During breakfast the following morning, the annual first day tradition of Professor McGonagall descending upon the Gryffindor table to deliver their time tables began earlier than usual for Harry and his classmates. Apparently, McGonagall personally believed that their sixth year was their most important year at Hogwarts and therefore, she took time to talk to each person about their schedules and what changes or alterations could be made.

When McGonagall got to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, she handed Hermione her time table in almost complete silence. Of course, considering Hermione was taking six NEWT classes (a rare feat accomplished by only a few who dared take that many classes at that level), there wasn't much flexibility to be had. Ron, on the other hand, had more than enough time.

"Weasley, I see that you have elected not to take Potions. May I ask why?"

Ron immediately looked nervous. His eyes quickly darted up to his brother, who was seated at the Head Table.

"Uh, well, ma'am, I only got an Exceed Expectations so I didn't think I would be allowed to take Potions."

"That was when Professor Snape was teaching Potions. Professor Weasley will gladly take students with an Exceeds Expectations."

Ron again looked at Percy, who was chatting vapidly with Professor Vector, before looking back at Professor McGonagall desperately.

"Do I have to?"

Professor McGonagall looked at Ron with a certain sense of pity, a rarity for the stern matron of Gryffindor. She seemed to consider Ron's request for a moment and then turned to look at Percy, who was currently chatting loudly with Professor Vector. Vector looked as if she would rather jump from the Astronomy Tower than listen to him any longer.

"You are currently scheduled to take Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration. I will not allow you to only take three classes for the next two years."

"Why not?" Ron asked bravely. "Harry is."

Immediately, everyone at the table looked at Ron and then at Harry. Four NEWTs was the usual amount with five being excessive and six being almost impossible. For someone of Harry's obvious ability to only be taking three classes was incredibly irregular.

"Potter is taking three classes because he has signed up for additional study in areas not covered by the Hogwarts curriculum. It requires a great deal of independent study. If this is something you are interested in, I would be more than happy to oblige."

The "independent study" was a cover that Harry had been given by McGonagall earlier that morning to cover for the fact that Harry was taking so few classes. Considering Harry's desire to learn and hone his skills, it wasn't too terribly far from the truth. However, it was the exact opposite of the kind of thing that Ron would want to do voluntarily.

"On second thought, Care of Magical Creatures sounds great!" Ron replied.

"Very well. I'll inform Professor Hagrid that you will be attending his first class tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"Great," Ron said, although Harry could tell that he didn't really mean it.

Once she was done with Ron, she moved onto Harry.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts on Monday, Charms on Tuesday, and Transfiguration on Thursday. All other class hours have been allocated to your independent study. Any other alterations you wish to make?"

"No, Professor, that sounds correct," Harry said as he took the parchment from McGonagall. He knew that he would end up spending most of those empty days in the library or The Room of Requirement training but to the rest of his class, it surely looked like he was getting to slack off. Some of them would likely link Harry's rather vacant schedule with the rumors that he was The Chosen One and therefore, the responsibility that he must have and the skills needed to properly defeat Voldemort. Hopefully, those that were smart enough to piece that together were also smart enough to keep it to themselves.

Once breakfast was over, Ron returned to the Common Room, Hermione took off for Arithmancy, and Harry made his way to the library for his first "independent study session." Thankfully, Harry had a free pass for the year to the entire library, granted to him by the Headmaster himself, which meant that every book in the library was his to peruse.

The sheer volume of works that could be studied was daunting. Harry knew that just trying to jump in and read something would be pointless. Instead, he began scanning the tomes in the Restricted Section for subjects that would be of some interest to him while also holding practical applications for his fight against Voldemort.

Harry spent nearly four hours in the Restricted Section and ended with a preliminary list of three subjects. One of the study of Alteration or the practical applications of Transfiguration in dueling. This could be as simple as turning water into ice or as complicated as removing a section of a brick wall and turning it into an automated griffin.

The next subject up for consideration was the study of Advanced Elemental Magic. Harry had studied some basic-level casting spells but this was an entirely different matter, the very creation and manipulation of the earth, fire, water, and air. With that, you could create shields, tidal waves, wildfires, and even work to remove the air from around a person. It was said that even the most advanced Elementalists could learn to fly if they could manipulate the air currents around their body with enough skill.

