A/N: Here is the next chapter. I have added a summary for all the previous chapters since some of you might have forgotten what has been happening. You can skip it if you want. Enjoy!

Till now…

Harry finds himself in the midst of an interesting summer where he gets trained by a squib and learns that Dumbledore didn't just leave him behind to fend for himself. With a steel resolve, Harry dons on his mask and becomes the masked marauder and with the guidance of his trainer he takes on the dark side head on. However, everything didn't turn out to be as rosy as he expects and finds himself falling into the deep end of his own making. Killing a few death eaters and making himself the most hated student of Hogwarts were some of the things he didn't expect to be involved in. Struggling with rampant emotions and a guilty conscious, Harry sets on to unite Hogwarts and form an army out of its students; a mission more difficult that he had anticipated. It seemed only a miracle could help him pull this off.

The Villainous Play

Harry felt a tremor shoot through his body as his eyes took in the features of Severus Snape, who stood before him with his usual arrogance and looked down on him with a sinister smile cutting across his face.

Harry was not shaking because of fear though. Such was the intensity of his emotions, the combination of pure hatred and rage, that he was fast losing control of himself. Only one thing was running through his mind; vengeance.

Even in the darkness Harry could see the sneer on Snape's face causing him to clench his teeth. It certainly brought back memories. "Is that fear I smell? So is it that the famous Marauder just a fantasy that everyone created? What a-"

The dam of emotion broke and Harry had his wand spitting out the killing curse, the real thing this time. He had no reason to hold back. He could almost feel the hate strengthen his magic as the green bolt raced towards its target.

Not surprisingly, Snape easily side stepped it and looked on with amusement. "So predictable. You don't happen to be a Gryffindor, do you?"

"Shut up! You traitor!" Harry raged at the top of his voice, which he followed by a couple of killing curses. However, his concentration was haywire resulting in his aim being wayward. Snape just had to worry about one of those curses.

"Anger is such a wasted emotion." Snape intoned as if giving a lecture. "You certainly lack the emotional discipline. I am amazed that you managed to cause so much trouble for the Dark Lord's followers. You don't seem to possess much skill."

"I will show you skill!" Harry apparated right behind Snape and the stunner left his wand in a flash. Miraculously though, a shield appeared out of nowhere and Harry found himself staring in the amused eyes of Snape through the glow of the shield.

"You are fast, but not fast enough." The casual way in which Snape spoke grated on his nerves.

Harry apparated again and sent four stunners from different directions, followed by a blasting hex from what he expected to be Snape's blind spot. Never did Harry expect a Potions Master to move so gracefully, so swiftly through the onslaught and come out unharmed; and smirking. "I can read you like a book. I-"

Harry didn't let him finish and in an attempt to surprise him, sent another volley, this time a mixture of cutting and blasting hexes. However, the results remained unchanged.

"You are really proving to be a disappointment. And here I had come with such high expectations." Snape drawled as he twirled his wand in his hands.

Harry was too frustrated to respond. He was thinking fast; and hard. He had to defeat him no matter what the cost. He decided to change tactics.

He began with his usual apparitions as he threw curses at Snape from different sides and suddenly apparated right behind Snape.

Snape was extremely fast; there was no doubt about that. He was ready with his wand for the attack from behind. But he had underestimated his opponent. And Harry was counting on that.

Harry had apparated too close to Snape, making the drawn wand almost useless. Harry's fist was already in motion and it impacted with Snape's jaw with such force that Harry suspected that he had broken it; along with his knuckles. Snape gasped in pain as he staggered back, his unarmed hand holding his jaw.

Harry grinded his teeth as he pushed the stinging pain which shot through his arm to the back of his mind. There was something that was needed to be done; something that he had been dreaming about for months. Harry took advantage of his opponent's position and sent a killing curse. He knew this time he was going to win. He was going to willingly become a murderer.

Harry watched in horror as Snape twisted in mid-air and disapparated away with a loud pop. His killing curse went through empty air and struck the cold earth.

Harry had failed. He had let Snape escape justice. However, Snape hadn't run away.

"That was a surprise. My jaw still stings." Harry whirled around only to find a wand in his face; Snape's wand. Before Harry could react, he felt a huge nail being hammered right into his head.

