Chapter 58 - The Better Wizard

The next day, Harry was ready.

No more waiting to find the perfect moment or even to create it. No. Harry sought out Nicole, Jessica, Amanda and Lauren at school, asking each girl if she would be free for a date that same night. Lauren bit her lip and nodded while the other girls, green eyes gleaming, were already giving their approval between kisses.

Harry gave her her own loving kiss and embrace, smiling. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do tonight, however I will do my best to do everything you do want." She nodded and buried her head in his chest, hiding her blush as her mind called up fantasy after fantasy that she had explored in her daydreams.

That evening, each girl was led away from the others. Harry had promised them a date and he intended to make it special.

He took Nicole to a ballet performance in London, thankful for the way seals made transport to the big city quick and easy. A quick bite to eat at an intimate Italian restaurant and then they walked to the theatre where Harry produced the tickets for them. Nicole had never been more glad that Harry's skills as a tailor. Despite absolutely no warning, she was already wearing clothes suitable for the more refined atmosphere inside, ones that were as comfortable as they were fashionable.

The performance was a wonderful display and she could see the talent and skill the dances possessed and could sense the hard work they had put into the production. It was a joy and a wonder for her, as well as an inspiration to bigger and better things. After the performance, Nicole asked Harry to take her back to her own ballet hall where she practised during the week, looking around with fresh eyes that landed again on her handsome man.

She draped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a loving kiss as she started to dance with him to the rhythm in her body, one Harry matched with flawless skill as she kissed him more. She came up for air some time later, smiling. Once he got his breath back, Harry picked her up and carried her to the centre of the floor, producing blankets and spreading them out for the pair before laying her down, undressing her and caressing and kissing every inch of her.

Nicole made love to her man, enjoying every second of it. Later, Nicole cuddled with Harry as these memories played out, giving him a big smile. "Thank you, Harry! Do you think we can do that again?"

Harry smiled back, answering her question the best way. Nicole made love to her man once more, feeling complete in body and heart.

Lauren had been surprised when Harry suggested they catch a movie. It was just what she wanted to do but she thought it would be too boring for Harry giving her a special date.

"I had a number of ideas for tonight, dear, but then I remembered that you and I still hadn't seen Persuasion yet. Would you like to see it with me? If not, I can-"

"No! I mean, yes! I would love to see it, especially with you, Harry." Lauren babbled and blushed, holding onto his arm as they walked to the movie theatre. A young couple in love, she smiled at some passersby, lining up with her man for tickets and snacks.

Harry insisted on paying for everything, saying it was his idea to go on the date and his pleasure to pay for her. They had had a light dinner only, saving room for the popcorn and drinks. Taking their seats near the back in the centre, Lauren realised they had a free seat either side of them and in front and back, too. Looking to Harry, he simply smiled. "Guilty." Harry whispered to her. "I thought we might enjoy it better if we aren't disturbed so I bought out those other seats."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and snuggled close, watching the timeless classic and sighing happily. Harry's arm held her, the warmth of his body welcome after the cool October evening. A little less than two hours later, the end credits played and still she stayed there, enjoying the quiet intimacy with her man and kissing him at last.

"I think that was the longest we have sat together and not kissed each other." Lauren told him playfully, moving into his lap and kissing more.

"Too long." Harry nodded, caressing only in 'safe' areas.

"Can we go back to your place, Harry?"

"What my lady wants, my lady gets." Harry agreed, hands still roaming before she got up reluctantly when the lights came on. Hand in hand, they walked home, Lauren taking the excuse of the colder weather to keep close to him the entire time. It might have been awkward for another couple but Harry made it work, walking along bent into whatever position Lauren wanted, her right hand inside his coat and against his skin, having slipped it beneath his shirt.

At home, she stopped him. "Carry me?" she asked faux innocently and he did just that, carrying her across the threshold. She smiled widely and kissed his cheek, whispering "Take me in, to your room, Harry."

He caught her correction and nodded, walking them quickly there to cut down on the knowing glances from his parents, hidden from her view. Inside his room, Lauren still didn't want to be let down until he put her on his bed, Harry moving with her since she didn't let go.

They made out, like many times before, but where normally he would have slowed or stopped them from going further, this time he made no such move. Tonight, he would let her have as much as she wanted.

