First Place - Angst

"I don't like it," Harry narrowed his eyes at the staff table in thought.

Hermione huffed, "What's there not to like?"

Every table was full of excited conversation. Remus had just announced that he and Harry's father would be starting a dueling club with the first meeting that weekend. The club Lockhart had attempted to form had only the one meeting. The student population had realized that Lockhart had no clue and not one staff member had wanted to volunteer to control both the students and Lockhart.

"They're planning something," Harry said with certainty. The look on his father's face, though Harry was probably the only one apart from the headmaster who could interpret it, could only be described as smug.

"Who?" Ron asked after swallowing his pie. Hermione had finally been beating some table manners into him by the looks of things.

Harry continued looking at the staff table. Remus caught his eye and grinned, "My father and Remus. I'm not sure what it is, but it has something to do with this dueling club."

"You are going," Hermione half asked, half ordered.

Harry sighed, "Do I have a choice?"

"No," the Head Girl smiled and patted his arm. "It's your family in charge. You have a duty to be there."

Harry groaned, "Why does it have to be my whole family working here?"

"Because you're not allowed to be normal," Ron said casually, pointing with his food, and took another bite of his chicken.

Hermione grimaced, "Use your knife and fork Ron. Honestly! Were you born in a barn or something?"

"You're supposed to eat drumsticks with your hands!" Ron objected.

Harry grinned into his juice as the argument warmed up. Dating hadn't changed the way the two of them interacted at all. His food finished, Harry stood from the table.

"I have work to do," Harry grinned at his best friends. The professors had started piling the work on the seventh years but Harry was headed for the Room of Requirement and his non-magic fighting instructor. "I'll see you two later."

"See ya," both of them said absently before returning to their argument.

Harry went to his room first and changed into clothes more comfortable for his lesson, covering them with his school robes. He put on a pair of trainers that had been purchased for him by the Order along with the rest of his muggle wardrobe.

"Welcome back Harry," the instructor bowed.

Harry returned the gesture, "It is good to be back."

The instructor provided by the room didn't have a name. He was the same height and build as Harry, the better to demonstrate various moves. His race was impossible to tell. He looked like a mix of everything out there with medium colored skin, hair, and eyes.

"You headmaster gave me a gift for you," the instructor held out a box.

Harry blinked in surprise for a moment before taking the box. He should have known Dumbledore would keep himself apprised of what was going on in these lessons. He opened the box and found a sheathed knife inside. He took it out of the box and pulled the knife out. The hilt was simple and functional, gold in color, but still attractive. The blade's edges were waved, and very sharp, and it was about ten inches long.

"I'll have to remember to thank him," Harry commented while still inspecting the gift. He fastened the scabbard to his side with a quick charm. It hid under his robes neatly.

The instructor smiled vaguely, "He desired for you to learn more fighting techniques, the better to take your enemy by surprise. You may sheath the dagger. We will begin with these."

Two wooden daggers with rounded edges appeared in the air. The instructor took one out of the air and Harry grasped the other. He mimicked the instructor's stance, knees bent just slightly, arms at his sides, tensed for action.

The instructor straightened and approached Harry, "No, hold it like this."

With his grip corrected the lesson began. They went through various movements, blocks, thrusts, slashes, in slow motion. Harry's instructor took him through the same sequence of attacks and responses several times before changing it slightly, forcing Harry to react. He then had Harry begin the attack.

After an hour of work they increased the speed to about three quarter normal fighting speed. Kicks and punches were added in. Harry's heart rate remained steady as he kicked, pivoted, blocked, parried. The instructor had no emotions, not like a real person did, or even a wizarding portrait, so Harry couldn't use empathy to track him, to anticipate his moves.

His limbs moved almost with a will of their own, blocking kicks and thrusts from his instructor. Harry attacked almost on instinct, most of his movements from his lessons with the instructor from the previous year. The Room of Requirement made the instructor solid so Harry could have a realistic opponent, but one that couldn't actually be injured.

Another hour and the instructor stopped the lesson for the night. He told Harry to keep the knife in his trunk, and to bring it to his lessons. Not for the first time Harry wondered how the castle was able to create this instructor for him, give him personality and memory. It was easy to forget that it wasn't a real person.

Last year he would be sweaty and breathing heavily by that point. After that lesson though, he felt no different than he normally did. Harry knew it was another effect that Eliza's blood had on him, but he tried to ignore it. He didn't want to think on yet another thing that made him different.

Care of Magical Creatures was the next day, followed by Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry went from the Room of Requirement to his room in Gryffindor Tower expecting to find his friends there doing homework. When he got there it was empty. Harry changed into a pair of jeans, a Weasley jumper, and his black work boots before gathering his books and going back down to the common room.

"Anyone seen Ron?" he asked the room in general.

Several people shook their heads and went back to their games or work. Jackie Gudgeon jumped up from her seat by the fire, though, "He said to tell you they were working with Hermione."