Snape was trying to break through his mind! Harry pulled back his memories as he hastily constructed shields around them, only to be brought down by Snape's furious assault. Such was the force behind Snape's mental attack that Harry was gasping for breath and his body was shaking under the strain. Harry fought back with all he had learned from the Headmaster but he knew he was failing. He couldn't keep this up any longer and his efforts to block Snape's intrusion were quickly draining him. He had to somehow release himself from this hold Snape held on him.

Harry pushed Snape back with all his might, gaining some mental ground in the process. Taking advantage of that moment, Harry slipped through and disapparated away to the safety of his room; like a coward. The angry eyes were the last thing he noticed before Harry could make his getaway.

Harry dropped to the floor near his bed, completely drained by tonight's debacle.

This was not possible. Snape was just a Potions master; a person who tinkered with vials and flasks. There was no way he could be so talented. There was no way he could be so able and agile when it came to duelling. There was no way he could be so able in Legilimency. And… there was no way Harry could see himself kill Snape. He had failed. He was powerless against him, all his desperate attempts turning out to be futile. Snape's skill was on a totally different level. If he couldn't defeat the likes of him then there was no hope against Voldemort.

Harry groaned as he felt the pain from his arm remind him of his only success. Yes, that felt good, if only for a moment. The moan that he extracted from Snape was like music to him. It was the only bright spot that Harry could smile at. A grimace was all he achieved.

Darkness claimed him as Harry lost consciousness.

***B***

Harry groaned as bright sunlight pushed through his eyelids. His back had gone numb on the cold hard floor. His knuckles were sore and even a small movement of his fingers stung him sharply. All in all, it was a terrible situation to wake up to. Harry almost decided to go back to sleep but the pain didn't let him.

After twenty minutes of struggling, Harry left his quarters in search for a place where he could sate his hunger without being disturbed. It was Sunday and everyone was going to be in the Great hall; all the more reason he had to avoid such a place for the moment.

As he walked, his mind was becoming a stage where a furious debate was raging on. A part of him was condemning him; calling him a coward and powerless while the other part whispered reassurances to him. Luckily, the latter was gaining control.

Yes, it may have been an act of cowardice but it was the right decision he had made. He had to accept the reality. Snape was much stronger and faster than he looked; more than him at least. He would have surely lost and died, giving away important information in the process.

It was strange but Harry found himself make peace with his near failures. Maybe it was because of the many discussions he had with Lance on this topic. He had underestimated both his opponents and had tried to take them on without any strategy or without giving any thought to what his opponents had up their sleeve.

Hermione had almost beaten him but he had gotten lucky with a stray spell. Everyone was so engrossed by his ferocity that no one noticed his near loss. His overconfidence was to blame for that.

Snape on the other hand had seemed to be playing with him; such was the difference between their skills. Harry hoped none of the other death eaters had so much talent. Although he found it rather odd that Snape didn't attack; physically at least. It looked as if Snape was just testing him, gauging Harry's skills. Maybe Snape was just leaving the kill for Malfoy.

Such were Harry's thoughts as he left the Hogwarts kitchen. He walked aimless through the corridors and ended up running into the person he was planning to see sooner than later.

"Hiya Harry!" Sam greeted him. "Good job on yesterday's win." He momentarily frowned at Harry's rather disheveled look but didn't comment.

"Thanks" Harry responded, forcing a wide smile on his face. He knew he had to be responsive if he wanted Sam to agree with his request.

"Your match surely generated a lot of talk. I have my money on you to win the final round." The Auror spoke with barely contained enthusiasm. "Too bad I wasn't allowed to see it. Sucks being an Auror at such times."

"Would you like to be in my shoes?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice try Mr Potter but I would rather face the death eaters than take your place." Sam joked. "Everything that I have been hearing from the students was a bit you know…" He trailed off, his smile disappearing. "Not that I believe in any of them." He quickly added.

Harry forced a smile and then sighed, putting on a defeated mask on his face. The look of pity on Sam's face was all that he needed. "I wonder if you could help me with something."

***B***

"Where have you been all morning?" Hermione asked the moment she entered the Room of Requirement, followed by Ginny, Neville, Luna and Susan. Ron was absent. Harry didn't expect Ron to come to this meeting anyway so there was no surprise. He was certain Hermione or the others would pass on the information to him. He hoped no one would ask why Ron wasn't there. There was no explanation that he could give. He didn't want to talk about it anyway.

