The Brightest Sun

Chapter 47

He dodged the piercing hex, batting away a bone-breaker as he watched Teddy narrowly avoid a knockback jinx.

They had been going at it for the past hour; sweat plastering his hair to his forehead as they fought, Aegon and Rhaenys no doubt grinning at seeing their brother duel with no restrictions.

It had taken him just under a week to realize what it was Teddy was up to – what he planned for the coming war – and Harry had spent three days warding a section of their rooms into a somewhat passable duelling chamber. There was no fear of their spells accidentally destroying parts of the palace, and he and Teddy had been free to throw everything but the most damaging of spells at each other for the past week.

He took a cutting curse to the shoulder, a glancing blow that split skin before he smirked, sending a barrage of spells that had his son twisting before he flicked his wand, hoisting Teddy in the air by the ankle.

He managed two spells before Harry took pity and stunned him, catching him as he fell and letting him rest gently on the floor.

"Think you can leave him like that for a few hours?" Rhaenys asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"You can torment him tonight," Harry told her, amused at the thought of the two of them resuming their challenge. Rhae had managed to surprise him enough times to leave Teddy wary, but the metamorph was better and currently in the lead.

He waved his wand, seeing Teddy's eyes shoot open as he groaned.

"I nearly had you," he muttered, hand running through his curly hair. Once Elia's brothers had learned of magic, Teddy had returned to his favoured appearance, skin darkening slightly as his hair curled more, small bits of Elia making themselves known in his features. They had gaped when they first saw him at breakfast, glancing between Elia and Teddy before muttering in astonishment. There had been a gleam of curiosity in Oberyn's eyes, the man asking Teddy a number of questions between their lessons.

"Of course you did," Harry agreed sagely, "far better than the last time. You've gotten quicker."

There was a pleased expression on his face, and Harry waited for him to get to his feet.

"Does this mean we can start wandless?" he asked.

"Three days," Harry replied. "Give yourself time to recover from all the duelling. Wandless magic is not nearly as easy as you think, even more when you try to use it for close combat."

Aegon sent Teddy a sharp look, uneasy with the thought but knowing he would not be able to talk him down. He'd spent far too many years watching over his younger siblings, he and Rhaenys partners in crime and in their protection of Aegon, and it had been unsurprising to learn Teddy planned to keep to Aegon's side.

He could see the benefits of it; Teddy's abilities would let him go where others could not, able to see things without giving himself away, and Aegon would be better with him at his side.

If only for those reasons – and because he knew, permission or no, Teddy would find a way – Harry had insisted on these lessons, determined to give them an edge.

"Tomorrow for the both of you," he told them.

"I feel fine," Rhaenys muttered, a spark of flaming flaring into existence.

"But it's not as easy as it was," he finished with a knowing look in his eyes.

Rhaenys pursed her lips before she nodded reluctantly in agreement, Aegon doing the same. It was slightly worrying, knowing that they were still limited magically – and Elia near completely limited – and he wanted to get to the root of it.