Training

Draco POV:

"Dodge Draco, dodge! Remember, pay attention to your blind spots! Good! Keep going!" Shouted grandfather from his seat at the side of the room.

I had come over for my first training session with grandfather and he didn't waste any time, throwing me into his pre-prepared training room full of target dummies. They only shot paint and with how much stronger my body is now from all my circulation training, It doesn't even sting. But it was frustrating to feel splatters whenever I messed up.

"Focus Draco! Never let your mind wander on the battlefield! A single thought can often determine life or death!" He shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Focusing, I let no other distractions impede me as I kept twisting, twirling and sidestepping the projectiles. No stupidly large movements for me. No diving and rolling when you can simply sidestep. Especially diving and rolling. Grandfather yelled at me pretty badly for even trying in the first 5 minutes. Never lose your footing in a fight. Especially a magical fight.

A fight isn't something where you want to take an opponent to the floor with a grapple or takedown. He lectured me quite harshly on this. A fight will have multiple enemies from different directions, often an unknown amount from unknown directions. If you take someone to the floor, good job! You took out a single enemy! Now die from spellfire or bullet rain. Sitting ducks, the both of you. Oh i'm sorry, you think they care about the comrade you took down? Think again!

So no. Grappling might be one of the most effective methods in a 1v1 match that observes honour and integrity. But not a fight against scores of people with no regard for the lives of others. I'm sure an expert could incapacitate scores of enemies, but I'm not an expert. Even then, they have to get in close. A terrorist cell armed with guns would not be bothered by an expert grappler.

I felt another splatter of paint against my shoulder, but ignored it. I did the right thing there, stepping out of the path of the green paint and into the red paint.

"Good job Draco! If you have no other choice but to take a hit, always choose the least damaging one!" Grandfather praised from the side.

I nearly smiled to myself, but kept focused, happy with the praise. This is training, so grandfather had prepared accordingly. Green meant death like the killing curse. Red means non-lethal but still damaging. Plenty of spells are red. Stunner, blasting curse, cruciatus curse, disintegration curse etc. Potentially lethal yes, but not immediately fatal on contact.

Those are the only two colours. Nothing for non-lethal. You think enemies will choose anything purely non-lethal? Ha! No chance. I kept going, determined to hone my reflexes and improve. It's been at least half an hour since I've started and I could feel myself getting better in real time. It's an addictive feeling.

My passive soul sense that i've worked hard on this past couple of years is disabled at this moment, forcing me to rely purely on physical stimulation like sight, sound and touch to see and feel incoming projectiles. This is training. I want to hone myself, not boost my ego.

Even with passive soul sense off, if these were real spells, I would still get blaring danger warnings from my instincts stemming from my soul. This isn't happening here because these projectiles are non-lethal. There's nothing for my instincts to warn me against, so I have to pay close attention and not rely on my inherent advantages. It's tough, but completely worth it.

I continued for a while yet, taking a few hits here and there but doing a decent job of it all told, before grandfather called out to me.

"That's enough. Take a break for now Draco." He said, giving orders to the dummies to stop.

"Come, sit with me." He said, gesturing to the seat across from him.

I complied, sitting across from him. A big glass of water appeared on the table between us and I took it gratefully, gulping it down.

"Now then." He began.

"I purposely didn't teach you anything before you started this excercise. I wanted you to make some realisations for yourself. Let's review what you've learned so far. Tell me, what is the most glaring thing you lacked before you began?" He said.

I nodded and thought back to the beginning of the session and what stood out most glaringly to me, causing me to get hit multiple times.

"Spacial awareness. I wasn't aware enough of my surroundings." I said confidently.

"Very good! Exactly!" He said approvingly.

"You need to remember Draco. A fight is not a duel. There's never just a single opponent. What else?" He continued questioning.

I frowned, thinking back to my biggest mistakes.

"Footwork. There were many times when my balance was off causing me to nearly fall and take hits, or that one time I tripped over my own feet." I said.

"Good! Great even! It usually takes new learners a while to figure that one out. Good job." He said.

"These two things are interlinked Draco. We're inside right now and the floor is flat and clear. This will not always be the case. Is the ground rocky? What other obstacles are around you to look out for?" He questioned.

He pointed to his head.

