The following day, Harry kept stealing glances at all of the girls, trying to see if any were acting differently. But it seemed like ALL of the girls were acting differently this year. It was weird!

And as if that wasn't enough, Professor Dumbledore announced at dinner the following evening that the Ministry was going to station Dementors at the edge of Hogwarts. "The Minister has agreed to keep them out of Hogwarts proper, so there will be no danger to the students, but please take care when leaving the grounds."

"I've seen a Dementor once, when Da took me to see a trial." Crabbe commented, "They are super creepy."

The talk of the Dementors made everybody nervous, supercharging the usual drama. Or maybe it was just Third year. But whatever the cause, Harry did his best to stay out of the way, especially when it came to Draco and Ron 'the mouth'. The two seemed unable to pass a single meal without trading barbs and snide comments, shouted between the tables. Draco had always been arrogant (sometimes amusingly so, in Harry's opinion), but Ron had gotten to be nearly as bad since he had started dating Hermione, to the point that the Slytherins had given him his new nickname - he wouldn't ever shut up. It was like his ego had gotten a turbo-charger.

Instead, Harry used his free time to read in the library or work on material for use in dueling club, which had turned into a three way competition between him and the two girls.

*UHD*

At the end of December, Snape had decided to hold a small demonstration for the club. If one didn't know better, one would think he was proud of the club's accomplishments.

"This will not be a full tournament, as I do not wish to take too much time, and the club members are still lacking in stamina. We may have a full tournament at the end of the school year, if there is interest." Snape pronounced as he stalked in front of the assembled students. "For today, each pair of opponents will engage in a single 5 point match." Most of the student body had assembled in the Great Hall to to watch. "If any of you feel inspired to join after watching..." Snape scowled at the prospect of more work, "Please see Harry Dursley."

Filius joined Snape on the edge of the dueling stage to help officiate. The first match was Harry versus Peucy. "Oh man, you'll go easy on me?" The other Slytherin asked.

"Not a chance," Harry smiled.

"Remember, this dual will be a best of five. Standard rules. Nothing that causes injury." Snape commanded. "Bow. On my mark, begin!"

Harry and Peucy both fired off disarming charms at the same time, but Harry threw himself sideway at the same time as he cast, letting the spell coming at him slide by. Peucy instead tried to cast a shield to block Harry's spell, but by then it was too late and it clipped him in the arm.

"Point, Dursely. Positions. Begin." Flitwick snapped, grinning vulpinely as he watched.

This time, they circled each other more cautiously before Peucy snapped off a stunner. Harry cast a weak protego, turning sideways so that when the spell shattered the Stupefy missed him by a hair. When Peucy saw that his first spell hadn't hit, he quickly cast another one before Harry could recover and launch his own attack. But Harry just kept casting weak defensive spells. Soon Peucy was sweating and his wand work was faltering. He cast another stunner, but his wand motion was slow, and the spell took longer to leave his wand. Harry side stepped the under-powered stunner and cast another disarming charm

"Point, Dursely. Positions. Begin"

Peucy was still breathing hard, so Harry quickly banished something from his hand at him.

Peucy screamed shrilly and clawed at his face as the spider landed on his nose.

"Expellriumus."

"Durselty wins." A small smile escaped Snape's typically sour visage. "Though using creatures in dueling is a little unorthodox, it is not forbidden. And in a real fight, you can and should use any advantage you can seize."

As Harry went to sit down, Ginny and Daphne were called up. 'This will be interesting'. The two girls had diametrically opposite styles. Unfortunately, Harry wouldn't be able to dual either one of them, as Snape didn't think they could handle more than a single duel each. 'He's such a prima dona. He's worried that we won't look good enough to impress the audience if we get tired.'

Daphne carefully took a dueling stance, minimizing her exposure to Ginny so that she could easily block any incoming spell with a flick of her wand.

Before she could get her first spell off, Ginny opened up with a storm of spells, alternating simple primary-school jinxes with stunners.

