A/N: I do not own Harry Potter nor the Advent of the Archmage. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Mo Xiang respectively.

Lucious Malfoy was deep in thought in his study. It was an ornate room the size of most people's houses. It was at least 2 stories tall and double the size in width and length. There were carvings on the wall and ceiling. Some depicting serpents and others of dragons. There was a Slytherin motif to the colour scheme. The walls were lined with bookshelves displaying an impressive amount of books. All the books here are legal, the truly dark stuff are stored in another plot of land under a false name. It can't and won't be tied to him, if they even find the location. It is under a fidelius charm that only he and his wife know the secret. He was currently seated on his chair. A throne really, it was golden, carved beautifully along the throne were serpents, with two snake heads resting right at the edge of the armrest. He was seated behind his desk, more like a tribunal's desk. The two pieces of furniture were slightly elevated compared to the two plain-looking chairs opposite him.

He had just read the article from the prophet. Specifically the one about the Weasley's.

'I don't understand how they did it. How did they dispose of the book? How did they even know to suspect the book in the first place?'

He was baffled. How were they able to get out of that unscathed? No one has it. Not the parents, nor their children.

How?

The worst part? He had lost something his Master gave him personally. How was he going to recover that?

He shuddered to think what would happen to him and his family should Voldemort come back.

No…

No! He can still get it back. He just has to figure out who has it.

It couldn't vanish into thin air.

Think Lucious, think! Who else was there?

Yeah that is a good bet. Surely someone there might have taken the book.

There was Potter of course. It's very possible the book landed in her arms. That would be… difficult. He can't very well accuse the girl with no evidence.

I think that was it… no there was another.

Who was it?

Oh, it was that mudblood.

He couldn't keep the sneer off his face. That disgusting creature touched the Dark Lord's personal item?

'Ugh, the disgust the Dark Lord must feel at the mere thought of it.'

But what can he do? Is there a way to even do anything? With them being in Hogwarts I can't touch them. Not with that muggle loving fool there to protect them.

It might just have to wait till summer.

Hogwarts was a wonderful place. There were so many creatures that resided within the magnificent castle. She had been here for a little less than 2 months, yet she had seen so many of the creatures that were usually elusive in the outside world. It was wonderful.

Every day was an adventure. Sometimes the nargles took her papers, sometimes it was her shoes. It is always fun to explore the castle to search for these items.

There was also that one time that Wrackspurt confused an older student so much she closed the Dorm room on her. Such a silly thing to be confused about. Not her fault of course, but it was an interesting trip looking for an empty class to sleep in. It gets quite cold in the castle at night.

Classes were very interesting too, learning magic is always great. If she could become proficient enough she could become like mommy. A brilliant witch that was able to create spells. Really pretty spells.

Of course, she will have to be careful with those. Exploding is not something she wants to occur while creating a new spell. Poor mommy. I miss her.

Just yesterday, she had the best day of her stay in the school. She sat with Link his friends and Ginerva. It was great being with her friend again. She should join more often, Link seems to do that.

I can't wait for tomorrow, it's exciting. I am sure I can find the Crumple Horned Snorkack here. I can feel it.

Halloween was a pleasant affair. Link and Rose were invited to Sir Nicholas' death day. Though it was awkward with the headless hunt, it was still a novel experience. They left a little early so that they could get to the feast.

Luna had wanted to come but then was distracted by a creature which she ran off to look for it. She did tell them to go on without her.

They were happy to see her present in the Great Hall enjoying the feast with Ginny sitting with her at the Ravenclaw table. Looks like they will sit there today.

As soon as they sat down, they were bombarded with questions on where they were and what they were doing.

Conversation flowed and the night was merry. Thankfully there were no interruptions this time.

It was towards the end of the feast that Dumbledore rose from his chair and walked to the podium. The hall went silent to hear what he had to say.

"Students, I hope you have enjoyed the feast and I wish you all a happy All Hallows eve. I was just informed by our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor that he wishes to establish a duelling club." He stopped a bit here to motion for Lockhart to stand, which he did with a smile and wave. "He shall be in charge of the club alongside Professor Snape. Sign-up sheets shall be posted in your common rooms. Now, Professor, a few words before we end the feast?"

