Somewhere Safe - Chapter 17

The story of his duel with Delphi had spread around the entire school by the time breakfast the next morning rolled around. Once again, he was the subject of a buzz of rumors. Dueling pamphlets kept finding their way folded in his napkin, under his plate, and one even slipped in his pocket.

Harry brushed them aside. He was already interested in checking out the dueling club. It was a lot more interesting than he had expected. He wasn't sure how it would line up with quidditch, but he would give it a shot.

In truth, he didn't know if he could play for this team. The line-up potentially could be different enough to avoid overlapping between the old world, but he wouldn't find out until Friday. Katie was still a Chaser, as were Angelina and Alicia. The twins were the starting Beaters as well.

"What's your schedule for today?" Rose asked as they ate.

"Runes, Independent Study, that's the history tutoring, then lunch." Harry listed off the top of his head. He had to get his schedule out to find the rest. "Transfiguration and Herbology. You?"

"The same, except my elective is Care of Magical Creatures." Rose explained. "It's not until the sixth year where the schedules really start to split up. Only the electives vary."

"I can show you to the Runes." Ciri spoke up.

"Thanks." Harry replied with a smile.

"You about done?" Ciri asked.

Harry looked at her plate. A moment ago, he swore it had more food than his. Now it was clear. Rose placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't ask." Rose said with a chuckle. "No one knows how she does it."

"Hey, Potter!" A familiar voice called from farther up the table.

Rose and Harry looked up. One of the Weasley twins waved at them.

"Fourth year Potter!" They clarified.

Rose and Harry pointed at the other.

"The one that plays quidditch." The other twin said.

"That's me." Harry said.

He slipped off the bench and headed over to them.

"I'm Fred." One said.
"I'm George." The other said.
"Weasley." They finished in unison.
"Are you trying out for Mid?" Fred asked.

"Mid?" Harry asked. "Is that a position here?"

"No." George scoffed. "Mid-Year."

Harry shrugged.

"How do they do it where you're from?" Fred asked.

"Each house has a team." Harry replied.

They waited for a moment.

"That's it." Harry shrugged. "How does it work here?"

"Cubs, Mid, and Top." Fred explained.
"Second and Third are cubs, Fourth and Fifth are Mid, then Sixth and Seventh are Top." George continued.
"Three teams per House." They said.
"Gives each group some time to shine." George finished off.

"That makes sense with how many more you've got here." Harry nodded. "You're sixth year?"

"Got it in one." Fred said.
"Bright one here, Fred." George patted Harry on the shoulder. He used the motion to pull Harry in close.
"We're the kings of getting what you need from out there." Fred whispered.
"Muggle bits cost extra." George added.
"Have to outsource." Fred sighed.
"Keep it hush." George started up again.
"Bit a cards going around too if you're interested." Fred said with a wicked smile.
"Buy in is twenty gals." George continued.
"Let us know." They said.

"Thanks." Harry smiled at them. Even in another world the twins were rascals. "Does playing on Mid clash with dueling?"

"Rather cross wands than chase gold, eh?" George shook his head.
"Might not be that bright then, brother of mine." Fred sighed.
"Such promise too." George wiped away an imaginary tear.

"Can't do both then?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Casual, dueling is not." Fred shrugged.
"Don't discourage the boy, Forge." George hit his brother on the shoulder. "We could make a vault a gold with him on the circuit."
"True, Ged, true." Fred studied Harry once more. "The Unknown Spellslinger sweeping the competition."
"Word says he solved that Riddle too." George stole a gaze at the Ravenclaw table.

"I get the feeling I'm not needed for this conversation." Harry chuckled.

He returned to his spot to grab his bag. Ciri was kind enough to wait for him. They didn't talk much aside from her pointing out landmarks. Ciri was content with walking without conversation. It was odd, but nice. She wasn't asking about his world, people he knew, or how he was settling in. For a couple of minutes, he was just walking with a housemate to class.

Runes turned out to be incredibly interesting. They were so versatile. The right combinations could power brooms, build wards, and were a major component in the enchanting process. Even a simple runic array could do some wonderful stuff. It didn't hurt that Professor Babbling was a bombshell. She looked like one of those decals' muggles did on World War Two planes.

"I'll see you at lunch." Ciri said as she split off after class.

"See you." Harry called after her.

He headed a couple of hallways back the way they had come before he realized that he had no idea where he was supposed to meet the tutor.

