Chapter 11: Surprise Visit and Tournament Part 2

The next four days passed, with the representatives from each school competing in their assigned events. The competitors were both excited and exhausted, as many of them were tired. Some of the students had been in event after event and wanted nothing more than to relax in the hotel's sauna, roam the grounds, or venture into the city.

Since today was Friday, the competition for Ancient Runes took place. The U-13 and U-15 divisions had already been completed, and the older years from the schools were taking advantage of their brief hour of rest by meeting in the hotel's private rooms.

". . .as it is, we are overall tied for first place with Mahoutokoro. Though that can easily change," one of the two leading leaders from Merlin's Academy had been elaborating about the current placement. The sixteen-year-old boy was determined to ensure their school won by having the students revise and practice for their upcoming events. Sometimes for hours. Jade and a handful of others looked moments away from actually strangling him. "Remember, the students from Mahoutokoro are well-known for their magical prowess and have proven to be more than capable opponents."

"Understatement right there," Harry muttered, generating a round of snickering from the others.

The boy continued. "Anyway, if we wish to come out on top, then it is essential that we achieve first place in all of the other events. After this, there are only two events left before the ceremony." He looked around at everyone and then at his watch. "We have about twenty-five more minutes until the Ancient Runes U-18 division begins. Those that are competing, go do some last-minute revision; everyone else, you are free to go for the day."

There was a collection of groans from the older years. A few of the others immediately exited the room like their bums were on fire. The Ouroboros Squad all let out a long, exasperated sigh when they reached the elevator. "I don't know how much longer I could have listened to that idiot's constant lecture without going off on him," Jade groaned. She knew this tournament was important, but the way the older students were pushing them was getting to be too much.

Andrew took out a roll of SweeTARTS from his pocket and handed it to his annoyed sister. "Thanks," she said, eating two pieces. The poor girl felt exhausted. "I'm going to my room for a nap."

Andrew threw an arm around her shoulder. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Appreciate it," Jade said as they entered the elevator and pressed the floor number for their destinations. She and her brother may argue, but they love each other dearly and will always be there to protect one another. Arriving at the floor, the two headed toward the room Jade, Lauren, and Sophie occupied. Lauren went on to join them.

All that was left were Sophie, Harry, and Jeremy. "Perhaps after some rest, Jade will be back up on her feet," Jeremy resigned himself as they went to the ground floor.

"She's just tired," Harry said. "Cannot say I blame her, as we have been studying theory and practicing spells for hours into the night." Understanding why their friend was tired.

"We can all use some rest. Thankfully, we don't have to compete again until Monday, which is a good thing." Sophie nodded her head in agreement at what he said. In addition to studying and practicing spells, they'd been using the training room; Harry, most of all, had been using it to practice more advanced spells. If anyone should be needing a nap, then it'd be him.

When they made it to the ground floor, Harry headed straight for the entrance while Jeremy and Sophie went the opposite way to the cafeteria. "Where are you going? The cafeteria is this way?" Sophie asked while pointing in another direction.

"I'm gonna head into the city for a while and get some air. I should be back later this evening," he replied. Truthfully, he'd been wanting to get some alone time.

"Catch ya later, man," came Jeremy. He then added, "try not to get into any trouble out there," laughing at his joke.

Harry smiled. Taking his leave, once he got outside, he felt the warm air on his skin. He then took in a sharp breath, inhaling the scent around him before making his way to the main gate. It wasn't that he disliked having his friends around, but there were times when he wanted to be alone. Some would consider him antisocial, which was fine with him as he didn't want nor need too many people around. Only those that he trusted. People who understood and liked him for him. Andrew and the others have proven themselves by standing beside him. That was loyalty. Something that is, at times, hard to come by now and then. In return, he was loyal to them. And in some ways, they're like a family.

Harry spent a few hours walking around the city, viewing the magical attractions and checking out some of the stores. The weather was nice, and Harry could say that he was indeed enjoying himself. At ten past three, he decided to grab some lunch at a nearby cafe. It was a well-known place where several people liked to eat. Before entering, he felt a familiar magical signature inside. There was no mistaking this presence, as it even brought back some powerful memories from when he was younger.

Opening the door to the establishment, he saw a fair number of patrons seated at different tables and a few at the bar. His green eyes looked around for a minute until they fell on a person sitting at a table in the corner next to the window with a butterbeer and a newspaper. There was no mistaking who that person was as he recognized her brown hair and warm presence.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" He said, walking over to the woman while she read her paper. Her eyes widened when she looked up from her paper to see who the individual was. "Hello, Andromeda," a big smile appeared on Harry's face.

"Harry!" Andromeda immediately stood up and pulled him into a big, warm hug, which he returned. "Merlin, look at you. Oh, you've grown up so much," she said after pulling away to look him over. Six years it had been. Six years since she had seen him. A few tears fell down her eyes.

"I missed you," Harry replied in a soft voice.

"I missed you too," wiping her tears away. "What are you doing here? Are grandfather and uncle here with you?" She looked around to see if her grandfather Arcturus or Uncle Charlus were here.

