It had been a long day for Harry – charms, transfiguration, and history of magic. The last class in particular had dragged on forever. It was always worse having Binns after lunch. It made it that much easier to fall asleep. Luckily, Greggory had been kind enough to poke Harry each time he dozed off.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Harry back to reality. He was relieved to see that it was Draco. The blonde boy had been a bit awkward around Harry since their fight with Piers. Harry chalked it up to an uneasiness with expressing gratitude. Draco probably wasn't used to feeling like he owed anybody anything.

"Is Snape not in yet?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think I'm going to wait until 8:00 pm before I knock. Don't want to take any chances here."

Draco nodded as he shuffled uneasily. "Hey Harry… thanks again for yesterday."

"Don't thank me – it's bad enough that everybody else has been all over me today for catching the snitch. Besides, we should be thanking Snape for breaking up the duel. Piers had me at his mercy near the end."

"That shielding charm was rather good though. I don't think anybody else our age can cast one."

"All the good it did – Piers still managed to paralyze me."

Draco pushed himself off the wall, turning to face Harry. "He's a second year. Besides, I think he just got lucky. Anyway, I have something to share that you might like."

Harry arched his eyebrows. "Go on…"

"Father is taking me to an IDF tourney next weekend. I thought you might like to come along."

Harry smiled back. It was the first time any of his housemates had invited him to do something outside of Hogwarts. "What's the IDF?"

"International Dueling Federation…"

"In that case, I definitely want to come."

"Fantastic. I'll fill you in on the details as it gets closer to…"

The door swung open, revealing Snape. The potions master stepped aside, beckoning them into the empty office. Harry nodded at Draco before stepping through. He was followed by his friend. Snape closed the door behind them before turning to face the duo.

"Explain."

Harry was about to speak, but Draco beat him to it. The blond boy gave a lengthy description of how he had been playing around with Daphne when the second year Hufflepuff boy had picked a fight with him. He only embellished a few points, and graciously pointed out how Harry had no part in it prior to stepping in to stop Piers' tickling charm. Snape listened quietly until Draco had finished his tale before turning to Harry.

"Do you agree with Draco's account?"

Harry nodded quickly.

"Alright then. What did you learn, Draco?"

"I shouldn't get into duels I can't win?"

Snape nodded slowly. "That's a good start. I would add not to get into fights with girls, since that's how the whole thing started. Even when you win, you lose."

Draco shook his head quickly. "She was the one who started it though, by ruffling my hair."

"Maybe she likes you."

Draco jumped back. "Who, Daphne? Not a chance. Besides, Pansy would rip her hair out if she thought Daphne liked me."

"I was being humorous. I doubt she feels anything for you."

Harry chuckled at Snape's bait. He fell silent when the professor turned to look at him. "And what did the 'boy who lived' learn?"

Harry cleared his throat. "I need to get faster with the shielding charm."

"That would be wise. You might also want to follow up with a jinx instead of just standing there like a fool."

"Yes, sir."

"Of course, you could also try minding your own business. You don't have to interfere in Draco's squabbles."

Harry bit the inside of his cheek. He knew that Snape was testing him, but he wasn't sure what the potions master wanted to hear. "If I let people pick on my friends, next time they might decide to pick on me. Besides, I'm sure Draco would have done the same for me."

Snape barked a laugh, shaking his head as he uncrossed his arms. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Hey, I look out for my friends…" Draco muttered, turning to Harry. "Didn't I invite you to the tourney?"

Snape's eyes locked in on Draco.

"My father has tickets to the IDF finals. Are you going, professor?" Draco answered with a smug smile.

Snape shook his head with a smirk. "No, this job does not pay that well. Besides, I'm far too busy." Snape raised his finger to his chin, a puzzled expression on his face. "Here's a question, did you obtain permission from Harry's guardian?"

Draco's smile wilted away. "Why wouldn't they let him come? Britain is hosting the finals, anybody would kill to go."

"Be that as it may, you would still need permission… which I doubt you will be getting."

Draco groaned. "I don't see why Harry's muggles get to decide where he can go."

Harry looked back and forth between the two. He agreed with Draco of course, but saying so probably wouldn't change things one way or another. Besides, he didn't want to interrupt such an interesting conversation.

Snape nodded slowly, jutting his chin forward as he scrunched his eyebrows. "I do see your point Draco. Hmm… if only there was a staff member coming along with you. It wouldn't even have to be a professor – maybe somebody on the Hogwarts board of governors?"

