AN: I've decided to stop using chapter titles now – it makes it seem like there is something in particular that must be in the chapter, and that makes the chapters shorter in my mind, because I have a place for them to end. So, from now on, no chapter titles …

In Every Darkness

Chapter Eighty Four

4.2.1997

 When dawn broke the next morning, Harry was already some hours awake and was in the Room of Requirement with Tatsu and, to his initial surprise, the woman from the day before, Neko.

 "Good morning," he said quietly to her, hiding his inquisitive impulse to ask why she was here. It must have been easy enough to see on his face, however, since she smiled knowingly at him.

 "Neko will be aiding me with your training in the use of the Katana," Tatsu explained to his ward. "She's one of the few people who are actually more proficient than I am, and she was my teacher in the first place. I'll be leaving things mostly up to her."

 Harry had been surprised by this, but quickly accepted it, as the young cat-like woman looked to very assured in her stance, and she held a Katana with a fighters grace. He didn't mind who taught him, not really, because all he wanted was to be able to fight as well as he possibly could.

 "Well then, let's begin," Neko stepped forward, fluently drawing her sword. Harry greatly envied her grace of movement, as he clumsily drew his own weapon.

 Well, he supposed it wasn't that clumsy a movement, but it was compared to Neko's flowing movements. Neko smiled slightly, "We will fight," she told Harry, "until I say we stop, whether you lose or not. I am testing your abilities with the katana. From what I hear from Tatsu, you won't let me down …"

 Harry gulped inwardly. He was about to go up against a master of the katana, with barely an tuition, and she expected him to do well? Well, he wasn't about to let Tatsu down by failing in Neko's eyes.

 As he raised his katana, Harry emptied his mind and slipped into his Centre, unconsciously shifting his body and muscles to prepare for the fight.

 Gracefully, Neko swung her sword up in an arch, immediately recognising the manoeuvre, Harry brought his up in an identical move to meet it with the soft clack of wood striking wood.

 They turned, perfectly synchronised as they disengaged the swords, moving once more to clack their swords together. Harry quickly realised that this was a pattern dance, one that he'd practiced himself, against air, but which he was now doing with a partner.

 With this in mind, Harry put most of his attention on the way he performed his movements, making them as graceful as possible, letting his muscles remember the pattern dance and take care of making sure sword met sword with that little clack.

 The pattern dance was soon over, and they swapped to another one, Harry again concentrating on his movements rather than the sword in his hands.

 Pattern dance to pattern dance flowed through Harry's mind, almost unheeded as he concentrated himself on his bodies movements. Clack, clack, clack, the swords cried out as one.

 Then the pattern dances that Harry had learned were done with, and he wondered what would happen next, but he needn't have worried, because they simply started again, moving faster.

 "We aren't going to stop much today," Neko told him, "we had Minerva cancel lessons for today, and tomorrow, so that we can move around and familiarise ourselves with the school, its occupants, and its wards." Harry was amazed to realise that she wasn't even the slightest bit out of breath, despite the fact that they'd been moving continuously for almost three hours now.

 He was amazed that he was still even able to stand, let alone keep his sword upright and moving in the right directions at the right time. "Neko, I think he's worn out," Tatsu remarked suddenly. "He needs food, and so do I."

 "Hmph," Neko remarked, "Well, he's kept on longer than I thought he would, so I suppose he's earned the break. Harry, you may go to breakfast with your friends, and spend the next hour with them, but then I want you back here ready for some more practice."

 Harry nodded. "Should I leave the katana here?" he enquired.

 "Yes," Tatsu replied before Neko had a chance to. "You may leave it here. Run along now Harry, I'm sure your friends will be wanting to celebrate the fact that they have two days free of lessons."

 Harry smiled and nodded, setting his katana down carefully on the table, then racing off downstairs, his stomach telling him that it was well past time he ate something.

 "Hey Harry, where were you?" Ron asked as Harry entered the Great Hall and headed over to the Gryffindor table, where his friends were waiting for him.

 "Practicing with Tatsu," Harry said, deciding to leave Neko out of the equation for the moment, not sure if she'd want it know that she was a master of the katana.

