Professor Potter gave a resigned sigh, pulling out his wand.

"Sword or no?"

"No," Ginny said hastily, "I don't want this to turn into another dueling lesson."

She raised a hand to her hair and messed it up, saying in a poor imitation of Harry, "Parry, Ginny! PARRY!"

"Are you criticizing my teaching methods, Miss Weasley?" Professor Potter asked dangerously. They were now both circling each other with their wands raised.

"Not at all, Professor," said Ginny mockingly, "Tangeratella!"

"Protego," cried the Professor, laying a shielding charm so strong that the curse rocketed of it and hit a plate of chicken drumsticks. The drumsticks exploded into movement and started to do what appeared to be a tap dance. The students gasped (Not as one. That would just be weird,) and applauded.

"Har-ry!" Ginny complained, "How am I supposed to get past that shield? Accio!"

The sword from one of the suits of armour flew towards her, and she caught it effortlessly.

"En garde!" she called, pointing the sword squarely at Harry. He swished back his cloak and in one fluid movement unsheathed a golden sword, with rubies the size of eggs inlaid in the handle. The snake wrapped around his arm hissed menacingly.

What followed would have to have been one of the most incredible duels that Hogwarts had ever seen, with blades and wands working in perfect harmony, movements so fast that they seemed a mere blur.

What was eve more astonishing was that they would all tell neither dueler was really trying to achieve such a level of perfection. They both seemed perfectly happy to hurl hexes at each other, and neither seemed particularly interested in disarming the other.

Quite suddenly, the flurry of movement stopped, and both stood casually regarding each other, Harry casually tossing his sword from hand to hand. But then he sighed.

"Truce?" asked the Professor, sheathing his sword. Ginny sighed reluctantly.

"All right, Potter. You win this one."

Harry grinned in satisfaction and turned to Dumbledore.

"Sir, this is Ginny Weasley, a friend of mine, unfortunately for me."

Ginny laughed cheekily, flicking back her sheet of red hair.

"And it appears," Harry continued heavily, "That she has hunted me down."

The red head gave a self-satisfied smile, and seated herself on the table, flicking her wand casually at the dancing drumsticks. The tap dance changed to a tango.

"So, with your permission, sir, she'll be helping me with my classes this year." Harry asked of Dumbledore, but his eyes were widened meaningfully at Ginny. She simply smiled demuely back.

"Of course, of course," Dumbledore said affablely, smiling at the girl in benevolence, "The more the merrier."

"Cool! Will they have to call me Professor?" asked Ginny eagerly.

"Miss Weasley will be fine," said Harry firmly. Ginny pouted.

"Don't think you got off from being bat-bogeyed, Potter," she muttered, fingering her wand.

"Sit down and shut up," said the Professor pleasantly. A few students gave nervous laughs. Ginny glared daggers at them.

"Ginny, you aren't allowed to hex the students," Harry said patiently, with the air of one explaining that two plus two was four to an obstinate child.

"Shut it, Potter," she said, not at all quietly. Again the students laughed, but this time Ginny laughed with them, before conjuring a chair next to Harry and sitting down.

"Hello," he said, noticing that every student eye was on the pair. "Is there a problem?"

Hastily, the students resumed their chatter.

"Cool," James said, looking at the newest professor in admiration.

"And gorgeous," Sirius added. James raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't know you swung that way, Padfoot."

"I mean the girl, Ginny, you dolthead," Sirius snapped, giving James a clip round the ear, "But look at Middlestone going starry eyed!"

The Marauders looked over to the Hufflepuff table to see Sandra Middlestone, officially prettiest girl at school, gazing at Potter with a sappy expression in her vacant blue eyes. James looked round and realized that just about every girl in the room, with the exception of Lily Evans, was mirroring her expression. The professor turned his head and Remus gasped.

"James, he's your twin!"

"What?" asked James, confused, "Moony, I'm an only child, remember?"

Remus raised his eyes heavenward, marveling at the stupidity of hi friend. Sirius glanced at Professor Potter, who was talking animatedly to Flitwick, and saw it too.

"Prongs, he's like, your carbon copy."

James frowned.

"Weird. Same surname, too. Maybe he's some distant relative."

"Well, we can find out tomorrow. We've got him first thing."

"This is going to be an interesting year," Sirius reflected, helping himself to apple crumble.

"Yeah," James agreed, but he was not looking at the professor. His eyes had swiveled, as they so often did, to the delicate profile of Lily Evans.

But she didn't notice.