Finally, there was the study of the magic of the mind, of which Legilimency and Occlumency were just two of the many branches. Some forms of magic could be used to create illusions in the physical world while others could be used to create visions in the mind. It was also possible to use this kind of magic to project verbal messages across thousands of miles to another person as long as that person was receptive to the message.

With a list of texts that he wished to check out, Harry packed up and returned to The Great Hall for a quick lunch before racing up to The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where he met up with Ron and Hermione. Harry looked around and couldn't help but notice that Lavender Brown was nowhere to be found.

The less classes that she shared with Hermione, the better.

The moment the clock struck one, the door to the room opened with Professor Snape on the other side.

"Inside," he said.

As Harry and the others walked into the room, Harry couldn't help but notice that Snape seemed to have imbued the room with his spirit, or lack thereof. The curtains were drawn and candles scattered around the room provided the only light. As usual, Hermione found a spot for them in the front row. Once they were seated, they all took out their books and placed them on the desks in front of them.

"I have not asked you to take out your books," Snape said as he stepped in front of the class. "For now, I will speak and you will listen."

Needless to say, Snape very quickly had the undivided attention of everyone in the room.

"You have had five teachers in this subject so far, just like every sixth year glass for the last forty years," Snape said calmly. "I say this only to inform you that if this pattern continues, I will likely only be your professor for one year. Therefore, I expect each and every one of you to listen to every word that I have to say. In our current environment, no class is more important as these words could save your life."

While Harry hated the arrogant way that Snape spoke, he couldn't argue with the point that he was trying to make. With Voldemort on the loose, Defense Against the Dark Arts was the difference between life and death.

"The Dark Arts are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a head is severed, two more spring up in its place. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

Harry could hear the respect in Snape's voice, a tone that he saved for only a select few subjects and fewer people. It almost bordered on affection. Of course, if Dumbledore was to be believed, Snape had gotten by in life by sharing those same attributes. In that way, Snape's respect made sense as it reflected the pride the man felt for the way that he managed to flirt the line between good and evil on a regular basis.

"This means that your defenses must be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. You will not learn what you need out of a book. These are only the skills and techniques that can assist you in your defense against the dark and ancient arts. In this room, you will be tested on your ability to master these techniques while improvising to the situation at hand. Only then will you be able to master the Dark Arts and those that would seek to destroy you with them."

Snape paused for a moment at the end of the speech, almost as if he were daring someone to speak. When no one did so, Snape continued.

"Now you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?"

As expected, Hermione's hand shot into the air. However, to the surprise of the rest of the room, so did Harry's.

Snape almost smiled when he saw Harry's hand in the air, which made him look more dangerous than ever.

"Mr. Potter, you believe that you have the answer?" Snape taunted.

"I do," Harry said nervously.

"Then by all means."

"Well, instead of shouting at your opponent, you get the chance to surprise them," Harry said, his voice fading in and out as he spoke. "They don't know what kind of magic you are going to perform or how it will affect the world around them."

Snape stood still, staring at Harry. For his part, Harry stared back. He wasn't sure what made him answer. He had never once raised his hand in class. But Harry knew the answer. It was obvious to him. If he had been able to cast non-verbally, he might have been able to save Sirius.

Instead, Bellatrix had been the one to cast without shouting the incantation and Sirius was dead as a result.

"While your answer lacks clarity, it is essentially correct," Snape said dismissively. "Progression to nonverbal spells gives the caster an element of surprise in their spell-casting. Not all wizards can do this, of course; it is a question of concentration and a certain...mental clarity which some lack."

Snape's eyes never left Harry as he spoke and he couldn't help but guess that his last sentence had been aimed at Harry, a reference to their abysmal Occlumency lessons a year earlier.

"You will now divide into pairs," Snape added. "One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other will repel the spell in equal silence."

Harry was suddenly thankful that he had taught most of the class Shield Charms as part of their studies with Dumbledore's Army. Of course, none of them had ever attempted to cast it without speaking. From that point on, almost any progress made during the class could be attributed to cheating with two exceptions. Hermione was the first to manage a spell in silence, blocking a Full Body-Bind from Neville. In almost any other case, this would have certainly earned her some points for Gryffindor, but considering it was Snape who was in charge of the class, Harry supposed that Hermione was just lucky that Snape hadn't taken points from her for managing the spell before any of the Slytherins.

