Over the final weeks before the holidays, Harry and his friends were busy studying for their end-of-term tests. While they continued with their dueling lessons, they stopped practicing outside of those lessons except on rare occasions. Harry, on the other hand, had made significant progress over the past weeks. With his full days dedicated to learning spells for dueling and practicing against dummies calibrated to his skill level, he was improving rapidly. He also used his time with Flitwick to reach at least a fourth-year level in all spell-based subjects, including theory, while utilizing the Room of Requirement to advance to a third-year level in all other subjects.
While all of his friends were focused on the tests, Harry was more concerned about his upcoming dueling tournament. During his final dueling lesson with Flitwick, he discussed the tournament with him.
"So, will there be any threats to me in the under-thirteen bracket?" Harry asked.
"No," Flitwick responded frankly.
"Oh, I didn't expect such a straightforward answer," Harry replied. "I thought you might sugarcoat it a bit so I wouldn't get too arrogant or something like that."
"Well, I just don't think there's anyone who could stop you—other than someone in the open division. With your power likely higher than even mine at this stage, your spell knowledge surpassing that of most seventh years when they graduate, and the creative ways you apply your spells, I just don't believe anyone could stop you unless they're in the open division," Flitwick explained. "That doesn't mean you should be lazy or make careless mistakes that could cost you the duel, but it does mean that your regular performances already exceed what most duelists will ever achieve. And I'm confident you can still improve."
"So, basically, unless there's another freak of nature in my age group, I should be able to sweep through them with ease?" Harry asked.
"Pretty much," Flitwick confirmed. "The only possible threat is someone with an extraordinarily strong affinity for an element that could overwhelm you in some very powerful applications, but the chances of that are incredibly low, considering the energy requirements of elemental magic."
"What about the team duels?" Harry asked. "If you take me out of the team, how do you think they would do?"
"Well, I think Neville will eventually become an incredibly strong duelist, but it will take him a few years before he's able to stop most people from reaching you. Right now, he's definitely the second-best duelist behind you, and I think he'll do very well in individual duels in future competitions. However, his teamwork still needs improvement, so I'm not sure how he'll perform in the team duels. Susan is also going to be very good in the future with her transfiguration skills, but they need a bit more refinement to become a proper challenge.
"Daphne is quite strong already, and her high ice affinity will be very useful in these younger age groups, which will help her in the future. I think Padma and Parvati are weaker in individual duels, but when they team up, they can take on pairs who would individually defeat them in one-on-one duels. Each person has their own strengths and weaknesses, but I believe that if all of you continue training, you'll be a very competitive team."
"So, you aren't worried about us representing you?" Harry asked.
"Absolutely not. I'm extremely proud of all my students, but especially you. I've seen the effort you've put in, and I'm so grateful I offered to train you in dueling. It's also the first time in many years that Hogwarts has a dueling team representing it. I'm very glad you and your friends have brought it back. Perhaps, in the future, we can have even more teams representing Hogwarts," Flitwick said.
"Thank you, Master Flitwick," Harry said formally, giving a small bow at the waist.
"You're very welcome, Apprentice Potter," Flitwick replied just as formally. Both of them burst into laughter a moment later. "I'll see you at the tournament, but for now, it's probably time for you to pack your bags for the train tomorrow."
"I'll see you before the tournament starts," Harry said before leaving to pack.
Line Break
The next day, on the train, Harry and his friends were sitting in a compartment, chatting. Suddenly, the door opened, and Draco Malfoy walked in without knocking.
"I see you're still hanging out with blood traitors, squibs, and mudbloods," he sneered.
Harry sighed, stood up, and got in Malfoy's face. "I thought we had already established this. I am, by your own definition, better than you. My house is older than yours and richer than yours. My friends are all influential, either because they are from noble families, have relatives in powerful positions, or are among the most talented students in our year. What are you? Someone whose house was so disgraced that they had to flee their country of origin. Someone whose father has to buy his friends. Someone whose grades are barely above average and who has been beaten by people he considers beneath him."