"Yeah, I knocked on the door a few times but there was no response." Susan said with a frown as she took in a slightly haggard figure of Harry. Ginny didn't say anything as she observed Harry; so did the other two.

Harry took his time before answering with a partial truth. "I overslept. I had difficulty sleeping last night." The tone was perfect with a tinge of sadness and anguish. He found the others nodding in understanding. Susan was looking at him strangely and Harry found himself feeling uncomfortable. He quickly broke eye contact only to find Hermione eyeing his sore knuckles, which he slowly hid. "Let me begin by telling you why I have called for you." He looked them all in the eye before continuing. "As you all remember, the other part of the deal I made with the Headmistress was to involve Professor Hart in our planning. She didn't specify how much and that is what we will take advantage of. However, completely hiding the facts from him won't do. Just giving him a brief idea would be as far as he will get to know. We are still not sure about his true identity and playing a safe game would be best for our goals." He paused to check if anyone had anything to say. "Having said that, we should not give him any reason to think that we suspect him. We need to make him feel that he is involved but in reality we would be keeping him out of the important parts of our planning. This won't be possible if we have him hovering over us as we train. I have thought of a compromise which I hope the Professor accepts without putting up a resistance."

"Which is?" Ginny prompted after Harry remained silent for a moment.

"We would include an Auror to oversee our training and hence preventing the Professor's intrusion."

"But won't that be even worse than the Professor himself?" Susan inquired with a frown on her face.

"It won't be just any Auror. There is one I know whom I trust. We can include him in our plans if need be." Harry informed them but the others still didn't look convinced.

"I am not trying to question your judgement but what reasons do you have to trust that Auror?" Neville asked what everyone else had in mind.

"He has been guarding me all summer and I know him personally. And more importantly, he is a member of the Order." Besides Susan, everyone looked more than satisfied with that explanation. Susan had a confused expression on her face.

"The Order? Is there something I need to know?" Susan enquired as she noticed the not so confused look on the other's faces.

Harry looked at everyone before answering. "It is a secret group which had been created by our headmaster to fight Voldemort's army." Harry noticed the unmistakable flinch from most of them as he said the Dark Lord's name. He chose not to comment on it. "It is actually called the Order of Phoenix. That is as far as I can tell you. I hope you will be keeping this information to yourself." Harry gave her a look and Susan it seemed had clearly understood. There, he saw it again in her eyes. It was definitely not a good sign.

"Does anyone have any doubts about my plan?" Harry asked the others but they all kept quiet except Hermione.

"I don't know Harry. Suddenly including a third person into our planning sounds very impulsive and not well thought out. Isn't there any other way to keep Professor Hart out of all this?"

"Don't worry Hermione." Luna quipped. "I am sure Harry has got everything figured out, right Harry?"

Harry could only nod dumbly. He was again having that same feeling that Luna could see right through him. Harry coughed before proceeding further with the next part of the plan. "Right, now let us move on. Even though we all suspect Professor Hart, we don't have enough proof to prove that he is a death eater. There is also a slight possibility that we could be completely wrong about him. So this is what we are going to do. We will keep a very close but discreet eye on the Professor, tail him if required and look for anything out of the ordinary. I know it's going to be difficult but I am certain that the Professor is bound to make a slip-up and we would be there to catch him."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

"To spy on him we could use the ma-…" Ginny trailed off and glanced around. "… you know…"

"We know." Hermione said forcefully, looking sharply at Harry.

"Use what?" Neville asked, looking at Ginny's and Hermione's faces.

"Nothing!" The two girls said together drawing suspicious stares.

Harry laughed uncomfortably. "No need to get so excited. Anyway, I would like to add that even if we do find some dirt on Professor Hart, it would be best to inform the others before acting on it. We don't know how strong he is and going against him alone is certainly not advisable." Harry informed them.

"So when are you going to talk with Professor Hart?" Neville enquired.

"Before lunch."

***B***

He needed to get this over with. Being in the Professor's presence unnerved him. There was something strange about him that he couldn't place. Going alone was not going to help matters either. Harry thought he was being paranoid by asking Hermione to check on him if he didn't return in fifteen minutes. Better safe than sorry, he thought.