Harry had just turned the corner when he felt something coming his way. He ducked just in time to see a compressed ball of green cloud zip through where his head had been. It wasn't the right color, or shape, for the Killing Curse, but it did not look friendly. His wand was in his hand with a thought. He spun toward the source of the attack.

Delphi Riddle had her wand pointed at him. It was already moving for another spell. Harry flicked his wand up, lifting a thin sheet of compressed air in front of him as a shield. A wicked smile crossed her face as she danced to the side. Instead of dropping the sheet, he twisted his wand, and launched the newly formed orb at her.

She was moving closer. That look in her eye was even stronger than the day before. Harry shifted, sliding to the side, to cut off her approach. Only then did he realize his mistake. This wasn't a part of the castle he was familiar with, and Delphi had prepared. The hallway at his back was a dead end. One of the moving staircases occasionally came to a stop here, but it moved on a slow, hourly patrol.

"What are you playing at, Riddle?" Harry asked as he juked out of the path of another spell.

She was pushing him back to the other wall. There was a chance he could slip by her, but it would take him so close she could touch him.

"You slipped my spell not even knowing I was there." Delphi sprang forward, pushing even closer. "You used elemental magic silently." The dance stopped with Harry pressed against the wall. "And you're still fighting, even when you know there is no escape."

She came to a stop before him. The tips of their wands sparked as the space between them shrunk.

"I know you can escape." She challenged. "You're holding back. Come on, Harry. Show me."

"Harry?" He asked.

Delphi stepped forward, brushing his wand away. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a searing kiss. Her tongue licked against his lips, begging for entry. She whimpered when he didn't open his mouth.

"Please, my love." She pouted.

The fire in her eyes. That wild edge he couldn't identify. It was hunger. Harry put a hand on her hip, he hooked her leg to pull her close. Delphi cooed as he pressed her body against his. A quick twist reversed their positions. Now her back was against the wall.

"What do you want?" Harry growled. He gripped the wrist that held her wand, keeping it by her side.

"Ooo." Delphi kissed him again. "Go on, lover. Take me." She grinded her crotch along his thigh. "Mum said I'd find a strong wizard. I've been waiting for you for so long."

"You don't know me." Harry moved to disentangle himself from her.

She wrapped a leg around him, trying to keep him close.

"You're strong." She whined as she kissed along his jaw. "Let me stand beside you."

"What the hell was going on?" A young woman snapped from nearby.

Harry looked over his shoulder to see an attractive brunette glaring at them. She had rich blue eyes that held an intensity that didn't match her age. The girl wasn't wearing school robes, in fact, she was wearing a muggle dress. He didn't think she was more than a year or two older than they were.

"This doesn't concern you." Delphi glared over at the girl.

Harry used the distraction to step away.

"Mister Potter?" The girl asked.

Harry nodded.

"You're late for your tutoring session." The girl turned as she spoke. "Come along."

"I'll find you later, lover." Delphi called after him.

"My apologies, Mister Potter." The girl said. Her stride was that of a queen rather than a student. "I did not realize you were not informed where we would be meeting."

"I'm not familiar with this part of the castle." Harry added. "My idea was to backtrack to the Great Hall."

"Only to be ambushed." The girl didn't look over her shoulder.

She came to a stop before an unmarked door. It opened without a noise. Harry followed her in, finding a classroom with a few long tables among bookshelves rather than traditional desks. There were a couple of other students already in the room as well.

"This is one of the study areas." The girl clarified. "There are several rooms like these around the castle dedicated to History. Professor Binns has an innate sense when an actual class gathers and cannot be dissuaded to allow another professor to take over."

She motioned for him to take a seat. He did.

"I'm sure you have questions." She sat across from him. "Specifically, regarding my age."

"It's that obvious?" Harry said with a blush.

"You are far from the first." She gave him a small, polite nod. "Similar to yourself, I travelled to another world. Multiple times, to the same world. Time didn't move the same there as it does here. As a result, I do not move the same through time here."

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking." Harry couldn't help himself.

"Chronologically, sixty-six." She answered. "In actually, eighty-one."

"Woah." Harry said. "You barely look old enough to be a seventh year."

She laughed.

"I was lucky." She said with a gentle smile. "Physically, I have aged around three years. My little sister, on the other hand, is actually older than me, and still looks thirteen."

"How is she older than you?" Harry asked.

"She went back more than I did." She let out a sigh. "Where are my manners? Professor Susan Pevensie, pleased to meet a fellow traveler, Mister Potter."

"It is nice to meet you too, Professor Pevensie." Harry replied with a smile. "Does your sister work here too?"

