So, folks, here we are again. Sorry for the longer than usual delay for updating. I've been busy. This story has no clear storyline. I'm doing this as an exercise. I just write what pops in my head, so it might take longer sometimes to update than other times. I have some nice battles waiting, and I'm slowly working towards them. I'll try to get another chapter up and running this week. Cheers!

19

The War is Brewing

Harry sat himself down and began eating his breakfast. His friends were silent as they pondered the news they had read in the Daily Prophet of that morning. A large Death Eater attack had destroyed a busy market in London itself, killing tens of Muggles. Several Aurors were also killed in the ensuing fights with the Death Eaters. Suddenly the War seemed to become very close to the students of Hogwarts, whom had mostly been sheltered by the strong walls and magical protection of the castle. Harry had no such ideas. He had destroyed a Horcrux and faces Voldemort and his Death Eaters more times than he would have liked in his entire life. The war was all too real for him and his friends.

'Another attack in London,' Hermione muttered. 'It seems the Death Eaters are getting bolder. They are striking at the heart of Great Brittain, close to the main buildings of the Ministry of Magic.' She shook her head sadly. 'Why doesn't the Minister or the Order do something?'

'Because they can't,' Neville whispered. He was still reading the article and had a somber expression on his voice. 'You don't understand, Hermione. My grandmother always took me too parties of the higher members of the Ministry. I've seen how they are. They care for nothing but their own wallets and safety. They will not fight.' As he looked up, Harry could see a fire burning in the eyes of his fried. 'The Ministry will not win this war if they keep reacting to Death Eater attacks. They need to take the war to You-Know-Who himself, attack him and his followers. But they do not have the Aurors for that.'

Harry nodded. He had come to that conclusion himself too. The Ministry would not fight, not really. They would try to minimalize the damage and protect the major wizarding places, but nothing more. The Order, in his own opinion, was only slightly better. They reacted to Voldemort and fought him in battle, but there numbers were too few to make a real difference. They were on the defensive, and Voldemort was gaining even more power as they spoke.

'I will not let it happen,' Harry whispered to himself. 'I will not let Voldemort take over the world that is my home.' He knew he was working hard to achieve his goals, but he needed more time. He hated the fact that most people were fighting and sometimes dying for their ideals, whilst Harry himself was safe and sound in Hogwarts itself. He hated the fact that he could not fight in the war together with the members of the Order of the Phoenix. He knew he had the most important job of the war – finding and destroying the Horcruxes of Tom Riddle – and he needed to keep his focus, but it was becoming harder and harder to do just that. Not with so much death happening everywhere.

'I need some fresh air,' Harry mumbled. He stepped up and walked out of the Great Hall. His walk was followed, not only from the concerned friends at the Gryffindor table, but also from the Head table and from the Slytherin table. Some of the older students shared a knowing look, feral grins appearing on their faces. Harry did not see them as he walked towards the lake, where he lowered himself to the ground and thought until the sun went down behind the horizon.

Harry trashed in his bed and moaned softly. His eyes were closed as he battled unseen demons. Sweat poured down his face, a face that was frowning and shaking, as if trying to shake something off. Deep in his mind, however, Harry was seeing through the eyes of another person. A person that was today known as Lord Voldemort to the world.

Voldemort looked down upon the Death Eaters. All of them were bowing before him, acknowledging his might and magical abilities. Fear hung in the air. For a moment, Voldemort allowed himself to enjoy the feelings of his servants. His smile was dark and menacing.

'The day has almost come,' he hissed in a low voice. Still, his words reached every corner of the room. 'Our powers are growing stronger every day. Those fools at the Ministry have no idea what is coming. They are frightened of you, my loyal Death Eaters.' He gripped his wand as he walked among the kneeling Death Eaters, who were listening to his every word.

'My loyal servant Nott has succeeded in placing an Imperious Charm on Rufus Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror Department.' His words resulted in many Death Eaters whispering excitedly to each other. This was a huge achievement, possibly a turning point in the war.

'We will kill all the Blood Traitors and Mudbloods,' Voldemort hissed. He looked around, eying his followers. 'Soon my power will be absolute. Soon.' Voldemort was a raging storm of passion, anger and darkness.

Harry awoke with a gasp. He rushed out of bed and splashed some water on his face. He ran downstairs and stopped dead in his tracks when he found Ginny waiting for him. Her worried eyes focused on him. 'What's wrong?' she asked. 'I could feel your emotions. They woke me up.' She shrugged and smiled. 'I guess I can't help worry about you.'