Harry stood before the DADA classroom, his knuckles ready to knock on the door. He was getting a bad feeling about this. Suddenly, the door opened inwards followed by a sharp voice. "Come in."

Harry involuntarily gulped as he felt for his wand, if only to reassure himself. And with that he took his first step into the devil's lair.

Professor Hart was marking some papers and without looking up he ordered Harry to sit down; which Harry reluctantly did.

There was a bout of silence and Harry realized that it was he who would have to begin the conversation. A fact he was not too happy about. "Professor Hart, my name is Harry Potter."

The Professor stopped the movement of his quill as he looked up at Harry with dark amusement. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

A bad start, Harry realized. He decided not to beat around the bush. "My friends and I have decided to form a group called Hogwarts Army which would include students from each house. Our goal is to train them in self-defense as well as offense if required. We already have the approval from the Headmistress. However, she has requested us to include you to oversee our training." Harry stopped his flurry of words and hoped that the Professor would take the bait.

"So you want me to overlook your Army's training?" The Professor asked with a neutral look on his face.

"Yes" And now for him to lay down his cards and hope that he had a better hand. "However, if you find yourself extremely busy and wish to stay out of our training, we can get an Auror to supervise our activities instead." He knew that it didn't sound very convincing but he hoped that the Professor would agree.

"And who might be this Auror?" The Professor enquired as he bent forward on his desk.

Uh…uh… Harry hadn't expected that. What would happen if he gave the Auror's name? Would Sam be in danger because of his involvement? Was there any way out of this?

"Auror Sam" There was no other way around that direct question.

Professor Hart remained silent for moment before he went back to his work. "I wish to be kept informed."

"Yes, of course." Harry said, trying to stifle the triumphant smile from his face. This had been much easier than expected; too easy if he thought about it. The smile slowly disappeared as he realized that.

"You may leave."

Harry was out before Professor had stopped speaking. In his haste, Harry missed noticing a very important thing – the sinister smile on the Professor's face.

***B***

"You called for me?" Harry asked as he entered the Headmistress' Office. Something was off since he didn't notice Susan. So it wasn't a meeting as he had earlier assumed. The Headmistress was sitting behind her desk, her sharp eyes observing him like an experiment. It didn't look good.

"Indeed. Please take a seat Mr Potter." Harry settled himself in the only chair and looked on, waiting for what he was expecting to come. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I have an idea." Harry responded truthfully. He knew he needed to tread very carefully around her.

"You do, do you?" The Headmistress' features hardened for a moment before returning to its usual hardness. "I will get straight to the point. I have been hearing some strange rumours which I find very disturbing. I have received complaints from many students, including the prefects. Many of them have approached me with their views about you and how you have been conducting your duties. None of them sounded too happy I am afraid." She paused, observing Harry over her spectacles, scanning him for a reaction. Harry wasn't forthcoming though as he looked back with a mask devoid of expression. "What do you have to say to that?"

"Do you believe what you have heard about me?" Harry asked a question of his own.

"It doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is that you are carrying out your duties and living up to the expectations of the badge pinned to your robe."

"And what makes you think I haven't been meeting those expectations?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn't like where this conversation was going and couldn't think of a way to steer away from it.

"The number of unhappy students in Hogwarts would be a good indication of that."

"I didn't know that was a part of the job description. As long I get the job done I don't think that it should be a problem." A flicker of annoyance appeared over his face.

"You can't scare the students and threaten them to follow the rules. A Head Boy is supposed to be respected, not feared." The Headmistress was giving Harry a strange look.

"Please don't judge me from where you are sitting." Harry said in a low voice but he knew she heard him. "I will not defend my actions or my decisions when I know I am not at fault. I cannot be held responsible for the lies and rumours that have reached your ears."

"If it had been a few I would have agreed with you but that is not the case here." She pointed out.

Harry looked away. "Hate can make people do things much worse. Lying to strip me off my Head Boy position would be very easy for them."

"And why do you think you have become the centre of all this animosity? It doesn't have anything to do with what you have been doing, does it?"

