Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Half-Blood Blessing

Chapter Ten: A Lesson in Dueling

I went to sleep instantly when Draco waved the lights out and the sleep was restful until just before dawn. Then, I writhed and sweated. My dream had turned nightmarish. One by one I lost my friends to Voldemort in a series of green flashes. "Now, Harry, what do you have left," his voice was soft and neutral, not sinister. I redoubled my efforts, throwing curse after hex at Voldemort. Each, Voldemort deflected with the ease of sweeping cobwebs from a dusty room. Magic was failing me and I had nothing left, he was right, I had nothing. "Is that all the Potter's son can do, disgrace. Everyone you cared about is dead. What do you have?" I stumbled, my knees nearly failed, my hand sweept in an arc before me. "Nothing." I threw another curse at Voldemort, though feebly. "That's right, give up. Avada Kedavra." Before the spell reached me I sank to my knees, wand falling from my lose grip. The spell slipped through my chest and I did not resist its constricting of my heart. I let Voldemort win because what did I have left to fight for. Nothing, why fight for nothing?

Draco shook me awake and Neville was right there to hand me a cup of tea. Both looked stressed and worried like they had been trying to stir me for some time.

"Thanks," I said swallowing hard. My hands shook uncontrollably, hot tea jumped over the rim of the cup and Draco reached out to steady it. I wasn't sure what had unsettled me; I had had similar nightmares in the past. Losing my friends was distressing to think about but knowing the dream for what it was, I didn't think that was the entirety. Surrendering was at the heart of the matter; I was afraid I would break, afraid I would give up before the right time. I tried to tell myself it was only a dream but that didn't stop the shaking.

"We won't go to classes this morning," suggested Neville, "the teachers can't expect much right after break anyway. We'll go to Defense this afternoon."

I nodded not sure I could walk steadily at the moment. I worried about Voldemort seeing my mind. I knew I was vulnerable, occulmancy had been a failure, and honestly I did not think that failure could be laid at my feet or Snape's. Perhaps that link was one that could not be blocked. I tried to imagine Voldemort stripped of power but I couldn't convince myself of the image, Voldemort had been too real to me for far too long, a shadow over my entire life. It had been dim before Hogwarts but now night had fallen.

I had calmed down by lunch, logic throwing out any objections but part of my mind continued playing tricks especially with the shadows that lingered in the winter hallways. I worried constantly about my friends, Remus, Draco, and Neville most of all, even with them all in sight and in apparent safety.

A few weeks later found Harry waking from nightmares most nights. He woke me most mornings with a muffled yell or a moan. I could see what the dreams did to him. His sleep was ruined; he stayed awake late into the night, and then his dreams kept him from rest. Over the weeks they seemed to worsen; it took longer for me to wake him, as though they trapped him inside. Once he was awake it took minutes for him to see me standing over him, I saw fear in his eyes, something I hated seeing there. I could not fathom what kind of dream could do that to him but well after their ending he still shivered with memory. Into the fourth week, he started to chase off the effects faster but even for that I could see he was haunted most of the day. I felt helpless, he refused the dreamless sleep potion I had offered no less than three times; and so I gave up doing more than keeping him from harm while asleep and waking him when he did not pull himself out. It was the most I could do.

Remus was welcomed by most of the school and his classes became popular. His focus was on defense but the term was redefined to include minor hexes and jinxes rather than just spells like protego. He showed and encouraged creative use of spells in dueling and about once a week the lesson would be duels set between various students. The three of us Herons worked in a group as the student number was odd in our class and Remus used us as examples often. Normally, Harry was brought to the front and despite his normal opinion about attention, he did not mind. His spellwork was the most creative of anyone I had ever seen duel, and I had seen some incredible duelers. My father had taken me to the international dueling tournament more than once. He was mainly there on business but I loved watching the best wizards and witches match up and use magic and slyness together. Harry defined another category entirely; I suspected not having to use real spells helped, freeing him from the structure that other wizards were bound to in their spellwork. I would bet money on him against any of those champions, despite their greater age and years of practice.

We were all able to transform into herons by early February. We were outside enjoying a walk around the grounds when Harry smirked, became a heron, and took off from the path. Draco and I followed swiftly; the transformation had been easier learning than the first, just a different skin. We flew off towards the school and landed in front of the entrance. The doors Fred and George had escaped through last year were open and so we went up the steps. The students in the front hall dropped books and stared at our heron bodies poking around. We went up the marble staircase and towards the DADA wing. Remus was behind his desk, the day before last had been the full moon and he was trying to catch up on his grading. His classes had been cancelled, as the whole school couldn't fail to know he was a werewolf there was no point in covering his classes around the full moon. I was still in awe that Dumbledore had not been challenged by the ministry on the appointment, especially considering the terms under which Remus had resigned the last time.

On the night of the full moon, we had escaped the castle and romped outside of Hogsmeade our forms matching the strength and endurance Remus had, what fun it had been to forget who we were for that little time; the stress put on us by school work was enough — I could not imagine how Harry struggled.

Remus looked up and watched the three of us strut into the room. He rolled his eyes and shook his head; he knew exactly who we were even if he had not seen these forms yet, though really who else in the entire school would appear as a group of Herons.

"What are you doing?" His voice was light and amused, so close to laughter.

"Nothing," said Harry who had shifted back to human, "I was bored and felt like causing a stir."