Harry took a deep breath. He enveloped Ginny in a tight hug for several seconds before letting her go. 'I had a vision,' he explained. 'I saw Voldemort. He … he told his Death Eaters that somebody had succeeded in placing an Imperious Curse on Scrimgeour. He is the head of the Auror department.' Ginny's eyes went wide when Harry told her the news. She had enough brains to tell what this was meaning. The last line of defense of the Ministry of Magic was now under the secret control of Voldemort himself. That meant that the Death Eaters could practically walk in when it pleased them.

'We have to tell somebody,' Ginny whispered urgently.

'I know,' Harry whispered back. He looked around, making sure nodoby was there to hear what he had to say. 'We should tell Dumbledore. He can mobilize the Order and do something. We can't let the Ministry fall without a fight. I believe it's only a question of time before the Death Eaters will strike.' He left the rest of his thoughts unspoken. If Voldemort was gleeful enough to lower his guard and show Harry a vision, the planning must already be in an advanced stage.

They hurried to Dumbledore. When Harry knocked urgently on the door, it opened on itself. Inside, Harry could see Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and several other members of the Order. 'Ah, Harry,' the Headmaster said. 'I'm glad to see you. I have been expecting you, I must say.' The eyes of the Headmaster twinkled. 'We were just discussing some important developments. Am I right that you have something that you want to tell us?'

'Yes Sir,' Harry said slowly. He glanced at Snape before continuing. 'I saw Voldemort talking to his followers. He was talking about placing an Imperious Charm on Rufus Scrimgeour. They have the Auror department on their hand. They could launch a strike at the heart of the Ministry whenever they want.' He looked down.

'We must look into this closely,' McGonagall said. 'If Mr. Potter is right – and I have no doubt he is – we need to act. We can't let the Ministry fall into the hands of You-Know-Who without a fight.'

Harry held his tongue. He knew that fighting Voldemort was the only right decision. But he also knew that they could not beat Voldemort yet. First, they had to destroy his Horcruxes, his life-line to immortality. As long as there remained one single Horcrux, Voldemort could never be truly defeated by the forces of the Light. And it was his task to find the soul-pieces and destroy them once and for all. Ginny nodded in his head. The bond had evolved to a point that both of them could see what the other saw, if they wished to do so.

'We need somebody inside the Ministry to gather as much information as he or she can,' Dumbledore said, rising from his seat. 'We need eyes and ears outside of the Order. There must be employees at the Ministry who are prepared to fight for what is right, against the Darkness.'

Snape shook his head. 'They are afraid,' he sneered. 'They are afraid of the followers of the Dark Lord inside the Ministry. I've been there. I know what the Death Eaters are planning and doing. They intimidate, they spread lies and fear and they watch out for everybody speaking up. Most employees that were attacked in the past few weeks were those people brave or stupid enough to speak openly about the war and the Darkness.'

Harry looked at Snape. He seemed almost normal, as if he was forgetting Harry was there at all. He had never liked Snape, and had always thought the Potions Master was secretly in league with Voldemort himself. However, right now, Harry was not so sure anymore. He could see a fire in Snape's cold eyes. The man was willing to fight.

Harry crossed his arms and listened to what the Order members had to say. In the depths of his mind, he could feel Ginny listening also. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He was never alone, not anymore, but he wouldn't trade his bond with Ginny for anything in the world. She was his world.

Hermione was sitting in the library. Her eyes scanned the pages, looking for answers her mind so desperately needed. Her thoughts, however, were far away, with the war outside of the castle's walls. She read the reports in the Daily Prophet just like anybody else, but somehow Hermione felt more responsible for what was happening to the world. She was a Muggleborn. Voldemort and his followers would not hesitate to kill or seriously injure her. This was war, and in war all ruled were forgotten. Only surviving counted.

Hermione sighted and closed the large book before her. The candlelight made the shadows on the walls dance a strange pattern. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. She needed to do something. Harry was training with Dumbledore himself, preparing for the war. She envied him sometimes. He learnt spells she had never heard before. He was getting ready to do what had to be done. She wanted to do the same.

She walked back towards the Gryffindor tower, still deep in thought. She knew a lot of spells and even more about all kinds of magical creatures. She was called the brightest witch of her age. But she was afraid. Knowledge was one thing, but using that knowledge in a life or death situation was something no book could prepare her for. She also feared for her friends and parents, who were Muggles and had no way to defend themselves against Death Eaters.

She needed to do something. She knew Harry was keeping some important things from her and Ron. She had the right to know, and wanted to help defeat the dark wizard. It angered her that Harry did not tell her everything he knew. Did he not see that she could be a great asset to the Order? To himself? They had been close friends for years. She shook her head. It was of no use to get angry now. She needed to remain calm and think this over, as she had always done in the past. She would come up with the solution – now or in some days – and she would find a way to confront Harry. To convince him to let her in. A smile appeared on her face as she marched towards the Gryffindor tower, the fire of a purpose hot in her heart and mind.