Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K Rowling.

Chapter 21: The First Row

To Draco Malfoy

The bright green letters shone on the small box I'd just received from home. I thanked my mother quietly, she always sent a box of cookies at the start of every week. The cookies were special, I couldn't quite place it. They tasted like home and like fresh cacao straight from an exotic jungle. I opened the jar eagerly and bit into a precious cookie with fervour.

The others around the Slytherin table observed me with varying expressions. Blasie, characteristically, looked vaguely amused. Pansy looked torn between wanting one and staying away from one in order to 'stay her best self'.

Daphne looked entirely unconcerned, as usual. Still, something was different about her. Her posture wasn't perfect. Her hair, which Pansy had told me in excruciating detail about, was almost...messy. At least to her usually immaculate standard. Pansy claimed that Daphne loved her hair more than her family. It wasn't an unreasonable claim, considering Daphne never smiled when she got letters from home. I had never seen her hug her younger sister, Astoria, either.

Daphne's hair was strange.

Well, not the hair in itself. It was in my own opinion the best in our year. I could still remember her hairstyle from the ball last year. That was the first time I'd ever really seen her.

No, what was strange about it was that it was the only thing she paid attention to. Unlike Pansy and Tracey and Millicent, she wore no makeup at all. I don't think any other girls apart from some of the most studious Ravenclaws did that. I had never dared ask her why.

Daphne didn't move a single muscle where she sat. Everyone left her even more alone than usual. She had a herculean task to overcome after all.

Her task was the duelling equivalent of breaking into the Department of Mysteries as a muggle.

I had to give her credit. Her hands didn't tremble at all. Every move was as calculated as ever. Did she think she could win?

If she did somehow win, I would gladly marry her. The look on Potter's face would be worth saving in some national archive.

Tracey was looking at the cookie in my hand longingly. "Can I have one, Draco?" She batted her eyelashes in her best 'innocent' looking expression. Her eyes shone like a cute puppy.

"No," I said gruffly and put the lid to the jar back on.

"You have over twenty, Draco. Surely you can give poor Trace one?" Blasie raised his eyebrows with a smug smile.

"You said it, I only have twenty. They have to last for the entire week," I said and secured the jar in my backpack and zipped it close demonstratively.

"You would think that those cookies were worth your life based on how close you're guarding them," Daphne said with a pointed look.

I gruffed irritably.

She shrugged. "You make the goblins look selfless sometimes, Draco."

Blaise snorted. "Not just sometimes."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

I ignored my housemates pointedly and focused on my breakfast. Porridge tasted very well.

Daphne's words took root in my mind. The weeds planted themselves firmly. Was I really that selfish? I knew she was exaggerating. She was exaggerating, right?

I let out a long, quiet breath. I would not be something as petty as selfish. That was something which kids were. I was not a kid. I was a Malfoy. We were above such petulance.

Daphne stood up abruptly and straightened her robes. She gave our group a respectful bow of her head and left.

Our group shared a silent look. We all wanted to believe otherwise, but we all knew the truth about what would happen.

We weren't stupid Gryffindors who thought that pure determination and stupidity would prevail against all odds.

"Well, I guess we might as well make our way down and show some support." I smiled weakly at the others.

The others only nodded and followed me silently. Tracey was fidgeting with her hands, I also spotted several times where she was on the verge of biting her nails.

"She'll be fine Tracey," I said when I couldn't stand it anymore. "I hate to admit it, but Potter is a nice fellow. It'll be a quick fight."

The furrow on the brunette's forehead grew. "Maybe."

There was a huge crowd around the stage where Greengrass and Potter would soon duel. It looked as if the entire school had decided to watch the lion rip the snake apart. Conveniently, stands had been erected to make sure that everybody could watch. We managed to get seats close to the stage, so I could see both Potter and Daphne preparing at each end of the stage.

Potter was talking to one of his quidditch teammates who I never remembered the name of. It wasn't the one Granger had been knocked out by yesterday. The girl laughed loudly at something Potter said. I frowned, was there something there between them? I tried to look for any signs, but I really didn't know what to look for, so I gave up.

Perhaps I could insinuate something to Pansy, she had a finger in every stew of gossip in the castle. If anyone would know, she would know too.

Daphne, on the other hand, looked like she was waiting for a train. She stood with her hands behind her back. Waiting. Waiting.

Looking at Potter.

I squinted and looked closer.

No. She was glaring at Potter.