"Father! But he's the one that would be taking us there. Wait... this entire time you've just been getting a rise out of me!"

"I couldn't resist. Now, unless you have something else to share, Draco, you may leave. If anybody asks, you were punished for dueling in the corridors."

"What should I say?"

"Make something up. Be sure it is in line with my reputation."

Draco walked to the door with a grin. Snape looked after him until the door swung shut. At last, he turned to Harry.

"What do you make of Draco's invitation?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, but the answer seemed simple enough to him. "I think Draco wants to thank me for helping stop the Hufflepuff boy."

Snape tutted softly. "You are only probing the surface."

Harry sat down in a chair. If that wasn't it, maybe Draco was trying to secure Harry's friendship? By now, Harry knew that Draco liked him better than the three other boys in their house. "He wants to be my friend?"

Snape frowned. "I thought you already were friends. Forget about Draco. Who else is going with you two. Who bought the tickets?"

"His father?"

"Precisely. How much do you know about Draco's father?"

Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "Not a whole lot, really. Draco is in awe of him. It's always father this, or father that."

"Remember when you attacked poor Draco during the first week of school – what was that about?"

Harry's eyes grew wide. How could he have forgotten? Ron and Neville had said that Draco's father had been on Voldemort's side when his parents were killed.

"My parents… Draco's father helped kill them!"

"In a manner of speaking… you could also say that the house elves help teach potions by preparing my breakfast. As far as anybody knows, Draco's father had no direct role in your parent's murders."

Harry took a breath, his first since his realization. "You are saying he was innocent?"

Snape raised his palms. "No. I did not say that. I said he did not kill your parents directly. He did not cast the curse that killed them, and he did not inform the Dark Lord where they slept. A lack of guilt in that specific tragedy does not mean he is innocent in all other matters."

Harry took another breath and unclenched his fists. He looked down at his hands – his palms had furrows where his nails had dug into his flesh. "What does this man want with me?"

A smile broke across Snape's face. "The thousand-galleon question. What do you think he wants with you?"

"No more games, just tell me…"

"Be careful how you speak, Potter… I am your head of house – I do not take orders from you." Snape replied with a frown. "Still, I am sure you have had a long day, and I have much work left to do, so I will tell you what I think."

Snape leaned back in his chair. "Your first line of reasoning had some merit. I imagine Draco does want to be your friend. You are far more exciting than Nott. Crabbe and Goyle deserve no mention. By elimination, you are the only remaining candidate. Draco needs somebody to show off for."

"As for his father – Lucius has a keen interest in his son, and by extension the people his son spends his time with. He no doubt wants to assure himself that you are not corrupting his heir."

Harry looked up at Snape. "That sounds… very simple."

Snape shrugged. "The simplest explanation is often most suitable. How do you feel about Draco's invitation now?"

"I'm… not sure how to feel about it. I don't think I want anything to do with Draco's father if he served Voldemort."

"If that is the case, you may as well pack your things and move to a hut in the forbidden forest. Nearly half of our nation's wizarding population served Voldemort in one way or another – some by choice, and some through force. You must learn to get along with these people."

Harry placed his head in his hands. The memories that Dumbledore had shown him were still fresh in his mind. He didn't care if Draco's father hadn't been involved in killing his parents, as far as Harry was concerned, he was still guilty by association.

At the same time, Draco was his friend. Besides, Harry really did want to watch the dueling tourney – he had never seen an actual duel between adult wizards before. He straightened up and looked ahead at Snape.

"I'll go to the tourney. My parents didn't run away from Voldemort – I'm not running away from Draco's father."

"As I recall, that same sense of bravado led to their demise."

Harry jumped to his feet, his hand on his wand.

"Oh, did that make you angry? Perfect time for an occlumency lesson. Legilimens!"

Harry hadn't even seen the professor draw his wand, but he immediately felt the familiar pressure in his head. It felt stronger than ever – it really did feel like Snape was putting his all into it this time. Harry reined in his anger, and pushed out against the pressure.

He heard Snape inhale sharply, and saw a series of incoherent images in his head. They were more like blurs of color and motion than anything else, really.

The images were cut off just as sharply as Harry felt himself thrown down onto his arse. He looked up and spotted Snape staring at him with a puzzled expression.