"This goes further than that however. It's a state of mind Draco. For instance, when I walk into a room, the first thing I take notice of are exits and potential threats. The next thing I look for are the obstacles. Inside a building there are stairs, desks, chairs etc. Outside there are rocks, holes in the ground, incline of the terrain and more." He lectured.

"It's a holdover from my fighting days that I made sure to practise even now. On the battlefield, you need to be constantly analysing your surroundings to not be caught out. Any spells that you dodge or deflect can change the terrain." He said.

"I remember there were times in the early days of the Grindelwald war where I would be caught by surprise by the changing terrain. A magical fight is complicated. A wall standing next to you is a potential weapon either for or against you. The bodies of both enemies and allies can be fatal for you if you trip and fall, or they could be shields for you to block a deadly spell with. It's cruel and callous, but it's the reality." He said.

"The most favourable location for a magical fight also depends on what your goal is. The best terrain for a straightforward fight between individuals, groups or even whole armies is undoubtedly flat land in the open air. If you want to take an opponent by surprise however, the inside of a building is better for this. The walls and floor become your weapons, allowing you to catch your opponent off guard and use shock tactics." He continued.

"This mindset is something that I aim to instill into you in the short time we have. You're young right now, so there's no rush to learn different spells or fighting styles. You can develope those later. The mentality of a fighter however, is something that's only aquired through harsh experience on the battlefield. Without me, you might develope it on your own, but chances are high you die before that happens." He said.

"That's why I insisted that you come train with me often. The more time you have to develope the mental state of being constantly ready for battle no matter where you are, what time it is or who you are with, the better. I will be pushing you hard and setting up many challenges for you, but push through Draco. This is something that can save your life one day." He finished.

I listened seriously as he lectured me, enlightened by his words. It's a whole different world that I'm touching for the first time. One of the souls I absorbed in the afterlife was a martial artist. But that's just it. He was a martial artist that participated in competitions, not a soldier. This is all new to me.

My brows furrowed. "This is more complicated than I thought." I murmured.

Grandfather snorted. "Of course it is. Why do you think I was so insistent you learn from me? It's called the art of war for a reason Draco. It truly is an art. You can get good at it, great even. You could be the most amazing fighter in the world, but this is not something than can ever be perfected, only honed further. We haven't even scratched the surface yet." He said wisely.

"Thank you grandfather, for teaching me." I said seriously, grateful for his guidance.

He nodded with a smile. "You're welcome Draco. I'm glad to see you understand the value of this." He said.

He then clapped his hands and smiled.

"Enough resting. Ready for another round?" He said with an angelic smile.

I nodded. "Yes grandfather. Let's continue." I said, getting up and walking back to the middle of the room.

However...

"Grandfather. Why are some of them wielding swords?" I asked with trepidation, looking at the wooden swords some of the dummies were sporting alongside the wooden paint sticks that simulated wands.

Grandfather only smiled. "Sword fighting is a widely popular traditional sport that many wizards still practise. Best get used to it early." He said and I could practically feel the smugness radiating out of him.

"Oh and one last thing before you start Draco. This time the dummies will send wide slashes of paint at you. These simulate cutting and slashing charms. Do your best now." He said.

I looked at grandfather who only smiled innocently. I don't believe it for a second. I can practically hear him going 'hohoho!' like an anime villian. He's a demon I swear.

Turning to face the dummies, I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves before ducking under a slash of red paint. No warning to start, nothing. I suppose that's the point of this excercise though. I dodged a sword from a dummy in front, only to be hit by one on the side. The pain didn't even make me flinch, but I could tell that's going to leave a bruise.

"Good pain tolerance, but remember, spacial awareness Draco!" Grandfather sing-songed.

Ducking another slash, I felt a ball of paint splashing against my side. I only had one thought despite the situation: 'This training is going to be fun!' With a smile, I dove right in.

--------------------------------------------------

A month flew by like nothing. My new routine consists of waking up, magic circulation training, breakfast, training at grandfather's place, lunch and then after that it would change depending on the day. Some afternoons I would visit the Greengrasses, deepening our ties and spending time with Daphne, while other afternoons I would stay with grandfather for more training.

Evenings were spent with mother and Lucius sometimes joined us. I had confirmed my black Heirship to him, but told him that the assets and titles would be locked down until I came of age, including the wizengamot seat. He was not happy about that, but couldn't really do anything.

