Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harry overslept the day after his midnight escapade. Fortunately, the following day was a Saturday so he didn't have to go and give his apologies to Professors for missing their lessons, he only had to face down the wrath of Granger who'd been pacing around the common room for over an hour, waiting for Harry to make an appearance.

He slipped the Elder Wand into his holster after getting dressed to keep it safe, choosing to carry his ebony and horned-serpent horn wand in his pocket instead. When he finally emerged from his dorm, Hermione latched onto him immediately.

"Harry! Are you alright? You've completely missed breakfast!"

"Yeah, sorry, things didn't go quite to plan last night. I didn't get back to bed until much later than I thought I would." His stomach growled loudly and Hermione sighed in exasperation.

"Come on, Harry." Hermione took hold of his hand and pulled him towards the common room door. "Let's take a trip to the kitchens, you can grab something to eat there and fill me in on what happened."

Once they reached the kitchens, the House Elves were more than happy to provide Harry with a late breakfast and, between bites and as Hermione sipped on a cup of tea, he ran her through the events of the previous evening.

"Well, that explains why Professor Dumbledore wasn't at breakfast this morning," she said as Harry finished his story. "What are you going to do with the wand?"

"I'm not sure. Despite the problems I have with him, I had thought about giving it back for him to look after but I really don't want to have to argue for its return down the line."

Hermione hummed in agreement. "Why not keep it but store it in a vault at Gringotts? Use your new relationship with the Goblins and ask Ragnok for somewhere with even stronger protections than a standard vault that only you have access to. That way, even if you were defeated in a duel, the wand will stay out of the victor's grasp unless you physically hand it over. I certainly think it would be better than Professor Dumbledore's plan of being buried with it."

Harry pondered this and the longer he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He sighed in relief. "Thanks, Hermione. I was worried about keeping it in the school and having Dumbledore try to force me to return it to him. Now I just need to get it out of here before he asks for it back."

"That's fairly straightforward. We'll find a box to secure it in and get Kreacher to collect it and take it back to Sirius. Ask Sirius to keep it in his study until you can get it to Gringotts." Hermione sat back and smiled.

Harry looked at her with admiration, then blushed as he recalled the images he'd seen in the mirror the night before. He looked down at the table. "You're brilliant, you know that?"

Hermione lifted her head so her nose was in the air, and sniffed pompously. "I may have heard that once or twice." She said before breaking into laughter, with Harry joining her a moment later.

Once their laughter had subsided, Harry picked up his own cup of tea and studied Hermione over the rim. He lowered his voice and glanced around cautiously, making sure there were no House Elves in hearing range. "Whilst we're on the subject of Goblins, do you think we should tell them you've returned too?"

Hermione sipped her own tea and tapped her fingers against her mug as she thought. "I think we'll have to. I've got better knowledge of what's going to happen in the muggle world than you and some big things are coming up in muggle finance over the next couple of decades. I know the Goblins invest in the muggle financial markets – "

"Do they? I wouldn't have thought they'd be interested?" Harry interrupted.

"Gold is gold, Harry," Hermione replied. "Whether muggle or magical, it's the same precious metal until they apply their enchantments… anyway, I want to help too. I can give them some information about the muggle markets and take some pressure off you, and I'll be right beside you anyway fighting for better rights for magical beings. It makes sense and you won't have to scramble around for excuses if they spring a surprise question on you."

Harry nodded in agreement and smiled at Hermione in thanks.

Once they had finished their tea and had thanked the House Elves for their refreshments, Harry and Hermione dashed up to the Room of Requirement to find a suitable container for the wand, and once they'd found one, Harry placed it inside and together they sealed the box as best they could before Harry called Kreacher. Just before Harry handed the box over with instructions to deliver it to Sirius, Hermione had another brainwave. "Harry, ask Kreacher if he can secure the box too. That way, it will be protected with Elf magic as well."

"Kreacher can do that." He croaked before Harry could speak. "Would Master Harry like Kreacher to help?"