"No, they're in Britain," he responded, shaking his head. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

She agreed, retaking her seat while he sat opposite her. "So, what are you doing in Moscow? I thought you would be in school right now?" She remembered her grandfather telling her he would be attending Merlin's Academy in the States.

"Technically, this does count as school work. I'm one of the representatives for Merlin's Academy in the International Magical Tournament," Harry explained when he saw the slight confusion on her face. "The events I'm competing in have already been completed for the week, so I can relax for a while." In all sincerity, he had been looking forward to getting away from the hotel. "What about you? Why are you here?"

"Part of my job. Last year, I was made the Deputy Director Healer for the I.C.W.," she would have continued had it not been for the waiter coming over to take her order. The young man did say he would return a few minutes after giving her a glass of butterbeer. "I'll have your tailgate club and a bowl of fruits. Harry, do you want anything?"

"Please, I'm starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast," to emphasize his words, his stomach growled. "I'll have your spicy Cajun chicken without onions and jalapeños, some chips, and a glass of butterbeer."

"Ok, got it. I'll be back when the food is ready," the waiter said in a strong Russian accent, writing down their order and leaving for the kitchen.

"You were saying this is part of your job?" He turned his attention back to Andromeda.

"Yes. One of my responsibilities is to travel from place to place, demonstrating new methods, new healing potions, types of surgeries, etc," she explained. Andromeda added, "I actually just got out of a meeting today and will be in Moscow until this coming Friday."

"Cool. I don't leave till Thursday morning," Harry smiled. "Wait. Are you staying at a hotel or inn?"

Andromeda shook her head. "Grandfather told me we house in Moscow. So, I've been using it." Harry did a mental back-flip. A few minutes later, the waiter returned, using his wand to levitate their orders to them.

Throughout the rest of lunch, they spent time talking with Harry, elaborating about his time at Merlin's and in the States. He explained how he was currently a third, taking a few fourth-year classes and the people he had grown close to. When asked about how Ted and Nymphadora were doing? Andromeda said they were doing good. Ted was in line for a promotion at the company he was working for, and Nymphadora had joined the Auror Academy after graduation. She was currently apprenticing under Master Auror Alastor Mad-Eye Moody. Harry knew of the man and his reputation from his grandfather, uncle, Sirius, and Amelia.

Alastor Moody is one of the best Aurors the Ministry has ever had in decades, and while mildly paranoid, he's a highly accomplished and exceptionally skilled Auror. He was responsible for filling more than half of the cells in Azkaban with Death Eaters. The man had apprenticed under Charlus and Arcturus when he was younger, became a hell of a fighter, quickly rose through the Auror ranks, and later trained Sirius and James when they were at the Academy. According to Sirius, the man was a real taskmaster, often eluding to the fact of him being actually insane when it came to his training. There had been rumors about him going into retirement soon and that he was visibly displeased with the state of the Auror Corp in Britain and Ireland. Something Amelia sympathized with; she had more than once expressed her displeasure with how understaffed and underqualified the Law Enforcement and Auror office were. Some of her Aurors were either too lazy, arrogant, or too busy kissing Fudge's and his supporters' arses.

"This may be early, but have you given it any thought of where you'd like to work after getting your NEWTs?" Andromeda took a sip of her butterbeer.

He had to think for a few minutes as this was a topic he'd sometimes think about. "There are two careers that interest me. One is being an Unspeakable for the DoM, and the other is working for the I.C.W. though I'm unsure in what capacity. So far, I am leaning towards being an Unspeakable."

"Both are considered high-ranking jobs. They are some of the hardest to get into," Andromeda surmised. Her own job at the I.C.W. was hard to get into when she started, as they only take the best candidates. "I would recommend doing an internship to get some experience, obtain recommendation letters, make a contribution or two to Magical Britain or Europe. . . You also mentioned how you're a third-year and doing a few fourth-year classes, correct?" He nodded his head. "Then it looks like you will be applicable to apply for some masteries. . .that'll significantly help improve your chances."

"Hope so. I have no intentions of not working once my education is over," Harry commented. "I have dreams and goals I wish to accomplish."

Andromeda chuckled at his determination. "You certainly have the Black family spirit. Aunt Dorea was also quite ambitious. She was smart, cunning, ruthless, quick-witted, and dangerous when angered or pushed too far. I bet my grandfather and uncle have already told you about her temper."

This time, it was Harry's turn to laugh. They definitely showed and told him how his grandmother was when angered. Just thinking about it made him shiver as he saw how she would get back at them when they pushed her too far. One time, he saw a memory when he was younger as she chased them in the back of Potter's manor, hurling hexes and curses at them. The woman was absolutely a nightmare with a wand, as his grandfather and uncle could definitely attest to. They couldn't sit right for three weeks and were forced to sleep on the couch for three weeks. They would wake up feeling stiff from being on the couch all night. To ensure her brother didn't cheat, she forced him to sleep on one of the couches in Potter Manor. Something his wife Melania agreed with, much to her husband's horror.

