Author's Note: Hello and welcome to my first attemt at writing...at all. I kind of got this idea a few days ago and started working on it. If I get any responses I will keep going with it. Please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own the fictional charactors of the Harry Potter world. This story will eventualy contain slash of the Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy veritity so leave now befor you get involved in the story okay.

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A Prelude to War

Ginny's eyes swelled and tears rolled down her cheeks. His words were harsh, cutting at her like knives. He had to be harsh; he had to push her away. The boy named Harry Potter knew that if he didn't run her off, he would be sentencing her to death.

Harry looked up into the skies. It was a clear day, just as Albus would have wanted.

Harry walked towards the funeral and wondered to himself, "When did I start calling him Albus?" The answer was last night. It was the night the man known as Albus Dumbledore sacrificed himself to save him. It was the night his innocence died and his world faded to black. It was the night he swore revenge.

He moved toward the memorial. He saw faces shrouded in tears and disbelief. Some he has seen, others he has not. All of them came here to honor the memory of the greatest wizard who ever lived. All came to honor him except Harry Potter.

Everyone looked at the boy who lived as he approached the monument. Their tears flowing endlessly. They stared at the frail young man as he put his wand toward his throat.

Harry mumbled a few special words, as Dumbledore has done many times before him. He let out a deep breath and began his lament.

"Albus Dumbledore was murdered," came a strong voice. "Murdered by agents of Voldemort. Murdered by one he called a friend. Murdered by his colleague. Murdered by Servius Snape." Harry stopped only to look at the crowd with strong and willful eyes.

The crowd sat dumbstruck at the honesty of the boy's speech. Some moved to stop him, thinking he was desecrating the man's memory. The giant Hagred stopped them, his once tear sullen face now swollen with anger and rage.

"His death was not truly the result of one man however. His death was the result of something much more than that something larger then any of us. Albus Dumbledore died because of one thing. He died because of your fear," Harry pointed his finger out to everyone present. He words magnified with rage and disgust.

"Fear of one person, fear of his return. He died because of your fear of Voldemort."

A simultaneous gasp and exclamation rebounded through. Harry's face turned red with anger. Even now they still fear him? After all the sacrifices, all the death? Why do they fear him instead of hate him?

"Cedric Diggory. Serius Black. Albus Dumbledore. Countless more slain in pursuit of fear. Hogwarts has failed," he bellowed as he raised his hand to and points to the hallowed hall of his school. "The four great witches and wizards of their age made Hogwarts as a place of peaceful learning. It was a place where children could learn the ways of magic unaffected by the constant ebb and flow of good and evil."

Harry looked to the skies. Heading towards him from the school was a giant red bird. Harry knew this bird well; it was the Phoenix that Albus kept in his office. It had appeared to him many times over the course of his tenure at Hogwarts.

Now the bird, fresh from its rebirth flew to Harry once more. This time not to deliver a saving weapon or a healing tear but instead a symbol of Hogwarts. It carried in its talons a wrinkled and dusty hat, the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts.

Harry unceremoniously grabbed the hat as the form the bird in mid flight. The face of the hate looked at Harry, sending him words only he could hear. The words were 'thank you.' Harry then, without a word, pulled out the sword just as he did so many years ago. Its magnificent blade shimmered in the sky, radiating century old magic. Its size and weight was now adjusted to nearly grown boy. Rather then a short sword it was now a full-grown blade. The jewels shimmering amongst the ancient hilt.

He held the hat close to his chest and then flung it into the air. Then in a quick and merciless manner he cut the hat in half. As he did this he proclaimed, "The trust of Hogwarts has been broken. As the trust of Hogwarts falls so too shall its wards."

Even Hagred shuddered as the hat was cut in two. It slowly floated to the ground as Harry sheathed his sword in his robes. When the hat finally hit the ground everyone gasped as they heard the sound of glass shattering. They looked around as the sky, the grass, the very structure of the land around them changed in a way only a witch or wizard could understand. Something had died.

The centuries old seals and wards of Hogwarts had shattered.

