I'm having a very good weekend so I decided to make yours better by giving you this. enjoy for it will be a while before I give another one. REVIEW

Harry awoke one morning to find the school abuzz with rumours

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now laying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by breakfast, the air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight-knit groups, as though scared they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

According to Draco, Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry felt no pity for the young girl after she had asked for an autograph, he felt no pity for the petrified boy either as it was he who had accompanied her.

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school.

Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pure- blood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"They went for Filch first," Neville, said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

Needless to say Harry had another chat with the fearful boy, one hour later a pale and shaken Neville emerged from Harry's old quarters. He was terrified of Harry, but in his fear he forgot all about the impending doom.

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry signed his name without hesitation and he was surprised to see Draco did along with Daphne. Daphne was slightly mad at him still after the whole incident on the second floor corridor. She didn't understand that if Harry didn't stay it would make him look guilty, as nobody had seen him in four hours before it happened.

A week later, Harry, Draco, and Daphne were walking across the entrance hall when they saw a small group of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.

"They're starting a Duelling Club!" said Seamus to Weasley, either having noticed them. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days ...

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel." said Weasley, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Fool," Harry muttered before he turned and walked to lunch, on their way there he turned to his friends, "shall we go?" he asked them

"Sure." Said Daphne

"It's not like we have anything better to do." Followed Draco

That night they entered the great hall to find it full to the brim of people, a slight push and a bit of magic did wonders to move them apart and get the three to the front "I wonder who'll be teaching us." said Daphne as they reached the platform. "Someone told me Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young - maybe it'll be him." That reminded Harry that he had a lesson to get to tomorrow, he was anxious enough as it was but to be reminded that Flitwick was a duelling champion made him just queasy.

"As long as it's not -" Harry began, but he ended on a groan: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of luminous yellow and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called ' "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! "Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"This is going to be humorous." He whispered to Draco only to be shushed by Daphne. She never noticed Harry growl, in an animalistic way. Draco did.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth. Only to growl again when Daphne shushed him this time he bared fangs.

"One - two - three -" Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Experliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor. Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform.

"That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown - yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ." Snape was looking murderous. Even Harry did, he hated somebody taking credit for nothing. Lockhart had noticed Snape's anger, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -" They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry and Draco first.

"You two." He began and pointed to a clear spot, "over there." And with that he walked off.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"

Harry and Draco nodded, they were going to duel like enemies, and enemies shouldn't bow. "Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents - only to disarm them - we don't want any accidents - one ... two ... three -"

Harry was in a duelling stance at one, Draco at two. Sadly they never got to utter the first syllable of the spell as pandemonium broke out. The turned to observe

A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Weasley was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; but Granger and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Granger in a headlock and she was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Snape blasted the two apart before Lockhart spoke

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the devastation "I think Id better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall. He glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair - Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you, -"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went pinker. And for the third time that night Harry growled

"How about Malfoy and Potter." said Snape

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Harry and Draco into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room.

"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops -my wand is a little overexcited -" Snape moved closer to Draco, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.

Harry looked up at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you go away please?" Lockhart looked affronted but nonetheless moved away

A minute later the two were in the middle of the platform. "Scared." muttered Draco jokingly,

"You wish." Harry shot back with a smile

It was then that Lockhart started and the two moved apart "Three - two - one - go!" he shouted suddenly, so much so that it took Draco a second to realise what was going on. Unfortunately for him, Harry didn't.

A flurry of hexes sailed past Draco as he ducked a weave to avoid them; he never noticed that Harry had moved closer with every one he sent. Harry stopped a foot away from Draco and lifted him into the air with a flick of his wand, he turned them both around and banished Draco to the other side of the platform causing him to land on his ass.

Draco stood up with rage, causing Harry to smirk, as he knew that Draco would loose all sense of thought in his blind anger. He was right because as he raised his wand he staggered, not knowing what spell to cast. Harry took this to his advantage; he quickly flipped Draco over and once again caused him to land on his ass. "Come on you can do better than that." Harry mocked.

