CHAPTER ONE: Harry VS. Draco
It was Harry Potter's seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The air was hot that Thursday afternoon, and the temperature was no better in the stone-walled dungeons that housed the Potions classroom. Harry was rather distracted by the heat, and had forgotten that while Yengyeng and Boomslang may sound similar, the skins of the two were not interchangeable as ingredients.
BANG!
"Ten points from Gryffindor!" proclaimed Snape.
Harry slumped in his seat, mourning the state of Gryffindor's points. He was fairly sure the rest of the house was going to disown him sooner or later.
"Don't worry Harry, it's not that bad," said Ron. The tall redhead was sitting next to him, having similar troubles with his version of what should have been Polyjuice Potion. However, it was a rather sickly yellow color, and smelled rather like things that shouldn't be mentioned in polite company. "I mean, look at Neville's cauldron." Harry turned around and saw Neville's cauldron puffing green smoke, and Professor Snape striding towards him with a smirk on his face. "Well, Mr. Longbottom it seems that six years in my class just isn't enough to hammer out incompetence from one who was practically marinated in it." The man began to stride away, robes billowing, before adding, "I expect your potion to be perfect at the end of class. You will be drinking it, after all." Neville's face turned patchy and pale as his body seemed bathe itself with sweat. "What if I die?" he squeaked.
Snape's left brow raised. "Don't get my hopes up. I hate it when students don't deliver."
"That's so unfair," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron. "Crabbe and Goyle's potions are way worse, but you don't see him taking points off Slytherin or giving them detention." Several minutes of frantic chopping and stirring passed before Snape turned around and glanced at the hourglass. "That will be it for today's lesson!" he announced in a tone between contempt and relief. "Leave your samples at my desk, clearly labeled, and I shall asses them. Except for you, Longbottom. You stay where you are."
Everyone filed out of the classroom, while Neville looked rather like he was headed for the electric chair. "I swear, mate, seven years with that man is too long. You'd think he would grow some humanity. Or at least some villainous facial hair. Come to think of it, why hasn't he?" Ron rambled a bit as the headed for their next class. "Maybe he just can't grow a mustache?" Harry said offhandedly. Ron snorted and muttered, "Git would probably find a way to use it as a weapon." They walked in silence before harry spoke up. "Hey, look at the bright side," he said, patting Ron on the back "Next class is Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Ohhh, Professor Lupin is supposed to be letting us use those new curses today… I wonder if any of them are particularly destructive?" Hermione said in a dreamy tone, frighteningly close to the tone of Luna Lovegood. Harry and Ron exchanged concerned looks, but didn't say a word. Sometimes, Hermione was just downright scary; especially when one considered she'd been the first to master those new curses.
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A few minutes later, they arrived at the DADA classroom, just in time for the start of the lesson. A man with mildly pale skin, disheveled hair and a long blue robe sat at the front of the room, with a nameplate reading 'R.J. Lupin' on the desk. "Hey, you three. Hope you're ready- it's a practical class today." Harry reached him first, and extended a traditionally awkward greeting. "Hey Remus… sorry, erm, Professor Lupin." "Hello Professor," greeted Hermione and Ron casually. Inside the classroom stood the familiar plank stage that Gilderoy Lockhart used for their dueling lessons. The students' excitement grew as they gathered around the stage. Harry, Hermione and Ron stood in front at one side, while Crabbe, Goyle and Draco Malfoy stood behind them. When Lupin finally arrived on the stage, he gazed down for a moment to see Harry and Ron giving him the thumbs up.
Lupin held his wand at ease. "Alright everyone. Today, we're going to practice a few new curses in a practical setting. I hope you can all cast the right counter curses. If not… well, we should know who's been doing their homework, at least," the professor finished with a wolfish grin. Harry turned to Hermione with a similar grin, saying something about the joys of practical magic and something or other about a blonde ferret.
Hermione beamed at him and pinched his nose.
"Now, when I call your names, take your positions across from each other. Curses are fine, but nothing meant to injure or kill- incapacitate only, he said heavily, looking at the cluster of Slytherins at the side of the crowd. Draco Malfoy, at least, had the presence of mind to look offended. 'When his father hears about this… Harry thought, knowing exactly what was going through the boy's head.
"Miss Lavender Brown and Miss Parvati Patil." Lupin called.
Lavender and Parvati jumped up and down holding each other's arms. The two had a difficult time dueling, however- whatever ground one made was quickly undone by the other, and vice versa. Lavender, however, got in a lucky shot with one of the new curses they had learned the day previous- the Vintellus Curse, which made it difficult for Parvati to move, seeing as the air around her had just become solid. "Match!" cried Lupin, slightly put out. He applied the counter curse, and proceeded to call the next pair.
"Mr. Seamus Finnegan and Mr. Dean Thomas."
Dean and Seamus high fived each other. Dean won the duel, stunning Seamus just as the professor yelled to begin. The Irish boy, meanwhile, ranted that he wasn't ready- "Likely story, mate. Now get up off your arse."
"Mr. Vincent Crabbe and Mr. Gregory Goyle!"
Crabbe won by default, due to Goyle trying to stun him as he got onto the stage.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Miss Hermione Granger!"
As expected, Hermione won the duel- and the next. Ron had insisted that two out of three would prove him the victor. "You never learn, mate," Harry said. "Stop moving, I can't charm those boils off if you keep squirming. Plus, they're rainbow colored- it's making me dizzy."
"Harry and Draco, please come up," called Lupin.
Draco (in a rather over-dramatic fashion) jumped as his name was called. "Oh, I'm sorry, professor," he said with an ugly sneer. "I was unaware I'd be taking orders from a dog."
"Come up the stage, Draco," Lupin urged him.
