A/N: This is the longest chapter of The Professor's Journey so far, and I think it took me the least time to write. It feels (to me, at least), like the ideas are really flowing, and I should have a new chapter up every couple of days for the next few weeks.

In this chapter there's a little foreshadowing of future events, Sarutobi has a little fun with Snape, and the Golden Trio finally begins to see the results of their training.

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto

Chapter 11: A Duel With Snape

When Harry got out of the Hospital Wing, the first thing he did was share Dobby's warning with Ron and Hermione. At first Ron wanted to disregard the warning, and instead got mad at Dobby for tampering with the hallowed game of Quidditch. But Harry had long since gotten over his anger with Dobby, and his friends didn't take much persuading to share his opinion that the elf was telling the truth.

"But what can we do about it?" Ron asked matter-of-factly, later that night when they were sitting together in the common room. "Without the elf there's no proof, and without any details about what kind of danger he reckons is coming, we don't know what to do about it."

"We could tell Dumbledore," Hermione offered. Harry nodded – that was the only thing he could think of. He would pass on Dobby's warning, and trust in Dumbledore to make whatever preparations he deemed appropriate.

"I'm going to," Harry told them, "I just wanted to hear what you two thought before I did anything. It just seems so strange. What kind of danger could be greater than Lord Voldemort?"

Ron flinched a little at the name, but not very noticeably. Because Harry made such a point of saying the name, both Ron and Hermione were growing accustomed to it. "Well, you did kind of kick his arse when you were a baby. And you did for Quirrell at the end of last term. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named might have been something once, but after you beat him he sure lost some power. If there's a new Dark Wizard out there, maybe he really is stronger."

"Another one?" Hermione said weakly. "That would be… unfortunate."

"That's the understatement of the century," said Harry. "Honestly, I'm getting tired of all these Dark Wizards – they're popping up like daisies. Why can't we just learn magic in peace?"

He was trying to be flippant, but Ron answered him seriously. "Because there's bad people out there, mate, and they're not going to leave us alone. Looks like Sarutobi's got it right – the best defense is a good offense."

"You've got that right. So we're agreed. I'll tell Dumbledore what Dobby told me, and he'll take it from there. In the meantime, we'll just focus on our training."

Harry went to see Dumbledore the very next day. After Transfiguration class, he told Professor McGonagall that he had something urgent he needed to tell Professor Dumbledore. She didn't ask him any questions, and even led him to the entrance herself. Harry guessed that this had something to do with the events of last year. Professor McGonagall had ignored him when he was trying to tell her about the Sorceror's Stone – if she had listened, he might not have had to face Voldemort alone. So it made sense that when he told her that he had urgent news for Dumbledore, she brought him straight to the Headmaster's Office.

McGonagall came to a stop in front of a gargoyle on the third floor. "Sherbert lemon," the Transfiguration teacher said crisply. The gargoyle slid aside, revealing a tower with a slowly ascending, circular staircase.

"This is where I leave you, Potter," McGonagall said briskly. "At the top of the stairs is the door to the Headmaster's Office. Knock politely and wait until he calls you in."

Harry thanked her and went through the opening. Walking up the stairs was a little strange, because they were constantly traveling upwards themselves. It was like being on a Muggle escalator, only circular and far less smooth. When Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, he knocked politely as he'd been instructed.

"Come in," came the Headmaster's kind voice. "Ah, it's young Harry," he exclaimed, looking up from a roll of parchment and putting aside a beautiful quill in a nearby ink blotter. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

Harry didn't even hear the question, because he was too entranced by the marvels on display in Dumbledore's office. The shelves were piled high with an eclectic array of magical paraphernalia. Things spun and whizzed and whirled, gave off smoke and tiny bursts of light. There were jars with clear liquid in which otherworldly creatures hung suspended, and paintings of people and places Harry didn't recognize. On a stool in the middle of the room was the Sorting Hat, looking exactly as Harry remembered it from his first year. Behind the door through which he'd arrived was a perch, on which crouched the dingiest-looking bird Harry had ever seen.

Dumbledore coughed politely. Harry blushed with embarrassment – he had been gaping like an idiot. "You can explore to your heart's content," Dumbledore promised, "but you look as if you've come with a purpose. Is there anything you wish to tell me, Harry?"

"Well, uh… yes, actually. I… it's sort of difficult to explain."

He looked down at his shoes, Dumbledore's understanding gaze leaving him a little tongue-tied. "Go on, Harry," Dumbledore encouraged him. "This may be an old man's pride, but I'd like to think there is little you could tell me that would shock me beyond my ability to cope."