"You have no idea," shaking his head while laughing.

The two finished their meals; Andromeda paid the bill, much to Harry's chagrin, though arguing with her proved futile, as she commented about wanting to make up for the years she lost with him. They exchanged frequencies to keep in contact after promising to spend more time together before leaving Moscow. The two went their separate ways, with Harry returning to the hotel and Andromeda apparating home. Harry was delighted at the prospect of being able to see her again as he hadn't in over six years. Another person then came to his mind: Nymphadora. He wondered how she was doing in the Auror Academy. Perhaps he should send her a letter after the tournament was over. Silently, though, he wondered how Sirius would take the news of him running into his cousin. Something to think about later.

A quick glance at his watch, he saw the time and knew he had to be back at the hotel before dinner. Finding a dark alley, he transformed into his animagus form and water-traveled into his room. Then, with a quick check to see if he was alone, he reverted to human form. Suffice it to say today was more interesting than he had imagined.

Exiting the room, Harry sensed that everyone except for Jade was in the living room. "Well, would you look who decided to come back," Andrew grinned from his seat on the couch beside Lauren. He added, "let me guess, you used your animagus form to travel here."

"How'd you guess?" He smirked at his friend before schooling his features. "Jade is still sleeping, huh?"

Sophie responded, "poor girl is tired. If she is not up in an hour, I'll go check on her." This was true and likely expected as the way their older students have been pushing them lately, something like this was bound to happen. She heard that some of the other students had been sleeping in after their events, and doing them back to back didn't help matters either. Merlin knows she and Harry had been putting in the most work for their division and was surprised that neither of them had collapsed yet. It's almost like a miracle. Almost anyway. Where if there were another event in which she would have had to compete, then she would be out cold like Jade.

Those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind, and she went to change the discussion. "Where were you anyway? Professor Claire was wondering where you were today."

"We told her you went out to explore the city, but that was about it," Natalie added.

"Well, you all weren't lying as I did go explore the city," moving off the couch and walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "However, I ran into a family member I had not seen in years. My cousin Andromeda," returning to the living room to see the stunned looks on their collective faces.

Jeremy, the first to recover, spoke. "I remember you talking about her and her family once before. If my memory is correct, you mentioned that she works for the I.C.W as a Healer." Contemplating his thoughts on what Harry said about the woman. Trying to obtain a job there was anything but easy as they only took the best applicants. Those positions were difficult to come by. That is, those who do work there get paid a lot of money. A career at a high-paying job like the I.C.W would help sustain a person for life. Yet only if they were ranking employees. This mainly applies to those who have high-ranking positions. That's where they make the real money. "What was she doing here?"

"Business. Being the Deputy Director means. . ."

"Goes without saying," Natalie finished for him, knowing what he was going to say. She turned to the others. "She's here in her role as the person behind the current Head of the I.C.W Healers, meaning she has to give presentations, meet with different international people, etc."

Harry gestured his hand her way, showing she was right. "Anyway, I am glad to have run into her. It's been a long time since I've seen her."

Forty-five minutes later, they all left the room to go check on their friend. By the time they reached the suite, the door opened, revealing a yawning Jade who looked like she just got out of bed. When asked how she was feeling, Natalie reached into her bag and pulled out a potion vial to help remove her light headache. Thanking her, they all walked to the elevator, rode it down to the main floor, and went to the banquet hall for dinner. Before the six of them entered, they ran into a stern-faced Professor Claire. Her eyes narrowed at an unfazed Harry.

"Mr. Potter, are you aware of the rules about leaving the hotel's premises to explore the city?" Her voice was even, to which Harry responded in kind.

"I am."

"Then you should know that all students are supposed to be at the hotel an hour before dinner. Care to explain why you failed to check in through the lobby upon your return?" Her stern visage grew more serious.

"As you know, Professor, the rules stipulate that a student may leave the premises if they have already competed in the events to which they have been selected to compete or were not participating in the overall tournament for the day," he began. "If you recall correctly, I completed my obligation for the day when I was one of the representatives for the Ancient Runes event and attended the meeting afterward."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Mr. Ortiz informed me of who competed at today's event and the meeting."

"Then you should know I have already completed my requirements for the day," speaking in an even tone. "I did indeed leave for a couple hours; however, I returned to the hotel over an hour ago thanks to my animagus form. Surely, Professor Stone informed you of what my animagus form is."

She curled her lips, judging his words. "Very well. Though, in the future, please enter and exit through the lobby like everyone else."

"By your wish, professor," giving the woman a nod. He then stopped her when she was about to walk away. "I ran into a relative of mine. She is currently staying at one of the houses owned by my family. Would I be able to spend my nights there with her?"

"I will require a letter from your primary guardian and meet with her in person," Professor Claire said.

"I'll send word to both of them." With that, he and the others went inside to sit at one of the open tables.

True to what he said, Harry sent a message to his grandfather about meeting Andromeda in Moscow and asked him for permission to spend his remaining time in Moscow under her care. He then sent a message to Andromeda explaining what he had in mind. Hopefully, they both will say yes.

