Secrets and Spells
"Quit being lazy. Here, look through this for our potion." she said as she tossed a book his way. Harry grumbled, but obliged. A half hour later their efforts were rewarded. "Hey, I think this is it!" Harry said excitedly as he passed the book to Daphne.
"The Draught of Everlasting Night…" she read, "… will blind anyone who ingests it. After approximately 48 hours the effect will become permanent if the antidote has not been taken."
"And all of the instructions we will need to make it are here, too. Let's copy this down and then get out of here." Daphne nodded in agreement and began writing down the instructions while Harry copied the notes on the potion's effects and other properties.
Another fifteen minutes and they were walking out the door, headed for the third floor classroom where Harry had been training himself for the last few weeks. Once inside Harry cast locking charms on the door and silencing charms on the room to prevent people from listening. He had known basic versions of the charms even before he began training, but the versions he was now using were far more advanced. Daphne noticed.
"Nice, Potter. I'm surprised you know those. They are sixth year spells aren't they?"
"Yes. So far I am about a third of the way through the sixth year books for Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration. I have been studying those three almost nonstop since that day we talked by the lake."
"So that's what you've been doing, learning more spells?"
"Well, that and trying to make myself stronger. I figured out if I push myself really hard that after I've been able to rest I feel stronger than I did before." Daphne looked a little confused by this statement.
"Potter, what do you mean? How much magic are you using to do that?"
"Generally I just use the most powerful spells I know for as long as I can until I don't have the energy to do them any more. By the time I'm done it takes all the concentration I've got to cast a simple Lumos."
"You really shouldn't be doing that. It takes days to recover from magical exhaustion like you are talking about, and I don't know what is going on but doing that to yourself is not supposed make you stronger. Something else must be happening here."
"It doesn't take days. After a good night of sleep and a big breakfast I feel ready to do it again."
"Still, it just isn't possible that beating yourself up every night is going to make you stronger. You could actually be doing real damage to your magic." Daphne responded with a still slightly confused look on her face.
"I don't think so, but I will stop until I've had a chance to look into it a little more. Good enough?" Daphne nodded in agreement. "Now, about the first task. I have to get past a dragon and steal a golden egg from its nest."
"Hmm, I guess you've already looked up spells that are useful against dragons?"
"There are a few that might work. Their eyes are weaker than the rest of their bodies, so it might be possible for me to blind it and get to the egg that way. Neville and I have been trying to find something that might distract it."
"Longbottom?" she asked skeptically.
"He's a lot smarter than people give him credit for. Apparently wolves sometimes attack dragon nests and try and steal the eggs, so dragons naturally hate them. I've been working on transfiguring a rock into a wolf."
"Can you do it?" she asked.
"Not as good as I would like, but it will be ready in time. So far the best plan I have come up with is to transfigure a couple of wolves, fire my best spells at the dragon, and hope I can grab the egg in the confusion."
"Risky, but it could work. I'll think about it, maybe I can come up with something you hadn't considered." As Daphne concentrated on the problem Harry focused on his new friend. He knew she was very smart, but unlike Hermione her first reaction would not be to surround herself in books and hope the answer to a problem could be that way. Harry realized that he enjoyed having a Slytherin point of view around and wondered, not for the first time, why the bitter rivalry between their two houses had been allowed to continue. It also angered him that they both felt the need to hide their friendship. People like Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley would never leave them alone if they knew.
"Do you think I should tell Cedric Diggory about the dragons?" Harry asked, breaking the silence which had overtaken the room for the past few minutes.
"That depends." Daphne answered. "Are you merely trying to survive this tournament, or do you want to win it?" Harry paused to consider that question for a moment, taking out his wand and staring at it as if it knew what he should say.
"At first, I was shocked about being forced into this tournament. When I realized there was no backing out I felt overwhelmed and a little scared, but now I think I may have a shot to do well here." He answered, finally looking up at Daphne with a smile. "I want to win." Daphne grinned back at Harry and found herself fighting off the strange urge to hug him.
"I was hoping you would say that. In that case, don't tell Diggory. Never give up an advantage over the competition if you don't have to. We'll find a way to beat your dragon." she said confidently.
"I wasn't so sure before, but I believe we will. Now, let me show you those spells I was working on…"
For the next hour Harry demonstrated for her all of the spells he hoped would help him against the dragon. Daphne was impressed not just by the number of spells he used, but by the power with which he was able to cast them. Clearly he was strong for his age, his ability to successfully produce a patronus had proved that to her, but she found herself wondering just how powerful her friend really was.
...
The next morning Harry received a letter during breakfast from an owl he did not recognize. Seeing that the letter was signed 'Padfoot' he quickly hid it and shooed the owl away. Harry looked around, trying to determine if anyone had noticed his letter, but most of them were busy receiving their own mail. Excusing himself, Harry left the Great Hall to go back to his room and read the letter.
Harry,
Be in the Gryffindor common room tonight at 11 PM.
Make sure you're alone.
-Padfoot