"Yes please, Kreacher. Thank you."

Kreacher nodded and concentrated on the box for a moment before snapping his fingers. "It is done, Master Harry."

"Thank you, Kreacher. Please take the box to Sirius now." Kreacher bowed, then vanished with a pop.

With the Elder Wand now secured, Harry returned his ebony wand to his holster, before he and Hermione exited the Room and headed back down towards the lower levels where they hoped to find their friends. They'd just reached the fourth-floor landing when a voice called for them to wait.

"Mr Potter, there you are!" Professor Sprout hurried up to the pair who smiled at their head of house. "The Headmaster would like to speak to you in his office, then I would like a word afterwards if you would be so kind? I understand you went for a little late-night stroll last night?" She looked at him disapprovingly and Harry groaned.

"Yes, Professor. I couldn't sleep and went for a walk. I know I shouldn't have done and I apologise. I had a bit of an accident with the Headmaster and went to Professor Flitwick for help. I've got detention with him tonight and he took ten points from me." Harry said, looking suitably abashed.

"Yes, I'm aware Mr Potter. Professor Flitwick informed me at breakfast, which I noticed you did not attend. Have you had something to eat now? Or would you like me to show you where the kitchens are before we go to meet the Headmaster?"

Harry and Hermione both blushed under the amused gaze of Professor Sprout. "Actually Ma'am," Hermione said quietly. "We've already been. I sort of dragged Harry there as soon as he woke up."

"Well done Miss Granger. Madam Pomfrey was most put out to see Mr Potter here had missed breakfast after her direct orders to him last night to eat a proper meal this morning. Five points to Hufflepuff for looking after your friend when they've failed to look after themselves."

Harry huffed in indignation. "I'd only just woken up when she dragged me there!"

"Would you have gone on your own, Mr Potter? Or would you have waited for lunchtime?" Harry frowned at Professor Sprout. "Exactly. Those five points stand Miss Granger. Now, shall we go and visit the Headmaster?"

"See you in a bit, Hermione." Harry waved her goodbye as he followed his head of house up to Dumbledore's office.

"You know, Mr Potter," said Professor Sprout as they walked. "I don't think I've ever seen the Headmaster so interested in a student. This is our third visit this year."

"Fourth for me actually Professor," Harry said, cheerfully.

"Fourth?"

"Yes, Ma'am. He had possession of an item of my father's and returned it to me. We had a quick chat and he kindly offered to answer questions for any of the students if they had them, though thinking about it now, that might not have been what he meant when he said it." Harry smiled cheekily at his head of house who chuckled quietly, remembering seeing floods of students approach Albus earlier in the year, but not understanding why at the time.

"I see. Well, please remember what I said before. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be more than happy to listen."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry gestured at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office as they had now arrived at their destination. "Shall we?"

Albus Dumbledore groaned as he awoke in the bed he'd been placed in in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey bustled over with a pain potion in her hands and directed him to take it before he did anything else. He downed it in a single motion, grimacing at the taste but immediately relaxing as his headache disappeared. Now he was able to think without his head throbbing, he tried to remember what had happened the night before. He wasn't sure where things had gone wrong. It had started so well, the compulsion had clearly worked as the boy found the room with the mirror but how in Merlin's name had it gone so badly after that?

Madam Pomfrey hurried back with a large breakfast tray and placed it in front of him before filling him in on how he'd come to be in her care. She told him how Harry had caught him with an overpowered disarming charm, but the amount of power the boy had… and how was he so fast? It had been decades since anyone had caught him by surprise with a spell.

'Could the boy's scar be affecting him?' Albus pondered. He'd often wondered if some fragment of Tom Riddle may have been left behind the night he'd attacked the Potters. The scar on Harry's head just wouldn't heal, even when he used the Elder Wand to…

Albus froze. He immediately began patting the pockets of his robe, searching for the Deathstick. He found his old wand tucked away in a hidden pouch inside, but no sign of the unbeatable wand. The Elder Wand was missing. Was Harry Potter now in possession of two of the Hallows? The wand may not have been working properly for him since the turn of the year but it was safest in his possession. A schoolboy could be easily disarmed and the last thing he wanted was that wand back out in the world. He shuddered thinking about what that wand could do if it fell into the wrong hands. The hands of someone like Gellert who had used it to inspire terror and cut a swath through the witches and wizards of Europe.

