Chapter One: Courtroom Ten

- FIFTEEN MONTHS AFTER THE FINAL BATTLE OF HOGWARTS-

"Please state your name"

"You know my name"

"For the record please Harry, thank you" Percy Weasley said curtly from his seat among the Wizengamot as the magical quill and parchment in front of him continued taking down every word.

Harry looked over to his right at Malfoy, sitting in the chain-clad iron chair and sighed. 'This is it' "Harry James Potter, witness for the defence."

With that, the courtroom erupted into whispers, indignant mutterings, and the like. Malfoy looked over at him with a shocked expression on his face.

Harry adjusted himself in his chair as Percy tried to get the court back under control. Harry knew how people would react to this. The wizarding community had been talking about the case for months. Especially since The Daily Prophet had published that he would be a witness.

Of course, even The Daily Prophet had not known that he would be a witness for Malfoy's defence. The paper, like most of the wizarding community, had assumed that he would be there to help put a known Death Eater away in Azkaban.

"QUIET! Or I WILL clear this courtroom!" The voice of Jonathan Sedgwick, the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement boomed.

Jonathan Sedgwick was an intimidating figure. He was only around thirty years old or so, but he was extremely ambitious. Most people however did not notice until it was too late that he was a sleeping lion. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a full head of dark brown hair, piercing brown eyes, and broad shoulders. At the sound of his voice, the courtroom immediately became silent.

"Mr. Weasley, please,continue"

"Mr. Potter, how do you know Mr. Malfoy?" Percy asked in a somewhat bored tone.

Harry grimaced. He could hardly blame Percy... He had been working on Malfoy's case non-stop now for the last two weeks. It was going nowhere fast and he was obviously frustrated by it.

"Malfoy- uh... Draco and I went to school together at Hogwarts." Harry sighed. "Is this all really necessary?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, for the... seventh TIME," Jonathan Sedgwick said looking over the parchment in front of Percy, "This is a very IMPORTANT case involving the capture and punishment of a known DEATH EATER! It is very IMPORTANT that we are as official as possible so that known DEATH EATERS do not go free on technicalities or sloppiness in following procedure."

"Now, Mr. Potter..." Sedgwick began, "is it true that you were present at the murder of Albus Dumbledore?

"Yes, but-"

"A murder arranged and made possible by efforts you yourself were suspicious Mr. Malfoy had been making throughout the year?"

"Actually, he-"

"Just a YES or no, THANK you, Mr. Potter" Sedgwick commented offhandedly as he was looking through notes that were being placed in front of him by Percy and other court officials seated around him.

Okay... he had tried to play nice now he was done. "Excuse me?" Harry demanded in a strong and commanding tone that startled much of the court.

"Ye-" Sedgwick began in his snappy tone, adjusting to a more professional one, "yes, Mr. Potter?"

"I have Auror Training in thirty minutes" Harry began, at which the courtroom filled with whispers and muttering again, "Which, as you are aware, I was unable to be excused from" Harry said, looking directly at Sedgwick, who glared right back, "So, most regretfully, I do not have time for this back and forth. So if I may give my statement as was originally agreed upon..."

Left of Sedgwick, Percy smiled amusedly along with other court officials behind Sedgwick. "Of course" Sedgwick muttered darkly.

Before beginning, Harry looked over at Malfoy. The man looked nervous. Actually, Harry had not really looked at Malfoy all the much since he first entered the courtroom. Now that he looked closer... it shocked him to see how bad he looked.

Malfoy had dark circles under his eyes, his pale skin, was paler (sickly-looking even), his normally perfectly styled white-blonde hair had thinned and sat on his head like a pile of straw that would line a pigsty. He did not have the air of the Draco Malfoy, Harry had known from school. This was the Draco Malfoy, Harry remembered from after their little broom ride in the room of requirement. Worse, even. He was terrified and defeated.

Harry looked back at Sedgwick. "First, I would like to remind the court that as I said in a previous testimony, Albus Dumbledore was NOT in fact murdered."

Sedgwick's eyes narrowed down on Harry. "You CANNOT deny, Mr. Potter... that Mr. Malfoy did not commit the crimes he is accused of... Countless witnesses have given sworn testimony as to his guilt, whether they were his fellow DEATH EATERS, or were just unwitting witnesses."