For her first time, Lauren insisted that she didn't want either of them to be on top, having to do all the work. Harry chose to be amused rather than offended at the suggestion that he couldn't handle it, or indeed that it counted as 'work' to make love to her. She opened her eyes languidly some time later, kissed him thoroughly then said, "That.. that was perfect, Harry."

A while after that, she confessed that she wanted something unique for him to remember her by. "That was why I wanted us to make love side-on. None of the others did that their first time with you." She blushed and added, "I also didn't want to be too heavy for you."

Harry had known Lauren was sensitive about her size. In his mind, she had nothing to worry about. She was young, healthy and her body had lost most of its fat, toning up from the training. All that remained was on her sexy butt and great breasts, giving her a figure any girl would appreciate and any guy would desire. Rather than sighing, as he was tempted, Harry gave her a smile and a kiss.

He had plenty of time to work with her on her issues with her body, and he promised himself she would enjoy learning to accept her body as it was.

Jessica was a small girl with a big heart and a sharp mind. When Harry announced his intention to take her (and the others) on a date, she put together the information quickly and smiled to herself.

"Harry, why don't we head to my place first? There is this new show I want to watch with you."

"Sure, do you want to walk or get a ride?" he asked, using their code for any of the faster ways taught by the Clan.

"Let's walk." Jessica decided, taking his arm and smiling as they walked to her home. While she was eager to begin, anxious would also describe how she felt. She didn't know how she could face him or her friends if her plan failed or became too public.

She calmed down by the time she opened the door for them and called out a greeting to her parents before leading Harry to her room. Once there, she put on a tape, settling in on her bed with his arms around her. The credits rolled and she laughed a little too loudly at some of the jokes but they both had fun. At the end of the episode, she just lay there, letting the next part of her plan commence. On the screen, a very different show was starting.

Jessica's heart beat rapidly and she blushed, feeling Harry's eyes on her as they spooned in her bed. She turned her head, looking at his face, searching for any hint of condemnation or rejection. His playful smile was exactly what she needed at that moment as she settled back into him, enjoying the movie. Soon, her heart was racing for another reason, the movie long forgotten but still playing in the background. She was looking up at Harry who had a lustful smile on his face as he kissed down her body and she tangled her fingers in his hair. She groaned, tired out from making love, so he settled down, caressing and kissing his love.

"Good things really do come in small packages." Harry murmured softly in her ear as he held her. She swatted him for that cheesy line then smiled, settled in for a short sleep.

Left alone with Harry, Amanda had her own ideas on how this date should progress and told him so.

"Somehow, Amanda, I am not surprised you want to do that. You know, you really have come a long way since you started. Apart from my parents, I think you are the strongest person I know."

She smiled, pleased he acknowledged her. "Thanks, Harry. It means a lot to me. I wanted to impress you..." she trailed off.

"You managed that and more." Harry assured her then kissed her tenderly. She pulled back and winked.

"Now, now, you'll have to earn those tonight."

"Then hurry up! I can't wait to start."

Together, they found an isolated part of the school grounds and Body Flickered away, taking it carefully to ensure they weren't spotted as they hurried to his home.

Making their way out the back, they hit the training grounds and stripped efficiently down to their preferred clothes for fighting, a muscle shirt and shorts for Harry and shorts and a sports bra for Amanda. Bowing to each other, they moved before they had even started to straighten up. As their instructors had taught, whatever works.

Their fight was taijutsu only, that is, only melee combat. No special moves of any sort, just a pure physical contest. Amanda really had been training hard, and it showed in her level of fitness and strength. Harry, on the other hand, had been doing this for a decade, two thirds of his life, and he was faster, stronger and had the advantage on her in experience and skill.

The fight did what Amanda had intended, however, which wasn't to win but to give her a decent test of where she was but more importantly to get the blood flowing. She swarmed in, accepting a blow to the side that made her wince in order to get in position behind him, surprising Harry with a kiss to the cheek and a pinch on his butt in the middle of what was supposed to be a serious contest. He turned around at a fraction of his usual speed, eyebrows raised as he moved to pin her arms to her sides. Amanda hooked a foot around his leg and pulled him off balance, falling backwards with him on top of her.

"Oops, you win." Amanda told him, grinning, pushing her breasts into his chest with each breath.

The vitality in her quashed any temptation in Harry to laugh, melting against her and kissing her more passionately than any they had shared before. Amanda's legs, wrapped around him, pinned him to her as much as he had pinned her arms to her sides. Released, they came up around Harry, returning every bit of his passion.