I spent my nights either practising magic or reading my mental library. I'm up to 5th year material now and well past Hogwarts for runes and arithmancy. I might begin looking into warding soon. I'm grateful for time dilation, even if it's not the real thing and only in my perception. Not needing much sleep is also a massive boon. I still talk with Harry through the linked journals as well. He told me recently that he was about to have a breakthrough, so i'm waiting in anticipation.

Jacob and Elizabeth both agreed to my proposal a few days after my first visit. They are now making connections with other families that don't lean too heavily to either side and are slowly building their support base. In addition, they accepted a marriage contract for the Black family as well. Despite my assurances, a massive weight seemed to lift off their shoulders when it was all signed. It must have been tough on them.

We hired a lawyer for help, but really only used a standard marriage contract with an added line continuation clause. I also made sure that either of us could back out at any time. This is a favour to the Greengrasses that puts them in my debt, not another way to trap them. It was fairly straightforward all told. I'm glad they didn't try to shaft me with this. It wouldn't have worked, I've made it a point to read through and understand completely any contracts I will sign, but they played it straight with me nonetheless.

Training with grandfather only got harder as the days passed. I visit him 6 days a week, leaving Sundays as rest days. I make sure to train extra hard, aware of the value of the training, and I can already see results beginning to show.

Now, I will scan a new room I enter for threats, weak points, exits, obstructions etc. before I even think about it. I made it a point to practise this whenever and wherever I am. My home, the Greengrass mansion, grandfather's place, diagon alley. Everywhere.

Any place I enter including my own room, I would consciously asses it with my eyes and ears, doing the same with soul sense at the same time. It's starting to pay off. Now, I barely have to think about it as it's become habit. After more training, it will become deeply ingrained instinct.

Grandfather's training started to vary as well. He would get Mipsy to set up different terrains both inside and outside the house. Sometimes I would be running obstacle courses across rocky terrain. Other times I would be sneaking around multiple dummies through a swamp. Desert, rock, grassland, mud, different inclines. Multiple and varied scenarios he would set up to train me with.

He had to be running that elf ragged, but she seemed to be enjoying herself so I let it be. The most annoying thing about this training however is the lack of rules. Sometimes dummies would ambush me as I turn a corner, sometimes they would burst through the door and attack me when I'm having a deep conversation with grandfather in his study.

Three times now they've attacked me while I was sitting on the toilet! It's so frustrating! I've learned to constantly be on my toes in grandfather's house and have been making considerable conscious effort to keep that mental state up no matter where I am. I know for a fact that even now, after many years of not fighting, grandfather could turn an ambush on his attackers even if caught with his literal pants down.

I've seen him do it even. He may not be able to use magic with his condition, but his body is still in decent shape for now. He gave me a demonstration where he had a paint stick that the dummies use to simulate wands and nothing else. He let me control the dummies and I instructed them to ambush him right as he sat down on the toilet, jsut to get back at him.

He wasted no time in immediately taking a dummy out with the paint stick, using it as cover, taking it's sword and then destroying all his attackers with blinding speed and ferocity. It was like watching an adult bully little kids. It was very impressive to watch him take down 15 of the dummies so quickly.

They may not be people, but they're still top of the line, custom enchanted training dummies. The animation charms on them are the single most complicated bit of magic i've ever observed, besides the wards on Black manor. They move like real people and can use pre-programmed tactics and strategies. For Merlin's sake, they can even fight with a sword and wand at the same time! They're serious business.

I knew what grandfather was doing with all of this though. He turned my time at Black manor into as real a simulation of a battlefield as he could. No breaks, no relaxation, no time to breathe, no mercy. I was still grateful though, as frustrating as it all was, because it was working. Like he said, he didn't teach me any magic. He was teaching me the mindset needed to stay alive, which was more important.

A week and a half into the training, he deemed me competent at dodging no matter the terrain or surroundings, so he let me use a wand and sword to fight back. The only spells he made sure I knew were the general shield charm, a physical objects shield, a magical sield, the stunner, the cutter and the piercer. That was all. He told me that I can learn other spells on my own, but those were all I really needed. Although he did make a point to warn me that those will be quite useless against many magical beasts, besides the shields.