Gilderoy Lockhart sauntered his way to the podium with smug satisfaction.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, for the opportunity. As you have heard, the Headmaster had deemed it a good idea to teach you students some practical lessons on how to use the spells on others, of course, it shall all be done in a safe environment. The club shall be held once per week for every year. 1st years on Monday, 2nd years on Tuesday, etc… I hope to see you all in the club which shall start in a week's time. Thank you"

With that he bowed, his award-winning smile still gracing his face as he waved the applause from the majority of the students.

The students were excited, it will come as no surprise that the majority of students intend to sign up for the club, though the students in their 5th or 7th year will be less likely as they have their OWLs/NEWTs to study for. They will sign up of course, but their attendance will be conditional on their workload that week.

Finally, I have a chance.

Draco may dislike the current DADA professor, but the idea for a duelling club is just too good to pass up. Especially when he will have the opportunity to battle that mudblood Granger.

What could a mudblood, even one that does good in classes, be able to do against a pureblood elite that has spells not taught in this school?

Exactly, it's his win no matter what Granger does. Now that it's a magical duel, Granger won't be allowed to be physical.

'I'll teach that lowly thing what it means to offend a Malfoy. I will get him, and I will humiliate him.'

The week went by quickly with little interest, save of course the quidditch game which Gryffindor won with Rose getting the snitch.

Other than that, Link was showing more and more of his magical prowess. He was the main topic brought up by the teachers, of course, there was no opportunity to showcase his true ability. Unlike his old world, there are no clear demarcation in spells and the level of a wizard. Mostly because as mentioned before, the spells of this world were made in a way that a mage has no real need to study the structure of the spell to use it.

So mages from Level 1 to Level 6 could use the same spells and no one would be able to tell the difference, based on usage. Not the power of the spell, nor the frequency, and not the speed of casting. It's those little nuances that really separate the power levels of mages. At least at the beginning. A Level 7 spell is impossible for a level 6 mage.

There are a number of reasons why that is, one is that a level 6 mage does not have the power necessary to utilise said spell. Another is that a level 7 spell goes beyond just the words and wand movement. Arithmancy becomes essential for the later stages of magic. To know the structure of the spell is one thing, but to truly use the spell it must be altered to fit you specifically. That is the main reason why very few are able to reach level 7.

Those that are not ready, or are unable to truly understand it will face heavy consequences should they try to force their way.

As there are no occasions to showcase his Peak level 5 power, he settles to show himself as more knowledgeable than his peers. If he were to guess correctly, the professors know that I am way ahead of my peers, but not by how much. Nor do they realise that I could take my OWLs and come out with the best grades right now.

The duelling club should prove beneficial to show that in terms of combat he is also well above his peers.

Not that that is much of an accomplishment, they are but children after all. However, Link will not allow himself to be considered only above average. He is the best, will be the best, and was always the best. Everyone will know it. Link will be the second coming of Merlin.

The entirety of the second years were present in the Great hall. They had heard yesterday from the first years that they had learned a new spell, but that Snape was not present that day. They were taught the Knockback jinx - 'Flipendo'.

A Good spell, one that Link had used last year. It is an effective spell if one knows how and when to use it.

They were just milling around, the students grouping themselves according to their house. Though Link and Rose were the exceptions.

They were startled when Lockhart loudly announced his arrival.

"Hello, Students! How glad I am to see you here. I'm sorry for the late arrival, I had to make sure a certain Potions Professor is present today. Welcome, Professor Snape."

There were some splattering of applause, more so for the DADA professor rather than the dour head of Slytherin.

"Today, and until the spells are mastered by the majority, we shall teach you two of the most important spells for any duelist. I hope you take the lessons today seriously, you never know when you might find yourself in need of such spells." Lockhart was uncharacteristically serious today, though the smile was still present. "The first spell is the Shield Charm - 'Protego'. This spell allows you to block a majority of spells and physical objects. It is very useful in a duel. The second spell is the Disarming Charm - 'Expelliarmus'. This spell allows you to disarm a wizard of their wand effectively ending the duel."

Everyone was excited about that, even Link couldn't find fault in what the Professor was teaching. They are both second-year spells, so they aren't difficult. However, they are essential. Link had made sure to practice these spells thoroughly till he mastered them. Now he can cast the spell in half the time it would take for another to do so.

