Disclaimer: One Piece and Harry Potter does not belong to me, each belongs to their respective author.

Challenge by TheBlackSeaReaper.

-.- The Dueling Club

The arrival of Monday fulfilled the prophecies that the whole school would know about Colin by then, and as expected, everyone's reactions were not for less, an example of this were those of first year who traveled in groups to avoid being attacked, and the traffic network of amulets that opened.

Ace was not interested in the subject, on the contrary, he continued with the monotonous school life to the letter, he did not want to know anything about the Secret Chamber, or Pirate Crews ... which sounded quite depressing in his case.

Being a pirate was his life, his dream since childhood, a dream he had been more than happy to fulfill, but now he felt more trapped than when he was at Impel Down. He was free to do what he wanted, but the sea, the pirate's life looked so far away and as a reminder of the failure, and it hurt just to think about it.

The weather didn't help, December had brought with it its thick layer of snow, its icy wind and the lack of sun.

In this curious season, many strange things happened in the eyes of Howgarts. In the first instance, Hermione, Ron and Neville spent more time together, secretly preparing the potion they insisted would reveal something to them; Neville spent half his time with the armor that taught him how to use the sword. The twins, kept to themselves, planning, with a long list of names they were collecting.

Ace, on the other hand, maintained himself, avoiding as he could the room of requirement, name that he had learned in the kitchen, and jumped between the kitchen, Hagrid, Fluffy and Cedric (from time to time) only to be distract.

"Did you fought?" Asked the giant.

"No," said the pirate. We simply have differences of opinion, he must have added, but he did not.

And the rest and his full attention was focused on training his Haki, at every opportunity he had, he left the castle and fought with whatever crossed in his way, mostly trolls. On the other hand Ace still could not control the Bososhoku no Haki, sometimes it came up well, but most of the times his fist or leg remained normal. He knew that this took time, and a lot of patience, concentration, will, but patience was running out, and he was starting to feel overwhelmed. And Mecha, on Fluffy's head, could only watch.

The second week of December, Ace coincide with Hermione, Ron and Neville, the common room, while commenting that they needed two ingredients for the potion, and that the only place they could be, was in Snape's personal cellar. And for that they had designed a plan, well it had actually been Ron, incredibly.

Ace had approached after receiving an inviting smile from Neville, which reminded him that although he said no to the idea of being pirates, he did not tell them not to remain friends with them.

It was not a very elaborate plan, it was simple and consisted of a little distraction, the girl's concern was that nothing assured them that the ingredients were really there, and if they were, where she would find them.

Ace with his nose in a novel, which he had found somewhere, directed a fleeting glance at the small discussion, where he met Neville's pleading gaze, and sighing he sat up.

"Hermione" the surprised girl turned to see the boy, "Behind the door of the office, just on the left side you will find several shelves, which extends throughout the wall. The jars, if he have not moved them too much, are arranged alphabetically from left to right from top to bottom, by bookshelf. What you are looking for must be between the end of the first shelf, and the beginning of the second, there is no lose "

The girl nodded, meaning she had understood the idea, and Ron quickly stood up to find the distracting element they would use, and Neville followed him without hesitation.

"Thanks" murmur Hermione.

"Thank me one its over" said Ace "But… do something for me"

"What?"

"Don't take unneeded risk"

"This is not an unneeded risk"

"What I mean. This thing petrified, don't get petrified"

Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively.

Ron's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but he had his mind on more important things. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion. Ace watched the exchange closely, they needed to improve their signal exchange, but despite this, everything was in order. When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Ron's eye and nodded.

Ron ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and sputter. Knowing he had only seconds, Ron straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.

Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Malfoy got a faceful and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate — Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Ace saw Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.

"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught — when I find out who did this —"

Ace tried not to laugh as he watched most of the Slytherins hurry forward. As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffedup lips, Ace saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.

When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.

"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

Ace arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression. Snape was looking right at him, and the bell that rang ten minutes later.

Once they were out of the dungeons, Hermione moved to Ace's side. "It's beautiful, everything is perfectly neat, even in alphabetical order and labeling, it was very easy to find it"

"I'm glad my long hours of work were useful to you"

"It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily.