Sword fighting on the other hand, i've never learned before. He had me copy the dummies and corrected any mistakes in form and posture. When I had the basic form down and could attack and defend properly without compromising my footwork, he left me to learn from experience. 

The training was grueling, tiresome, frustrating and just about the most fun i've had since coming to this world! It was awesome! Just this morning, grandfather said that he'll break out the brooms soon and begin teaching me ariel combat. I can't wait! All he told me was to watch my spacial awareness. That was the only comment he gave. He likes to use experience as a teacher, which I can get behind.

Right now, I'd just come back from visiting Daphne and had a wonderful afternoon.

"Draco. Come, sit with me. How was your time at the Greengrasses?" Said mother, breaking me from my woolgathering.

I smiled at her and sat down, taking the offered cup of tea.

"It was relaxing mother. Daphne and I are getting along well and Lord and Lady Greengrass are gracious hosts." I said.

She smiled. "It's good to hear that. Anything interesting I should know about?" She asked.

"Not that I can think of. There is one thing though. Lord and Lady Greengrass seem to be quite busy recently, if that means anything to you." I said.

Mother frowned thoughtfully. "Nothing rings a bell. I'm sure it's nothing. It's nice to hear you're getting along with Daphne dear. I was worried. Especially after reading that contract Lucius forced on them." She frowned, not happy with his actions.

I smiled. Mother and Lucius are growing further and further apart as time passes. I helped a little as well. A weak compulsion charm covering a room to make them see each other's bad sides just a little more, a few words here and there, and their marriage is crumbling from the inside. Truthfully, I really didn't do much. The compulsion charms I used were weak and used sparingly. A few words to have a mix up of instructions. Nothing major. They're doing most all of it themselves, i'm just helping it along.

"It's fine mother." I reassured her.

"Daphne and I get along well. I don't think she harbours resentment for me. Father on the other hand..." I trailed off.

She shook her said and smiled.

"Don't mind me dear. Contracts are a bit of a sore spot to me. Andi was banished for refusing one, and the less said about what happened to Bella, the better. She wasn't like the stories of her when we were young you know. She changed after she was married." She said.

I was curious. "What was she like?" I asked.

Mother had a fond smile. "Andi, Bella and I were close when we were young, but that changed as we grew up. After going to Hogwarts, Andi started to drift away from the family. She still tried to spend time with Bella and I, but it didn't amount to much. She fell in with some mudbloods at school and we rarely spoke after her 3rd year. She was always the most stubborn of us." She said with faint sadness, no heat behind her slurs.

"Bella on the other hand was fierce. She was the embodiment of what a pureblood daughter should be. Proud, intelligent, noble, beautiful and a little wild." She chuckled, lost in memories.

"She was the best of us at magic too. I remember she wanted to work in the department of mysteries after school. Sadly, that never happened." She sighed.

"Andi ran away when our father accepted a marriage contract for the Lestrange family. She married her Hogwarts sweetheart and left, never looking back. She was banished for that. Truthfully, I admire the courage it must have taken. I know I couldn't do the same. She has a daughter in Hogwarts now. Maybe you'll meet her one day." She said.

"Anyway, when she left, Bella took her place. I'm not sure how or why. She was never one to just go along with things." She frowned.

"After the marriage, rumors about her attenting the gatherings of the upcoming Dark Lord circled. I didn't see her for a long time after the marriage, over a year. When I saw her next, she was changed. The Bella I knew was gone and all that was left of her was Bellatrix Lestrange, the psychopath everyone knows today. Sigh... I miss her." Mother said with deep melancholy.

I took her hand and squeezed, providing what comfort I could. She smiled at me and shook off her thoughts.

"Anyway, enough about that. Tell me about your time with Lord Black. You have been visiting him a lot. What has he been teaching you?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Lord Black has been teaching me many things. Politics, business, the responsibilities of being a noble Heir. If I do well, sometimes he will even give me duelling tips. He also likes to tell stories about his time fighting Grindelwald." I said, twisting the truth.

It's not that I don't trust her, but she might tell Lucius the truth and that could backfire on me.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself Draco." She said with a smile before she frowned.

"Although, he shouldn't be telling you war stories. That's not something a child should hear." She said a little crossly.