Of course, he had also taught Rose these very spells and had insisted that she practise them as often as possible. She became quite proficient in them. So much so, she is slightly faster in casting the spell than others would be.

When she heard what they will be taught today, Rose shot Link a grin. Smug in the fact that they are ahead of their peers in this. Though she was also disappointed that she won't be learning anything new.

As if reading her thoughts, Link leaned in and whispered.

"Don't worry, now that you are proficient in the shield charm I will teach you a variant of it this weekend. If done properly, not only will you be able to block a spell, but you can also reflect the spell back to its caster. Though you will have to practice to get good at aiming."

That elicited a huge grin from the girl. That would be amazing.

Content with the awe and attention he was getting from the students, Lockhart beamed and continued speaking.

"Wonderful, now allow myself and Professor Snape the pleasure of demonstrating the two spells. Don't worry, you will still have your Potions Professor when I'm done with him." He allowed himself a little wink here to play the crowd."Professor, if you may."

Sneering, Snape made his way to the duelling platform. He was now standing opposite the annoying professor.

Lockhart, despite outward appearances, is very much aware of his true wizarding capabilities. He knows that there is no way he will be able to last even a second against a seasoned wizard such as Severus Snape. He was after all one of the more powerful wizards in England. So, to save himself from a very probable humiliation, he chose to address it before it even began.

"Now, children, this demonstration is purely for your benefit. I see no merit in placing myself against a normal wizard. After all, I am an Order of Merlin: 3rd class winner and an honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League. So, in order to avoid bruising some egos, I shall allow Professor Snape to cast the disarming charm first and not counter it. That way, you shall bear witness to not only how the spell works, but one of the few times it will land on me. Truly, a rare sight indeed. After that, I shall cast the spell, weakened of course, while Professor Snape shall demonstrate the shield charm. Is everyone with us? Perfect. Now, Professor cast at will."

With that, Lockhart stood still with his wand pointed down. The man was so good at acting its a miracle he hadn't fallen for his lies yet. There is nothing to point out here, he played his role perfectly. No one can nitpick on his qualifications that way.

Snape was gritting his teeth furiously here. To think that such an obviously weak wizard would dare show off in front of him. Not only that but to have the audacity to talk down to him as though he was better? Needless to say, he would have humiliated the man had Dumbledore not warned him against such a thing. 'One must foster relations with colleagues; he says. Bah, if it weren't because he couldn't find another teacher he would not have cared enough to give the warning'.

'Oh well, I should tone it down a bit. Don't want to send him flying.'

Nodding once, Snape raised his wand, did the movements clearly and slowly, and enunciated the word clearly. An obvious show of sending a weakened spell. At least obvious to those who understood magic. Namely Link.

"Expelliarmus!"

A blue jet rocketed towards Lockhart. The result, simply the wand flying through the air and landing by Snape's feet.

"And there you have it, students. A perfectly executed disarming spell. See how my wand was forcibly removed from my hand. As you know, a wizard or witch without their wand is near defenceless. Please a hand of applause for our Potions Professor."

As he was talking, Lockhart had nonchalantly walked across the platform and picked up his wand. Smiling broadly all the way. There was a bit of applause, mainly from those in green.

"Now, Professor if you please, demonstrate the shield charm while I cast the disarming spell. This is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the shield charm. Pay attention please, you will be doing this exercise momentarily. Are you ready Professor?"

With a sneer, Snape nodded his head grudgingly.

"Expelliarmus"

"Protego"

Once more, Snape displayed the movement slowly and enunciated clearly. As despicable as the man is, he is a competent wizard and a competent teacher when he chooses to be.

"Excellent. Have you all seen? Great, now we have an hour and a half left for our club time. For now and the next 2 sessions I want you all to practice the two spells. Get a good feel to them. Then we can see to maybe having a duelling match between you students, what do you say?"

It was here that Link finally understood the wizard called Gilderoy Lockhart. After observing him for two months, and attending his classes and now this club it was clear to see.

Two weeks ago there was the incident with the Cornish pixies. The way the man reacted had caused his reputation to dampen a bit, this club is a way to make it better.

Link concluded that Lockhart was a coward. Or at the very least, prone to panicking when faced with a situation out of his control.

That does not mean he is an incompetent wizard. In fact he is well within average in his ability. Nowhere near the worst, but nowhere near the best either.

