𝘔𝘺 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘵 | 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺

Chapter 8: The offer

A group of first years cheered to Harry as Nott had left with Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and confused Blaise. Harry realized that he'd just disarmed Nott and looked at the first years and saw Chelsea there. He waved at her. Chelsea waved back and Draco glared at her.

Then one of the first years noticed Oliver Wood. Oliver leaned against the wall and waved cooly at them. One of the Gryffindor first years asked if he could join the team. That made Harry think about when he had joined the team as the youngest Quidditch player in hundreds of years.

Hermione tugged Harry's arm and motioned to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Harry started walking and glanced at Draco who was right next to him. They entered the classroom and sat on their seats.

As the classroom filled with Slytherins and Gryffindors, Lupin came in too. He dropped his stuff to the table and started the class with: "Hello class." and few Gryffindors here and there said 'hello' or 'hi'.

As the class fell silent and Lupin turned around to write to the blackboard, Pansy leaned against Blaise's shoulder and whispered something into the boy's ear. His eyes widened. "You were going to duel him?" he whisper-yelled to Nott.

Lupin of course had heard Zabini - like everyone in the classroom - and then he spoke. "Today, as Zabini said, we'll be learning about duels." Blaise groaned. Pansy snickered as Nott slammed his head to the desk. Harry remained silent, petting Draco. Draco himself was glad that he didn't have to duel with anyone - it was not like he didn't like dueling or was bad at it - he just wouldn't be in a mood for it if he would've to duel someone, he would probably skipped the rest of the class.

"Duels are a formal practices in wizarding culture in which two or more wizards or witches engaged in combat under the condition that only magical means could be used." Lupin spoke."The combatants faced each other and bowed, as a sign of respect, before they placed themselves in an accepted combative position and, at the count of three, attempted to disarm, stun, injure, defeat, or kill each other in order to force submission, and thus a winner was decided."

Harry rested his both hands on his lap, in front of Draco, which made Draco play with Harry's fingers as he was bored. "Dueling also exists as a sport in the same way that fencing is a sport in the Muggle world. Outside of actual combat it can be turned into a friendly sporting competition." Lupin stated and poinet the blackboard, where he had drew some formulas of the differences and similarities between them. Millicent Bulstrode raised her brow.

"What is fencing?" the Slytherin girl asked. Hermione snickered. "Shut up, Granger." Millicent sneered in a girly way. Back in their second year, in the dueling club, the duel between Hermione and Millicent was crazy. Harry had to sperate them of eachother.

"You'll be learning that in Muggle Studies, later." Lupin said and eyes the class. "As you may know, some of us have dueled in their past earlier. And now you'll have to write about your dueling experiences." He swished his wand in the air and the papers flew on everyone's desks.

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"Have a good day!" Lupin raised his wand and opened the door as the students started to gather their supplies up. Harry put Draco on his desk and stood up. Lupin glanced at the white ferret. "Harry? A word, please."

"Yes, of course." Harry nodded and put his books back to the desk, beside Draco. Ron snatched them and smiled to Harry. "Thanks." he thanked the boy.

The students were out of the class now and only Draco, Harry-

Nott and Lupin. "What is Potter doing here?" Theodore snapped at the teacher. Lupin sighed.

"You two were going to duel?" he asked. Harry nodded slowly and took a glance on Draco. The ferret bit his lip as he stared at the floor.

"Yes, professor." Nott said. "I'm not sure if it's as bad as doing something to a innocent person." he sneered. Harry coughed.

"I? I didn't do anything to Malfoy! I haven't seen him since last year." Harry explained. "And what if I did? If you don't remember I can't hurt him in any ways." He told but realized what he said. "Without getting expelled and do I want that? No." he added.

"So. That's why Mr. Malfoy hasn't been seen." Remus nodded. Draco smirked. "We'll get someone to find Draco. But now, I would want to do an offer to you." both Harry and Nott looked at eachother.

"I'd like you to lead the dueling club to the second and first years." Lupin told them simply. Nott cocked an brow at him.

"Us?" he pointed at Harry, then himself and again at Harry. "Potter and I?" Remus nodded. The imagine in Harry's mind was quite odd. He saw Nott and himself in the Great Hall facing eachother. He saw the first years and second years gathered around the one table focusing on the duos movements and teaching. Harry snapped out of it.

"I don't think that's a good idea." he announced. "We'd be always on eachother throats if we'd do that." Nott nodded, facing Lupin.

"And I'm not even good at dueling." Nott admitted, eyes glowing with a bit of guilt? Harry smiled to himself. Lupin nodded.

"Okay. Theodore, you're dismissed." he said and let Nott go. Theodore threw his bag over his shoulder, running his hands through his brow chocolate hair and walked away.

"Professor, why didn't I got dismissed?" Harry asked carefully as he leaned on his desk. Lupin hummed.

"Harry, this pet." He said, looking at Draco. "is he for a project to Care of Magical Creatures?" Harry laughed.

"No, he's my new pet." the brunette boy smiled wide to Draco and petted him. Draco snatched Harry's finger with his teeth and grinned. Harry chuckled back to the boy.

"You should show him to Hagrid. He'd be happy if your ferret and him would get along." Lupin poined out. Harry smiled and nodded. "Don't you have Care of Magical Creatures next anyway?"

"Oh right, we have." Harry snapped his attention - what was distracted by Draco - back to Remus. "Yeah, we should go." Harry said and extended his arm on the table to Draco to climb up to his shoulders. "Bye, professor." he waved and left the classroom.