I motioned to show it was fine.

"It's fine mother. I enjoy hearing them. Truthfully, I think Lord Black lost a lot of himself when Charlus and Dorea Potter were killed. He seems lonely." I said.

It was true even. He does like to reminisce about his time in the war fighting alongside Charlus. Dorea was a healer and was always there to patch them up. He misses them dearly and often reminisces about them.

She nodded slowly.

"I can see that. Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black were famous for their unlikely friendship and Dorea was his closest sister. His other sister, Cassiopeia, always did her own thing. The Blacks and the Potters couldn't be more different. I remember reading backlogs of the daily prophet about the wedding between Charlus and Dorea. They went on for months talking about it, both for and against, it was quite the upset." She said with a chuckle.

"I'll have to have a look when I have time then." I said with a smile.

"That sounds nice. You can learn a lot from that rag, especially from what isn't reported." She said.

We continued chatting as the sun went down and soon, dinner was served. Sitting in the dining room with Lucius and mother, Lucius was stewing in his thoughts as we were chatting.

"...so that's when..." I was saying to mother, before I was interrupted.

"Draco." Said Lucius.

"Yes father? What is it?" I asked.

"I wanted to ask if you knew what the Greengrasses were up to. They've been making moves recently that are out of character. The Patils started allying their bussisnesses with theirs. Do you know anything about this?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No father, I have no idea. I noticed that they seemed rather busy, but I thought that was normal for owners of an international business." I said, secretly smiling.

It seems they've been working hard, already allying with the Patils. The Patils are an old and respected family, but not so much here in Britain. They came here within the last hundred years along with a lot of money from India. They do business in the making of everyday items like quills, ink, parchment, bags, couldrons etc. The everyday stuff all magicals need. They also hold a manopoly on perfumes here in Britain which are always popular.

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help father." I said, feigning guilt.

He waved me off. "No, it's fine. I don't expect them to tell you about their business." He said.

"Nevertheless, I will have to look into this. Anyway, we haven't spoken properly since you became Heir Black. I've been so caught up with work. How has your mentorship with Arcturus been going?" He said with a smile.

"It's been going well father..." I said, repeating the same things I told mother earlier.

"That's good to hear. I may not like him, but no one can deny that Arcturus Black is a formidable man. Learn all you can while you have this chance." he advised.

"I will father. Thanks for the support." I said.

"You're my son. I want what's best for you." He said gently.

It's times like this that make me feel a little bad about my future plans for him. He's being entirely truthful right now. He genuinly loves me and supports me. He's an evil man, but no one is 100% evil. I suppose his son and future of his house is his bright spot.

"Thank you father." I said.

He smiled. "So how are your studies going? Your mother and I have been teaching you occlumency for a while now, what stage have you reached?" He asked curiously.

"I've reached the 4th stage." I said proudly, lying.

"It's a lot harder than I thought however." I commented.

"That's great! I know it's hard, but occlumency is a vital skill Draco. Truthfully, I expected you to be at the 3rd stage right now. I never had much talent in the art unfortunately, but your mother does. It seems you've inherited her talent for it as well. Good." He said with a smile, satisfied.

"Don't worry dear, you're doing great already. Just keep at it." Said mother gently.

"But what about the 6th and 7th stages?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

Lucius sighed. "Don't worry about those for now Draco. It's a rare wizard that get's to that stage. I've never tried myself, considering I lack the talent for it, but your mother has." He said.

Mother took over here. "Your father is right Draco. I may have a talent for the mind arts, but i've never been able to get past the 5th stage. It's just too difficult. The only person I know with certainty who has is the Dark Lord. I would assume Dumbledore is the same. Legendary figures like the founders and Merlin must have as well. Perhaps there are more and we simply don't know. It's not a topic people really talk about." She said.

I nodded slowly. "Yes father, mother. I'll keep trying. Maybe I can do it one day." I said.

Lucius smiled. "Maybe you can. It's a good goal to have at least." He said.

Mother nodded as well. The rest of dinner passed pleasantly before I went back to my room. I noticed immediately that the journal linked to Harry's was blinking from black to white. A simple colour change to notify the owner of unread messages.

Opening it, I read Harry's latest message and my face broke into a smile. Harry had done it, he had reached the 6th stage.