By now, Harry was practically nose-to-nose with Malfoy, and his magical aura was flaring. "I've told you this before: I don't want to be your enemy. But unless you completely change your attitude, you're not worth my time. Now leave." He finished with a small shove to Malfoy's chest.
Malfoy couldn't leave fast enough, nearly pushing Crabbe and Goyle to the floor in his rush to exit.
As soon as Malfoy was out, Harry shut the door with a wave of his wand and sat back down.
"Wow, Harry, I could feel your aura pressing down on me," Neville said. "I think it was even stronger than when you used it on Weasley."
"Definitely," Padma agreed.
"But it was a peaceful term once Weasley and Malfoy stopped bothering us after you intimidated Weasley the first time," Parvati added.
"I've actually been practicing flaring my aura like that. I can do it for quite a while now at that strength. It's pretty cool to see my hair flowing and my eyes glowing like that. Unfortunately, though, it's really draining," Harry explained.
"Do you think you could teach us to do that, Harry?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Once you've all had your final magical maturities, remind me. No offense, but I'm just much more powerful, and you wouldn't be able to hold it for more than half a second, let alone generate such strength without being exhausted for hours," Harry replied.
"Oh," Hermione said dejectedly. "So we might never get to do it?"
"No, I'm quite certain that after your final maturity, all of you will be able to flare a small aura for a few seconds. However, I reckon only a few of you might ever make it as large as I just did or hold it for more than a few seconds," Harry reassured her. "But as you know—"
"Magic is a muscle," Harry's friends chorused.
"Exactly," he said with a grin. "If you work on it enough, you might even surpass what I just did. But it will take a lot of effort."
"Oh well, hopefully, I can use it on Weasley before we graduate at least once," Neville said dejectedly.
"I'm sure you will, Nev," Harry said, patting him on the shoulder. "Hopefully, though, the lesson I gave him will have sunk in, and he won't be a git his whole life. Speaking of Weasleys, here are my favorite ones."
"Hello, ickle firsties!"
"We are here to inform you that we—"
"Have registered for the dueling tournament!"
"So you should expect to see us there."
"That's great, you guys. I'm sure you'll do well," Harry said.
"We just wanted to thank you for training us and helping convince Dad to let us go. He probably wouldn't have agreed if you hadn't gotten Flitwick to sponsor us," Fred said.
"It was no problem. Just make sure to thank Flitwick when you see him," Harry responded.
"Anyway, we'll see you in Paris, Harry and friends," George said as the twins walked out.
The rest of the train ride was filled with lighthearted chatter about their holiday plans.
Once the train stopped, all of Harry's friends eagerly introduced him to their families. First up were the Greengrasses.
As Daphne pulled him over, she introduced him formally, "Mother, Father, this is my friend Harry Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Harry, these are my parents, the Lord and Lady of the Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass."
"Lord Greengrass," Harry said while shaking his hand, then turned to Lady Greengrass, kissed the back of her hand, and added, "Lady Greengrass. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is ours. We've heard a great deal about you from Daphne. But please, call me Ophelia," Lady Greengrass said warmly.
"And you may call me Sebastian," Lord Greengrass added.
"Then please, call me Harry as well," he replied with a smile.
"Well then, Harry, I'd like to thank you. If what my daughter has said is true, you are a significant reason for her improved grades and her dueling skills," Sebastian said.
"Daphne deserves most of the credit. She has worked very hard and is truly a credit to her family," Harry said humbly.
"Regardless, we're glad Daphne convinced us to invite you to our ball," Ophelia said.
"I'm glad as well," Harry replied. "But I must go. I can see Tracey waving at me to introduce me to her parents."
"Goodbye, Harry. See you at the Ministry Ball, or if not, at our ball," Daphne said.
Harry walked over to Tracey, who was talking animatedly with her parents.
