The rest of Harry's week followed the same basic pattern. He would have classes during the morning and afternoon. Afterwards, he and Draco would practice dueling under Professor Jones' supervision. He would then go to the library and study with Hermione. She could be annoying at times, but Harry was starting to get used to her. Besides, Hermione's need to show off her cleverness was offset by the fact that she actually was clever. With her help, Harry was able to finish his work more quickly than most of the other Slytherins, even though they had been tutored prior to entering Hogwarts. He got a twisted feeling of satisfaction whenever he walked into the common room and saw Vincent or Gregory working on their essays well into the night. Along the way, Harry had the chance to learn more about his new study partner. Hermione's parents were apparently dentists, and she too was an only child. Much like Harry, she had been stunned to learn about the magical world.

Apart from Draco and Hermione, his main chance to socialize with other students came at mealtime. This week, the majority of the conversation revolved around Quidditch. Draco had told the guys that he would also be trying out. Theo must have felt left out, because he took it upon himself to spend a couple of evenings at the Quidditch pitch scouting some of the upperclassmen that were getting ready for tryouts. He had confirmed their suspicion that there was no shortage of experienced Chasers and Beaters among the older students. The handful of candidates trying out for Keeper were only decent, but Flint favored staying on the offense, so it was unlikely that opposing teams would be taking many shots in the first place. The candidates for Seeker were by far the weakest of the lot. Some of them were decent fliers, but none of them had Draco's skill or Harry's instinct on a broom. On the whole, Theo was quite excited about their chances when he explained his observations over dinner that Thursday. At the same time, he was frustrated at the lack of practice time they had been putting in.

"I told you already," Draco replied, "we've been busy with something else."

Theo rolled his eyes his eyes. "Right, your daily visits with Professor Jones. Are you finally going to tell us what that's about?" A couple of the girls were listening in from the other end of the table, apparently also curious about what Draco and Harry had been up to.

"No. I think it makes me rather mysterious." He winked at the girls, and Tracy mimicked throwing up before turning back to Runcorn.

"What about you Harry? Will you be a sport and tell your friends what the two of you have been doing?"

Harry stared back at the lanky boy, and mimed zipping his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry slapped his forehead. "I forgot, wizarding clothes don't use zippers. It means I'm not going to tell you anything. You'll find out in a couple of days anyway."

It was true too, Jones had been increasingly antsy as each day went by. At their practice earlier that evening, she had kept them for an extra hour. Harry's focus over the past few days had been on mastering the disarming charm, and he had reached the point where it worked every time. Sometimes, it even knocked Draco off his feet. His floor movement had also improved, although he had always been fairly agile so the change was not as dramatic. The other boy still had the advantage when it came to spell repertoire, but Harry found that the couple of offensive spells he knew were all he needed to win the duel. All he had to do was disarm Draco, so there really was no point in wasting time casting anything other than the disarming charm. Sometimes he threw in a knockback jinx, and sometimes Draco decided to get creative, but on the whole, their duels had dissolved into a competition of reflexes.

"Fine," Theo replied. "You don't have your 'thing' on Saturday though, right?"

"Probably not," Draco interjected, "but who knows with Jones?"

"Even if you do, it can't possible take all day. I expect the two of you to fit some flying practice into your busy schedules."

"Yes Mother."

Theo didn't seem to find the joke funny, and spent the rest of dinner trading insults with Draco. It reminded Harry of the first time he had joined them for a meal after the sorting. He figured they would run out of steam eventually, so he occupied himself with finishing his food. By the time he was done, Vincent and Greggory had already left, and Draco and Theo had simmered down a bit. It was odd, but the two larger boys no longer followed Draco around everywhere. The trio didn't seem to have much in common apart from being family friends, so the growing rift between them made sense to Harry.