His attention was soon drawn to the plate that appeared on the table before him. He ordered a well-done ribeye steak with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a dinner roll. Then, others all received their chosen orders for dinner.

"So you think your grandfather will say "yes"?" Andrew asked after eating some of his corn.

"Hope so," Harry then looked at his watch when it vibrated, alerting him that he got a message from Andromeda. Then, with hope, he opened and read it. A big smile crossed his face. "That's one down. Andromeda said she would be here at noon tomorrow."

Another message then came. This one is from his grandfather. The man agreed, though he stipulated that while there, Andromeda would be in charge. He said he'll send the letter in the morning. And there it was. He got the green light from both parties. This was truly a great day.

Seeing his eyes lit up, Jade could easily point out he just received permission. Not wanting to say anything further on that point, she brought up a new topic. "Come next year, we will begin doing some of our O.W.L exams. I think it best to get a head start on studying what we need to know once school is over."

"Jade has a point," Andrew agreed with his sister. "Best we are prepared. This way, we can be ahead of the curve, as those exams will not be easy."

Sophie snorted. "That's an understatement. Another thing that would be an advantage would be to do an internship at the end of next year."

"My thoughts exactly," Harry cut a piece of his rib eye with his knife and took a bite of it. "An internship could help improve our understanding of different branches of magic. Even help get a job in the future."

Throughout the rest of dinner, the group talked about their future plans, trying to calm their minds and remove any remaining fatigue they might have from studying and practicing.

(0^0)

The next day, Harry got up like he normally does and went to the training room for his morning workout. He'd been working on increasing his casting speed, stamina, magical power, dueling techniques, and overall dueling styles. This was followed by devising strategies and tactics. Grandfather and Uncle had been teaching him how to be efficient and unpredictable when it came to fighting so he could last longer against more experienced duelists. Do not put everything you have into one strike. Always be steps ahead of your opponent. Always remain in control of your emotions and mentality. Emotions can be used as fuel to power your spells but do not let them overrule you to the point where you lose sight of what you're trying to do. Severus had been helping him with that. Focus your emotions into your spellwork.

He finished up with an hour of meditation to reinforce his occlumency shields and help resonate his magic with his body, mind, and spirit. By tapping into his magical core, he is able to access a greater amount of magic than most—especially adults. To most, magic is merely a tool or a weapon they can use, but it's not. Magic is sentient. It is what makes those in the magical world whole and able to do what they can. The people may feel the power of their magic, but they do not fully understand it or truly connect with it. The wizards and witches of the old were vastly more powerful than those in the modern era because they respected and knew how to tap into the full might of their magic. That is why he has chosen to work so hard. He wants to rise to the top of the food chain and show the world who he is. Just like his ancestors.

When completed, he returned to his suite for a shower and fresh clothes. Soon, when it came time for breakfast, the students from every school went downstairs to the banquet hall. Today was Saturday, meaning no events were scheduled, and the students could relax. "Man, I'm starving," Jeremy grabbed two waffles and three strips of bacon.

"One of those days," Lauren looked at her friend as he poured syrup on his waffles.

"Unfortunately. It's there one day and gone the others," Jeremy dejectedly replied. This morning, when he woke up, he felt like he could eat a horse.

"Well, all the same here. Please do not mistake my hand for a waffle," Andrew, who sat beside him, quipped, making the others laugh. He glanced over at Harry's plate to see a decent amount of food on it. "I will never understand how you are able to eat that much and not have an ounce of fat on you."

"I have a high metabolism and undergo intensive training sessions," casually shrugging his shoulders. "Plus, my animagus form is a powerful avian predator," adding that since it was true. Tsunamibirds were extremely powerful and highly intelligent magical creatures. They could also eat large amounts of food.

An owl soon entered the hall with a letter attached to its leg. "Hello, Hermes," Harry stroked the owl's feathers. Hermes had been with his family since before he was born and was old. Poor thing looked like he was about to give out. He took the letter attached to his leg and gave the bird a piece of bacon and some water. Hooting a thank you. "Go get some rest before heading home," he said, sending the bird off.

Opening the letter, he pulled out the permission slip his grandfather promised to write him. After reading it, he put it in his pocket and turned back to his breakfast. "I'll pass the permission slip to the professor at the end of breakfast. Anyway, guys, we need to start strategizing for the remaining events. Especially the duels," his tone was serious. "I already have a couple ideas, and from what I can tell, the students of Mahoutokoro and Uagadou will be our most challenging opponents."

"Those schools have a real reputation when it comes to dueling," Andrew commented. "Mahoutokoro's are as dangerous as they are ruthless and efficient when it comes to combat. Koldovstoretz is aggressive and brutal. They put a heavy emphasis on strength and power. We will need to be careful." Then, stealing a glance to the left.

"Jade, were you able to narrow down who might be competing in the U-13 division?"

"Who do you think you are talking to?" She asked with sarcasm dripping down her voice, pretending to look affronted at her brother's question. "Getting information is my specialty." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out two shrunken yellow packets and flicked her wand out from its holster. Then, with a quick wave, I restored them to full size.