The flood of spells came so fast that Daphne didn't have time to respond to everything. And at that speed, she couldn't tell the the harmless jinxes from the more dangerous stunners. After two minutes of this, a tripping jinx clipped her leg, sending her sprawling, and Ginny followed up with a disarming spell.

The rest of the match went the same way. Towards the end Daphne managed to find her rhythm, but she still lost 4 to 1.

As Ginny strode off the dueling floor tiredly, Harry stuck out his hand for a fist bump. "Good job, Weasley."

Ginny gave him a fierce grin. Having grown up with a full quidditch team of older brothers, she was competitiveness personified.

*UHD*

Later that week, as the students made their way down to Hogsmead to go home for the winter break, Harry walked with them (even though, as always, he was staying at school. There was nothing waiting for him at home).

As he entered the courtyard leading to the main entrance, he spotted a distinctive mane of red hair coming out of the corridor to the Gryphindor tower. He stopped and casually drifted over to intercept Ginny, who was walking with a blond girl in Ravenclaw robes, "Hey, Ginny, good aggression on the dueling floor. You did.."

"Don't call me by my first name in public, Dursley," she almost snarled. "We're not friends." She turned so that she could pretend that she didn't see him. The blond cast a puzzled glance as Harry matched his pace to theirs.

Harry smirked. 'Every time.' Ginny was friendly (if competitive) in dueling club, but as soon as they stepped outside of that, she pretended she didn't know him. And the the extent she would go to was sometimes absurd.

Which is why Harry went out of his way to greet her. He always got a kick out of her annoyed expression. It was one of the few times he broke his otherwise iron-clad rule to keep a low profile and keep out of the limelight. But as they approached the carriages that would take the students down to the train station, Harry spotted Terry and turned to wish him a merry Christmas when something snagged his sleeve.

Harry turned to see Ginny at the foot of the carriage steps. Her friend was already inside. "Hey, thanks for training with me. And for not pulling your punchs when we spar." She let go of his sleeve and almost teleported into the carriage.

'Huh. That was odd.' Harry shrugged before turning, "Hey, Terry, I hear you're going to Spain for the holiday.." he went on to chat with the Ravenclaw.

*UHD*

Harry planned to spend winter break practicing all of the spells that he had discovered in the library - the ones that he didn't want his housemates (or anyone else ) to know about. He got up a little late on Christmas morning – sleeping in was not something he ever got to do at home or during the school year, so it was his once-a-year present to himself. At the foot of his bed was a small pile of presents, as usual, though it had grown since first year. Now, in addition to the chocolates from Hermione and Ron, he got a sweater from Mrs Weasley, a daily planner from Terry and shot glass from Pucey (this last was because of a joke that the two of them had shared, that they should turn Draco's bragging in the common room into a drinking game). But in addition to all those expected gifts there was a large broom-shaped bundle. Harry unwrapped that carefully – it was a Firebolt – one of the fastest (maybe the fastest? He would have to ask Pucey) brooms ever made.

"Wow." Harry checked all over, including rummaging through the wrapping paper, but there was no card. With a shrug, he opened his trunk and started putting the presents in when he came across a folded up parchment that had been sitting there – it was the almost blank note that he had gotten with his (now favorite) self-inking quill in First year. He had put it into his trunk planning to ask the other students about it when they came back from break but he had forgotten. He examined it again it was a little more worn, but still as blank as ever. But since then, he had learned the Revealing charm.

"Aparecium." He tapped the parchment. Words appeared in the same handwriting as the 'from your friend' scribbled at the bottom.

"Hi, Harry. I know you'll probably never read this, but I just needed to say that I really, really like you. We don't really know each other, but you've always been very nice to me, and I will always remain your one and only admirer."

-from Your Friend"

Harry flipped the paper over to see if there was anything on the other side. There wasn't.

