Chapter 6 OWL's and full moon

They met the others at breakfast and Harry greeted them all more at ease.

Remus and Tonks seemed also more content with the loss and the others sent each other happy looks.

"Your talk seems to have helped." Molly said fondly .

"Yes. Harry helped us to cope better with it, the same as last time. You would never guess how grown up he really is." Remus said proudly and Harry blushed.

"Yes he has changed." Molly agreed smiling.

"I wonder, when the OWL's will come." Hermione said.

"Relax. I know for a fact, that they should arrive in the first days of August, maybe even today." Harry said.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"I have my connections. Trust me!"

She nodded and at the same moment some owls flew into the kitchen and brought some letters for the Kids.

Hermione took hers... she got two the same with Harry and Ron. One was the school letter one the OWL's.

"Are you a seer now?" Ron asked.

"No." Harry laughed and opened his OWL's. The others hesitated.

"Well... lets see: Astronomy A, Charms O, Transfiguration E, Potions... an O, DADA O, CoMC O, what else, Herbology A, Divination: A as if, History of magic: D. With the O as double OWL that are 9. That's ok. Seems I am stuck with Snape for another year."

He looked to his friends who had yet to open the letters, "Come on Mione, you have nothing but O's, best of the year, wanna bet?"

"I... "

"Come on! And you too, Ron. Open it! NOW!" he demanded and they did it.

Hermione beamed at him.

"Only O's?"

She nodded.

"Well how many?"

"14!"

"Congratulations. And you Ron? Well an E in Potions, an A in history and of course no O makes the same as you: 9"

"See.. all fine." Harry said smiling. For him I didn't truly matter anymore, the only one was potions but he would have to study that by himself anyway. So it was not that important. But he was happy to see that his friends did well also.

Molly hugged her son and then the others.

"So what classes do you both take?" Hermione asked.

Harry had signed his sheet already, "DADA, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and basic healing."

"What? Only five?"

"Jep, the less the better and that are the important ones... for me anyway."

"Yes... all war-related." Hermione sighed.

"Well look at it from the fun side. I have more free time. What's with you? Do you leave any classes out this year?" he joked.

She glared at him but smiled then, "I will take my old ones plus healing too. But I will drop Astronomy and try to get into advanced healing for that."

"And you Ron?"

"I will stay with my old ones."

"An easy one in Divination and some sleep in History then?" Harry joked.

"Yeah. You say it." Ron said and got a slap over his head from Molly.

She scrutinized Harry, "Don't you think, that they may be to few? You will not find a job with so few NEWTS."

"Do I need one?" he asked.

"Well you surely want to do something after the war, don't you?"

"If I survive, you mean?"

They looked all shocked at him.

"How can you say such thing?" Molly yelled.

"Well... ask Dumbledore. Now back to the topic. I plan to make holidays after the war is over, find a nice girl and found a family. And I don't need a job if I don't want. My parents left me enough money and some other things too."

"Well... it is your decision." Molly agreed reluctantly.

"And a nice future vision too." Tonks said happily.

"That I would say." Ginny agreed smiling.

The next day Dumbledore visited them.

"Good morning Professor." They greeted him.

"I have a question, Professor." Harry asked.

"How can I be of service?"

"Well that is new." muttered Harry and the Headmaster frowned.

"May I woo away the services of Dobby and Winky Sir? We are short of house elves here at the moment."

Dumbledores eyes widened slightly.

"What happened to Kreacher?"
"Well, he had an accidence with a sharp sword, the same as that cruel painting I might add." Harry replied without emotion.

Dumbledore looked shocked and ran out of the kitchen and looked at the wall. Remus had repaired it with a simple charm.

"How did you do it?"

"As I said. I cut a piece out of the wall and burned it with the painting and the corpse of Kreacher."

"Did you kill him?"

"Yes."

"Oh Merlin."

"What? You think it is ok for me to kill Voldemort but scold me when I free that insane elf from his burden?"

Dumbledore swallowed and looked at the others surrounding them.

"Well, I will ask Dobby and Winky if they would want to work here. Do you want to hire them? I mean the order uses this house mainly, we could pay them."

"I must insist, Headmaster. The Order will not be here forever... the house will."

Dumbledore looked pensive at his words but nodded.

The next days Tonks helped Harry to understand his gift of metamorphmagus.

He could now change his hair after his will. Now they were working on his facial structures.

But they stopped this evening early because of the full moon.

Tonks went with Harry up to his room and Ginny glared behind them. Both had seen this look.

"What is with her?" asked Tonks.

"She loves me nearly as much as you do." Harry said seriously.

She looked surprised for a moment but then worried, "Oh. That is sad. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I can feel it whenever I am near her. But never forget, I love only you." he answered sincerely.

She smiled, "But it is sad for her, especially if it is not just a crush but true love. And I trust your judgment in this."

"Well we can't help it. Now it is better if you head back and tell them I went to sleep early. I will apparate down to Moony now."

