Somewhere Safe - Chapter 30

Harry adjusted the collar of his shirt again. He had decided to go with muggle attire rather than formal wizard robes. A nice dress shirt, some slacks, and dragon-hide oxfords were respectable without being over the top or too casual. He had seen Professor Riddle wear muggle suits more often than robes.

It was still weird to think of him as Professor Riddle. Though it did help separate him from Voldemort. The fact that he was a flesh and blood person rather than some strange homunculus in a dream was another big factor.

Delphi and the others watched him from nearby. They had all convinced the portrait guarding the room that they should be allowed access as part of his coven. The poor guardian had no chance once Hermione and Miranda teamed up against it. Not to mention the times Luna chimed in.

"What do you think?" Harry turned to face his witches.

The shirt was a subdued Gryffindor red, while the pants and shoes were black. His wand holster was charmed to fit under his sleeve for easy access. He didn't think there would be trouble, but it was better to be prepared. A torn sleeve would be a worthy sacrifice.

"You look wonderful, lover." Delphi strutted over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist

Delphi turned him to face the mirror. She wore a sleeveless deep emerald dress that was snug to her chest down to her waist, but then loosened out to allow it to swish when she walked. The color was a nod to her Slytherin bloodline. It also went nicely with his eyes. Her short hair had a bit of extra curliness and looked like a shorter version of her mother's style.

She caught his wandering eyes. A predatory smile crossed her face as she returned the favor. The fact that she wasn't his first had irked her. She knew that being in his coven meant she had to share, but she didn't want to wait. Finally, she had found her wizard and she wanted him desperately. He was so powerful that it only made sense that he needed more than one witch. It wasn't common, but strong witches, and wizards, could effectively overload their lovers magic if the imbalance was too much. The fact that her father and her mother were both incredibly powerful was the only reason she hadn't been turned into a walking husk with so much exposure.

Delphi might have carried a little of the Black Madness, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that Harry was a bonfire in a world of torches. With the proper training and focus he could potentially be stronger than her father and Dumbledore. She would need help to handle him for a long-term relationship.

"You both look good." Rose offered.

"Thank you." Delphi inclined her head.

Rose had more of a connection to Harry. In time, she hoped to be on the same level. She appreciated the fact that the girl had accepted her into the coven. Rose and Hermione were the two that could easily remove any of the others. She wasn't quite sure yet who had a higher rank between the two. The arrival of Hermione had unsettled the forming coven. It was still early enough to make adjustments, but she was an unknown.

"You need to hurry." Hermione said. A magical display of the time floated in the air beside her.

Harry winced. How had it taken so long to get dressed? Delphi chuckled at his expression. They exited the room with the other girls sending their best wishes after them.

Delphi giggled as they hurried down the halls. She sped ahead of Harry, so he had to chase after her. His eyes seemed to glow with happiness as he pursued her. Iris and Lavender had tried to convince her to wear high heels. There was no way she would subject herself to such a thing. Instead, she went for knee-high boots with a roper heel that was on par with the school uniform mary janes.

Her giggle shifted to a cackle as she got closer to the stairs. They weren't aligned with the floor she wanted. Her pace didn't slow. In fact, she sped up. She leaped up onto the handrail and kicked off into the open space. Without a second thought, Harry dove over after her a moment later. He didn't have a plan to save her, but he would come up with something before they hit the ground.

Delphi held out a hand to him. Her expression was playful rather than full of terror as he had expected. She also wasn't in freefall, and neither was he. It felt like he was in an elevator.

His speed increased ever so slightly to catch up to her as he took her outstretched hand. There was a solid platform made of air under their feet. He tapped it a couple of times with the tip of his shoe. It didn't give.

"How did you know?" Harry asked her.

"Every year there are at a dozen or so firsties that take a tumble on the stairs." Delphi smiled at him with a wild edge. "There are so many towers that they had to come up with some sort of safety measure."

Harry shook his head. He had never heard of something like that where he had come from. Did it even exist in that Hogwarts? She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for saving me." Delphi snuggled against his side.

"As long as I breath." Harry squeezed her hand.

Delphi hid her face against his chest to hide her blush. She had mellowed out considerably since the coven formed. Her outbursts settled once she figured out that she wouldn't lose him.

Harry smiled. His world had changed so much in such a little time, literally. How many days had it been? Seven? A week? He counted them off. There was the initial arrival, the day after he met his parents and stayed the night at their place. On Sunday he returned to Hogwarts for placement testing. He had four days of classes. Yesterday had been the duels and when Hermione had arrived. Now, it was Sunday again.