 "Oh. You OK?" Hermione asked, concerned. She'd seen some of the bruises Harry had collected practicing with Tatsu.

 "I'm fine – totally worn out already, but we aren't trying to kill each other, don't worry. We're using swords," Harry told Hermione, and watched as her face fell.

 "Swords? Doesn't that make it more dangerous?" Hermione demanded harshly, fear in her voice and eyes.

 "No, because mastering the Katana is more a state of mind," Harry replied, "we are working on movement, and we know how to meet each others blows perfectly, there is no striking to deliberately injure."

 "That makes me feel so much comforted," Hermione remarked. "Are you sure that this is a good idea, Harry? You could get really seriously injured doing this!"

 "I'll be fine, Hermione," Harry replied softly, looking at Hermione and trying to will her to believe in him.

 "How can you be so sure?"

 "Because Tatsu would never do anything that would actually cripple me, or cause lasting damage," Harry said with complete conviction.

 "How do you know that? I've seen some of the bruises you've gotten!"

 "I got those because I forgot to block properly," Harry said shortly, suddenly sick of the subject. "Besides, a bruise isn't lasting, and Tatsu has never given me anything else to worry about!"

 "But-"

 "I'm talking with this, Hermione," Harry said, a note of warning in his voice.

 Hermione subsided, but reluctantly. Harry heaved an internal sigh – it saddened him a little that his friends could not support him this, but he supposed that it was more because they could never understand the delicate balance that he and Tatsu fought under. The Centre allowed them to practice safely, even when performing the most dangerous of moves, because it gave more awareness of the body than anything else ever could.

 "What shall we do today?" Ron asked as breakfast ended.

 "I think we should use the extra time to search for more spells to learn," Hermione said briskly, "you are starting to run out, Harry," she added.

 "I know," Harry said, a little shame-faced, "but I've only got another half an hour before I have to go back to training."

 "Why must you spend so much time training?" Hermione asked.

 "Because it's important," Harry snapped, "if I'm going to beat Voldemort again, I'm going to need a lot more than dumb luck to keep myself, and any of my friends, alive throughout the battle. Voldemort will expect me to learn as many spells as I can, he won't expect me to use physical attacks, and there are plenty of those that will be able to distract him long enough for me to do whatever is necessary to kill him!"

 Hermione hesitated, mouth open and ready to speak, then sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right. I've gotten so used to magic that I can't think of another way of doing things, half the time," she said. "I suppose it's only logical that V-Voldemort would think the same … And I have to congratulate you for thinking of the idea."
 "I can't claim it all, it's mostly Tatsu's credit, for agreeing to teach me, and getting me interested. I've just been thinking of practical applications of my knowledge," Harry replied, shrugging slightly.

 "Well, while your learning how to use a katana," Lily winked at Harry, "we might go and corner Tonks and ask her to give us some ideas for new spells to learn, and when you're let of training, we can look them up and practice them!"

 "Sounds like a plan," Harry said nodding.

 "I wish we could learn to fight like you," Ron remarked  dreamily. "It sound so fun …"

 "It doesn't sound fun, it sounds dangerous," Hermione shot back, "even if it may be necessary."

 Harry smiled slightly, "I'll see you guys later. I don't know how long this will take," he told them, and walked away, an idea beginning to form in his mind as he went.

 In the Room of Requirement, Tatsu and Neko were waiting for him, both perfectly rested, and had obviously eaten, since there was an empty tray on a table in the centre of the room.

 "We won't be fighting now – it's a bad idea to fight on a full stomach, if it can be avoided," Neko said firmly. "Therefore, we will all three of us work on Modifying magic for a little while."

 "Will I be able to go and hang out with my friends at all today? We're going to try and get the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to teach us some new spells," Harry said.

 "Just for an hour more," Tatsu replied. "For the moment, I want you to send a spell at either of us, and watch as the one it is directed at changes it so that it is going towards the other, and the other stops it, or nullifies its power, watch how we do this, so that you can do your best to copy it later."