"I am not denying Malfoy's guilt, Mr. Sedgwick," Harry said slowly. To his right, Malfoy was frozen in shock and fear. "I witnessed many of the crimes Mr. Malfoy committed."

"Then, why... Mr. Potter, are you HERE?" Sedgwick demanded.

Harry turned to look at Malfoy. Malfoy looked right back, his grey eyes glistening. It was as if they were pleading for him to save him.

"I am here to testify, that Mr. Malfoy should be let off. Due to the fact that without his "efforts" as I believe you called them, Tom Riddle, would still be in control of the Ministry, would still be killing, would still be spreading hate and fear."

With the words, 'Tom Riddle' the courtroom had become deadly silent. Now that Harry had finished speaking, the courtroom again erupted into debating whispers.

"SILENCE IN THE COURT!" Sedgwick demanded.

However, no one listened, as the whispers slowly escalated into a roar of muttering. They were past caring. For the last two weeks, everyone has been sure that Draco Malfoy would be going to Azkaban. Now that 'the Saviour' Harry Potter had spoken for him the debate was on as to whether or not Draco Malfoy would be sentenced to a term in Azkaban or not.

"All right!" Sedgwick said, "That was THE LAST warning! CLEAR THE COURTROOM! Everyone who is not apart of this case: leave! NOW! Or you will receive a 2-year stint in AZKABAN for contempt of COURT!"

Harry looked over at Malfoy. He was now slumped back in his chair staring straight forward. As the courtroom cleared, Harry sighed. It was almost over. All he had to do was recount all the times he was with Malfoy during the war and all that he had witnessed.

"All right, Mr. Potter would you please give us your acount of Mr. Malfoy's "efforts" during the war." Sedgwick remarked nastily.

"Well, when Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and I were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor..."

* * *

Hermione Granger massaged her temples and groaned as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk. She looked over at the clock on her desk: 2:08 pm. 'I wonder if Harry made it on time to Auror training? Oh I should have asked Ronald to go with him to the trial.'

The three of them had spent the entire morning in her office, discussing what Harry was going to say at the trial. She had suggested that they wait in her office seeing as how the trial didn't start until noon. Ron had spent hours making a final attempt to dissuade Harry from testifying in defence of Malfoy. Harry, stubborn as he was, had remained firm.

Knock. Knock.

Hermione looked up at the door to her office. 'What now?' "Yes..."

"Excuse me, Ms. Granger..." Winifred Watkins, the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's secretary said, walking in with a huge pile of files hovering behind her. "Here are some more files on known missing Death Eaters. Mr. Sedgwick wants a full report by 6 o'clock tonight."

Hermione just looked at the witch for a moment. She appeared to be in her mid to late fifties, she had greying hair, a slight hunch to her back, and despite how baggy her black work robes may be, they still didn't hide what was obviously a butterbeer-belly.

"Of course, he does" Hermione said as she pointed to an empty chair next to her desk.

"Have a good afternoon Ms. Granger," Watkins said, adjusting her wire rimmed spectacles and turning to leave.

"Thank you, Mrs. Watkins, you too" Hermione said distractedly. "Oh, wait... Mrs. Watkins!"

Turning back around Watkins said, "Yes?"

"Do you know how the Draco Malfoy Trial is going?"

"Oh! No the last I heard Mr. Sedgwick had the courtroom cleared. Not twenty minutes ago. The trial is still going on apparently."

"Oh. Well... thank you"

"Your welcome Ms. Granger," Watkins said turning on her heal and leaving.

'Well... I guess that means that Harry did not make it to training on time...' Hermione thought as she leaned over to grab a file from the chair by her desk.

It was endlessly boring work and she was tired of it. Until this summer she had been juggling this job part time and finishing her seventh year of schooling. Rounding up the Death Eaters was a very important job. Therefore, it was only fitting that she do her part. Nevertheless, being a part of the Death Eater Location & Capture Task Force (DELCTF) and doing the paperwork to locate every single death eater was tiring and she was over it. She was now the senior-most member of the task force. (No one else stayed in the task force very long).