'That's kind of nice, I guess.' But he still had no idea who it was from. Harry tried to think back on whether any girls had been acting funny around him First year after the winter break, but it was too long go. 'Well, whoever it was is probably over their crush'

He tossed the parchment back into his trunk and grabbed the Firelbolt to go try it out.

He flew halfway down the pitch before he drifted off into thought, trying to recall which girls he had interacted with First year. 'It couldn't be Hermine. She gave me chocolates that year.' And he didn't really know any other girls back then. Or now, really. 'Well, it could have been Padma… no – I'm pretty certain that she had a crush on Terry that year.' With an exasperated sigh he kicked his broom back into motion.

He ended up spending much of the time that he had been planning on practicing his spells flying instead.

On the last day of the break, Remus came up to Harry after breakfast, "Harry, we should talk." He led them to his office, "Harry… Potter. I was friends with your father. I'm sorry, I should have told you before, but I didn't know how to broach the topic."

Harry nodded, not saying anything.

"Let me tell you the story of your parents. They were brilliant, brave and loving people."

After nearly two hours, Remus started to wind down, "I'm sorry I wasn't a bigger part of your life up to know, but professor Dumbledore didn't tell anybody where you were - I only learned when I became a professor and saw the resemblance." He paused before adding self consciously, "And I have some health problems that made it difficult for me to search for you."

"It's ok, Professor. I'm happy. My life is not perfect, but not so bad." Harry stood up and awkwardly patted Professor Lupin's back, trying to figure out how to act like a mature adult in this sort of situation.

*UHD*

When the Hogwarts Express brought the students back for the spring semester, Harry lounged nonchalantly by the main entrance, glancing to see if any of the girl would react strangely.

"Hey, Harry, What are doing standing here?" Adrian Pucey came up.

"Nothing. Just enjoying the view."

Adrian chortled, subtly nodding his head towards a sixth year Ravenclaw girl. "Yeah, I can tell. But you should wait until summer. The 'view' is better."

"Not like that, you prat."

"What, you were looking at the guys?"

"Ok, Get you're wand, I'm going to hex you into next week!" Harry took up a dueling stance. Pucey paled until his complexion matched his name.

"No fighting!" Flitwick rushed over.

"We weren't fighting professor, we were just gong to practice for Dueling club."

Flitwick just gave the pair a toothy grin that reminded everybody of his goblin ancestry. "Not in public and not without a protective ward you're not!"

"Yes, sir!"

*UHD*

The spring semester passed uneventfully for Harry. Arithmancy and Ancient Runes were fun, though quite challenging - Harry found he didn't have as much free time as in the previous years. Now, when he was in the library he was mostly doing school work, and he was there all the way up to curfew more than once a week.

But at least he wasn't alone – Terry and Hermione were there with him most days. The Library Gang didn't really talk much, And Harry didn't think that they really counted as friends, but it was nice having somebody else to work with, and a couple of times when he got stumped he would ask one or the other for help.

Except today, Hermione looked beside herself – she was alternating between three different text books.

"Are you ok?

"I have a test in Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Charms today!"

"Wait.." Harry tried to recall the schedule from the beginning of the year. "Doesn't Muggle Studies meet at the same time as Ancient Runes?" Hermione was in that class with him.

Hermione looked up guiltily, "I got special dispensation from the Headmaster to take them both."

"I don't think a special dispensation will help with the rules of space and time," Terry scoffed.

"I.. I'm not supposed to talk about it," she replied, muttering into her text book.

"I suppose they don't want all the other students asking for private tutoring as well." Harry guessed, before giving her a reassuring smile, "I guess Dumbledore really thinks your special!"

As Hermione blushed and tried to formulate an answer, Terry interjected, "Or maybe this is actually a regular occurrence, but we don't know about it because everybody who gets the 'special treatment' is instructed not to talk about it."

"Good point." There was a reason Terry was in Ravenclaw. Harry rubbed his chin in thought, "Is there some way we can determine if that is the case?"