Amanda moaned into his mouth, sucking his tongue. She felt nervous as well as excited at the thought of that inside her. She rolled them over, ending up on top as she stripped off his shirt, leaning down and kissing his sweaty chest and hands hooking into his shorts. Harry used her moment of distraction to undress her, her eyes closing as he sat up.

For Amanda, this was the moment she had been working towards for months now. It hurt so much but she wouldn't- Wait, it didn't hurt at all. Confused, she looked down and saw Harry's hands with a fading glow and leant in, kissing him lovingly for his concern and his help, as she kissed her wonderful man.

They fell back, Amanda on top of Harry and breathing just as hard for him, kissing each other lightly as they got their energy to before getting up and taking a shower, before heading to her bedroom together.

Lucius hated having to skulk around like some petty thief.

It was one of the only downsides to the whole way he and his associates reclaimed the wealth of the world for its rightful owners. A Disillusionment charm on himself and his son, the Malfoys strode up to the lordling's gate. A muttered Alohomora and it swung open at their approach, saving them from dirtying their silk gloves. They strode up the path as if they owned the place to the front door. Another spell and that portal was also out of the way. Now, they had to find the vermin infesting the place so they could cleanse it as was proper of the Muggle filth.

Looking around, the elder Malfoy shuddered delicately at the strange, unnatural items so prominently displayed. Muggle trash was everywhere, but he knew from experience that some of it would fetch a decent price. A few spells and the items were flying into an enchanted bag his son was carrying. This was his son's tenth little excursion with his father, and he was anxious to make up for the mistakes of the previous raids.

Draco then set about trying to find the filth that called this place home, moving slowly so he didn't trip on his own invisible feet, just as Lucius had instructed him. The wet October night made a good cover for any sounds the intruders made and the family slept on. The father, who worked in the town as a teacher, had fallen asleep only half an hour before, his loving wife had given him a warm welcome that evening when he turned up with flowers, just because. She could always tell when he was feeling guilty or not, and the fact he had remembered her favourites made the gesture all the more romantic. They had sent the kids to their friends' place for the night and enjoyed having the house to themselves.

Neither husband nor wife ever saw or heard the intruders who took their lives, twin jets of green light snuffing them out without a sound. Lucius smiled in rare approval at his only son and heir. Not only had he cast the spell correctly, but he was able to use the Killing Curse on the Muggle filth with just as much glee as he used to hex their idiotic house elves.

As soon as they were dead, Draco whined at his father while lowering his wand. "But I wanted to get more practice on the Imperius!" Sure, he loved getting to kill and torture the things that aped real people, insulting Wizardkind with their every breath, but it was so much fun to order them around, too.

"Be quiet, fool boy." Lucius was disappointed at the petulant tone in the voice of a Malfoy who should already be a man. He then decided to make sure of the matter, casting a non-verbal Silencio on his son before returning to make sure that he had taken all the valuables.

Not recognising the computer, it had been left but he took the television, VCR and all their books, as well as all the cash and those little odd 'credit cards' in the house. This would not be their best raid, but at least they would have other raids that week to make up for the shortfall in earnings.

As soon as everything was gathered, Lucius Apparated them both back to Malfor Manor before Floo-calling his associate and fellow Death Eater, Severus Snape. The Potions teacher altered the Floo from his end, allowing Draco to return from his illegal trip and escorting the blond ponce personally back to the Slytherin Dorms.

Harry's clone, standing guard outside the dorm as had been normal since Second Year, noted the late return and the absence of anything regarding punishment for the boy who was out hours after curfew.

'I think Minerva will be most interested in the news,' he reflected, his senses still on alert for threats, confident that his other clones inside the Snakes' section of the castle would also keep watch over his friends.

Severus Snape was not a morning person.

Severus Snape was not really an evening person, either, despite certain rumours about resemblances to bats, but he was at his most irritable before breakfast.

So when McGonagall called him into 'her' office via the services of one of the school elves before he had got out of bed, you can understand that he was already in a bad mood even by his standards.

"Just what is the meaning of-" he cut off, seeing the thunderous expression on the new Headmistress.

"What a coincidence, Severus." Headmistress McGonagall replied coldly. "I was just about to ask you that self same thing. Do you have anything you wish to tell me? Understand that I am giving you a chance to set the record straight regarding a most alarming piece of news. No? Something that happened last night, perhaps that will jog your memory?"