 Harry nodded, and readied himself for another hours hard work.

 The hour passed very quickly, it seemed to Harry, and by the time that he had finished the work they were doing, he understood exactly how to change the direction of a spell, and a few better ways of stopping damage.

 "Thank you," he smiled at Neko, bowing slightly in Japanese style and repeating this with Tatsu, before leaving.

 "He is a good student, this young ward of yours," Neko remarked. "I will enjoy aiding you in training him."

 Tatsu smiled, "He is truly eager to learn our crafts, Neko, and that is not always something that is easy to find. He learns because he must, but he enjoys that learning."

 "A rare find indeed," Neko agreed. "Despite the fact that he does not have much Modifying talent, he will learn enough of it to turn the tides in the final battle, I think."

 Tatsu had told his friend of Harry's destiny, though he did not know the prophecy which dictated it, and even if he had, would not have told her anyway.

 *

 "Hey guys, I'm free for the day now," Harry called out to Ron, Hermione and Lily, who were walking towards the library, as he skidded around the corner.

 "Cool!" Ron said, happily. "We hoped you weren't going to be kept in all day!"

 "Tonks told us a book in the restricted section of the library, one that you normally have to be a seventh year to borrow, but she gave us a slip to allow us to get it out," Hermione said excitedly.

 Harry nodded, "What's in it? Defence spells?"

 "Basically," Hermione replied.

 Harry nodded, "OK then, what are we waiting for?"

 "Now you're here? Nothing," Lily grinned at him, and the group headed into the library, the domain of Madam Pince.

 "What do you want?" she asked them.

 "Please Madam, Professor Tonks gave us this," Hermione handed the note over, and Madam Pince examined it carefully, to make sure there was absolutely no trickery at work here.

 "Wait here," she told them, and talked off in a huff, obviously annoyed that she had to give out one of her precious books, even though she had to know that Hermione took as much care of library as she would her own children, if she had any.

 A moment later Madam Pince returned, carrying a huge book in her hands, obviously with the aid of a feather-weight charm. "Here," the librarian said, handing the book to Hermione.

 "Thank you very much Madam Pince," Hermione said, "We'll take good care of it and bring it back as soon as we can."

 Madam Pince nodded primly and stalked off through the shelves of books.

 "Come on," Hermione muttered at her companions, and the four of them hurried from the library. "Where will go? The Room of Requirement?"

 "No," Harry replied, "Tatsu's there, talking with some of his friends."

 "OK …"

 "We could ask Tonks if we could use the Defence room," Harry remarked.

 "Great idea!" Hermione enthused, and Ron and Lily nodded as well, it was a good idea. Tonks wouldn't care if they used her room for anything, she liked Harry, and the rest of the group, respecting them for their efforts to overcome challenges from the dark.

 "Sure, go ahead," she waved them off when they went to her office to ask permission. "It's unlocked, and you know where it is."

 The group nodded and headed off, ready to learn some new spells for teaching to DA, as Harry was beginning to run out of things to teach his friends.

 Blaise walked through the corridors of the school, searching for Harry, she wanted to talk to him about this change in Draco Malfoy, his newly made decision to turn from the dark seemed quite important to her, and she knew that Harry would want to hear of it … but where was he?

 When she'd gone to the Room of Requirement, the man, Tatsu Kendo, had been there, with a woman who'd come the day before – Headmistress McGonagall had said that they were here to strengthen the wards around the school after the last Death Eater attack, and had told her that Harry had left there already. They didn't know where he'd gone.

 Now she was roving the corridors, looking for a Gryffindor she knew, to ask if Harry was in the common room. She eventually found and asked Ginny Weasley.

 "Last I saw him was in the library," the younger girl said calmly, "with Lily, Hermione and Ron. I think they were getting out a book on Defence spells … have you tried the Room of Requirement? They might be practicing."

 "Yeah, I tried there already," Blaise said, "Tatsu Kendo and one of the women who arrived yesterday were there – they said he'd already left."

 "Well, sorry … I know they aren't in the Common Room, I was there a couple of minutes ago."

