Authors note: I know the chapters are shorter than normal, but I am ready to wrap up this portion of the story and move on. Bigger and better things await us starting with Chapter 12. Please read and review!

Chapter 10: The N.E.W.T. Duel

Time flies when you only have a little of it. Over the last two months Harry had become powerful. He had become a different person. Cool, collected, and his attention to detail was sharper than ever. Rayne had to admit that she had done an amazing job.

It was now the day before Valentines Day. Rayne woke up knowing that her DADA match was today. She realized that was competing for the NEWT against none other than Harry Potter. Harry woke up and had the same realization.

"Go easy on me today will you?" He asked her.

She turned to face him.

"Not a chance." She smiled.

She knew this was their last day together. They had grown closer than ever over the past two months. They had shared some tender moments with each other, and somewhere along the way, even though she wasn't sure exactly when, they had fallen hard for each other. They tried to excuse what they were feeling as due to the amount of time they had been spending together, and the fact that practicing everything from spells to kissing had clouded their minds. Rayne knew she didn't want it to end. She leaned in on him and kissed his forehead. And he seized her lips, he kissed her passionately, which she might add, he had perfected over the last few months. Finally he released her and went to get ready for the battle.

"Wow, I am gonna really miss that." They both thought unbeknownst to the other.

They finally got into class and prepared to fight. Harry went to one side and Rayne went to the other. The rest of the class lined up on both sides of the dueling platform.

"I hope you know that I will not be taking it easy on you in any way." Harry said to her

"I would expect no less of you, but be warned I can be quite the opponent." She replied.

"I have fought in enough battles where a girl doesn't scare me, besides I know your moves." Harry replied knowing that with Rayne's short temper, this would push her buttons.

"We'll just see how much your little battles meant when you see what I have to offer. You think you know how to fight me, but you have no idea. The lessons have been child's play. Today I will show you what you are in store for in the real fight." Rayne practically screamed at him.

At that moment Professor Hoppytoad entered the room much to the disappointment of the class, who were looking forward to more banter from the competitors.

"As you all know, this duel will determine who will be awarded the N.E.W.T., Will the contestants please take their fighting stances." Professor Hoppytoad announced to the class.

They took there fighting stances and Professor Hoppytoad signaled for the duel to begin.

Harry yelled "EXPELLIARMUS" but Rayne dodged easily out of the way and ducked low while kicking his feet out from under him. Harry fell hard to the floor.

"You'll have to do far better than that Potter!" Rayne laughed.

He jumped back up and shouted "STUPEFY" Rayne fell back, but got back up much to the shock and amazement of the class. Usually a person hit with that spell would be knocked unconscious. This continued for about 45 minutes. Finally Rayne dropped her wand. She ran full speed at Harry. He dropped his wand and they started sparring. Rayne threw punches faster than Harry knew what hit him. Harry was landing a few good ones himself. But Rayne was quick and Harry was quickly becoming worn out. Everyone in the class was watching shocked at the advanced level of their fighting skills. Suddenly Harry went down. Rayne had flipped him over her arms and threw him across the room. Harry got up and stood staring at Rayne suddenly he noticed her wand on the floor. If her wand was right next to him, what was that light? He looked up and saw Rayne standing in fighting stance with blue energy emitting from her hands. She threw her hand forward and released the energy catching Harry off guard. He barely dodged it.

"Good one Solara, but you have to be quicker than that." Harry quipped.

Suddenly he felt a presence in his mind.

"Rayne what are you doing?" Harry said out loud

"What Voldemort would do. Defend yourself, practice for the battle." She said to him.

Then, she screamed. It echoed through his head like someone had stabbed him and was twisting the knife in his brain. He fell. He looked up at Rayne. Her body was glowing blue. She calmly lifted her hand and amazingly Harry was lifted also. It was then that Harry realized she was elemental. He had never known she was this powerful. He tried to fight it with everything he had. He couldn't break her hold on him. He knew he had to break her concentration.

"Rayne, you are just like your father." The words came out before he realized the mistake he made.

THUD. Harry hit the floor hard. Then he looked at her knowing he was in trouble. Her eyes were glowing.

"How dare you say that to me?!" She screamed. "I am trying to prepare you, I have no choice!"

She was angry, so angry she had started to glow a purple color. Harry now realized the reality of his error. She went back into fighting stance and just started hurling elemental energy at him. Finally, Harry had unleashed her power, and boy was he sorry. He was hit by one of her blasts and fell to the floor. He couldn't figure out what hit him. It felt like electricity and ice all at the same time. He wondered just exactly what kind of power she really did possess. He was struggling to his knees and looking toward his wand which was about five feet away from him now, thrown by the last blast. Then as suddenly as she had become upset, Rayne calmed down, and the glowing surrounding her vanished.

"Well fought Potter," she said in a calm voice that made Harry relax slightly, "I give you credit, you lasted longer than I thought you would, especially against my power, but now I think it is time to end our quarrel, I am becoming worn out. I know you didn't mean what you just said, so I will go easy on you."

With this Harry became uneasy, remembering the Divination class at the beginning of the year, he dove for his wand, but before he could grab it Rayne yelled "ACCIO WAND". The wand flew to her hand at lightning speed. "PETRIFICUS TOTALLUS" she screamed and faster than Harry knew what hit him he was petrified. It was over and simply by changing the pace of the fight suddenly, she had won.

"Brilliant strategy Miss Solara" the professor replied.

He gave Harry some Mandrake potion, which he kept on hand at all times in case this situation occurred, and he quickly was unpetrified.

"Miss Solara wins the NEWT." Professor Hoppytoad announced. The class cheered, they had never been witness to such an exciting battle.

"Mr. Potter, since you lasted so long, I will award you a NEWT as well. You two are great fighters. I feel sorry for the poor soul that crosses your paths." Rayne and Harry both smiled.

"Thank you." they said at the same time.

After that class of course the whole school was talking about Rayne's last ditch attempt to beat Harry. He matched everything she had thrown at him, even elemental power.

"Rayne you nearly killed me there." Harry said.

"I would never do such a thing." she replied. "I just wanted to use this as a practice for the battle. I only did what I think will be done to you. And you answered every challenge including using my one weakness to save yourself. I am impressed."

"I thought you were going to kill me when I said that." Harry said. "You changed the pace and I thought I was done for. After all that I can't believe you got me with a second year spell. I am so ashamed." He laughed.

"I was hoping to keep those powers a secret from Phoenix. Unfortunately, he saw the whole battle." Rayne told him.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that you had elemental magic?" Harry asked her. Part of him felt like she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him.

"If you had known, would you have worked as hard as you did? I think you would have thought that since I had such powers, I could defeat them on my own if you failed, and you didn't need to worry about training as hard." Rayne told him.

"You are probably right, but that was the old Harry. I am a different person now thanks to you." Harry replied.

"I know, and I'm very proud of the person you have become." Rayne confided in him.

"Thank you." He smiled

Later that night they were lying in bed. Harry was thinking about how to approach tomorrow, Valentines Day. Rayne was thinking of everything she was about to lose, and about the one detail she had not yet shared with Harry about tomorrow, the ritual. Suddenly, she grabbed Harry and kissed him pouring her heart and soul into the kiss. He returned the kiss, doing the same thing. She felt as if she didn't have a care in the world. As of tomorrow it would all be gone, but she decided to enjoy what was left of today. Harry knew what she was going through. It hurt him to have to put her through this, but like she had said, the world depended on it. Time was running out. The Dark Lords would attack soon, he just wondered how close together their attacks would be.