"Good. Not only did you stop a strong vocalized legilimency probe, but you even managed a weak counterattack. Don't get too excited just yet. Get up, and we'll see how your shield charm is coming along."

Harry rose to his feet and settled into his dueling stance. Snape unceremoniously cast a red jet of light at him. It struck Harry before he had time to voice the incantation, and everything went black. When he came to, Snape was still pointing his wand at him, only Harry was now lying on the floor.

He rose to his feet. "What was that?"

"Stunning spell. More advanced than the disarming jinx or knockback hex you have been learning, but more common in actual duels."

"Why is it more common?"

"There is a certain finality to rendering your opponent unconscious. You don't have to worry about him recovering from being knocked down, or casting wandless magic. Try again."

Snape cast once more. Harry was just as hopeless in blocking the spell as the first time around. When the professor reinnervated him, he paused after rising to his feet.

"I don't have time to speak the incantation with you casting first," Harry muttered, his voice laced with frustration.

"Speak faster than me."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't, you are casting wordlessly."

"Is anybody forcing you to do otherwise?" Snape questioned, raising his eyebrows. "One more time."

Harry growled in frustration, and settle back into his stance. This time, he focused on the memories of his mother protecting him from Voldemort, much as he usually did when casting verbally. Only this time, he did not let go of the magic. Instead, he held onto it before it could leave his wand. Just as he saw Snape's hand begin to move, Harry felt a pain shoot through his forehead. He released the magic just in time to block the incoming jet of light.

They both stood speechless for a moment. Snape spoke first.

"This was supposed to be a lesson in humility, but once again you have spoiled my plans."

"You told me to cast wordlessly."

"Yes… but I did not think you would be able to do it. Again."

Harry settled into his stance, and let the magic well up inside him, spurred forward by the feeling of protection he drew from his memories. This time, it was a little bit easier. The red jet of light dissipated harmlessly into the shield.

Without warning, Snape cast a third time. Before Harry could bring up the magic, he lost consciousness. He awoke to Snape's voice.

"What happened this time?"

Harry rose to his feet slowly. "I'm not sure how to explain it… I didn't have time to gather my magic before you attacked."

"That will change with practice. If you were to attack me, I wouldn't need time to focus my mind or my magic – I would block instinctively. Keep at it, and you will do likewise."

Harry nodded eagerly, settling back into his defensive stance. Snape shook his head, gesturing towards the door. "That is enough for today. I have other matters to attend to. I would congratulate you on what you have achieved here today, but I don't want to stoke your ego any further. Keep practicing bringing your shield up silently in your spare time."

Harry nodded once more. "Thank you, professor." He began to walk towards the door.

"One more thing, don't let anybody know what you learned here today. You are not quite ready to apply this knowledge in an actual duel; we wouldn't want you – or your opponents – overestimating your abilities."

"Yes professor."

Harry walked back to the Slytherin common room. Apart from a few students here and there, the halls were deserted. Inside his head, Harry worked at summoning his magic – each time stopping just at the point he would have cast the spell.

"Hurry up Harry, Father doesn't like to be kept waiting!"

Harry pressed his pillow over his ears. The dull thudding of Draco pounding on his door faded away. With a sigh, he threw aside the pillow and got to his feet. They had to wake up for quidditch practices earlier than this, but that still didn't make getting up at 7:00am on a Saturday any easier.

"Coming, Draco!"

Harry pulled on the set of robes he had lain out for himself before he went to bed. After grabbing his wand, a handful of galleons, and putting on his shoes, he was ready to leave. As he opened the door, he nearly caught Draco in the face.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry - you shouldn't stand so close!"

"Never mind that, let's leave. We have to be at Snape's office by 7:15."

Draco's fears turned out to be unwarranted – they made it to the potion master's office with minutes to spare. The man opened the door and beckoned them in. A bright green fire was already roaring in the fireplace.

"Get on with it then. Do try to learn something while you're there… this is supposed to be an educational trip," Snape added with a smirk.

Draco nodded at Snape, and marched right up to the fireplace, disappearing into the green flames. Snape grabbed Harry's shoulder as he walked past.

"Wait a moment. Do be polite to Lucius while you are there. You don't have to like him, but you are his guest. Sometimes you have to be nice to people you don't like – especially if you are a Hogwarts professor." He let go of Harry's shoulder. "Go on then. What I said about learning from the duels – that goes double for you."