Harry himself was the next person to accomplish the feat, although his attempt was almost entirely by accident. Ron had nearly turned purple trying to cast a spell in Harry's direction while Snape stood over his shoulder. When Snape finally walked away, Harry relaxed only for Ron to send a Stunner his direction, having whispered the incantation. Instinctively, Harry flicked his wand towards the spell and it dissipated in thin air, the result of Harry's silently cast Shield Charm.

Of course, Snape hadn't been looking in his direction, not that he would have praised Harry for his effort in any case. He likely would have just said that it was luck (which was a distinct possibility) and ordered Harry to do it again on command. When Harry inevitably failed, he likely would have taken points from Harry for lying about having done it in the first place.

The rest of the house occurred with very little real success and Snape assigned them to work on nonverbal spells before next week's class.

"At least you two managed it," Ron said as they walked out of class. "I'm just glad none of the Slytherins did."

In fact, Harry and Hermione had been the only two to perform the feat, although Hermione had beaten Harry by performing it several times while Harry had only managed the lone instance.

"It's really not that hard once you understand what you're supposed to do," Hermione said, a wide smile on her face. That smile disappeared when Lavender joined Ron. Immediately, Hermione took off in a different direction, leaving Harry momentarily alone with Ron and Lavender, who looked like they were about ready to find their way to the closest broom cupboard.

That's when Parvati stepped in between Ron and Harry.

"This is going to become a thing, isn't it?" Parvati said with a jerk of her head towards the two of them.

"I think so," Harry said with resignation. "How has your first day gone?"

"Pretty good. I'm excited to learn nonverbal magic and Professor Vector assigned us a great assignment on the correlation between character numbers and a person's success."

Harry, who had never studied Arithmancy, had no idea what Parvati was talking about, but nodded and smiled anyway.

"Is it just me or did Snape seem almost polite in there?" Parvati asked.

"He did seem somewhat less repulsive than in the past," Harry admitted. "Maybe Dumbledore threatened him or something?"

"You think Dumbledore would do that?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Harry revealed.

"I thought you and Dumbledore were close?"

"We're closer than most students, but that doesn't mean we're actually that close. I rarely know what he seems to be thinking."

With the news that Harry didn't know much about Dumbledore, Parvati seemed to lose interest in the subject. They walked with Ron and Lavender all the way back to the Common Room, passing Hermione who was heading to the Library as they entered. Immediately, Ron and Lavender raced off for their dormitories before coming back to the Common Room and racing out the portrait.

Harry and Parvati watched the two of them go before they sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Can I assume that Hermione has a thing for Ron?" Parvati asked.

"I guess. She never really seemed that interested before but I think seeing him with Ron changed something."

"You don't think she felt the same way about you and I?"

"First, you and I didn't sleep together."

"Yes, we did," Parvati whispered mischievously.

"You know what I mean," said Harry as he rolled his eyes. "Besides, Hermione is like my sister. Even if she did feel that way, it just...it isn't something that I'm interested in."

"Then who are you interested in?" Parvati asked.

"Right now, I'm interested in surviving the war," Harry said, although he knew that wasn't entirely the truth. He had definitely enjoyed Parvati's presence at his birthday party and they had already spent more time together than in their entire previous five years at Hogwarts. Still, he wasn't certain whether that was a real interest or if he was just aware that she was a pretty girl who was talking to him like he wasn't a lunatic.

Unfortunately, Harry wouldn't have much time for pretty girls or his friends. By Thursday of the first week, Harry realized just how much work this year was going to be, even if he was working on a reduced class schedule. Between working on nonverbal spells, Harry had also been assigned a rather lengthy essay by Flitwick on the basics of the Protean Charm. While he knew that Hermione would be able to help him with it, it was still going to be exceedingly difficult and it was due in less than a week. Besides that, Harry had spent more of his free time in the library than ever before.

Transfiguration was no different. The class, which was already starting to require nonverbal spells, was focusing on various forms of Human Transfiguration, much like the kind that Krum had used during the Triwizard Tournament. The work was brutally difficult and so complicated that even Hermione had been forced to have Professor McGonagall repeat her instructions.

After class was over, Professor McGonagall called Harry to the front. Once everyone was gone, she leaned back in her chair.

"The Headmaster tells me that you were supposed to take lessons from Alastor Moody this year."