The two boys digressed into a discussion, letting Hermione return to her studying and stressing. Neither one had came up with a solution before they decided to go back to work.

*UHD*

Ginny ducked out of the way of the miniature ice storm, keeping it in her peripheral vision as she kept her main attention focused just behind Harry, like Snape had taught them. Which is when he cast an over-powered lumos, momentarily blinding her. Ginny tried to duck, assuming that Harry would cast a follow up spell, but her legs turned to rubber sending her to the ground. "I yield."

The end of the year was fast approaching, and Harry had asked Snape to run an unofficial mini-tournament, just for the dueling club like he had promised. Snape hemmed and hawed, saying it would be too much work, and that Harry and the others should focus on their classwork instead, but finally he gave in.

Harry had agreed with Snape that with everybody busy studying for the end of year exams, most students wouldn't have time to come watch, so the club shouldn't bother advertising the tournament. But he had made the point that the club members had been sitting and studying for what felt like forever, and they needed some exercise to help them focus.

The tournament had been going for an hour, and had just finished the semifinal round – Harry vs Ginny – and the rest of the dueling club was watching.

"That was great! You almost had me a couple of times," Harry came over and gave her a hand up as her legs were still wobbly from the Jelly Legs Jinx. She hobbled towards the spectator seats, leaning heavily on Harry.

Snape nodded, "Neither of you did anything stupid." He turned to the rest of the club, "I also want to call your attention to what Dursley did in the duel just now. It was a very nice combination of spells." Snape took a moment before the final match up to point out how Harry had used a visual effect to distract Ginny (and to let Harry catch his breath, as he was fighting in the final as well).

Daphne was standing with Tracy, as usual. Her face hardened at the way Ginny continued to hold onto Harry's arm to support herself as Snape talked. Her nostrils flared.

"Are you ok? Do you want to sit down for a spell?" Harry asked solicitously.

"No, I'm fine." She let go of his arm self consciously and stepped away.

"Last match for today will be Dursely vs Greengrass," Snape finally announced.

Harry was just turning to take his dueling stance when the first bludgeoner flew at his face. He barely ducked out of the way, retaliating with a disarming charm, but Daphne didn't give him a chance to catch his bearings, pummeling him with spell after spell in a manner that was more typical of Ginny that the usually calculating Ice Princess.

"And the winner is Greengrass!"

*UHD*

It was late May and Harry was almost finished revising for the Charms final in the library with Terry when Ron ran in. "Harry, Hermione is driving me mental!"

Harry looked up, puzzled. Why was this his problem? But he couldn't say that to the Gryffendork – the Weasley was too useful. Before he could puzzle out a polite way to let Ron know that he should deal with his drama on his own, Terry replied without looking up. "So break up with her."

"No, I don't mean in that way. It's Buckbeak!"

"Hermine is cheating on you with Buckbeak?" Terry asked, faking confusion.

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Harry took pity on the Gryffindor. His brain was like a two-stroke lawnmower engine. It wasn't very powerful, and you could smell fumes when it was struggling.

"Yeah. Buckbeak is the hippogriff that Hagrid introduced us to at the beginning of Care of Magic creatures. After Draco claimed that it injured him, it was put on trial, and it has been sentenced to death!"

"Wait, they put a animal on trial?" Harry was incredulous at the stupidity of the Wizarding world.

"Or maybe they put Hagrid on trial for raising a dangerous creature. I didn't pay attention to that part. The important thing that Hermione is really upset. She's been spending hours the last couple of days trying to find some way to save Buckbeak. Can you help?"

"No," Terry still hadn't bothered to look up from his work.

Harry sighed. "Let me think about it. But if I manage to pull this off, you owe me big!"

"Deal!"

"And so will Hermione."

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Harry. You're the best!" Harry walked off, relaxed in the knowledge that Harry would deal with the problem.