Severus could have cheerfully killed that Malfoy brat now. Somehow he was discovered where he shouldn't be. The only question racing through his mind was how to tell the story.

"Yes, Minerva, but it was nothing worth mentioning. One of the students in my House had requested a short leave to deal with some family business and I granted that request."

"Oh. Tell me more, Severus."

"There is little more to tell. The student arrived at my office as arranged, used the Floo, then returned later."

"And that is all you know?"

Severus shrugged minimally. It was more than he wished to divulge already.

"What about the nature of the 'family business' as you called it?"

"I didn't ask." Severus knew better than to ask Lucius. The man was vicious in his punishments, a trait copied from their joint master. Besides, what he didn't ask, he could not confess under Veritaserum.

"That did not answer my question, Severus."

'Drat the woman for noticing!' He cursed inwardly but said nothing.

"What was the family business that called one of your charges away from the castle and kept them up long past curfew?"

"His father did not tell me the specifics but I believe the student was needed to establish his credentials for one day taking over in his father's stead. A true heir to the family would be needed for the family to thrive as it should."

"Does this student happen to have a name?" Minerva enquired. Thanks to her friends, the Grangers, she had an apt comparison for this effort to extract information: pulling teeth.

"Draco Malfoy."

"I see. So when a Death Eater asks to pull his son out of Hogwarts for the evening without giving a reason, you don't think this is worth mentioning? And said son has, I believe, the worst disciplinary record of any Slytherin at the school."

"I don't think-"

"That much is clear, Severus." Her interruption was cold and cutting. "If you had, you would have refused the request entirely. Students are permitted to attend Hogsmeade on scheduled weekends subject to good behaviour. Any normal 'family business' would have waited until this weekend. Any unusual requirements could be explained if they were genuine. The fact that you allowed one of your charges to leave school grounds during term displays your lack of basic forethought. Did you not realise that his actions would reflect upon you? That any crimes he committed would be partly your own fault?"

"The more worthy students are always afforded privileges." Snape sneered.

"A concept that has never included Mr Malfoy, Severus. His marks are near the bottom of his year, his conduct is as bad as a toddler's and his attitude is an affront to society. Making exceptions for him is doing him, and our world, no favours. Nor is it good for you."

"I believe I will be the judge of what is best for me."

"You will do as you please, no doubt. But if you step out of line one more time, you will be doing it elsewhere. I did you the courtesy of giving you the same chance as any other member of staff here when I was promoted. You have already squandered two of your three chances. The first on a need to, what, prove your superiority in your craft? And this second on ignoring school rules that are put in place for your own protection from legal action.

"The next time a student wants such an extraordinary privilege, you will come to me before granting it. As the school will bear responsibility for it, that means any such flights of fancy will fall on my desk if things go wrong. The fact that you believed you had got away with this foolishness only underscores your need for supervision."

Snape wanted to reply but Minerva stopped him with a curt "You may go." He got up stiffly and stalked out, trying to wrap his dignity around him like his cloak. His efforts were in vain. In his arrogance, he held his head up high and failed to spot the first step, nearly falling the rest of the way. An unseen Harry Potter saved him from the fall out of reflex, while the Headmistress drew her wand, providing cover as a side effect.

He left without a word or gesture of thanks.

In Hufflepuff, things were going smoothly. The Quidditch tryout had shown little Athena to possess enthusiasm in abundance but nowhere near the skill to replace any on the current team. She took the news well enough, especially when Hermione offered one of Harry's massages to her after she was put through her paces by Cedric Diggory. Cedric had further softened the blow by saying she would make a good Seeker next year, the earliest she could play anyway and the year that Cedric left, freeing up the position.

The only downside was that he lacked the time to coach her along with his regular duties as captain, not to mention the exhausting workload of his NEWT year. He had to leave that to Harry and the others, if they wanted to spare her the time.

It was weird, Megan reflected as the team drilled yet again. Here they were doing the same things as ever in the sky, working together like a well oiled machine, but on the ground, she felt so different. Even though months had passed, she still dreamed about Harry and the Jewels, still avidly listened to their gossip, still missed their touch, their comforting presence.

She had tried a summer romance with Mark, but even as he held her, even as she kissed him, she couldn't help but feel that he wasn't as good as Harry. She had considered going further but decided against it. They parted on good terms. Mark said that he was grateful for their time together, but it was clear they didn't love each other and he wanted that with any lady he married. She agreed, that having been one of her biggest reasons for breaking up with Harry, she felt she should have something more normal. They shared a last kiss and a sad smile.