"Oh, Harry, there you are! These are my parents, the Lord and Lady of the Noble House of Davis. Mum, Dad, this is my friend Harry, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter," Tracey introduced excitedly.
"Hello, Heir Potter. Tracey has told us a great deal about you. Please, call me James," her father said, shaking Harry's hand.
"And call me Olivia," her mother said as Harry kissed the back of her hand.
"Please call me Harry. I hope it's only good things Tracey's said about me," Harry said with a playful smile.
"She's told us you're the main reason she got interested in healing, which we're incredibly proud of," Olivia said.
"She also convinced us to go to Paris to support you and the rest of her friends," James added with a slight smile toward Tracey.
"Hey, you agreed fair and square," Tracey said mischievously.
"I'm glad to hear it, but I need to head over to Hannah and Susan, who seem to be waving at me. I'll see you at the ball this holiday," Harry said before walking off.
He approached Susan and Hannah, who were standing with their families.
"Susan," he greeted warmly. "Who do I have the honor of meeting?"
"This is my Aunt Amelia, the Head of the DMLE and Regent for the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones," Susan said proudly.
"Regent Bones," Harry said, bowing slightly and kissing her hand. "I'm Harry Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Please, call me Harry."
"Just as charming as your father," Amelia said with a small smile. "Please, call me Amelia. I'm told you're the reason for Susan's interest in dueling."
"I can't take all the credit, but I did encourage her to join our dueling team," Harry replied modestly.
"Well, I'm glad she's learning to defend herself," Amelia said.
"Auntie, stop interrogating Harry! I think Hannah wants to introduce her parents now," Susan said, a bit flustered.
Sensing Susan's urgency, Hannah interjected. "Harry, these are my parents, John and Ruth, the Lord and Lady of the Noble House of Abbott."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Harry said, shaking John's hand and kissing Ruth's.
"Is it true you're the reason Hannah became interested in healing?" John asked curiously.
"We practice a lot of dueling, but some of our friends, including Hannah, weren't interested. I suggested they learn healing from Madam Pomfrey to handle any injuries during practice. That sparked Hannah's interest," Harry explained.
"We're very proud of her for choosing such a noble profession," Ruth said with a smile.
"I hope to see you all in Paris or at the holiday balls. For now, I need to join Padma and Parvati; they're waiting for me," Harry said apologetically.
He turned to the Patil twins, who stood with their parents. Parvati took the lead in introductions.
"Mama, Papa, this is Harry Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Harry, these are our parents, Pranav and Preeti Patil."
Harry greeted them with a warm smile, shaking Mr. Patil's hand and then kissing the back of Mrs. Patil's hand. "Please, call me Harry. It's an honor to meet you both."
"You may call us Pranav and Preeti," Mr. Patil said with a polite nod. "While we may not be proper nobles by British standards, we are highly respected in India and quite influential."
Harry's expression turned serious. "I don't measure people by the titles they hold but by their actions. I befriended your daughters because of their kindness and character, not because of their family's status. I respect them, and now, you as well."
Mr. Patil's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise before his expression softened into a smile. "It's refreshing to hear such words. Forgive me if my earlier comment was presumptive."
"No offense taken," Harry replied sincerely. "I'm glad to have met you. I hope to see you in Paris for the dueling tournament."
"We will certainly be there," Preeti said with a warm smile. "You've earned our admiration, Harry."
"Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Patil," Harry said before turning to Padma and Parvati. "See you both in Paris."
As Harry moved through the crowd, he spotted Neville and Hermione standing with a formidable-looking elderly woman. Neville stood taller as Harry approached, a sign of newfound confidence.
"Gran, this is my friend Harry Potter, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. Harry, this is my grandmother, the Regent of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom," Neville said respectfully.
Harry greeted her with a slight bow, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. "Regent Longbottom."
She appraised him with sharp eyes before responding, "Heir Potter. I must thank you for aiding Neville in finding his confidence. It seems I underestimated the power of the wand choosing the wizard."