"Thanks Jackie," Harry grinned at the girl and exited through the portrait of the Fat Lady... Evangeline. He reminded himself of the name Nearly Headless Nick had used. It couldn't be nice... even for a portrait... to be constantly referred to as 'the Fat Lady'.

There was a way for Hermione to get straight to the Gryffindor common room, and all the others as well, from her shared common room with Malfoy, but she didn't tell any of her friends. Harry supposed he could find it if he examined the room's magic, but he didn't want to invade her privacy so he took the long way and walked through the corridors. At the statue of a rearing unicorn he gave the password and entered.

"Hey mate!" Ron called out from the table the Gryffindors and Luna were gathered around.

Across the room Malfoy was at a table with a contingency of Slytherins, Anna, and a few of Anna's friends. It occurred to Harry then that Anna was one of Luna's roommates and most likely involved in the theft and hiding of Luna's belongings and he frowned.

"Hey everyone," Harry responded. "I forgot to ask before Luna." The girl looked up at him and blinked. "Did you have trouble with your Housemates again at the end of last year?"

The chatter across the room faltered and Harry got some confused looks from his fellow Gryffindors.

"I got everything back," Luna said in a dreamy voice. "Thank you for asking Harry."

"You got..." Hermione looked back and forth between them with a shrewd expression. She looked across the room at the Ravenclaws there with narrowed eyes, "I never pegged Ravenclaws for systematic harassment."

The girls looked uncomfortable and Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at Harry. The blond then dipped his head and whispered a question to his girlfriend. He didn't seem too happy with the answer he got. Neville was looking equally displeased and glared at his girlfriend's roommates.

"I've done some childish things but that's just cruel," Malfoy said with a sneer. "You are nearly of age. I trust it will never happen again?"

All the Ravenclaws at his table shook their heads and then paid very close attention to their books. Harry smirked. Hermione took her position as Head Girl very seriously and he suspected that Malfoy was equally as serious. With them both aware of what the Ravenclaws did to Luna, the treatment was likely to stop.

Harry summoned a chair and sat down with his friends, "What are we looking at?"

"Luna and Ginny are going over their potions essays," Hermione gestured to the two sitting close together. It didn't look like they were working just then, as Neville was talking to them with his face like a storm cloud. Harry guessed that Luna never told him about her 'misplaced' belongings. "We were looking at the spells for Remus for tomorrow."

"Awfully familiar with professors Granger, aren't you?" Pansy Parkinson sneered from her table.

Hermione glared at the girl, "Professor Lupin is a member of Harry's family. We see him outside of class quite a bit and he prefers us to use his given name then, or his nickname."

"Potter's not related to Lupin," Parkinson shot back.

Harry stepped in, "Yes I am."

"How?" Malfoy looked a bit confused. Harry guessed he had the genealogy of the entire wizarding world memorized.

"My father, James that is, was in his pack, and so that means I am," Harry said simply and took out his books and notes for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He ignored the stares he was getting from Malfoy's table. "Everyone knows the Patronus Charm now, so we're looking at Binding Charm and the counter right?"

"You all know the Patronus Charm?" Nott, one of the Slytherins that Harry suspected was truthfully siding with Malfoy, asked.

Seamus grinned, "Course we do. Harry taught it to the DA at the end of fifth year."

None of the Gryffindors pointed out that Seamus had only attended the one DA session. Ginny just gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which made Ron avert his eyes, and they all smiled at the Slytherins and Ravenclaws with Malfoy.

"Could you help me out then?" Nott asked Harry hesitantly. "I'm having some trouble getting it right."

Harry shrugged and turned to his friends, "Any problems with the other spells?"

"Hermione and Ginny went over them last year Harry," Dean assured him, making a shooing motion with his hands. "We're just reviewing."

Harry nodded and crossed the room. He summoned his chair again and sat between Nott and Malfoy, doing his best to avoid the glares from Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle. The other seventh year Slytherins were nowhere in sight.

"What did your father say about it?" Malfoy smirked at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes. He had explained to Malfoy why he fell off his seat, to the great amusement of the Slytherin, "I have to write an essay about the effect of alcohol on magic."

Malfoy looked confused, "Why that?"

"I was drunk when I got it," Harry responded, still trying to ignore the glares.

"Well, let's see it," Malfoy leaned back in his seat. No one else had spoken a word to Harry yet, probably taking their cues from Malfoy.

Harry sighed and stood up. He turned around and took off his jumper, which had nothing underneath it. His back was mostly free of scars too. He found that he always knew exactly where the tattoo was, as he could feel it moving around.

"Very Slytherin," Malfoy commented. Harry let his empathy open a bit. Malfoy was amused, but there was pure hostility coming from the three glaring Slytherins. The Ravenclaws were mostly uneasy, probably because of the Luna situation. Nott was reserved.

"Harry Potter!" Hermione advanced on him. "You didn't tell me you got a tattoo!"

Harry blinked for a moment, and heard snickers coming from his friends, "Sorry 'Mione. I told everyone on the train. I forgot you weren't there."