'I am doing this as a favour to Kingsley, damn-it!' Hermione groaned. Looking down at the file in front of her, she recognized the name:Marcus Flint.

* * *

'Why? Why did he do that? Why did he speak for me' Draco Malfoy thought as he was escorted out of Courtroom Ten and back to the Floo-Ports at the Ministry's new Rear Personnel Entrance.
He just did not understand it. Harry Potter did not owe him anything. In fact, Potter hated him! Right? 'At least I thought he did. It just doesn't make sense.'

"You're lucky, Mr. Malfoy" Donahue, one of the Auror guards assigned to escort him between Malfoy Manor and his trials and hearings.

He was glad that they had created this back entrance. It was bad enough that he was under armed guard 24-7 and had lost possession of his wand. At least this way he didn't have to deal with any paparazzi from the Prophet. His father had already been sent to Azkaban, and he and his mother had been under house arrest for a year now, something that the Prophet had been keenly keeping track of.

"Hmm?" Draco asked distractedly.

"You're lucky that Harry Potter came and spoke on your behalf. You'll probably get off with just probation."

THAT would be lucky. Right now he and his mother were under house-arrest at the manor. They were banned from using magic or even leaving their rooms. They were only able to leave their rooms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and of course for trial dates. However, it was better than Azkaban. Right after the war they had ALL been sent to Azkaban. It had been the scariest and most dreadful two and a half months of his life. After his father's trial was started they had surrendered their wands and had been placed under maximum house-arrest security at Malfoy Manor.

Lucius had been sentenced to 15 years in Azkaban eight months ago. Now he and his mother's trials were under way. Thanks to Potter's testimony his mother and he might be able to work a deal. 'Dare I hope for such a thing?' Draco thought.

"Do you think?" Draco asked earnestly as they approached the closest outgoing fireplace.

"Well... it's Harry Bloody Potter! The man who DEFEATED He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! I'd say you will be free in no time..."

'Free...' Draco thought. 'Is it even possible? I dare not believe it! Father will be gone for fifteen years! Goyle got ten, THEY got off easy... I have not done that many things. I was trapped. Not like they care, or even understand. But... maybe Potter understands. Maybe that is why he helped me. Maybe...'

"Maybe" Draco said as they stepped into the fireplace together.

Donahue took Draco by the shoulder, grabbed a handful of Floo-Powder. Shouting, "MALFOY MANOR!" he threw it down and they disappeared as the green flames consumed them.

"You're late! Again, Mr. Potter?" Auror Robins barked, loud enough to be heard echoing throughout the cavernous Auror training gym. "I suppose you have an excuse?

Ron Weasley gulped as he watched his best mate, Harry Potter, getting another lecture for being late to yet another training session. However, it could not be helped. He had been late to almost every training session in the last eight months.

It was all that new arse-hole Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Jonathan Sedgwick. He was running Harry ragged doing everything he could that was possible to screw up his Auror training. There was no way he could prove it... but he was sure of it. Even Hermione agreed with his theory. (Theory: Jonathan Sedgwick was a total and completely raving mad-arse-hole wanker!)

"No, SIR!" Harry responded.

"Fine" Robins said. "Since you are again late... and I will not have you interrupting another bleeding training session you will be helping your fellow trainee's in today's exercise."

"Yes, SIR!" Harry said.

"You will be the target."

"Yes, SIR!" Harry barked.

"WHAT!" Robins gasped, in mock surprise. "NO Objections?"

"No, SIR!" Harry answered.

"Good" Robins stated sarcastically.

Over with his fellow trainees Ron was quietly watching the exchange between Harry and Robins.

"Hey. Ron?" Ernie Macmillan whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know why Harry was late again?"

"Sedgwick"

"What's Sedgwick got him doing now?"

"Probably did everything he could to extend Harry's testimony as much as he could," Ron mumbled. "Harry told Hermione that he was going to be testifying to defend Malfoy at his trial."

"He defended Malfoy!?" Ernie exclaimed puzzled.

Ron just shrugged.

"I don't believe it!" Ernie exclaimed quietly.

"I tried to get him to change his mind, but you know how he is…" Ron sighed, scratching a place on his face. "Stubborn git."

