Six o'clock in the morning, Walworth, London - South of the Thames, at the stables Sasha has his horses at livery.

It was still dark as Professor Ignan Storm appeared not far from the stables Sasha had described in his letter. He recoiled a little at the nerves from apparating again, a week after his splinching accident. His left arm was no longer in its sling, but it was still lazy and very itchy, which made him impatient for it to fully heal. At least he had the use of his fingers, even if they misbehaved.

This morning was partly a matter of pride in his teaching, and partly a mission of mercy. He had listened with interest behind the reasons for the Hogwarts Governors to ask Sasha to leave. Ignan and Tapendra had been the two Professors to discover Sasha and Ava, so he felt a little more personally tied to the whole incident and final decision than he would have had otherwise. Sasha clearly had skill and aptitude to carry out the OWL examination in defences, even at a distance, and Ignan, in his irritating habit of perfectionism, was not one to refuse a challenge.

Getting his bearings, Ignan began to cast wards as he walked up the dark track, repelling Muggles. Sasha had promised to get rid of anyone before this time, so Ignan wanted to ensure they would not be disturbed by non magicals. The International Statute of Secrecy was not something he wanted to break on a cold February morning. The sun would not rise for another fifty minutes.

Seeing light from the stables, he tried to push aside any apprehension of the meeting aside. It wasn't so much that meeting Sasha off school premises worried him, given what he had witnessed first hand Sasha doing to Callum, or what he had heard since, it was more the fact that Sasha chose to spend so much time with horses. Four legged beasts that weighed a ton and had teeth. Ignan had encountered these beasts while traveling, and unlike Georg, didn't get on with them. Beast and wizard shared an animosity of suspicion to each other. Georg on the other hand was a natural rider, Ignan had tolerated it.

Given the close proximity to Muggles, Ignan had dressed more conservatively - and looked less formal than he usually did, given they were meeting somewhere with animals, in the cold and dark. His habitual academic robes were back in Scotland, replaced with trousers, open necked shirt and long coat, the pockets of which held the notes for Sasha from Tapendra as well as Ignan, magically enlarged within.

"Good morning Schlagenweit." Ignan greeted as he stepped inside the lit building, the sweet smell of straw and oats hanging in the crisp morning air, with the stale smell of the animals who shifted their feet upon the hard stable floor with rasping noises as their shoes rubbed the concrete.
"Are you ready to begin?" He called, hoping that Sasha was actually in, and he wasn't about to encounter a Muggle as he cautiously walked along the line of stalls...

It wasn't any effort on Sasha's part that ensured the stable was otherwise free of other human inhabitants but rather the simple fact that it was only six in the morning.  Early mornings tended to come hand in hand with the equestrian world but most were perfectly content to sleep in past seven if the opportunity presented itself.  But, whatever letter Professor Storm might have written confirming a date and time had never reached the young man.  He'd caught one of the early trains fully expecting it to be a morning like any other morning away from school.

Shortly after his return to London, Sasha had approached the stable owners with an offer to trade stable chores and teaching riding lessons for discounted livery fees.  With three horses currently stabled at the facility, any bit helped though that had really been a secondary motivating factor for the young man.  At home - at his parent's home, at least - Sasha was usually the one primarily responsible for stable chores.  Early mornings and long hours were part of what his usual home routine was supposed to be.  With everything else so upside down and not normal, he'd welcomed the opportunity to settle into this routine.   He was continuing to feel more and more settled in at Dreogan's but any open, hay-scented building filled with equine muscle was about as close to home as any place felt these days. 

All up and down the stable, horses rustled in their stalls as they chased stray pieces of hay across the floor.  In an hour's time, Sasha would turn most of the animal's out into their paddocks and finish any remaining cleaning.  This was, unquestionably, his favorite time of the day.  Just as it had been back home, until the horses had finished eating, this was the one time of the day he was guaranteed to have nothing else to do. 

Wobias[1]munched lazily on a flake of hay in the stable's center aisle.  Baldur[2] lay against a stall door a short distance away, chewing on discarded bit of saddle leather.  Music[3] played from the small, portable radio from a shelf bolted haphazardly to the stable wall.  Sasha was perched on a stool next to the stallion, the horse's lead draped casually over the animal's shoulder in easy reach.  He was halfway through a running braid on the friesian's neck, lost in his own thoughts when both horse and dog lifted their head's in unison just as the radio's signal crackled with the sudden influx of magical interference. 

