I wonder how you'll react…. I have to say foreboding chapter. I've been nervous about this one.

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Harry was to be found later that day nose buried in library books reading up on a potion he had not completely and succinctly understood. For others, they would be rather proud of the classwork but for Harry, if he did not read he thought. Which he perceived to be detrimental to the fate of the world.

That day, in potions, by completely ignoring Hermione and Ron, not sitting with them, and doing fabulously had raised Hermione's ire, Ron's only a tiny somewhat, and helped Neville slightly through peripheral bookworm damage.

Harry could not say being a bookworm was not fun, as he found out he rather liked learning and could understand why Hermione did it.

When Draco Malfoy strode in, he knew that good days did not last forever.

"What's up Potter? so stupid you're stuck in a library?" Malfoy sniggered.

"Could say the same to you..." Harry replied absently.

Malfoy bristled and Crabbe and Goyle instinctively reacted and formed into defense formation.

"What are you insinuating?!" Malfoy snapped, temper raised by 'Potter's' indifference.

"Impressive vocabulary." Harry said again, rather absently.

"Do you know what my father would do had you....."

But Harry was not listening. Again he was immersed in the simmering of the Strengthening Solution, which they had missed out on last year.

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Harry was surprised it was friday. All he had been doing was reading and studying the entire week, while listening to worried conversations from everyone about his well-being. But his basic emotions were rapidly deteriorating, and he hardly noticed, save the occasional 'still fruitless conversations' thought.

Harry was exceptionally tired that morning, as he was being questioned about recent raids and if he saw them in dreams.

Of course he saw them, he woke almost every night screaming, but they did not know that and anyways pointedly ignored them and the papers.

Today was their first D.A.D.A. class with 'Professor Mad-Eye Moody.' Even having met the man before, he was naturally suspicious because the last Alastor Moody had tricked him into bringing Voldemort back.

He knew the classes were what they had been like before, Moody having thought 'better teach them little buggers what it's like to fight in a real war before it starts' or something along those lines.

He was almost suspicious of this. This year seemed to normal, nothing out of place, except that Dumbledore was gone that Thursday from the high table, but he didn't pay that any thought.

Harry finished his two slices of toast, and trudged up to a similar lesson to the one last time (based on eyewitness accounts), but the 4th years weren't getting it, the 6th years were. 'Oh Goodie, dead spiders again.' He couldn't help but shudder.

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Voldemort stood over yet another village, torturing an innocent family, who had done no wrong.

Standing below him was a little girl, no older than seven, who was close to Death, though she begged not.

Voldemort hissed, "Crucio!"

She writhed in pain, but her spine audibly cracked, and she died.

Harry woke screaming that night.

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Harry received a note from Dumbledore that morning.

Dear Harry.

I would like you to come to my office to discuss things with me, and have a Pepper Imp.

Dumbledore.

Harry wondered what Dumbledore had in plan, and he was angry and guilty for destroying his office. He was also just residually angry at Dumbledore.

Harry trudged up to his office.

"Pepper Imp."

The statue carried him up to Dumbledore's office.

"Harry. Sit please."

Harry complied.

"This year, I have planned nothing for you, but I felt that I should ask you before doing something. As you are obviously capable now, I hesitate to ask if you would like Occlumency lessons with me, as they can still be beneficial. "

Harry immediately made his decision. He could not have his emotions so out there like that.

"No, Thank you."

"Very well. I also thought you would like to know how Voldemort is immortal."

Harry perked up.

"He uses something called Horcruxes. I'm not going to tell you what they are, because since you have quite a bit of free time you may research them."

Dumbledore looked condescending as he departed his office without a word.

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The next month passed in a similar matter, everyone becoming more and more worried about Harry's mental state, even Snape somewhat, and Harry becoming more and more blatantly less caring. (A.N. It's pretty impossible to write about nothing.)

Harry had been researching Horcruxes, and he had found out what they were:

Basically when you killed someone you separated your soul. It was the act of encasing the separate part, substantially Dark Magic.

One day a few lonesome people were sitting in the common room after a particularly nasty potions lesson where Neville's cauldron exploded again, but more messy than normal while the nearest got cleaned up.