Ernie grinned, remembering the days at school when Harry had shown how defiant and stubborn he could be when he believed in something.

"Well if we survive today's exercise... you should come with us to Hexes & Exes tonight. Help convince Harry to tell us the whole story!"

"IF we survive" Ernie chuckled.

"Weasley! Macmillan!" Auror Robins barked over her shoulder at them. "Get over here and show me you know how to use magic! Transfigure Mr. Potter here into the enemy!"

* * *

Stepping out of the fireplace into the east-wing drawing room of Malfoy Manor, Auror Kevin Donahue led Draco Malfoy through the room that was as of now, the only way in and out of the Manor.

"I absolutely abhor travelling by Floo-Powder" Malfoy grimaced.

Auror Donahue frowned, "One would think that this would be preferable to Azkaban."

Malfoy's eyebrows arched and his eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"

Auror Donahue shrugged, gesturing for Malfoy to follow him into the hallway and in the direction of his room.

"I was merely wondering why you couldn't apparate us to and from the trial" Draco remarked nervously.

"Mr. Malfoy, I am sure that the other Aurors have told you why we cannot do that."

"Not really" Malfoy said quietly. "They all refused to say anything in my presence, unless it was an order. If I tried to talk they put a silencing charm on me."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy" Donahue apologized softy, Leading Malfoy up a flight of stairs. "There is no excuse for the way your previous Ministry guards treated you."

"I guess I deserve it…" Malfoy mumbled, half to himself. "After everything I have done."

"No" Auror Donahue stated firmly. "There is no excuse for Aurors, Hit Wizards, MLE-Patrols, or any other Ministry official acting un-professionally."

Silence fell as they turned the final corner to Malfoy's room, approaching the MLE-Patrol guarding Malfoy's door. The MLE-Patrol magically opened the door, Auror Donahue motioned for Malfoy to enter before turning to leave him under the watch of the silent MLE-Patrolman.

"Wait! Auror Donahue," Malfoy exclaimed nervously.

Donahue turned back around and eyed him for a second before responding, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I still don't know why we can't apparate to the trial…"

Donahue smiled, it was obvious that all Malfoy wanted to do was talk with him, because it was also obvious why they could not apparate to the trial. He sighed looking at the waiting face before him. How had the previous Aurors treated him? Had it really been this bad?"

"Well, Mr. Malfoy…" Donahue began, "the reason we cannot apparate to and from the trial, or anywhere else for that matter, is because you are a prisoner… You are not allowed to leave, you are not allowed to do magic… To prevent you leaving or performing any magic the entire house, and grounds, have been warded against such things. Only authorized ministry wizards can use magic here. The only way in and out of this house is through the drawing room… and it is connected only to the ministry…"

Malfoy sighed. "Thank you, Auror Donahue"

"What for?" Auror Donahue asked perplexed. "For reminding you that you are a prisoner in your own home?"

"No… for being courteous to me. For allowing me some form of dignity even in my present situation." Malfoy said sadly looking right into Donahue's eyes. "Besides, it's not the first time I've been a prisoner in my own home, is it?"

Seeing Malfoy smile at his last comment made Auror Donahue smile back sadly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy" Auror Donahue said, turning to leave.

"Good afternoon, Auror Donahue," Malfoy said sadly before the MLE-Patrolman reactivated the magical barrier in his doorway.

Testing the waters, Draco put his hand on the doorknob, pulling it back swiftly after seeing the look on the MLE-Patrolman's face, his wand at the ready.

Sighing somberly to himself, he made his way over to his armoire. Taking off his black travelling cloak, he hung it up on a hanger.

With nothing else to do, he grabbed the book he had been reading for the past week Living Amongst Muggles by Constance Miller, from his bedside table. Making his way over to the chaise lounge chair that viewed out the floor to ceiling windows of his room, he sat down to read.

* * *

"Did you get those files to Ms. Granger?" Jonathan Sedgwick asked his assistant, as he took a seat behind his enormous mahogany desk.

"Yes, Mr. Sedgwick" Watkins answered, laying a stack of files on his desk.

Jonathan looked at the stack for a second before reaching for the top folder and opening it to review its contents. More trouble with the sale of illegal magical items, and counterfeit protective devices. 'I don't have time for this!' He sighed.