For several long moments, Sasha stared at the recent arrival.  When the image neither faded nor dissipated (and, in fact, greeting him), Sasha blinked and then scrambled to his feet, self-consciously tugging at the hem of his polo shirt[4].  It felt strange and reflexively inappropriate to be standing in front of his Professor - or former Professor - so dressed.  "I'm - I'm sorry, sir," he quickly offered, ducking his head in a sheepish gesture of apology to augment to spoken one.  "I didn't- I wasn't expecting- Begin?  Now?"  He cast a quick glance around the stable hall before looking at the man, again.  "Here?  I mean, of course.  Yes, sir," he added, almost immediately changing tactics.  Whatever meager reputation he'd managed to foster with this man wasn't going to improve with awkward stammering or sounding utterly clueless. 

1.	Wobias
2.	Baldur
3.	Music
4.	polo shirt

"I am afraid you're not making much sense, Schlagenweit." The Professor replied to Sasha's gabbling.

The young wizard was stood beside a black horse, and Ignan could see a dog nearby whose ears had turned towards him. Behind them all a radio warbled some awful Muggle sound. Ignan drew his wand from behind him and with a gentle tap the noise subsided into static which dimmed.

"Did you forget our assignation this morning?" Ignan asked, taking a few steps forward, though still keeping a good few metres from the four legged creature beside Sasha. It had teeth, and hooves, and was not, as far as Ignan could see, tethered to anything solid.

Something nagged at the corner of his mind and he suddenly patted his coat pockets, reaching into them with his leather gloved hands, drawing out the parchment, and leafing through them.
"Ah, no, it appears not." He told Sasha apologetically. "In all that's happened lately I've bundled the letter in amongst the notes I put aside to bring you. I have Tapendra's, er, Professor Trishna's notes here too." Putting them back into his coat pocket, seeing as it wasn't the best time to hand them over to Sasha, he raised his eyebrows at the former student.

"My apologies Schlagenweit... I can see this is a bad time, perhaps we should rearrange."

"I'm - I ... sorry, sir."  It would have, likely, been more effective if his apology hadn't been as gabbling as what had prompted the need for the apology.  He took a deep breath and forced his mind to push past the moment of surprise and to a more coherent state.  "I just wasn't expecting you."  Or any professor to be standing in the stable hall at this time in the morning.  "So, nothing's wrong, right?" 

"Did you forget our assignation this morning?"

The blank, confused look on the young man's face was answer enough.  Still, Sasha slowly shook his head as his mind continued to shuffle through the memories of the collection of letters, notes and news he'd received in recent days.  There'd been discussion of lessons but he couldn't remember any actual appointments scheduled. 

Sasha visibly sighed in relief when Professor Storm produced the letter.  At least it hadn't been a mistake on his part.  Whether or not the visit had been expected seemed of secondary importance to that.  That was until Professor Storm offered his own apology and offered to leave. 

"I - no sir, it's alright. It's not a bad time.  I just wasn't expecting-"  He'd said that, already.  There was no point in repeating it.  "-to see anyone at this time of day.  But - I'm actually done with chores for the morning.  I was just-"  He glanced at the horse and the half-braided mane next to him; the Friesian had grown bored with the proceedings and had resumed its flake of hay.  "I'm not doing much, really.  Just idling."  Color rose in his cheeks and he quickly raked the length of braid loose with his fingers. 

"I appreciate you agreeing to help me.  I'm worried about OWLs.  And, like I said, I'd be happy to - you know - compensate you for your time." 

Sasha attempted to explain himself and his situation with half completed sentences. Professor Storm's face began to frown further as the attempts continued.

"I'm not doing much, really.  Just idling." The younger wizard's face blushed. Ignan raised an eyebrow at the confession.

"I appreciate you agreeing to help me.  I'm worried about OWLs.  And, like I said, I'd be happy to - you know - compensate you for your time."

"Compensate me by doing well in your examination, Schlagenweit." The Professor replied without missing a beat. "Which is less likely the more you talk in unfinished sentences. Is there a more open space - though covered, that we could use? Time is shortening, and I know it will only be so long before a Muggle's confusion caused by my wards becomes noticed, and we both risk unnecessary interest by the Ministry of Magic." He gave Sasha a very serious look.

