(DISC) Harry Potter and the Protector

J 12:5-7

The winter had thawed out into a blissful spring with the coming of March. The sun shone down onto the grounds of the castle, reflecting like jewels on the surface of the lake. A calm breeze gently pushed through the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, causing them to sway rhythmically. The second Quidditch game of the season saw Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw 240-30 in an utter blowout with Harrison catching the snitch once more. The serenity of the last two months lulled the entire castle into a sense of security and safety. Well, maybe not the entire castle.

Harrison felt Quirrel's eyes boring into his skull at every meal and during every DADA class. He was sat in the second year charms lesson doing his homework quietly in the corner whilst contemplating what to do about Quirrel. He debated telling Flitwick but thought against it. Yes, he may trust him but he didn't think he'd outright believe him based on observations and heresay. He sighed quietly and rubbed his temple with his left hand, nursing his receding headach he had received the night before.

He finished his homework and quietly turned his chair to face the front of the class to watch Flitwick teaching the second years. Sitting in on Flitwick's classes and listening to both theory and practical applications charms thoroughly intrigued him and would always keep his mind off of Quirrel for a while. He watched as Flitwick demonstrated the defensive uses of the engorgement charm by using it on his desk which grew almost three times its normal size and blocked a disarming charm.

He then demonstrated how the engorgement charm can be used as an offensive spell and enlarged a brick in the floor that his demonstration partner was standing on, effectively unbalancing them and causing them to fall backwards. Harrison watched all of this whilst furiously scribbling notes into the purpl diary that Alicia gave him at Christmas. Flitwick then set everyone in the class of second years off with attempting to enlarge an acorn before striding over to where Harrison was sat.

"Harrison, have you been working on what we've been covering in these detentions?" Flitwick asked in a hushed tone as not to disturb the second years working around him. Harrison nodded before replying, "Yes, Professor, I have. I saw something when I was meditating and I'm not quite sure what it was." Flitwick looked slightly surprised but nodded for Harrison to continue with the latter taking a breath, trying to discern how to explain this.

"I saw a... ball, sphere, thing. It was dark at first but when I got closer it swirled into loads od different colours and shapes. They looked like animals but none of the ones I've ever seen on the muggle television. Do you know what that could be?" Harrison asked. Flitwick stroked his chin for several seconds, deep in thought whilst recalling whatever he could remember from his many years of study to create a hypothesis on what Harrison could've seen.

"My first thought when you said animal was that it was perhaps your animagus form but the fact you used plural instead of singular dashed that theory almost instantly. I will research it and get back to you about it, Harrison," Flitwick replied after several minutes. "Now, how about you try to use the engorgement charm. Remember, picture the acorn growing to three times size in your mind before casting the spell." Flitwick placed the acorn on Harrison's desk and took a step back.

Harrison withdrew his wand and pointed it at the acorn. "Engorgio," he said softly, but nothing happened to the acorn. He took a deep breath and pictured his magic enveloping and penetrating the acorn to make it grow. He pointed his wand again. "Engorgio," he said and his acorn suddenly grew to the size of his forearm causing him to jump backwards out of his chair in shock. Flitwick smiled knowingly at him before walking to the front of the class to assist any of his actual students with the work that was meant to be happening that lesson.

Once his "detention" had finished, Harrison walked to lunch alongside Katie. As they walked they talked about how he had managed to complete a second year spell and that his control of his magic seemed to be steadily improving. "Maybe by the end of the year I'll be able to do my exams without exploding a desk," Harrison joked as they walked along the first floor corridor. Katie stifled a laugh by placing her hand over her mouth whilst Harrison kept making remarks about his previous lack of control on his nagic.