He finished his breakfast and, with Madam Pomfrey's permission (he'd learnt the hard way not to leave without her say-so. It didn't matter to Poppy who you were in the wizarding world, you were under her care until she discharged you), he dashed back to his office and sent a message to Professor Sprout, asking her to locate Harry and bring him to his office as soon as possible. As he waited his annoyance at the situation grew but before he could calm himself again, the object of his ire stepped into the room.

"Hello, Harry." Professor Dumbledore barely gave his visitors time to step into his office before greeting them. "It's good to see you in the light of day. Midnight wanderings can be very tiresome on an immature body."

Harry was momentarily caught off-guard by the Headmaster's words and tone. 'You want to play like that? Fine.' He thought to himself. He took a deep breath before speaking so he could get all his words out without interruption.

"Yes, Sir. I'd like to apologise for last night. I know I shouldn't have been out after curfew and you caught me by surprise. I'm very sorry for hurting you by blasting you off your feet and into a wall – though honestly it surprises me that I was able to. I've been told you used to be quite quick with a wand. Are you feeling OK now or do you need more time to recover? I can't imagine how achy your old bones must feel today. I'm not looking forward to getting old, I have to say. All that getting up to use the loo several times a night because you can't control your bladder anymore? Dreadful stuff." Harry plastered a happy smile onto his face as he looked at the Headmaster but, just for a moment, he wondered if maybe he'd gone too far as the Professor's smile slipped and a look of anger flashed across his face. As quick as the anger had appeared though, it was gone.

"Oh no, my dear boy. I'm as fit as a fiddle. I will agree that getting old is a tiresome thing but it is certainly something to be aspired to. Age brings wisdom and experience after all and it's always best to listen and learn from your elders. I accept your apology as given anyway. Think nothing more of it."

Harry didn't reply, simply choosing to nod. He offered Professor Sprout a seat, then took one for himself and sat patiently, waiting for the Headmaster to speak.

Seeing he was going to get no further response from Harry, Dumbledore took up the conversation. "Now, I was hoping to discuss a rather delicate, personal matter with you. Professor Sprout, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

"I really think I should stay, Headmaster," replied Sprout, a little alarmed by the tone of the words the two had batted back and forth across the desk on entry.

"I really must insist I'm afraid."

"It's OK Professor, I think I know what the Headmaster wants to talk about," Harry interjected, "and I agree. It's a sensitive topic."

Professor Sprout examined Harry's face for any sign of unease but nodded in acceptance when she saw he was willing to stay without her. "Very well, I'll just be outside if you need me."

She got up to leave but Harry placed a hand on her arm as she passed him and said, "Thank you, Professor." She knew right away that his thanks weren't just for her agreeing to wait, but for being there for him in the first place. She smiled down at her first-year Badger and patted his hand before leaving the room.

Once she had stepped outside, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "So, you, like hundreds before you, discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised last night. I expect you've realised by now what it does?" his final words were said with a hint of condescension that Harry may have missed if he hadn't expected it.

"Yes, Sir." He replied politely. "It shows the deepest desires of our heart."

Dumbledore was taken aback as he hadn't been expecting Harry to understand the function of the artefact immediately. "Can I ask what you saw in it?"

"That's quite a personal question, Sir."

"Of course, my apologies. Just an old man's curiosity."

Harry nodded and decided to throw Dumbledore a bone. Part of the truth, but not the whole truth, though Sirius' voice was whispering in his ear and the temptation to mess with the Headmaster was almost overwhelming. He idly wondered what response he'd get if he replied with 'the world cowering at my feet'.