Harry didn't miss the sarcasm in her voice. He quickly stood up, almost toppling the chair. "I mean no disrespect but I hold you and the late Headmaster responsible for it." Before the Headmistress could protest, Harry went on. "People really haven't been a fan of me since I have been in Hogwarts. They would find the strangest of reasons to despise me, making things up and pushing their exaggeration to its limits to make me look bad. You haven't forgotten about all that I hope." He paused to see how the Headmistress was taking it but he couldn't really tell so he continued. "They all love to hate me. And you just gave them another reason to do so. I did try to convince you to not give me that position but you insisted. I told you this would happen but you didn't pay any heed to it. I am certain you didn't expect the reaction from the students when you announced me as the Head Boy." The apologetic look on the Headmistress face indicated to Harry that he was winning this verbal battle. Now he just needed to play his hand correctly and gain her confidence. "Believe me, I had tried hard to gain their acceptance but all my hard work had gone in vain. They all refused to look at the other side of the coin, to give me a chance to prove myself. Seeing my wasted efforts I had to stop and think of an alternative. I thought about letting you know what I was going through but I figured you would already be aware of the situation that I found myself in. Also, I deduced that any interference from you on my behalf would have actually proven counterproductive and worsened the situation. I tried to be strict and didn't leave any transgression unpunished. However, the students misunderstood my intentions. Instilling fear in the students was never my goal."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" The headmistress enquired with a guilt-ridden expression. It seemed that Harry had won her over and bought himself some time.

"I just want you to have my back and support me through this difficult phase." Harry said as his tired and defeated eyes met those of the Headmistress.

"I can do that." The Headmistress quickly said. It seemed that she was looking for a way to redeem herself. An impressive feat when compared with the bleak situation Harry was in before their conversation began. Harry internally smiled. He was getting good at this kind of stuff.

"I really appreciate that." After a pause Harry stood up. "If that is all…" The Headmistress nodded and Harry turned around to leave. He glanced up at the empty painting hanging on the wall. "The Headmaster has still not taken his place in his portrait?"

"Oh, that… I am slightly worried too. He should have arrived by now." The Headmistress paused before saying. "I have read about it and there have been similar instances before. If someone dies earlier than expected or has some unfinished business then something like this might happen."

"I understand." With a last look at the painting he left. I will take care of it, Professor Dumbledore.

***B***

Harry knew that his plan which he had thought out in advance wasn't enough to change the minds of the students. Something more was required; something that could start the students to think; something that would bring them out of their shells of ignorance and make them understand that the world out there was unforgiving and a very dangerous place to be. To make them realize that hiding from the war was not an option.

That something more happened. Within four days, Hogwarts changed. The atmosphere was heavy with sadness. Three families of students had been targeted by the death eaters, only a few of them surviving through the ordeal. What was more disturbing was all of them were pureblood families. It looked as if they had been asked to choose a side but didn't give the answer the death eaters expected. From the students affected, two of them were from fifth year while one was from seventh year; Ernest Macmillan. Most of the students were in mourning as the absence of the three students became distinctly clear to everyone.

Harry realized that this was the moment he had been waiting for. It was a blessing in disguise actually. Harry bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. How could I think like that?!

Harry knew what was happening to him. He was becoming cold from inside, unfeeling to the monstrosity that was happening around him. He knew he was changing but he was just going to let it happen. Didn't Lance say that emotions made a person weak or something along those lines?

He would need to harden himself and proceed with the next step of his plan. There was no turning back now. This was a moment he had to capitalize on.

***B***

Katie was busy reading all the fan mail she had received following that article of hers in the Daily Prophet. Initially, she had been rather circumspect about her decision to pursue journalism; her interests being more bent towards Quidditch. However, it had not been as easy as she had expected after she graduated from Hogwarts. The competition was too much for her and even her best attempts at the try outs didn't make the cut.

Katie just happened to become a reporter and what a start she had. She was pleasantly surprised by the terrific response she had received; both from her readers as well as her employers. A handsome raise had been like an icing on the cake. She thought that this couldn't get any better; until she reached for the next letter.

The bold letters on the envelope practically stopped her heart.

'From, The Marauder'

***B***

Harry was eagerly waiting for the Daily Prophet as he sat about filling his plate. Harry hoped no one else noticed his nervousness as his eyes flitted to the huge window through where the owls usually arrived. Wasn't it time already?