After dinner, he joined Hermione at the library. As he sat down, he noticed that she was working on their latest potions essay. It had turned out to be one of Harry's favorite classes. He had skimmed through the class textbook during the week before classes, so he usually had a rough idea of what Snape was talking about. The class reminded him of cooking, only each step had to be carried out with far greater precision. Neville was also doing well in the class, or rather, in every class since he had gotten his new wand. It seemed that his newfound proficiency with magic had encouraged him to work harder. Harry too was improving quite quickly. He had his second occlumency lesson with Snape that week, and the mental exercises he learned were useful when casting. On top of that, the daily trainings with Draco and Hestia had forced him to get more comfortable with using his wand, and his magical stamina had grown proportionally.

Hermione seemed unusually quiet that day. Harry chalked it up to her trying to focus on the potions essay, so he let her be. Instead of doing his own essay, he decided to look for a book on dueling. According to Theo, the librarian had been extremely unhelpful when asked for books on warding the dorm. That meant that Harry was better off searching by himself. It took fifteen minutes to find something that was remotely relevant, and he spent the next couple of hours browsing through the book. It was some type of dueling history, describing famous instances and the respective styles of the duelists. There was an entire chapter devoted to Dumbledore's duel with Grindelwald. According to the book, Grindelwald had more power behind his spells, and knew more than any man living about the combat branch of the dark arts. Rather than try to overpower his opponent, Dumbledore had used his unmatched transfiguration and charms skills to trap and disarm his foe. It didn't make much sense to Harry - from what he had seen in his training with Malfoy, speed and power were the primary determinants of who would win. Nonetheless, he figured it might be useful to expand his repertoire at some point.

Snape leaned back in his chair and did his best to zone out Sybil's drivel. She insisted on starting every staff meeting with a reading, and the headmaster didn't have the heart to tell her no. Severus didn't know why the old man kept her around. True, she had delivered a few prophecies of value. Alas, they were like drops of clarity in a vast ocean of nonsense. Today, she was going on and on about how somebody would fall to their death from the astronomy tower. There were charms in place to prevent any living being from taking a dive, so her prediction was entirely implausible. Besides, death was one of her favorite topics to rant about - nobody really paid any attention, even when her predictions weren't completely nonsensical. In Snape's opinion, she should have been dismissed from her teaching position a long time ago. As with many of his more unpopular opinions, he kept it to himself.

"The astronomy tower… how remarkable," Albus commented. "Tank you, Sybil. Filius, could you check the safety charms tonight?"

Filius gave a small start when the headmaster spoke. Snape could always count on him to nod off - it was a bit like a meter of how boring the meetings are. Occasionally, the spectral history professor would interrupt the meeting with a tangent that related to an issue in some obscure and convoluted way. In those cases, Filius sometimes fell out of his chair. Minevra was her usual stoic self. She would probably be the next headmaster after Albus was gone, so it was a good thing she had the ability to deal with the mind numbing boredom of meetings, paperwork, and bureaucracy. Snape did not envy her. The rest of the staff were all in their usual seats, save for Jones. He hoped she would be reprimanded - it was unjust for him to have to sit through thus drudgery while she got to enjoy her evening.

"Yes headmaster," the charms professor replied. Albus nodded contently.

Snape himself rarely paid any attention to what what was going on, only speaking if somebody asked him a direct question. In fact, these weekly meetings were the perfect opportunity to meditate. Between classes, detentions, and research, there was never much time for him to be alone with his thoughts. Yesterday was busier than usual with Potter's latest occlumency lesson. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the boy. He was not his father, nor was he Lily. He resembled them physically, true, but that was where his similarities to either parent ended. From what Snape could see during potions class or in the great hall, Potter was back on good terms with the rest of the Slytherins, and with Draco in particular. It was confounding - he had either forgiven his housemates for the sins of their fathers, or was merely bottling up his rage for a more opportune moment. James Potter would have started a feud, and Lilly wasn't very forgiving when it came to death eater matters, as Snape intimately knew. Harry was a mystery. While Snape would never admit it, this mystery intrigued him.

"Thank you. Now, Hestia asked to speak to us about something today. You may have noticed her absence," the headmaster gestured towards the empty chair, "but rest assured, she informed me that she had a little demonstration for us and needed to make her preparations."