He kissed her goodbye and disapparated.

She closed the door of his room with a charm she learned as auror and went back down.

"Where is Harry?" Ginny asked.

"He isn't feeling well and went to bed early."

"Oh, it is time. I will go down now." said Moony and stood up and left.

Ginny strolled over to Tonks, "Tell me is there something going on between the two of you?"

"Between me and whom?" Tonks asked.

"Between you and Harry."

"I am only helping him to prepare for the war. I am an auror you know and I know my stuff, even if I am sometimes clumsy."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wrong you. But you two spent much time together in the last days."

"As I said, training and learning. And you?"

"Between us goes nothing. You heard, he thinks I am his little sister."

"And you wish you weren't?"

"I... I like him... more than a sister."

Tonks sighed, "I wish I could help you, but I can't. Sorry."

"Would you tell me if there were something between the two of you?" Ginny asked.

Tonks looked her in her eyes and sighed, "Not against his wishes."

"Oh!"

Harry was waiting for Moony for some minutes as he heard the steps of him coming down to his room.

"Hi." he said smiling.

"How did you get down here?"

"I apparated."

"Well, not very surprising."

"Besides, I could also have used my special abilities as shadowtiger."

"I forgot about that. It is hard to keep on track with your little secrets."

"That makes it more interesting, doesn't it?" Harry smiled.

"No but confusing. You have to change... it is beginning."
"I know. I can sense it. Lock the door!"

Remus locked the door and Harry changed.

Shortly after that Remus changed too but his transformation was much more painful than Harry's.

The werewolf cowered in front of the large deadly tiger after he growled once.

After that both laid down and snuggled together.

They were peacefully sleeping ten minutes later.

Harry awoke in the morning as Remus changed back.

As he was human again, Harry changed also and hugged him.

"Thanks Harry. That means much to me."

"I know. Sirius would have wanted me to help you and I wanted it too."

"I know. Lets head up."

They opened the door and were the first in the kitchen and were joined shortly afterwards by Molly and Tonks.

"How was your night Remus?" Molly asked, "They are surely harder now that you are alone."

"I managed, Molly." He said with a grateful glance at Harry.

"And you dear?" she asked Harry.

"I am fine. I was only tired and I got a good nights sleep. Thanks."

"Very well then. How about some pancakes?" she asked happily.

For the last three weeks, Hermione left the house at Grimmauld Place and went with her parents to France for holidays.

Ron on the other hand worked now at the joke-shop from the twins as his girlfriend was away and Ginny joined him reluctantly because she had already agreed to her brothers before June. That left Tonks, Harry and Remus alone for most of the day. Molly went back to the burrow as well.

Only on some evenings they got company during some meetings.

They made good use of the time. Harry could change now his hair in color and length, his face and his eyes. He was also able to hide his scar at will. That had been the hardest part to master. It seemed to have his own resistance against Harry's gift but he got it though.

Harry had learned for himself the theory from his Warlock-book while all the others thought he was reading about quidditch.

Harry used the time with Tonks too, at least the time, where only them and Moony were in the house. Now they decided to train this gift further but also train Harry in dueling.

They went down in the basement for the dueling. There was a huge empty room which suited them just fine. Remus joined them as well and Harry would train against Tonks and then Remus and then again.

After the first two duels Harry called it a stop. He could tell that Tonks was holding back. So was he, but that had other reasons. He held back only spells not his abilities.

"Tonks, I want that you forget down here, that we are couple even that we are friends. Treat me like you would treat a recruit. Train me, push me... even hurt me, but I have to learn." He said determined.

She looked uncertain.

"He is right, you know." Remus supported Harry and she nodded.

"You will hold nothing against me?"

"Nothing, I promise. Do what you must. It may save my life."

"As you wish then, but give me a last kiss before we start."

That he did and Moony averted his eyes.

But as they separated both hat a glint of steel in their eyes.

"Now ten steps back and get ready!" Tonks bellowed.

Harry obliged fast.

He came to hold and the first curse was flying at him.

He stepped slightly aside so that the curse missed him by inches.

Tonks nodded approving. "Good, not too much moving because that may out you in a disadvantage. Now go on! Defend yourself!"

She hurled a series of curses at him. The slower ones he sidestepped, other ones he countered or deflected them back. Only in the rarest cases he used shields... the Protego mostly. He engaged her with mostly simple charms and hexes he had learned at school. Advanced charms would definitely give him away and show his true education.

"Improve your aiming!" Tonks yelled.

While Harry was able to produce perfect spells his aiming lacked some accuracy at least against the now not so clumsy moving Tonks, on the contrary, his girlfriend was now in full battle mode and she moved like a dueling champion and avoided his spells with ease.

He was hit by a banishing charm and was flung against the wall.

Another curse followed suit and he had barely time to avoid it by rolling away.