I nudged Tracey on the shoulder. "Do you know why Daphne is looking at Potter like he killed her entire family?"

Tracey grimaced. "She doesn't like him very much." The short witch couldn't sit still.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Anyone could have told me that, or anyone who knew her at least a little bit could have told me that. She didn't look angry, apart from her eyes. A sneer was basically a declaration of war coming from Daphne. So a glare told me enough.

I had been glared at a fair few times by Daphne. It was one of those things which made me realise that I had done something seriously wrong. Simply because she did it so rarely.

It was strange.

Flitwick called them forwards and they approached each other and bowed curtly at the middle of the stage. If it could be called bowing, Daphne inclined her head almost imperceptibly and Potter just twitched.

I raised my eyebrows with an edge of discomfort.

They took one side each and raised their wands in preparation. The 'boom' signalling that the duel begins echoed from Flitwick's wand. Nothing happened at first. Both of them stood frozen in their places with their wands aimed at the other. Daphne's blue eyes were narrowed in concentration.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Potter had always fired first, even winning his duels with the first spell. Did he actually think that Daphne could challenge him? The crowd was eerily silent, where mutterings and excitement had been mere seconds before, only the gust of the wind remained.

Suddenly, Daphne broke the deadlock.

"Stupefy," she cried loudly and a jet of red light emerged from her wand.

Potter didn't even flinch.

He remained standing where he had been earlier. Daphne's aim was way off, the spell just whisked past Potter. I cringed internally, that was harsh for Daphne.

Daphne glared at Potter and began firing spell after spell at Potter. Now Potter had to do something, several of her spells went straight at his chest. I didn't even know what half of her spells did, but based on everything I knew about her, they weren't friendly.

I glanced at Flitwick in the middle who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Daphne was precariously close to injuring Potter seriously. Or well, she wasn't really. Potter looked completely unbothered by Daphne's onslaught of spells. He just took nimble steps aside or swiped his wand to make the spells disseminate in the thin air.

It was rather impressive, loath as I was to admit it. Some spells simply disappeared in thin air like someone had snuffed a fire out. I hadn't seen anyone do that before, but it was definitely a useful thing to know.

Daphne was beginning to break a sweat on the other side. Her eyes were still trained on Potter with concentration.

"Don't lose your head, Daph," I heard Tracey mutter from next to me. Her nails had tracks of bites on them and her face was etched in worry. Even Blaise and Pansy were observing the duel with concerned looks.

Then Daphne stopped. Silence descended upon the stage. A pervasive and invasive silence. Not even the birds were chirping. Potter looked as serious as I had ever seen him. Daphne was panting slightly, the glare having grown in intensity.

Potter raised his wand and trained it on Greengrass. "Did you mean it?"

Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes," she snapped barely audibly to where I sat. "All. Of. It."

Potter nodded and shrugged. I thought I could see a sneer on Potter's face. I frowned at the thought. A pit of discomfort had appeared in my stomach. I was the one who was supposed to be sneering at people, not him.

And what were they talking about?

That question was better left for another time; Potter started to fire.

Or well, that was wrong. He started to wave his wand. He shook his head and looked at Greengrass with a look of pure apathy. "Then you'll get what you wish for."

Several shapes started to form in thin air. At first they didn't look like much, but after just a couple of seconds. A group of ten semi-translucent bodies had been conjured. I frowned. Potter pointed his wand and in perfect unison, they charged.

Daphne managed to take down one of them with a stupefy which sent it dissolving into thin air. They came upon her like a pack of hungry wolves. She was knocked to the ground, her wand sent flying.

One of the people grabbed her hair and for one quiet second. Nothing happened. Then the figure ripped it straight off. I physically recoiled, Tracey whined next to me.

Daphne's hair was left an uneven, patchy mess.

I looked around the crowd and realised to my dismay that most people seemed to find it funny. I resisted the urge to sneer. Would they have found it funny if Potter was a Slytherin?

The magical figures dissolved in a cloud of purple sparks, leaving Daphne on the ground. Sniffling.

Potter walked up to her. "Do you give up Greengrass?"

Daphne stood up and straightened her robes. I thought she would slap him for a second. She didn't. I wished she had.

"I'll never give in to you." Daphne glared at Potter with such an intensity that he should have been on fire. A pile of ash. "Never."

Potter shrugged nonchalantly and casually sent a spell straight into Greengrass' chest. Daphne flew off the stage with a shriek and landed on the grass in a heap.

