Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except the plot. The rest is JKR's.

Author's Note: I'm putting this before the chapter because I wanted to address a few things. First off, my absolute apologies for my delay with this chapter. I am incredibly sorry about how long it took and I will sincerely try and be better about it now. I'm done with college for the summer and until I get a job, I'm fairly free. I am hoping to get this story done before June, which means I have to write fast and update a lot more frequently. We shall see I guess.
Second, I know absolutely nothing about swords and sword fighting so I am sorry if anything in this chapter is kind of off. I did do research though on the different swords used and that information can be found at this site: www.sword-n-stuff.com. If you find any errors at all in what I wrote, please e-mail me! I want this story to be as accurate as possible!
Thank you for the continued support of this story, it means so much! I can't believe I've gotten over 1000 reviews! WOW, that's all I can say, you guys are amazing! Enjoy the chapter and please review!
PhoenixFirebolt

Mad-Eye Moody walked down the front stairs of Illustris and headed for the small arena on the grounds. He was muttering to himself and hitting his cane forcefully into the grass. Strategies, positions, and moves were running through his mind at lightening speed as he considered what he would have the Heirs learn first in their Physical Training for that day.

They were to be taught the complicated art of sword fighting for the next couple of weeks. Training was slowly coming to an end and sword fighting was one of the last things that Moody wanted the Heirs to learn. Magic would be essential in the Final Battle but physical fighting would add even more strength to the Light side. Moody had a feeling that many of Voldemort's minions could be brought down by the Heirs simply taking them out with hands on combat.

Moody knew that Harry had already used the Sword of Godric Gryffindor to defeat the deadly Basilisk in his second year at Hogwarts. Mad-Eye had already arranged with Dumbledore to have the sword brought to Illustris. He wanted it to become Harry's official sword during the Final Battle. The-Boy-Who-Lived could obviously handle a sword but more involved ways of fighting with it would be taught to him.

Sighing, Mad-Eye pulled the door to the arena open and quickly lit it with his wand. Stepping out onto the dirt, Moody summoned several different swords into position against the wall, including the Sword of Gryffindor. Unfortunately, the other Heirs would have to deal with practicing with swords that didn't contain any magical power. It was a pity but no one had yet figured out how to find and summon the swords of Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw.

Examining the different swords he had collected carefully, Moody believed he had picked the right ones for each of the Heirs. Now he would just have to wait for their arrival to see if the sword matched the user.

A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening announced the arrival of the Heirs. Moody turned to look at the four as they entered, sizing them all up and making a final assessment on which sword he should hand to them to wield. Narrowing his eyes, he barked at them to hurry up.

"Move along! The lessons from now on are extremely important and time consuming so I will tolerate no laziness from any of you. Get up here, we're starting sword fighting today."

Looks of intrigue crossed the Heirs' faces and they obediently fell silent. Walking through the dirt, the four reached the center of the arena where Moody had conjured up a bright blue mat on which several gleaming swords lay, the sharp blades shining coldly in the pale light.

Hermione couldn't help but shiver slightly, she wasn't particularly fond of weaponry and the thought of using a sword made her tense. Harry shot her a worried look out of the corner of his eye and she returned a weak smile. She truly hoped she could hold her own amongst the others, who obviously weren't bothered by the sharp steel. Moody's gruff voice then broke through her thoughts.

"I chose different swords for each of you. I believe you should each become accustomed to two different kinds of swords each. In case you lose one in the midst of battle you can always summon the other one and continue on. Unfortunately for you three," he pointed to Draco, Hermione, and Ginny, "you must rely on non-magical swords. Harry will use the Sword of Gryffindor in battle. There are magical swords that belonged to Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff but they have not been seen for many long years."

"Ah, Potter, always the special one. Getting the magical sword and all," Draco drawled out.

Harry shot him a glare but no real contempt was in Draco's tone, who smirked slightly out of amusement. Ginny rolled her eyes and elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs while Moody scoffed and brought their attention back to him.

