Bound by Soul

Taking a Turn

More mentions of blood near end of chapter

Posted for Draco's birthday!

Happy birthday Draco!

As november came to the castle, its inhabitants were gearing up for the first Quidditch game of the season. Despite the cold winds, and slick frost already beginning to cover the grounds, the four house Quidditch teams were relentlessly practicing, Gryffindor especially.

While Harry was excited to see a game of Quidditch for the first time, it was tempered slightly by the knowledge that Professor Snape wanted to talk to him.

He hadn't spoken to him, or told him to remain behind after class, but Harry just knew. The way Snape's gaze would find him during class, even from across the room. At mealtimes, when Harry could feel him staring.

Harry could only guess at what Snape wanted to say, but he had no doubt that it had to do with his scars.

Harry knew it was inevitable from the moment he woke up the morning after Halloween. It was almost impossible that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have noticed.

The other outcome from that mishap was less stressing. Hermione had found him as soon as he was released from the hospital wing, as she had been cleared to leave before he woke up, and thanked him for saving her. In the week that had followed she hung out with him more. Sitting beside him in class, taking walks with him and Theo when they took a brake from studying. Right now, in fact, the three of them were taking a turn around the lake, walking close together so as to share the heat from the little blue flame Hermione had conjured, and was now holding in a jar.

Hermione was discussing dueling with Theo. Specifically competitive dueling, of which there were rumors that Professor Flitwick was a reigning champion.

"With competitive dueling it's the technique, more then anything." Theo explained. He hadn't been sure about Hermione at first, but they had quickly befriended each other.

"Speed is important as well, but they focus more on the how. Real duels aren't done as often as they used to. It used to be duels were a way to defend your honor, and defend yourself. Dueling is more how you use spells, then anything else. Like if we started throwing household charms at each other, it would be considered dueling. The stakes wouldn't be life or death, or anything like that, but it would still be dueling."

Hermione nodded slowly. Harry could practically hear the gears turning in her head. He still wasn't entirely sure how the conversation got to dueling, since he was pretty sure they had been talking about Quirrell's essay on vampires when they first left the castle.

"And what type of spells do they use for competitive dueling?"

Theo shrugged, rubbing his hands together. Their breath was curling in the air in front of them, little wisps of frost that seemed more magical then any of the spells they learned in class.

"It depends on the competition. It also depends on the country. In America they had to ban several spells to make sure no one was permanently crippled, or killed. But in Australia as long as they're still alive, they don't have any real rules against injury."

"What about international dueling? Is that a thing?"

"Not really. There are some duelers that travel the world and enter different competitions, but there isn't one competition that moves around."