"If so, lead on, after you have... tethered your horse." Ignan's eyes had slid to the animal's head and lack of any rope attaching it to a wall, which made him feel ever so slightly uneasy. However, it seemed uninterested in him so far.

Stepping aside to let Sasha prepare things, he turned to find himself face to face with another long face, which was now protruding over the box door. Regarding the animal with contempt, he took a swift step backwards as it reached for him curiously with its teeth. Bloody animals. Out of reach, he turned back to see how Sasha was doing, growing a little  impatient.

"Compensate me by doing well in your examination, Schlagenweit."

Sasha hesitated a moment but than nodded in agreement with the terms.  That was hardly a deal from a banker's stand point but Sasha supposed there were reasons most bankers weren't professors.  "I - um, yes, sir."  Sasha offered just in time to hear Professor Storm comment on his broken speech cadence. 

Sasha flushed and ducked his head apologetically.  He didn't bother voice an apology.  The chances of it manifesting in one complete sentence were very slim.  "The covered arena's just through there," Sasha offered nodding in the direction of a passage way through the middle of the stable.  The sentence had been complete though it hadn't been entirely effortless. 

He started to hitch the Friesian to the cross ties in the center of the aisle but thought better of it.  Without knowing what they'd be doing in the arena, it probably was wiser to return him to his box rather than leave him tethered.  With the remainder of the flake of hay perched in his arms and the lead just draped over his elbow, he led the horse past Professor Storm and back to his stall, returning to lead the way to the arena while brushing stray pieces of hay free from his barn jacket. 

With the trailer doors on the far end and the doors leading into the barn closed behind them, the high-ceilinged, spacious arena was completely enclosed.  The footing was solid but absorbent and cushioning and large mirrors lined part of the far wall opposite the viewing area and office windows on the second floor above the barn.  Seeing Professor Storm's reflection in the mirror was more than slightly awkward.  Perhaps it was due to the obvious association with Hogwarts but the man seemed strikingly out of place. 

"I ... will this -"  He flinched and shook his head, starting over after he'd played the sentence with the breaks through in his mind.  "This will have to do, sir."

"It will do fine." Professor Storm confirmed, his eyes sweeping round the space. It smelt of dust, sweat and horses still, but it was hardly surprising.

"We are fortunate spell repertoire for the exam in Defences had almost completely been covered by the time you were asked to depart Hogwarts." Ignan explained to Sasha, having checked back through the lessons and the notes over the past few evenings to be sure. "I have drilled your classmates back through counter curses, charms, footwork. The theory work, which the bulk of which is all here in notation, is the focus now the preliminary necessary casting is within everyone's capabilities. However they all need time to practise, so will you undoubtedly. Theory can be discussed later."

"Declino then." The Professor suggested, looking to Sasha, "hex deflection. Easy enough stood still, so we'll make it a little more challenging. Start over in that corner," he pointed to the letter F printed neatly on a sign, "run steadily to that," he twitched his wand to the letter K in the opposite corner. "Then proceed across the diagonal to..." He paused, realising the letters were actually rather useful, "... to E, then if you're still standing, straight for me, and I'll stand over at," he turned, "the letter A. Perhaps I should add these to the classroom walls, might make explaining exercises a little easier." He remarked.
"All the while, use declino only to deflect any hexes thrown at you. Just that. I'll watch where they dissipate to, you concentrate on the casting, and the footwork with the observation. Is that clear? Good. Take your position and call when you are ready to begin."

Parting their ways, they both took their positions.
"Ready Schlagenweit?" Ignan called, the distance between them a lot further now. "Begin. Ustulo."

---

Declino: here
Curse: Ustulo
Arena lettering: here
(Permission granted to pick some more from the curses list to have thrown at you...)

"I'm not-" Sasha started to offer but cut himself off.  The number of actual, proper classes he'd had with the man had been limited but it was probably sufficient to clue Professor Storm into the fact that wandwork wasn't Sasha's strong suit - especially in Defense.  At least, not before his private tutoring sessions with fugitive Kronos Malvivicus.  He'd managed to get his grade up to an E most years but largely with the help of going above and beyond when theory was involved.