"As I was saying, Harry will use the Sword of Gryffindor and I've already selected swords for the rest of you. All of you will learn how to fight with a Katana, a Japanese sword that has been used in their culture for centuries."

The old wizard paused as he lifted his wand and flicked it over the one sword, which promptly rose, floating in midair. The sword was beautiful, looking to be extremely light and easy to handle. The blade was wide and sharp, the handle was covered in black leather. The metal pommel looked as deadly as the sword tip, seeming like it could effectively crush the ribs if slammed into a person's chest.

Moody began to explain the sword to the Heirs. "This sword is called the Hand-and-a-Half. Very effective in battles because it is used for both shearing cuts and thrusting attacks. Extremely light too, with a 33 ½ inch blade. I think you should be able to handle this sword, Miss Weasley."

Ginny started and stared wide-eyed at the sword. Suddenly, it seemed so menacing and she wondered how she could fight with it in the middle of a chaotic battle. She took a hesitant step forward, not sure what to do.

"Well, don't just stand there," Moody said sharply. "Come up and take a hold of it."

Ginny nervously moved forward as Moody lowered the sword, allowing her to grab the handle. She reached her small hand forward and clutched it around the leather, releasing it from the air. The lightness of it surprised her and it swung up in an arc before she flung her other hand out and brought it down to a point in front of her. Gasping, she looked to Moody for instructions.

"I'll go over hand positioning once the others have their swords. Just try and get a feel for the weight and length at the moment." He nodded to her and pointed her off to the side, where Ginny began to slowly swish the sword jarringly through the air.

Moody sighed and motioned toward Hermione. "Miss Granger, if you please."

Hermione bit her lip and stepped forward, eyeing the remaining swords. Moody flicked his wand again, another sword raising up into the air. This one looked distinctly different from Ginny's. The handle was made entirely of wood and hooked slightly. The blade was equally sharp though but not very thick, the point coming to a deadly curve at the end.

"This sword is called a Grosse Messer, known in Germany as the "Big Knife." Much more stout and wide then Miss Weasley's sword, which I think will suit you better, Miss Granger, since you don't seem to be very fond of swords. It is extremely sharp and forged with high carbon steel with a rosewood handle. It weighs around four pounds. Here, give it a try."

The sword lowered slightly and Hermione grasped the cool handle, lifting the blade in front of her face to study it. She had to admit, the craftsmanship was wonderfully done, the smooth steel shining brilliantly at her. Swinging the point down, she continued to admire it, her opinion of swords changing just a bit. Moody raised a bushy eyebrow at her.

"Well Miss Granger, it seems as if you're catching on pretty quick. I think you shall be an excellent sword fighter."

Blushing, Hermione stood over by Ginny, who was handling her sword much better. The red head grinned proudly at her friend before swinging her sword in an arc once more, the point grazing the dirt.

Moody then rose a third sword into the air, waving Draco forward at the same time.

"This is a Scimitar Sword, Mister Malfoy. Extremely tough and flexible, being able to spring back if bent slightly. It has a 31 ½ inch blade and is made of carbon steel with a wooden handle. The widening of the blade at the end and the curved point allow for it to be an excellent shearing sword. Very easy to hold and handle, if I do say so myself. Off you go with it."

Draco marched confidently forward, grabbing the handle and swinging it expertly forward. He smiled, loving the feel of the sword already.

Hm, he thought, maybe having a non-magical sword won't be so bad after all.

He tossed the sword from his one hand and caught it quickly with the other, trying to test the weight better. Moody gave an appreciative nod before turning to Harry.

"Well, Mister Potter, I'm sure I don't need to explain your sword to you."