"Tell Arthur Weasley that his department will have to oversee the prosecution of these offenders." Jonathan said half to himself and half to his secretary, still reading the files. "Contact the Office of International Magical Law, see if they don't mind assisting his department with the casework."

"Yes, Mr. Sedgwick" Watkins said, turning to leave.

"Oh!" Jonathan said stopping her for a second. "Also setup a meeting for me with the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, I need to see about diverting some of the less essential casework over to them, seeing as how my main focus is on this Death Eater business, I do not have time to waste on these other matters."

"Of course, Mr. Sedgwick, right away"

Jonathan looked up and smiled at the older woman before she turned to leave. He was so glad to have her as his assistant. She was efficient and did not just get the job done, but done well. Yes, she dealt with the things he didn't have time for.

'I shall have to remember to get her a raise' Jonathan thought to himself before returning his attention back to the files in front of him.

Taking one last glance at the file about the illegal sale of counterfeit shielding watches, he placed the file back on the stack and leaned back in his chair and sighed.

He did not have time for this. In the last year they had only put away about fifty death eaters. Another hundred or so were still on the loose, wreaking havoc across the country. It was his department that was tasked with their 'roundup' as people were calling it.

Jonathan laughed to himself. "If only they knew the truth!"

Minister Shacklebolt may want to keep it a secret that a former death eater lieutenant had taken command of a major portion of the dark lord's army, but he thought it was a bad idea. The war was definitely NOT over. Pretending it was would only backfire.

What people did not seem to understand about his treatment of former death eaters, why he was so harsh, was that there was a point to it all. It was not about punishing them for the sake of it. It was about getting answers. If they agreed to break their silence he would give them a deal.

If… and only IF they could give him information that led to the discovery of the identity of the new commander of the Death Eaters. Hopefully he would find out some useful information at the upcoming hearing on Monday.

* * *

"IMPEDIMENTA MAXIMA!" Harry shouted, his wand pointed at the walls surrounding the mock-fortress that had been created in the training gym.

With this last Impediment Jinx he had successfully barricaded the entire fortress from entrance by anyone. No one would be able to make, just walk, or climb their way in by muggle means, and since they could not use magical means to get to him, the fortress was impenetrable.

Outside the fortress that Harry had created in less than five minutes, Ron, Ernie, and their fellow Auror trainees tried every spell they could, nothing was working.

They truly hated when Harry was the Dark Wizard. He made it near impossible to beat him. Which was the main reason Auror Robins had chosen Harry.

"How about we blow up the doors" Ernie suggested.

"No use" Kathy Vance, one of the trainees, said frustrated. "Harry has made it impossible to get in. Even if we all bombarded the entrance our magic would not be enough to break through it."

"There has to be a way!" Ernie shouted.

"There is no way in" Kathy repeated, annoyed.

Ernie sighed and the rest stood with their arms crossed, waiting on him to come up with another idea that was not going to work.

"I've got it!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, making everyone turn to him.

"Yeah?" Ernie asked. "What is it?"

Ron took another second to think it through making sure it would work, then looked up at the group.

"We have to draw him out"

"What?" the group exclaimed.

"How do you propose we do that?" Kathy asked in an irritated tone.

"Don't worry, I have a plan" Ron said grinning from ear to ear.

Twenty minutes later having explained the plan to them all, Ron sat on his broomstick outside the mock-fortress Harry had created.

The plan was simple, Ron and his group would be on broomsticks working on magically altering the temperature above the fortress. Kathy and her group would be on the ground in front of the fortress working on altering the temperature there. Ernie and his group would be behind Kathy's group ready to lead the assault of magic to capture Harry once he emerged.

"Okay everyone! Its going to take all of us for this to work!" Ron shouted so that everyone could hear him.

"Lumos Solem!" came the shouts from Ron and Kathy's groups, their wands aimed at the mock-fortress.

The idea was that even with the magic in place to keep people out. It would not keep the heat created by this spell out. Eventually it would get too hot for Harry to remain in the fortress and he would make to escape.