"Everything we need to know about our opponents are in these," passing them to Andrew. "All we have to do is review these files and decide which strategies will be best."

They all began talking about the remaining events. The ones they were assigned to for the duration of the tournament. A few hours later, the professor pulled Harry aside, where he presented her with the written permission slip he got from his grandfather. Andromeda appeared not too long afterward to speak with the woman about Harry spending his evening in her company. Seeing as how she was indeed related to him and had permission from his grandfather, Professor Claire cleared it.

"Again, thanks for agreeing to this, Andromeda," Harry said when his professor left. Andromeda kissed him on the head after pulling him into a hug.

"No problem. It feels like it was almost yesterday when I was putting you down for a nap when you were four. I remember you running around Potter Manor hiding in the different rooms," recounting one of the times when she was watching him. "You refused to sit still and were hard to find sometimes. It didn't help when all Sirius did was roll on the floor laughing as I chased you around." A light blush appeared on his cheeks. Andromeda would have continued, but her eyes drew to a different location.

"I can sense you five are over there. You might as well come out from behind the corner." The two watched as Jade, Sophie, and the others came out with light blushes at being caught. "Also, FYI, it's not nice to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, especially of a family nature. You might want to try disguising your magic signatures. I could literally feel them coming off of you."

"Dang!" Andrew exclaimed. "And I thought Harry was good at sensing the presence of others." Harry only smirked.

"Technically, I've been able to sense the presence of others for a while now."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Define "a while"?"

"Since I was eight."

"Damn, lucky bastard," Jeremy groaned.

"It wasn't easy, though," he added, then turned to Andromeda. "Anyway, guys, this is my older cousin Andromeda Tonks nee Black. Andromeda, these are my friends. Meet the rest of the Ouroboros Squad." Introducing them one by one.

Natalie then asked, "so, Mrs. Tonks, what's it like being a Healer of the ICW?"

"It's a nice job. Though there are days where it can be difficult when having to deal with colleagues and patients," Andromeda answered. "However, I do love what I do."

"Our Natalie here wishes to be a Healer when she is done with school," said Jade.

"Is that true?" Andromeda hiked an eyebrow at the girl. Nervously, Natalie nodded her head. "Well, I can tell you from personal experience being a Healer is not easy, as you need good marks, be diligent in your work, have to get some experience working as an aid or intern, and know what you are doing. Being a Healer requires careful handling."

Natalie swallowed. She knew it would be difficult, but not how difficult. Still, though, being a Healer is something she wants to be. "I am willing to work hard to become a Healer."

Andromeda nodded at the girl's determination. "Then I recommend you do some research on how to become a Healer on your free time. You can order a book about the Healing arts and study it." She then turned her attention to Harry. "Are you ready to go?"

"Mmhm packed my stuff last night," he said, tapping his pocket, which contained his trunk. "I'll see you a lot later."

Together, Harry and Andromeda left the hotel. Andromeda side-along apparated Harry to the house she was staying at.

(0^0)

Unfortunately, the weekend passed quickly, and the students had to complete the tournament's second week. The ones who were representing their schools for the Enchanting event had to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in front of everyone. Harry, Andrew, Natalie, and Jeremy were relieved they didn't have to compete, unlike Sophie and Jade. Instead, they sat in their seats and watched their friends and fellow students work together. Or, for better words, make jabs and snide comments at one another instead of working together as a team. What's worse is that they came from Caleb and his friends, who kept insisting they knew better and should be in charge. Miraculously, they ended up winning, but only just barely.

Later that night, the Merlin's Academy representatives were discussing the tournament's final event. Dueling. The female leader began when everyone arrived. "All right now that we're all here, we can begin. Tomorrow is the final event of the I.M.T., and Richard and I are proud of every one of you. We are aware you all are tired, but we ask you to hold it together and give it your all for the final event." The one named Richard nodded while smiling. "Out of the five magical schools, four will be competing. Castelobruxo, Mahoutokoro, Uagadou, and us. Potter," Harry stood up when she addressed him, "you have already chosen the people you wish to compete with, have you not?"

"Yes, I—"

"Hold on, just a minute!" Caleb slammed his hand down on the table, interrupting him. "I cannot accept this."

Richard had to resist the urge to groan, as it was well-known that he and Potter did not get along. "Something you wish to say, Miller?" Doing his level best to hide his annoyance.

Caleb smugly replied. "I believe Potter is being biased against the others in favor of his friends. He has neglected to consult the other candidates who might want to compete. I respectfully ask for there to be a vote on who should be allowed to participate tomorrow." There were a couple murmurs and whispers among the U-13 representatives." This continued until one of them chose to speak.

"I believe a vote would be ill-advised, as the final event begins tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. We do not have time to vote or pick new people." The boy's name was Daniel. By all accounts, he was a competent student who was a hard worker and played fair. "Furthermore, I have worked with Potter on many different occasions. If he thinks he and the others can win tomorrow, then I trust them."