Moody's wand once more flicked over the last gleaming sword which soared up and promptly lowered gracefully in front of Harry, who grasped the jeweled handle tightly. The silver blade winked in the light, the curved writing of Godric Gryffindor staring back at him. A warmth spread through Harry's body, and he suddenly realized how much he had missed the feel of the sword. He felt like it belonged to him and he could feel it's magical energy pulsing through his fingers. The sword felt alive, there was no other word for it.

"That is a very special sword, Potter," Moody said. "Do try and be careful with it."

Now that all the Heirs held swords in their hands, Moody flicked his wand toward one of the walls of the arena, another sword coming to rest before him. It was known as the Arming Sword, with a beautiful exotic dark wood handle and a 34 inch blade. Moody swung it forward and looked to his students.

"In order to train you all properly, I will have to fight each of you. But before that happens, I must show you all how to hold and handle a sword properly. I believe Mister Malfoy and Mister Potter already have some idea of how to do this but further instruction must be given before you are sent off into battle. Now, I want you four to watch my stance closely and then try and mimic it. We will go from there."

Moody shifted his feet, spreading them slightly apart, and then bent his one knee, keeping the other straight because of the wooden stick that was in place of his other leg. His whole body fell into a relaxed state, his arms loose but strong enough to still keep a good grip on his sword. His positioned the sword in front of him, the tip at an angle away from his body. The Heirs watched him closely before going into the same position as their professor.

"Stay in that position until I tell you otherwise. I will go around to each of you to fix any mishaps in your stances."

Moody straightened and set his sword down before walking over to Ginny. Her brown eyes were narrowed and her brow was furrowed in concentration. Moody took his cane and tapped it against her upper arms, which shook, causing the sword to slip slightly downward in her hands.

"Ah, grip tighter, Miss Weasley. If an opponent strikes your sword with that grip, the sword will be out of your hands and in the dirt. No battles are won that way."

Moody continued to bark instructions out to the petite red head, who desperately followed them as best as possible. Finally satisfied and leaving an embarrassed Ginny in his wake, the ex-Auror moved on to Draco, who held a determined glint in his silver eyes.

Eyes quickly roving over Draco's stance, Moody gave the Slytherin a sharp nod before saying anything.

"All right, Mister Malfoy, you obviously know what you're doing. Let's hope I can say that about your maneuvers as well."

Draco glared at his professor, who raised a challenging eyebrow in response before walking over to Hermione. Seething, he lowered his sword and watched as Moody made some adjustments to Hermione's stance, Harry watching carefully from behind her and listening to Moody's words.

Once Mad-Eye was done instructing the Heirs on the proper stance, he returned to the center of the arena and gazed at them all intently with his blue eye. He thought seriously about what he wanted them to do next and figured it would be best for them to fight against each other and then he would train them from there. He needed to get to know the Heirs' individual styles because each sword fighter was different in that respect.

Making his decision, Mad-Eye spoke. "Harry and Hermione, please come to the center of the arena."

Giving each other curious glances, the young couple made their way toward Moody and stopped in front of him.

"Face each other," Mad-Eye said shortly.

They turned toward one another and Harry gave his girlfriend a wink while Hermione couldn't help but giggle in response.

"Nothing funny between you two," Moody snapped, effectively cutting off their antics. "You need to act like opponents right now, as if you are in the midst of the battle and are from opposite sides, each of you intent on winning. I want to see how well you can each hold your own. I won't be pairing the boys and the girls together always either, cause it won't be that convenient on the battlefield. Such is why I chose you two to go against each other first. I know you have a relationship but try and put that aside for a few minutes."

He paused for a second. "I don't want any severe fighting right now, just some swings at each other. We will go from there."

He motioned for Harry and Hermione to step a few paces apart and then backed away from them. Hermione gave Harry a quick, nervous look. Harry nodded back at her, knowing she didn't exactly know what to do. He would try to be easy on her, hoping Mad-Eye wouldn't catch on.

After Moody had gone over some stances and quick instructions on simple fighting moves, he told the two Heirs to begin.

