"This is a joke, right?"

Back at Hogwarts, there were plenty more places to hide. At Grimmauld Place or the Grangers' home, it was easier to corner someone when you needed to have a certain discussion. That meant that, whilst they were at school, it required a great deal more tact to be able to ambush your target. Which was why Harry had waited until they were back in the common room, the evening drawing in and their beds threatening to call them. They'd just eaten and were still suffering the ill effects of a particularly draining Transfiguration lesson.

All in all, it was the perfect time to strike.

"I've told you about the lessons I've been leading," Harry said. "And they've proven really useful up to this point. I might have gotten a bit distracted this year, thanks to reasons that I obviously don't need to go into detail about. But those sessions could be more important than ever for the students here."

Matthew was slowly nodding his head. "I get that. I fully support that. I just don't see where I come into the equation."

"We've been using some of the best wizards and duellers that we know, giving people a taste of the lived experience of being in a battle, because that's the only way they'll truly learn. And well…you've always been towards the top of that list."

"Are you trying to play to my ego to get your way?"

"It's always worked in the past."

"I distinctly remember telling you, when you first came up with this idea, that I had no intention of teaching people."

"I know…but that was over a year ago…and a lot has happened since."

"Such as me losing a duel quite spectacularly, though I'm yet to experience that. It's not exactly the inspirational story you're looking for."

"I've always said that it's a good idea," Hermione chimed in.

"Then you teach them."

"I have, thank you very much. Harry roped me into his efforts fairly quickly, much to my dismay. Although he took the limelight, of course."

"I wouldn't want to take that from him."

"We could do it collaboratively," Harry suggested.

"What could I possibly teach them that you haven't already?"

"There must be loads of stuff. You have plenty of tricks up your sleeves. And you managed to instruct Hermione and I really well, based on some of the stuff we've been able to accomplish since."

"I'm not about to reveal the secrets of pure magic to everyone in the school."

"And I wouldn't expect you to."

"So the discussion is at an end?"

"Absolutely not. Because I'm putting my foot down."

Matthew had been sitting down up to that point, his arm draped lazily around Hermione. However, with Harry taking a sterner approach, the other boy had evidently seen fit to change his tactics too. He stood up, joining Harry on his feet, and they glared at one another, much like a traditional standoff that you might have seen in an old Western film. Harry wondered who would be quickest to draw their wand if it came to that.

Most likely, it would be Hermione, teaching her boys a thing or two about decorum.

"You're putting your foot down, are you?" Matthew echoed.

Harry refused to wilt under the pressure. "If that's the only way that'll make you see sense."

"If you haven't already noticed, I'm not great with other people."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Please. You pride yourself on how charming you can be."

"For people that I like. And that's an alarmingly small group."

"I just feel that…given the circumstances…it'll be good for those involved to have someone else to follow. Seeing as…"

Matthew arched a thick eyebrow. "Go on."

Harry had been putting on a brave face, which he had to pat himself on the back for. However, he was now forced to admit that some of that bravado was fading away as he broached a more sensitive subject. It was quite clear that his friends could sense where he was leading, and that was probably why he was now being met with fierce glares from the two of them. He wanted to go back to just a few moments before when he'd at least had Hermione's support to sustain him.

"...seeing as there's every chance that I won't be here for long. You can be angry with me all you want, but that's the harsh truth. We're no closer to figuring out what to do in terms of the horcrux within me and, the longer we wait, the more likely it is that we have to take drastic action."

It had been eating away at him in truth, the fact that no progress had been made. Over the Christmas break, he'd almost been able to put it to the back of his mind. That tended to happen when you had Draco Malfoy to focus on. But now that they were back in the thick of the action, the cloud hanging over him was growing darker. They couldn't win the war if the horcrux remained inside of him. And so, no matter how much he taught the other pupils, it wouldn't count for anything unless a solution was found.