"No." She shook her head. "Her skills are in the healing arts."

"Our time runs short today." Susan said with a sharp breath. "Next time, I expect you to be here early."

"I will." Harry said giving her a firm nod. "Thank you for saving me earlier."

"Think nothing of it." She waved the thought away. "We don't have time for a full lesson, but I may be able to answer a few questions. Do you have anything you would like to know more about?"

"I haven't seen you use a wand." Harry said cautiously.

"No." She shook her head. "I am not a witch, not am I a squib. Due to my travels, my very being has been imbued with magic." Her expression darkened a touch. "My brothers, my sister, and I are considered magical creatures. Anti-Muggle Charms have no effect on us, nor do mental magics."

Harry let the information sink in.

"But." Harry tried to find the words. "You're a person."

"As are goblins." Professor Pevensie said with a nod. "Yet, history has shown time and time again how well the magical world has worked with them."

That, oddly enough, led into a discussion of the most recent Goblin Conflicts, the treaties that followed, and the tensions that still lingered. It looked like things would have continued on if not for the interruption of the muggle World War Two. The magical community in Britain had to borrow quite a lot from the goblins to arrange the protected areas in Hogsmeade for Muggle Born witches and wizards. It didn't make for a pleasant relationship between the two communities.

The goblins were able to use the desperation to place another Gringotts in Hogsmeade. Each location was treated as sovereign ground of the Goblin Nation. Wand restrictions had been removed in trade for the free claim on discovered magical tombs and artifacts.

Harry found himself disappointed when the tutoring session ended.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry said as he stood.

"Mister Potter." She inclined her head. "Harry."

He stopped and looked at her.

"My situation isn't the same, but if you need to talk." Susan offered. "Travelers."

"Thank you." Harry repeated. "I'll keep that in mind."

Harry was able to find his way to the Great Hall without an issue. He kept his wand in his grip just in case he was ambushed again. Delphi didn't make an appearance this time. Though she was waiting for him in the Great Hall. She stood by the edge of the Gryffindor table, once he entered the room.

Delphi was the only person in the Great Hall that seemed oblivious to the tension. She practically skipped over to him, wrapping one of his arms in hers and pulling him close.

"Did you miss me, lover?" She whispered; the words tickled his ear.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as she approached.

"This doesn't concern you, Potter." Delphi snapped. Her voice was full of venom.

"Delphi." Harry warned.

The witch froze. She looked up at him with a slight pout.

"Sorry, Potter." She forced herself to say. "May I call you Rose? You can call me Delphi."

"Why would I do that?" Rose asked slowly.

"We're going to be family." Delphi giggled.

Rose looked at Harry. He scrunched his brow in confusion.

"When did this happen?" Rose asked as she turned her attention back to the witch.

"He won my heart when we dueled." Delphi replied with a pleasant sigh.

"It was a practice duel in class." Rose countered. "There wasn't a prize."

"Every duel has a prize." The edge in Delphi's voice returned.

"Fine." Rose sniffed. "I challenge you."

"For what?" Delphi snarled.

"To see which one of us will be Harry's girlfriend." Rose crossed her arms.

"Accepted." Delphi replied with a laugh. "Tomorrow evening, we'll be the first duel of the year."

"And you'll stay away from Harry until then." Rose cut in, motioning to the two.

"So will you." Delphi hissed as she took a step away. "I'll see you tomorrow night, lover."

The two Potters watched her leave. Unfortunately, she didn't go far. With only the Hufflepuff table separated the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students.

"I don't get any say in this?" Harry whispered.

"You can't use sanity while fighting with a crazy person." Rose muttered.

"And you're sure you can beat her?" Harry asked as they headed to take a seat.

Lavender took a spot between them to make sure they weren't next to each other. That would mean that Delphi would be allowed beside him as well.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Rose deadpanned.

"It's a valid question." Lavender cut in. "You're good, Rose, but Riddle isn't normal."

"What happened?" Rose ignored their friend.

"She ambushed me outside of Runes." Harry explained. "We dueled to a stand-still. She had be trapped against a wall with no escape. Instead of attacking, she kissed me."

The table around them erupted in noise.

"Fifty Points from Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall yelled. "Quiet down."

They settled back to a grumbling silence.

"Where were you?" Rose asked Ciri.

"I had to go to class." Ciri answered as she shrugged.

"It's not her fault." Harry cut in.

The group drifted into their own conversations.

"So, you're going to be my girlfriend?" Harry asked with a wry smile to Rose.

"Shut it." Rose mumbled.