"You're almost as bad as…" he stopped short and set down his quill without finishing his prior remark. He looked down, and then glanced at Harry. I knew the comment had referenced Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and Remus' closest friend. Both held slightly pained expressions but Harry's was so distant, that it was as if he had not heard the words at all, but had merely thought of something sad. Remus continued on a very different subject, "Could you help me with my third years tomorrow? I know you have class but that doesn't seem to bother you or your marks surprisingly."

"All three of us?" Draco, now human, sat down at a desk and pulled shrunk work from a pocket and started on it. I, too, shed my feathers.

"Yeah, why not? They seem to have trouble dueling; they take turns almost. One casts a spell and then the other waits too long to shield or dodge. I think an example is best."

"Happy to," said Harry, "I guess that's charms we'll be missing."

He sat down and conjured tea. We worked quietly the rest of the afternoon and skipped dinner.

The next day I stood in the shadows at the back of Remus' classroom, Neville and Draco at my shoulders. We watched the third years file along an aisle a few desks in front of us to get to their seats. A few noticed us but the rest seemed to be oblivious. Remus stood up from behind his desk.

"We have guests today," started Remus gesturing towards where we stood. I made us invisible to the ones who hadn't been paying attention on arrival and started moving towards the front of the room. The third years turned to look and then turned back to Remus again. All but the few who had seen us looked confused.

"Harry, let them see you," said Remus, rolling his eyes, he knew the trick.

"As you wish," I said, having reached the front of the room. I dropped the invisibility and sat down on the edge of Remus' desk. The third years jumped out of their skins.

"I think you've impressed them." Those words were directed quietly my way.

Neville and Draco walked to the front. The students knew that we were the three students that broke the house table manners and therefore, no doubt fueled by the older students, held feelings of general distrust and suspicion towards us. Tradition stated, as everyone knew, that students were to sit with their house. Remus introduced us and started to explain to his class why we were standing before them.

A student raised a hand and Remus called on her, "Don't they have a class right now?"

"No," lied Remus; being a teacher his guests had to set proper examples and that included not skipping class. "Anyway, Harry and Draco are going to duel for you, so you can see how adaptable spells can be."

I inclined my head to Draco who returned the gesture mockingly. We started then; Draco threw a wide variety of curses at me. I ignored them mostly though I did make a small effort to dodge or deflect rather than simply ignore the existence of the spells all together. After no more than a minute I sent little blue birds to fly around Draco's head. Draco vanished the birds and tried to slide a chair under my legs to put my balance off. I rested control of the chair from him and swung it around me and then sent it dashing towards him. Draco demolished the chair to splinters with a wave of his wand. I did try to be fair in the way I used my magic; I could do anything I wished with it and Draco was confined to advanced charms and swift transfigurations. He transfigured those splinters into knives and flicked them back at me with lightning speed. I conjured a water balloon above Draco's head. I chose to neglect the shape of the knives and they became feathers, drifting slowly to the floor. Draco had realized the small danger posed by my water balloon; I had waited too long to drop it. Draco brought Remus' pointing stick above his head turning it into an umbrella. I let the water balloon ghost through the umbrella and break on his head. It drenched him and he glared. The glare didn't last long Draco knew all too well that he was lucky to last even so long. Draco brought up his wand, clearly deciding that while he was wet and a little less dignified than he had been, a water balloon was by no means a killing blow; ready to start again.

"Alright, and stop," called Remus before we could start again. Neville dried Draco off with another spell. Draco gave me another exasperated look which I returned in like. Remus lectured the class on our technique. Neville and Draco dueled next and they stuck to more conventional hexes and shields; spells third years could replicate. Remus brought two of his students up and had them duel while Draco and Neville whispered suggestions to them. It seemed to help. Remus thanked us and the class ended. I watched the students exit while we said goodbye to Remus and followed closely on their heels. I made us less noticeable and moved through the third years in the direction of our dorm.

"That Potter," I heard one brown-haired boy say to a ring standing but a little way down the hall, "he isn't real. Were you watching him?"

"Yeah, that's magic wizards simply aren't capable of. I grew up in the wizarding world and that is the stuff of legends… of Merlin," said his friend. I had heard talk like this among the older students and I suspected they were merely parroting what the upper years said. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It was awkward being stared at; hearing your person being discussed was something else entirely.

"My da thinks he shouldn't be allowed in the school with us. Half-blood untamed. That's enough reason. My da says people like him are dangerous."

I looked at the group more carefully. Those words nearly snapped me, I'm not even sure why, I had heard enough of the same in the past; and worse on more than one occasion. The last boy to have spoken was wearing Ravenclaw blue. "Who is the boy in that group there, black hair blue robes next to the redhead?" I asked of Draco. The boy was likely the son of a Pure-blood family and his father was likely part of the ministry if what he said was anything to go by.

"That's Perkins' nephew. My second-cousin by marriage twice removed. Perkins' is part of the law-enforcement department, close to Fudge though not in Voldemort's camp."

"Ah, that would explain it, I know of Perkins." I said.

"Wizards seem incapable of thinking for themselves," said Neville bitterly, I guessed he had overheard a little of the conversation that I had eavesdropped on.

Author's Note: I've had a request for longer chapters. I rather not do this because except in a few cases I feel like the narrative breaks happen every few thousand words anyway. In addition it would mean longer between updates and frankly when I'm reading fiction I rather have a short chapter everyday than a long one once a week. As an author it's easier for me to update this way, in short chapters rather than longer. So I think I will be sticking to this way... probably.

Thank you,

Shifted Illusions