Title: Harry Potter and the Preparation to Fight(1/7)
Author: MasterKazoom, betareader Glyph and Char
E-Mail: gggh@gmx.net
Kategory: Romance/Adventure/Action
Summary: Harry Potter has a good summer and everything seems to improve alot - But his enemy is working all the time, and Harry has to prepare so he can fight Voldemort. The story is written in german; this is the english translation. H/Hr.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's notes (important!): This is the translation of the original German fanfiction "Harry Potter and the Preparation to Fight". Please be gentle to me, it is pretty difficult to write without grammar/tense mistakes or typos for a German. I have a very good betareader and he's doing his best to correct all the mistakes, but sometimes one or two are slipping through. Don't be discouraged, I'm top in my English class and I'm confident in my skill.

Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in Surrey


Harry Potter was lying flat on his bed, apparently asleep. But this extraordinary boy was not able to sleep. Using Harry Potter's blood and the help of an extremely complex spell, Voldemort had returned to a full human body . The revival of the Dark Lord had happened right before Harry's eyes. Harry, however, wasn't able to sleep for a completely different reason. Even though he was, of course, concerned about his best friends' safety, the only reason why he couldn't sleep was that, since his return to number 4 Privet Drive, every day had been boring as hell. How could he dream if there was nothing to dream about? The things that had happened at the end of the third Task were too near, he couldn't mourn Cedric, maybe he wouldn't be able to for a long time. He had spent all the day reading through school books, memorizing everything he could find. There was no other way to spend his time. At Hogwarts he would have gone out, watched the giant squid, flown around a bit or maybe played some Quidditch At Privet Drive he had nobody and nothing to play with. At the moment Harry was trying hard to fall asleep, but even thinking about the most boring things he could think of (double History of Magic with Professor Binns, the most boring ghost teacher ever or Hermione reciting the book Hogwarts, A History which was so boring that everyone around her would fall asleep after the first few sentences or they would try to get away from her) wasn't helping at all.

Just when Harry thought about creeping downstairs to the kitchen to get some cold water to drink, (maybe that would help him rest) a small ball of feathers went flying at top speed through the opened window of the smallest bedroom of No. 4 Privet drive and luckily Harry was able to catch it (thanks to his seeker reflexes) just before it went smashing into a cupboard.

"Be quiet, you'll wake the whole house!" he said angrily to Pig. Pig was Ron Weasley's small owl, and he hooted happily while flying excitedly around Harry, pleased that she had delivered her message to the right person. Harry untied the letter from her and let her use Hedwig's cage to rest.

He opened the roll of parchment and recognized the untidy handwriting of his mate:

Dear Harry,

I hope you're okay and your scar isn't hurting or anything like that. I know this sounds just like Hermione but believe me, You-Know-Who is back and everyone has to be twice as vigilant. But that's not the reason why I'm sending this letter. I asked Mum and Dad about getting you from the muggles, but they said that Dumbledore wanted you to be there for the rest the holidays except for the last two weeks, which means that you could stay these two weeks with us. Bad luck, but at least Bill and Charlie are here too. I have to sleep with Fred and George in one room and they are wreaking havoc everyday but it's all good fun. Guess what? I started with some physical training, running and lifting weights. And since I'm back home I've had to shave every bloody day, I never got that much facial hair when I was at Hogwarts. I've changed a lot and I think Hermione will be surprised, too. Maybe you should start training with me, we can be the best-looking guys at Hogwarts, hehe! And now something serious at last: I hope you don't make yourself feel worse then you should. IT'S NOT YOUR BLOODY FAULT. Even Cedric's parents admit it. Cheer up, we will hopefully see each other soon. And I won't say what I've got you for your birthday (even though Hermione knows it).

Ron

After Harry had put down the letter, he looked at himself in the mirror over his desk. He eyed his chin critically, a few spots of hair had grown there, but they seemed too trivial to shave. They just looked like dark spots, not like hair at all. Mr Weasley told him that wizards shaved themselves with their wands, but Harry wondered what kind of spell you had to use and if you'd break the law if you were underage. The rest of Harrys body still looked like he was a kid, and by the way Ron described himself Harry thought it might be a good idea to train with him. He had grown a few inches but he was sure that Ron was still the tallest of them; nonetheless Harry hoped that he would outstrip Hermione. His skin colour was milky, and his legs and arms were skinny and slim like the rest of him. The Dursleys had made sure that Harry always got less than their son, Dudley, and even with Dudleys diet Harry got still less than him , and the less that he got was very nearly nothing. But Dudley wasn't on diet anymore, he had actually done very well and was no longer fat and porky, but tall, muscular and speedy. And even though Dudley could beat the hell out of Harry he didn't, although Harry still had to listen to Dudleys stories about all the girls he'd picked up. According to Dudley he was a real womanizer. Harry couldn't help it but to feel jealous. Maybe he really should start training, maybe he could start with Dudley, who was training too(mostly he was training without a shirt on so he could show off). Maybe Hermione had also become a bodybuilder Harry thought with a laugh. He had thought a lot about his friends and he anticipated that his birthday would be the day his friends would send him a letter for sure. Ron was his best mate, but he was a teenager now and had hormones overflowing everywhere. He didn't know what to think about Hermione, she showed that she is very pretty last year at the Yule Ball and at least she kissed him on the cheek at King's Cross. And she did not kiss Ron (Hah!).

Lost in his own thoughts Harry yawned and made some sort of croaking noise, frightening Pig who had been drifting into sleep, but was now wide awake (Harry cursed himself, Pig never really stopped moving so seeing him sleeping was a near miracle, but he had ruined it, darn).