Slowly, Harry stumbled through the warning, trying to keep Dobby out of it as much as possible. He didn't want Dobby getting in trouble if word spread because of what he told Dumbledore. Dobby's masters might punish him or worse, and Harry didn't want to be responsible for that.

Dumbledore saw him hesitating, of course, and knew the reason immediately. "There's more to this story than you're telling me, I fear. I presume it's to protect someone who might get hurt should this information spread?"

Harry could only nod. Dumbledore's kind eyes made him feel slightly ashamed, but they also comforted him. Dumbledore nodded emphatically. However, this dislodged a bit of spider web dangling from his hat, which caused him to sneeze violently. When he recovered, he said, "Never fear, Harry. I am not so lost to the meaning of fair play that I would ask you to divulge the identity of your informant. Believe it or not, I think I might have some idea as to what danger your friend was referring to. I will have to consult with some people before making any assumptions, but rest assured that I will be looking into this matter. You did right to bring it to me."

Harry smiled brightly at the Headmaster, reassured. "Thank you, Professor."

"Oh, tush," Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand. "What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't listen to the warnings of my students? A pretty poor one, I'd say! But now that that matter is cleared up, there's something I was hoping to talk to you about."

Harry paused, his attention having once again strayed to the fantastic collection of magical oddments around him. "Sorry Professor," he said sheepishly. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Your training with Professor Sarutobi." Dumbledore shook his head when he saw Harry beginning to look worried. "No, I see where you're heading and that's not it at all. I have no problems with you and your friends learning from him. He has a skill set that I wish more of us possessed. I'm only worried how you are adjusting to the demands of your new schedule. It must be difficult for you."

Harry scratched his head, thinking. "It was at first," he admitted. "The training is really hard, and my schoolwork and Quidditch suffered a little. But now I think I'm getting used to it. I had to miss a session after the Quidditch match against Slytherin, and I was antsy the whole night. I think my body is used to working harder, now."

"That's good to hear," Dumbledore said, looking a little surprised. "Do Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger feel the same?"

"I'm sure they do," said Harry, nodding. "They see how much we're all improving, and it only makes us want to work harder. I remember when Hermione first knocked Ron off his feet when they were sparring. You could have seen her grin from the Astronomy Tower!"

Dumbledore's answering smile was strangely sad. "That's all I wanted to know. I am sure this is for the best, and I only wish we had about a hundred more of Professor Sarutobi. With the dangers we have to face, no amount of preparation is too great."

They lapsed into silence, and Harry took the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity regarding the Headmaster's Office. He found his gaze returning again and again to the bird, which was looking a bit peaky. Then, to his great dismay, the bird burst into flame. Harry jumped back, shouting in alarm. His wand was already out, his body reacting without orders to the threat – it seemed Sarutobi's training had really started to have an effect.

"It's all right, Harry," Dumbledore said, a genuine laugh escaping his throat. "Fawkes is a phoenix, and when the time comes they are reborn from fire. See? He's all right." Sure enough, there was a small bird emerging from the pile of ash, awkward and ungainly.

"Amazing creatures, phoenixes," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "Incredibly loyal, and their tears have healing powers. Fawkes has been a valuable companion to me for many years. Now, I have no wish to be rude, but I have several appointments before the day is over, and I must prepare."

"Oh, right. Thanks again for listening, Professor." Harry turned to go, but stopped when Dumbledore called his name.

"I'm glad that you trust me enough to bring me this warning," Dumbledore said, smiling with such sincere happiness that Harry blushed again.

"Of course, Professor! I trust you more than anyone."

It might have been a trick of the light, but Harry could have sworn he saw a tear appear in the corner of Dumbledore's eye. It was only for an instant, and then the impression was gone. "That means more to me than you know, Harry. I will endeavor to be worthy of that trust."

Harry bowed his head. He felt a little silly, but he also felt that it was the right thing to do. Then he turned on his heel and left the Headmaster's office.

oOoOo

After Dumbledore sent Harry away, he turned to the portrait of Armando Dippet, his predecessor. "Would you mind terribly running down to Professor Sarutobi's office, and asking him if he has a few minutes?"

"No problem at all," the former Headmaster responded cheerily. "I was getting a bit bored in this frame." Then the wizard disappeared from his portrait, off to summon the Defence professor.

While he waited, the Professor went back to his letters. This one was addressed to his old friend, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. Dumbledore sighed with regret. Alastor had earned his retirement several times over – Dumbledore felt terrible about asking him to rejoin the fight. But there wasn't a choice. Wizards with experience fighting the Dark Arts were few and far between these days, and Alastor was simply too valuable an ally to ignore. Dumbledore needed allies he could trust, especially now that the Wizarding World had to contend with this Orochimaru fellow.