Harry was studying for Transfiguration when he felt it in the air, a big tension snap. Incidentally, Ron stalked over to him.

"I'm sick of this." Ron declared. Harry silently cheered, but little did he know Ron was faking anger to get him to talk. Ron was not that impossibly thick.

"I'm sick of this 'I'm fine' and not listening and ignoring us Harry! I've been trying to talk to you, and you never answer!" Ron grabbed his head "look at me!"

Harry did no such thing and continued studying. This really angered Ron, so he punched him, creating quite a scene, which he knew Harry didn't like.

"Dammit! LOOK AT ME! All I Would Ever Do Is Try To Help You!"

Harry did look. Ron saw dead eyes, a matte forest green. And they held no emotion, none at all, for the first time.

Ron stalked away, baffling everyone who was watching.

Harry's last thought outside of schoolwork that night was 'I'm a famous name.'

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Harry continued having nightmares, but he no longer dwelled on them. he got up, and he studied. Late one night when most everyone was asleep, waking up after a nap, he was called down to the headmaster's office with a note:

Dear Harry,

I do enjoy Mars Bars, and was hoping you could share one with me tonight.

Headmaster Dumbledore.

'Oh, it's the headmaster, dang. Time to fool him, this'll be tough'

Harry, like a drone, made his way up to the eagle landing.

"Mars Bars."

And in no time at all he found himself standing small in front of the headmaster.

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry was feeling rather sick of that question. He felt fine, apart from the perpetually burning scar and the aching loneliness, knowing he was doing the right thing. But he must carry on, like Dumbledore failed to be strong with him.

"Do you have a date for the Thanksgiving Ball? It's in a week you know." Dumbledore asked with a rather off twinkle.

'Thanksgiving what? goodness. Of course I don't have a date.'

It had been announced two weeks previously, but Harry had been so fargone by that point it did not reach him. "I'm not going."

"Oh really, and why would that be?"

"I don't want to."

Dumbledore changed the subject. "Did you find out what Horcruxes were?" It had been nearly a month previous he sent him out on his query.

"Of course, sir."

"I thought you might like to know I have been hunting them, and if you were to have any information on Voldemort it would be greatly appreciated."

They sat in silence after this, Dumbledore pondering matte green eyes and Harry pondering how he was going to escape. After all, he really wanted to know the theory of the human transfiguration.

"I wish to go, professor."

Dumbledore sighed. Obviously he was getting bare minimum.

"I hope to see you in better health."

Harry barely made it out of the office until he collided with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.

"How are you feeling?" They asked.

It was the one thing that raised the most emotion in a long time for him, burning anger that they would not let go, that his occlumency parted and the scar burned righteously, allowing the most evil presence Harry had ever known entrance.

He felt as if his whole body was under cruciatuses, tens of them, and a snake coiled around him, choking off breath and causing immense pain. They were fused, just like in the ministry.

On the outside nothing had changed, though his eyes had a slight tinge of red to them.

He forcefully brushed past them and strode purposefully away, toward the dormitories.

.....

Dumbledore came out of his office a second after.

"Children! what a pleasant surprise."

Dumbledore felt something in the wards breach, and strode away in the direction of the breach, Harry's friends on foot.

"We think something's up with Harry."

Ginny spoke up. "He's pushing us away, thinking he can protect us."

Dumbledore knew the implications of this, and suddenly Harry's attitude was explained, as well as the evil breach in the wards.

"We have to move."

.....

Through all of the pain Harry knew Voldemort was taking him to the dormitories.

He stormed through them, Seamus and Dean staring after his red eyes.

The moment Harry/Voldemort picket up the firebolt and opened the window, Dumbledore strode in, wand raised.

"Back away from that window, Tom."

Harry's friends started, and Voldemort turned around.

Harry's pupils were now slit like a snake, and his irises were like a scarlet lens, completely covering up the emerald green.

"Dumbledore" He scowled.

His voice was an overlay, Harry's voice completely laid under Voldemort's, in an evil constriction.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave, Tom."

Harry sensed what was going on, but he could not focus. The great snake was using his mouth, and his body.