Snape frowned. A demonstration? Could she have taken him seriously the last time they had spoken? No, she knew he was mocking her and wanted to show him that she could turn his words on their head. What an abrasive woman. No matter, he was confident she couldn't persuade Albus to reinstate the dueling club. He himself had tried a few years ago, even used it as part of his pitch for why he would make a good DADA professor. The headmaster had given an adamant no to both of Snape's proposals. She too would crash and burn, only for her, it would happen in front of the entire Hogwarts staff. He wasn't sure if he should be pleased or upset. Instead, he settled for feigned indifference.

"I believe she is approaching now." A couple of seconds after Albus had spoken, the doors to their meeting room swung open and Hestia stepped through. She was dressed in burgundy sports robes, with a slit in the side to facilitate free movement. They revealed glimpses of her legs as she walked towards their table. Focus Severus. He shut his eyes tightly and opened them again. She had students with her - Draco and Potter. Now this was interesting. Surely she didn't expect to pair them off for a duel. His godson had been dueling since he could hold a wand. Snape himself had given him a few private lessons, and that on top of all his other tutors. Potter wouldn't stand a chance, not without another legimency outburst, and that was improbable. No, the occlumency the boy was learning should forestall any unintentional legimency attack. That left Potter with one option. Lose the duel. Badly.

"Greetings, friends and coworkers," Hestia greeted with a smile as she looked around the room.

Snape saw her eyes narrow slightly when they met his. He smirked back coolly, internally wincing. It looked like she was still sore over his teasing. Today certainly wouldn't make things any better. If anything, her failure would probably make her hate him.

"Greetings Hestia," Albus replied. "Hello Harry, Draco. I take it you have brought these students along for your demonstration?"

"Yes, headmaster. I am seeking your permission to reinstate the dueling club. I brought Harry and Draco along to give a demonstration of what I have achieved in merely a week of instruction."

The headmaster arched his eyebrows. "I commend your initiative, Hestia. Are you aware that the dueling club was banned for being a dangerous and distracting influence on the student body?"

She paled slightly, but replied smoothly. "Yes headmaster. I can assure you that I would take all necessary safety precautions, and limit participation solely to students that are in good standing. This would both cut down on the dangerous nature of dueling, and encourage academic achievement."

Albus smiled at the woman. "It appears you have given this matter some thought. Let us see what you have managed in a week, as you say. But before you carry on, I must inform you that the decision does not rest solely with me. I will have to consult the Hogwarts board of governors - no matter how impressive your demonstration may be."

Hestia nodded quickly. "Could we clear an aisle in the center of the room?"

The staff rose from their seats, and stood by the side of the room. Albus swept his wand - the table, chairs, and everything on them shrunk until they were the size of a deck of playing cards, and drifted over into his palm. Hestia raised her own wand, and intoned the summoning charm. Cushioned mats floated in from the hallway outside, and with flicks of her wand, the professor deployed them in a line along the center of the room. The headmaster joined the rest of the staff by the wall, and inclined his head towards Hestia.

The woman turned towards Harry and Draco. "Alright boys, make me proud."

Harry gulped as he walked towards the center of the room alongside Draco. His hands were shaking - it had felt different when it was just him, Draco, and Professor Jones. He took his position opposite the blond boy, and nodded at his opponent. The blond boy grinned back, although his skin seemed even paler than usual. Harry looked to the right at the professors. Most of them looked intrigued, especially Professor Flitwick. Snape was standing with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face. When his eyes met Dumbledore's, the headmaster smiled at Harry.

"Filius?'

The charms professor raised his wand, and rattled off an incantation. A shimmering barrier appeared between the professors and the duelists before fading until it was nearly imperceptible. Professor Jones turned back towards them.

"OK boys, wands out and bow."

Harry faced Draco once more, and took out his wand. The blond boy bowed at the waist, and Harry did likewise. They wheeled about, facing away from each other. Harry walked ten paces, his counterpart's muffled footsteps in sync behind him. He stopped, mentally reviewing what he had learned in the past couple of weeks. Knees slightly bent, shoulder width apart. Stay low, and keep moving. Minimize profile, wand out in front. Keep moving, and don't stop casting until Jones calls it or your wand is gone.