Dumbledore sighed heavily. As if Voldemort wasn't enough evil for one world to contain.

He was just putting the finishing touches on his letter when there came a knocking at the door. "Hello," Dumbledore called out, "come right in."

The Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor was looking well. Teaching agreed with him, and for the most part his students were a source of joy to him.

"Albus," he said, greeting him with a nod. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Please, sit down," Dumbledore said, conjuring a squashy armchair for Hiruzen's convenience. When the other Professor was comfortable, Dumbledore went straight to the point. "I've just had a visit from one of your pupils. Young Mr. Potter. Through some means of his own, he discovered rumor of a great danger facing Hogwarts. Although he did not tell me where he found the information, he felt the need to warn me, saying that it was supposed to be a danger greater even than Voldemort. Needless to say, I could only think of one candidate that might fit that description."

Sarutobi grimaced, his nose wrinkling as if he'd smelled something foul. "Orochimaru."

"Precisely," Dumbledore nodded. "I assumed it wasn't you who told Harry about this so-called 'danger', because he had no idea what form the danger might take."

Sarutobi deliberated a second before replying. "I haven't told them yet. I want them to feel a little more secure in their skills before I tell them the true magnitude of the danger facing your world. But as soon as I think they are ready, I'm going to tell them. I think you should do the same… about the Prophecy, that is."

Dumbledore bowed his head, accepting the rebuke. "I know it is a foolish old man's whim, but I would prefer not to burden Harry with that knowledge until it is absolutely necessary. Still, I will tell him. When the time is right."

"So why did Harry come to you?" Sarutobi asked, graciously changing the subject. "Does he have new information regarding Orochimaru?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, his information was nothing more than a warning. However, it confirmed something for me, which is that Orochimaru is not lying idle. When we heard nothing of him during the first few months, I dared to hope that perhaps you were mistaken. Maybe he died during the journey to this reality… that was what I thought. But such hopes were naïve, and if rumors are already spreading of Orochimaru's power then the course of events is accelerating. I will not be caught unawares when your former student decides to come out of the shadows."

Dumbledore picked up the letter he had just finished writing, and held it out for Sarutobi's inspection. "This is a letter to a retired Auror, a Dark Wizard-catcher, possibly the best who ever lived. He fought Voldemort during the war, capturing many of his lieutenants personally. I have decided to reach out to him for help with my plan. I want to revive the Order of the Phoenix – it is an organization of witches and wizards whom I trust. We fought together during the bad times, when we couldn't trust anyone at the Ministry for fear they were under Voldemort's power. Now that the world may soon come under siege once again, I believe it is time to reinstate the Order."

"I'm glad to hear it," Sarutobi said, respect dawning in his expression. "If this Order is comprised of strong magic-users with experience fighting Dark Magic, then it may be our best hope in fighting Orochimaru. When he comes, he will not be alone. He will have wizards working for him, and possibly other creatures as well. Raising our own army is a vital task to counter him."

Dumbledore winced inwardly at the word "army." He felt almost physically sick at the thought that the Wizarding World might be plunged into war once again. But such squeamishness wasn't helpful, and with an effort of will Dumbledore brought himself firmly back to the task at hand.

"Once I have reached out to the members of the Order, I plan to bring them here to debrief them. Would you mind telling them about Orochimaru? You don't have to explain about yourself, of course. However, you're the only one who knows how this man operates. You can help us determine what spells might be of use against him, and how we can defend ourselves from his machinations."

Sarutobi bowed his head. "I would be honored to help. Rest assured, I will tell them everything I know. I'm confident that with my knowledge and your mastery of magic, we can devise several strategies that even Orochimaru won't be able to overcome."

The combination of knowledge and magic reminded Dumbledore of something he'd been meaning to ask Sarutobi for a while now. He hesitated, not sure if it was appropriate to bring it up. But he had to ask.

"Hiruzen," Dumbledore began, "I just want to ask about your training. I mean no offense, but… do you really believe that it will make a difference? As far as Voldemort is concerned, I can see the point in training Harry. He will have to face Voldermort at some point, and the stronger he is the better his chances are of surviving. But there is no Prophecy about Orochimaru, and Harry has no protection from him in his blood. Neither Harry nor his classmates are prodigies, with the possible exception of Miss Granger, and even then that is only schoolwork and not combat. Will they ever stand a chance against a shinobi as powerful as Orochimaru? I fear that your decision to take them under your wing may only paint targets on their backs, without adequately protecting them."