"Geez, what is it with you forcing me to partner up with Potter? You might think there's some kind of bias here," the young Slytherin said off-handedly.
"Here we go again," Harry muttered to Hermione.
"I'm not biased, Draco," said Lupin, a tiny bit of annoyance showing through. "You two are simply the closest in terms of practical skill-"
Lupin was cut off by the sound of the door opening. Neville strode through the crowd without realizing his skin was pale blue, probably because of his potion's disastrously botched effect. He let out a long burp, the blue color draining from him slowly as his skin returned to normal. Hermione and Ron waved him over to them. "Are you okay, Neville? How do you feel?" Hermione said. "I'm good, thanks for asking," Neville said with an exhausted tone.
"Did he err… do anything to that potion?" asked Ron. Hermione and Neville turned to him with their eyes narrowed. "I'm just saying if he did we can sue him," Ron said defensively. Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder, "Another bad dream?" "Something like that—hey look," Ron said, cutting himself off and pointed at the stage. Draco was now face to face with Harry, glaring at one another's opponents. The excitement was rising in the room- you don't see the two most popular men in school duel every day. Both Quidditch captains of their own houses, both on the list of "Top Ten Seniors You'd Most Likely Do" (according to the Patil twins, anyhow), both being stalked by dozens of women, and both couldn't care less.
Cheers were being shown by their own housemates, the Slytherins chanting Draco's name while the Gryffindors cheered on their Quidditch captain, someone at the back even yelling 'Kill, kill, kill'; Terry Boot was the culprit, and began to move his mouth silently, a result of a sneakily cast Silencing charm from an unknown caster. "You can do It, Harry!" cheered Hermione. She slipped her wand back up her sleeve as she spoke. "Keep your guard up, mate!" Ron yelled. "Anytime you two are ready," said Lupin, who had now moved to stand beside Neville in the crowd.
"Took you long enough to come up here," Harry told Draco.
"Might have gotten stuck fighting Longbottom if I didn't, though," Draco said with a shudder. "You ready Scarhead?"
"Born ready, Ferret."
"We'll shoot on three?" asked Harry.
"Suit yourself," Draco replied. "One…"
Harry dropped into a fighting stance. "Two…"
"THREE!" both shouted.
Their disarming spells ricocheted off one another. Draco's disarmed Lupin from afar as Harry disarmed one of the Knight statues in the room. Without wasting another second, Harry flourished his wand again.
"EXPELIARMUS!" Draco was knocked a step back. His wand was spinning in the air but Draco still managed to grab it and return a spell of his own. "STUPEFY!"
"PROTEGO!" yelled Harry, his shield charm bouncing the stunning spell in another direction.
The stage was no longer enough for Harry and Draco. They began to move to the rest of the room, and the class scattered in panic. Lupin was knocked down after somebody's disarming spell hit him directly on the forehead. Nothing was heard in the room but hysteria and the voices of Harry and Draco trying to hex each other into the next life. Finally, the two stopped moving. It was a standoff now. Draco then pointed his wand towards Ron, who was with Hermione tending to Lupin. Harry immediately shot a shield charm around them; But it was all a trick. Draco never had the intention to fire at Lupin. He capitalized on Harry's unprepared position and mustered a blasting spell with all his strength. "EXPULSO!" It hit Harry square in the chest, causing him to fly backwards and hit the wall.
"Harry!" screamed Hermione. A (now fully revived) Professor Lupin rushed to Harry, followed closely by Hermione, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors. Lupin slapped Harry's cheeks mildly, trying to revive him. "Harry, Harry, are you alright? Talk to me, c'mon". Harry's chest was bruised and bleeding, Hermione held Harry's head looking worried. Harry opened his eyes slightly to see Hermione's face above him. "I can't believe I fell for that one," Harry said jokingly.
"Harry, don't try to stand up, you'll hurt yourself," said Lupin.
Ron turned back to Draco and glared at him. "Come over here, Ferret. I'm gonna…" He was stopped by Professor Lupin, who looked at Malfoy sharply. "Detention. Every night this month. You were not meant to try and kill your opponent," he said with barely suppressed rage. "And Dumbledore will be speaking to you.
Draco did not respond. Instead he stared angrily the sight of Hermione helping Harry to his feet.
"Professor?" called Hermione "We should really take him to Madam Pomfrey."
"Ron, help me carry him to the hospital wing." ordered Lupin. "Yeah, okay," Ron replied.
Lupin and Ron helped each other to carry Harry to the hospital wing, while Hermione followed behind. A few minutes later, Harry was lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Madam Pomfrey had attended Harry's wounded chest. It was bandaged heavily, and he had been given a dose of Skele-Gro. Draco's blasting hex had broken several ribs. Hermione was sitting beside Harry, opposite Ron. Madam Pomfrey was about to tell them to get out, that Harry needed rest, when Professor Lupin came inside. Lupin examined Harry briefly, then turned to face Madam Pomfrey. "Is he going to be alright?" asked Lupin softly.
"Yes Professor, he's going to be just fine. I have managed to close up his wound quickly, and I can say that as long as his bones regrow correctly, he can leave tomorrow morning. But..." she paused for a minute "He is not allowed to practice for Quidditch for at least a week, or participate in any strenuous physical activities," said Madam Pomfrey. "Harry's not going to like that news," Ron whispered to Hermione, as they listened unobtrusively.
"I understand," said Lupin. He then turned to Hermione and Ron and smiled "You heard what Madam Pomfrey said you two, he's going to be alright, and he will be out tomorrow morning."
Hermione and Ron looked at each other with some lingering concern, took one more look at Harry, and began the trek back to Gryffindor Tower. "You know, we might just have to make this school a little less safe for little blonde ferrets," Hermione said, taking that dreamy tone again. Ron just smirked and stayed quiet- he'd been thinking exactly the same thing.