"I know what you're going to say," Harry continued. "And I know that you're going to tell me off for thinking this way. But it's about time that we considered this practically. We have to face the reality of the situation. For some reason or another, those kids have put their faith in me. If I go, where does that faith go? We need others to pick up the slack, and that includes you, Matthew."

Matthew gritted his teeth. "We're not going to let you die. We've already said that."

"I know. And that's hopefully the likelier of the two outcomes. But it'd be nice to have some precautions in place, just in case."

"...will I get to fire spells at hapless first years?"

"You'd be surprised at how far they've come with their shields, but I suppose you could. Just don't put anyone in the Hospital Wing, otherwise I'm going to have Dumbledore and Pomfrey in my ear."

"Is this just a chance for you to duel me?"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about. Hermione's been waiting for that chance for years."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

xxxxxxxxxx

It was one thing to propose the idea. It was another matter entirely to see it come to fruition. Standing upon the stage, Harry eyed Matthew with understandable nerves, never knowing which direction the other boy was going to head towards. There were plenty of people packed into the Great Hall, all sporting the different colours that Hogwarts had to offer. Word had spread that Matthew Mormont was going to put on a display, and that had apparently driven up the numbers.

By now, since months had passed, the novelty of his return from the dead had worn off. After all, those who spent their time at the magical school witnessed countless things that didn't make sense, and so they were quick to lose their interest. However, it wasn't very often that Matthew put himself at the centre of attention, meaning the student populace were now trying to take advantage of the rare opportunity.

It was bad enough just focusing on Matthew, but Harry's focus shifted somewhat to the fact that Draco had entered the hall alongside Daphne and a few other Slytherins. It was the first time that he'd joined in with the training sessions, and Harry liked to see that as a direct result of the work he'd put in over the Christmas break. That being said, the combination of Matthew taking charge and Draco making his debut felt like it was a recipe for disaster.

"Right," Matthew said loudly, clapping his hands. "I suppose we should get this show on the road. I don't want to waste any of your time, and you certainly don't want to waste any of mine."

Hermione edged closer to him. "Maybe try smiling…"

Matthew glanced in her direction following her whisper. "...why?"

Instead of answering verbally, she subtly gestured her head towards the crowd standing in front of them. Amidst the pupils were a sizable portion of first and second years, a point that still made Harry's heart sink. Many of them were now looking rather pale as they contended with the full force of Matthew's rather abrasive personality. Even some of the older students looked to be daunted by the boy before them.

He did his best impression of a grin, though it resembled more of a grimace.

"I've been told that you've all been making good progress," he pressed on. "You've had some good teachers, of course. I've also been told that there's room for improvement which, believe it or not, is a good thing. If you can get better, then you might just stand a chance of surviving long enough to ace your NEWTs."

"What was it like?" a voice in the crowd asked.

Matthew frowned, pinpointing the young Ravenclaw boy. "What was what like?"

"You know…facing all those Death Eaters."

Harry had been worried that this was going to happen. He remembered what the students had been like when he'd first taken over the sessions, showing an endless curiosity that wasn't always focused on the lesson. Matthew was notorious for one thing, and that was keeping the details of his life private. Judging from the slight paleness of his skin, he wasn't reacting too well to the relaxed interrogation. Because how could you begin to tell them about time travel and a magical blue box?

"Well…that's a rather difficult question to answer."

"We should know about it, though," an older Slytherin argued. "You fought them. That's the sort of experience that we need to learn from. You can show us how you survived."

"The fact of the matter is that I didn't survive, let's get that clear. I know that doesn't make sense. But picture the scene. I was alone. I was ambushed. And I couldn't defend myself against such a strong number. Everything else that happened after that was luck and isn't relevant to what you can learn."

A Hufflepuff raised their hand. "Were you scared?"

Matthew shrugged. "I don't know. I guess so. I probably didn't have time to process fear…or much else, to be honest."

"We haven't got Matthew involved just to talk about that day," Harry pointed out.

