Harry awoke with a start. His brow was covered in a thin layer of sweat and he was breathing heavily. There was a soft snoring from next to him. He rolled onto his side and saw Ron, sleeping peacefully on a camp bed next to his own. Hermione was sleeping on another next to him. It was exceedingly cramped in Harry's room, but he was grateful for their presence. Since Sirius had gone through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, they had been his rocks, keeping him sane and out of trouble.

Luckily, their stay at Privet Drive was coming to an end. Later that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were due to go and stay at the Burrow for the rest of the summer, before their sixth year at Hogwarts. Harry blinked and the fateful words he had heard just weeks ago in Dumbledore's office floated through his mind again.

Power the Dark Lord knows not...

The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...

Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives...

Harry sighed heavily and carefully got out of bed. He quietly tiptoed over Ron and Hermione and edged his way out of the room. Harry silently crept down the stairs, making sure to avoid the one that creaked, and then slipped into the bathroom. Harry sat down on the cold toilet seat and rested his head on the cold porcelain sink basin. He sighed. A few moments went by and Harry heard a faint knock.

'I'm coming out,' Harry hissed hurriedly and bolted to his feet. He opened the door and saw Hermione looking at him sympathetically.

'Bad dream?' Hermione whispered and Harry nodded. She gently grabbed his hand and lead him back upstairs.

Hermione guided Harry over Ron's still sleeping form and Harry clambered back into bed. His mattress was a bit damp, and Harry supposed that it was because of his profuse sweating. It was rather warm in the room, even with the windows wide open as there was barely a breeze in the night air.

Hermione settled back down herself and Harry lay in bed thinking. The prophecy was the reason that his parents were dead. It was the reason that Voldemort had plagued Harry's life for over fourteen years. It was the reason he had a connection to Voldemort that caused Sirius' death.

A hot flash of anger flowed through him. A primal anger was pumping from the depths of his heart, coursing through his veins, setting his mind alight with rage, hate and a desire for revenge. The feeling didn't stop. It continued to flow through Harry and he was sure that it wasn't because of his connection to Voldemort. It was because of Voldemort that he felt like this.

The first rays of sunlight peeked into the room and Harry sat upright. Hermione and Ron were asleep and Harry, grabbed his glasses and yet again, crept over them and down the stairs, grabbing a pair of shorts on the way. He popped into the bathroom and changed into the shorts and then left the house, after pulling on his trainers.

The air was lukewarm, but fresh and eased the anger coursing through him. Harry knew that there would be hell if Hermione and Ron woke up with him gone, but a large part of him didn't care. He started to jog down the pavement, concentrating on the sound of his feet hitting the ground. It was rhythmic and oddly soothing. He carried on, completely lost in the moment as he jogged through the quiet, peaceful slice of suburbia.

Eventually slowing down at the playground where he'd encountered the Dementors the previous summer, Harry realised that he didn't have his wand. It was still on his bedside table. Harry was fairly sure that Voldemort wasn't able to attack him as Ministry Aurors and the Order were providing round-the-clock protection for the entire area.

Harry opened the gate and walked over to the swings, sitting down on one and rocking to and fro slightly. His anger had abated now. He felt "normal" but something had changed inside him. He couldn't carry on the way he had done. He recalled the many near misses and close calls throughout the years, ever since he had reentered the Magical community and attended Hogwarts.

Their first year exploits to protect the Philosopher's Stone were foolhardy. He, Hermione and Ron could've been killed. Then there was the incident in the Chamber of Secrets. Then the times with a dangerous Werewolf, despite it being their Defence Aganst the Dark Arts teacher. The entire Triwizard tournament debacle and how unprepared he was. His mind finally slowed as he remembered the events of the battle at the Ministry. Not only could he have been killed, Sirius died. Moody, Tonks, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Neville had all sustained injuries. Hermione and Ron were still taking medication to alleviate their injuries and Harry immediately felt extremely guilty.

'It was all Voldemort's fault,' a small voice in Harry's head told him. 'He tried to steal the stone. He opened the Chamber of Secrets. He told Barty Crouch Jr to put his name in the Goblet, resulting in the Triwizard fiasco. He manipulated you into going to the Ministry and he sent his Death Eaters to take the prophecy from you.'

'I was reckless,' Harry told himself. 'I should have been more prepared!'

'Hello Harry Potter,' a cold voice said.

It sounded like a hiss and it sent a chill down Harry's spine that only one voice could. Harry jumped off the swing and whirled around and his blood went ice cold. Voldemort had silently appeared behind him, his wand pointing directly at Harry's heart.

'Why didn't I bring my wand!' Harry thought to himself angrily as fear began to rush to every inch of his body.