"Did he tell you that I turned him down?" Harry asked.

"He did," McGonagall replied. "Why?"

"That is between me and Professor Dumbledore."

"I assume this has something to do with the prophecy," McGonagall said, which caused Harry's mouth to drop open. How did McGonagall know? She seemed to sense Harry's silent question and answered for him.

"While the Headmaster is in charge of the school, your safety is my primary concern. Without the kind of knowledge that I possess, I would be unable to do so, nor would I understand some of the decisions that the Headmaster has made on your behalf."

"When did he tell you?" Harry choked out.

"Just after he told you."

That information wasn't Dumbledore's to share. If Dumbledore had asked Harry, he knew that he would have easily granted Dumbledore permission to tell his Head of House. Who else knew about the prophecy without Harry's consent?

"I'm glad that you know," Harry said stiffly, "but I don't have any interest in learning from Moody at the moment."

"There is a great deal that you could learn from Alastor, Harry," McGonagall said firmly. "I understand that there is some sort of conflict going on between you and Albus at the moment but don't let that affect your education."

Harry knew that Professor McGonagall was only looking out for him. While he appreciated the concern, he simply didn't trust anything that Dumbledore did for the moment. Harry smiled and nodded and then bid Professor McGonagall farewell.

Unfortunately, a similar scene played out at the end of Defense Against the Dark Arts the following Monday, albeit with slightly different results.

"Potter," Snape said as the class began to pack up, "a word?"

Harry was nervous any time Snape wanted a word, even if he greatly suspected what the former Potions master wanted to speak to him about.

"Yes, sir?" Harry said as he approached Snape's desk. Much like McGonagall had a few days earlier, Snape waited for the room to empty before he addressed Harry.

"I have been informed by the Headmaster that he has asked you to work with Mad-Eye."

"That is correct," Harry said nervously.

"Is it also correct that you turned him down?"

"Yes."

Snape appraised Harry with his hands steepled in front of him. He looked over his hands, scanning Harry as if he was trying to see through him. Harry suspected that he was likely utilizing a more subtle form of Legilimency to assess Harry's frame of mind.

"You have a great deal of learning to do if you hope to defeat Lord Voldemort."

"What makes you think that-"

"Potter, let's assume that I am smarter than you are. After having made that assumption, let's assume that I can read between the lines and ascertain the specific reason why the Headmaster is so insistent that you work with Mad-Eye and why you only have three classes this year."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you think that you can afford to turn down assistance when it is offered to you freely?"

"Is it offered to me freely?" Harry snapped. "It doesn't feel like it."

Harry wasn't certain what made him say it. Of all the people that Harry knew, Severus Snape was the last person that Harry would ever consider confiding in. Yet, something had possessed him to speak freely about Dumbledore in front of him.

"You suspect that the Headmaster would be using these lessons to spy on you?"

Harry knew that if he lied, Snape would know. Without any other options, Harry told the truth.

"Yes."

"I see," Snape said with some intrigue.

"Besides, Mad-Eye isn't going to teach me anything that Dumbledore doesn't want me to learn."

"That is likely true," Snape admitted.

"Who would you work with?" Harry asked.

Snape looked at Harry strangely. Clearly, he was surprised that Harry had even asked him. Their relationship was not one of mutual respect but of mutual hatred and distaste. For Harry to ask for Snape's opinion on something was unheard of, but Harry knew that he needed help. The last person that Dumbledore would have expected Harry to get advice from was Snape.

"Were I in your situation, there would be only one option."

"Who?" Harry asked.

Snape sighed in frustration. "Me."

Harry was certain that he was losing his hearing. Was it possible that Snape had named himself?

"You, sir?"

"I know more about the Dark Arts than any person in this school. Our established relationship suggests that you would never reach out to me for help and that even if you did, I would never willingly accept."

"Of course, sir," Harry said before taking the plunge. "Would you...be willing to help me?"

Snape's eyes found Harry's and for a moment, Harry was worried that Snape was going to curse him right then and there. Finally, Snape's glare softened and he nodded his head.

"I will," Snape replied. "There will be rules."

"I understand."

"If you fail to complete a single assignment, whether that is for Defense or your tutoring, I will no longer instruct you."

"I understand."

