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Chapter Fourteen

Saturday morning saw Harry in the dojo early, trying to teach Neville fan work. He was picking it up with surprising ease. Surprising, to anyone who knew Neville.

Neville, Harry had found, had no self confidence, but was gaining it by leaps and bounds. His Uncle had spent every waking hour telling him how useless he was. Now that Uncle Algie was gone, Neville was finding that he knew a lot more about management than anyone expected. He was sensible, down to earth and intelligent. He just needed a bit of a nudge in the right direction. Harry was more likely to get behind him and shove. It was working wonders.

So Harry was happily shouting, "No! Neville-kun, you have to think on your feet. Do you really think that a Death Eater is going to stand still while you decide how to kill him?"

Neville stopped what he was doing and yelled back, "No, I don't. but I don't know what spell they're going to throw first, do I? How do you manage that?"

Harry sighed. "Come sit down." Neville came to kneel beside Harry. "You're right. But most of the sort ... like Death Eaters ... they have standard attacks. Spells that they just use out of habit and training. I'm trying to teach you to do the unexpected. Even cast a tickling hex right out of the box. If you keep your opponent off balance you have a much better chance of winning. I want you to be a winner. See?"

Neville rubbed sweat off his face with a towel from a pile by the seats. "I see. You're right. But ... I bet we could find out which spells are most used by the idiots. I know they're real fond of Cruciatus. And there's a cutting hex that they use a lot. I don't know the name of it. Bet we could find out."

Harry smirked a bit. "See? I keep telling you, you know more than you think. I'll ask Snape-kyooju, he'll know."

Neville looked horrified. "You ... oh, man, he'll murder you."

"No, he won't. I'm more likely to kill him." Harry pushed water on Neville and took a glass for himself. "Drink. We'll end for today. You're doing very well." He pulled a black fan from mallet space. "Here. Keep it on you and practice with it every time you get a chance." Neville nodded a bit doubtfully. "And if anyone gives you grief, poke them with it."

"Ok. Thanks. But ..." Neville grinned. "I really want to see what Hermione pulls on Lockhart. I bet she and the twins pull a doozy."

Harry snickered. "Me too. That girl doesn't understand true evil, but she can be downright nasty when she wants to be."

"True, true. And she's relentless." He finished his water. "I wonder what she's found out about our, as she calls it, petrification pest."

"Well, let's go find out." Harry stood up. "And breakfast. Then check on the test thing. And see what's happened to Lockhart. And Malfoy." Neville snorted water out his nose. "Oh, I don't like the little maggot, but still ... And I do owe him a gift. Giri can be a bitch."

Neville nodded. "Send him a pineapple and see what he sends back."

Harry gazed at Neville for a moment then asked, "A Pineapple?"

"It's a symbol of graciousness and friendship."

Harry thought carefully. "I don't think that's the impression I want to give. Perhaps a knife, or a pair of scissors? That's more the idea."

"Humm. Might do." Neville wasn't aware that giving a gift of a sharp object, like scissors or a knife, meant that the giver wished to sever a relationship.

Harry grinned slightly. "Perhaps the gift of four red sheathed knives?"

A voice from the door asked, "And who, exactly, do you hate that much?"