Reasoning behind this challenge: Half-goblin charms prodigy and dueling champion, Flitwick should really have a larger role in fanfiction than he does. There are so many "Snape Mentors Harry" fics out there, plenty of stories where Dumbledore tutors Harry and more. Hell, I've seen more stories where Harry learns from Arabella motherfucking Figg than I've seen of Flitwick teaching him for more than a scene or two. FF.net only has three results for Harry & Flitwick under character search.

In order to get prepared to fight Voldemort, Harry needs training in how to kick ass. And just once, I'd like to see him learn it from the Yoda of the HP universe.

Summary:
There are so many places to integrate this idea into the main plotline of the HP books. After learning the prophecy, Harry knows he needs to learn to duel and fast. Where better than a retired dueling champion?

Or even earlier, if you prefer. I'd be particularly interested in watching this unfold during the events of Book 3. Instead of going off and crying like a little bitch when Harry finds out Sirius was his family's secret keeper, he starts learning to fight so that when he meets Sirius, he can kill him. Flitwick finds him, realizes Harry's going to get his stupid ass hurt without proper instruction and steps in.

Or something along these lines. I just want to see some badassery here.


Rules:
#1: Flitwick is a retired dueling champion
#2: Through some circumstances, Flitwick finds himself in a mentor role for Harry, giving private tutelage etc.
#3: Serious ass kicking ensues. I want fight scenes, damn it!

 

So even though I've seen a lot more Flitwick lately, this challenge caught my eye. Now, I'm not much for following through on things, but here's a start.

Flitwick stopped, hearing something in the empty classroom by which he was walking. Peeking into the room, he amended his earlier thought to nearly empty room as Harry Potter stood facing off against a crudely constructed figure with a Sirius Black poster stuck on the bucket that acted as its head.

"Expelliarmus," the boy shouted wildly waving his wand at the target, missing by nearly a meter.

Filius turned to walk away before his conscience got the better of him. Groaning he turned back to the room and entered just in time to see Potter drop his wand while trying the disarming charm again.

"Idiot boy," he muttered under his breath, wondering if Snape had the right of it when it came to the boy-who-lived. He wasn't a patch on his parents, let alone the truly gifted like Dumbledore, Riddle or he was.

"Harry," he interrupted in a jovial voice, "I couldn't help but notice you, frankly put, suck at magic. I suppose I owe it to you for your part in his defeat to help you out."

"What do you mean, I suck?" Harry demanded crossly.

Filius sighed, "by your age Dumbledore could have transfigured and animated a golem to fight back, Riddle could cast every offensive spell taught at Hogwarts through N.E.W.T. level in addition to having mastered numerous areas of the dark arts. Snape had started into spell and potions design, your mother was half way to her charms mastery, and your father and his friends were well on their way to becoming Animagi. Even the Weasley twins outstrip you by miles. By any objective measure, you simply don't compare."

"But I've..."

"You've been stupidly lucky," Filius cut the boy off. "But luck runs out eventually. Now before you go and say something stupid, I'm offering to train you up to reach whatever meager potential you possess. So think before you speak, because this is a one-time deal."

Harry glanced at his pathetic target, then back at the Charms master and considered his options. “I would appreciate any help I could get, sir,” he answered carefully. “But I don’t understand how they all got so far ahead so quickly.”
“Like any marginally successful alumni, rather than do the bare minimum, they took advantage of the vast resources they had available put forth some effort towards improving themselves, rather than wasting countless hours playing chess against a halfwit,” Filius answered.
“Hey, Ron’s really good,” Harry defended weakly.
“And you are terrible, or so Minerva has told me,” Flitwick replied.
“You talk about me?” Harry asked, outraged.
“The staff discuss all of the students; strange as it may sound, the world doesn’t actually revolve around you,” the Charms professor paused for a moment, considering. “To be fair, we were all looking forward to seeing what you could do; so I’ll admit that prior to and during your first year you were discussed more than any others in your year.”
Harry frowned.
“As the year progressed, that anticipation turned to disappointment.” Seeing the expression of outrage on the third years face, he headed off the inevitable explosion of stupidity, adding, “I’m going to tell you the unvarnished truth and as I am not required to help you, I’m going to treat you like I would an apprentice. If you can’t deal with that, then our conversation is over and my offer for training rescinded; can you handle that?”
Reluctantly the teen nodded.
“Good, now you are lazy, unmotivated, and a poor student; if you wish for me to train you, you are going to have to improve yourself. I will give you a book list after your charms class tomorrow. You will read every book on the list by next weekend; that gives you 10 days. You will seriously consider if you have any aptitude in Divination or in Care of Magical Creatures; if you do not, you will drop the classes and enroll in Runes, and Arithmancy. Fail in any of these tasks, and we’re done before we get started; show some initiative and you’ll start proving that you belong at Hogwarts.”
“Can I get the book list from you tonight?” Harry asked quietly.
Flitwick smiled for the first time since entering the class, maybe there was a spark of hope for the lad after all. “Follow me to my office.”

