For the next hour, the Gryffindor fifth-years took notes on various Muggle methods of self-defense: kickboxing, Judo, karate, kung fu. They learned basic offensive tactics, defensive tactics, philosophies, and principles of each discipline. Just before the bell was to ring, Professor Green informed them that she was going to teach them a combination of techniques that she had distilled herself, after years of study.

"Finally," she announced, as they began to pack away their quills and parchment, "Professor Dumbledore has authorized me to ... appropriate some of your free time. All students in the school, divided by year, are to report to me one morning and one evening a week for ... training. You, along with the other fifth-years, will meet me on the front lawn every Friday evening at five o'clock, and every Monday morning at six. And you will wear the clothes and shoes that I put on your materials lists at the beginning of the year." The students gaped at each other.

"Does she really expect us to get up that early?" Ron whispered to Harry.

Professor Green raised her hand to silence the whispering that had just broken out. "Yes, I do expect you to get up that early. If you make me come into your dormitories after you," she took on a menacing tone, "you won't be too happy about it."

"She can't do that ... Can she?" Seamus asked Dean tentatively.

Professor Green hadn't heard Seamus' words, but she had seen his expression. "Try me," was all she said in response.

The bell rang and the Gryffindor fifth-years filed out of the classroom. "Well, I think it will be good for us," Hermione told Ron and Harry. "We haven't got much exercise over the past four years, have we?"

"Hermione," answered Ron, exasperated, "what's the point of exercise when you've got magic? When I learn to Apparate, I'm never walking anywhere."

"Yeah, and you might turn out to look like Ludo Bagman, too," Harry laughed, remembering the overweight former Quidditch player who had refereed the Triwizard Tournament last year. Ron frowned.

That night at dinner, Angelina Johnson came around to speak to Harry. "I've just talked to Fred, George, Katie, and Alicia," she said, referring to the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "We need a new Keeper. Can you come out at nine o'clock sharp Saturday morning to help us judge? We'll also need to vote on a new team captain then."

"Sure," Harry responded, remembering his workout scheduled for Friday evening, and hoping to himself that he would still be physically intact by Saturday morning.

"Great," Angelina smiled. "I'll go tell the others."

"Saturday morning?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Ron looked at Hermione curiously. "Say, what are you planning, anyway? You've got that same look you had last year when you went on that 'spew' kick. You haven't developed some grudge against Quidditch now, have you?"

"No, of course not!" Hermione looked insulted. "I'm not planning anything. I'm just going to watch, that's all." Suddenly she seemed to catch sight of someone she wanted to talk to. She quickly gulped down the rest of her pumpkin juice and stood up. "Excuse me, you two. I've got to have a word with someone." She ran over to join a crowd of younger Gryffindor girls leaving the Great Hall.

"Hey," Harry nudged Ron, "Keeper tryouts! You interested?"

Ron's face brightened. "Yeah," he mused. He thought for a moment, then looked around. "I bet there'll be a lot of people trying out. Some older kids." He stared at a burly sixth-year near the end of the table. After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. "Well, why not? I'm not a bad Quidditch player. Anyway, what's the worst that could happen?"

***

Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled into school life easily, picking up the old routines that had grown so familiar over the last four years. Professor McGonagall was starting to teach them the beginnings of human transfiguration, much to Hermione's delight. Professor Flitwick began the first Charms class with a dramatic Levitation Charm, which he demonstrated on Neville's toad, Trevor. By the end of the week, it seemed that academically, the year was shaping up to be their most interesting, and challenging, yet.

Double Potions with the Slytherins on Friday afternoon ("Again!?" Ron protested when he noticed it on the schedule) was no exception. The Gryffindors arrived in class punctually, and quietly began to set up their cauldrons. Draco Malfoy, along with Pansy Parkinson and several other Slytherins, sauntered in a few minutes late. Quite unexpectedly, Snape gave them the same sour look he usually reserved for members of other Houses.

"Please do not make a habit," he spat, "of arriving late to my class." The Slytherins, taken aback, scuttled to their desks and prepared their cauldrons.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shot puzzled looks at each other.

"Wonder what that was all about?" Hermione whispered as they wound their way out of the dungeon corridor after class. It had gone rather well, for Potions--Snape hadn't yelled at, threatened detention to, or insulted any student, even Harry, all class period.