If he was being honest - Sasha's favorite means of defense was, traditionally, avoiding confrontation altogether.  And, if that didn't work (which it usually didn't), he didn't consider himself above walking (if necessary, quite quickly) away.  And, if that didn't work, he was usually alright with just taking what was dished at him to get the confrontation over with as quickly as possible.  It had worked rather well for years.  In contrast to when, for the first time this year, he'd tried defending himself on three separate occasions - in one instance he'd left Knight writhing on the floor in agony, another he'd left a man dead and, in the third, the other person had simply taken his wand, crucioed him twice and walked out to her own death. 

At this point, practicing defense was a purely academic endeavor.  It was for passing the exam - not for any practical purpose.  He had resolved to go back to his tried and true methods in real world applications - so far, they'd served him better than actually trying to defend himself.  At least, in those cases, he was the only one that got hurt.

Sasha tugged his wand from his pocket, grinning slightly.  He was trying to picture returning to school to find the DADA classroom laid out like a dressage arena.  "That would be amusing, sir."  It certainly made the instructions easy for him to remember.  Start at F, cross to K, then to E and back to Storm at A.  It was twenty times easier than his standard dressage routines.  If one didn't factor in the spells.  "I - yes sir," he called as he jogged over towards F.  "I've actually given up casting spells if I don't know what they do."   

He took off across the arena and had made it only a few steps before he heard the first hex cast his way.  His reflexes, which had years experience trying to avoid getting hexed, kicked in and he jumped back, trying to dodge the hex before remembering he was supposed to be trying to counter it.  "Declino" he called, belatedly, but he didn't need to feel the sear of the hex grazing past him to know he'd been late.  Another few steps and, again, reflexes kicked before he could remember the lesson of the day.  Another delayed deflection spell that achieved nothing. 

Sasha picked up speed if for no other reason than to get through the pattern as quickly as possible.  The same routine happened a handful of times more until Sasha turned away from E and started back towards Professor Storm.  Again, instinct got the better of him but as he was moving straight towards Professor Storm, getting out of the way in time wasn't an option.  With as much experience as he had with bullying around the school, he knew many of the common hexes by color.  He knew exactly what to expect when he saw the flash of pink and white[1] fly in his direction.  He tried to skid to a stop before it struck but he was still caring considerable forward momentum when, with a sharp pain, his knees reversed.  Under the momentum, his knees buckled like a folding chair and he landed face first (luckily, in the arena's soft footing). 

Carefully (though with an ease that made it clear this was not his first time in this exact position), Sasha got his feet, literally, under him and pushed himself upright.  Trying to ignore the color flooding his cheeks, he quickly brushed himself off.  This was certainly not the worst fall he was likely to get in this arena.  "I'm - Sorry.  I - we can, you know, try again." 

1.	Hex - Knee-Reversal Hex

"I'm - Sorry.  I - we can, you know, try again."

Professor Storm gave Sasha a curious look from his face which had just planted into the arena's surface to his knees pointing backwards.

"With your knees like that?" He asked Sasha with a raised eyebrow, and uttered the counter spell. Much as he would have liked to have seen Sasha try, it would have been poor sport. Striding the last few steps between them, he circled Sasha.

"You need to look up, keep eye contact far more with me, don't force the speed, unless you're heading for cover. Steady pace, controlled strides, so you don't overbalance when you collect a strike. Demonstrate your wand hold, hmm, good." Completing his circle around Sasha, he gestured for him to return.

"Again, keep your head up." Returning to his post as well, the exercise began once more, Professor Storm throwing heavier, and heavier curses to try and knock Sasha off his feet. The curses rattled the roof, the walls, thankfully such a structure was meant to withstand elements and several tons of animal.

Closer, ever closer...

Suddenly, in the back of the Professor's mind, he remembered the unhesitating attack on Callum from Sasha a few months before, and as the student headed full pelt towards him, seemingly succeeding in deflecting curses while on the move this time round, Ignan switched attack last minute.

Infligo Proterex.[1] The wordless casting gave no warning, other than a sudden hint of a smirk on Ignan's face. It was an auror's prerogative to have a few such attacks to hand wordlessly.

He stepped aside swiftly, should Sasha's attempt to block the curse at close range rebound even partially, he did not want to receive it back.

