Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

That everyone was staring at her went quite without saying, and she should have leaped forward to confront Neville with her hair billowing around her, but it was all she could do to walk forward steadily to level her Most Ancient Blade at Neville Longbottom. That everyone moved aside and made way for her also went without saying.

'I hight Daphne, of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Greengrass!' she cried. 'Greengrass of Sunshine!' The dueling forms had gone completely out of her mind, she'd seen enough plays to remember death challenges and blood challenges but she couldn't remember at all what was appropriate for this, so she just pointed the incandescent sword toward the object of her crush and yelled, 'Let's see what you got, Nevvy!'

Once again Harry's voice shrieked 'Stupefy!', and later on, when she was remembering this, she could never quite believe she'd managed to do it, but she slashed out with her blade of light like it was a Beater's bat, and hit the stunbolt back at Harry who just barely managed to twist out of the way.

'Tonare!' shouted Neville, of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom. 'Ravum Calvaria, Lucis Gladius!'

For a few seconds, no one did anything but stare at Neville and Daphne as they started whacking at each other. They were both moving slowly, and Hermione guessed that the spell was taking a lot of strength out of them. It wasn't very impressive by comparison, if you were a Muggleborn and you'd watched certain movies.

But you still had to give them extra credit for using lightsabers at all.

'Point of order,' said Harry's voice. 'I know the Defense Professor is watching, but I still have to ask, does anyone know whether they'll slice each other in half if they actually hit -'

'No,' Hermione said absently. This had been in one of her history books, though she'd had no idea the magical dueling sword looked like that. 'They cast it so it'll only stun if it touches.'

'You know that spell?'

'Oh, no, it's the Charm of the Most Ancient Blade, it's only legal for Noble and Most Ancient Houses to use -'

Hermione stopped talking and looked at Harry, or Harry's grey hood rather.

'Well,' said Harry's voice, 'I guess I could take down the rest of the Sunshine Regiment by myself, then.' She couldn't see his face, but his voice sounded like he was smiling.

'You dodged when Daphne hit your own spell back at you,' Hermione said. 'So whatever you did, you're not invincible. A Stupefy can still get you.'

'Interesting theory,' said Harry's voice from beneath the hood. 'Got anyone in your army who can test it?'

'I read about the Stunning Hex once,' said Hermione. 'A few months ago. I wonder if I can remember the instructions right?' Her wand came up to point at Harry.

There was a slight pause, as nearby a boy and a girl breathing in audible gasps slowly whacked at each other with lightsabers.

'Of course,' Harry said, leveling his own wand on her, 'I can just use Somnium on you. That'll take a lot less effort.'

New Contego shields sprung into existence in front of her, cast by Jenny and Parvati, even as Harry spoke.

The tip of Hermione's own wand began making small motions in the air, a diamond within a circle, a diamond within a circle, rehearsing the gesture to match exactly what she remembered seeing in the book. It would be a difficult feat even for her, but she had to cast the spell right on the first try, she couldn't afford any failed castings that would sap her energy.

'You know,' said Hermione Granger, 'I understand that it's not really your fault, but I'm getting tired of hearing people talk about the Boy-Who-Lived like you're - like you're some kind of god or something.'

'Same here, I must say,' said Harry Potter. 'It's sad how people keep underestimating me.'

Her wand kept rehearsing the diamond within the circle, over and over. Harry would be recharging his own strength, she knew, even as she practiced as much as she could before her attack. 'I'm starting to think you need taking down a peg, General Chaos.'

'You could be right,' Harry said equably. His feet began to shuffle through what she recognized as a duelist's dance. 'Unfortunately there's nothing left that can defeat me now except another Harry Potter.'

'Let me be specific, Mr. Potter. I'm taking you down a peg.'

'You and what other army?'

'You think you're pretty cool, don't you,' said Hermione.

'Why, yes,' said Harry. 'Yes, I do. Some might call that arrogant, but am I supposed to be the last person in Hogwarts to notice how awesome I am?'

Hermione raised her left hand into the air, and made a fist.

It was a signal. Eight designated soldiers in her army would be pointing their wands at her, and quietly casting Wingardium Leviosa.

They'd practiced this, too, once Hermione had given up on lecturing her soldiers, and at Anthony's suggestion, tried giving them a Sunshine General who looked like she could defeat invincible enemies.

'You pretend you're Superman,' said Hermione. She raised her left fist higher in the air, and the eight soldiers supporting her Hovered her off the ground. 'Well here's Super Hermione!' Her hand pushed forward, and as she shot rapidly through the air toward Harry, regretting only that she couldn't see the look on his face, her wand made a diamond within a circle and she summoned up all the magic she could, it felt like she imagined touching a live wire would feel as the too-powerful spell poured through her when her voice screamed