His concerns were waved away by the boy in question. "It's alright, Harry. The point of this group is for us to share what we've been through, so that we can hopefully learn from those moments and make better choices. What I realise now is that I was a complete idiot for going anywhere on my own. Sadly, I can't change what happened. That's set in stone."

He looked sadly at the pair of them at that, an acknowledgement that his fate was still sealed. It was something that they rightly didn't think about. For the time being, they were happy to be in a state of limbo, and they were more than content with that going on for as long as possible. It made them more grateful for having the boy in front of them, for having a second chance.

"What I can do is make sure that you lot don't follow in my footsteps," Matthew continued. "Now, we're not here to work on new spells. I'll leave that to the professionals. If I start stepping on the toes of the likes of Lupin or McGonagall, they're going to be less than pleased. It's all about tactics that'll give you a shot at making it through a fight with someone who wants to kill you. That's the enemy we're facing. If you don't accept that reality, then you don't belong here."

There was a pregnant pause, as if Matthew was baiting any of them to leave. Harry was slightly concerned that there would be a mass exodus as they processed the daunting warning. He didn't know whether he was pleased that the doors remained firmly shut, because it meant that they were all committed to the cause. But it also meant that all those young lives, much like his, were going to be shaped by war.

"Harry has shown you how to keep moving in a fight, to ensure that you're not as easy a target. From what I've heard, Moody has introduced you to a whole host of curses that he probably shouldn't have done. And Hermione…well, there's no stone left unturned if you're astute enough to pick her mind. Today, I think it would be wise to learn from my mistakes."

With a flourish, the cane Matthew had been using to support himself melted away until his wand was resting lazily in his hand. Harry knew that his friend was just showing off, and Hermione's affectionate roll of the eyes was enough to show that she thought the same. But some of the crowd oo'd and ah'd appropriately, suggesting that Matthew was at least keeping them captivated with his cheap tricks.

"I failed because I was on my own," he told the group. "And it took me a while to properly appreciate that sentiment. Thankfully, I had people in my life who proved to be stubborn buggers, and I say that with the most love in the world." He made sure to wink at his girlfriend, just to make sure that she didn't complain. "When Voldemort attacks, the likelihood is that he'll arrive at the school. You could wake up one morning and he could be on the doorstep, an army following in his wake. Obviously, there are people working behind the scenes trying to stop that inevitability, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"The one benefit of that scenario is that we should have numbers on our side. We'll have each other, and that's a key strength. It's just, at the moment, you probably don't know how to take advantage of that. Up to now, you've been taught how to defend yourself. What happens when you've got other people to think about? What happens when someone else has your back? If I've learnt anything during my time at Hogwarts, it's that having people by your side is the best thing imaginable. Having people by your side who you know intimately is even greater."

He clapped his hands, and Harry shook his head in slight disbelief. Matthew had complained endlessly about taking on this role. But now that the time had come, he appeared to actually be enjoying it, relishing the moment to impart his wisdom. Harry wasn't the sort of person to say 'I told you so', but he had urged Matthew to take on the responsibility, with it being proven that he was a good fit for the occasion.

"I want you to put away your wands." Matthew paused as the crowd groaned, and he made sure to send a glare at them all. "Just for a moment, at least. You're going to get into groups of four and you're simply going to talk. You're going to talk about what you're good at, what your favourite subjects are, which exams you tend to excel at. You're also going to discuss what you don't enjoy, which areas you might need to improve upon, and the spells you've never been able to properly wrap your head around.

"You probably think that this is a pointless exercise when we could be doing something a lot more practical. But after those ten minutes are up, you're going to have the likes of myself, Harry and Hermione attempting to take you on. All four of you. When you fight as a group, you have to work to other people's advantage. Lift them up, set them up, keep them protected. If one person is good at defence, rely on them to create the shields. If someone is more crafty when it comes to spell sequences, then make sure they have the freedom to express themselves.

