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Flitwick was extremely impressed by his student who was already outdoing all his expectations. He was ready for the next step, beyond just spells and striking staff to staff. It was time to teach him the other possibilities that dueling offered. "Staff work," Flitwick stated knowing that he had a captive audience, "It is not just about striking staff to staff, that is how most people start out, but it is truly so much more," he explained getting the boy on his feet. "Beyond the physical fighting, staff work is still something that has a magical focus."

Harry looked up slightly confused, wondering how it could be as he didn't think magic could be done without a wand.

He understood the confusion of course, remembering how he did not understand how the two could compare, wands and staff when he first began. "You need to feel your magic," Flitwick stated gently. "It is everywhere, in you, it's under your control. You do not need a wand to manipulate it, use your staff and body."

Harry ran through a number of movements slowly as ordered by his dueling master.

Flitwick nodded since he was doing well. "Focus and draw at it, it is important that you can feel it," Flitwick said. "This is a martial art similar to tai chi, muggles do it. However, with wizards, its good training to access your core. Slowly gaining the feel of it. The more you know it, the better you can access it with the staff or in a fight. It is a part of you. Focus your mind, relax your energy...feel that buzz beneath your skin, you need to find your magic, feel for it..."

Harry listened trying to do what he was told, and Flitwick continued to talk him through the steps. "When you have it, in your grasp you can push and pull, it is a part of you, yours to control," Flitwick explained. "It will take time, I don't expect you to access it now, but you must do the same with the staff in your hand. Use your body, the staff as a magical focus. Just like your wand. The staff is an extension of yourself. It is a focus, with its movements, draw out your magic."

It took multiple lessons and Flitwick slowly teaching him to draw on his magical core before Harry figured out the steps to accessing it. It was a completely different feel then magic with a wand. The first time he managed to access his core, he nearly collapsed half way through the motions. Flitwick gave him pepperups and helped him sit up.

"Well done," Flitwick said gently ordering a house elf to bring hot chocolate. "Its extremely draining until you get use to the draw of magic. Its less controlled then a wand. A wand minimalizes the magical drain on your core and helps focus your magic but a staff uses more power. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been casting spells for hours with the training dummies," Harry admitted taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Sugar is important, it rejuvenates your energy," Flitwick stated. "You have burnt a lot of energy. You are not to try this again without me present or within the next two days. You don't want to hurt your core."

Harry agreed quickly knowing that he wouldn't warn him not to unless it was important. He enjoyed the hot chocolate as Flitwick laid out potential uses as well as dangers using the staff as a magical draw on his magic. Harry had never had hot chocolate before joining Flitwick with his lessons and enjoyed the treat as well as the comradery between himself and the professor who was taking time out of his busy days as a professor and as a head of house to train him.

Two days later, Flitwick had him practice again, this time, accessing his magic came easier. Still, despite the easier access to his magic, he still found himself so exhausted he nearly passed out. A pepperup and a hot chocolate gave him the energy to return to his common room, collapsing into bed to sleep it off. Every two days he was brought in to work on his core in a separate training session then with his wand or just normal staff work. Careful not to drain his core too often. The more he did the exercises that his dueling master set, the less drained he felt.

Professor Flitwick taught him exercises that would draw at his magical core but not exert too much energy for the in-between and was amazed at the child's progress. He had a feeling that Harry was going to be an impressive dueler however he had no idea just how quickly the child would take to the lessons. It was amazing to watch the changes the boy showed on the dueling platform. When he was in the room practicing, he lost some of the broken lost and empty look in his eyes. He saw him smile again. Something he had worried the child no longer knew how to do.

Already he was making plans for the next task set to make the child into a true dueler. He was doing so well that Flitwick felt that he had deserved a treat. Something to look forward to. He would have to speak with Albus but he had no doubt that it would be possible. He was looking forward to seeing the child's expression as they would go for a day outside the school which felt like a prison to the child. Any doubts he had about taking on a student after so many years faded as he watched the child grow before his eyes.