"Additionally, I will only meet with you once a week. The material that I give you will be challenging and require a great deal of practice. Therefore, you will need to find a sparring partner."

"I can do that."

"It will not be Granger or Weasley," Snape snapped. "They will go easy on you. I recommend Patil. She's a Gryffindor and the only other person in your class who managed an Outstanding on her O.W.L."

"I am certain that Parvati would be willing to help."

Snape paused for a moment, clearly considering exactly what was being proposed. When he spoke, he sounded more like an enemy than a teacher. Of course, considering the source, that wasn't exactly a surprise.

"I will not go easy on you, Potter. I will teach you what you need to know and I will expect you to learn quickly. If you fall behind, I will break you. If you possess the skills that some of my colleagues seem to believe are hidden somewhere under the idiocy you display on a regular basis, then you might survive. Personally, I anticipate that you will have quit by Christmas."

"We'll see," Harry said, directly challenging Snape. In response, Snape cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, we will," Snape replied coolly. "Don't tell me that you will survive. Show me. If you do, then maybe you will prove yourself to be something other than a waste of space."

After dinner that night, Harry told Ron and Hermione what had happened as they took their usual place in front of the fireplace. Needless to say, both of them were stunned but for different reasons.

"You are going to let Snape train you!?" Ron said in a loud whisper. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea," said Hermione.

"What? Giving Snape a weekly chance at cursing Harry into oblivion is a good idea?"

"Snape knows more about Voldemort and the Dark Arts than anyone here," Hermione said. "While I still think that Harry should have trained with Moody, training with Snape can only help him learn how to defend himself against the Death Eaters."

"Assuming he survives."

"I am sitting right here," said Harry in frustration. "Besides, this is more than just learning skills. This is about getting close to Snape."

"And why the hell would you want to do that?" Ron asked.

"Because I've always been suspicious of Snape but Dumbledore's support kept me from really doing anything to investigate Snape."

"But you don't trust Dumbledore anymore so-"

"I am going to use this opportunity to learn a few things and figure out whether Snape is on our side or not."

"You don't think that he might suspect that?" Hermione asked. "He's spent decades playing both sides. You honestly think that he'll slip?"

"No, I don't," admitted Harry. "However, that doesn't mean that I won't learn anything. Does he share what we're doing with Dumbledore? What does he teach me? Is he needlessly brutal about it? This isn't Occlumency lessons. He's not going to be trying to get into my head and the reverse can't happen either."

"I don't know, mate," Ron said. "Seems a bit risky in any case."

"I don't expect to learn much about Snape. But if I learn a few things and I get a slightly better sense for Snape's loyalties, then it will have been worth it."

"Plus, you'll get to spend more time with Parvati," Hermione said with a wink.

"What's that?" Ron said.

Harry rolled his eyes. Ever since they had sat together on the train, Hermione had been hinting that Harry had a greater interest in Parvati. It was honestly interesting to watch her reaction to Harry's potential interest in Parvati compared to Ron's obvious interest in Lavender. While she could hardly stand to be around Ron and Lavender for more than a few moments, she was constantly pushing Harry towards Parvati.

Harry was glad to have Hermione's support, although he still wasn't certain if he had anything more than a passing interest in Parvati, something that he wouldn't pursue unless he was absolutely certain because of the uncertainty of his future.

It was the one major drawback to his life, outside of the constant and impending threat of death.

It wasn't until Wednesday that Harry was able to find a good time to ask Parvati about training with him. Finally, late that night, Harry noticed Parvati heading towards her dormitory. Considering they were among the only people left in the Common Room, Harry jumped at his chance.

"Parvati, can I talk to you a moment?" Harry asked.

Parvati looked around momentarily, searching for the source of the voice, before her eyes finally landed on Harry on the couch. Seeing who it was, she smiled and walked over to the couch.

"What can I do for you?" Parvati smirked as she took a seat next to Harry. Clearly, she had different thoughts about what Harry was going to talk to her about.

"Well, that's the thing," Harry said softly. Harry looked around the room to ensure that what he was about to say wasn't going to be overheard by anyone else. Thankfully, the only other person in the Common Room was Colin Creevey, who seemed to be engrossed in whatever assignment he was working on.

"I need you to help me," Harry whispered. "I'm going to be doing some extra training with Snape and I need a sparring partner."

As Harry expected, Parvati had not expected that to be his request.