That makes him a good teacher because he could relate more with his students. Unlike Snape who is very much among the best of the country, if not the world, though that is not his only problem as a teacher.

However, being a coward, Lockhart can never be a battle mage. Meaning he is a good wizard, but will never win a fight. And that's ok, some mages are made for battle, and some are made as scholars. Link was both.

But what was not ok was that his books clearly portray him as a battle master. Which, again, is impossible. So that means the books are merely works of fiction that were passed of as reality.

Lockhart was a coward and a fraud. However, as he had not hurt anyone, Link was more inclined to let him off the hook. There was no reason to antagonize the guy. Plus there was no proof unless of course, Link beats him in a duel, which is rather simple really. They are both the same power level, but power, unless overwhelming, is very rarely the cause of victory in battle. Link had the edge in every other category. Even power is only a matter of time before he eclipses everyone on the planet.

So lost was Link in his thoughts, he did not notice that his body moved on its own, as though on auto-pilot. He was before a target and was speed casting the disarming charm in quick succession. He would cast 5 or 6 times the charm in the span it took the ones next to him to cast 1 or 2 times the charm. Not only that, but each and every one of his spells would hit the exact same spot.

He did not notice by his tenth cast that the students started paying attention, or that by the 20th cast the teachers were paying attention, or by the 30th cast that he was the centre of awe from the students and shock from the professors who know the true meaning behind such extreme casting.

Unknowingly, Link had accomplished what he wished to portray. His extreme magical prowess. As the amount of mana needed to accomplish the task was immense.

All the while, Rose stood by him proudly, looking for all the world as though she was the one performing the impossible task. She knew Link was amazing, this just made it so others also realised that.

Draco was numb.

He had thought with his pureblood heritage that he would be better.

That he would be able to overwhelm Granger.

That he could launch so many spells at the mudblood that he would repay all the humiliation he felt at his hands.

He thought… wrong.

Stand in the hall, bearing witness to the literal magical canon that was Link Granger, he knew. Knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he can not overwhelm that monster. 10 of him wouldn't be able to.

That means to beat Granger, he would have to ambush him and go straight for his most powerful spell. 'Otherwise, it's my loss' he thought grimly watching the boy finally stop casting, looking surprised so many were watching him.

He needs to tell his father. A mudblood is getting powerful.

Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore were in his office working on some paperwork for the school. As Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, they catered to most aspects of the goings and comings of Hogwarts.

They work on the schedules per year and per house so that there are no conflicting times. They did the schedules multiple times for each house, for each year and for each professor. That way they were 100% certain there were no errors.

They also work on the budget for the year. Everything from getting new equipment, like brooms and parchment, to ingredients for potions.

It was tiring work. Running a school was demanding. Running a school like Hogwarts is doubly so. Hogwarts is one of the best magic schools in the world, within the top five at least. It has retained its position despite the country having gone through war. Mostly due to the Headmaster, otherwise, there was a big possibility that it may have fallen due to the Dark Lord.

The fact that Dumbledore holds 2 other positions as the Chief Worlock in the Wizengamot and the Head Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards all the more impressive. The fact that he has to go through paperwork 10 times many on a near regular basis is worthy of respect, regardless of your opinion of the man.

While the Chief Worlock position is not as influential as that of the Minister of Magic, it still holds considerable political sway.

As for the ICW, it is true that it holds immense influence, its main purpose is relegated to international instances. It does not interfere with the inner workings of a country unless it was asked to. It was their interference that finally stopped Grindelwald 46 years ago, and they were close to interfering with Voldemort had he not met his demise at the hands of Rose Potter 11 years ago.

Of course, it was Dumbledore that stopped Grindelwald. However, the reason he was able to get close to Grindelwald in the first place was due to the army the ICW sent in to neutralise the opposing party's army. Brave Wizards and Witches from all over the world worked together under the flag of the ICW to stop a war that was waged on a global scale.

But I digress.

It was during this meeting that Snape and Lockhart barged into, a half-hour before their club time was supposed to end.

"Ahh, Severus, Gilderoy, how wonderful to see you. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"No, Headmast-"

"Don't mind if I do"

Gilderoy interrupted the dour professor, taking a piece of candy and popping it in his mouth.