"Harry you seem a bit edgy today. Not feeling well?" Hermione asked. She had chosen to sit with him along with Neville, while Ron took a seat farthest from them. Not that Harry was complaining. An altercation was the last thing he wanted.

"I am alright. I am just hoping that there aren't any more reports of death eater attacks in the soon to be arriving Daily Prophet." … which was partly true. It would not do well for everyone to be distracted from the main part of the news, his cold mind this time, the internal voice within him remained silent.

Hermione nodded kindly and a sad look appeared on Neville's face.

And then the owls arrived. Harry watched as everyone grabbed for the papers and slowly opened them, fearing what they would find inside. And then everyone froze as their eyes drank in the words. Harry smiled as he got a glimpse of the headlines on the paper Hermione held. Katie it seemed had done her job exceptionally well.

The hall had gone strangely silent as they read through the first page. Even the staff table seemed occupied by what the paper had to say.

"Umm… Hermione… What does it say? No one else has died right?" Harry enquired as he tried to look at the paper. She didn't respond and lay the newspaper flat on the table. Harry and Neville both bent over it as they read.

'The Marauder's Message'

This is the message that I had received from none other than the Marauder himself. Instead of rewriting it for the newspaper, I have taken the picture of the original letter itself and got it printed as it is for all our subscribers to read from. As far as the authenticity of this paper is concerned, we found enclosed another note which contained information that even we weren't aware of and which could only be known by the Marauder himself. The note had been handed over to the authorities who confirmed that its contents are indeed accurate and this letter had to be the work of the Marauder. Since the information was deemed classified, the note's contents have not been made public. As far as the letter goes, I will not comment on it and leave it to our readers to see what the message is about. - Katie Bell

Below Katie's note, there was a large image of a parchment taking over the whole of the first page, with every word clearly visible for everyone to see. The letter was handwritten but it was not the work of a quill.

"Is that written using a ball point pen?" Harry wondered aloud with a perfect tone of surprise. Hermione nodded silently without moving her eyes away from the paper. Harry internally sighed in relief. He hadn't expected Katie to take a snap of the letter itself. It was a good decision on his part to use a ball point pen. If he had used a quill, Hermione would have immediately recognized it as Harry's handwriting.

'Hello Ms Bell,

I have been impressed by the way you have stuck to the facts, unlike other reporters who just try to sensationalize and exaggerate. Therefore, I have chosen you as a medium to pass on this very important message to all the Daily Prophet readers which I presume covers a large part of the wizarding community. I hope you would convey my words as they are. Here it is.

I am not one to mince my words. The situation we all are in is very grave. It would seem the war has not started yet but in fact it has. The death eaters are gathering as you read these words and making plans to take over the world. What is more disturbing is the fact that we are going to let them have their way, in spite of the fact that our side outnumbers them ten to one.

The war is raging outside while most of you are hiding behind your flimsy walls that you think will protect you. People are dying and more will die if those capable of fighting don't step up. The blood that flows through your veins has no bearings on whether you live or die. Staying neutral in this war will also not guarantee your safety. Death is imminent if you don't do anything about it. There is no place for an audience in this war. If you do not have the ability to protect yourself and your dear ones, you are a liability to not only yourself but those around you. There is no point in running away from the war because no matter how fast you are, it will catch up with you.

The war will sneak on the ignorant ones, make them feel safe but all the while the eyes of death would be upon you. And before you know it, you will end up right in the middle of the crossfire, turning into casualties, victims of the war. What would you die for if that happened? Do you want to die without making an effort, without adding a meaning to your life?

My intention is not to scare you or force you to start a fight with the death eaters. I want everyone to know what we are up against, what could be lying in wait for us in our near future and what we need to do to survive through it. You all need to be ready to do what is right which may not be easy.

I implore you to stand up and fight, show your strength, show that you will not back down, show that you are willing to risk your lives. Fight back; make it difficult for those who want to harm you. Even if you die, it will not be in vain. I will fight along with those who are willing to do the same. If we all fight as one, no one can stand in our way, not even Voldemort.

My words may sound empty to most and some might even accuse me of talking big but deep down you all know that what I have said here is indeed the truth. I would leave it to you all to decide what you choose to do.

Cower in fear or strike back…

"Wow! Didn't see that coming." Neville exclaimed.