A week later, something that caught everyone's attention appeared on the bulletin board, causing a small group of students to come together before a striking sign of bright letters.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus.

The idea didn't sound bad, maybe it would be useful to learn to fight a little with the wand, maybe it could include something in his style even if it was a little. But in the beginning it would be good to burn some steam.

So, without much preamble, Ace and the boys, who are not a pirate crew, went down to the Great Hall.

"I wonder who´ll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Someone told me Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young… maybe it´ll be him"

However, when he looked at the stage, Ace could only growl in distaste: "If there is a god, he definitely hates me"

Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum "Ok, I´m out of here" and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black. "Damn this could be interesting ..."

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permition to start this little dueling club, to train you in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done countless occasion… 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 dueling 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!"

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Ace's ear.

"My bets go to Snape"

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."

Ace smiled watching Snape baring his teeth.

"One — two — three —"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" 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.

Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.

"Who cares?" said Ron.

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.

"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 the pirate group.

"Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered. "Weasley, you can partner Finnigan."

"Mr. Malfoy, with Portgas. And you, Miss Granger … you can partner Miss Bulstrode." Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked a Slytherin girl who reminded Ace of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. She was large and square and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return. "Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!" Ace bowed, in his traditional still, Malfoy barely inclined his head at first, just to choose to lean a little more, perhaps not looking so bad, neither of them stopped looking at each other for a moment. "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 …"

Draco had already begun in "two": and Ace reaction, as expected, was pure instinct, he twisted away from the path of the spell while rolling on the ground pointed his wand with the only spell that came to him mind: "Rictusempra!"

The spell hit fully on Draco, before he could do anything.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, as Malfoy sank to his knees; Ace had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Ace bent over, squatting, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Draco while he was on the floor, but this was a mistake; gasping for breath, Draco pointed his wand at Ace's knees, choked, "Tarantallegra!" and the next second Ace's legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.

"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted; Ace's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy stopped laughing, and they were able to look up.

A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up an ashen-faced Seamus; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Ace leapt forward and pulled Millicent off. She was a lot bigger than he was, but she had no problem.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan. . . . Careful there, Miss Fawcett. . . . Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot — I think I'd 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. "How about Malfoy and Portgas?" said Snape with a twisted smile.

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

"Now, Ace," 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 Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too.

"Scared?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.

"You wish," said Ace out of the corner of his mouth.

Lockhart cuffed Ace merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"

"What, drop my wand?"

But Lockhart wasn't listening.

"Three — two — one — go!" he shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. Ace watched, aghast, 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.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Ace standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it. . . ."

Not that Ace needed the help, he could fry it at any time.

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

Ace wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he had shouted stupidly at the snake, "Hey, Leave him alone!" And miraculously - inexplicably - the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on Ace. Ace approached very carefully, approaching the snake before moving quickly, holding the snake by the neck. He knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted, and as Ace looked up Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.

Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Ace in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Ace didn't like it. 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 George's voice in his ear. "Move — come on —"

Fred and George steered him out of the hall, Hermione, Ron and Neville hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Ace didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither the boys nor Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Then George pushed Ace into an armchair and said, "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?" said Ace.

"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I talk to snakes?" said Ace.

"Didn't you know?" Neville asked faintly.

"I have never had to ask a snake something. But what is the big fuss," said Ace. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Ace, this is bad."

"What's bad?" said Ace, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin —"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?"

"What d'you mean? You were there — you heard me —"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying anything — no wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something — it was creepy, you know —"

Ace gaped at him.

"I spoke a different language? But — I didn't realize — how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"

Ron shook his head. Both he and the rest were looking as though someone had died. Ace couldn't see what was so terrible.

"D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" he said. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something —"

"But I'm not," said Harry, with a panic he couldn't quite explain. "I'm?

"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be."

Ace could accept being the bad guy in history, he was in the eyes of many and while it was for his freedom he had no problem, it was the fact of having a cursed blood that depressed him. One part of being here that had made him happy was that he didn't gave to live all the prejudice and listen of Gold Roger, now he had Salazar Slytherin, no matter what life, or world he lived in, the blood of a monster followed.