"I saw my family, Sir. All of them stood around me, my ancestors stretching back as far as I could see. My mum and dad stood behind me."

"I see," Dumbledore said solemnly. "It is a terrible thing to lose a family member, especially at such a young age." For a moment Dumbledore was silent and Harry remembered that he too had experienced the sting of loss when his father, mother and sister had all died before he left his teens. He felt a brief pang of sympathy for the man, despite his current problems with him.

Dumbledore sighed and looked up at Harry. "The mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry. I must ask that you do not go looking for it again, but if you do happen to run across it again, you will be prepared. Many people have wasted away sitting in front of that mirror, I would hate to see the same thing happen to you."

"Of course, Headmaster. I won't go looking for the mirror." 'Because I already know where it will be.' Harry finished the sentence in his head.

"Very good. Now, one last thing. I believe you may have my wand. If you would kindly return it to me?" Dumbledore held out his hand as though he were expecting Harry to simply draw it out of his pocket and place it willingly across his palm.

Harry shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have your wand, Professor. The wand you were carrying last night bonded to me after I disarmed you. As Mr Ollivander likes to say, the wand chooses the wizard, and I'm comfortable that that wand has chosen me."

A flash of irritation crossed Dumbledore's face and his hand dropped slowly. Harry leant forward in his chair. "Let's speak plainly, Headmaster. We both know what a… hallowed focus that wand is. I've already taken measures to make sure it's secure. It's no longer on Hogwarts grounds and will soon be in a place where only I can reach it. Even if someone were to defeat me, they wouldn't be able to physically claim ownership of it." Harry sat back, silently enjoying the stunned look on Dumbledore's face at the allusion to the Hallows.

Unknowingly, Harry parroted the Headmaster's thoughts from earlier. "I know I'm just a schoolboy, Professor. I'd be a soft target if I used that wand openly and I've no intention of putting myself, or my friends and family, in danger. That wand… my family wand, will stay safely out of sight."

Professor Dumbledore sat in silence, considering this turn of events. As he pondered, Harry took the opportunity to rise from his chair and move over to Fawkes' perch where he casually scratched the Phoenix under the chin. Fawkes immediately tilted his head to give Harry better access to the spot he wanted to be scratched and let out a trill of contentment when Harry found it. Whilst continuing to give the Phoenix attention, Harry allowed his gaze to settle on the Headmaster as he waited for him to respond.

'What is my goal here?' Albus thought. 'The wand hasn't been performing any better for me than my own one since Christmas anyway. I wanted it back to protect it from falling into the wrong hands if Harry was defeated. If he has it as secure as he claims…'. The Headmaster slumped slightly in his chair. He felt tired. Tired of seeing his plans fail. Tired of battling with the boy. Tired of being out of control. He thought back once more to the chat they'd had earlier in the year where he'd considered stepping back from those of his plans that weren't already in motion and reevaluating things. Maybe this was the time to begin doing so.

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Are you sure it's secure? The protections will be absolute? You will be the only person with access?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And what if someone coerces you to recover the wand? A compulsion or the Imperius?"

"One of the safeguards is that I must be clear of any mind-altering spells or potions before I am allowed near the wand, Sir." Harry made a mental note to ensure that this scenario was covered by Gringotts. 'Perhaps a requirement to pass through the Thief's Downfall' he mused.

Dumbledore gave a deep sigh. "Very well. Just… please be careful my boy. It is a dangerous thing to possess. If your ownership of the wand becomes known, you will become a target for anyone who wants that power for themselves."

"I understand, Sir." Harry paused and bowed his head slightly. "For what it's worth, I apologise for my earlier comments. It was very rude of me to suggest you might be suffering from the hazards of old age." Fawkes gave a sudden chirp that could have easily been mistaken for laughter. The Headmaster merely shot his familiar a glare that held no heat to it. He nodded at Harry but didn't say anything. Harry looked closely at the Headmaster and could see the tiredness in his face and posture. He looked more tired than he'd ever seen him look before. Realising he wasn't going to receive a response he quietly murmured. "Goodbye, Sir," and slipped out of the door to join Professor Sprout, who was still waiting for him below.

