"Welcome to the Dueling Club!" Anna stood on the platform with Dumbledore, looking over some familiar faces and some not, Newt and Leta smiled up at her, the former waving a bit.

"Those of you who signed up have shown interest in furthering your defense against dark arts knowledge."

"Professor why is that mud-blood up there" A snide 6th year from Gryffindor house asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Miss Carrio will be assisting me, and we do not use terms like Mud-Blood in this room, Miss Gavell. Anyone who is hear to learn spells for the wrong reasons may leave immediately." Anna stared at the girl from Gryffindor who immediately backed down at Dumbledore's words, Leta gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"Today we will not be dueling, obviously, but we will pair off and work on defensive refresher spells, for example…" it was a matter of which caster was quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" Students looked on in surprise as Anna disarmed the elder wizard, "Very good, Anna!" There was applause scattered about the room as Dumbledore picked up his wand again, a proud smile plastered on his face.

"Most of you are ready for more advanced spells so we'll have our first years split off and work on the disarming charm, the rest of you will split off when we tell you too, from there Anna and I will be going around to check progress." The first years did as told and split off from the group.

"Alright, Onto the spell for second years. Anna?" The brunette stepped forward, doing her best to look confident. "Second years, you will be learning Protego, the shielding spell. This will be useful in knocking an opponent's spell away from you, so if Professor Dumbledore will once again help me demonstrate?" The student and teacher pair took their positions on the platform.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Dumbledore had tried to disarm Anna, who in turn was effective with her demonstration of the shielding spell, before launching a spell back, "STUPEFY!" Students watched with intrigue as their professor was knocked back.

"Second years, you will practice with these two spells only today, remember we will be coming around to check on you. Split off and begin practicing." Newt watched with admiration, the brunette certainly had a knack for teaching, he wondered if she'd become a professor while he went travelling the world, learning about his beasts…or maybe…if she'd travel with him. She quickly instructed the third years before finally moving onto their year.

"Alright forth years!" All eyes were on here, the Gryffindor girl from before clearly seemed impressed at how knowledgeable Anna was in the field.

"You will be working on Protego paired with Flipendo-tria." Leta had remembered reading about that spell.

"Flipendo-Tria is a tornado like jinx that will hit you rapid fire, you need to be quick on your toes to defend yourself, or you will go flying." She recounted her first experience with the spell last year. Students watched with interest as Dumbledore launched the offensive spell this time, Anna cast the shield spell and moved her arm in a triangular formation to avoid getting hit.

"Don't worry if it hit's you the first few time's, you will get it, I promise. All, right, pair off and practice." She watched Newt and Leta pair off, knowing Leta wouldn't go easy on him she grinned.

"Don't hurt him too much, Lestrange!" once instruction for the remaining 3 years had been given and everyone split off with their chosen partners Dumbledore looked around the crowd.

"Well done, Professor Carrio." She looked up at him with a strange expression. "I'm not good enough to be a teacher."

"On the contrary, you did wonderfully." Pink filled her peripheral vision. "Go on, I think some of the first years need some guidance." The too-wise-for-his-age wizard pushed her towards the first-year students and she jumped right in to showing them proper stance.

"See, your spells will be more effective if you keep your posture straight, otherwise your wand will misfire and you could get hurt, also remember to hold your wand lightly, it's an extension of your arm, move it like you would were your hand in water." Anna demonstrated, and the first years watched in awe. From across the room Newt watched, a dopey smile on his face, Leta took his distraction and blasted him backwards.

Anna looked up startled and quickly aimed her wand, "LEVICORPUS!" it caught the flying Hufflepuff boy by the leg and dangled him in the air before he could hit the wall.

"Let Newt be a fine example for what happens when you get distracted." She carefully lowered him to the ground.

"He fancies you, I think." A few of the first years giggled at the comment and Anna just smiled, "Yes, you could say that." She retained her composure, "All right, back to practice, the lot of you." They didn't even hesitate as she strode to her friend who looked entirely too apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Anna." She just smiled and offered him a hand up, "Oh Newt, use this as a lesson to not let your mind wander. Bad things could happen if this were an actual duel." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"Well, at least we know Leta will be a good challenge for you."