Flitwick declared Potter as the winner. None of the joy was left in his smile. I couldn't remember ever seeing him like this. His eyes were narrowed and held none of the warmth they usually did for students.

Tracey rushed over to Daphne the second the duel was over. I was but a step behind her.

I swallowed loudly when I saw it. Potter hadn't just thrown her off stage. No, he had transfigured her entire face. Into a face befitting a pig. Snout and all.

I met Potter's eyes across the stage. I had come to know the boiling anger and quiet smugness of his eyes last year. The pure disgust was something I never thought I would see.

I sent a glance around the premises. People were outright laughing and pointing at Daphne. Tracey was hugging Daphne desperately. Whispering something only the two of them heard. I felt Blaise and Pansy approach and together, we obscured Daphne from the view of the crowd. Montague came, then Flint, then Pucey. Soon the entirety of our house had formed an impermeable wall to cover her. No one could see her. Even if they wanted to.

I'd never liked Madame Pomfrey, the matron in the hospital wing, but I had to admit that she fixed things like this very easily. In just a short few minutes, all traces of Daphne's duell were vanished. Or almost all, traces of tears were still present on her cheeks and her eyes were all puffy. I didn't even know what to say to her. None of us did.

All of us knew beforehand she would lose. But like this? No.

Potter had struck harder than I ever thought he could. Even worse, he had struck on her weak spot.

It was nothing lasting, perhaps. Physically, that is. I wondered how Daphne would take it. She wouldn't tell us if her life was on the line. No, she would keep it to herself.

I really didn't want her to do that.

None of us said a word when we sat down in our usual set of couches and armchairs in the common room. Without a doubt, those few who didn't attend the duel in person, had found out exactly what had happened. The others left us alone, but could see that every so often people would send glances at us, glances at Daphne.

Daphne was staring into the roaring, green fire with an absent look.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked cautiously. No one in our group even pretended to be doing homework.

Daphne's expression didn't change. "Is it possible?"

I shared a silent look with Blasie. "What is possible?"

She sighed. "Can I make him pay for it?" Daphne touched her hair as if to make sure it was there. "Am I good enough to make him pay for it?"

I grimaced. "Whatever you try to do. I'll help you," I said resolutely.

Daphne's eyes snapped from the fire to meet mine.

Her blue irises held something it never had before. Something exposed. Something vulnerable.

We had found the impossible.

Something about the duel had brought a thing out of Daphne I hadn't seen for the previous four years. I didn't know if I liked it or not.

"So will I," Tracey declared resolutely. Her eyes were narrowed, there was no sign of the girl who wanted cookies.

"And I," Blasie said with a solemn expression.

All eyes turned to Pansy. "Me too, I guess."

Daphne flicked her hair expertly and I couldn't help but track the movement with my eyes.

"Perhaps you're not as selfish as I thought, Draco," she said.

-()-

How would my master react?

Hopefully she wouldn't know, she had a way to find out things which happened in the castle, but I knew for a fact that she didn't see everything. The silver door was shining invitingly when I approached the room ahead of our usual scheduled lesson.

The torches flickered as normal and I breathed out a sigh of relief when I found her in the chair, looking everything but angry. She looked completely neutral. Her wand rested calmly on the table by the armchairs. She made no attempt to reach for it. I wanted to sigh in relief. She didn't know.

"I want to tell you that I could just use the cruciatus to make you suffer beyond your comprehension. Perhaps I could even rip the skin of your body. Slowly and agonisingly, just like you did with her hair." My master's lips were curled with disgust. "But I won't. Because I know that it won't help." She gave me a pointed look laced with disappointment. "Violence is not the path to peace."

I had spoken too soon.

I shook my head and sat down. My arms were folded over my chest. "It wouldn't have been right to help her after what she said."

Rowena exhaled quickly in irritation. "And ripping the hair off her scalp is? Turning her visage into that of a pig is?" The founder scoffed. "Don't go around talking about what is right."

"Then no option was right."

Rowena nodded once. "Exactly. There was nothing to do that was necessarily right." She smiled darkly. "Then do what is the most advantageous. "Your tendency to-"

"...involve emotion when rational thought is required, is most bad," I finished for her. I smiled sweetly. "The thing is, I thought about it. She needed to change, somehow. Perhaps my way wasn't a good way. But it was a way."

Rowena closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"When I gave you knowledge and skill, I thought that you were mature enough to handle it. Clearly, you are not." She shook her head in disappointment.