Harry then took a small coin out of his pocket. It was the coin of the DA. He murmured a few words and small flecks of gold light appeared in the pockets of several students. Not knowing why they were compelled to stand up and move along side Harry.

"These are no longer your children. Fear and war have robbed them of their childhood. These are now the children of Hogwarts. They are the ones that have stood against the evil of Voldemort in the place of their elders. They have stood up to the evils of this tyant in where no one else would. We are Dumbledore's Army.' Harry and the DA looked around at the scorned parents and teachers of Hogwarts.

His voice was suddenly interrupted by a familiar sound. "What give you the right to do this Mr. Potter," said Minerva McGonagall. She had bite her tongue through Harry's speech but could take no more.

"This does," Harry said as he pulled the Sword of Gryffindor once more. "This is the Sword of Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Created and ordained at the same time the sorting hat was woven. Only he who is the true heir of Gryffindor, no of Hogwarts, may wield this sword."

As he spoke, all in attendance could feel the power of the sword. It was power made manifest. It was destiny taken form. It was Harry, the boy who lived. Now he was to be a man, and a force to be reckoned with.

"A school is a place of learning, where you can learn in peace and security. Hogwarts has failed." Harry said softly with his face turned slightly towards the school. "If a it can no long be called a school then it will become a base for war. It will be the sanctuary for the outcast and the hunted. Its doors open to anyone who has the will to fight and to anyone who must continue to hide from a name."

His voice once again roared to life with authority and power. "The seals and wards are gone. Their protection was inadequate to say the least. The minions of Voldemort breached them, leaving our greatest champion dead. But now by his virtue," Harry place his hand respectfully upon the monument and let loose a single tear, "and the power of the founders I place the greatest protection of all."

The crowd stared for a moment as Harry pulled the Sword of Gryffindor above his head and them down to kiss the hilt. Then with one swift movement he threw the sword into the monument, its blade sinking into the powder white stone like a knife through butter.

This peculiar moment was interrupted by a series of screams and howls. Everyone looked around as several people from the mourning crowd hunched over in pain. Pulling up their sleeve all of them bore the dark mark. The snake now hissing in pain and agony. They all shot up a venomous stare at the boy before being forcibly appariated out of sight."

"Those reporters that remain spread my word. Anyone with allegiance to Voldemort will not be able to enter these lands. This is ancient magic older then even the elders of Hogwarts. This is now a safe haven and headquarters of the light. Everyone is free to join or leave. There will be no oppression here, no intimidation, no fear. Dumbledore's Army and The Order of the Phoenix will hunt you down. Your fear will not work anymore, no longer will we fear your name!"

Harry then turned around, followed by more then half the student body of Hogwarts. Then to everyone surprise most of the parents and onlookers stood up and began to walk to sanctuary.

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Dumbledore's office was still as odd and clutter as always. The only difference now was that it was short one sorting hat, a sword and had a new picture. Harry looked up at the sleeping wizard picture. A mere specter of the man he once knew and admired. "I hope I am doing the right thing Albus," he said to himself as he sat back in the too large for him chair.

"Maybe you planed it like this," questioned Harry has he raised an eyebrow to the picture. His question would have to wait however as he heard many different voices murmuring every sweet concoction known to man and wizard. "Well I guess its time to deal with them." He gave a sigh and nodded for the gargoyle to move.

The silence of the room exploded with the voices of several of his closest friends and teachers. He could see McGonagall pursing her lips into nonexistence between each exasperated comment. Hermione giving her signature 'Oh Harry,' and pout every now and then. "Bloody brilliant' from Ron and concerned words from Remus and Moody. All the while Hagrid stood beaming from ear to ear.

"Quiet!" exclaimed a female voice finally. Everyone looked around and it was the ever so pink haired Tonks. She was looking at Harry as if he was about to explode.

Harry messaged his temples and then decided to start yet another long line of speeches and comment. "Listen you can all yell and berate me later but right now we have a lot of things to do and not much time in which to do them. In case you didn't notice I all by declared open war out there.