"You're right about one thing," Sarutobi said, his voice level and serious. "They are not shinobi, nor will they ever be. But that is precisely why I believe that they will not fall against Orochimaru. I will turn their weaknesses into their strengths, and teach them to wield their magic effectively against the shinobi arts. Believe me, Albus, shinobi have weaknesses, and with your help I will teach these youngsters how to exploit those weaknesses. By the end of the year, I would pit those three against any genin squad in Konoha."

Sarutobi smiled mysteriously, his eyes looking far into the distance. "I even have a plan in mind, one that will make my new squad a force to be reckoned with. I swear to you, Albus, before I'm done with them, those youngsters will be a team to strike fear into the hearts of even the strongest shinobi. It's not a plan that will happen overnight, or even this year. But it will happen, mark my words."

Dumbledore watched Sarutobi closely, but could hear only sincerity in his words. Though his greatest wish was still that Harry could live a normal life, there was a small part of his mind that was looking forward to watching how Harry would grow, now that he was setting off on such a strange new path. Dumbledore nodded gravely at Sarutobi.

"I'll hold you to that."

oOoOo

Harry raced across the rough ground, his heart racing and his head turning on a swivel as he searched for the dangers that he knew were waiting. The terrain was rocky and uneven, with many pebbles that could turn an ankle, but Harry spared only a fraction of his attention to make sure that he didn't trip. Straight ahead was his objective, a wall made of earth with a rope hanging down one side. Harry sprinted for the wall, at the very top of which was a small outcropping of rock. On that rock were three wands, one of which was Harry's.

He closed half of the remaining distance in ten seconds, but the wall's guardians soon appeared, rising up into the air from where they'd been waiting behind the wall. It was a swarm of Golden Snitches, but with one major difference. Every so often one of the flying balls would begin to glow red and emit a warning hum. Then, from the center of the golden ball, the red ray that signaled a Stupefy spell would shoot out towards its target. That target, of course, was Harry.

The snitches approached him in a swarm, the golden balls all beginning to glow red. The combined humming from all of them was loud enough to set Harry's teeth on edge. He dodged the first Stunner by jumping to one side, but a second later two rays came at him at once. He went into a diving roll, tucking his head and coming back up to his feet. He continued forward, but he knew it was futile. There were far too many of the snitches, and he would get hit by a Stunner long before he reached the rope anchored to the top of the wall.

He charged in recklessly anyway, right at the cloud of winged guardians coming together in a mass to block his path. Harry broke right exactly as they unleashed dozens of Stupefy spells, which melded to form a bar of red light as thick around as his torso. Harry continued his wide, looping run in a new direction, each step bringing him farther away from the rope.

But that was just fine, because once he was clear of the cloud of angry snitches, Harry saw what he had been waiting for. Hermione and Ron stood together on the wall, their wands in hand. Hermione held Harry's wand as well, and gestured for him to come closer.

"Catch!" she yelled, and flung his wand out into the open air. It tumbled end-over-end, right into Harry's path. He caught it at the base, his hand extended. Harry grinned – now those damn snitches were in for it.

He reversed direction, charging straight back toward the winged guardians of the wall. Hermione and Ron were already firing Reducto curses into the flying swarm, and each successful curse turned another of the snitches into golden rubble. Ron remained defensive, using the shield charm Protego to protect both himself and Hermione from their opponents' counter-attacks.

The snitches had turned to focus on Hermione and Ron once they realized that Harry had only been the bait, and that allowed Harry to come up behind them. He added his own Reducto curses to the mix, and brought down another dozen snitches before the charmed guardians even realized he was there. The three of them together were fast, accurate, and relentless, and after another minute they were victorious. The rocky ground around Harry's feet was liberally coated with the dust that had once made up the Stunning Snitches.

Harry let out a triumphant whoop, and approached the wall where his friends were waiting. Ron and Hermione came down the rope to meet him – like a true gentleman, Ron stepped back and let Hermione climb down first. Harry waved a fist at the two of them in mock anger.

"Next time, you two can be the decoys while I retrieve our wands!" he said gruffly.

Hermione giggled. "Oh, but you run away so well!"

Harry high-fived Ron, who was grinning like a madman. He had come up with the plan, and it had worked perfectly. The spell-casting Golden Snitches were a new addition that Sarutobi had made to their normal obstacle course – according to the Defence Professor, they had been enchanted by Professor Dumbledore. Dodging their attacks helped the Gryffindors' evasion skills, and knocking them out of the air with their own curses was extremely difficult target practice. It was only recently that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had become able to hit them reliably.