"I learned everything you taught me to."

"Perhaps, but I fear I forgot to teach you the most important lesson of them all."

"And what is that?"

"When you have power over others, your greatest responsibility is to not use that power," Rowena said with a piercing stare.

"Why would I not use the spells you've taught me?"

"You should use them, but you should use them responsibly. Just because you can humiliate, destroy and kill, doesn't mean you should. Especially not for your own satisfaction."

I looked at her incredulously. "You think I will kill someone?"

"Not yet perhaps, but you've gone this far. Who is to say that you won't stray further along this path you're on?"

"It is a difference between killing someone and what I did," I said with a glare. "You're overreacting."

"NO!" she said vehemently and waved her wand warnigly. "I need you to fix up now, not then, when it's too late. Now!"

"Nothing in this world will make me kill anyone." I shook my head. "Everything was taken from me when my parents were killed." I swallowed. "How could I do that to someone else?" I finished softly.

Rowena gave me a piercing look. "That's good to hear…" My master frowned. "Just be careful, when you are angry and have tools to let that anger out…" she trailed off.

I chuckled bitterly. "Nothing will make me angry enough to go that far."

My master tilted her head. "What if your friends were tortured in front of you. If killing the torturer meant saving them. Would you?"

I didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Yes," I whispered and met her eyes. "It's a necessary evil."

My master nodded in understanding. "I just don't want you to use your power as an outlet for your anger." She held up a finger warningly. "When it's necessary, it's fine. When you do it out of pure fury, for no reason, it is not."

I closed my eyes and relaxed in my chair. "What if it is both?"

Rowena chuckled bitterly. "Then I hope that you are as good of an individual as everyone says you are when taking that decision."

I shook my head. "I'm not a good person."

Rowena chuckled bitterly. "You're right. What you did today was horrible." She sighed. "The fact that you have to marry that girl is…" My master gestured with her hands as if looking for words. "...wrong," she finished. "Ms. Greengrass deserves someone who doesn't humiliate her publicly."

I raised my eyebrows. "I might have done…wrong. BUT, she is not a saint either."

Rowena scoffed. "Where did you even get the idea about turning her face into that of a pig?"

I grimaced. "Hagrid, actually."

Rowena shook her head. "I think you took it a bit further than he did."

I shrugged. "Perhaps."

Rowena narrowed her eyes on me. "You're not feeling sorry for this," she said. It wasn't a question.

"It is as I said, she needed a wake up call."

-()-

"You will take it easy on me, right?" Angelina asked me with a concerned look.

I hummed and stroked my chin. "Maybe."

Angelina glared at me and arched a brow. "Whatever you do, I think you should remember that I am your quidditch captain." She gave me a pointed look and I smiled back at her.

"You do realise that I won't be able to play if I am on the other side of the globe, right?"

All the colour drained from her face immediately. "What?! Why am I only hearing about this now?" She looked like a child who had just been robbed of her favourite toy.

I shrugged. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

Angelina glared at me. "Now I don't even want to win anymore, but I don't want you to either." She sighed. "I have two years as captain and both are ruined before they are even started."

I patted her on the back in some form of consolation. "It is what it is."

Our duel was almost comically short, she was completely distracted by the news I'd just delivered to her. She almost looked like she was in mourning, perhaps Hermione was right. Quidditch did things to one's head.

Speaking of the devil. Hermione was waiting for me with an impatient look when I descended the stage. "We need to talk."

Her eyes were narrowed and she looked as if she was barely repressing pure rage. We found an abandoned classroom who looked disturbingly clean for not being used in years. Hermione leaned against a table and folded her arms angrily. I stayed well clear of any furniture myself.

"What?" I asked in a tired voice.

"What was that with Greengrass this morning?" she hissed with a furious look. "You bullied her!"

I met her gaze defiantly. "You don't know what has happened, Hermione,"

"What on earth could she have done to deserve what you did to her?" Hermione's eyes flashed and I involuntarily found myself wincing. "I would have thought that someone with your history would understand what it is like." The disappointment mixed with anger was pouring out of her like someone had turned a tap on without closing it.

My eyes narrowed at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Hermione gave me a deadpan look. "What you did this morning is exactly the same thing your cousin did to you."

I glared at her. "Don't you dare compare me to Dudley…"

"I do dare, because it is true." She spun on her heel. "I've always been proud to call myself your friend, but today I was ashamed to be," Hermione said softly. Without another word, she strided out of the classroom and the door slammed shut behind her with a loud 'bang'.