Harry mouthed thank you. "There are many reasons why I have chosen my friends," stepping forward. "One: We trust and are familiar with each other. Two: We know what each other is capable of doing."

"For your information, Miller, we're a team," Jade said as she narrowed her eyes at the boy while standing beside Harry.

"And we don't need your damn permission or condescending attitude to tell us what to do," Andrew was the next to stand up.

"Seriously, get over yourself," Sophie sent a glare of her own. "No one knows us better than we know each other."

". . .So take that arrogant and smug attitude of yours and stick it up your arse," Natalie folded her arms.

"It is either all of us or none of us," Jeremy declared in a final tone.

Their loyalty to one another astounded the other representatives and impressed Richard and Anastasia. The former made a decision and spoke. "No one should break up a winning team. Plus, there is no time to debate who should be participating or not."

Ignoring the angry expression on Miller's face, Richard continued. "Potter, have you and the others already formulated a plan for tomorrow?"

"We have," Harry confirmed, motioning for Andrew and Jade to proceed.

"Our first opponents will be from Castelobruxo. . ." Andrew began.

Jade then picked up by adding her piece, "based on what we know, we'll be up against students who specialize in improvisation and have a range of charm users. This makes things easier for us as we have a way around them."

"You all are aware that physically touching your opponents is a violation of the rules. The same with using spells that cause long-lasting injuries?" Anastasia questioned.

"We know," Andrew acknowledged. "As Jade said, we can defeat them without violating the rules."

Considering his words, Anastasia nodded her head, giving the green light. "Very well. Good luck to all of you. Meeting adjourned."

After a good night's sleep, the Ouroboros Squad met after breakfast to discuss their strategy for dealing with the students from Castelobruxo. "We're going to need to seriously pull something out of our arses for this match," Harry said while looking through one of the files regarding a Castelobruxo. "This one named Elana Gomes will be involved in the Dueling event. She is undoubtedly a gifted witch in her own right. If there is anyone we should be concerned about, it is her. I watched her compete in the other events and can tell she is not only powerful but intelligent."

"You have a way of defeating her, I take it," Sophie sent him a knowing smile.

"Of course I do," smiling back at her. "I'm gonna separate her from the others. Under no circumstances are any of you to get involved. We divide and weaken them until the end. . .and when the time is right, we take them down," Harry explained with a sly grin. "Remember, fight no more than you need to."

"That should do it. Time to get ready." They all went to the stadium locker rooms to swap out their current attires for the dueling uniforms provided to them.

". . . Do you guys really think we can win today's dueling matches?" Jeremy asked when they entered the locker room. The subtle concern in his voice could be heard.

"We'll be fine," Andrew replied.

"I concur," Harry echoed with an assuring grin. Locking his clothes away before sitting in a meditative position.

A half-hour later, the three boys were brought out with the girls to the stadium field, where they met their opponents. Gomes was obviously the leader as she stood in the front with a hand on her hip and wand out. She was staring intently at her opponents—notably more at Harry—sizing up the competition. The way her eyes shined when she examined Harry showed she was interested. She knew he was powerful and found him to be very handsome.

One of the referees soon announced that the final event for the I.M.T. would begin with the U-13 Dueling. He then announced who would be representing each school and explained the rules. Before any of the contestants entered the field, they'd been searched for any illegal substances in their blood and had their wands tested. As soon as a green spark left his wand, signaling them to begin, the battle between the two schools began in earnest. Loud cheers were heard from the audience, and the students dueled one another.

With a wave of his wand, his banishing charm sent the incoming spells back at their casters. "These guys are not that bad," said Harry, who watched them dodge the spells.

"It's as we thought. These guys are good with charms," Natalie deflected a stunning spell and returned with a blasting curse. "We ready?"

"Good on my end," Sophie replied. The others nod their heads in agreement.

"Now!" Harry shouted, waving his wand in a wide horizontal line and using Ventus tria. A powerful force of wind blasted from the tip of his wand at his opponents, sending them back in different directions.

Quickly, he dashed toward the leader, hurling low to mid-powered spells while the others went to fight the other members of Gomes's team.

Elana managed to get back to her feet and dodge some of his spells, but only a few. She's showing signs of exhaustion and is beginning to lose her stamina. "H-How. . .are. . .y-you not ti-tired. . .yet?" Panting with exhaustion, trying to catch her breath. She screamed when a cutting curse caught her in the left shoulder.

In response, he only smirked and cast the seize and pull spell, wrapping her in rope. Harry then lifted her off the ground and began spinning her around. At the end of this, one of them would be dizzy. Probably both of them. Spinning around a couple times, he caught the look on Natalie's face. . .it was the signal that said she was ready. Then, releasing the spell, the girl was sent crashing at one of her teammates when they, too, were sent flying with a banishing charm. They crashed hard into each other, groaning in pain. However, it was far from over, as their other companions also sent their opponents back towards them.