Today Professor Sarutobi had tried something new, relieving them of their wands and placing them on the wall, which was guarded by a swarm of the winged sentinels. He called it an exercise in Body, Magic, and Mind: "you have to use your mind to get back your magic, all without getting your body knocked unconscious." Needless to say, none of them had been feeling very confident. But Ron's diversion had worked even better than Harry had hoped, and once they had their wands they were able to make short work of the snitches.

"Hey," Harry said, "how did you guys get up to the top of the wall? I thought you were going to run around and climb the rope while I had the snitches distracted, but I never saw you."

Hermione grimaced. "We didn't use the rope. There were enough handholds on the far side that we could scale it without risking being noticed. It wasn't much fun, though."

She held out her hands for Harry to inspect, and the bloody scratches on her palms and fingertips made him wince. Ron's were no better, and Harry was starting to think that maybe being the decoy had been the better end of the deal.

From his observation deck on the far side of the arena, Sarutobi came over to talk to them.

"That was well done," he said judiciously, and the three Gryffindors beamed. Praise from Sarutobi was only given when they truly deserved it. "A smart plan, and excellent spellcasting at the end. I think you three are almost ready to start learning a wider variety of destructive spells. After all, taking out a group of tiny, flying objects is much easier if you have spells that don't travel in a narrow, straight line. One good blast of fire would take most of them out at once. I'll have to talk with Professor Dumbledore about adopting some combat spells to resemble the techniques I'm familiar with. Anyway, you three did good work today. You go on ahead; I'll put the Training Ground back in order, and come up later."

They nodded respectfully, and made their way up the stairs and out of Sarutobi's office. All three of them were exhausted – even by Sarutobi's standards, the day had been brutal. He had worked them even harder than usual that morning, and tacked on their little end-of-the-day wand retrieval after they had put in a full day's training.

Part of why there were so exhausted was that they had spent at least an hour trying to master a new spell. It was meant for close-quarters combat, and Sarutobi told them that it had taken Professor Dumbledore quite some time to invent it.

"I asked him to," Sarutobi had told them, "because you three need to integrate your spell-casting with close-quarters combat. If an enemy gets close to you, waving your wand at them won't do you any good. You need your wand itself to be a weapon."

The new spell was called Telum Lumina, and it generated magical energy centered around the user's wand, in the shape of a blade. Sarutobi said that Dumbledore had gotten the idea from the Patronus charm (not that any of the Gryffindors had the slightest clue what that might be), and modified it to make it an effective weapon according to Sarutobi's specifications. The strength of the magic weapon corresponded directly to the user's magical strength. Harry, for example, had managed at the end of their first practice session to cut through a thin piece of cardboard. He was working on a thicker piece of wood, but so far it eluded him. Ron and Hermione had yet to make their magical blades appear fully, but they were determined to practice until they caught up to Harry. Sarutobi assured them that if they became truly adept with the spell, they would be able to cut through solid metal.

Harry was starting to realize that there was a purpose to everything that Sarutobi made them do. He had always been planning on giving them a way to turn their wand into a weapon, in such a way that it wouldn't interfere with their magic.

"I considered trying to make you three learn how to fight with your off hands," Sarutobi had told them, "but thanks to Professor Dumbledore's spell I won't have to. Your wands will serve as long-range and short-range weapons, and I won't have to waste time making you ambidextrous. Not to mention that a blade of pure magical energy will be much more reliable than a sword or a kunai." Harry had been a little afraid to ask what a "kunai" might be.

The sword spell was a little frightening, however, because it was so much more violent than any of the other spells they knew. Practicing martial arts was different when you realized that the ultimate goal was taking someone else's life. Looking at the shimmering blade surrounding his wand, Harry found that truth staring him in the face. They weren't just exercising, meditating, or training for fun – they were trying to turn themselves into lethal weapons. Even though he knew all of the reasons why it was necessary, Harry couldn't help but shiver when he thought about the implications. He knew Ron and Hermione felt the same, because they often wondered what it would be like to use what they were learning in an actual life-or-death situation.

But Dobby's ominous warning was still hanging over their heads, driving the Gryffindors to treat every day of training as if might be their last. Whenever he found himself growing hesitant or nervous about their growing facility with dispensing violence, Harry only had to think back to his fight with Quirrell. He would have given his left arm to have a magical blade or an effective curse with which to bring down Voldemort's tool. Harry also thought, though he didn't share it with anyone, that perhaps if his parents had known what Professor Sarutobi knew, they wouldn't have died. It was a sad thought, but one that spurred him harder than anything else. Their sacrifice wasn't going to be in vain – of that, Harry was certain.

oOoOo

The Polyjuice Potion was nearly halfway done, and the only difficult part had been procuring the final ingredients. Boomslang skin and bicorn horn could only be found in Snape's potions cupboard, and the only time they had access to those was in class. Hermione astounded Harry and Ron – and probably herself as well – by volunteering to steal the ingredients while Harry caused a distraction.