Had I truly gone to far?

No.

None of them had heard what Greengrass said to me.

Still, perhaps I could prove I was better than her by being the more mature one. If Greengrass wanted to stick to petty insults, fine. I will not go down that road to.

-()-

I plumped down in my armchair next to Ron with a loud sigh. "How did he take it?" Ron asked with a concerned frown.

I gave him a wry look. "About as well as you would expect when you compare him to his cousin."

"Not very well then," Ron said with a forced smile.

"No, he did not take it well," I responded with a roll of my eyes. "What I want to know is what she did to him." I looked at Ron with a frown on my face. "I've never seen him be so…cruel."

Ron scratched his nose and furrowed his brows. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes again. "I know you don't know Ron, but why doesn't he tell us these things anymore?"

Ron grimaced. "Perhaps he doesn't want us involved."

I thought about that. That definitely fit in with how he had acted about the whole learning fighting situation. "Then we need to get involved," I said resolutely. "I refuse to let him leave us behind like this."

"How do you plan to do that, Hermione? None of the teachers wanted to help you…"

I stared into the fire and thought at it hard. "There are no options left but learning it on our own."

Ron didn't look too thrilled at the idea. "I don't know 'Mione, I think I'd rather hang out with Dean and Seamus than holed up with some ancient tomb for a book."

I could have sworn an actual lightbulb appeared above my head. "That's it!" I exclaimed in excitement and gave Ron a quick hug.

Ron patted my back awkwardly before I drew back. I tried to not blush too much at what I had done, Ron only smiled at me amusedly. "Since when do you think hanging out with Seamus and Dean is productive?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Since never, but that's the solution. We should start a duelling club, then we can learn from others. That'll benefit more than just us as well."

Ron nodded slowly. "But who will teach us?"

I frowned again. "There is only one way." I looked him in the eye with determination. "We will have to teach ourselves."

-()-

"Come in," Dumbledore said gently when I knocked on the door to his office. I'd been summoned to his office after dinner, I had some guesses as to what the purpose of our discussion was.

"I believe congratulations are in order," Dumbledore said with a fond smile. "The last fifteen year old to be sent to the 'Duelling Days' was before I was born myself."

I bowed my head humbly, I had defeated a seventh year Ravenclaw to make it to the tournament just before dinner. "Did you not compete yourself, Professor?" I asked curiously.

Dumbledore smiled at me again, but his eyes were fixed somewhere on my forehead. "Unfortunately for me, I was but a third year when it took place."

"That was unlucky, sir." That the tournament took place every six years was very strange considering it was for wizards and witches aged seventeen and younger. If you were born the wrong year, you basically didn't have a chance to win.

"No, it gave me plenty of time to engross myself in the delights of transfiguration. I've seen that you've begun to experience the same thing." Dumbledore's eyes sparked merrily but he still wouldn't meet my eye.

I blushed at the praise. "It is fun, when I get it to work, Sir."

"Ah, yes. It becomes much more enjoyable when things are easy, doesn't it?" Dumbledore still smiled but there was a certain steel in his voice.

I forced a smile upon my face. "Why did you ask me here today, Sir?"

Dumbledore's smile disappeared and he looked at me inquisitively. "Why did you humiliate Ms. Greengrass today?''

I had thought about telling him about my future union with Greengrass, but that would bring a lot of questions of 'why' and how I found out about it. This would definitely endanger my promise to my master.

"She ruined my potion during class," I said and met his eyes. At least it wasn't a lie.

"That doesn't answer my question," he answered calmly and averted his eyes quickly.

I suppressed my annoyance at his refusal to look me in the eye. "She humiliated me, I humiliated her."

"If I may be so harsh, I find that rather petty coming from you."

"What can I say, I'm fifteen years old."

Dumbledore stroked his beard slowly. "It isn't the most immature thing I've seen a fifteen year old do in my days, but, I expected more from you."

I hung my head low in a show of regret. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, headmaster."

"Yes," he said slowly. "Therefore, I am sure you won't mind the detention I am assigning you for the next couple of evenings."

"No, Sir," I said seriously. I cursed inwardly, that would limit the amount of studying I could do. I needed it more than ever with the additional weight of the tournament.

"One last thing Harry," Dumbledore looked me in the eyes for the first time. "I find myself curious, why the sudden interest in your studies?"