Harry arrived at Professor Flitwick's office with a few minutes to spare before the start of his detention. He knocked, and after an invitation to enter from the Charms master, he pushed the door open and poked his head into the room.

"Good evening, Sir."

"Ah, Mr Potter. Right on time." Professor Flitwick was sitting at his desk, seemingly marking homework judging by the large piles of parchment next to him. "Just give me a moment to finish this and I'll be right with you."

Harry nodded and entered the office fully. He peered curiously around the room. He'd never been in here before but he was unsurprised to see a great many bookshelves in the office of the head of Ravenclaw house. The shelves were crammed with books on a huge range of Charms and duelling topics and were overflowing in several places so small stacks were also present on the armchair, which had been reduced to a suitable size for the Professor, under a reading lamp in the corner of the room and also on three nearby tables. Harry had never considered himself a particularly voracious reader but some of the titles he could see (Notable Duels through History, A Guide to Professional Duelling, Volume One: Stances and two tomes entitled Battle Charms – one for offensive charms and the other for defensive) made him itch with desire to pick these volumes up and devour their contents.

Harry suddenly realised that the scratching of Professor Flitwick's quill had ceased and he spun to find the small Professor watching him amusedly. "Perhaps you should have been a Ravenclaw after all," he smiled. "Both you and Miss Granger, hmm? I've certainly heard the good-natured complaints from my Eagles that the pair of you have taken seemingly permanent residence at the top of your classes this year." Harry blushed faintly at the praise. "You remind me of your mother. Every time she came to see me I had to drag her attention away from my books. There was one in particular that made her laugh, now… what have I done with it?" Professor Flitwick began rapidly searching the nearest bookcase to him, running his fingers along the spines as he quickly scanned the titles.

"Ah ha! Here it is!" He pulled a slim volume from the shelf and handed it to Harry to look at.

"Charms for the Charming?"

"Indeed. She borrowed this from me on more than one occasion. It's a book of silly cantrips. It used to make me chuckle seeing her put some of these into practice. I'd often see her walking down the corridor with a thundercloud over her head if she was cross, or making a… 'light bulb' I think she called it? Yes, making a light bulb appear when she had an idea." With a mischievous grin, the Professor leant forward and beckoned Harry closer so he could whisper, despite them being the only two people in the room. "I'm fairly sure the spell on page 67 still gets used around these halls today." He winked and sat back and Harry hurriedly flicked to the stated page. "The Perfect Billowing Robe" he read out loud and his head snapped up in amazement, his eyes meeting the Professor's and a wide grin spreading across his face. "Sir," he said, a look of innocence now on his face. "Do you think I could possibly borrow this book for a short time?"

"As long as you look after it, I think that would be fine." Harry smiled in appreciation and tucked it into his schoolbag carefully. "Now, before we get started on your detention, I wanted to talk to you about your classwork." Professor Flitwick held up a hand to silence Harry before he interrupted. "There's no problem with what you're doing Mr Potter, in fact, you and Miss Granger are performing better than almost any other first-year student I've ever taught. I've just noticed that, sometimes, you appear to be struggling to pay attention?"

Harry looked immensely guilty. Professor Flitwick had always been one of his favourite Professors and whilst his observation was true, he hadn't meant to offend him. "I'm sorry Professor."

Flitwick waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it, Mr Potter. You are always one of the first to complete the day's tasks regardless, and you're averaging a solid 'O' for the term. I was going to offer both you and Miss Granger an opportunity. A chance to start looking at some more advanced uses of the spells we're covering."

Harry was intrigued. "How would that work Professor?"

"You'd both complete that day's task and then move on to exploring uses for the charm in other ways. For example, the Lumos charm. After you'd managed to complete the class task I'd ask you to explore changing the colour of the light perhaps, or maybe making the light brighter or dimmer. There are a range of ways to adapt what you are taught in class and the well-rounded witch or wizard will try to push past the basics. Would this be of interest to you?"