Harry smiled gently. "It was my pleasure, Regent Longbottom. The Longbottom and Potter families have been allies for generations, and I intend to honor that legacy by supporting Neville in becoming the best version of himself."
Her stern expression softened slightly. "Your words are appreciated. I would like to invite you to visit our home during the holidays."
"It would be an honor. I'll make the time to visit," Harry replied. "For now, though, I need to meet Hermione's parents before finding my aunt and uncle. I look forward to seeing you at the holiday events."
"Until then, Heir Potter," she said with a nod, her gaze approving.
Hermione, who had been waiting quietly, quickly grabbed Harry's arm and began leading him toward the platform barrier. "Come on, Harry! I can't wait for you to meet my parents."
As they passed through the barrier, Hermione eagerly spotted her parents and rushed forward, pulling Harry along. "Mum! Dad!" she called out, throwing herself into their arms.
Her parents, a kind-looking couple in their early forties, smiled warmly. "Pumpkin, we've missed you so much!" her father said before noticing Harry. "And who might this be?"
Hermione stepped back, blushing slightly. "Mum, Dad, this is my best friend, Harry Potter. Harry, these are my parents, Daniel and Emma Granger."
Harry extended his hand with a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
Dan shook his hand firmly. "The pleasure's ours, Harry. We've heard a lot about you."
Harry turned to Emma, taking her hand and lightly kissing it. "Mrs. Granger—"
"Please, call me Emma," she said, smiling.
"And you can call me Dan," her husband added.
"Then you must call me Harry," he replied. "It's wonderful to finally meet the people who raised Hermione to be such an exceptional person."
Emma laughed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, young man."
Dan chuckled. "Hermione's told us so much about you. We'd love to chat more, but we need to get going."
"Goodbye, Harry," Hermione said, giving him a tight hug. "Don't forget to write!"
"Bye, Hermione. Bye, Emma and Dan," Harry said, waving as they walked away.
As the Grangers disappeared into the crowd, Harry spotted Aunt Petunia waiting nearby. Smiling, he waved as he walked over to her.
"Harry!" she called out, pulling him into a hug. "I've missed you so much. Have you been eating properly? Have you made lots of friends? Are you exercising regularly? Have you kept up with your karate practice? Are you doing well in your classes? And who was that girl you hugged?"
Harry chuckled lightly. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes—and Hermione." He paused, then added with a grin, "Was that the right number of yeses?"
"You silly boy, I've missed you," she said, hugging him tightly again.
"I've missed you too, Aunt Petunia. I have so much to tell you once we get home. You won't believe some of the things that have happened."
"Well, Vernon, Dudley, and I are free all weekend, so you'll have plenty of time to tell us everything," Petunia responded.
The two walked off to the car and headed home. When they arrived, Harry saw Dudley and Vernon waiting outside.
"Harry!" Dudley exclaimed, rushing over to him. Once they were face to face, the two boys launched into an elaborate handshake while Vernon and Petunia looked on with fond amusement.
"Come inside, boys," Petunia called from the doorway. "Harry said he has lots of stories to share."
As the boys entered the house, Harry paused to take a deep breath. He caught the scents of a roast cooking in the oven, Vernon's polished shoes, and the unusual candles Petunia liked to burn.
"Come on, Harry! I want to hear all about what goes on in a magic school," Dudley said eagerly.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Harry replied with a smile.
Once the family sat down at the table, Petunia asked, "So, what's happened at school that you left out of your letters?"
"Well," Harry began, "some of the boring stuff first: I'm still doing my morning exercises. I found a nice path to run on and a small space to practice my karate. I've made lots of friends, some from all the houses, and they're all really talented. Most of them are joining me in the dueling tournament. The others are learning healing spells so they can help during practice."