"Weasley is a fucking moron. If his girlfriend finds out that he just indebted her to a Slytherin, she will cut his balls off," Terry rarely swore, but this occasion deserved it. He at least understood how Harry operated. Harry was a decent bloke, but he never did anything for free - everything was a matter of a trade, even if it was for a nominal amount.

"Yup. Don't tell her unless I'm there – I want to watch," Harry put his homework aside and pulled out a sheet of parchment, to start brainstorming ideas.

*UHD*

The next time Harry saw Hermione was in Potions class, two days later. As they set up their workstation for the class, Hermione cleared her throat self-consciously, "Harry, Ron told me that you volunteered to help save Buckbeak. Thank you! It means a lot to me."

"Don't thank me yet." Harry considered whether to let her know that the help wasn't going to be free. He frowned pensively 'I'll let it slide - it isn't fair to take advantage of Hermione just because Ron's an idiot.' Beside Ron owing him was plenty. "I am going to need your help brainstorming ideas. We can get together after dinner."

"It's a plan."

"No, not yet. But it will be!" Harry smiled.

*UHD*

That evening, the two went down to Hagrid's hut - Hermione wanted to get some additional information from the teacher, to help plan. "Is there any way to appeal the sentence?" She asked the morose half giant.

"No. I already tried, but they said it was a clear cut case. They wouldn't even listen to me!" Hagrid dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth.

"What if we faked his death?"

Hermione looked at Harry in bemusement – there certainly was an advantage to having a Slytherin helping!

But Hagrid just shook his head again. "No – they will want to see the body. And they may want to take it away to dispose of properly."

"What about hippogriff herds? Are there any wild ones around here?"

Hermione sat quietly watching Harry with an odd smile on her face, taking small sips of her tea. She had no idea where Harry was going with this line of questioning, which was a unique experience. Usually, if she didn't know the answer, she at least understood the question.

"Hippogriff don't live around here." Hagrid replied, "They spend most of the year in the Mediterranean - Greece an' other warm places like that – before migrating to Canada for the summer, where they mate. A few herds do stop over in Scotland for a week or two. That's where I got Buckbeak – his wing was injured an he wasn't able to follow with herd last fall. As a matter of fact they should be coming back north soon."

"Do you know when?" asked Harry, scenting a plan.

"Not exactly – they show up on the far side of the lake, near where it meets the Forbidden Forest. It should be some time in the next few weeks, though."

"Thanks Hagrid. This might work!"

As they walk back towards the castle, Hermione asked, "So your planning to reunite Buckbeak with his herd and have him escape with them? But how will you know when they are here?"

"It's pretty easy – I'll spend part of the evening flying around." Now that the weather was turning nice he had already been planning to spend some time flying his new Firebolt, so it actually wouldn't be any trouble at all. Not that he would tell Hermione that.

Impulsively, Hermione hugged him "Thank you! I know it's a big sacrifice, and you don't owe me anything, so I really appreciate it". Harry nodded, smiling awkwardly, not certain what to do with his hands. He usually didn't like being touched, but this had been surprisingly nice.

"Well, maybe you owe me," He finally replied as Hermione let him go.

"What do you mean.."

"When Ron asked me to help, he promised that you would owe me a favor."

"Why that.. Not that I mind owing you, but he had no right!" Hermione fumed. She stomped towards the castle.

"Hey, it's ok – I didn't take him up on the offer," Harry lied. "You don't owe me anything!" he yelled after her.

"It's the principle of the matter!"

As Harry watched Hermione storm away he shook his head in confusion 'Why did I do that? It was just mean – all it did was make Hermione angry with Ron.' Harry had no problem with sowing discord, but only if he stood to profit. But this had been pointless.

*UHD*

For the next two weeks, Harry spent an hour flying every evening.

"Hey, you going flying again?" Pucey asked.

"Yeah, it helps clear my head after all the studying."

