Disclaimer; Not mine and I'm not making any money.

Cuteandnice, Athenakitty, Hrei-siesn, Linky2, Rocky235, Prphtssp, Iesa, David305 Tempest in blue, thank you, exactly the type of review's I need, I know my grammar is not too good, but it's been so long since I studied it, I've forgotten a lot of it! So all help is appreciated. However to answer a question, I never said that 10 OWL's was the maximum, just that Hermione was taking 10, so her maximum would be 10. Hope this clears things up for you.

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Chapter 8 - Fresh Perspectives

Harry was still immersed in his thoughts when he arrived at breakfast the next morning. He knew that Cassandra was not a real person, yet he felt sorry for her. Her life had been difficult and in the end, though she achieved her goal she had still lost.

Moony was sitting with Mad-eye Moody and Tonks. Harry joined them with a quiet "Good Morning."

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks smiled at him.

"Morning Harry," said the gruff voice of Moody.

"Ah Harry, you look a bit peaky, did you sleep alright?" asked Moony.

"Uh yeh, I just read a bit too late," Harry replied.

"So Dumbledore thinks your ready for a bit more practical defence," Mad-eye said, "he reckons you should train for multiple attacks, so Tonks and myself will both be with you this morning."

Harry gulped at this idea, but tried not to let his apprehension show on his face.

"Don't worry Harry; we won't hurt you," Tonks laughed, "well not too much!"

Harry smiled tightly at her, and focused his attention on his bacon and eggs. Once they had finished eating, they led Harry to the training room.

"Now Harry, Tonk and I are going to start of with simple curses, nothing dangerous, we're here to teach you how to focus on more than one target at a time. You may use any of the spells or curses you know, you won't hurt us, so don't hold back. Got it?" Mad-eye asked.

Harry nodded once to show he understood and then drew his wand to stand ready.

"Expelliarmus" called Tonks.

"Protego," said Harry, then he dived behind a table which had been placed in the room. "Praenubilus," he called, causing the room to become dark and cloudy. He moved again and cast a hex at Mad-eye, as he rolled past him, but was caught at the last moment by Mad-eyes quiet "vitrum caesaries." Harry felt an odd twinge on his head and noticed the hair hanging over his eyes was blue.

"Oberro," Harry sent at Mad-eye, and turned to Tonks to cast, "Consopio," Tonks immediately fell asleep.

Mad-eye however had not been caught by the wandering spell, he raised his wand at Harry and began to say, "Tarren." Before he could finish the word, Harry disappeared and reappeared behind Tonks, whom Mad-eye had released from her sleep. To Harry's surprise she caught him with "expelliarmus," and his wand flew to her.

Momentarily stunned, Harry once more disappeared and as he reappeared behind a chair, he focused his mind and called his wand back. Both Tonks and Mad-eye followed the wands path and aimed at Harry. Suddenly he was sneezing again, and Mad-eye called a halt.

"Not bad Harry, not bad at all," said Mad-eye.

"Harry's chest swelled with pride, coming from Mad-eye this was very high praise.

"Ready to go again?" asked Tonks.

And so they spent the rest of the morning, by the end of the session, Harry had blue hair again and strangely glowing red skin. Tonks was still giggling slightly and Mad-eye had to perform the counter-curse to restore his hearing.

"I think I need a shower before lunch," said a very tired and sweaty Harry.

As he approached the dining-room after he had showered and changed he could hear voices, talking about him.

"You know, I still think he's very good, after all he's only 16, think of what he'll be like when he's 21!" Tonks was saying.

Harry smiled, pleased at the compliment.

"That's assuming he lives that long!" replied Mad-eye.

Shocked at such brutal honesty, Harry walked into the room, before he could overhear any more.

"Harry, we were just talking about how it went," said Moony lightly.

"Yes I heard," Harry replied grimly.