"Right, professor." Harry followed Draco into the flames.

As he emerged on the other side, he was struck by the opulence of the space he was in. It was many times larger than Snape's office – the ceiling was nearly as high as the one in Gringott's. While it couldn't quite compare to Hogwart's Great Hall in terms of size, it was far more richly decorated than any place Harry had been in before.

The floor was made of polished black wood. It stood in stark contrast to the white carvings covering the walls. Bronze supports fanned out from the walls to support the ceiling, which was inset with pieces of colored glass that shimmered in the light. The chamber was lit by tall candelabras – the light cast by their candles abnormally bright, no doubt through magic.

Draco was waiting next to the fireplace. He seemed to be waiting for Harry to take in the sight, but couldn't resist for long. "How do you like it?"

Harry tore his eyes away from the ceiling, and turned to face the blond boy. "It's a bit empty, isn't it?"

Draco shrugged, "it's a ballroom… there is supposed to be space for people to move around. Besides, mother says not having clutter in it makes it look bigger."

"That makes sense. What do we do now?"

"We wait for father to arrive."

Draco had barely finished speaking when the set of double doors on the far side of the ballroom swung open. A tall, long-haired figure strode into the room. He was wearing a long black coat over an embroidered silver vest. The cane in his hand tapped rhythmically against the ebony floor as Lucius crossed the door. Harry had a feeling it was just for show. This man looked every bit as agile as the boy in the old dueling club photo that Draco had shown Harry. He stopped a couple of meters away from Harry.

"Mr. Potter, welcome to Malfoy Manor."

Remembering Snape's words, Harry bowed slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Please, call me Harry."

"Very well, Harry." Lucius smiled, although it didn't quite reach the upper half of his face. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No sir."

"The tourney will run all day. Draco, show your friend to the parlour."

"Yes, father." Draco began walking forward without further prompting. "Follow me, Harry."

They made their way out through the same double doors which Lucius had used to enter. Harry heard a soft pop behind him, and turned his head to see Lucius speaking to a deformed creature that looked like a skinnier version of a goblin. He waited until they were out of earshot before turning to his friend.

"Draco, what was that thing?"

"What thing?"

"The goblin-looking thing."

"Oh, that's one of our house elves. Don't mind them, they do only what we tell them to."

Draco led them through a couple of corridors. The walls were now lined with wood panel instead of fresco. Portraits hung here and there, their occupants eyeing Harry as he walked by before turning to whisper to their neighbors.

Soon, the duo reached a large door that swung open as Draco drew near. The parlour was decidedly cozier than the ballroom had been. The floor was covered with finely detailed rugs – the sort that normal people would hang on their walls. The walls themselves were painted with scenic landscapes. Fortunately, they did not move. Ornaments and decorations lined the many little tables and shelves in the periphery of the room.

The center was dominated by an oval table. Somehow, Lucius was already sitting at the head. Their host gestured towards the table, and Harry waited for Draco to take a seat before settling down across from his housemate.

"I'm pleased you found the parlour, Draco. I was afraid you might have forgotten the way."

Draco's face turned scarlet. "I'm sorry it took so long, father."

"No need to apologize. At any rate, we are still waiting for your mother."

"Wouldn't she still be in bed this early?" Draco's voice was hesitant, but Harry could detect some underlying apprehension.

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "And risk missing a breakfast with her beloved son?"

Harry didn't think it was possible, but Draco's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"She wouldn't dream it. Besides, I sent an elf to inform her of your arrival, and I was told she has already risen."

With a loud pop, a large spread of food and drink materialized on the table. The contents were similar to what was available for breakfast in Hogwarts. The plates and cups, however, were clearly precious heirlooms.

"Help yourselves, gentlemen."

Draco began to pour some pumpkin juice into his cup from a large crystal pitcher, and Harry followed suit by taking a croissant. It was delicious, possibly even better than the ones at Hogwarts. Moments later, the door opened to reveal the most beautiful woman Harry had ever seen. She had flowing blond hair, and high cheekbones set underneath sky-blue eyes. Her plush lips, painted a rich ruby-red stood out over her delicate chin. She walked towards Harry, and offered her hand.

"Welcome to our home, Mr. Potter."

Harry was still staring at her face, but snapped out of it just in time to realize he was supposed to kiss her hand. He hastily swallowed the piece of croissant in his mouth, and took her hand, pecking the back lightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy."