1.	http://www.absitomen.com/wiki/index.php?title=Curses,_Hexes,_and_Jinxes#Infligo_Proterex_.28Smiting_Curse.29

"If I had to, sir."  Sasha glanced down at the back of his knees and shrugged, slightly.  Thankfully, Professor Storm wasn't going to force him to try.  Sasha closed his eyes and braced himself for the familiar flash of pain as his knees returned to their usual orientation. 

"Thank you.  It is kind of odd." 

He could hear Professor Storm's footsteps moving around him even before he opened his eyes.  He listened to the critique, nodding his head as he gave the points careful consideration.  The first one was, obviously, going to prove the most difficult.  Sasha's confidence - or lack there of - often made looking directly at someone uncomfortable.  Once instructed, he moved off towards the F sign and collected himself. 

The spells lobbed his way were getting stronger; that much was obvious as soon as Sasha started to dodge the first hex tossed his way.  It was a near miss but it had succeeded in heightening Sasha's focus.  He saw the hoisted wand, heard the incantation and raised his own wand before successfully deflected the spell to the side.  Sasha was successful for the next three attacks.  It wasn't until he'd turned towards E that he found himself having trouble splitting his attention between where he was going and Storm behind him. 

But, after only two near misses, Sasha turned back towards Professor Storm, his wand at the ready. 

His eyes had been on Storm's wand, watching for any movement of a spell being cast.  He'd been trusting his ears to detect any other signs of a pending attack.  He missed the smirk - the only indicator of the coming hex.  One moment, he'd been running towards Storm; the next he was lying on his back, staring at the steel beams of the arena overhead, the wind fully knocked from his chest. 

"I missed that one."  He stared at the ceiling as he inhaled deeply, trying to catch his breath.  Almost immediately, though, his mind flickered back to the lessons with Kronos - there'd been no shortage of the number of times Terry had flattened him.  The lesson though, always stayed the same: it didn't matter if you'd been flattened; you didn't leave yourself open to another attack by trying to collect your wits.  A quick squeeze of his fingers verified his wand was, remarkably, still between his fingers.  He forced himself to his feet and raised his wand, his attention directed back at Professor Storm, ready to deflect the next hex even as he still tried to catch his breath. 

"I ... I'm sorry, sir."  He shook his head and started over.  "I'm sorry sir.  I know I should have gotten up faster."  It was fortunate the stable had shower facilities.  He was, clearly, going to be covered in sand before they were through.

As suspected, Sasha fell with the surprise of the non verbal attack. Good, Ignan had found the extent of his level for now, and it was not high enough to be alarming. If Sasha had still defended himself instinctively, then there was something sinister behind the innocent look on his face. He scrambled to his feet, holding out his wand.

"Better, but you can never rely on your counterpart speaking their spells. Consider it a lesson learned."

Professor Storm informed Sasha has he picked himself up and apologised.

"And will you stop apologising. A dark wizard isn't going to care." He smirked, lowering his own wand to indicate the run had ended for the moment. Closing the gap between them with a few slow paces, he looked intently to Sasha's expression.

"Though, that lesson back in January, where you cursed Callum Knight, your apologies were oddly absent."

"How can you tell, then?"  He asked, following Professor Storm's lead and lowering his wand.  His finger brushed the smooth, polished wood of his wand., running across the contours.  "Are there other, you know, indicators someone's casting a spell?  Or, are you just supposed to go around with shields all the time.  You can't, can you?" 

If he could, maybe that'd placate Dreogan somewhat and give him more freedom. 

"And," he added, trying to sound casual.  "Are there ways to defend yourself if someone's hitting you from behind?"  He knew the obvious answer - never turn your back on an enemy.  But, you didn't always know who your enemies were and ... well ... you couldn't keep your back turned from everyone. 

Color rose in Sasha's cheeks and he opened his mouth but closed it before actually apologizing for apologizing.  That would, likely, not help the situation.  And, he'd been known to do it in the past.  But, most of the time, dark wizards weren't his primary concern. 