Draco's anger reached new limits he forgot that is was his best friend, his brother in all but blood, he was duelling he raised his wand and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, his face passive, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

He looked to Draco with a smirk that could make you fear your own mother if he told you to and said, "watch this." He dropped his had to the snakes level, "come to me little one." The entire school watched in shock as the snake obeyed Harry's hisses and crawled up his arm and settled on his shoulder

He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes.

"Come on," said Daphne's voice in his ear. "Move - come on -" she steered him out of the hall, Draco hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Draco nor Daphne explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Slytherin common room. Then Daphne pushed Harry into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Uhm forgot." He answered lamely; he had been using that excuse for a while now. One would think he could expand it.

"Forgot?" Shrilled Daphne, "how could you forget that you have a gift that hasn't been seen since the dark lord was walking and talking?"

Harry didn't answer because he was too busy thinking. 'That's not possible Salazar didn't have kids. And we killed his brother after he invaded the school, so then how can Parseltounge be passed on?" in his musings he never noticed Draco go to bed or Daphne fall asleep in the other armchair, quickly picking her up he brought her to their room, after the Mrs. Norris incident she had taken up residence with them. Nobody complained, though they did get a few weird looks. He laid her on her bed before he too went to sleep in his own.

By next morning, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling grey snow at every window. Shivering, Harry walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger.

Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry walked on by, he was bored, he had nothing to do, he could even go to the astronomy tower because the wind would ruin any chance of peace he got so with that he went to professor Flitwick who he knew had a free class now.

As he entered the diminutive professor's classroom he saw the evidence of a fifth year practical class, with a quick wave of his wand all the broken vases were repaired and in a neat order, he never noticed when the half goblin wizard came in.

"Excellent work Harry." The professor praised as he led Harry into his office, "silent casting, and fourth year charms…." He rambled on, presumably to himself, but Harry listened anyway. He was so intent on paying attention that he actually wasn't, therefore he was surprised when the professor addressed him. "…. Harry?"

"Pardon?"

"I said can you remove your fascinating jewellery Harry?" the professor asked.

Harry sighed but nonetheless removed his rings, bar his house ring, and his amulet. As he did his body grew and his aura flared to life due to being restrained so much. After a moment and a bit of occlumency he managed to suppress his aura but he felt it still.

The professor was astounded that the child not only had such power, still to grow as well, but he also had some semblance of control over that power. He now knew how to begin his lessons. "Now Harry to begin our lessons we are going to duel." The professor said as he walked back out to the classroom and prepared it.

"But professor you have a lesson in half an hour." Harry said respectfully.

"Oh I know but it shouldn't take too long." The small professor said as he readied his duelling stance. "Come on get ready." He urged Harry seeing him still in shock, he quickly obliged and set into his own stance, "no permanent spells, no black arts, and first one to either be out of action, or concede loses. Now 3…. 2…1…go!" as he said go he moved and sent spells that Harry had no time to recognise, only to block with a duellist shield.

Harry returned fire with a wave of hexes; while the professor was dodging Harry sent charms at the desks and chairs to attack him, giving Harry even more time. But it wasn't much as the professor used his own duellist shield, a stronger one, and then destroyed the desks and chairs before they even got close. By now Harry was already charging a spell, he didn't use all his power but he used a majority of it. He shot the overcharged disarming spell at the professor and it destroyed his shield and ripped his wand from his hands. The professor wasn't phased in the slightest by this and used wandless magic to banish Harry into the tables. He didn't waste time and so sent many spells at Harry in an attempt to subdue him, all wandlessly. He forgot that Harry's shield was still up and so was surprised when Harry ran through the spells, his shield catching them all and kicked the professor. While the professor was recovering from the blow Harry sent waves of chains at him. They wrapped themselves around his legs and arms before the bolted themselves into the floor. Harry walked over to the professor and asked, "do you concede?" the reply he got was not one he expected. One moment he was staring at the professor, the next he was soaring across the classroom and into the desks. Standing up he cracked several parts of his body before he spoke "thought magic, most rare I must admit you surprised me. But sadly, I must end this. I have transfiguration next." With that he raised his hands, a red mist formed in them gap but it soon became as solid as a spell can be. He raised it above his head as it became twice as large. All this was done in the space of two seconds; he fired the spell with a cry of "it's over!"