Harry suddenly had Voldemort's wand, and he felt himself raising it.

"You'll have to."

Ginny ran from the room, to clear the tower. Ron and Hermione ran to help.

Harry heard a great commotion outside the room as Dumbledore and Voldemort dueled once again.

Only this time, it was different. Harry had pushed the pain back to think and could tell Dumbledore was using passive spells, afraid to hurt Harry.

'Stupid Dumbledore, think past the Damned Prophecy.' Harry thought angrily.

The pain increased tenfold, and came back with renewed force.

Harry was no longer aware of anything but the pain, and the great snake.

Hours, Days later to Harry, he found Voldemort standing over Dumbledore bound.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were somehow in the room. Also bound.

He realized also in that split second Voldemort was going to kill Dumbledore, as he raised his wand.

"Avada Kedav-"

To everyone in the room, Harry/Voldemort's eyes looked to be battling. The red overlay fading and coming as Harry fought the snake for the first time.

He was struggling against Voldemort, finally sense knocked into his head. He couldn't fight the war without them, and they were love. Love of Mentor, Romance, Family and Friend. He wasn't even aware he thought romance.

"Get out of me!"

Harry whispered this out loud, and in his own voice. To them, his hand was twitching as he struggled to let go of Voldemort's wand.

It slipped from his hand.

Harry collapsed to his knees as suddenly everyone was freed and held his head screaming in agony.

Little did everyone know Voldemort was now losing against love.

'Foolish little boy,' The snake, Voldemort, spat. 'Love. Defeat me??'

'Y-Yes!'

'You're a fool.'

Harry fell to his side against Ginny.

Ginny spoke softly amidst the screams, from Harry and and the talking in the common room. "Harry, fight him, you'll be okay."

Harry heard her, but just the words... 'fight.. you'll be okay...' He didn't know who spoke.

Voldemort have a nasty shove, and he convulsed and stopped screaming. Ginny sprang up from his side and when she did, he stopped and just twitched, moaning in pain.

Ron tentatively touched Harry. Harry screamed when he did, but it was Voldemort's pain. He was helping Harry. He didn't know that though, and pulled away.

Harry felt himself weakening, and just twitched in his dying body.

Dumbledore grabbed on to Harry, as he was the only one who knew. Harry screamed and convulsed again, but this was Voldemort's pain.

Ron and Co. looked at Dumbledore in horror, but he refused to notice as he held Harry tight.

Harry took strength from his Mentor, and gave Voldemort a dose of love.

He remembered the times when Ron laughed in childhood antics, Hermione scoffing at the immaturity of them all, Ginny talking gaily with them, and Dumbledore helping them through the tough times.

Harry quieted, as well as the common room full of the Order of the Phoenix, and gave a final shudder.

Dumbledore paled, and fearing the worst, picked Harry up and carried him downstairs.

"Madame Pomphrey.." He said quietly, and actually ran from the room.

Nobody could say they had ever seen their Headmaster and Leader more frazzled and worried.

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Everyone stood looking over Harry, laying in a hospital bed seemingly faking sleep but really unresponsive beneath a plate labeled Harry Potter: Most Frequent Visitor.

"He's physically fine, except for the unawareness. He's even eating and everything, but only things that a braindead man would do. I suspect his mind is weary, from...." Even in this worry, Madame Pomphrey retained the businesslike tone.

Dumbledore, looking especially pale and thin, stood above Harry Potter along with Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall and Madame Pomphrey.

Nobody could believe Harry Potter had yet another mental battle with Voldemort and came out on top.

Severus Snape spoke up. "Perhaps we could look into his mind sir, and - "

"No, Severus." Dumbledore cut in. "That is extremely violating, and you know that as well as I."

"But I believe these to be extenuating circumstances."

"I, however, do not." Dumbledore said with an air of finality. Dumbledore always did the morally right thing, even now.

"I believe we best be going." Minerva said quietly.

They all dispersed as the rest of the ministry six ran in.

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If you never reviewed for the rest of your lives, I need reviews this time. This was the big thing! Voldemort was planning it, and poor withdrawn Harry was out of the loop.