"You are training with Snape. Why?"

Harry knew that this would be Parvati's first question. It was also the reason it had taken Harry two days to ask Parvati because he knew that he would have to come up with an answer for that question. Harry had considered lying to her, telling her that he simply wanted to learn more than Snape was teaching the rest of his year, a lie that would dance neatly around the truth.

But Harry considered his desire for more allies and his mistrust of Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusted no one with the whole truth of anything. Harry had no desire to be that kind of a leader. He wanted people to work with him because they trusted him, not because they were in awe of him.

And so, Harry took a step outside of his comfort zone and told Parvati the truth.

"You have heard the rumors about my trip to the Ministry last spring?"

"Of course," Parvati replied. Knowing how much Parvati loved to gossip, he wasn't surprised by her answer.

"They're true," Harry said simply. Immediately, Parvati's face lit up in understanding. "This doesn't go beyond you and me, are we clear?"

"Yes," Parvati said breathlessly.

"Simply put, there is a prophecy with my name on it. The short version says that Voldemort (Parvati shuttered slightly at the use of the name) and I are destined to face each other. That's why my schedule is so light. I'm going to be doing some extra training on my own. One part of that is my training with Snape."

"And you need someone to spar with you."

"I do."

"Why didn't you pick Ron or Hermione?"

"Snape wouldn't let me. Said they would go easy on me."

"He's probably not wrong."

"You've clearly never trained with Hermione."

"What makes you think that I won't go easy on you?" Parvati asked.

"Because you won't," Harry said deliberately. "This could mean the difference between me living and dying, Parvati. You will follow Snape's instructions to the letter. If he tells you to attack me, you'd do it. If he tells you to attack me while I'm wounded or while I'm down, you will do it. I need you to do something that I don't think Ron or Hermione could do."

"You expect me to be that merciless?" Parvati asked in concern. "What makes you think that I can do that?"

"Because you are one of a handful of people who know what is at state," Harry replied. "I need you. I need you to help me. I need you to throw everything you have at me."

Parvati sat back against the couch, her eyes focused on something in the distance. Clearly, this was not where she had expected this conversation to go.

"I don't think I can do it," Parvati said. "First, I...kind of like you. I don't want to hurt you."

"I know."

"You know?"

"You haven't been terribly subtle about it," Harry said with a smirk.

"I suppose," Parvati conceded. "More importantly, you've dueled against You-Know-Who himself. How am I supposed to compare to that?"

"I haven't dueled Voldemort. I simply survived."

"That's better than most of us could do."

"Probably," Harry said. "Listen, I don't need you to be as powerful as Voldemort. I need you to be ruthless. Snape is intentionally going to push me to the edge of my limits. If he tells you to attack, you do it without hesitation. You will hurt me at some point."

"And I don't want to do that."

"I know," Harry said warmly, "and I appreciate that but right now, we're all going to have to do some things that we don't want to do. Can I count on you, Parvati?"

Parvati considered Harry's words for a moment before she turned back to Harry and nodded. He could tell that there was a real sense of regret in her decision.

"I trust you, Parvati," Harry assured her. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you. I need you to trust me."

"I do."

"Then believe me when I say that you'll be doing the whole world some good by trying to throw me around."

"I'd prefer to throw you around in a different way," Parvati mumbled before her eyes immediately snapped open in surprise. "Did I say that out loud?"

"You did," Harry chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Oh good. It's not like I didn't already tell the one person that I didn't want to find out."

"Well, like I said, subtlety has not been your strong suit lately," Harry replied. "To be honest, I do like you and I'm glad that we're going to get an opportunity to spend more time together."

"While I'm trying to murder you."

"Well, yes," Harry replied. "I just don't want you to get the wrong impression. I can't have distractions right now."

"I would be a distraction?" Parvati asked seductively as she repositioned herself closer to Harry.

"Very much so."

"Good."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Help me get through this and we'll see what the future brings."

"Understood," Parvati said before she leaned up and kissed Harry gently. When she pulled away, Harry saw the sad smile that crossed her face. She considered Harry for a moment before she silently stood and walked towards her dormitory. Harry watched her go, knowing that he had just put Parvati in the firing line. He didn't like it, but he knew that it was necessary.

He just wished that his heart hadn't jumped a little when Parvati had kissed him for the third time.