The other girls in her dorm were all sleeping with Harry every night, something that had always comforted her, and she felt left behind.

The other Hufflegirls had done their best to keep her in the loop but there were a lot of things that they didn't, couldn't share with anyone outside their relationship. Megan wanted to be part of the group again, she missed the closeness, but she couldn't have that and her normal life.

As Cedric called an end to practice for the day, Megan contrarily wanted to stay aloft despite the chill winds. Up here, she felt free. Up here, she felt loved. As she caught Harry's face, she thought she spotted love in his glance but looked away.

The month drew towards a close, and in Hogwarts, it was nearly time for the annual Halloween Feast.

Harry still felt sad each year, since it was the anniversary of James' and Lily's murders, but his friends and especially his Jewels made it a point to keep his spirits up. Since it was a Tuesday, he still had to attend classes but they didn't get as much of his attention as normal. Thankfully, he only had Charms, Arithmancy and DADA.

In Charms, Professor Flitwick had the class work on non-verbal Cheering Charms, with Harry somehow ending up the target of choice. His lips quirked in memory at the way Hermione had 'accidentally' missed Hannah with her spell, hitting Harry instead.

The Arithmancy Professor had a similar intent, presenting the class with a new problem as a way to engage their brains and distract her favourite student. The problem was one that had remained unsolved for nearly three hundred years until Professor Vector completed the solution with the aid of the new software, not that she told the class until the very end, of course.

The DADA instructor, Auror Williamson, cut him some slack in class, a very good thing as Harry was often called by him to demonstrate the hexes and curses, due to his talent more than his fame. That Halloween however, he wasn't as certain as he would like that he would keep himself under control.

Harry hated needing the special treatment, but at least he had seen that the teachers, the good ones, anyway, also gave other students space when they needed it. After class, his girls had taken him straight to the Room of Requirement where he got to blast apart targets for a solid fifteen minutes. So focussed was he that Harry barely noticed that all of his Jewels were there, even those who didn't go to Hogwarts had snuck in. At the end of destroying every target dummy they had, each girl came up and kissed him one by one, last of all was Diana. The probationary Jewel had an expression he could identify as a mixture of love, comfort and pain from her own recent loss.

Harry attended the feast with everyone else, on high alert after the plot from last year and the bad news the year before. It just seemed sensible to be prepared, in his mind, though he heard Justin cough "Paranoid" at one point, easing the sharing a laugh with his friends.

Down in London, Voldemort had come up with a different way of marking the anniversary of the attack, the one that had seen him bodiless and near powerless for a decade. He had come to Wool's Orphanage, where he had spent his childhood, to come to prove himself the master of his life and his past.

Instead, those damned Muggles had torn down the place before Voldemort could do it himself! How dare they? Didn't they know that only he, Voldemort, was allowed that? Well, no, they didn't, since they didn't yet know he existed, though he planned to change all of that. 'Not yet.' Voldemort told himself, pushing back his anger with an ease he hadn't known since he left Hogwarts, only just started on the path of the Dark Arts.

Putting on his most charming smile and dressed in his best suit, copied from Savile Row in the early '40s, the self-proclaimed Most Feared Dark Lord strolled confidently into the building. He noted the pretty thing sitting at the reception desk, and a couple of Muggle men standing around in uniform with 'Security' on their badges. Choosing a name at random off the board behind her, he asked if he could be let in to see them, whoever they were.

The receptionist looked blankly at the good looking man like he was insane. Realising his mistake, Voldemort slid his hand into his pocket, touching the wand there, and muttered a Confundus that saw her letting him through under the impression that nothing was amiss.

Once inside and past the strange arch, Voldemort made his way to the stairs instead of the lift. Three flights up and confident that no one would interrupt him, he set to work, first casting a Muggle-repelling charm on the whole area, strong enough to do the job while he got on with his plan.

The first stage was to Apparate around the building, setting up more anti-Muggle wards, corralling them into central areas. The next, sealing the exits, was also a simple matter. Following that, with hundreds of Muggles trapped ready for slaughter, Voldemort set about casting some of his favourite hexes on the creatures, his spells eliciting such wonderful screams from men and women alike.

All too soon, he ceased his sport, not for lack of time or targets but because his own reserves were running low. Moving onto the next, he sent Incendios at the next group, letting the rather low-level spell do its work and appreciating anew the simple pleasures in life.