"Though I much think he'd prefer you." Leta teased, walking up to the couple. "I think I'd kill him, he'd be too busy watching me he'd forget to watch himself." Newt looked offended "Th-That is not…" he sighed, "Yeah, probably…"

"And the truth finally comes out." Anna teased, pecking him lightly on the cheek, a few 'Ewww's' Resounded from the first and second-year students and it only made the group of fourth years laugh.

Clearing his voice from the platform All eyes trailed to Dumbledore.

"All right you lot, clubs over for today. We'll see you back here, at the same time Thursday, eat something light." As students all filed out, she got pats on the back from students she'd never even had interactions with, surprised when Maria Gavell stopped by the door.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Anna was startled at the apology, "You really seem to know what you're doing, and if Dumbledore trusts you, then you can't be all bad."

At a loss for words she just smiled "Thank you, Maria, I'm Anna, by the way."

"I know, you've got a few admirers in Gryffindor house." The brunette was shell-shocked "Well, they're terrible at showing it."

"Aren't most guys?" Anna bit back the urge to laugh, "Well, sadly they'll have to admire from afar, I kind of already got someone." Anna looked back at Newt who was talking to Dumbledore.

"Yeah, word travels fast…and we all saw the kiss on the quidditch pitch." Annas face flushed pink as Dumbledore waved her over.

"I'd love to stay and talk, but I've been summoned." The two students waved good bye and she hurried over.

"Yes?"

"Well done today, Anna. I think you'd be a wonderful teacher someday." She blushed at the compliment. "I don't know…I always thought I'd wind up at a boring desk job somewhere in the ministry."

"Yes well, that seems to be a common occurrence among Hogwarts students. But your future is your own, should you decide you want to teach, I will vouch for you." She was startled, she didn't have to worry about career placement until 6th year but he was telling her she'd have a place at Hogwarts should she want it.

"Thank you so much, professor!" She beamed Newt clapped her on the back, but felt his hope fall a bit at the idea that they wouldn't always be together.

"All right you two, It's time for dinner, off you go." He all but pushed them towards the classroom door, "Oh, and Newt, you'll want to pay special attention to some of the spells the older students are utilizing in club meetings, they may prove useful soon." The door then closed on them and Newt was left with more questions than he wanted.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Dumbledore's always been a fan of riddles."

"Yeah, well, if I were in Ravenclaw I might find them endearing, but I've never been a fan of puzzles." Anna led him down the stairs towards the great hall.

"Well, if he's telling you to learn about the more advanced spells then maybe the final challenge requires advanced magic. If you'd like I can teach you more after classes let out for the day. I know Thursday we'd planned to—"

"Are you really going to become a teacher?" he hadn't meant to voice his thought, but it had just slipped out.

"What?"

"Are you really going to become a teacher here?"

"I don't…Newt, where is this coming from?"

"Dumbledore said if you wanted to teach he'd get you in, but we're only fourth years, we haven't even taken our .S yet, and then there's the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test's, and there's so much I want to show you, I'd hoped we could travel together, I don't want you to—"

"Whoa! Newt, slow down, breath." The reddish haired boy clamed himself down, "I only meant that…I'd like it if…if we could…I mean if it's not too much trouble…would you?" Anna tilted her head.

"Would I…travel with you?" he nodded, shyly, he had a habit of avoiding eye contact when he got nervous, but it was something she loved, it made him look cute.

"Newt, I'm sure we'll have so many wonderful adventures, both at school and away, but can we please focus on the here and now? I'm not saying no, I would love to travel the world with you, but I'm not a seer and the future is so far away." Newt was content with her answer.

"How about this." His seafoam colored eyes glanced upwards, "If we're still together at the end of seventh year, I won't take the teaching job and we can travel the world, living out of that crazy case of yours." She held out her hand to him.

"Promise?" He took her hand

"Promise."

If only the two Hufflepuffs knew just how entwined their fates were.