Harry smiled broadly, remembering his promise to his mother to always strive to do his best at school. "Yes, Sir. Thank you."

"Can I assume Miss Granger will feel a similar way?"

"I'd imagine so, Sir."

"Excellent." Professor Flitwick smiled back at the enthusiastic expression on the boy's face. "Now, one last question before we get started with your detention. How far ahead of what you're being taught have the pair of you read?"

Harry blushed and suddenly became very interested in his shoes. "We'vefinishedthetheory" he mumbled.

"Pardon?"

Harry cleared his throat and looked up at the Professor. "We've finished the theory, Sir."

"For the year?"

"No… for Hogwarts. I had access to the course books for quite a while before starting here and Hermione is almost a year older than me. Apparently, she and her parents were very frequent visitors to Flourish and Blotts over the last year. From what I've heard from her father, Mr Flourish greets them like old friends whenever they walk in."

Flitwick's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he listened to Harry's claim. "Really? So if I were to ask you a question, say… what is the Patronus charm used for, your answer would be?"

"The Patronus charm is a defensive charm, famously difficult to cast and is considered beyond N.E.W.T. level. The incantation is Expecto Patronum and requires no specific wand movement, just a point in the direction of casting. When performed correctly, it should produce a silvery-white guardian or protector in the form of an animal. It's a projection of hope and happiness and is known to be the only spell to be effective at driving away Dementors and Lethifolds."

"Excellent, Mr Pot…" Professor Flitwick tried to interrupt but Harry continued speaking over the top of him.

"The Patronus itself is also capable of carrying messages to a witch or wizard, as you showed last night. They can be seen by squibs but not muggles, although it has been reported that some muggles say they were aware of the positive effects in much the same way they can feel the negative effects of Dementors. Each corporeal Patronus is unique to the witch or wizard who casts it though the most common types are horses, cats and dogs. The corporeal form will generally stay the same every time it is cast, however, it is known that the form may change over the course of a lifetime due to several factors such as bereavement, falling in love or a profound change to a person's character."

Professor Flitwick stared at Harry in astonishment and Harry panicked, realising he'd revealed too much. He spoke quickly, trying to cover his slip.

"I've been living with the Tonks family and Sirius since just before my ninth birthday – not with my relatives as Professor Dumbledore believed. Dora wants to be an Auror and we spent a lot of time looking at spells that they may use in their job. I'd also read all seven years of her Hogwarts books before even getting on the train, as well as making a decent dent in the Black family library too. I can't cast the spells from the later years yet – I think my passing out at Halloween and how shakey I was this morning proves that, but I've covered all the material in the textbooks for the core subjects. As for Hermione, I'm fairly sure she's got an eidetic memory, or pretty close to it if not. I swear that girl could tell me the number of the chapter, page and paragraph if I needed to find some information in a book."

Harry swallowed nervously and glanced at the Professor who was still staring at him, but who now had a pondering expression as he did so.

Harry decided he needed to give one last push. "Sir, can I please ask that you not tell anyone this? Especially not the Headmaster? I'd hate to see the Tonks' get in trouble for rescuing me from my relatives and I know Professor Dumbledore could cause lots of problems for them if he wished to."

Professor Flitwick's expression turned hard. "I'm sorry, Mr Potter. The Tonks family rescued you?" Lily's son, a boy he'd watched and played with as a baby in this very office, needed rescuing from his relatives. He'd read reports in The Daily Prophet about Harry's speech before the Wizengamot and recalled his mention of needing sanctuary, but by the time Harry had returned to Hogwarts after the Christmas break, his attention had been pulled to other matters and he felt ashamed now that he'd never followed up by speaking with the young man about it.