Hermione stood next to Malfoy and inspected Harry's back. She was irritated and Harry let out another sigh. The irritation faded though and she began to feel affectionate and a bit sad. Harry wondered at the last but wouldn't dare ask in the company they were in. He put his jumper back on and turned to Nott.

"So... what trouble are you having with the Patronus?" Harry asked firmly.

The afternoon turned into a makeshift DA lesson, much like the original sessions. He ended up pairing the various seventh years in the room, a DA member with each non-member, and they worked on the homework for Remus. Harry oversaw the work and the Ravenclaws that had been working at Malfoy's table moved over to work with Ginny and Luna. Luna's roommates looked hesitant but the odd girl treated them like she did everyone else.

"You need a happier memory," Dean was telling Goyle.

"Happy?"

Malfoy snorted next to them, "Just think of that time you found a full tray of your mum's fudge Greg."

Harry had to struggle not to laugh. Malfoy was doing well. His silvery mist was beginning to form some shape that Harry thought might be a phoenix. When he saw that he was shocked... and wondered if Malfoy saw him as his protector. Hermione was casting her own shimmering otter to prance around the room.

Harry had paired Neville with Nott, figuring that he was the least intimidating of the Slytherins there. He went over to see how they were doing. Nott was getting just a little silver mist, and Neville was trying to explain the reason for the happy memory.

"So I just need to think happier thoughts?" Nott said in a voice laced heavily with sarcasm.

"What is a dementor?" Harry broke in and asked.

Neville began to speak and Harry silenced him with a slight shake of his head and raised hand. He wanted Nott to answer the question. A few of the pairs paused in their practice to look at them.

"They're soul suckers," Nott answered.

Harry shook his head, "That's what they do when they 'kiss' you. Their mere presence sucks out all your happiness. The only way to fight them is with a corporeal embodiment of that happiness. It's too much for them and it chases them away. That's why you need a strong happy thought."

"What do you use?" Nott asked with honest curiosity, Harry detected.

Harry looked around and saw everyone listening, "The first time I used a Patronus against dementors I thought of going to live with my godfather, leaving my muggle relatives." He ignored the reactions to that statement.

"What do you use now?" Nott asked.

Harry shrugged and lied, "I haven't cast one in a few years."

Luckily Hermione, Ron, and Ginny didn't give him away. As far as the others in the room knew Harry had last cast a Patronus when he was teaching it to the DA. The Portable Patronus was still an Order secret and none of them knew the details of the previous spring, just the basic story.

"Cast it," Malfoy suggested.

Harry caught Hermione's eye and she shrugged. Harry knew that with no dementors there he didn't need to work too hard to cast the spell. He pretended he was concentrating hard, held out his fake wand, thought of talking with his grandparents, and said the incantation loudly, Expecto Patronum!

Prongs burst out of the fake wand and cantered around the room, brilliant and large as he had been in Grimmauld Place. Goyle and Crabbe both stepped back, a little fearful, and Harry remembered the quidditch game in third year with a small smile. The whole room watched Prongs return to Harry and nuzzle him before dissolving into a mist and disappearing.

"Wow," Nott was genuinely impressed. "What were you thinking of?"

"I found portraits of my grandparents recently," Harry smiled. "It was the first time I ever met them. They died before my parents were married. Dad told me the portraits attended my mother and father's ceremony. My father showed him a pensieve memory of it. Neville's mum was standing for my mother."

Hermione came over and hugged Harry, leaving an arm around his waist. He leaned into her and Ron stood on his other side, slinging an arm over his shoulders. Harry reflected on how strange it was that a memory could be both happy and sad.

"So was mine," Harry turned and saw Anna standing next to Malfoy. The sixth years had all gathered to watch. Luna had wrapped her arms around Neville from behind. "They were all roommates in Gryffindor... Cedric's aunt too."

Harry fought the reaction his face wanted, not willing to show what that did to him in that room half filled with Slytherins. He felt Hermione's arm tighten around him just a bit and knew that she guessed what he was feeling.

"Enough with the Gryffindor love fest," Parkinson flipped her hair and sneered. "We still need to learn the Binding Charm and its counter."

Harry felt a smirk form. There was nothing like a challenge from a Slytherin. He flicked his wand at Crabbe first, and then Goyle, binding them neatly without saying a word.

"There you go Parkinson," Harry said impassively, "untie them."

Ron snickered and Harry felt amusement coming from most of the room, including Malfoy and Nott. Parkinson gripped her wand tightly and glared at Harry, but couldn't hex him with both Heads and several Prefects there. She pointed her wand at the two oafish Slytherins and began trying to free them.

It took her over thirty minutes to figure out the counter, during which the sixth years went back to working on Charms and the rest of the seventh years discussed Herbology, all of them deferring to Neville, who had begun apprenticing to Professor Sprout once his O.W.L. score had come in. He would probably test for the Herbology Mastery a year or so after they graduated.

Finding the Key - Chapter 23

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