A single firecracker did the trick, reducing the entire classroom to chaos. Snape was settling down startled students more than long enough for Hermione to duck into Snape's office and out again. With those last two ingredients, all they had to do was wait. According to Hermione's notes, they had until Christmas Day before the potion would be ready to drink. Since they already knew that Malfoy and his cronies were staying for the holidays, they had the perfect window of opportunity. So many people would be going home that the Slytherin common room would be mostly empty, and they would be much less likely to get caught.

Even with the prospect of their dangerous adventure in the back of their minds, Harry and his friends had more than enough to keep them occupied. As if their schedules weren't full enough, they found a poster advertising the first meeting of the Dueling Club. The news went around the school just as fast as the rumor about the Heir of Slytherin, the only difference being that people were excited rather than terrified. The meeting was to take place in the Great Hall, exactly a week after Hermione had stolen the final ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion.

All of the Gryffindor second-years left together for the Great Hall at eight in the evening, excited to various degrees by the prospect of dueling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione wondered if Professor Sarutobi would be running things, and if so whether he would teach some of the techniques he'd been teaching them during their training sessions.

Professor Sarutobi was indeed there, as were Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape. The long tables had vanished, and the professors were standing on a stage pushed back against the far wall. What looked like the majority of the school was gathered in front, waiting to see what the teachers had planned.

Professor Flitwick stood on a podium so that his head was level with Professor Snape's. He rapped his wand against the wood, amplifying the sound with magic so that it sounded like a car backfiring. The excited chatter subsided, leaving silence in its wake.

"Ahem," the little Charms Professor cleared his throat loudly. "Recently there has been a surge of interest in the uses of magic in combat. I understand we have my colleague, Professor Sarutobi, to thank for that." He nodded excitedly to Sarutobi, who acknowledged him with a modest wave of his hand. "As a bit of a duelist myself," Flitwick went on, "I decided to reinstate the Hogwarts Dueling Club. From the number of you here, it seems that there is some measure of interest. Dueling has a long and honorable tradition in Wizarding history – it's a test of skill, not a game. What you learn here is dangerous, and I require the utmost respect for the rules. Anyone disregarding those rules will be asked to leave, and will not be able to return. Is that understood?"

The audience nodded as one, and Professor Flitwick beamed proudly at all of them. "I know I have nothing to fear, as all of you are fine, upstanding students. Now, I believe a demonstration would be the best way to begin. My colleagues, Professor Snape and Professor Sarutobi, will hopefully be willing to oblige us. Gentlemen?"

Snape stepped forward, his eyes glinting with a cold satisfaction. "It would be my pleasure."

Harry gave Ron a tight grin. Watching Professor Sarutobi beat up on Snape was a sight he wouldn't have missed for the world. Ron practically shook with excitement, mouthing back, I love Dueling Club! Although Hermione was looking a little worried for their teacher, Harry was confident that in a grudge match between the Potions master and the Defence Professor, Sarutobi would come out on top.

Professor Sarutobi inclined his head graciously, accepting Flitwick's invitation, and took up a ready stance across the stage from Snape. Flitwick levitated his platform out of the way, and acted as referee for the benefit of the students watching. "The duelists bow, and then wait for the count," he said, his voice filling the Great Hall. "Cast spells to disarm only. One… two… three!"

Harry was sorely disappointed by what happened next – he'd been expecting Sarutobi to lead with an awe-inspiring display of speed, but the Defence Professor didn't move a muscle. He stood there like a rock as Snape raised his wand, leveled it, and yelled "Petrificus Totalis!" Harry was equally surprised by Snape's restraint. He would have expected something a little more vicious, but perhaps with all of the students watching it was an understandable decision.

Sarutobi made a hand seal as Snape's spell approached, and a section of the stage surged up to form a barrier. The spell impacted and fizzled out. Because Snape couldn't see past the barrier, he was the only one who didn't see what happened next. Sarutobi made another hand seal, and suddenly he was standing next to an identical copy of himself. This second Sarutobi wavered in midair and then disappeared, like a heat shimmer or a mirage. Students gasped in awe, making Snape look around quickly, scanning for any new attack. Sarutobi sent the stage back into its normal form, and sent a counter-attack towards Snape in the form of a barrage of water-bullets. Snape displayed dexterity that impressed Harry in spite of himself, by blasting each projectile into oblivion with perfectly aimed Reducto curses.

