Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter

A/N: thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 11:

November 3, Tuesday. 9:33 PM. Room of requirement.

Harry dodged an electric blue beam of light that his mentor shot at him. It was an extremely dark curse, one that would cause the caster to be arrested on the spot if the ministry found out. If hit by it, one's organs would begin to swell until they burst, killing the victim in an extremely painful manner unless one performed the counter curse immediately. Needless to say, Harry avoided it like the plague. Being hit by it once was enough.

This was the way many training sessions went. It helped Motivate Harry to learn what curses were what, the counter curses for each, whether it would be best to shield or dodge, and what shields to use. He also learned how to cast them, something he didn't really enjoy. It made the voice in his head more active than normal and it made him feel darker. The voice claimed that it was power. Harry claimed that he was going nuts.

He dodged a blood-boiling curse, not willing to trust a shield with that one. One of the many things that Moody taught him was that shields were breakable. A particularly strong spell could shatter one and if that happened you were in some deep shit. Once again, Harry learned the hard way.

Finally the curses stopped coming. Harry didn't let down his guard. Moody had a habit of pretending to stop. Next thing Harry knew, he would be on the ground, bound by chains with air hard to come by. Not this time though. He kept his wand leveled at moody who was panting heavily. "I'm getting too old to be dealing with brats like you," the old wizard grunted. Harry just smirked. He'd begun to read his mentor and knew that he was actually… well pleased might be a bit strong of a word but that's what Harry like to think. "That's enough for tonight."

"What?" Harry asked, letting his wand fall to his side. "It's only been two hours though!" Usually they would go on for another hour at least. Sometimes more.

"And you're exhausted due to your lack of sleep." Moody growled. "Face the nightmares, Potter, and they'll go away."

Doubt it. "Fine. See you Thursday, sir."

Harry trudged back to the common room. Maybe Mad-eye was correct in saying that he should just face the nightmares. Maybe then they would stop plaguing his sleep. Then again, very few of his nightmares were normal. Maybe twenty percent of them. Most were with Voldemort or Dark Harry. He really didn't know what else to call the red eyed version of himself. He doubted that those would just stop coming. Maybe once he really got the hang of occlumency which he was still having trouble with. It was still hard for him to reach that room with all of the scrapbooks. He didn't know how he did it the first time. It just happened.

The common room was bustling with activity, a game of exploding snap was going on in a far corner, a few younger students were practicing spells in another. Ron and Lavender were dozing off in an armchair. Harry was still shocked at Gryffindor's newest couple which had started after the Quidditch match against the Slytherins. He went over to sit by Hermione who was helping Dean and Parvati with the defense assignment. Fucking Snape and his long ass papers.

"You're back early," she commented. Dean and Parvati both looked up, hoping to find out where Harry constantly went, but Harry just nodded. "Good, you can help them with the assignment."

Harry leaned back into the cushions. "You've got it covered." he beamed innocently before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with his wand. "I would just get in the way."

Hermione glared at him and the cigarette hanging from his mouth. "I don't know where you're getting those things, though I have got a pretty good guess, but if you are going to insist that you keep it up, go by the window or outside!"

Harry looked over to the nearest window. It was still so far away. Fuck. He stood with a low groan and walked over to the window, opening it a crack. At least this way Hermione wasn't on his ass about smoking. He glanced around the room again. He noticed Katie and Ginny working together over the playbook. That was supposed to be his job as captain, not Ginny's. Fuck, did he need to make some sort of planner. He doubted that he would even follow it though.

He took a closer look at those younger students who were practicing spells. They were second years and they weren't just practicing regular spells. "Expelliarmus!" the boy shouted, having no effect. Harry crushed out his cigarette, put it in his pocket for later, and shut the window. It could wait for later. He moved over to where the kids were practicing and kneeled down on one knee next to the boy.

"Your wand movements are off," Harry told him and the kid jumped, looking up with wide eyes.

"What?"

Harry smiled. "Hold on, I'll show you." he looked around and saw several people watching. What was so interesting? Tonks walked in at that moment, coming from who knew where. She stopped in her tracks, trying to find out what people were looking at. Harry grinned and got to his feet. "Erin, get over here for a minute!"

Tonks looked from Harry to the kids questioningly as she walked over to them. "What are you doing?"

Harry didn't answer right away. Instead he turned to the boy. "What's your name?"

For a moment, the boy just gaped. The Chosen One asking for his name! Then he said brightly, "I'm Tyler. She's Elisa." he pointed to the girl.

Harry nodded. "T-Erin stand over by Elisa. I'm going to disarm you to show Tyler the wand movement. Then you do the same."

"Sure," Tonks said, looking a bit surprised. Harry never stopped to help the younger students. Why was he now? "Go for it when you're ready."

"Pay attention," he said to Tyler. He raised his wand and flicked it in a counter-clockwise circle and up, slower than he normally would. It was still effective and Tonks' wand sailed into his hand. He twirled it, tossed it back to Tonks and looked at Tyler. "You get that?"

"I think so."