'You've been a burden for far too long Harry Potter,' Voldemort hissed venomously. 'My Death Eaters are keeping the Order and the Ministry Aurors occupied while I kill you. Now that your filthy Mudblood mother's protective charm has been broken I will not be stopped.'

'I need my wand,' Harry roared inside his own head.

There was a faint whistling. Both Harry and Voldemort turned towards the source. Harry's wand was speeding through the air, straight towards its master's hand. Harry's Quidditch instincts kicked in, and he ran towards it. Voldemort raised his wand and aimed. Harry caught his wand in mid-air and rolled as he hit the ground.

Voldemort's killing curse slammed into the ground, leaving a huge crater in the dry grass.

'Protego!' Harry yelled, casting the shield charm in front of him.

'That silly spell won't protect you Harry Potter,' Voldemort snarled as he edged towards him, like a snake stalking its prey.

Voldemort flicked his wand again and a silver arrow sliced through Harry's shield charm as if it didn't exist. Harry rolled out of the way again and an idea came to him. If he managed to avoid Voldemort long enough, the Order or the Aurors might have time to deal with the Death Eaters and come and help him.

Harry kicked himself. The Aurors or the Order shouldn't have to help him defend himself. He needed to know how to fight. To defend himself, and if needed, he needed to know how to kill. Something in Harry's mind changed. He crab-walked out from behind a small park bench and aimed his wand at Voldemort, who was ready for him.

'Expelliarmus!' Harry roared.

'Avada Kedavra!' Voldemort snarled.

The red light from Harry's wand slammed into the green light from Voldemort's. At once, Priori Incantatum connected the two wands by a brilliant beam of golden light. Harry and Voldemort both clung to their vibrating wands as they were lifted into the air. Harry wanted to let go but his wand was glued to his hand. He couldn't unwrap his hand from it.

It seemed like Voldemort was having issues too. He looked bemusedly at his vibrating wand. A golden ball erupted from the centre of the beam between them. It grew in size until it was mere inches from both Harry's and Voldemort's faces. As if by instinct, Harry knew what was going to happen.

The golden ball exploded. Harry and Voldemort were blasted in opposite directions and both of them landed with a thud on the hard ground. Harry's ears were ringing from the blast. He didn't seem to be hurt, but he felt dizzy. Harry slowly made his way back to his feet, his wand held tightly in his hand.

Voldemort looked more shaken than Harry. He gave Harry one contemptuous look and disapparated. Harry didn't think twice. He ran back towards Privet Drive at top speed. He staggered a couple of times, but was back home within minutes.

Large holes had been blasted out of its walls and the debris littered the street. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, Harry's only remaining family, were taking shelter from behind a house a few doors down the street. Harry ignored them and stormed inside the house.

Five bodies littered the floors. Death Eaters and Aurors had fallen in the fight. Harry raised his wand, ready to duel as he crept through the eerily silent remnants of the house. He found no other dead bodies downstairs, so he quietly made his way up the stairs. Ron and Hermione raised their wands at him, as soon as he came into their view.

'Woah,' Harry said, raising his hands up.

'Where the hell were you?' Ron demanded.

'I went for a run,' Harry said just as he felt a tip of a wand land on the back of his neck. He kept his hands in the air.

'Voldemort attacked me,' Harry continued. 'He told me that the Death Eaters were keeping the Aurors and Order occupied so he could kill me. I didn't have my wand and it, somehow, appeared like I had summoned it and we duelled. Like before, Priori Incantatum connected our wands. This time it was different. It exploded and made Voldemort leave and then I came back here. What happened?'

The wand tip left his neck and Harry slowly lowered his hands. Kingsley walked out from behind Harry.

'The Death Eaters attacked,' Kingsley said, his voice was deep and reassuringly slow. 'Fifteen stormed the Aurors while a further ten attacked the Order members. They knew where everyone was. All but one of the Aurors died. Luckily no one from the Order was killed.'

Harry nodded and Kingsley continued.

'Your family were moved to a Arabella Figg's house,' he said and Harry grimaced.

'I saw them looking out from behind the neighbour's house,' Harry informed them.

'I'll update Dumbledore,' Kingsley said. 'We will need to move the Dursleys to a safe location.'

'What about Ron, Hermione and me?' Harry asked him.

'We'll move you as planned to the Burrow,' Kingsley said, a hint of a grin on his face.

Harry nodded and turned back to Hermione, who still looked annoyed, and Ron.

'Why didn't you tell us you were going out?' Hermione demanded as soon as the room cleared of Order members, leaving the three of them alone.