He continued, "As for my teachers, Professor Flitwick teaches Charms and also trains me in dueling. He's really fun and makes learning enjoyable. He's also my Head of House. Professor McGonagall teaches Transfiguration. She's stern but fair—and she can turn herself into a cat."
"Whoa, I didn't think that was possible!" Dudley exclaimed.
Harry laughed. "It's magic, Dudley. A lot of things you wouldn't think are possible actually are. Anyway, our groundskeeper, Hagrid, knew my parents and tells me stories about them. Professor Sinistra teaches Astronomy, and History is taught by a ghost named Professor Binns. He's so boring that the only person who can stay awake in his class is Hermione. Luckily, there's a book that covers everything he says, so we just read that instead."
Harry paused before adding, "The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is Professor Quirrell, but his stutter makes him hard to understand. Professor Sprout teaches Herbology, and she's really nice. Then there's Professor Snape for Potions. He used to be really mean to me but isn't anymore."
"Wait," Petunia interrupted. "Would this Snape happen to be called Severus?"
"I think so," Harry said, frowning. "I'm not sure, but I think Professor McGonagall mentioned his name once. Why?"
Petunia sighed. "I think I know why he treated you poorly before. When we were younger, Snape introduced Lily to the magical world before McGonagall did, and they were very close. At Hogwarts, they drifted apart because of house rivalries, and they had a big falling-out. Their friendship never recovered."
She paused before continuing, "Snape was in love with your mother and hated your father. James and his friends bullied him terribly, though Snape gave as good as he got. Seeing you probably reminds him of James and stirs up those old feelings. It's a miracle he doesn't still treat you badly."
Harry frowned thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I wish he wasn't a bully, though. I've heard he matured in his sixth and seventh years. Is that true?"
Petunia nodded. "Yes. Between his fifth and sixth years, his parents—your grandparents—were killed. When he returned to school, he was much more mature and stopped being so cruel. He and Snape never became friends again, but their rivalry wasn't as violent or spiteful. James grew into someone Lily was willing to be with, despite his earlier flaws."
"Well, at least he changed for the better," Harry said, brightening. "Enough of that—some good news is that I won my first Quidditch game!"
"That's the flying sport, right?" Vernon asked.
"Yes! I scored most of the goals, and it was really fun. I wish I could show you the game somehow—I think you'd all find it really interesting, especially you, Dudley."
"What about what happened with the troll?" Petunia asked.
"Well, there was this idiot who insulted Hermione and made her cry on Halloween. During the feast, Professor Quirrell came into the hall, shouting about a troll before fainting flat on his face. I told Master Flitwick that Hermione was in the bathroom with Padma and Parvati, and we both went to get them. We managed to get the students out, but Flitwick ended up cornered by the troll while trying to lead it away. So, I used both my wands and blew it up," Harry explained.
"That's so terrible, Harry," Petunia said, pulling him into a hug. "You shouldn't have had to take a life at such a young age. But at least you saved someone because of it."
"There were only two good things that came from it," Harry said. "The troll parts were sold, and I donated the money to the school so they could buy safer brooms and other equipment they needed. The other good part was that it really inspired me to ramp up my training in every way. Honestly, I think there are only three people in the castle who could beat me in a duel. Plus, with all the exercises I've been doing, I must be one of the fittest people in the school."
"Well, you keep saying you've been working on your karate, but since you don't exactly have a teacher, I reckon I can finally beat you," Dudley said with a smirk.
"Well, I think we can test that tomorrow," Vernon interjected. "You boys can head to the dojo and spar there safely. I'm sure it will be very interesting."
"That's enough talk of fighting for now," Petunia said. "Let's enjoy a nice dinner, and then I'm sure you'll want to unpack, Harry."
"Thanks, Aunt Petunia," Harry said with a grateful smile.
Line Break
The next day, Harry, Vernon, and Dudley went to the nearby dojo, where Harry and Dudley had trained since they were six. As they approached the entrance, all three bowed and removed their shoes before stepping inside. They were greeted by a cheerful voice.