So it went, moving from group to group until he reached the last group of terror-stricken people. These were to have a different fate. Casting a score of Imperius curses, they were soon carrying the bodies of their colleagues down to the basement garage, making a massive pile that Voldemort's next spell set alight, then jumping onto the bonfire themselves.

A quick Fiendfyre later, the building was empty of its Muggle occupants, and the final stage of Voldemort's plan began. Warding the building, making it into a headquarters fit for his now thousand-strong minions, took time and skill more than raw magical power, at least in the initial stages, and Voldemort was a master. By the time the wards were ready to accept more power, his reserves would be back up and the job would be complete.

November in the Scottish highlands was never what one could call warm, but this year's opened more temperate than normal. Opinions were divided on whether or not this was a good thing as the constant cold rain and mud was their alternative to freezing rain or snow.

On the morning of the fourth, the day of the traditional Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, it seemed that the answers were divided roughly along gender lines. The guys were happy not to be frozen while the girls were unhappy about all the mud on their clothes. Also unhappy about the mud were Argus Filch, the caretaker, who took each muddy footprint as a personal insult rather than the inevitable result of hundreds of kids walking around, and one Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Seeker.

He made the mistake of complaining to Pansy about the mud, expecting her to make him feel better as her family had ordered. To his mind, the way he had belittled and humiliated her didn't affect the treatment she should give him.

"And what do you expect me to do about it, Your Highness?" she replied acerbically. "You are a wizard, are you not? Cast your own cleaning spells." With a huff, she turned away to talk more to Daphne and the others, trusting implicitly that they would warn her in time if she needed to act. Only later, during the match, would she reflect upon that level of trust. It both scared and reassured her in equal measure. Slytherins don't trust Slytherins. That was the rule in their House, and it was more ironclad than any supposed front of House Unity presented to the rest of the school.

So Draco was in a right snit as he waited for that old biddy Hooch to start the game.

Facing the Slytherins was not the same team that had worked together for three years since Oliver Wood, captain and Keeper, had completed Hogwarts the year before. At Keeper, new member Cormac McLaggen sat astride his broom, looking competent and confident, even arrogant. There were rumours flying around that he had tried to get himself named Captain right from the start, ones Harry knew to be true.

Angelina Johnson, Chaser and long-serving member of the team, had other ideas and the team went with her rather than the newcomer. She and her two friends, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, made up the Flying Foxes, as the trio of Chasers were known, and they looked eager to get started. On their brooms, Fred and George, notorious 'masters of pranking', were unwontedly serious, and their little brother Ronald was nervous as always but determined to make the catch of the Snitch.

The whistle blew. The Snitch evaded the best efforts of both Seekers, disappearing to their sight. The teams relaxed, glad that the contest would last more than the opening minutes, and settled into their game plans. The Slytherins, despite a certain blond's whining, had trained hard for this match, trained to play well, rather than dirty, since dirty play had been caught most effectively and some members of the team wanted to win more than they wanted to cheat.

On the other hand, the Gryffindors had also trained hard. Freed from the four a.m. practices called by their possibly insane former captain, they had instead slept in a whole two hours, getting much more rest and being more awake and energetic for the practice they did get.

Ronald Weasley liked his sleep. He loved his sleep. And he was determined to show that the extra sleep he got in the mornings would not come to an end courtesy of a loss to those damned Snakes!

It looked like it might be up to him, too. The Snakes had surprised their opponents by coming out hard and strong from the outset, seizing the initiative and never letting go, converting it into an early lead that just grew wider and wider. Ron frantically searched for the Snitch. He needed to seize victory from the jaws of defeat, before the Snakes could stretch their lead far enough. If he took too long then even the massive boost from the Snitch wouldn't save the Lions from an early loss to their hated rivals.

Catching a glint out of the corner of his eye, Ron's head whipped around but it was gone, if it had truly been there in the first place. What he did get was Malfoy's attention and Ron acted like he had seen it, weaving and ducking, following an imaginary Snitch. The ponce was hooked, following the Weasel and gaining ground on him, locked on his tail as the ginger dived in a classic Wronski Feint. Whether by luck or skill, Malfoy pulled up in time only for Weasley to truly spot their target, taking off sharply to the right and Malfoy again hot on his heels. Just as Draco caught up to the ginger, intent on maiming his opponent or simply throwing him off track, Weasley changed direction again, putting his body right into Draco's path on a collision course that the Snake could not avoid. Instinctively, Draco grabbed hold of Weasley, right as Weasley grabbed the Snitch.