Harry however, was watching Hermione. "What do you make of it?"

She looked up before looking back down at the paper. "I am not sure." Harry could see it in her eyes that something was amiss. "Even though the intention behind this message is clear, I think the person who wrote this has gone the wrong way about it. He has used fear and tried to push the readers into a corner, leaving them with no choice. The sentences are also not in order and the words have been poorly chosen. It seems to be a work of an amateur." Hermione stopped in her explanations and Harry found himself holding his breath.

"And your conclusion from all your findings?" Harry asked slowly.

"I don't know yet." Hermione said with a sigh. Harry sighed as well but for a totally different reason.

***B***

"Harry, we need to talk about this. I can't stand this animosity between you and Ron anymore." Harry kept silent. Hermione just couldn't leave it all aside. "Come on Harry, say something…"

"I told you I don't want to talk about it. What part of it you don't understand?" Harry said loudly, looking up from his Potions essay.

Hermione looked around the library, shooting apologetic looks to anyone who was looking their way, before returning her attention back to Harry who was acting unusually stubborn.

"Not talking about it will not solve the problem." She whispered, urging him to lower his voice.

"If Ron wants to sort this all out, he can come and apologize to me." Harry shot back without looking up.

"You know very well that is not going to happen. He is extremely stubborn which I am sure you are aware of." Hermione tried to make Harry understand her point.

"That is his problem."

"Harry, you are being very unreasonable here. Friends fight. It's normal. You don't need to act like this. You just need to explain you meant no harm and try to convince him. I will back you up."

"You very well know what he has accused me of. And I can't stand him anymore with all that nonsense he spouts." Harry looked up sharply. "If you are going to persist with this topic of discussion then I will leave."

"Then leave! I am getting really tired of all this." Hermione seethed, her voice rising in volume. "Do you have any idea what effect this will have on our plans for the Hogwarts army? You have chosen him as the leader haven't you? Do you realize what this rift will result in?"

With a quick glance around, Harry noticed that they had everyone's attention. I am sorry, Hermione. I cannot let this moment go.

Harry suddenly stood up, his chair falling backwards with a loud crash. "Is that all you care about? Is the Hogwarts Army so important to you?" Harry shouted, his breathing getting heavy. "I have had enough of you and your wrangling. I just can't take it anymore. I am done!" Harry gathered his book and parchments and walked away from Hermione, leaving her practically in tears. He stopped mid-step and without turning around he said in a cold and harsh voice. "I no longer want to be a part of the Hogwarts Army. It is a failure anyway." Saying that he walked off.

Hermione wept openly as the horrified students in the library looked on.

I hope you forgive me.

***B***

Harry was in a foul mood. He had done something that he himself couldn't forgive. As he walked away from the library he remembered how he had left Hermione behind. The tears in those eyes drowned his heart, her sobs choked him.

He didn't want to do it but his cold mind had taken control to avoid missing such an inviting opportunity. And grabbing on the chance with both hands he did.

He was running out of time though. Only a day remained for his duel with Ron. He was still uncertain of the response that he would get from the students. Something more was required to clear away all their doubts.

Harry heard footsteps behind him and a quick side glance was all he needed. The time was now.

He walked faster and entered the great hall. No professors had arrived yet hence giving him more time to work with. The Gryffindor table would be good place for his plan to be set in motion. He marched towards it but a sharp stinging hex brought his progress to a halt.

With cold eyes, Harry turned around to find the person responsible; a fourth or a fifth year Slytherin.

Harry took a step towards the Slytherin who looked around with desperate eyes. "I... I didn't mean it." The voice was slightly shrill but strong enough to draw the attention of the students in the hall.

"That... is right." Said one of the third year Hufflepuff meekly, who it seemed was the actual target of the hex. "He... had aimed for me." The Hufflepuff continued a bit more strongly as he moved slightly in Harry's path.

The look on the Slytherin boy's face was something to remember; a mixture of fear, confusion and gratefulness.

Harry however, completely disregarded what the Hufflepuff said and unceremoniously moved him out of the way. The Hufflepuff table shouted in anger but that is all they did.

The Slytherin tried to back away but Harry's glare seemed to have frozen him to the spot.

