20 It's Not Worth the Trouble!

Harry met up with Hermione and Ron in the main hall for lunch. They asked what went on with McGonagall. Harry gave them a gist of it. He, of course, didn't tell them anything about his conversation with Dumbledore, only that the Headmaster asked a few questions and when he was satisfied he let him go. They also didn't dwell on it for too long as they were familiar with his capabilities. So it was nothing unusual for the Professors to be shocked. They could only imagine what would happen in the charms class where Harry's true strength lies, that is, if actually decides to show it.

After lunch, they all moved to the Charms corridor on the third floor towards the class 2E where the charms classes were held. As they entered, they found it was combined with the Hufflepuffs. There was a pretty good relationship between both the houses, so everyone was chatting together when Professor Flitwick entered the class.

He was a short man due to his Goblin ancestry. He had suffered a lot of prejudice in his early years due to it. But he finally got selected for Hogwarts and after many years was known as the greatest charms master in the world. He was also the head of Ravenclaw house so that also proves his intelligence. He was always fair to his students and never gave detentions easily. Everyone loved his classes as he was pretty laid back and loved humor.

The little maestro stood on his usual 'stacked' chair and faced the class.

"Hello everyone. My name is Filius Flitwick. I will be your charms professor. I don't know what you people have heard about me but I can say with absolute certainty that all of them are false. At least half the students in my class fail their O.W.L.s and practically no one takes charms for the N.E.W.T.s. I have the highest rate in giving detentions amongst all professors and the lowest when awarding points in class. So be prepared to work your ass off since this is going to be one subject that will never let you rest easy" announced Flitwick in his squeaky voice.

There was pin-drop silence in the class. Nobody expected this. Everyone was of the opinion that this was the easiest and the most 'fun' class. But looks like their seniors had lied to them.

As Flitwick saw that everybody's mood was starting to get gloomy, he suddenly said, "Just Kidding."

The students were blank, they had no idea what to think now.

But Harry knew about Flitwick's sense of humor so he was chuckling. Flitwick also started laughing. Slowly the students realized that their new professor had just pulled one over them. It was a sudden shift of mood in the class. You could feel the slight nervousness that the students had, disappearing into thin air.

"Haha now that all of you are more relaxed, let's start with your first lesson. There is a feather in front of you. You need to use the floating charm and try to make the feather float as high as you can.

Now watch carefully. Wingardium Leviosa" he waved his wand as he chanted the spell and slowly the feather started floating. He then slowly controlled the feather to float back on the table.

"You guys try it now. Remember, pronounce the chant clearly and use the wand movement as I showed you."

Everyone started practicing the spell. Harry knew Hermione would be the first to complete the spell. He needed to shock the Professor so that he would at least listen to his request, so he decided to do things a bit differently than the transfiguration class.

He waved the wand and the feather started floating slowly. He raised the feather to a certain height and brought it back down.

"Exemplary Mr. Potter, five points to Gryffindor. Everyone you just saw Mr. Potter here perform the perfect floatation charm. Kindly do as he did and I am sure you would be able to do accomplish the same" praised Flitwick making Harry blush a little.

A few seconds later Hermione also succeeded. Ron kept on trying but his wand movement was all messed up. So, Harry decided to help him out.

"Here Ron, let me show you. You are doing it wrong. Your chanting is correct but the wand movement needs a little work. First off, loosen your grip on the wand, no one's going to steal it from you."

Ron nodded, a little embarrassed over Harry's comment on his 'wand holding' skills. Neville was watching from the sides and followed what Harry said.

Many others sitting around them perked up their ears trying to listen in.

"Ok, now think of yourself as a painter trying to paint. The air is your canvas and the wand is your brush. Gently move your wand over the canvas and draw the pattern you need. No need to rush, find your own rhythm and find what feels right. Magic is all about feeling. So try to get a feel of the spell first, then use it on the target" Harry tried explaining his viewpoint to everyone listening. He then waved his wand slowly and the feather on Ron's desk started floating.

Ron also tried doing what Harry told him. After a few tries, he also succeeded. Even Neville succeeded by the end of class along with almost everyone around them. This got Harry a praised nod of approval from Flitwick. Harry knew he had made a good impression on him and this might help in his case later.

As the class came to an end, almost all the students could use the floatation charm. This was really surprising since it has never happened before. Very few students could grasp the essence of this charm in the first class. All of this happened because of one student. So, Flitwick was very happy and awarded an additional twenty points to Gryffindor. This was a surprising amount of points as no one ever gets more than ten at a time. But nobody raised any question as they were all happy and thanked Harry for his help.

The class ended after that and everyone left for their common rooms.

Flitwick called over Harry to talk to him. Harry felt this was a good chance to raise the issue.

"Mr. Potter, you did very well there. It was an exquisite display of magic and I must say you have a very unique understanding of magic. I never thought of the brush and canvas theory before but it makes a lot of sense. I will be sure to include this in my other classes as well" said Flitwick while packing his stuff. All the books returned to their places with just a tap from him. Harry was truly impressed with this. Although he had a great control over magic, he couldn't perform it this way. It looked like instinctual, not something that is done using thought. Harry was again reminded of his inadequacies compared to the true masters of this world.

"Thank you, Professor. I just thought I should help out a little. Who knows, it might help me out in some way in the future" said Harry.

Flitwick looked at him as he said this with a glint in his eyes. He understood that Harry was referring to his future fight against the dark forces. He didn't expect Harry to accept his fate so readily.