Just over a week.

The realization made his head spin. He felt Delphi squeeze his arm. They had landed without him noticing. She looked at him with a concerned expression on her face. He smiled back to ease her worry.

"Lost in thought." He shrugged. "Do you know where we're meeting them?"

"In my father's private rooms." Delphi answered. "He has a sitting room and a dining area for family gatherings. My mother likes to have private meals when she visits."

"That's nice." Harry said. "Does she visit often?"

"It depends on her touring schedule." Delphi replied. "She's in the top ten rank of International Duelists. A lot of her time is dedicated to training and study. Most of the time, she's able to visit once a month. There isn't an 'off season' for dueling. She's at the level where it's challenge based rather than tourneys."

"Can you explain that a little more?" Harry asked with a shrug.

"Tourneys, tournaments, are the standard type of dueling competition." Delphi explained. "It's what the school is doing, and how things will go when the others arrive."

Harry nodded.

"After you make a name for yourself on the International Circuit, you don't do tournaments anymore." Delphi continued. "Or, if you do, the tournament is a contest to determine who will duel you. My mother is in the top ten, meaning that only duelists from rank one to twenty can challenge her. It has to be issued through formal channels, they meet to discuss terms, and then schedule the actual duel at a later date. That is the only way to move up once you've hit the top twenty. If you challenge and win against a higher opponent, then you climb the ranks. You only drop in the lists if you lose to a lower ranked duelist. They also have to find a fitting venue. High profile duels can sell out an arena in minutes."

"How do they determine your rank?" Harry asked.

"The dueling records." Delphi directed him down a set of stairs. "Wins, losses, and draws. Every duelist starts out unranked. You have to compete in a tournament to be added to the lists. International and domestic ranks are kept separately. The domestic circuit is split into two portions, local and national, but the ranking carries over."

"That is a lot more complex than I expected." Harry chuckled.

"No, it isn't." Delphi flashed him a smile with that edge of hers. "Win. Simple as that. Everything else will take care of itself."

Harry shook his head.

They arrived much faster than he had expected. This was the first time he had ever met a girl's parents. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't ever met Hermione's parents. He had seen them at a distance, but they had never been introduced. Off the top of his head, he couldn't remember their names.

Now, here he was about to have dinner with a girl who was one of many witches in his coven. He hoped that things didn't go sideways. Her mother was a professional duelist, and her father was the longest running Defense teacher Hogwarts had ever had. If her mother didn't kill him her father could make his remaining time at Hogwarts a living nightmare.

Another thought struck him. Aside from Rose and Iris he would have to do this each time.

Delphi knocked on the door. The sound snapped him back to the present.

Professor Riddle answered the door. He wore a simple suit with a vest instead of a jacket. The older wizard gave them both a warm smile. He stepped aside to allow them access.

"Delphi, Mister Potter." Riddle inclined his head. "Welcome to my home away from home."

"Professor." Harry returned the nod.

"Father." Delphi curtsied.

They stepped inside to see Bellatrix standing in the middle of the room. Harry tried not to check her out. It was a losing battle. Her long, dark hair hung down to the middle of her back in a natural curl. The dress she wore was a black with emerald laces that highlighted her form nicely. A bodice held her breasts up with a slight pressure while the skirt portion was loose around her legs.

Harry gulped. He stole a glance at Delphi. She smiled at him with a smoldering heat that didn't clear anything up.

"The rights afforded to you as our guest allows you to choose." Bellatrix inclined her head.

"Choose what?" He asked.

"Duel before or after dinner?" Bellatrix smiled at him that more akin to a predator baring its teeth. "Words are twists of air. Fancy little flutters of the tongue. They tempt my heart, but I need proof."

Harry realized that she wasn't just standing in the middle of the room. Bellatrix was in the center of a private dueling platform. He hadn't noticed at first. It was too big to fit in. Of course, the room would have expansion charms. Delphi and Professor Riddle took a seat nearby. Seemingly unphased by the turn of events.

"Before." Harry took a step away from Delphi and rolled up his sleeves. "Terms?"

Harry really should have seen something like this coming.

"Goodie." Bellatrix clapped her hands excitedly. "Standard dueling. No spells above Class Two. Duel to disarm, surrender, or force out."

Harry flicked his wrist to draw his wand from the holster. Bellatrix waited for him on her chosen side.

"Professor." Harry stepped onto the platform. "Would you count it down please?"

"Glady." Riddle didn't bother to stand. "Duelists ready?"