Dumbledore, it seemed couldn't be more delighted that someone finally took some candy. Eyes twinkling and expression set in grandfatherly acceptance with a soft smile.

"Now, what is it you needed me for?"

Reigning in his irritation, Snape grit his teeth and answered, though there was an underlying feeling of shock, that Dumbledore was able to pick up on.

"Link Granger… he is powerful."

"Oh? It is my understanding that we already knew that he was a prodigy. It is why we've been giving him extra problems for him to solve in his classes. Isn't that right, Minerva?"

"Yes, that's right. In fact, from what I gather, Mr Granger is doing very well despite these exercises. I would not be surprised if he can compete on equal footing with most 3rd years, and some fourth years."

She was proud that such a student was in her school. He is bound to be noticed on the international stage soon due to his prowess in magic. Needless to say, she has very high expectations of his future. She wasn't the only one, Dumbledore was also very happy. Especially because he seemed to be much better company than a young Riddle.

"That is not what I meant, Headmistress. Granger seems to be more powerful than we previously thought." It was easy to see that Snape was being more serious than usual, which intrigued the two Professors.

"I'll say. In fact, he seems to be almost as powerful as I was at that age. You might have another me in the future."

Lockhart might have been keeping a calm facade, with his usual flare to everything, but on the inside, he was terrified. That student is powerful. And he is skilled. If he were to duel there is a possibility that he might lose. His reputation would be ruined. He'd need to steer clear of that child.

The two took what he said with a grain of salt. They were his teachers when he was still in Hogwarts. They knew exactly how skilled he was with a wand.

"I believe it would be more prudent to see exactly what you meant. Severus, would you be so kind as to share your memory with us?"

While speaking, he summoned his pensive from the back.

Nodding, Snape placed the memory in the liquid. The four Professors watched with clear awe as a student that had known about magic for all of 1 year and 2 months, perform magic with skill, precision and power.

They noticed three incredible things. 1st that his wand did not make the required movement for the spell. 2nd he was casting silently. 3rd he was casting at extreme speed.

It was silent for a few moments before Dumbledore broke the silence.

"It seems to me, that Link Granger is likely a once in a Millennia Genius. I think we should ask him to come by during the weekend so that we may ascertain his true level. It would be remiss of us to hold back such a promising Wizard. Do you agree?"

It was agreed, they will see him on Saturday with the rest of the teachers, who shall be informed about the development in the morning.

It didn't take long for the school to become aware of what had transpired in the duelling club.

Overnight, Link Granger became the new topic of gossip amongst the students. Though, most took the information with a grain of salt, sceptical of the boy's true prowess.

While Link appeared entirely unaffected by the attention, Rose was as proud as could be. Her friend was getting the recognition he deserved and for once, she wasn't the one being stared at.

However, she was a bit annoyed at her roommates and the rest of the female population of the school when they gossiped about him. Though she didn't understand where the irritation came from, she didn't like it.

Soon, Saturday came by and Link was sitting in the Headmaster's office again, surrounded by the Professors.

"Good morning, Mr Granger. Thank you for coming on your day off."

"No problem, Headmaster. May I know what you need me for?"

"As I'm sure you know, your display of magical ability during the duelling club on Tuesday has left us rather in awe."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, the reason we are here with the professors is to try and ascertain what level you are at so that we do not hold you back in your education. Is that alright with you?"

Looking around the room, Link was met with the encouraging faces of his Professors, though Snape remained impassive. Thinking about it, he thought this would be ideal. If he played it right, he could receive unlimited access to the forbidden section of the Library.

"I don't mind, Headmaster. Should we proceed now?"

"Perfect. Yes, if you don't mind. Though I must warn you, this will likely stretch till dinner time."

"No problem"

And so it began, question after question. Demonstration after demonstration. Link did everything flawlessly.

Soon, it was only the teachers present. All speechless, and all in awe.

"I can't believe it. Headmaster, he is somewhere between 5th years and 6th years. He could pass his OWLs. We just have to test him on the electives." Flitwick was truly astonished, and proud. A student, from his house, in his lifetime, it leaves one feeling giddy.

"I agree. He will take his OWLs at the end of the year, and considering his grades will take the NEWTs the next year."

They nodded, excited for the year-end.

A/N: hope you enjoyed the chapter.