"Now!"

Harry spun around and stepped to his left, simultaneously casting the disarming charm. He didn't see where his spell went, but he did hear Draco shout 'expeliarmus', and felt something fly past his right shoulder. Harry kept moving to the left, and cast again. This time, he saw his spell make contact with Draco's chest, and the blond boy's wand flew out of his hand.

"Round one to Harry! Prepare for round two."

Harry walked to the center of the mat, and saw Draco pick up his wand where it had fallen. The other boy had a slight frown on his face as he returned. He bowed, whispering "It's on for real now, Potter."

Harry bowed, and whispered back. "Let's see what you've got, Draco."

The blond boy smirked and wheeled around. Harry did likewise, and paced off ten steps. His strategy had worked pretty well last time, so he would stick to it. This time, he would step to the right. It wouldn't do to get predictable.

"Now!"

He stepped to the right, shouting 'Expeliarmus.' He had barely finished the incantation when his wand flew out of his hand. Needless to say, his own spell didn't connect.

"Round two to Draco! Prepare for round three."

Harry walked to where his wand had fallen. That had been quick, although it was mostly just a matter of luck. He could either go to the left or to the right. Even if Draco took guess, he would be correct half of the time. The spells themselves were too fast to dodge, so all Harry's floorcraft did was make it more difficult for Draco to aim. Unfortunately, the other boy had good aim and more dueling experience than Harry, so he did a good job of compensating for movement. As Harry walked back to the starting point, he could see that Draco was a bit more relaxed now. The blond boy whispered once more as they bowed.

"This is pretty boring, I'm going to mix it up a bit."

Harry wondered what his opponent would do. He had a decent grasp of Draco's repertoire from their training sessions over the past week, but he knew his house-mate was sneaky enough to keep at least a couple of spells stashed just in case. This could just be an attempt to get into Harry head, but he was inclined to believe Draco. "Sounds good."

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Harry." With a wink, Draco spun around.

Harry paced off in the opposite direction. He gripped his wand tightly, and took a few quick breaths in preparation.

"Now!"

Harry spun about and cast. His disarming spell struck Draco in the chest. Simultaneously, Draco own spell struck Harry, and he felt a strange sensation sweep over his face. He turned towards Jones - she should have called the duel but she hesitated. Flitwick clapped his hands and laughed in his high pitched voice.

"A wonderful teaching moment, let's allow this one to proceed a bit longer, Hestia," Dumbledore interjected jovially.

Harry frowned. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He saw Draco walk towards his own wand slowly, smiling at Harry as he did so. Was the duel still on? He looked to Jones, and she gestured towards Draco. Oh well. Harry tried to cast the knockback jinx, but nothing happened. The words coming out of his mouth sounded like gibberish. He tried again to no avail. Draco picked up his wand and disarmed him. He looked up at professor Jones, and she walked over to Harry.

"Let's call this one a tie. Finite incantatem."

Harry felt the feeling in his mouth dissipate. "Come on, I disarmed him first!"

"True, but this is just a demonstration… so we can bend the rules a bit." Jones turned to Draco. "Good use of the tongue-tying jinx, although you might want to do something about the disarming charm first next time."

"Nicely done boys, you both show great potential." Professor Dumbledore smiled at them. "Hestia, likewise to you. This demonstration seemed both safe and practical. I will present the idea to the board of governors, and inform you of our decision."

"Thank you. I will escort the boys back to their common room now."

"As you will. Severus can fill you in on whatever you miss here."

Harry looked at Snape, but the man was expressionless. He followed Professor Jones out of the meeting room alongside Draco. The professor levitated the mats behind them. As soon as the door closed behind them, she began to speak.

"How do you two think that went?"

They were silent for a few seconds. Harry turned to Draco, Malfoy was usually eager to make his voice heard. Instead, the boy was looking back at him with a smirk and just raised his eyebrows at Harry. Making him take the risk - how Slytherin.

"Well, I think we both did a decent job with the disarming charm. Draco showed some versatility with the last spell, and I'm sure he could have done something nastier so I am grateful for his restraint."