Draco's mother smiled slightly, and turned towards Lucius. "Good morning, Husband." He raised his goblet with a small nod. Finally, she turned to Draco, and her face broke into a full beam. She smoothly walked around the table and enveloped him in a tight hug.

Draco struggled, albeit halfheartedly. "Stop it, mother. You're embarrassing me…"

Mrs. Malfoy pulled back, but not before kissing him on the cheek. She took a seat to Draco's right, opposite Lucius. "How have you been since you last wrote?"

"It's only been a week, mother…"

"Well, I'm sure it has been packed with excitement."

Draco shook his head. "Rather boring really. Classes, quidditch practices, pretty typical…"

"Severus tells me you had a fight with another boy," Lucius interjected.

Harry nearly choked on his croissant, but Draco's mother didn't seem to notice.

"Draco! Were you hurt?"

"No! I'm fine. It wasn't a big deal, really…"

"What happened?"

"Daphne was messing with my hair, so pushed her back a little. Some Hufflepuff second year saw us, and he felt he had to stick his nose where he doesn't belong."

"Did you win?" Lucius asked bluntly.

Draco looked like he was going to say something, but then held back at the last moment. "No… he hoisted me up with some sort of spell and had me under the tickling charm. Harry broke it with a shield charm, but Piers got him with a body-lock."

Lucius turned to look at Harry. "A shield charm as a first-year? That's very impressive."

"Thank you, sir. Draco forgot to mention that he incapacitated another boy with a 'dancing feet' jinx before Piers hit him with his spell."

Lucius nodded in Draco's direction. "That's nice, although I can't help but wonder why my son would start a fight with two older boys."

"I didn't have a choice, father! They were going to attack me anyway, I just seized the tactical advantage by casting first."

"That may be so, but you should learn how to diffuse these situations verbally – particularly when you are outmatched. It is an important skill-set to have for when you are working in the ministry. I can't simply curse my colleagues every time we have a disagreement."

"Your father is right, dove. I don't want you getting into any more fights."

"And if you do find yourself in a fight, be sure you win."

"Lucius…"

Mr. Malfoy shook his head slightly, but did not add anything further. Harry, meanwhile, was trying not to laugh. Draco reminded him of many things, but never a dove. His occlumency training was the only thing that prevented him from losing control.

He was rescued by a question from Draco's mother. "Mr. Potter, how are you enjoying quidditch?"

"It's a lot of fun, Mrs. Malfoy. It can be stressful at times, but I feel like the team always comes together and we give it our best."

"It certainly seems that way. We were there for your first match. You played wonderfully – it was quite a shock when your broom caught on fire."

Harry blushed. He wasn't sure what got to him more – the embarrassment of Draco's mother being there for the one match he lost, or that she saw him crash.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. We did much better in our second match."

"It is such a dangerous sport. Bludgers... brooms catching on fire... it's almost like they want you boys to get hurt."

"Mother..." Draco groaned. "Brooms almost never catch fire. Besides, we have our own beaters to protect us from the bludgers."

"You sure do," Lucius added, "I would try to stay on their good side. They were vicious against the Weasleys. Not that I blame them - I dare say I would send something worse than a bludger at Arthur's head if it wasn't beneath me."

Harry frowned at that. He didn't know why Draco's father didn't like the Weasleys. At the same time, Harry himself didn't like most of the Weasleys he had met, so he couldn't blame him.

"Let's not talk politics at the table, husband."

Mr. Malfoy nodded reluctantly. He pulled out a pocket-watch, and took a look before returning it to his waistcoat. "I don't think we have the time for politics. The tourney will be starting in less than an hour. We will want to leave now so that we can get settled in."

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Potter." Draco's mother added. She turned to her son, and adjusted his collar. "Be sure you write me this weekend, dove."

Draco blushed once again, but he nodded dutifully before getting up to follow his father. Harry joined them as they filed out of the parlour. Mr. Malfoy led them up a winding flight of stairs to an unremarkable door. He opened it to reveal a small closet containing shelves packed with small metal medallions. He picked one up, and peered at the lettering on its surface.

"Here we are, this portkey will take us to just outside the arena. Place a hand on my shoulder, and we will be off."

The boys nodded, and did as they were told. Lucius spoke the trigger word, and Harry felt a gut-wrenching sensation as the portkey whisked them away.