 

Your Flitwick is entirely out of character.

 

I agree with Zen. Flitwick DOES sound out of character. Although the challenge does have a lot of merit.

 

Is there substantial difference between this and the umpteen stories out there that have him mentored by character_x? Not really. Chugging the same ole stuff in a differently colored bottle is not my idea of fun, now. So, meh.

 

Just go read The Point of Divergence. It's amazing.

 

Having Flitwick in charge of the Duelling Club in CoS would be interesting as well.

As for the challenge: Anything that makes Harry into a better fighter gets my approval, as long as The Greasy Git and The Ferret aren't in the spotlight.

You'll need something more interesting than Harry/Flitwick interaction to push the story forward, though.

As for the sequence above, Canon!Harry wasn't *that* bad, especially not with the Disarming Charm. Sure, he sucks balls compared to his parents, Snape, Voldemort and Dumbledore, but he definitely isn't on the same level as Crabbe, Goyle and Longbottom.

 

Bear with me, as I haven't read Chamber of Secrets in years, and I'd rather not.
-
"But, Headmaster," Lockhart whinged, draWing a disappointed look from McGonagall and a slight snort from the potion's master. "I am quite capable of controlling any chaos that a student may cause. With all due respect, Headmaster, who better to lead these young witches and wizards in their first duel than me?" And then, belatedly he added, with a nod towards Snape, "And Severus, of course."

Albus Dumbledore sat serenely at his desk, his fingers templed and his face betraying no emotion. "Your concerns have been noted, Gilderoy, but Hogwarts happens to have a professor at its disposal that is a master duelist. In fact, in his youth, he won quite a few national and, if I'm not mistaken, two world championships in the field. Though I'm sure you've been acquainted with many dark creatures in your time with the Dark Defense League, there is no substitute for sheer dueling genius."

Lockhart fumed silently, unwilling to concede defeat but unsure what to say to persuade the elder wizard. McGonagall was nodding slowly, a small half-smile gracing her usually stern visage, and Snape just looked surprised. "But why now, Headmaster?" Severus asked. "He has never volunteered before, and he declined when I asked him a few years ago. Unless..."

Albus just smiled and nodded. "I asked him personally to assist this year's duelists. I must say it took some convincing, but he never could resist my charms."

Three simultaneous face-palms sounded in the quiet office, rousing Fawkes from his slumber and causing him to squawk like a little bitch. And shit.

 

You give me wrong visuals Averis. Really, really wrong visuals.

 

lol The face palming was funny.

 

Flitwick: charms master.

He'll learn how to make water into wine without wand or word.

And grow breasts.

On plants.

 

Harry grew nervous as Hermione lectured Ron on how to cast the hover charm. His own feather had yet to leave the table, and he didn't want what his friend was having. He raised his wand. Steadied his hand. A gulpful of saliva slithered down his throat. Swish, flick...

“Winguardium Leviosa!”

His feather shot up into the air, stopping in front of his very eyes. He tested the maneuverability, moving it back and forth, up and down, left and right. In a fit of joy, he raised his arms up high, cheering his success.

Then a loud crashing noise halted his mood. He stared up at the ceiling, teeny tiny bits of rubble lopping down onto the desks below. A prominent feather-shaped hole stood proudly, a monument to his success.

He heard a squeak come from the Charms Teacher – Professor Flitwick – and resigned himself to his fate. How bad would it be? Minus fifty house points? Minus one-hundred? One, two... eight detentions? Snape'd probably try to get him expelled for something like this. He looked down towards the dwarf-ish professor, his feelings of nervousness rushing back to him.

But, there was no need. For a happy, neigh, ecstatic smile was emblazoned on the ancient man's face. He almost looked like he was going to leap for joy.

“Mr. Potter, that was truly remarkable! I daresay even I would struggle to replicate that! Tell me, are you able to bring your feather back down again?”

Harry nodded, still feeling the spell within his fingertips, and made a sharp downwards motion with his wand. The feather came crashing through the ceiling, creating another hole, and a rather sharp indention on his desk.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Come, Mr. Potter, I do believe we need to arrange something with Professor Dumbledore...”

The two left the room, leaving a variety of annoyed, stunned and fairly mellow students. Hermione furiously flicked her wand, casting the spell fantastically, but doing nothing more but raise it a few feet off the ground.

“No fair!” Hermione cried. “I'm doing it perfectly!”

A furious screech came from the floor upstairs, alongside a equally loud mewling noise.

“WHO THE HELL DID THIS?!”

 

What exactly does a mewling noise sound like? Also, a feather busting through a ceiling? No matter how fast the feather is moving, that hardly seems plausible. And also, why is Harry super! good? Isn't the point of the challenge that Flitwick tutors him?