"I - yes, sir.  They were," he confessed, grimacing.  Obviously, Professor Storm wasn't looking for an apology, himself. Sasha wasn't entirely sure he wanted an explanation, either.  "He wouldn't have wanted to hear it.  And, he had a right to.  Trying to apologize would have made it worse - we try to avoid each other, really."  And, Sasha had been advised that he didn't need to apologize.  That he'd acted out of self-defense and, as such, the apology didn't need to come from him.  Of course, that communication with Kronos wasn't for public sharing.

"I confess, I didn't know what that spell would do.  I'd practiced it in a dueling setting but I wasn't anywhere good enough to hit the other person - he was a lot better than me.  I never saw what it did.  They just said it was good to use against bullies."

"I - yes, sir.  They were, he wouldn't have wanted to hear it.  And, he had a right to.  Trying to apologize would have made it worse - we try to avoid each other, really."  Ignan looked critically at Sasha and raised an eyebrow. He let the young wizard continue though.

"I confess, I didn't know what that spell would do.  I'd practiced it in a dueling setting but I wasn't anywhere good enough to hit the other person - he was a lot better than me.  I never saw what it did.  They just said it was good to use against bullies."

"They?" Ignan was quick to ask, head angled to one side[1], eyes keenly intent on Sasha and his explanations. The choice of phrase from the young man might be quite revealing in the following moments.

"I was not aware you were receiving tuition from another, potentially conflicting source, Schlangenweit." His right hand tensed around his wand automatically, his eyes not leaving the younger wizard. There was something about Sasha he couldn't quite put his finger on, and that made the hairs on the back of his neck twitch occasionally.

1.	I suppose a bit like this: image

At first, Sasha was afraid he'd revealed too much when he glanced up to find Professor Storm watching him closely.  No one knew he'd continued to keep touch with Kronos and Sasha knew it was important to keep it that way.  It wasn't that he wanted to keep it secret but he knew Kronos was right.  No one would understand.

He froze for a moment, his mind running quickly through the details of the whole situation and quickly came to a reassuring conclusion: he'd revealed nothing, so far, that hadn't already been revealed in the Daily Prophet.  Well - the lessons themselves had never been revealed, but they'd all taken place during the stay the newspaper had publicized.  Everything Sasha had referred to had taken place during his ... suspension and stay at Kronos'.  Sasha hadn't had any 'additional tuition' from Kronos since.  He was alright. 

Sasha nodded and relaxed once he'd ascertained there was no harm in answering truthfully.  Even if the truths were somewhat partial.

"I'm not.  At least, not anymore," he explained.  "During my suspension, the man that took ... hosted me offered to help me with my self-defense.  He taught me a few things and had me practice with his ... employees."  Or, whatever he called them.  Quickly, Sasha added.  "But, I haven't seen him since. I'm not supposed to.  I'm not getting tutored anywhere else."

Satisfied for now at least, Professor Storm continued the lesson. Hexes, curses and shields flew this way and that, stinging the air, resulting in peculiar outcomes as Sasha kept up the pace. Realising the time soon enough, Ignan called a halt to proceedings and the two of them stood in the centre of the arena.

"Good, you are not falling too far behind your class fellows." He told Sasha sincerely, though made no eye contact, instead preoccupied with pulling all the papers from the pocket of his coat.
"Professor Trishna sends his papers with me, and the rest are notes from the lessons. Oh, and yes, the letter that should have been sent to with regards to this morning. Once again, I apologise for the oversight." The curls of parchment arranged themselves between Ignan's gloved hands before he passed them to Sasha.

"I will require you to submit your essays by owl, by at least the Wednesday before we meet again to give me a chance to read and mark them sufficiently and discuss any weaknesses with you. Will that be within your abilities, Schlagenweit?" He asked Sasha almost rhetorically. The Professor sighed as Sasha took the parchment pile.

"Had you not got yourself removed from Hogwarts temporarily at least, this would be much easier for the two of us. But this is the best I can do for now to assist you in keeping up. Don't make it any more difficult for me to defend your name amongst the staff, whatever you do, Schlagenweit." He warned.

The sun had risen enough to sent slats of dim sunlight peeking into the arena.
"Two weeks time, Schlagenweit, I shall return. Do write me before then though." The Professor turned slightly to regard his exit route.
"I'll lift the Muggle repelling charms as I leave. Don't let those fall into Muggle hands." He tapped the parchment, giving a warning look before the faintest hint of a smile, and a respectful nod before turning on his heel and leaving.