"Mr. Potter, I see you have returned from school," the sensei said.
"Yes, Sensei. I've continued practicing the katas and other exercises you taught me, and I'd like to see what belt I've reached now," Harry replied.
"I see. Well, when you left after five years here, you were at your red belt. If you've continued training, I'm sure you're at least a first dan black belt by now. But let's start with the testing before you and Mr. Dursley have your spar, which I suspect is why you're here."
It took Harry fifteen minutes to complete his testing, and he finally achieved the black belt he had wanted before leaving for Hogwarts.
"Well, Mr. Potter, whatever you've been doing has certainly helped. Your movements are precise, and you've reached the level of a third dan black belt. Now let's see how your skills hold up in sparring. Mr. Dursley, I know you've been looking forward to this since you earned your brown belt," the sensei said.
"So, what did you get, Harry?" Dudley asked as they settled into their fighting stances. "I finally earned my brown belt just a month before you came back."
"I got a third dan black belt," Harry said smugly. "Even without a teacher, I'm still ahead of you," he teased.
"Damn it, I thought I'd finally overtaken you," Dudley muttered. "Oh well, at least I'll have someone to spar with now. Most of the others don't like being beaten by someone younger than them."
"Well, I guess you're still a big kid compared to most of them, but at least I'm here now," Harry said. "Now, come on. Let's start."
In a display that most people could only dream of achieving, Harry and Dudley began their sparring match. Most of the regulars at the dojo knew of Dudley's skills and how only the most experienced adults dared to spar with him. A few still remembered Harry from before, though he hadn't been around for a while, and they anticipated a good fight.
Harry began with a kick to Dudley's leg, which Dudley blocked before throwing a punch at Harry's gut. Harry dodged and landed a glancing blow on Dudley's ribs. Dudley grunted, and Harry followed up with a roundhouse kick that would have ended the match if it had connected. Dudley ducked but lost his balance, leaving him unable to counterattack.
As both boys reset their positions, Dudley moved forward with two quick punches. Harry deflected them to the side and slipped inside Dudley's guard. With a swift knee to the chest, Dudley was winded and staggered back. Seizing the opportunity, Harry delivered a final kick, knocking Dudley off his feet. The sensei declared Harry the winner.
"Well done, Mr. Potter," the sensei said. "Your sparring skills have improved greatly. You now move with a grace rarely seen in someone so young—it's like watching you glide across the floor."
"Thank you, Sensei," Harry said. "I was worried my training wasn't working, but I'm glad to see it has." He thought to himself how grateful he was for the Room of Requirement, which provided dummies capable of mimicking his teachers' skills.
"I'd like to test you myself now, if that's all right," the sensei said.
"Of course, Sensei," Harry replied.
"Begin!" a black-belted spectator called out.
Harry started on the offensive, throwing a flurry of kicks and punches. When sparring with Dudley, Harry expected his attacks to be blocked rather than dodged due to Dudley's size. His sensei, however, was incredibly fast and consistently dodged or deflected the strikes, forcing Harry to focus on precision and avoiding overextension.
As Harry pressed his attacks, the sensei calmly offered feedback. "Keep your elbows in. Don't telegraph your next move. Widen your stance. Avoid falling into patterns."
Eventually, it seemed Harry had the sensei cornered. With no apparent room to dodge, Harry aimed a kick at his ribs, only for the sensei to catch it effortlessly.
"Most importantly, don't underestimate your opponent," the sensei said. "I may be old, but you're still a child, and I'm stronger than you. Against someone your age, that attack would have been unavoidable, but it can be countered by someone with greater strength."
Before Harry could react, the sensei swept out his supporting leg and released his other foot. Harry managed to catch himself with his hands and flipped back into a standing position.
"Come on, Sensei," Harry said with a grin. "You didn't think I'd come back without learning a few new tricks, did you?"
"You youngsters have no respect for your teachers," the sensei replied with a chuckle.