However, the students soon realized that Professor Sarutobi was only trying to distract Snape. Behind the Potions Master, Sarutobi's clone had materialized once more. He was standing horizontally with his head pointing at Snape, his feet somehow glued to the wall. There was a great gasp from the students, but Snape was too busy fending off Sarutobi's water bullets to notice.

The clone on the wall gave the audience a giant wink and put a finger to his lips. Every eye was glued on him as he took out a spool of wire and began to twirl it. It spun faster and faster, becoming a blur, and then the clone sent the wire out at full speed.

The wire reached Snape just as he was raising his wand to launch a retaliatory curse at Sarutobi. The wire wrapped around his wand securely, and with a simple tug the clone pulled the wand out of Snape's hand. Snape was unable to stop his motion in time, and followed through with his empty wand hand. Then he did a picture-perfect double-take, spinning around to see where his wand had gone. The audience erupted into laughter, and the clone jumped off the wall to give a little bow. Once again it shimmered out of existence, only to reappear next to the original Sarutobi. It handed the wand over, and then winked out of existence with a last, cheeky wave.

Snape was livid – to put it mildly. His face was scarlet with rage, reminding Harry of his Uncle Vernon during one of his episodes. Harry was willing to bet that if Snape had had hold of his wand, Flitwick's "disarm only" rule wouldn't have kept him from launching a truly nasty curse.

Sarutobi bowed apologetically to Snape, and held out his wand. Snape snatched it back with poor grace, and the students applauded thunderously. Flitwick was clapping with the rest, a delighted smile on his face.

"Truly marvelous," he squeaked. "That was a joy to behold – I've never seen spellcasting like that before. In fact, I still don't know how you did it."

Sarutobi coughed modestly. "I may have bent a few rules of Wizarding Duels," he admitted, "but as wands are rare where I come from, I've never had occasion to learn Expelliarmus, the Disarming Charm. Since the goal of this type of duel is to disarm, I had to improvise a little. Tell me, do these students know the Disarming Charm yet?"

Sarutobi's gentle hint reminded Flitwick that he was here to teach, and not research foreign methods of performing magic. He turned to his audience with an embarrassed laugh. "The Disarming Charm, ladies and gentlemen, is invaluable for Wizarding Duels. When performed correctly, it forces your opponent to lose hold of his or her wand. It plays a large part in making Wizarding Duels safe – after all, no matter how strongly you cast it, the worst that can happen is the other person loses their wand. No chance of injury, which is of paramount importance for a school Dueling Club."

After Flitwick demonstrated Expelliarmus a few times, he invited the students to pair up and practice dueling together. He reiterated his concerns about safety, and warned his students to use only those spells which would disarm or distract an opponent from casting. The three professors began walking through the crowd, making sure that the pairs formed quickly and efficiently.

"Time to break up the dream team, I think," Snape sneered as he walked past Harry and his friends. "Potter-" Snape broke off, scanning the crowd. He saw the Slytherins, and a malicious grin spread over his face. "Mr. Malfoy, see if you can't learn a few lessons from our favorite celebrity. Mr. Crabbe, you would be an admirable partner for Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Goyle, why don't you see how Mr. Longbottom manages. Miss Bulstrode, if you wouldn't mind partnering with Miss Granger."

Harry glared at Professor Snape. He must still be embarrassed at how easily Professor Sarutobi had beaten him, so he was taking this opportunity to let his Slytherins target his least favorite students. Well, that was just fine with Harry. The Slytherins were going to get more than they bargained for.

Malfoy was also grinning as he sauntered over, and Harry was just itching for the chance to wipe that smug smirk off of Malfoy's face. Harry realized this was exactly the opportunity that he, Ron, and Hermione had been waiting for – the chance to test their new abilities against their peers, in such a way that no one would get hurt. Of course, if something happened and Malfoy got a little roughed up… Harry didn't think he would cry over it. Harry only hoped that he could beat the greasy git in time to watch his classmates' duels.

Harry was worried about Neville, who was looking slightly green as he watched Goyle cracking his knuckles. "Come on, Neville," Harry whispered encouragingly. "You've been practicing for weeks. You're quicker and smarter than that gorilla. Dodge and weave, and hit him when his guard's down!" Neville smiled at him gratefully, turning to face Goyle with a marginally more confident expression.

"Pairs at the ready!" Flitwick announced, back up on his podium. "One… two… three!"

