily deafened him.
"No! Harry, no!" the figure was shouting. Harry recognised the voice of his head of house.
His head snapped up, his eyes regained their focus. His slack jawed mouth closed shut, then Harry smiled and said, "Hello, Professor."
"I guess I could have been a bit less shocking, I'm sorry." Harry apologised.
Dumbledore shook his head, and conjured a levitating stretcher for his Transfiguration teacher. "I mean, apologise to her, Harry."
Cho looked up from her essay, and saw her boyfriend sit down opposite her. Taking in the details of his appearance, her eyes widened in horror as she took in his torn and still smoking robes.
"What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
Harry sighed. "We're not sure. Dumbledore thinks that Voldy managed to attack me again."
Cho did her best to remain seated and calm. "OK. I'm sure you love making these little statements."
He gave her his special smile. "No, I just don't want to make a big deal out of things."
Cho stood, and slammed the library book she was referencing shut. "Come with me, now."
Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise at Cho's unusual outburst, but stood to follow her anyway. Cho quickly gathered her study gear and marched out of the library, Harry following close behind.
Cho led Harry through the many twisting corridors of Hogwarts, and into a room Harry had never seen before.
The small room was as bare as any room could be. Not a single piece of furniture or artwork could be seen. Cho dropped her books on the floor, then sat down cross-legged. She rested her elbows on her knees, and put her face in her hands.
Harry looked at his girlfriend's back in confusion, until he saw her body shake with tears. Dropping to the floor beside her, Harry wrapped his strong arms around Cho's thin frame and hugged the crying girl.
After a few minutes of making soothing noises, Harry was still at a loss as to what had caused Cho such grief. Cho looked up at Harry, her beautiful face stained with her salty tears. She reached forward and grabbed a double handful of Harry's ruined robes and buried her face in his chest, her cries beginning again.
"What's the matter, Cho?" Harry whispered in her ear.
Cho finally pulled herself away from him, but kept a death grip on his clothes. "I, I, I thought-" she stammered between sobs.
"Take a deep breath, my love." Harry said gently.
Cho nodded and drew a lungful of air, then let it out. "I thought we'd be safe here, at Hogwarts. But you are not safe, and you keep getting attacked, and I don't want to lose you and I don't want you to die, and..."
"Shhh." Harry interrupted her, placing two fingers on her lips. "You're babbling, my love." He placed a gentle kiss on her moist lips. "I understand. I don't want to be in danger myself, but I am, no matter where I go."
For long minutes, Cho and Harry clung to each other, both taking comfort from the other's presence. Finally with a sniff, Cho asked, "What happened?"
Harry took a deep breath. "Dumbledore and Moody managed to get a golem for the students to train against in Defense classes. The teachers had a go dueling it, and it seemed to be fairly tame. As soon as Moody gave me a go, it really came alive and attacked. I managed to defeat it."
Cho's blood-shot eyes looked directly into Harry's emerald orbs. "That sounded highly edited."
Harry nodded. "Dumbledore thinks that Voldy somehow managed to corrupt the golem's focus. Either that or had a hand in creating it in the first place. The stone was supposed to be imbued with a great deal of power, enough that the golem should have been able to function as a dueling partner for all the students for at least a year.
"Whoever took over the golem forced it to expend all that power trying to get me. I personally think it was Voldy, and not one of his remaining Death Eaters."
"Why do you think that?" Cho asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Harry shrugged. "Because he took the first opportunity to attack me. Someone like Wormtail or Pritchart would have waited until only one teacher was in the room to launch the attack. His High and mightyness wouldn't let that bother him." he quipped.
Once more Cho let her hands cover her face. After a minute she said, "I need to think about this, Harry."
Harry's face betrayed his confusion. "Think about what?"
"This, us, everything. I need to go." Cho stood up abruptly, surprising her boyfriend.
"Cho, wait!" Harry said, grabbing Cho's arm gently as she started to leave.
"No, Harry. I need to be alone." Her tear-filled eyes looked deep into his own. "I can't think clearly when I'm with you, Harry. You make my heart race, and my insides tremble. I love you dearly, but I'm not brave enough to just take attacks on you in my stride. I need to think about us."
Harry just stood there silently, unable to think of anything to say, and watched as his beautiful girlfriend walked away.
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