Hermione took an unsure step forward as Harry furrowed his brow, trying to figure out if he was supposed to charge at her or wait for his girlfriend to come to him.

"Miss Granger! Run at him!" Mad-Eye barked angrily.

Draco quickly swallowed his laughter and started coughing. Ginny shook her head ruefully at him before sliding over to him and wrapping her arm gently around his waist, watching two of her best friends fight each other. She had to admit, it was interesting to watch.

Hermione flinched at the rebuke and before she could reconsider her coming actions, she tilted the point of her sword upward, and started running at Harry. The Heir of Gryffindor shifted his stance and prepared for the first strike. As Hermione's sword came downward, Harry rose his up and the two blades collided, the metallic sound echoing around the arena.

Hermione slipped a bit, not expecting the harshness resonating through her arms. Harry backed away from her and watched as Hermione regained control of her sword. Once she was gripping it tighter, he swung his sword at her again, breathing a sigh of relief that she was able to counter him and push him away. Pride filled him with the realization that Hermione was able to hold her own despite having no knowledge of sword fighting.

After a few more swings at each other, Harry aimed a well pointed thrust at Hermione's stomach. She retreated quickly but tripped, falling hard on her back, her sword flying out of her hands. Staring up at her boyfriend in disbelief, she glared as Harry gave her a cheeky grin, thinking he had won. Not to be defeated so easily, Hermione swung her foot out and knocked Harry off of his own feet.

The look of surprise on his face was classic as his sword dropped to the dirt and he fell forward on top of Hermione. He managed to put his arms out around her to stop himself from effectively crushing her beneath him. Eyes wide, Harry stared down at Hermione, who was having trouble not laughing at the situation. Taking notice of their compromising position, Harry rolled off her and stood up, brushing himself off and then offering a hand to Hermione.

She smirked at him as she picked up her sword. "Who won now, Mister Potter?"

Harry chuckled but before he could reply, Moody stormed over, not looking pleased.

"What was that?" he growled out. "I asked you two to fight properly, not show off and goof around. You'll never learn if you go easy on each other and flirt. A real battle will be nothing like what you two just displayed. You may think I'm going hard on you right now but we are in the middle of a war! You must learn how to sword fight within the next couple months or you will not be fully prepared. Do you all understand?"

Gulping, the Heirs simply nodded, suddenly fearful of the old but still very powerful wizard. His electric blue eye was swiveling madly and his beady black one was piercing and cold.

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody bellowed out through the silence, causing them all to jump. "Remember that! You must always have it!"

Breathing hard, his shoulders slumped forward but he continued to glare at the Four.

"Enough for today. I'll take the swords….." He flicked his wand and the swords shot from the Heirs' hands and flew over to hang on the opposite wall. "Out! I expect you all to be more ready tomorrow. I hope Lupin has an easier time with you."

Turning his back on them, Moody marched over to the wall of swords and begin to perform various cleaning spells on them. The Heirs continued to stare wide-eyed at him for several more minutes before realizing they would be late for Lupin's lesson. They gathered their bags and quickly exited the arena, drinking in the fresh air and bright sunshine.

"Well," Ginny said quietly as they trekked across the grass, "who knew that Moody could be so….um…moody."

Hermione sighed and shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I guess I didn't realize that Mad-Eye would be so serious about."

Harry wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, 'Mione. We still have a lot to learn and I'm actually quite shocked Moody was so angry with us. I guess he just wants us extremely prepared. He'll get over it though."

Hermione sighed again but nodded in agreement. Draco glanced in her direction and smiled slyly.

"Aw, buck up, Granger. It can't be that bad. I mean, you have to be bad at something for once. You show us up in everything else."

His tone was obviously teasing so Hermione resorted to simply sticking her tongue out at him.

"Oh, that's mature!" Draco chastised her, laughing loudly.

The rest of the Heirs joined in and continued on their walk to their next lesson.