What he didn't expect was for the spell to suddenly come back at him and hit him squarely in the face.

Harry awoke to see Flitwick standing over him, somehow out of his chains. The professor handed him a potion laced drink that he was told was a headache and an energizing potion, Harry immediately knew it was a hangover potion.

"What happened?" Harry asked as soon as he was capable of speech

"Well, after I sent you flying, I broke through your chains while you were charging that spell, a very powerful one I might add. After that I just charged my shield so it could reflect your spell. It worked but my shield shattered." He took a breath before adding a thought, "at this rate we should be both magically exhausted." To prove his point he cast a lumos spell with his wand only to have it flicker and die before their very eyes. Harry's test was similar but it lasted for two seconds. "Well there is nothing to o now so why don't you head off for transfiguration." Flitwick said gesturing Harry to the door. Harry picked up his rings and his amulet before he left.

After Harry left Flitwick turned to a spot on the wall as he did, Albus Dumbledore appeared out of thin air.

"You were watching Albus?" he said.

"Oh yes, I'm very proud of him now. I can't even fathom what he can become."

Harry limped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.

He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was laying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Harry got to his feet. He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.

He could run, and no one would ever know he had been there. But he couldn't just leave them lying here.

Would anyone believe he hadn't had anything to do with this?

'Sasha who could possibly make you do this.' He thought

As he stood there, reflecting, a door right next to him opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to. Why's Potter lurking -" Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" Crash - crash - crash - door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Harry found himself pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off aloud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry. Harry was confused as to why he held such antagonism towards him but ignored it

"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off' students, you think it's good fun -"

"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.

Professor Vector and Professor Sinistra carried Justin up to the hospital wing, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs.

This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry and Professor McGonagall alone together.

"This way, Potter," she said.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't -" "This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle. 'Oh crap' thought Harry as the gargoyle stepped aside for them to enter.

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor

McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered.

Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait and left him there, alone.

He wasn't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.

Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry knew it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your Phoenix appears to be on a burning day " To Harry's amusement, Dumbledore smiled.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures," Harry agreed, he couldn't wait to have his best friend back. But a year was a long time

Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.

"- It can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to -" "Hagrid, I -" "- yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never '

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

"You don't think it was me, Professor." Harry repeated curiously as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Harry, I don't, I know your duel with Filius was very time consuming" said Dumbledore, with a smile. "No off you go." Harry was quick to oblige

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? People asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead. There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

Christmas came soon and it was a quiet Harry that emerged from his four-poster that morning, he and Daphne woke Draco. Harry didn't have to put on his metamorphic ring until they left common room, which was a while because they had so much fun opening presents. They had a snowball fight until lunch, Daphne lost after Draco called his brother in arms into a mutiny against the girl he fancied. Then they did nothing but sit by the fire till dinner.

At dinner, Harry couldn't help but admire the great hall, it looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but also enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at.

Harry left early, he walked to the astronomy tower where he stood on the ledge once more, and it wasn't long before the cold air forced Harry to retreat inside. It was a slightly bitter Harry that met Draco and Daphne on their way to the slytherin common room.

"Where were you?" asked Daphne as they reached the portrait, that opened immediately at the presence of Harry

"At the tower."

They sat down, Harry in an armchair and Draco and Daphne on the sofa, they sat in silence until Draco asked, "what do you think about the attacks."

"I think whoever is doing it is getting cocky." Harry said straightforwardly.

"How?" asked Daphne

"Think about it, it fir started during a feast. Where the culprit could get away with it, then a lonely kid in broad daylight. And then two people, on a ghost during class time. All evidence points to the fact that they're getting bolder." Harry said his expression becoming sadder with every analogy. "What's worse is I can't do anything about it because I can't find that thrice damned chamber." As he said this he had started pacing. He stopped and took off his metamorphic ring, completely missing the wide eyes of his two companion, he stared at the ring and then his form in the mirror before speaking, "I think I'll revert to my normal form next year, I'm rather sick of looking this way. I'm going to bed guys I'll see you in the morning." With that he went to bed but didn't go to sleep, it was half an hour before Daphne and Draco came in. because of the darkness he never saw the dazed look on their faces.