Pig left through the open window and Harry threw himself on his bed. Just before he fell asleep he heard a familiar hooting sound and seconds later something dropped on his stomach, but Harry didn't stir. He was already fast asleep.


*~*~*


At breakfast Dudley mocked Harry about how pale and skinny he was by flexing his muscles whilst Harry tried to look away. It was the truth, Harry had to admit, and even though it could be said friendlier, these were the Dursleys, and while Dudley mocked Harry Vernon patted Dudley lightly on the shoulder and Petunia talked about how strong her Duddi-dums was. Harry just shook his head and was relieved that he would never be the center of attention in the Dursley family. He always was center of attention in the wizarding world, and that was enough, thank you very much. He reflected upon the morning so far and a letter Hedwig had delivered came into his mind. The letter was from Hermione, and he remembered every word of it:

Dear Harry,

I hope you enjoy your holidays and that your scar is not hurting. Even though You-Know-Who is back I think everything will work out alright. Ron told me that you will visit him for the last weeks of the holidays and I'm afraid that I cannot come as well. I also wanted to tell you that I split up with Victor. He put too much pressure on me, He was too grownup and I was just 14! And he too famous, I received more letters of heartbroken women then you might think. I think he is pretty upset but he will eventually get over it. I don't think my feelings for him were that strong, I mean, he was charming and all that, but 'hey I'm a teenager and I'm not entirely sure whether it's my mind or my body controlling my relationships!' . I've already started learning for the O.W.L.'s (of course she is) and I hope you're learning too even if Ron isn't, I am dead sure. He told me what he got you for birthday but I'm still without a present. Give me a hint what you want, please? Oh and your birthday will be more enjoyable this year, I promise!

Love, Hermione

Harry was amazed that she'd split up with Victor Krum, and he was relieved that she had finally done it. Despite the fact that Victor Krum was a well-known Quidditch Player he was still an outsider to the trio. Ron had freaked out over of her relationship with Victor, and Harry already suspected Ron was feeling more than friendship towards her. But despite that Victor Krum was still Ron's favourite Quidditch Player of all times.

After Harry finished his small breakfast Dudley followed him into the hallway to mock him some more.

"Going up to our boring books, are we? They are your only friends here, lazy git. I'm going outside to do my training, so keep out of my hair, squirt."

Harry had an idea but he kept his voice calm:

"To be honest I wanted to ask you if I can start training with you, but I think the only thing you're doing outside is showing off all day by flexing your muscles."

Harry could see Dudley's face change to anger, then sadistic glee. Harry knew Dudley wouldn't miss the opportunity to make his skinny cousin feel worse, and threatening him outside whilst doing training sounded like a good idea. But Harry was prepared if Dudley tried anything funny and he expected him to, he was used to it. And if he into a hard training program maybe he could get some muscles before he would go to the Weasleys. Harry put on some light clothes so that he wouldn't break into a sweat too easily. He ran outside and Dudley was waiting for him with his lips set in an evil grin.


*~*~*


Dudleys face changed from evil grin to grudging respect pretty fast. Harry survived Dudley's torture (containing stretching, running, lifting weights, sit-ups and other hard stuff) even though he felt like he had been hit with a jelly-legs curse, not to mention that his legs weren't the only part that felt wobbly. Harry wasn't sure if there were any muscles or bones left in him after this exhausting training. But on his way back to the house Harry remembered he still had to tell his uncle that he would stay at the Burrow the last two weeks of the holidays. He had already told Ron that they could fetch him, so he would have to ask his uncle now.

After a quick shower he stepped into the living-room, where his uncle sat staring at the television.

"Uncle Vernon?"

Grunt. Harry could tell he was listening, even though his uncle stared at the screen without blinking.

"My friend Ron, uh, asked me if his family could fetch me for the last two weeks of the holidays, so I could stay with them 'till term begins."

Grunt.

"That means I'm allowed to go?" Harry voice sounded hopeful.

"Well, since Dudley is training all day, and Petunia is working at Foley's, we need a helping hand with the household. Petunia will give you a list with things you have to do and if you stick to your chores I will eventually let you go to that-that place."

Harry groaned quietly, but he just muttered an 'okay'. Going back to visit the Weasleys was something Harry looked forward to all summer, but with more stupid chores (like he wasn't doing enough already) he would pay bitterly for those two weeks. Harry expected that he should start right away, and on his way to the kitchen Dudley ran into him, sweating and on the way to the shower.

"Get outta the way, weakling!"

"What took you so long?"

"My training, stupid."

"But we've finished our tr-" Harry was interrupted.

"Our training? I was just warming up then. That was nothing you did there, nothing at all." He laughed out loud.

"I'm going to do the same training you're doing!" Harry was sure he could.

At first it looked like Dudley was looking at Harry with something like respect but he recovered fast and laughed: " If that's what you want, but don't cry if it's too hard for you, baby Harry!"

Harry went into the Kitchen and sure enough there was a list what needed to be done today. He was still angry at Dudley and with these chores he wouldn't be able to do more than train and housework. But that was exactly what he needed to do, the former to strengthen him and the latter so he could visit his best mate Ron. The following days were packed with Dudley chasing him around the blocks, washing the dishes and painting fences (even the fences of the neighbours, Aunt Petunia had given him around the whole neighbourhood). With all the work his birthday crept up on him faster than he thought it would.


~~~~~~~~~~~~*FIN*~~~~~~~~~~~~

A big "Thank you!" to my faithful betareader Char, who reedited this chapter. She will continue her work and man, she's fast! A big thanks to all my reviewers, too!