The sensei immediately went on the offensive, forcing Harry to defend. Harry was grateful for his regular training; most would have been exhausted after only a few minutes of such intensity, but he held his ground for nearly fifteen minutes. Even without consciously augmenting his strength with magic, his natural magical power allowed him to perform like a perfectly conditioned teenager.
In the end, the sensei's experience won out. After three minutes of relentless attacks, he brought Harry down and was declared the winner. The spectators were awestruck by the skill, agility, and acrobatics displayed by both fighters.
"Well done, Mr. Potter. Your improvement is remarkable. Whatever you're doing is working," the sensei said.
"Thank you, Sensei. It was an honor to spar with you," Harry replied.
"Well, Harry, I don't think I'll be doing anything like that again anytime soon," Dudley said, shaking his head.
"Does that mean I won our bet?" Harry asked with a grin.
Dudley sighed and replied, "Yes. You win. I'll do all your chores this holiday because you're officially the better fighter now."
"Yes! And you actually admitted it too," Harry said. "I thought you wouldn't do that part."
"Well, after that demonstration, I don't think I'll ever be able to overtake you—especially considering I've had a proper sensei for months, and you haven't," Dudley explained.
"Maybe we should do the same thing but with other forms of combat," Harry suggested. "Something like boxing—or maybe even sword fighting. That would be cool."
"Sword fighting would be really cool," Dudley agreed. "Can we do it, Dad? Please?"
Vernon sighed before answering, "I'll talk to Petunia when we get home. If we can fit it around your karate lessons, then I don't see why not."
At that point, their sensei interjected, "Actually, Harry and Dudley could probably reduce their attendance if they want to. There aren't many people who can challenge Mr. Dursley in a spar, and only I and one other person can give Mr. Potter a proper challenge. As long as they continue practicing at home, they could likely drop their lessons to once or twice a week."
"Well," Vernon said with a sigh, "I suppose I'll talk to Petunia, but I think it should be fine if you boys sign up for sword fighting lessons."
With that settled, the boys rejoined their regular practice and continued training for the rest of the session.
Line Break
In the end, it took Harry a long conversation with Petunia to convince her of the necessity for it.
"But I don't get it. You're good enough at hand-to-hand combat that no one untrained could stand a chance against you. Even if you learned sword fighting, there wouldn't be any swords for you to use, so what's the point? I just think if there's no practical use for handling a sword, it would be more worthwhile for you to pick up another martial art instead," Petunia argued.
"But the thing is, there are magical artifacts like swords that you can cast magic with. If I could use magic through a sword while cutting someone with it and kicking someone else at the same time, then no one in this modern age would be able to stop me. It's going to take a lot of time to master a new martial art anyway, so I might as well learn something unique while also trying to find a magical sword I can use," Harry replied.
"So you're saying you can cast magic through any sword?" Petunia asked.
"Well, some people can cast wandless magic, like me, because of the meditation I did when I was younger. I could use the sword to help me aim the magic while essentially casting wandlessly. But there are specific magical artifacts that allow you to channel magic through them and act as a boost, like a wand. Throughout history, there are examples of other magical foci like rings, bows, and swords. The trick is to find someone who can still make them or to locate historical swords like Excalibur or the Sword of Gryffindor—both of which can be used as magical foci," Harry explained.
"Fine, I'll admit that it could be useful to know how to wield a sword if you can also use magic with it," Petunia admitted. "But where are you going to find a sword like what you're talking about?"
"I'll likely need at least one or two years of constant practice and effort, but I imagine that during that time, I can try to get something from the goblins. They're some of the best forgers in the wizarding world. While I'm practicing in the place I found at Hogwarts, I can either try to find a sword I can use to channel magic or convince the goblins to make one and buy it from them."
"Fine," Petunia conceded. "I'll sign you and Dudley up because I know he wouldn't want to miss out on something like this."