"I'll join you." Pucey went to grab his broom. The two spent the next hour racing each other around trees, and playing follow the leader, where the 'leader' would try to lose the follower. When it was Harry's turn, he flew nape of the earth at full speed before pulling up into a vertical climb. On the way up, he finally spotted it – the herd of hippogriffs!

"Damn. We should have kept you on the team," Pucey said once he finally caught up – Pucey prided himself on being a good flier, but Harry was a natural! Meanwhile, Harry was trying to think of some way to ditch Pucey so he could go get Buckbeak and lead him over to the herd when he spotted a disturbance at the far side of the Hogwarts grounds - a giant dog was dragging Ron into a hole under the Whomping Willow!

Without getting whomped.

"Hey – do you see that?" Harry pointed.

"That looks like a Grim dragging a student!" Pucey's eyes weren't as sharp as Harry's, but what he saw didn't look good.

"Go get a teacher!" Harry yelled and dove after Ron, racing across the sky at the fastest speed the Firebolt could go. He arrived in time to swoop in through the narrow opening under the tree before the Whomping Willow reactivated.

Harry lay down flat on the broom to avoid hitting the walls of the narrow passage, but that made the broom go faster, so by the time he reached the far end of the tunnel he had to do a Herbst turn to avoid splattering himself against the inside of the cottage. He still slid into a wall with his side, slamming his leg hard enough that he wasn't certain if it would support him.

As he reoriented himself, he saw Ron laying unconscious on the floor as a ragged bum dug through his pockets. The bum stood up, looking at Harry with a stunned expression. "James?" He was holding a struggling rat in a death grip with his left hand.

"No, I'm Harry," Harry replied, hovering his broom as he dug out his wand. "What are you doing with Ron?"

"Who?"

"The boy, there," Harry pointed quickly with his wand before bringing it back to bear on the man.

"Nothing. I was looking for Peter, here. He's the one who betrayed James and Lilly. Those are your parents, right?"

"Yeah. But how can a rat.." Harry began in confusion

Sirius Black threw the rat as hard as he could at the wall and shouted "Finate incatatem" at it, jabbing a wand that he had drawn so fast that Harry hadn't seen where it came from.

Harry was just deciding if he should stun Black when the rat turned into a middle aged man sprawled at the base of the wall. The pudgy man was just getting to his hands and knees groggily when Sirius lunged and grabbed him by the throat, completely ignoring Harry and the wand trained on him (as well as his own wand).

"How could you? How could you betray them! They were our friends!"

"He.. He threatened to kill me," Peter whined. "He said that he wouldn't hurt them, that he would just needed to kill Harry. I figured they could have another kid, afterwards."

"Why, you!" Sirius shook him viciously, like a dog shaking a rat, but he lacked the physical strength to actually choke him.

"Ron, are you in there?" It was Hermione's voice calling from up the tunnel. Peter used that distraction to turn into a rat and scurry for a crack in the wall.

"Stupefy," Harry's stunner hit him before he made it. Harry glanced at Sirius and then back to the rat. He didn't have time for questions. Making a snap decision that would have made a Gryffindor proud, he turned coldly to the escaped convict. "Kill him. Kill him and run – I'll delay Hermione."

Sirius nodded and transformed into a dog. With one bite he ended the rat before going out through a broken window.

"Over here, Hermione!" Harry called out as he landed next to Ron.

"Ron – are you.. is he ok?" Hermione came out of the tunnel and saw her unconscious boyfriend.

"I don't know, but he's breathing. He has a broken leg and he bumped his head, but he's got a pretty thick head." Harry tried to give a reassuring smile, "You stay with him while I go get help."

"What about Sirius Black – was that him?"

"Yeah, it was. But he wasn't interested in Ron – he took his rat and ran off. I…" There was no way he could explain what had happened, "I don't know what that was about, but he was running hard – I don't think he's going to come back." Harry mounted his broom and flew out the same window Sirius had jumped through and raced for the castle.


END

And the girl-drama increases.

As always, feedback is appreciated.