Harry would of course try cooling charms but his use of magic would only add to the heat as they were using the sunlight created by their spells not to heat the fortress itself, but the magic protecting the fortress.

"Be ready Ernie!" Ron bellowed down behind him.

"Rightiho!" Ernie shouted back.

After about fifteen minutes of constant application of the spells, the entrance to the mock fortress began to open.

The moment they were all the way open, around ten or so suits of armour came marching out of fortress forcing Kathy and her group to retreat to where Ernie's group were behind them so that they could engage the animated mock-knights.

No matter what spell they threw at the suits of armour they could not make them stop. All they could do was use their magic to deflect the attacks coming at them. It became obvious that this was a distraction to keep them busy for Harry to escape.

Almost immediately after the suits of armour emerged, Harry emerged as well aboard a broomstick soaring out in a barrage of Impediment Jinxes and Freezing Charms. As Ron and his group on the brooms made to block Harry, they were his with the jinxes and charms keeping them from reaching Harry.

"Stupefy!" Ron's left-hand wingman shouted, wand pointed at Harry.

"Protego!" Harry shouted back. Following it up with a jet of golden flames that knocked Ron's wingman off his broom to the ground, leaving him unconscious.

Ron and his remaining wingman took off across the expansive gym beginning a high-speed broom chase. Ron and his wingman tried to send stunning spells and full body-bind curses at Harry, but he blocked them and returned with Impediment Jinxes and Freezing Charms that slowed them down.

Back on the ground, Kathy and Ernie's group was still having trouble subduing the suits of armour that were trying to decapitate them. Kathy was the only one left fighting from her group as her two fellow group members had been knocked unconscious by suits of armour.

Now it was ten to four against the mock-knights. They had tried freezing charms, impediment jinxes, stunning spells, incarcerous charms, the full body-bind curse, finite incantantum, everything! Nothing was working.

Two of the suits of armour had separated Kathy and one of Ernie's wing-men from Ernie and his wingman. Kathy and Roger were doing their best to block the attacks but Roger missed an attack and was thrown to the ground, unconscious, leaving Kathy alone to fight the two suits of armour.

In a fit of desperation, Kathy sent out a bat-bogey hex at two of the suits of armour she was fighting. The bat bogeys that shot out of her wand wrapped themselves around the knights swords and impaled the knights with them, making them fall to the ground.

"Hey guys use the bat bogey hex! To get them. It's the only thing that works!" Kathy shouted, making her way back over to Ernie and his only remaining wing-man who were both doing their best fright the remaining eight knights.

Kathy aimed her wand at one of the knights from behind, the bat-bogies removing him from the battle. Ernie's wing-man did the same to his opponent.

Ernie who was remarkably holding his own against six knights, in between blocking hits from the knights he sent out a hex that took out two of the knights leaving only four left.

Ernie, Kathy, and Dana each fired hexes simultaneously, taking out three more knights leaving one left, the leader.

The leader was much harder to beat. His sword, just like the other knights had been magically enchanted to only knock them unconscious when they were struck by it, however, this one seemed to be magically enchanted to swing his sword with six times the speed of the others.

Ernie, Kathy and Dana were doing their best to fight off the knight but were coming up short at deflecting his hits. Dana was knocked out after the first three swishes of the knights sword. Kathy and Ernie were left to fight.

In one final, impressive display of magic, Kathy sent out a final hex that took out the knight-leader.

"Good job, Kathy!" Ernie said in thanks.

"No time to award points Macmillan, we have a dark wizard to catch!" Kathy responded taking off down the gymnasium in the direction Harry and Ron's group had flown off an hour earlier.

Upon reaching the opposite end of the gym, Ernie and Kathy saw Ron, his wing-man Austin, and Harry in an intense duel in midair.

Kathy and Ernie began firing off stunning spells and full body-bind curses up at Harry. However, Harry was quick to dodge them. Firing back in their direction, golden flames aimed at Ernie.

Ernie ducked but Kathy missed.

With a surprised "Wow" Kathy fell to the floor unconscious.

With a face of pure determination, Ernie shot off spell after spell at Harry hoping to knock him from his broom.

Against three unyielding opponents, Harry was becoming tired. It was time to finish this.