'You two were asleep,' Harry retorted. 'I didn't know where anyone else was. I didn't think that Voldemort would attack me here, what with all the protective spells and the Aurors and the Order here.'

'Well, he did,' Hermione snapped. 'We were worried sick when we saw that you had gone.'

'You said that your wand came to you?' Ron interjected, trying to deflect Hermione's rage.

'Yeah,' Harry said, jumping at the opportunity to change the subject. 'Voldemort was about to hit me with Avada Kedavra, and I was thinking how stupid it was to go out without my wand...'

'Really?' Hermione interrupted sarcastically and Harry ignored her.

'Anyway,' Harry continued pointedly. 'There was a weird noise and my wand flew into my hand and we duelled.'

'That's weird,' Hermione said, forgetting in her curiosity to be angry at Harry. 'It flew into your hand?'

'Yeah,' Harry said. 'It was as if I had summoned it like I did with my Firebolt in the Triwizard torunament.'

'Wandless magic,' Hermione said softly, deep in thought.

'Wandless?' Ron asked sharply and Hermione nodded.

'There's not a lot of information on it because it's so rare. I have read that in some extreme cases a witch or wizard can perform wandless magic but it hasn't been documented for years. Dumbledore didn't use it in his duel with Grindlewald.'

'How much magic can be used without a wand?' Harry asked her and she shrugged.

'Again, there's so little information that I don't know,' she said. 'How far away were you?'

'I was in the little park about a mile away,' Harry said and Ron had an odd look on his face. 'What?'

'A mile away?' Ron asked. 'You sure?'

'Yeah,' Harry said softly. 'Why?'

'Well,' Ron said slowly. 'If it hasn't been documented for years, I'm not sure we're going to be able to find out how you did it.'

'Won't Dumbledore know?' Harry asked Hermione and she shrugged bemusedly.

'Don't know,' she said shortly. 'You could always ask him when we get back to Hogwarts.'

'I will,' Harry said. 'What's happening now?'

'We need to pack,' Ron sighed. 'We're heading back to the Burrow, remember. After the Death Eaters attacked, this place isn't safe anymore.'

'How could they have known?' Hermione asked. 'I thought that the protection that Harry got from his mother protected him here?'

'Voldemort was reborn with my blood remember?' Harry reminded her. 'It probably gave him a way to counter the magic and let the Death Eaters in.'

He looked at the clock before continuing.

'C'mon,' he said. 'The Order probably want everyone out as fast as possible.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione began packing their bags and preparing to leave Privet Drive. Hedwig was long gone, sent to the Burrow a couple of days into Harry's stay with his relatives. Within the hour, all three of them were ready to leave, their things in what was left of the hallway.

As if on cue, Tonks appeared at the front door and gave them a heavy look.

'Ready?' Her tone was business like, formal even.

They nodded and tugged their heavy trunks into the front garden. It was still dark, but Tonks waved her wand and it looked as if black drapes suddenly covered every window in sight. Three Order members appeared before them. Arthur Weasley, Dedalus Diggle and Remus Lupin.

'Side along apparition,' Mr Weasley explained to them. 'It's the quickest way. I'll go with Ron. Hermione can go with Daedalus and that leaves Remus and Harry. If you three lightly hold the elbow, we'll do the rest.'

As if one, they reached for the respective elbows of Lupin, Mr Weasley and Dedalus Diggle. In an instant they were immediately pulled into crushing, roaring darkness. However, it was over as soon as it hard started. They were all facing the Burrow and Harry broke out in a grin. This is more of a home for him than Privet Drive ever had been.

Harry, Hermione and Ron dragged their trunks up the driveway and into the house. Mrs Weasley was waiting for them and gave them all crushing hugs.

'Arthur told me what happened Harry,' she said sorrowfully. 'How did you survive... him?'

'I don't know,' Harry said truthfully. 'Priori Icantatum saved me... again.'

Something flickered in her eyes, but Molly said nothing. 'You're up in Ron's room again. Hermione, you're with Ginny again.'

Harry and Hermione grinned at her and followed Ron in hauling their luggage up the narrow, rickety staircase. Hermione knocked and entered Ginny's room while Harry and Ron carried on up to the top floor. The customary orange assault on Harry's eyes hit him as he entered the room. He quickly got used to it and gratefully lowered his trunk to the floor.

A camp bed had already been made up for him. Ron sat down on the side of his bed and looked at Harry.

'Mate,' he said softly. 'You need to talk to Dumbledore about what happened earlier.'

'There's a lot I need to say to Dumbledore,' Harry replied shortly. 'Things are going to change this year.'

Ron's eyes narrowed in curiosity. Harry had a determined look on his face that Ron had never seen before.