Harry nodded. "Alright Erin, your turn." a second later his wand was torn from his hands. She twirled it just as Harry had done and tossed it back. Elisa looked amazed. Harry thought back to when he was twelve. How different he'd been, more serious than these kids. And there hadn't even been a war back then. He shook his head. "Alright, you two try it out."

Harry and Tonks stood off to the side as the kids faced each other. Tyler went first, calling out the incantation and waving his hand. Elisa's wand wiggled but that was it. This time Harry saw why. There was a reluctance in Tyler's eyes that Harry remembered seeing in a few people during the DA practices. He approached the twelve year old and kneeled down, words from Dark Harry forming in his mind.

"Magic is a force of willpower. You have to really want it to happen for it to work. That's your only problem here. You aren't going to hurt her."

Tyler didn't look convinced, glancing at Elisa who was standing next to Tonks. Both looked at the boys questioningly. "What if something bad happens? What if I do something wrong?"

Harry smiled. It was a gentle smile that few people ever saw. But this time the whole common room did. He didn't even notice. "Elisa, come over here," he said and she did. "Both of you sit down." Once again, they did. It felt like story time at school when Harry was young. Except this was going to be more serious than telling a bunch of nonsense stories about princesses in castles. There were no happy endings like they always had when it came to real life. He regarded the two of them carefully, trying to figure something out. They were only kids, so why were they trying to learn fighting spells? Did they think they had to fight in the war? What went through their minds? He just stared at them. Then something clicked and a sad expression came over his face.

"Your families, they're muggles." the two nodded. Now he got it. "You want to be able to protect them." They're just kids!

And this is war. Surely you know that better than most. You killed a fucking giant, petrifying snake at their age.

Shut the fuck up.

Come now…

"They won't be able to defend themselves against the bad wizards," Tyler said quietly. Harry hardly heard him.

Harry sighed, feeling depressed. He leaned back onto the palms of his hands. Now he had to reassure these kids with lies that their parents would be safe. And what if something did happen? He couldn't lie to them. This was war and everyone, no matter how young they were, should have the right to know what the fuck could happen. Especially the muggleborns whose parents wouldn't be able to explain it. Even wizarding Parents who felt like the war was too harsh of a thing to talk about with their kids were not doing them any favors. Mrs. Weasley was a perfect example of this. He sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses.

"Hopefully, none of you will ever have to take part in this war, but the chances of that happening are slim for some of us." he said, his voice ringing out through the silence. It was suddenly obvious that everyone was listening. "I know it's a scary thing to think about, but war is dangerous for everyone."

"Harry," Hermione said in a warning voice. Tonks sat down suddenly next to her and shook her head. "Let him talk," she whispered. Hermione narrowed her eyes but nodded slowly.

"But everyone here has a choice whether or not to fight, even those who have lost someone to the war." Harry continued, wishing that he never helped the kids in the first place. He looked around at the sad faces of those thinking about people they lost to the war or their friends who lost someone. "All of you could just go into hiding. Leave the war to the aurors or to those who may choose to fight. Wait for the war to pass over." He looked meaningfully at Hermione and then Ron when he said this. It wasn't there fight!

"How long will that be?" Someone called out, a fourth year boy whom Harry did not know the name of.

"How should I know?" Harry replied.

You are great at reassuring people. Inspirational speaker you are.

SHUT UP!

Harry closed his eyes in pain as he felt as though a hammer was beating him in the head. Dark Harry didn't like being yelled at, yet he provoked Harry to do it. Fuck him. "War is unpredictable." he said. "Our instincts seem to insist on violence, one of the causes of this war. That and racism. The death eaters do not care about causing pain or killing. That's why for those of us who fight, our own survival depends on the death of another."

You're quoting me again.

There were frightened looks from those around the common room at Harry's words. He had to close his eyes, not liking the fear he put in them. But they had to know those things. He opened his eyes and looked at the two kids before him. Their eyes were wide as a house-elf's. He gave them another one of his gentle smiles.

"Don't worry about your families. There are forces out there that will protect them."

Like they did Hannah's?

I hate you.

"Have hope," he said. "And keep practicing."

He left everyone hanging on the edges of their seats, them all wishing he'd said more. No such luck. Harry'd had enough for one night. So much depression. But he hoped he'd gotten through to some people. War was scary, yes, it was unpredictable and dangerous. But they needed to have hope. Everyone had their own choices to make about the war: whether they would fight or run. Talk with their parents or just stay quiet and accept. Train or let it all go down when the time came.

Harry crawled into bed, thinking about his speech. It would be all over school the next day.

A/N: One sappy ass and very short chapter that I hate with a passion. Don't know why the fuck I included it but I did and now you're all stuck with it till next week probably. Aren't I just evil? Maybe I wrote it to show that Harry really is changing and to show how he interacts with his 'darker self'. Or maybe its just fucking pointless. Hm, I thought I had a plan for this story. Well, hopefully chapter twelve will be better.

10/29/11 My grandmother is currently at war with fruit flies and its hilarious.