Harry send a larger than life jet of golden flames out in Ron and Austin's direction which both tried to dodge, conceding to jump from their brooms, so as not to be hit by the magical flames.

Seeing his three opponents together on the ground Harry dived, sending out a barrage of stunning spells as he went flying at them. Ernie, Ron, and Austin dodged the spells, and Harry. Harry soared off back in the direction of his mock-fortress.

A well aimed spell by Austin, however, knocked him off his broom.

Now at the same level as his three opponents, Harry had lost a much needed advantage.

Ernie, Ron, and Austin now approached him, wands aimed at him. Before they could fire a spell at him Harry responded first. Sending out a jet of golden flames, intending to blow all three of them away, however at the last second Ernie and Austin, who had been flanking Ron, dived out of the way.

Unable to duck or dive, Ron had tried to block them with a "Protego!"the shielding charm. However, a basic shield charm was no match for the golden flames which blasted past the magical shield, knocking Ron unconscious.

Seeing Austin dive to the right, Harry sent a stunning spell at him knocking him out before he could even land from his dive.

Ernie picked himself up from his dive away from the flames and aimed his wand at Harry.

Harry lit the tip of his wand in a glow of golden flames ready to blast back any spell sent at him.

Ernie ran forward sending spell after spell at Harry, Harry blocking each and every one. Then Ernie lit the tip of his own wand with a glow of flames, his purple.

They dueled each other like this for a half hour. Both being capable duelists. However, the strain of keeping up the flames was wearing on the both of them. Almost at the same time both of their wands ceased glowing.

Before Harry could respond, Ernie shouted, "INCARCEROUS!"

The ropes shot out of Ernie's wand, throwing themselves at Harry, whose wand fell out of his hand as he was knocked to the ground, ropes tying themselves around him.

With that a whistle blew.

Auror Robins came marching onto the gym court, followed by reawakened trainees: Austin, Ron, Kathy, Dana, Roger, etc.

"Congratulations, Macmillan! You have completed the mission." Auror Robins said.

Ernie smiled brightly for a second before pointing his wand at Harry and removing the ropes.

"Merlin! That was intense!" Ron exclaimed.

"Good job, Potter." Robins smiled. "Great use of magic. Had this been more than an exercise, I'm afraid you would have won this round."

With her comment, the entire room became silent. Ernie's smiled faded along with the smiles on the rest of the trainees faces.

"Listen well everyone! Fifteen months of training and you are all overwhelmed by ONE wizard. ONE wizard who did not use a single bit of dark magic. ONE wizard who followed the rules of this exercise. ONE wizard who if he was NOT under the confines of this exercise, would have defeated you ALL and escaped in no time."

Auror Robins took a moment to look around at the faces of her trainees before continuing with her speech.

"You all should remember that darkwizards… DO NOT follow the rules. They will be using unforgivable curses against you, along with many other forms of dark arts magic. I want you to all think of Mr. Potter's golden flames."

With this, Ron, Kathy, the others who had been hit by them looked up at her.

"Dark wizards will not try to take you down with flames that put you into a cozy dreamlike state. NO! They will use fiendfyre, which if you did not know, would nine times out of ten, KILL YOU! Do not get me wrong, Mr. Potter is a remarkable wizard, however… I expect you ALL to work on your reflexes and increase your magical knowledge… Next week we will run another exercise similar to this one. However you will all be split up into two teams… and it will take place in a less structured environment."

She took a second to let that sink in before continuing,

"You all have three months before you are all begin being paired up with MLE-officers and Hit Wizards to gain some much need in field experience. You have only three months to prove that you have what it takes to be an Auror and not just some regular MLE-Patrol."

Looking at each of their faces one last time, Auror Robins shouted, "All right, everyone! That's enough for today! Hit the showers!"

Harry, Ron, Ernie, Kathy, Austin, Dana, Roger and the other three Auror trainees fell to the ground, exhausted.

They had spent the last four and a half hours running a location and capture exercise. The object had been to capture the dark wizard (Harry) as quick as they could. Despite an amazing plan by Ron, some brilliantly aimed spells by Kathy and Austin, and some top notch dueling between Harry and Ernie… they had failed… miserably.

Next: Chapter Two: Hexes & Exes