"Okay Madam Pomprey," Harry turned to the medi-witch, "There are going to the be a lot of people entering Hogwarts in the next few days and maybe more in the following months. I need you to coordinate with the house elves in making living arangments with them. Also who ever is not signed up to fight I need to you to assess their medical skills. We might have casualties on the grounds eventually or some that cannot be taken to the hospital for some reason or another. Molly please help her."

"Yes dear," said Molly with tears in her eyes, "when did our little Harry get so grown up?"

"When circumstances required it Molly."

"Okay Remus I need you to go back in with the werewolves. I need to know what they are planning. Moody, Tonks and the rest of the aurors I need you guys in the field just as always and I need to have an assessment of who in the auror's department are on our side. Mr. Weasly, I need you to be in the ministry. I need someone to keep an eye on them as well. It would be prudent to establish contact with your son. Now is not the time for petty family squabbles. Also contact your sons in the field. I need to know if there are any advances for Voldemort to take the dragons or convince the goblins to move over to his side."

"Hagrid, I need you to go to Madam Maxine and make sure that they have adequate protection at their school. I do not know how far out of England this war will escalate but I like to think that no one from their area will defect to Voldemort's side. After that I need you to be our liaison to the creatures of the forbidden forest."

"Hermione I need you and the senior members of the DA to start organizing basic training session for new members. I want all senior members to lead a squad in training. Yes even Neville will get a group to train. I want you and Luna in charge of this."

"Fred, George and Professor Flatwick, I need you to work together. I know it's not how you usually work but the twins have a way of thinking outside the box and right now we need new innovative charms. Nothing offensive we got plenty of those but we need charms and physical objects that wont drain our strength in the battlefield and force us to keep on the defensive."

"Am I missing anyone?" Harry looked around at the awe struck crowd. Then in the back rose a freckled hand.

"Ah Ron you will be working with Hermione and Luna when we get back."

"When we get back?" asked Ron. "From where?"

"There are something's I need to do before this all get going too quick. Something that I would rather have an escort for since we will be traveling outside the gates of Hogwarts for a few hours. Go get dressed in something comfortable that you can maneuver in incase of an attack. Also it's going to be dark so get some chocolate in case they sick some dementors after us."

"Okay now that I have said all I need to say please leave me be. I need to concentrate on something." Harry them moved over the pensieve, the magical washbowl that once held his late mentor's memories. He then placed this wanted to his head and extracted a silvery memory and placed it gently upon the water.

When the crowd left he did now know for he was too busy leaning over the pensieve in the same manor that Dumbledore did not so long ago. He stared wholeheartedly into the image as if trying to burn it into his head.

"What is it you see?" came a voice from behind him.

"It's the memory of the funeral. I wanted to have a record of who was forcably appariated from the grounds and who was not. Mostly just confirming my suspicions of possible death eaters. Most of them we have known before." He sighed and went back to glaring at the visage.

"Were you going to tell them about me?" came the voice once again from the shadows behind him.

"There was no need. If things go as well as I think they will tonight I believe they will all know about you. Besides I want that ace in the hole, otherwise even I would be worried going with only Ron and me outside the gates. Don't worry I trust you with what we have to do tonight."

"I didn't think there was reason for you not to trust me," came the voice although this time sadder then before.

"I trust you, but the others wont. Or at least they wont yet. You haven't been here, fighting the fight with them. You are a newcomer to the game and it will take a lot to gain their trust."

"How reassuring."

"Who are you talking to Harry," squeaked the voice of Ronald Weasly.

"No one, just thinking out load, and effect of the pensieve I guess."

"So where are we going?" asked Ron.

"You'll see." Harry gestured Ron over to the fireplace and took a handful of floo powder. "Lemon drop?' Harry asked.

Ron looked bewildered, "Not funny Harry!"

"I don't know. I thought it was." Harry then took a gulp and said loudly and precisely "HOME!"

The world went into the familiar spiral of light. Ron stood there waiting for them to arrive but couldn't help but wonder. Where does a boy like Harry Potter even call home and where were they going?

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