At last, it was time to finish this duel. Harry conjured a large torrent of water and began spinning his wand around his head. The water followed his wand movement, spinning around them. While the Castelobruxo students struggled to their feet, they failed to notice that Potter had sent the spinning torrent of water at them. Just when one of them was about to use a freezing charm, Harry slashed and jabbed his wand at the water, transfiguring it into steam that blanketed the area.

"Good night, everyone." Twisting his wand, the tip glowed orange as the steam temperature started to heat up. And finally, he raised his hand; with a single snap of his fingers, a wide area of small yet powerful explosions sent them flying a few feet.

"What an incredible display of magic and teamwork! Merlin's Magical Academy is the winner!" The referee declared that the students from Castelobruxo were declared unconscious; therefore, they could not continue.

"That's one team we managed to shut down," Jeremy proudly said, pumping his fist into the air. Natalie saw the deep cuts on his right arm and left cheek and waved her wand over to seal them. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Natalie smiled as they all returned to the benches near the bleachers whilst the crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, Harry was assisting a limping Andrew, who took a bone-shattering and piercing curses to the left leg. Judging by the expression on his friend's face, Harry could tell he was mentally kicking himself. "Don't beat yourself up. . .you did fine out there," Harry attempted to lift Andrew's spirit.

"How do you do it?" Andrew asked as Harry sat him down.

"How do I do anything? With style." The two laughed. Instead of fighting hard, he fought smart. Best of all, he didn't use his full power. One of the Healers arrived with a medical kit. "Thanks," she handed him a bowl containing Essence of Dittany, which he used to seal the hole in Andrew's leg.

The Healer muttered an incantation while waving her wand over the boy's broken leg; instantly, it was as good as new. "That should do it. Just try not to over-extend yourself."

"We'll make sure he's fine," Jade said, gratefully smiling at the woman. She gathered her kit and went to attend to the others. "You gonna be ok for the final round?" Giving her brother a sympathetic look.

Andrew wiggled his leg and stood up, "yeah, aside from the stinging in my leg, I should still be able to compete." Determination was clearly written on his face.

Sophie entered the conversation after having her shoulder healed. "It will be smart to revise our strategy. This was just round one. We face whoever wins this next round."

". . .won't be much of a competition," Jeremy pointed to the field when the match between Mahoutokoro and Uagadou School of Magic. Already, the latter students were looking a little nervous. "This will not even be ten minutes."

True to what he said, the duel ended in about eight minutes, which astonished the crowd and left the Ouroboros Squad at a loss for words. The students from Mahoutokoro were seriously talented, not to mention ruthlessly efficient. They managed to beat their opponents like they were nothing. Several of the spells they used on their opponents were powerful and debilitating. The Japanese students may be as ruthless as the students from Koldovstoretz, but instead of relying on power and domination spells to subdue their enemies. They use intricacy to destabilize and break their opponents. A lot similar to Harry's overall combat style.

"Yeah, we need to adjust our strategy," Andrew said after finding his voice. "Locker room?"

"Locker room!" The others echoed before making their way to the locker room and begin planning for their upcoming match. By no means will their opponents go down easy.

They spent the next couple of hours strategizing a new approach for how they would deal with the Japanese students. First, by individually reviewing the people they were supposed to fight. Looking through their strengths and weaknesses. Second, by devising strategies and tactics that might be of use. But, of course, they need a few backup plans in case things go south. The point of the matter was that they needed to separate, destabilize, and conquer their foes. Playing reserve was not an option as they were a powerhouse.

"All in favor who say they want to sleep in when they get home say: I." Jeremy groaned.

"I!" They all said, realizing their hands in the air.

"This is going to be a close one. I can already feel it," Harry commented. He added, "we've done our best to prepare for this moment. So, let's go out there, show everyone who we are, and win this match!

"Yeah! They all said. Jeremy looked at the clock to see they only had fifteen minutes to get onto the field. "The moment of truth."

Exiting the locker room, they went onto the field. Already, three of their opponents were waiting for them. Each one looked ready to brawl. Since it was close to 7:30, the sun started to set.

Pretty soon, at the allotted time, the remaining students from Mahoutokoro emerged from their side. The referee gave a quick speech as the competitors each took a stance. The battle began in earnest once the green spark shot into the air. Harry's blasting curse connected with the opponent's leader, causing a mild explosion, and the two started going at it, firing spells left and right. Admittedly, the girl was powerful, and he could tell she had an extensive repertoire of spells at her disposal. But that didn't mean he would go down without a fight.

The duel between them continued, with Andrew being the first to be taken out by two of them. They knew from his injury earlier that he wasn't fighting at full capacity and used that to their advantage. A split second after he was taken out, Sophie fired a string of hexes and jinxes that took out one of the two that took her friend out and injured the other. Seizing the opportunity, Jeremy used the disarming charm and hit the injured opponent with a full-body bind spell.

Yet his trouble was not over, as he soon found beside Natalie on the defensive. He hissed in pain when a piercing curse connected to his right hip and received a cutting curse to his left arm. "These guys are tough," Jeremy groaned.