They nodded. Harry rolled his shoulders to loosen up his muscles.

"Three. Two. One. Begin!" Riddle sounded amused.

He had never seen Bellatrix duel. She trained Delphi and he hoped that would give him a small hint at her style. He couldn't discount the impact Professor Riddle had as well. If Harry was married to a Defense Master, he would be sure to treat their input with respect.

The safe move would be to begin with a shield to intercept her opening chain. His life had a distinct lack of safety. The feeling of impending doom was as familiar as hunger or thirst. Survival, now that he was good at. Charging into the unknown was a plan he was all too familiar with. The trick to doing something stupid was to move fast, cause chaos, and avoid getting backed into a corner.

Harry conjured a wall of flame. He propelled it toward the opposite end of the platform with a wave of air. A wave stone rose in front of him to form a physical barrier. He created two more with a small gap between each for extra protection.

The wall of flame was doused out by a jet of water and quickly became steam. It mingled with the cushion of air that followed directly behind.

Bellatrix smiled as she swept the steam away. A quick jab of her wand shattered the first two layers of his stone shield.

"Ooo." Bellatrix cooed. "Fire, earth, air. No affinity to water?"

Harry sent a burst of air at the platform under his feet. He launched himself over the barriers. A swipe of his wand collected the steam. He spun as he reformed it into a whip made of water. It snapped out toward Bellatrix as he landed.

Bellatrix shifted a step to the side out of the path of the whip. The water splashed to the ground as Harry released control. She snapped her wand from the puddle near her feet, then toward him. A tight cluster of icicle shrapnel launched at him.

Harry swatted them away backhand. The icicles arced toward the ceiling. He pointed up at them. They transformed into blanket of thick snow. The heavy flakes drifted down toward her.

She held out her free hand. The snow collected into a melon sized ball. It began to shift into the shape of a classic snowman. She clenched her fist, destroying the creation.

Bellatrix waited to see what he would do next.

Harry was more than halfway across the platform. He turned away and returned to his initial position. This wasn't truly a duel. It was an assessment to see if he was worthy of the attention. He wasn't deluded enough to think he was on her level even with his newfound increased magical aptitude. Right now, at his best he was a talented amateur while she was a decorated pro.

He summoned a flock of birds. They were larger than the standard spell. Each bird had a multi-colored pattern that did not exist in the natural world.

Bellatrix arced an eyebrow at him. She banished the flock as it neared. Each bird exploded into a cluster of brightly colored dragonflies. They zipped toward her with a slight pause. The dragonflies burst into clouds of chalk as they got closer. A moment later she was covered from head to toe in splotches of multi-colored dust. She felt the chalk around her forearm and hand that held her wand solidify.

She held her arm up for inspection. The shell covered from the tip of her wand to just before her elbow. It appeared to be made out of stone.

Harry pressed his momentary advantage. He flung a string of quick bludgeoning spells of various size to different parts of her body. They were meant to annoy and distract rather than cause any real impact.

She moved her stone arm to block the first string. The shell cracked. She rolled her wrist to discard the stubborn chunks. Her wand shot out and smacked the last one back at him.

Harry shifted to the side to let it pass.

Bellatrix took a step forward. Rather, she tried to take a step. She looked down to see one of her feet encased in a block of multi-colored stone.

"Mrs Riddle." Harry spoke up. "Should we continue?"

"Why ever should we stop?" Bellatrix replied.

"I've been holding off my next step." Harry answered.

"Do tell." Bellatrix yanked her foot free of the block of stone.

"A slipped a few dragonflies by you." He explained. "Then I transfigured them into needles and thread. My next step would be to subtly stitch your skirt into your stockings. After that, I would make you move. You're too skilled to trip. Instead, you would have to shift your balance."

Bellatrix stole a quick look over her shoulder to see a few spools of thread that hovered near her ankle.

"Creative. Inconvenient at best." She motioned for him to continue.

"The remaining water on the platform would be transformed into ice in the shape of a wedge." Harry motioned at the platform. "One misstep would sent you off the platform."

"And I would let that happen?" Bellatrix smiled at him.

"Yes." Harry nodded. "You haven't attacked me this entire time. The only volley you started was to test my shield. Everything else has been counters."

Bellatrix looked at Delphi who beamed back at her.

"And I'm hungry." Harry added.

Bellatrix cackled. It made him shiver. The jolt of arousal mixed in kept it in check. Her laughter made her chest bounce in an enticing manner.

"I accept your surrender." She said after a moment. "I'm getting hungry myself."