"Speaking of future, Professor, I have a small request" Harry initiated hesitatingly. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Oh? What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" asked Flitwick looking at Harry.

Harry started speaking after thinking for a second, "Professor, you know very well about the fate that has been dumped on me with this scar. I can not run from it nor can I hide. I have to face what's coming and I don't want to leave things up to chance when that fated moment arrives.

What I need to do now, is to get stronger. I have trained every minute of every day for the last six years preparing myself. But, I know its nowhere near enough. So, I need your help Professor to hone my skills. I know almost all the charms and hexes for the next six years. If you want I can demonstrate them to you."

Harry raised his arms and all the feathers floated up. Then they started moving towards the center where they constantly arranged themselves into different patterns. Harry looked like a music conductor and the feathers were dancing to his tune. It was an astonishing display of different spells since only floatation charm couldn't accomplish what Harry just did. The feathers then separated themselves into two halves and faced each other like two armies. One by one the feathers fired into the other side catching fire in the process. The opponent feather also shot towards the incoming feather arrow, only this one was coated with water.

They collided in the middle of the two 'armies' and disappeared while giving off colorful sparks. This was like a battle horn as all the other feathers shot towards each other in a similar fashion. Some were coated in fire, some in water. While some gave off electric sparks. There were even a few who had a metallic shine to them. As all the feathers collided in the middle, it was like mini fireworks inside the class room. It was magnificent and Flitwick could gape at Harry's performance with an open mouth.

Harry then proceeded with his request, "But what I don't know is how to use them efficiently in battle.

You were the dueling champion in the past and I think with your guidance I can truly use my skills to its full potential. Everything you saw just now, it was the result of my six years of hard work Professor. But all it can be used for is some fancy fireworks. If I came face to face with a Death Eater right now, I wouldn't last a minute against his spells. So, Professor, I need you to tell me what can I do so that I can at least put up a fight against such wizards."

Flitwick was absolutely stunned at Harry's outburst. He didn't expect an eleven-year-old boy to be so mature and aware of his responsibilities and to top it off have such astounding accomplishments in magic.

It was truly tempting for him to see how far this child can grow if given proper guidance. But, he knew it took a lot more than just jinxes and hexes to become a master duelist.

"Harry, I appreciate your enthusiasm but its not that simple. In order to become a master duelist, you need to learn a lot of other spells, specifically spells related to the dark side. You can't fight dark wizards if you don't know what spells they can use. So, you need a solid foundation in the dark arts before I can even begin to guide you" explained Flitwick.

He was right and Harry knew that. He had practiced a few dark spells but was far from having a solid foundation in dark arts. It was a huge subject and there were not many books available in Diagon Alley from where he could learn about them. This was the main reason he wanted to access the restricted section of the library. All the valuable books related to dark arts was kept there under strict supervision.

"Professor, I understand what you mean. I know a few dark spells but it's not enough. So, I already got the Headmaster's permission to read the books in the restricted section. I am sure I can master those spells in the coming months. In the meantime, if you have any suggestion regarding what books to read and which spells to learn, it would be more than enough for now" Harry said.

Flitwick was surprised again. For the Headmaster to allow Harry to read the books on dark arts means he really trusted him. Otherwise, he would never allow another Voldemort to rise.

So, Flitwick looked at Harry in a whole new light now. He nodded at him and took out a quill and paper to write a list of books and exercises for Harry to do.

Just as he was about to hand over the list to Harry, he warned him, "Harry, the dark arts are not exactly what most people think they are. They are mostly restricted spells and their use is strictly controlled. But they are not banned like the three unforgivable curses. However, the dark arts can be really seductive Harry. They are easy to learn but extremely difficult to control. They can cause serious impact on your psyche and with time you would lose yourself and start indulging in true evil.

So Harry, always remember, there are no evil spells, only evil wizards. The spell itself does not have much power, it's the intent behind them which makes a curse powerful. You can fire a killing curse right now but I doubt you would be able to kill anyone. You need to really want it, feel it from the very depth of your soul and be willing to sacrifice anything for the target's death. Then only the killing spell would unleash its power. This is the reason why all the dark spells affect your soul and the reason why you lose your humanity with every kill using the killing curse. Your intent decides what kind of a spell you are releasing and that would, in turn, shape your soul. It's a cycle and you can either make it a positive one or a negative one. The choice is yours. The choice is ALWAYS yours. Remember that."

Harry stared at Flitwick with various emotions churning inside his heart.

He had no idea that the humorous professor could have such a side to him. It seems like he had a story to tell.

Harry understood what Flitwick was trying to say. He had thought about it a lot and he knew from the bottom of his heart that he would never succumb to darkness. He had so many things to do in this life and he couldn't do any of those if he chose darkness over light.

He didn't have any messiah complex but he couldn't run from his circumstances either or more like he didn't want to run from it. He had always wanted to feel the blood boiling battles and wanted to walk to the very edge of life and see what lies beyond that. How could he do all that when he couldn't even keep his head straight.

So he replied Flitwick with a firm voice, "I understand Professor. I already had this talk with Professor Dumbledore. You could rest assured, I have no interest in becoming the next dark lord. There is so much I would lose because of it that it's just not worth the trouble. I promise you, Professor, I wouldn't let you down."

Flitwick smiled at him and handed over the list to Harry.

'Yeah, it's really not worth the trouble' thought Flitwick as he walked out of the class slowly with a stack of books floating behind him.