 "Where are you going now?" Blaise asked.

 "The Quidditch Pitch, Dean's meeting me there," Ginny replied, blushing faintly. Blaise recalled that Ginny had been going out with the sixth year Gryffindor since last year.

 "OK," she said, "well, if you see Harry on your way to the pitch, could you tell him that I need to talk to him as soon as possible? It's important."

 Ginny looked at her for a moment, as if trying to deduce Blaise's intents. "I'll tell him," she said finally, "and I'll ask him to come without Ron – he'd probably make things harder on you." The girl smiled briefly and turned fast, jogging off down the corridor, shoulder-length red hair bouncing lightly on her shoulders.

 Blaise was surprised – she hadn't realised that she and Ron didn't like each other to an extent that the other students noticed. With a sigh, Blaise started off in a direction, and just wandered, hoping that luck would bring her to Harry.

 And as it happened, it did, almost an hour later, as the Gryffindor trio, and Lily Adams, walked out of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, laughing and talking together, Hermione holding a huge book easily in her hands.

 Must have had a light-weight charm of some description on it.

 "Harry, could I talk to you?" Blaise asked, walking up to them.

 "Yeah, sure," the Gryffindor boy said easily, smiling slightly.

 "Shall we wait?" Lily asked.

 Say no, Blaise prayed.

 "No, it's OK, you can go on without me – I'll meet you at the Gryffindor common room as soon as possible."

 "See you then," Ron said, giving Blaise a suspicious look as the threesome walked off, leaving Harry and Blaise alone.

 "Shall we walk?" Harry asked.

 Blaise nodded, and they started out, rather aimlessly as far as Blaise was concerned.

 "What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked after awhile. Blaise didn't know how much time had passed, she was trying to get her thoughts in order.

 "Draco Malfoy," she replied.

 "Has he been bothering you?" Harry asked, a note of concern in his voice that made Blaise nearly smile – someone who actually cared for her wellbeing who wasn't actually related to her … That was something she hadn't come across very often in her short life.

 "No, that's just the thing …" Blaise said, wondering how she could tell Harry Potter that Draco Malfoy, Slytherins prince, was having second thoughts about the dark side. "I don't know where to start."

 "The beginning the usually the best place," Harry remarked, and suddenly reached out a hand to brush over a section of the wall beside which they were currently standing.

 It swung back, revealing a secret room. "Come in here," Harry said, "that way we won't be overheard."

 "What is this place?" Blaise asked.

 "I don't know," Harry shrugged, "Fred and George showed it to me – as far as I know, they and Lee Jordan were the only one's who ever knew about it."

 He didn't mention his father, Sirius, Remus Lupin or Peter Pettigrew. "So what about Malfoy?"

 "Well," Blaise said, and suddenly the whole story was spilling out of her mouth, and she was powerless to stop it.

 When she'd finished, Harry looked surprised. "How very interesting …" he murmured.

***

Well, that's it for this chapter folks! 3000 words – a little longer than usual! After the Dawn hopefully updated soon, not sure when though …

Thanks:

Fcuking cathy, ScruffyWes, TuxedoMac, Vampyre*Bloodcuicide, wadeva, Kelei, tortie, Katepotter13, HermioneGreen, athenakitty, jbfritz, easilyamused, telpesir, MiakaChan5, Carolina06, Wynjara, Charmed88, jo0609, diablo-king, torifire126, Flame of Shadow, Katy-ster687, ~*-*Loony*-*~, boing_bang_kerplunk, Iniysa, Nphipps, FairyDust29, texasjeanette, blank65, Laen, MikiBaby, moony*padfoot, Wytil, kraeg001, Nasser Himura, Sammy Solo, wadeva, Naia, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Jaded Angel8, Songbreeze Swifteye, PhoenixPadfoot89, Stix-the-Rebel, gaul1, dnd4ever, misty43, lintethoron undomiel, sum, Musicstarlover, dreamer43, uNoeWhoe, kira lingh, Vegita43, LunaLovegood61.

~WolfMoon~

LunaLovegood: As many as it takes to complete the story J not too many now.