Harry saw they were in trouble and, after rolling under a rock that would have hit his head, sent Sophie and Jade to go help them. ". . leave these two to me," with a wave of his wand, he transfigured the incoming rocks into sand. Time to go into Battle Transfiguration. He created a few circles with his wand until the sand rose, creating a tornado. The sand tornado followed his wand movement and shot toward the two.

Together, they slashed and jabbed their wands at the incoming sand. The tornado was frozen in ice and turned into ice shards that went straight toward Harry. The raven-haired boy reacted quickly in transfiguring the shards of ice into arrows.

While their friend continued to hold off his opponents, Jade, Sophie, Jeremy, and Natalie found themselves gradually losing ground. Their bodies were littered with cuts, bruises, and a few broken/shattered bones. Natalie and Sophie were swiftly removed from a combined assault of fire comets, bone-shattering, piercing, and stunning spells. The barrage overwhelmed them and sent the two crashing to the ground a few feet away. Jade retaliated by sending a few powerful spells that greatly injured her opponents, yet they refused to submit. Only when she hit the one on the left with a stunning spell were she and Jeremy taken out with the same spell.

This left Harry to face three people alone. Seeing that he was now alone, Harry sent an explosion spell at the person who took out his remaining teammates. The spell broke a few of the boy's bones when it connected to the ground, and he was flown back. Now, there were only two left.

Much to their shock, they found themselves being slightly overwhelmed as Potter's skills with Battle Transfiguration were greater than theirs. As a result, the two were forced to revert back to Battle Charms and send a wide range of curses. Little did they know that this is where Harry specialized in. Magical combat. This was Harry's element. To prove it, he used his training in muggle combat to evade their attacks before launching a counterattack. Slowly but surely, he started to gain an advantage over them.

Harry sent them a powerful shockwave spell that the leader could barely shield against, though her teammate wasn't so lucky as he was sent back with his wand heading in a different direction. However, he was hardly done as he cast a quick shield-penetrating spell that destroyed her weakened shield and sent a piercing curse. There was a golf ball-sized hole in her left leg, and she screamed in pain.

"You're. . .pretty. . .sk-skilled," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"I can say the same about you," acknowledging her skills in martial magic. "This duel has been incredible. I could not have asked for a more worthy foe."

"I feel the same. But only one of us can win. So let's go all out, no reserves." She smiled at him, which he returned.

"Then let's go!" The two fought with renewed focus, trading spells after spells with each other. To Harry's surprise, she also had training in muggle combat the way she dodged. That, however, made this a lot more entertaining as the two were fighting with all they had, trying to gain an advantage over the other.

Harry could positively say that she had definitely earned his respect. Her determination was something to be admired. Despite her injuries, she was determined to keep fighting with all she had.

Their duel continued for twenty more minutes, with Harry gaining more latitude than her. She was overtaxing her magical core, and her dueling had become rushed to the point where she was leaving gaps in her defenses. It was clear that she was not used to casting with her left hand, though she didn't have much choice since her right arm was broken in four different places. Deciding to end things, he sent an overpowered confringo. The blasting curse smashed through her shield like it was glass, destroyed the bones in her left hand, and sent her crashing back unconscious.

"That's it, folks! Merlin's Magical Academy wins the Under-13 Dueling event!" The referee announced. There were applause and cheers from the audience as Harry walked slowly to the benches. Sweating and tired, his legs felt like they were made of jelly. Still, he was glad to have helped his team win their final match. Already, the tournament officials were helping the other competitors to the Healers' tent so they could treat their injuries.

One of the Healers came over to help him into the tent so that he could be with his friends and have his injuries checked. "You guys all right?" He enquired when entering the tent, looking at the states they were in.

"Yeah, we're good," Sophie hissed when one of the Healers applied dittany to her exposed wounds. "Nice job out there. You single-handedly took out the remaining opponents and helped us win." Harry shook his head.

"It was a team effort. We defeated them together." He let out a deep breath. "I am going straight to my room when the last group is done. Can I get a vial of strengthening potion?"

The Healer, tending to him, shoved a vial of the potion in his hand. Immediately, he drank the potion while ignoring its bad taste. Instantly, he felt his strength return, though he knew it would only be temporary.

The remaining two divisions were a spectacle to behold. The U-15 ended in a draw. While the U-18 was close, the students from Merlin's Academy were ultimately able to triumph. A small celebration took place afterward, yet the people who dueled today decided to leave and get some sleep.

A/N: I am sorry this chapter is late. I recently came down with the flu, and my allergies have been everywhere. This is not my best work, but I did my best. While exploring the city, Harry encountered someone he had not seen in years. Andromeda. The two were surprised yet happy to see one another again. Personally, I felt it was about time to bring Andromeda back. There was obviously a lot they needed to talk about.

The final event of the I.M.T has been concluded. Harry's team especially had it rough when facing their opponents. Despite being outnumbered, Harry managed to showcase his skills and abilities. Aside from struggling at first, he secured a victory for his team in the U-13 Dueling event. These duels will help Harry out in the long run as he will become stronger and smarter.

Next Chapter: Returning home and off to France