Professor Jones scoffed. "Nicely phrased, you may have a future in the ministry. You both did a fine job, considering how little time we had to prepare. How do you like dueling?"

Draco spoke first this time. "This is how magic is meant to be used. I am tired of wasting my time turning toothpicks into needles."

"The spells you learn in your other classes do have a purpose… but I can see your point. There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of facing down an opponent, particularly once you develop your skills further."

"Professor, what do you think we could improve on? It feels like there isn't much point to anything other than the disarming charm - it pretty much ends the duel, doesn't it? The spells themselves are nearly impossible to avoid, so it's just a matter of who has better aim."

Jones smiled at Harry, ruffling his hair. "That's what I like to hear, already thinking ahead to the next duel. As far as your question goes, the disarming charm losses some of it's relevancy later on. Your opponents will be able to defend themselves - shielding spells, charms, blocking with transfigured objects, mind-arts, the list goes on and on. At the moment, you have no real way of protecting yourself… and that's OK. You're a first year - we all started where you now stand."

"Will you continue training us?"

Professor Jones paused for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "Yes, I think I will. Assuming the dueling club is approved, I will have plenty of opportunity to teach you there. I designed the DADA curriculum to complement the dueling club, so I would be doing my job. Even if it is not approved, I can still help the two of you once in a while, and give you guidance on what to practice, although I would be far more limited in what I can do for you."

They soon reached the common room entrance, and Professor Jones left with a wave. Harry and Draco waited until she was gone, and then opened the hidden entrance with the password. It was fairly crowded inside - classes were over for the day, so everybody was either working on homework or socializing. Harry considered going to the library, but decided he'd had enough excitement for one day. He followed Draco back to their rooms, and was about to unlock his own when the other boy spoke.

"Wait here for a minute, I want to show you something."

Harry stood by his door until the blond boy returned. He had a picture frame in his hands. In it, Harry could see a taller, longer haired version of Draco dueling another person. The occupants of the picture were moving around and casting spells at each other, with small flashes of light spanning the distance between them.

"That kind of looks like you."

"I would hope so since it's my father. He was on the Hogwarts team back when we still had one. This is him competing against Drumstrang."

"What's that?"

"It's one of the better international schools. It's almost as good as Hogwarts overall, but probably better at dueling specifically... Especially now since Hogwarts stopped teaching dueling."

"Is Hogwarts really that good?"

Draco turned to Harry, his mouth slightly ajar. "You can't be serious. Hogwarts is the most selective school in all of Britain. The chances of getting in are less than one in twenty."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"Clearly. Anyway, as I was saying before, my dad was on the Hogwarts team. On top of that, he is currently on the board of governors. I'm going to write to him - he'll make sure that Dumbledore reinstates the dueling club."

"He can do that?"

Draco looked at Harry with a deadpan expression. "He's a Malfoy, we can do anything."

*cough* "Except win a duel" *cough*

"Just you wait, Potter. You're lucky I didn't want to humiliate you in front of the professors."

"I know, I am eternally grateful to be blessed with a friend like you."

"That's more like it." Draco turned and walked back into his room. Harry shook his head and unlocked his own door. He changed out of his clothes, and dived into his bed. It had been a long second week of school, so he was glad it was finally Friday night. Between Jones' dueling training and the meditative exercises Snape had assigned, Harry was exhausted both physically and mentally. On top of that, there was the Quidditch tryout coming up in just a couple of days. Theo and Draco would expect him to practice for most of tomorrow, so he would have to be extra efficient with the rest of his time to make sure he didn't fall behind in classes - Hermione wouldn't like that. It felt strange to suddenly have people care what he did. The Dursleys hadn't given a thought to where he was or what he was doing, so the experience was completely new to him. It was convenient that Harry himself liked classes, dueling and Quidditch, so he didn't feel like he was being forced into something. In a way, he felt liberated. It felt like his life had only really started the day he arrived at Hogwarts.

A/N: I'd like to thank mwinter1 for catching an inconsistency in an earlier chapter. If anybody ever finds a mistake/typo, please let me know so that I can fix it.