"Now Harry, I do believe that you are quite advanced for someone so young, but I don't think that you should get over confident. There are dangers out there waiting for you, and I don't think you can afford to become complacent." Mad-eye told him.

"I know," answered Harry, not sure what else to say.

"Anyway Dumbledore will be here shortly,, so lets have lunch," Moony said, a bit too cheerfully.

Lunch was quiet. They all seemed to be absorbed in their own thought when Dumbledore arrived.

"Just in time for dessert," Dumbledore smiled as he sat down. "Well, how was your training this morning Harry?"

"Okay I think, but I still need a lot of practice I guess." Harry mumbled.

"Why don't you go on to the library if you've finished," Dumbledore told him, "I just want to speak to Alastor and Nymphadora for a moment."

Harry excused himself and went to the library. He had been there for about 10 minutes when Dumbledore arrived.

"Harry, Alastor and Nymphadora were pleased with your performance this morning." Dumbledore said, settling down on a large arm chair next to the fireplace.

"They were very helpful," Harry replied quietly.

"You don't seem very happy, what's wrong?" Dumbledore asked in a kind voice.

"Nothing," Harry began, then changing his mind he added, "just something Mad-eye said. He told Tonks I'd be lucky to be alive at 21, I know he didn't mean to be nasty, but it's the truth and sometimes it's a bit." Harry trailed off.

"Difficult to cope with? Maybe frightening?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, I suppose so. And then there's that story, the green torch one," Harry said. "I finished it, and I was annoyed at how it ended."

"What annoyed you?" asked Dumbledore.

"Cassandra died, she became so focused on her mission that she lost her soul, and the Torch killed her!" Harry replied.

"Ah! So you are not angry that the magical community forgot about her sacrifice?" Dumbledore asked him.

"Well it wasn't very nice of them, but no I was angry she had to die, I mean it's just a story. Why couldn't the writer have let it have a happy ending?" Harry raged.

"But is it just a story Harry. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned from it. Perhaps the writer wants us to ponder a greater meaning?" Dumbledore raised his eyes to stare intently at Harry.

Harry thought for a moment then asked, "that to destroy evil, you must eventually become evil yourself?"

Dumbledore twinkled at him, "no Harry, I don't think you must necessarily become evil."

"You should be careful not to?" answered Harry, "you shouldn't let hatred eat at your heart, or they win. The evil wins even if you kill it?"

Dumbledore looked extremely pleased when he answered, "I think you have an old soul, Harry Potter."

This wasn't the answer Harry had expected, a simple yes or no would have be alright. But as he looked at Dumbledore, he knew it was Dumbledore's way of saying yes.

"So you gave me the story as a warning? Not to become focused on hating Voldemort, in case I lose myself?" Harry asked quietly.

"The story was to help you find your animagus form, which I hear is a Golden Eagle." Dumbledore smiled. "But I would be lying if I told you Cassandra's life didn't remind me of yours."

Harry smiled at his head master, understanding. Then he frowned slightly as he asked, "Don't you hate Voldemort?"

"Voldemort is to me still the scared and hurt child that came to Hogwarts. He should be pitied more than hated. True he has done many evil things, yet most of it because of how he was raised. Tom Riddle was a very angry young man; he has grown into an angry man, look how hating has rotted his soul!" Dumbledore answered sadly.

Harry knew he shouldn't be surprised with this view of things, after all Dumbledore did have some very strange ideas. Somehow listening to Dumbledore, Harry could believe that he shouldn't Hate Tom Riddle, yet he couldn't stop himself from hating what Voldemort had done, especially to Harry's family.

"So do you think I will die, because I hate him?" Harry said.

"I cannot tell the future Harry, but I will warn you that, hatred can eat into your very soul. Hatred has destroyed many before you, even those who fought evil with righteous hatred." Dumbledore looked intently at Harry and added, "I will not tell you not to hate Voldemort, I have no right to do that. But I would ask you to think about it, consider what it will do to you, the price you will pay!"