The following week, Harry and Dudley attended their first sword-fighting lesson.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter and Mr. Dursley. My name is David Lawson, but you may call me David. I'm an ex-military instructor who primarily teaches noble children how to use a sword. I'm not talking about fencing swords, but real swords. Becoming an expert usually takes years of practice, but I've been told you both have martial arts experience, which will help with these lessons. To start, I'll give you both a workout plan to develop the necessary strength to wield a sword. Over the next few weeks, while you're available, I'll bring in a friend to demonstrate what you should be aiming for. Then, we'll get started on the basics using practice swords."
"Yes, David," Harry and Dudley replied.
For the following weeks, Harry and Dudley trained diligently until Christmas Day.
"Wake up, Harry. It's Christmas," Dudley called out while running into Harry's room.
"I'm up, Dudley," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I'll be down in a minute, just let me get ready."
A few minutes later, a bleary-eyed Harry walked down to the living room where a large pile of presents sat in front of the only empty seat. "Come on, Harry, we've put all the presents your friends gave you in your pile as well," Petunia said.
As Harry sat down, all four of them started opening presents. Dudley and Harry received the most because of their friends. In the end, Harry got some nice clothes from Vernon and Petunia, and a karate gi from Dudley. His friends sent him a range of presents, from books on rare subjects to transfiguration, dueling tactics, and some of the more interesting historical events. They also sent him more personal artifacts, like enchanted jewelry and a book on the history of his and Neville's family alliance. Other gifts included a professional-grade dueling uniform from Flitwick and various candies from other acquaintances he had interacted with in classes.
Harry was now on the last of his presents and saw an unmarked one with a note in curly writing: "Your father left this cloak in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well." Feeling very curious, he opened the present and saw a plain-looking cloak. It seemed like an odd note to accompany such a regular cloak. Before trying it on, Harry decided to test out some of what Flitwick had been teaching him and tried to reach out with his magic to discern its intent.
While it was hard to make out any specifics, Harry could discern that the cloak's intent was to hide the user. Once he was as sure as he could be that there was no malicious intent, he put the cloak on.
"Woah," Dudley said. "That's wicked."
Harry looked down and saw that his body wasn't there. As he covered his entire body with the cloak, he moved in front of Dudley. "Boo."
Dudley jumped back and grabbed his chest before saying, "Damn it, Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Now take off that cloak."
Harry pulled off the cloak and laughed. "Oh man, you should have seen your face."
"Can I try it?" Dudley asked.
"I wonder if it will work for you?" Harry muttered, handing him the cloak.
Dudley then pulled the cloak over himself and disappeared from sight. "Did it work?"
"Yes, it did," Harry said thoughtfully. "I wonder how it works, then. It must use ambient magical energy, not the power of the user." Harry swiped at the air and grabbed the cloak from Dudley.
"Hey, how did you do that? I thought I was invisible," Dudley complained.
"Yeah, but I can hear your footsteps; you're not exactly quiet, you know. Besides, after I scared you before, I figured you'd want to do the same to me, so of course I was listening for you," Harry explained. "Maybe I should pair it with scent-removing and silencing charms so that no one can find me."
"Enough of that, Harry," Petunia interrupted. "We're going to have a nice day before you have to go to that Ministry ball this evening."
Authors Note
Sorry for the late update i am currently overseas and havent had reception but the shceudle will continue to be once per month. Happy new year to everyone and thanks for all the support I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I was debating between having Harry learn another martial art and sword fighting, but I liked the idea of him using the sword of Gryffindor later on so this training will give an excuse for that. I did search it up and it normally takes about five years for someone to reach black belt in karate and considering how motivated Harry is I think that it's realistic. The room of requirement will also be how he trains karate and sword fighting in the future so expect for him to be good at sword fighting too by the end of first year, but probably not at a mastery level. But considering the fact that he can spend an extra day just working on dueling, karate and sword fighting, he will improve in those rapidly.