"Knowing each other is going to help us win this godforsaken war because if Death Eaters are one thing besides evil, they're self centred. They won't look out for one another as much as we can. And if one Death Eater faces us as a united front, they're not going to stand much of a chance, are they? You're going to rob them of the advantages that come with age and experience. So…get to work. And you better hope that you're good at bonding, because I certainly won't be pulling any punches."

Once Matthew was finished with his little speech and the other students were scrambling to find partners, he was met with two matching expressions. Harry and Hermione' lips were set in thin lines as they scrutinised the boy. If Matthew knew one thing, it was not to get on the bad side of his girlfriend, and yet he still seemed to be approaching their annoyance with a blasé attitude.

"What?" he asked with a shrug.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't remember signing myself up to be involved in this plan of yours."

"That's because I didn't ask you beforehand."

"But you still expect us to put ourselves in the firing line? You think we're going to take on four people at a time?"

Matthew waved a hand. "Mere child's play for us lot, I'm sure. It'll give the students a boost to their morale to say they've fought against the great Harry Potter and his two chums."

"It would have been nice to get some warning, though," Hermione reasoned.

He simply gave her a sweet smile. "You roped me into this sideshow. It's only fair that I returned the favour. Let's hope that we don't get too many bruises."

xxxxxxxxxx

"That was an absolutely terrible idea."

Harry was sure that the glare hadn't left his face as they trudged all the way back up to Gryffindor Tower, and Matthew's flippant remark wasn't improving his mood. Yes, he enjoyed getting to show off his duelling credentials and yes, there were very few times when the other students had been able to get the better of him, but that didn't make it hurt any less on the occasions that they did. Which was why he was tapping his foot in annoyance now as he looked down at the boy splayed across the sofa.

"It was your idea!" he reminded Matthew.

"I'm allowed to own up to my mistakes from time to time. It does happen. I know you see me as this perfect, shining light, so I hate to pull back the curtain."

"I see you as a lot of things right now, but there aren't many positives coming to mind."

"Hey, it's not my fault that I underestimated what the group would be able to pull off. That's all on you. If you hadn't taught them so well, our bodies wouldn't be aching quite as much."

"I…think that was almost a compliment."

"It's as good as you're going to get."

"I might not have liked the end results, but I do think that it did everyone a lot of good," Hermione said, perching herself gingerly on the arm of the sofa.

"I know I'll always have you to back me up," Matthew said with a smile, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Not so fast, mister. You'll be facing retribution for your stunt soon enough, I'm sure."

His face blanched. "I…was just trying to teach the kids!"

"Yes, well…I suppose you managed that. And your speech was rather inspiring. I don't know where you pulled that out from."

"You never know, I could have been practising in the mirror for months, waiting for my chance to shine."

"Have you?"

"Of course not. I'm just good at thinking on my feet. And rambling. I'm endlessly rambling. You can never get me to shut up, frankly. Once I get going, there's no stopping…"

"Matthew?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You're rambling about rambling."

"Ah…yes, I am."

"I was trying to put a positive spin on the session. Because those I thought against definitely took your message to heart. They were working as a team. At times, they'd fire spells all at once. And then they'd do it sporadically, taking it in turns, making sure that I was off balance. Obviously, I was quick to deflate any confidence they might have been feeling, but they shouldn't have challenged me so sternly. They should have known who they were provoking."

"And that's not the main thing," Harry said. "Because I thought, when they were told to form groups, it'd be all the houses working with their own. Yeah, that was the case for some of them, but there were quite a few that featured people from all of them. Isn't that what we're trying to inspire? House unity?"

"Perhaps they've seen you with Malfoy and have realised that their petty grievances can be put to one side too," Matthew suggested.

"That was always the hope. Although I don't think I'm that big of an influence."

"Says the 'Boy Who Lived'. The fabled Chosen One."

"I'm not in the mood for your usual nonsense."

"Are you in the mood for something that could turn that frown upside down?"

"That depends on what it is."