Malfoy had, predictably, begun moving his wand when Flitwick said "two." Harry was used to far worse trickery from Sarutobi, however, and reacted in time. He took a quick step to the side, letting Malfoy's spell whizz harmlessly past him. Then, immediately after Flitwick finished counting, he cast Expelliarmus for the first time. The jet of green light hit Malfoy in the chest, directly in the center of mass. He was knocked off his feet, and his wand came flying through the air towards Harry. He snatched it deftly with his left hand, looking at it with mild curiosity.

Is that it? I feel like it should have been harder, somehow.

Harry shook his head, and turned to see how his classmates were doing. Hermione had also opted to try out the new Disarming Charm, and it had worked admirably. Millicent was sitting down with a glazed look on her face, while Hermione carried two wands and a proud smile. Ron, on the other hand, had decided not to take chances with a spell that he hadn't practiced. Instead, by the looks of the hole carved into the floor in front of Crabbe, Ron had aimed a Reducto curse directly in front of his opponent. The resulting debris showered the larger Slytherin, distracting him long enough to allow Ron to nail him in the chest with Petrificus Totalus. Crabbe was stretched out, unmoving, on the cold floor. Longbottom and Goyle were still at it, shooting different first-year jinxes at each other. Neville's aim wasn't the best, but he was dodging Goyle's curses with ease. Finally his Leg-Locker curse connected, and Goyle crashed face-first to the floor, letting out a whimper of pain. Ron snorted out loud, while Hermione winced in sympathy. Harry went over to congratulate Neville first-hand, but was waylaid by a fuming Professor Snape.

"Where do you think you're going, Potter? Return Mr. Malfoy's wand this instant!"

"Of course, Professor," Harry answered calmly. "I just didn't want to worry about him hexing me when my back was turned."

A vein twinged in Snape's temple. "Now, Potter!" he barked.

Harry tossed the captured wand contemptuously in Malfoy's direction. The heir to the House of Malfoy was glaring daggers at him, his face flushed with shame. Harry shrugged. "Beginner's luck, I guess." The rage on Malfoy's face was like Christmas come early.

"We'll have a chance to test that, Potter," Snape whispered in a voice of tightly controlled anger. "Professor Flitwick, what do you think of a volunteer pair? Mr. Malfoy looks as though he would appreciate another shot."

Professor Flitwick proved that he was oblivious to reading currents of tension by accepting the proposition with excitement. "Oh, that's an excellent idea. Listen up, everyone! We're going to have a student demonstration!"

Malfoy was on his feet by now, and stalked up to the stage without saying a word to Harry. Harry winked at his classmates, all of whom were looking very pleased with themselves. Then he went up to stand opposite Malfoy. As Flitwick was moving the podium out of the way, Harry thought he saw Snape whisper something to Malfoy. He couldn't tell what was said, but Malfoy nodded curtly.

This time when Flitwick started the countdown, Malfoy didn't cheat. Harry reflected that it was amazing what difference having an audience made. As soon as Flitwick finished the count, Malfoy burst into action. "Serpensortia!" he cried. From the tip of his wand came a small explosion, and to Harry's dismay a large black snake emerged swiftly, landing between them and hissing angrily.

Harry had felt adrenaline before, but never had it affected him as it did then. It was as if he had been dumped in a bathtub filled with ice water, yet at the same time his senses sharpened and he viewed the world with an unfamiliar clarity. His mind processed the situation just as Sarutobi had taught him, identifying the threats and classifying them in the blink of an eye.

The snake is too close, Harry realized. If I try to hex it and miss, it could strike. I also can't block Malfoy's spells until I deal with the snake. That's it, then: first the snake, then Malfoy.

All of this flashed through his head in an instant, and he sprang into action just as Professor Snape was opening his mouth, about to say something. "Telum Lumina!" Harry whispered, and saw gratefully that the insubstantial blade appeared much faster around his wand then it had the last time he practiced using it. The snake moved as he did, striking far faster than he did, but not quite fast enough. The shimmering blade that Harry's wand had become sheared through the snake at a point several inches past its head. Harry's attack wasn't strong enough to cut through a wooden board, but the snake's body presented little problem. The unattached head went flying through the air, eliciting high-pitched shrieks from many of the students in the audience.

Harry was moving before the snake's headless body hit the floor, rolling to his right to avoid any spell that Malfoy might cast. He came to one knee, the magical blade disappearing and revealing his outstretched wand. "Expelliarmus!"

The sight of Malfoy's wand soaring through the air towards him was every bit as satisfying the second time.

Remembering the way that Sarutobi's clone had acted after disarming Snape, Harry turned and gave a little bow. For a second there was silence, a silence so loud it almost echoed off the walls. Then the Great Hall erupted with applause.