A long moment later, the referee's whistle blew and the game was over. Gryffindor had won by ten points! 'Damn that Blood Traitor, Weasley!'

Storming off to the changing rooms before anyone could stop him, before the Merlin-damned Gryffindors could assemble to accept the praise and applause that should have been his, Draco hit the showers. He hadn't cooled down by the time he returned to the castle, despite the cold winds.

Seeing Pansy sitting at the Slytherin table, enjoying her lunch with those traitors Greengrass, Davis and Roper almost set him off. Neither seeing nor noticing his Head of House hurrying over, Draco sat imperiously at his usual place, waiting for Pansy to ignore those worthless witches in favour of him. Within a minute, he grew impatient.

"Pansy!" he hissed.

"Yes, Malfoy?" she replied coldly, still not wishing to gaze at the pointed face of the idiot.

"You are supposed to be talking to me, not to them!"

"And why, pray tell, should I do that instead of having an intelligent conversation?"

"I am better than they are!" Draco protested.

"Prove it."

Draco, desperate, failed to appreciate the trap. If he stepped up, he would be branded a foolish Gryffindor in Slytherin clothing. If he refused, he was a coward or an incompetent. Worst of all, if he tried and failed, he would be seen as both foolish and incompetent. The only way out was to turn it back on the questioner or use a distraction.

"Don't you have eyes, Pansy? Clearly I am the better wizard."

"That proves nothing, since they are witches and not wizards at all." 'Seriously, is this the best the ever-so-proud Malfoy line can boast?'

"At least I am not a traitor to my blood, contaminating my line with filth!" Draco fairly spat that line at her.

Snape knew he had to step in now, no matter how entertaining the situation. McGonagall was already on his back about his failure. Another public one and he was unsure he could talk his way out of it. Lately, the woman had become far more adept at spotting half-truths and misdirection and more willing to call people on them. He had lost all confidence that his protectors, Dumbledore and Voldemort, would have both the power and the willingness to use it on his behalf.

Unfortunately, he was too slow, even as he opened his mouth.

"Draco Malfoy, I challenge you to a duel. Your public insults of me and mine demand that you face me in an affair of honour. Do you have even a shred of honour in your body to face me?" Somehow, Snape had not noticed Lily's boy approach. He would have sworn the boy was still sitting, eating his dinner, all the way over with the Gryffindors, in fact.

"You question my honour?"

"The better question would be if there is any honour in your entire family. You talk of traitors while boasting of your father, a traitor to the country and a traitor to his own cowardly master."

Draco pulled his wand as fast as he could, only to be frozen by Snape's non-verbal spell. Snape was unsurprised that he was needed to save Malfoy from himself. Casting a spell in such circumstances would be tantamount to conceding the duel before it began.

"Your answer, Malfoy?"

"I accept." Despite Potter's showing in the Triwizard Tournament, Draco truly believed he would win. Besides, refusing would harm his standing among true wizards more than any defeat.

"Then the duel shall take place in an hour, with your consent, Professors." Harry added that last to the staff along with a formal bow, precisely according to pureblood etiquette. However much he despised their culture, he had made every effort to learn their ways. It was another weapon, after all.

Minerva McGonagall was most displeased, her face so stern, her lips seemed to have disappeared entirely. A duel was serious, and as much as she hated the entire practice, it was still within the rules, though not for long if she had her way. What puzzled her was exactly what the Malfoy heir had done to set off Harry. Catching his eye, she saw he was serious.

"I shall allow it." Minerva declared, a nod to Filius telling him to take over.

The diminutive Professor stood, all eyes going straight to him as the students remembered he wasn't just their Charms teacher but a former duelling champion.

"Each combatant will present themselves in one hour for inspection. No cursed or enchanted items will be permitted. No Dark or illegal spells. All spells will be verbalised. No armour of any kind will be permitted."

Unsaid was that in professional circles, the duel would be conducted topless to reduce the chance that a competitor had slipped something past the judges. While young Malfoy could no doubt afford the kind of expense involved, he lacked the time to obtain it now and the forethought to consider it useful earlier.

Harry nodded absently, already aware of the likely conditions. Draco gave a start and scowled, then gave a surly nod at the prompting of his Head of House.