"Have you ever used the sauna in the Tardis? I'm pretty sure that's going to clear your head, and stop your weary bones from grumbling."

"The Tardis…has a sauna?"

"Is that really what you're focusing on? With all that she's got going on? It'd be more of a surprise if she didn't have a sauna."

"Does it come with towels?"

"Trust me, I don't want to see what you've got going on underneath the cloak. If it was just Hermione and I…"

"Harry doesn't need to know about any of that," the girl chimed in, sparing at least some of her blushes. "Or how we've used the sauna in the past."

Matthew pushed himself up, making sure to wink playfully at Harry. "Come on, it'll be nice to see the old girl as well. I haven't visited her since we came back, and that means she's going to be more than a little grumpy with me."

All Harry really wanted to do was to lie down and not move until the morning, but there was no chance that he was going to deter his friend once he got an idea in his head. And he was willing to admit that he was a little bit curious about what the ship had in store, always eager to explore the unseen corridors that seemed to go on forever within the Tardis.

The blue box was waiting for them, as usual, in an abandoned classroom not too far from the tower. They were still cutting it tight in terms of curfew for the evening, so it was handy to have a machine that could transport them back once they were finished. Of course, Harry still had the invisibility cloak securely secreted away in his trunk, but he doubted that he could fully fit under it anymore, let alone all three of them together.

Matthew placed a hand on the door, and they watched as the windows warmed at the touch. Harry always felt comforted by the simple sight (as simple as a complex time and space vehicle could be), largely because he'd seen what it was like in the alternative scenario. He'd witnessed the cold shell it became without Matthew being around, and he didn't want to experience that ever again. Whilst the Tardis was still thrumming pleasantly, he could forget that he was destined to do exactly that.

Any positive thoughts he might have been feeling were promptly washed away as soon as the doors were opened, seeing as they were welcomed by an incessant and grating beeping noise. Harry looked to Hermione, as if she would be able to make sense of the sound, but even Matthew looked more than bemused by the alarm. He rushed inside, hopping up the steps towards the console, which seemed to be the origin of the rude greeting.

"What's going on?" Harry complained. "What the hell is that?"

"Why is it still happening?" Matthew grumbled.

"So you know what it is?"

"Absolutely no idea." Matthew was now ducking under the console, attempting to pull out an assortment of wires. "This is the same noise that drove me out of the Tardis before Christmas. I presumed it was just going to be a one time thing…but maybe I was wrong."

Hermione had stuck her fingers into her ears. "That's pretty evident right now."

Having no luck underneath the panels, Matthew returned to the main console, his hands waving over the controls until his brow was knitted together. He seemed to scrutinise something more closely, before pressing a button, and the noise thankfully stopped at last. Harry had never thought that silence had been so sweet, and he vowed to savour it for as long as it lasted.

"I've never seen that before," Matthew whispered.

Hermione came up beside him. "What? Should we be concerned? Because if it's something you don't know about the Tardis, then that fits into a rather small category."

"I…I think that's someone trying to reach out, trying to contact the Tardis. I've never seen it light up like this before because…well…it's a direct link. It has to have come from another Tardis, someone else who happens to have one."

Harry was more cautious as he approached. "Are there more Tardises lying around than we realised? Could it be the future version of this one? Could that even work?"

"I have no clue. But there is someone we know who surely has one in her possession."

He froze. "...Enola. She's trying to get in touch with us?"

"Maybe she didn't want to use owls and letters after how poorly that went last time, though why she thought getting me involved was a good idea, I don't know. There's every chance that she's been trying to send a message for months. The first time, I thought the Tardis wanted rid of me so that we could have a heart-to-heart, Harry. And then I've been away for a while, because I left the old girl here to embrace the Muggle life. The fact that she's still trying…"

"...is that a good or bad sign?"

"Take your pick. We'll have no way of knowing for sure until we speak to her."

"How are you feeling about that then? What do we do?"

Matthew flicked the same button as before. "We reply, of course."