Harry's expression darkened. He never had to put on an act when talking about his relatives. "Yes, Sir. I… I'd prefer not to go through it in detail but suffice it to say, Professor Dumbledore left me with my aunt and uncle the night after my parents were killed, didn't check on me for almost eight years, and I barely escaped that house with my life just before my ninth birthday. My aunt and uncle are both now in muggle prison and Andi and Ted took me in and gave me a home. Since Sirius was released, he's lived with us too." Harry slumped into a nearby chair, almost knocking over another stack of books. Talking about his relatives always left him feeling emotionally wrung out, even with the extra years he had lived.

Professor Flitwick climbed down from his chair behind the desk and moved to Harry's side. He rested a hand on his shoulder, comfortingly. "You have my word, Mr Potter. No one shall hear of this from me." Harry nodded his thanks. "Now, I was going to say we'll start your detention but under the circumstances…"

"No, Sir. I'd prefer to serve my punishment, please. It would help take my mind off things. Plus, I do deserve it. I was out after curfew. I don't want anyone to call favouritism if I've been let off."

Flitwick smiled approvingly. "Well, in that case, I think I know just the thing. Let's head into the classroom. We'll need the space."

When Harry staggered into the common room at nine o'clock, he looked the worse for wear and severely wrung out. He slumped onto a couch by the fireplace, closed his eyes and groaned at his aching muscles.

"What's wrong with you?" a female voice came from next to him. His eyes shot open and he leapt from the couch, only to groan again as the aching worsened. Heidi Macavoy was smiling up at him, though she had a look of concern on her face. "Are you OK? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

"No," said Harry, dropping back onto the couch and leaning back once more. "I've just got back from detention with Flitwick."

Heidi put down her book and looked at Harry in surprise. "You had detention with Flitwick? What did you do?"

Harry cracked one eye open and glanced at her. He sighed. In his tired state, he really couldn't find the will to spin a story that he'd later have to remember, so he told her a condensed version of the truth. "I went out after curfew last night. Bumped into the Headmaster who caught me by surprise and I disarmed him hard enough to throw him into a wall and give him a concussion. Had to get help and found Flitwick. Dumbledore spent the night in the hospital wing and I got a detention and lost ten points for being out after curfew."

"I… see."

Harry cracked his other eye and turned gingerly to face his teammate. "You believe me?"

"Harry, I saw you blow a Troll's brains out with a fifth-year spell after you'd been here for two months. Do I think you've got enough power to throw an adult into a wall? By Merlin's sweaty jockstrap, you bet I do."

Harry mouthed the words 'Merlin's sweaty jockstrap' unbelievingly as she continued speaking.

"So why are you in this state? What did Professor Flitwick have you doing?"

"Dodging." he yawned.

"Dodging?"

"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "He said if my reactions were quick enough to catch the Headmaster off guard, then I shouldn't let those reactions go to waste. He also said something along the lines of, "If you're fast enough to dodge a bludger, you're fast enough to dodge slower spells." He then put me at one end of his classroom, he stood at the other and then I had to dodge as he threw spells at me for over an hour." Harry slumped back and closed his eyes once more. "He kept yelling about 'the five D's of duelling' – Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge."

"But… that's only four D's."

"I know," Harry groaned as he stretched his legs out in front of him. "But when I said that, he just started firing spells at me faster."

Heidi pondered this for a moment. "Wow… well that's just enough of a reason to never get detention with Professor Flitwick then. I'm sure you'll be OK in the morning though Harry, we've got to make sure you're alright for the big game in a couple of weeks, haven't we? Are you looking forward to it?"

Heidi waited for a response but none came. "Harry?" she queried, leaning over to look at him more closely, only to realise he'd fallen asleep. Rather than disturb him, she rose from the sofa and pulled a blanket from a box near the fireplace. She gently placed it over his now motionless form and cast a silencing charm around him to allow him to get some rest. Deciding to wake him in a while and send him to bed, she retook her seat at the other end of the sofa and, after glancing at him once more to make sure he was comfortable, she shook her head in amusement, picked up her Potions book and continued studying.

A/N: Dodging practise was waaaay too good of an opportunity not to slip the Five D's in!

My recommendation this time is "Too Many Travellers" by Inusitatus