Most of the Slytherins looked at each other from their table but no one as much as moved to help their house mate. Malfoy and some of the others were on their feet though, closely watching Harry's progress.

"How dare you attack me, a Head Boy?" Harry said slowly but the sharp edge in his voice was prominent enough. "Do you have a death wish?" His voice suddenly took on a threatening tone and the Slytherin turned into a mumbling wreck. He raised his wand with his trembling hand against Harry. Students gasped as Harry raised his own wand with a look of bloodlust in his eyes. "I will punish you in front of the whole school to demonstrate what happens if someone tries to go against me."

The Slytherins began to move but before they could do anything someone stepped right in between them.

"Stop this madness this very instant." Ron said loudly, holding his wand at his side. He added slowly with a backward glance. "You Ok?" The Slytherin opened his mouth but could only nod in the end. Ron returned his eyes to Harry who had an amused look on his face. "I never thought you would go this far Potter."

Harry's cold laughter chilled the Great Hall and fear and shock suddenly became the most prominent emotions in the hall. The uncanny resemblance to a dark lord was further aggravating the situation. "Look at you, playing hero and all. And you would defend a Slytherin while standing against a Gryffindor?"

"First of all, you are no Gryffindor. Do not dirty the name of our respectable house by aligning it with yours. And secondly, it doesn't matter if he is a Slytherin or from any other house. I will protect the innocent and fight the oppressors."

"Such big words. I suspect they are as hollow as your soul." Harry retorted, an evil smirk darkening his face.

"Doesn't matter what you say. I will not let you do as you please and misuse your badge."

"What are you going to do? Attack your friend?" Harry asked mockingly.

"You are no friend of mine." Ron said heatedly, raising his wand as well.

Harry's eyes widened in rage. "I made you the leader of the Hogwarts army. How dare you turn on me!"

"You left me with no choice." Ron shot back. "You have become a dark shadow of yourself. And I don't want to be associated with the likes of you."

"You cannot throw me away from what I created!" Harry almost shouted as his grip against his wand tightened. Suddenly, his expressions eased and the darkness filled his eyes as he gazed at Ron. "How about this, eh? If you win tomorrow's duel, I will leave the Hogwarts army. However... if I win... you will have to leave the army. If you beg at my feet for forgiveness, I might think about taking you back in."

"I will never beg!" Ron took a step forward, their wands literally touching each other's chest. Ron looked around at the faces of the other students. Their confident nods helped him with his decision. "I accept."

There were loud cheers as the two dropped their wands and after sharing a look of utter loathing they walked away.

The once best friends had become enemies. No one had seen that coming.

***B***

Harry left the Hogwarts kitchen which was soon becoming his usual place to eat. His footsteps echoed in the corridor as Harry made mental plans for tomorrow's duel. He needed to put up a good show while ensuring he didn't win. Ron's victory would just as well seal the deal; or at least that was what Harry was expecting.

The Hogwarts Army was not going to be just for show. The army would do more than just add a few capable students into the fray. Their participation would also force their families to change from their neutral stance which they have currently. This would build a strong political clout and greatly reduce the chances of a Ministry fallout. It was to be seen how accurate Lance's prediction would turn out to be.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fist. Was he doing the right thing? Wasn't there any another alternative? Had he given enough thought to what would happen and the possible scenarios that it could lead to? A shiver went through his body and his head started to ache. There were too many variables in his plan. What if something went wrong? The results would be catastrophic. He so desperately needed someone to guide him, give him council. However, he had kept everyone out of the loop, even Lance. He never questioned him what he was up to but he could see the questions in Lance's eyes. Sometimes he wished Lance would just force him to tell him everything. He so wanted to get it out of his system. This whole thing was weighing him down making his every breath more difficult than the previous one. However, he just couldn't get himself to do it.

The next two days were extremely crucial and Harry couldn't wait for it to end. He was just about reached his limits, the emotional strain almost stretching him to the breaking point. However, there was something he feared. The damage he had done was irreversible. Nothing would be same anymore. And after today's stunt, he wondered whether he had sealed his coffin.

As he approached the entrance to his quarters he noticed a dark shadow standing before the closed doors. Harry froze in his step as he noticed the wand in the hand. The shadow moved forward as the moonlight fell on the face. It was Ron.

"Please Harry, I can't do this anymore."