Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I am putting to rest some of the worries that people have had. There will be no romance until Harry is capable of hormonally induced responses (i.e. has started to go through puberty).

Kage Mirai: I don't think I'll be using that particular pairing in this story. If you have any secondary ships in which Draco is concerned, I'll be happy to use them.

This is dedicated to the very perceptive reviewer, uten.

"So, Black, did they expel you? Are you packed?"

Harry looked up from his breakfast to see Weasley's ugly face. "Why would I be expelled? All I did was save a classmate from an out-of-control broom."

Weasley's face reddened. "You think you're so smart? How about a Wizards duel? Then we'll see who's smarter."

Harry stood up. "Weasley, am I to understand that you are challenging me?"

"Yes—don't you know what a Wizards Duel is?" he asked sneering.

Harry sighed. "Very well. I, Harold Ophiuchus, Dominus Black, of the lines Black and Evans, do accept the challenge set forth by Ronald Weasley, Oath Breaker..." he paused. "Draco Lucian Malfoy, of the lines Malfoy and Black, is my second. Yours?"

Weasley turned around and sized up his two cronies: "Dean." The tall black boy nodded his acceptance.

"Good. As the Challenged I name rules. The duel will take place tonight at midnight in the secondary trophy room. There will be no contact—wands only. Do you accept?"

Weasley nodded.

"Good. Now go away."

After they left, Draco turned to Harry: "Do you think he'll go through with it?"

"He's a Gryffindor; they aren't usually very smart. He'll be there."

Draco smirked, "Don't go easy on him."

Harry smirked back, "I don't intend to."

"Where are they?"

Harold shrugged. "They'll be here."

Suddenly the door slammed open, and Weasley and Thomas sauntered in.

"You're late."

"I am not."

"Whatever you say…. Shall we get started?"

"If you're not to scared."

Harry took off his cloak and handed it to Draco. Then he stepped into the circle that he and Draco had drawn. "Are you prepared?"

Weasley nodded. "I am."

Harry nodded at Draco, who took out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling. "Three, two, one!"

Fire shot out of his wand, and Harry pointed his wand at Weasley: "Brevis Dolor!"

Weasley gasped and fell to his knees, where he pointed his wand at Harry and…shot sparks at him.

"Is that really all you know?" Harry sighed. "Stupefy."

Weasley fell flat on his face, and Thomas rushed forward brandishing his wand.

"Stupefy."

Thomas fell to the floor.

As they left the room, Draco said, "I thought you weren't going easy on them!"

The next morning, Harry and Draco were greeted by the sight of two very bruised Gryffindors.

"Well, Weasley, I must say this is a vast improvement on your usual looks," Draco said, while Harry chuckled quietly to himself.

"Sod off!" The red-haired boy then turned around and tripped over his robes, falling flat on his face…again.

Harry's raucous laughter echoed around the Hall. Everyone looked at the Slytherin table, surprised that the usually withdrawn boy was laughing so merrily.

"May I ask what is so funny, Mr. Black?"

Harry looked up at Dumbledore and, gasping for air, pointed at Weasley.

"You find your classmate's misfortune funny."

Harry, still laughing, said, "Yes!"

Dumbledore frowned, "I think I need to see you after classes today."

Harry straightened. "Yes, sir."

Harry's merry gaze shifted to its normal blandness the minute Dumbledore left the hall. He let out a cold chuckle. "Old fool."

Draco looked at him shocked: "You were faking it!"

"Of course."

"But it sounded so real!"

"I am an excellent actor."

"You actually want to see Dumbledore?!" he asked incredulously. "Why?"

"It's time to show him my true face."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He thinks that he has me in his grasp, that I will bow to his wishes…. I will show him how wrong he is; he will know that the Black family bows to no one."

"You're worse than my father sometimes, with all your talk of family honor."

"Draco, the honor of the family is second in importance only to the continuation of the family. Your father is in the right."

"I suppose…but isn't it unwise to show Dumbledore your hand."

"No. I wish for him to live with the fear that someday I will avenge myself upon him."

"Isn't it a bit extreme? I mean, sure, he tried to put you with muggles…"

"He did put me with muggles," Harry said darkly, "for eight months."

"What did they do to you?"

He received no response.

Harry walked up to the stone Gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. He tried the password that Snape had given him (Chocolate Frogs), but it didn't open. After a few minutes of trying different candies (in case he had heard wrong), he leaned in and hissed in Parseltounge, "As the last Heir of Slytherin, I demand that you open." The Gargoyle jumped aside, revealing a revolving staircase, which, when Harry stepped onto it, began to move. At the top was a rather large door. Harry knocked firmly.

"Come in, Harry."

Harry opened the door and walked over to the chair in front of the large desk. "Sir, I have not given you leave to address me as such. You may continue to call me, 'Mr. Black.'"

Dumbledore sighed sadly, "Can you not forgive an old man his mistake, Harry?"

"If you refuse to address me as 'Mr. Black,' then perhaps you would be more comfortable calling me 'Dominus Black,' which I can by right insist upon."

"Harry…"

Harry rose out of his chair, eyes cold. "You will address me as Dominus Black."

"Harry, you must know that I meant no harm. I truly believed you were James Potter's son."

Harry glared at the man. When he spoke his voice was hard: "Do you know how long it took my grandmother to remove the Glamorie you placed on me? I looked like James Potter until I was seven-years-old! So don't try to lie to me, old man. And, for the last time, you will address me as 'Dominus Black'!"

"Very well, Dominus Black. You are dismissed."

Harry sneered and slammed the door on his way out.

"So how did it go?"

"He didn't even mention my behavior in the Great Hall"

"So what happened?"

"He isn't aware that I'm plotting vengeance, but he definitely knows that I abhor him."

"Is that good?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay…. Do you want to go to dinner now?"

"No, you go ahead; I'm just going to get some sleep."

"All right."

Harry collapsed on his bed. Oculi hissed her displeasure when he threw the covers aside.

"Master is upset. Why?"

"The fool made me angry."

"Should I kill him, Master?"

"No—that would create a whole new set of problems. We will just lie in wait. Like the sand snake, we will not strike until our prey is one step away from stepping on us."

"But I don't want to be a sand snake." There was a whine in the basilisk's hiss.

Harry chuckled: "I said we will act 'like the sand snake,' not that we will be sand snakes."

"As long as I don't have to be one."

"You don't," he reassured her. "Good night." He kissed the tip of her snout, and they both fell asleep.