"Wonder if he's sick?" Harry mused. Suddenly he remembered the mysterious task Snape had taken on at the end of last term, in the hospital wing. "He did seem a bit distracted."

"It's just the first day," Ron answered. "Maybe he wants to start the year off slowly, give himself something to work up to. Come on, we've got to change and meet Green outside." They made their way up to Gryffindor Tower and their dormitories.

The fifth-year students assembled on the lawn apprehensively at five o'clock that evening. It was unusually warm for autumn, and the shadows of the trees of the Forbidden Forest almost reached the castle walls. Professor Green walked out the front doors and down the great stone steps, dressed in her own gray robes and sneakers, identical to the ones the students wore. She also wore a green bandana tied over her head to hold back her hair, which was plaited into two very long braids that fell down her back. A very large black dog trotted along at her side.

"Snuffles!" Harry cried as the dog ran up to him cheerfully. He, Ron, and Hermione petted the dog, which promptly returned to Professor Green. Behind them, a voice snickered.

"What breed of dog is that?" It was Draco Malfoy. "Looks like a mutt ... like the canine version of--" he walked up level with Hermione and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, hello," he said, as though he hadn't seen her. She looked away, pointedly ignoring him. On Hermione's other side, Ron seethed silently.

"There's no need to look so fearful," Professor Green addressed the fifth-years, "unless you're afraid of hard work." The Hufflepuffs looked encouraged by this. "Now," she paced back and forth, surveying the crowd, "tonight I'm going to get some idea what I've got to work with. Let's get started. Follow me." She turned and walked down to the shore of the lake. The students followed her.

"It's simple," she said once they had all gathered at the lakeside. "You're going to run around the lake, twice. And I'm going to time you."

"Are you kidding?" Draco Malfoy asked disgustedly. "It must be miles around this lake."

"Two point five miles, to be exact," Professor Green answered him. "And no, I'm not kidding, Mr. Malfoy." She drew a small silver whistle and a regular Muggle stopwatch from her pocket.

"But the path around the lake goes right past the Forbidden Forest," Lavender put in timidly.

"Don't worry, I'll be running with you. Now, get ready," Professor Green said, looking at the watch and putting the whistle to her mouth. The stunned students looked around, obviously not mentally prepared for a five-mile run.

"GO!"

Professor Green blew the whistle and pressed a button on the stopwatch. For a moment, the students stood in a state of disarry. Some, including Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a group of Hufflepuffs, began to trot along at a slow pace. Others attempted to walk, or milled around. Malfoy and a couple of other Slytherin boys stood where they were.

Professor Green walked up to them slowly. "I ... said ... MOVE!" she shouted at them from a very close distance. Startled, they began to jog along behind the other fifth-years.

No one was really sure how long they ran, but to all the students, it seemed like an eternity. And all the while, Professor Green and the dog followed them. Sometimes she would speed up to run beside the faster students, and sometimes she would drop back to the slower ones, but always she was yelling.

"Come on, Patil! Don't hold out on me."

"Malfoy, my little sister could run faster than that. When she was two."

"Potter! Is that the best you can do?"

The only student she didn't harp on was Neville. "Good job," she told him encouragingly. He tried to return a thankful smile, but only managed a grimace of pain.

Finally, the students rounded the last curve. Some dropped to the ground, panting. Others just stood and tried to catch their breath. Harry was pleased to see that he had been one of the first to finish. Professor Green looked at her stopwatch and frowned.

"Pitiful. Haven't you kids engaged in any physical activity at all since you got here?" No one could answer; they were too busy trying to breathe. She shook her head. "Take a walk around the lawn to cool down, and then get up to the Great Hall for dinner."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione circled the lawn once, but they could still barely talk as they made their way up to the castle. Finally, Harry managed to speak. "She's got no mercy. She's like some kind of a drill instructor, or something."

"A what?" Ron asked.

"You know, in the army, they have ... oh, never mind."

"I'm dying," moaned Milicent Bulstrode behind them.

"No, you're not," Malfoy's nearly-breathless voice called coldly in response. "But I'll tell you one thing, you're an idiot if you take orders from her again. That's the last time I run circles around the lake like some Muggle."

Hermione turned around. "What are you talking about, Malfoy? She's our teacher. You don't have a say."

Malfoy smiled smugly. "You'll see."