"Very well. You may return to your meals." Draco was already racking his brain, trying to think of any trick to make his showing even more impressive. Unfortunately, while it was obvious that potions had not been ruled out, he couldn't think of a useful one, not one that he could risk anyone discovering.

For his part, Harry gave a short bow to Professor Flitwick and a reassuring smile to the Slytherin girls. As he resumed his seat at the Gryffindor table, he wrote out a brief note apologising to the three Snakes that he had prevented them giving their own response to the insults to all of them and promising to make it up to them later.

Dinner dragged on for Harry until he saw his note reach the girls who looked up and gave him a brief nod and smile in return and he relaxed, glad he hadn't ruined anything between them.

Justin saw the signal and Harry's relief, calling his mate over to join the guys at their section of the Gryffindor table again. Harry sat down heavily to his right and Nev gave him a butterbeer.

"I've been saving this for a special occasion." Neville told the guys. "A chance to wipe the floor with Malfoy has to count for that." He had inadvertently raised his voice and the still occasionally shy boy ducked his head when he got a rousing cheer from his Housemates.

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Neville. You're a good man."

Dean clapped the other Gryffindor's shoulder. "You're alright, Neville. Hey Harry, want to have a party to celebrate you trouncing the Ferret?"

Harry chuckled. "We haven't even started the duel yet."

"Yeah, but you'll beat him, Harry. You have to!" Ron Weasley yelled. "That slimy Snake needs to get it."

Harry shook his head. "Not all Slytherins are slimy or evil, Weasley."

"Well, maybe." Ron conceded grudgingly before he gave his winning argument. "But Malfoy sure is."

"Yeah, Draco's made it his job to live down to his family's reputation." Harry grinned. "As for a party, we'll see but thanks for the invite, guys."

At the appointed hour, Flitwick erected duelling shields for each of the tables as Minerva transfigured an area into a duelling arena, elevated so the students could see the entertainment for the evening.

Draco walked in like he owned the place while Harry had a more formal manner to him. Flitwick first asked if the parties could be persuaded to abandon their duel.

"I could be convinced to rescind my challenge if Mister Malfoy retracts his insults and humbly requests my forgiveness."

Draco snorted at that condition and sneered at Harry. "Like I would ever ask for forgiveness from you, Potter."

Seeing that they were determined to duel, Flitwick then reminded them "This duel continues until one of you surrenders or is unable to continue."

"On the count of three. One. Two. Three."

Both combatants drew their wands, though Draco was a full second slower than Harry. He waited for his opponent, letting the blond get off the first spell, a Densaugeo that he sidestepped lazily. Harry decided that was enough to make his point and walked up to his opponent, casting a Cheering Charm, Confundus and then Transfigured the floor under Draco into tar. Draco had chosen to shield against the spells then got a comical look of surprise on his face at the Transfiguration.

Minerva kept her expression under iron control though she wanted to gloat at the reactions both of that blond pain in the neck and of many students who were looking far more alert at the unusual tactics. Maybe it would teach some of them that her discipline was more than just a chore or a toy.

Harry smiled coldly as his opponent got stuck, using a Banishing Hex next to force Draco off balance and onto his aristocratic arse, mired in the black tar. As Draco tried his best to get up, he was too slow to avoid the next spell, a Disarming Charm that stripped him of his wand and sending it sailing into Harry's left hand.

Draco looked truly panicked without his wand but before he could surrender, if that was indeed his intention, Harry cast Silencing and Limb-Locking spells at him. Next he conjured a flock of white feathers before Harry followed it up quickly with a Stunner, one so overpowered it turned the Slytherin over onto his front, now covered front and back in the black tar. Flitwick did the honours, declaring the duel over.

"I trust that your honour is satisfied, Mr Potter."

"Yes, Professor. I believe I have shown that anyone insulting my dead mother has crossed the line and shall pay the price." Harry's voice was clear throughout the Great Hall, and some of the Darker Slytherins especially reconsidered any notion of taking on the Boy-Who-Lived. At least, one on one seemed like a terrible idea.

Madam Pomfrey asked Headmistress McGonagall's help to extricate the fallen Malfoy, Harry having casually overpowered the spell in order to ensure that Draco couldn't escape on his own.

Thank you for reading. Your feedback is most appreciated. One of my betas has new work up on his page, check out Cloud Zen's updates to "I Have An Idea, Harry" (ID 9727421)!