Chapter 12: A Friendly Spar

Harry's first week went by fast. He and Ron managed to make it to the Great Hall without getting lost for the first time on Friday. Then they got their First Year extra curricular schedules. They would be learning Self Defense from Professor Xing three times a week on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's. Harry was looking forward to this. But at the same time, kind of scared. Because Xing kept, in a way, stalking him throughout the halls to get a good look at him. Though he and Ron where particularly grateful when he rescued them from Filch one morning when they where late for class and about to enter the out of bounds corridor. However, Harry noticed out of the corner of his eye that Professor Quirrel, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was just leaving as they walked away.

What are you up to? Harry wondered. He didn't trust the turban wearing man one bit. There was always a funny smell coming off him. Most couldn't smell it unless they where in front of the class but, thanks to his fathers training of all his senses, he could smell it from two corridors away.

Finally Monday came, and at three o'clock the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years made their way to the lawn by the Greenhouses for their first lesson.

"You are here." Master Xing began, "To learn ways of defending yourself without magic."

Draco Malfoy scoffed.

"Some of you." He glared slightly at Malfoy. "May laugh and scoff this class as ridiculus. Thinking your wands make you all powerful. But what happens when you lose your wand? Will you have the strength, speed or agility to continue dodging your enemies spells, jinxes and hexes until you have regained it? Or will you be struck down with a single deadly curse?" He turned his gaze toward Harry. "This is why the School Governors have added this defense course. Now, who here knows something of the martial arts already?" Several of their muggleborn classmates started to rais their hands, but then put them back down muttering. Only Harry still had his hand raised.

"And you boy?" Xing asked.

"My father runs a Kung Fu academy in China." Harry said. "I've trained since I was seven."

"I see. Then you should be trained somewhat in weaponry yes? Could you tell the class what these weapons are?" He motioned to the multitude of staffs, blades and swords laying across a picnic cloth.

"This is a Bo Staff." Harry pointed to one of the staffs, these are battle daggers." He pointed to a pair of twin daggers beneath two katanas. "And these are Japanese Katanas." He pointed to the two twin blades.

"Are you confident in your skills you have learned so far?" Xing asked.

Harry nodded hoping what was coming was what he thought was coming.

"What do you say to a little spar, first hand to hand, then weaponry?" The anthromorphic tiger suggested as he rotated his shoulders and stretched.

"It would be an honor Master Xing." Harry smirked, also getting up and stretching. Taking off his school mandated robes to reveal his own battle robe. The rest of the students where gaping at Harry's gall.

"What's say we make a little wager?" Xing proposed. "If you win, a hundred points to Gryffindor and Slytherin. If you lose, a hundred points from both your houses."

The Slyterins glared at Harry for dragging their house into this.

"First blood on the torso?" Harry suggested stretching some more.

"You read my mind. "Xing said as his tiger slitted eyes became sharp and focused. He noticed that Harry's green eyes where very similar to his own when he focused.

"Harry, please." Hermione began. "Professor Xing's got so many years of training on you, you can't possibly think-" Harry left her in mid sentence as he hand stand flipped fast far away as Xing ran after him. "What an idiot." She muttered.

The students watched in awe as Harry twirl flipped into the air onto a bench and Xing roared as he came after him with a uppercut. Harry blocked. With his arm and retaliated which Xing gave a block of his own. They traded blows for a good few minutes before Harry round housed Xing aiming for his head which Xing ducked. Xing retaliated by kicking Harry in the stomach and in the back making Harry falter with his footing. Xing saw an opportunity and kicked him off of the bench and sent him flying into the students who parted. Harry looked up to see Xing in the air and aiming for a snap kick. He managed to roll away just in time.

That was close. Harry thought as he got into his stance again as the older tiger came rushing at him again. Harry blocked another punch, then another with his left arm. And punched Xing right in his muzzle. Xing put his paw up to his nose. It was bleeding.

The students gasped as Xing got a predatory look in his eyes.

"Excellent." He said in approval with a purr in his voice. "I'd expect nothing less from a son of Shifu." He wiped the blood away and waved his wand so the bleeding stopped. "Now, on to stage two. Weaponry." He picked up a Bo staff and swung at Harry. He jumped over it and ducked backwards before kicking the other staff up with his foot and catching it. He twirled it twice and smacked it against Xing's. Again they exchanged repeated blows. Harry at times tried to poke him hard in the stomach before but Xing would jump back.

Harry now had that same predatory look in his eyes as he and the aged Master fought. Finally Xing put one end of his staff on the ground and used it as leverage to spin around and kick Harry in the head. Harry was sent flying. Still no blood had been drawn on either torso. Harry and Xing tossed the staffs aside and grabbed blades. Xing grabbed the katanas, Harry the daggers. Quickly Harry lost one dagger and kept dodging swings from the two razor sharp edges. He blocked them best he could with his single dagger. Clang clang clang clang. They clashed. And the predatory look in their eyes didn't leave. Several of the students where rather alarmed. Harry saw an opening aaaaaaand...SLASH! A shining red line appeared on the torso of Professor Xing's robes.

"Veery nice." Xing purred at his grandson's skills.

"Sir. Are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern both about the blood and the predatory look in the two's eyes.

"Yes my dear, its just a flesh wound, and so is Harry. His condition is just a common occurrence when a Xing family member finds a worthy enough opponent." Xing revealed making Harry's eyes widen in confusion. "A hundred points to Gryffindor and Slytherin. Class dismissed. And be prepared for an Introduction to Kung Fu class on Wednesday." He said as the bell rang. "Mr. Potter, please stay behind." He requested.

Harry told Ron to go on to dinner without him. And in confusion, walked over to Master Xing.

"Master, " Harry said in confusion. "I'm confused. How can I be related to the Xing clan?" He watched the aged Kung Fu Master put the weapons away.

"Because Mr. Potter, I am your Grandfather."

To Be Continued...

If the fight sounded familiar somehow, it was inspired by Huey's fight with one of the two old black guys in the Boondocks episode Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy. Hope I did it justice!

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Dean the Cuddly Fox