"I have a war to fight," I said resolutely and met his eyes defiantly.

He hummed and stroked his beard slowly. "You do, but I find myself very impressed. I didn't recognise either of the spells you used in the first task to…shall we say 'endanger' me."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off.

"When I watched the third task through the screens Mr. Malfoy so conveniently provided, I found myself seeing you do things I'd never imagine you capable of, or anyone else I know."

"I've studied hard," I said simply.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I am not going to beat around the bush, where did you learn those things, Harry?"

"A book," I responded evenly. Trying to ignore how my heart was thudding in my chest as loud as a drum.

Dumbledore let out a long breath. "Of course."

The headmaster paused and didn't do anything for a couple of moments.

"Sir?" I said questioningly.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I was wondering about the trial during the summer?"

Dumbledore smiled, for the first time ever, I could say it looked forced on his face. "What about it?"

"Mrs. Figg did not see neither me nor the dementors, the entire street was abandoned except me," I stated simply.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "What are you saying?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Did you get her to lie, Sir?"

"Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to."

I chuckled. "That doesn't answer my question."

Dumbledore folded his wrinkled hands. "I think it does."

"If you say so Sir."

Dumbledore pinned me with a look for a moment. "I called you here for another reason tonight," he said.

I waited for him to continue patiently.

"I must admit that I don't particularly fancy you going off to a foregin nation in a time like this," he said with a frown. "But I think you have shown that you deserve it."

I suppressed a huff. Why did he have any say in this? I couldn't imagine that Dumbledore could decide whether Montague would go or not.

"Thank you, Sir," I said quietly.

The old man let out a long breath. "There will be precautions taken, of course. You will not leave Nanshu under any circumstance without conferring with me or your guard."

I frowned. "I will have a guard?"

"Of course, only you and Professor Flitwick will know that it is a guard though."

"Is it someone in the order?"

"Yes. I haven't decided who yet," Dumbledore said absently. "I'll have to think about that some more. We obviously can't send anyone who works for the ministry."

"What about Sirius?" I asked hopefully. "He hasn't got anything to do and he would love to get out of the house."

Dumbledore frowned. "It is a possibility, but we have to be cautious. Voldemort will have his eyes on you, too."

That was about as good as I could hope for.

"Can I ask you one last thing, Sir?"

Dumbledore's smile returned to his face, it looked genuine this time. "Whatever you wish."

"You spoke of private lessons at the end of last year, Sir. When will those take place?"

The headmaster didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. "I'll make you a deal." He smiled benevolently. "If you tell me what method you've used to improve your ability, I'll teach you whatever you want."

I swallowed deeply. "Anything?" I whispered.

He frowned but relaxed. "Yes, I will warn you though, some things are better off not knowing."

I shook my head. "Respectfully, Sir, but I disagree." I let out a long, nervous breath. "I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer, Sir."

Dumbledore narrowed his blue eyes at me. "Interesting."

A couple of moments went by where no sound was made. Every portrait was sound asleep in their frames. Or they pretended to be.

Dumbledore sighed and smiled at me. "You're dismissed. You will meet Mr. Filch in the trophy room at seven o'clock tomorrow night, and the next couple of nights after as well."

"Yes Sir, goodbye," I said with a wave and stepped out of his office.

The gargoyle jumped back into place after I exited his office. I felt my knees go weak. I was but a moment from falling down into a heap on the floor. I had overstepped, Dumbledore was on to me. He definitely suspected me of something. Greengrass had been a mistake, I held no delusions that I could keep Dumbeldore in the dark for too long.

I didn't have to do it for much longer. In just a few days I would leave the school, leaving his watchful gaze. That would give me time to come up with something.

Still, the thought haunted me. Dumbledore knew a lot. Being taught by not just one great wizard, but two was an offer which no one could not contemplate. The crux was that I would most likely lose my current master if I revealed my secrets.

Who was best, Ravenclaw or Dumbledore?

"Time to use rational thought," I thought to myself with a chuckle.

A/N:

There we go, chapter 21 and we have finally gone past that 100k word mark. As of now, I have no idea how long this story will actually be, but expect at least another 100k.

Anyways, I hope all of you have a delightful, happy holiday, wherever you are.

It would be a great Christmas present to receive a review! I really enjoy reading them. Although, please be constructive. I know I am not the best author; I would love to know how I can improve.

There will be another chapter next week, as usual.

Cheers!