As the next curse hurled in his direction he apparated behind her but she had anticipated this move and had also apparated some meters behind herself so that she was now in Harry's back and hit him with another banishing curse which let him fall hard to the ground. He never once made a sound of pain or annoyance. He was only determined to prove himself. He was good and fast. But Tonks got the better of him. He made a tactical move, she anticipated it and set up a trap for him and hit him only more. Remus was watching the duel in awe. He knew that Tonks was an auror but she was good even for an auror. And that while she seemed to be clumsy most of her time? And Harry shouldn't be able to last more than a minute against an auror but they were now fighting for half an hour. That was truly amazing.

"Thinking we are playing?" Tonks yelled and hurled a reductor at him.

He deflected it but she was already sidestepped and flung another curse at him.

"Then let the games begin!" she yelled and now she send a multiple reductor at him. That was something only the most advanced duelers managed... multiplying curses and spells.

Three of the curses flew at him in a fast series. He deflected one, protected himself with a Protego afterwards. The second was absorbed by the shield and the third broke it down.

His problem was the next series of curses.

The first hit home and broke his left arm. The second hit also and broke his leg and he fell down to the floor. The third now headed directly to his head.

"NOOO!" Tonks screamed and Remus jumped up. No one would be fast enough to help him. The curse would shatter his skull if it hits him.

He saved himself though. He transfigured a tile of stone in front of him into a wall of stone and it shattered under the spell but the curse didn't reach his target.

Both hurried over to him and they could see the pain in his eyes.

Tears started to fall down from Tonks eyes.

Harry didn't pay attention to it. He grabbed his leg and clenched his teeth together. Then he straightened it out with a short yelp and muttered a charm afterwards which mended the bone.

He did the same to his arm, then he passed out of pain.

"Harry!" Tonks sobbed and took his head in her lap.

"How could he stand the pain? How could he straighten his own bones? That must have hurt like hell and then healed them also!" Remus muttered stunned.

"We have to help him." Tonks yelled.

"Enervate!" called Remus and flicked his wand.

Now Harry groaned and he sat up with tears in his eyes.

"Ouch that hurts." he said full of sarcasm, "Help me up please!"

Both helped him to stand up.

He swayed slightly.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked worried.

"I will live. I will... go up." he said through clenched teeth and went out of the basement with small careful steps.

Tonks was clinging on Remus and sobbed: "He will hate me now."

"No he wont. He wanted it in this way."

"But I have hurt him! I... I nearly killed him. I will never forgive myself for that. He did not even look at me."

"Tonks! He was in pain! I bet he used every ounce of strength left to get up alone!"

"But..."

"No but! You will now follow him and help him!"

Tonks fled the basement and dreaded to face him.

He sat on the couch his head in his hands.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively.

He looked up with bloodshot eyes and tears running over his cheeks.

She couldn't bear it and fled up to her room.

Harry groaned.

"Where is Tonks?" Remus asked as he came in two minutes later.

"Ran away!" Harry sighed.

"Shit!"

"You say it. Could you help me up to her room please? I don't get there alone."

"Shouldn't I bring her down?"

"She wouldn't come. She is afraid... without reason."

"I will help you. Come!"

"Thanks."

"You were truly amazing down there. Hell, I knew she is an auror but she is really good."

"That are you telling me?" Harry groaned.

"Yeah but you were fantastic too. I wouldn't have stood against her that long. And after that you straightened your own bones? That must have hurt like hell."

"You have no idea. But if we had waited for Poppy, Dumbledore would have known what we did and I want to avoid that. So I had to help myself."

"We are here."

"Give me some time with her, but alert us if any one comes, especially Moody."

"Alright."

Harry knocked and entered her room. She was on her bed sobbing.

He limped over to her and sat down beside her. He stroked her gently over his back.

"Hi love. Why are you crying?"

"I... I have hurt you! I nearly killed you!" she sobbed.

"Come, get up please!"

She sat up and found herself in a hug.

"It is alright. Nothing happened."

"Nothing? I broke you two bones!" she was hysterical.

He let her go and straightened himself. Then he looked her hard in her eyes.

"Now you will her me out!" he said sharply. She twitched under is steely voice.
"You did nothing wrong. I demanded from you that you don't hold back. If anyone is to blame, then it is me, because I was not good enough. We are at war and if you want me to survive, then you will help me. But you can only help me, if you show me my limits and my weaknesses and help me to improve them. I promised you, I would hold nothing against you and that I won't do. I love you with all my heart. Nothing matters what happens down there is that clear?"

She nodded.

"If you have a problem with that kind of arrangement, if you have a problem because I could get hurt, then I will not ask you again for your help. Do you want to help me?"

She nodded.

"Than we will repeat this until I get it!" he said with an icy voice again surrounded by an aura of power.

She broke down again sobbing but nodded.

He pulled her in a hug again and held her until her tears were ceased.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I know but you have to put your feelings aside during the training or you will do me more bad than good. Promise?"

"Promise. Would... would you spend the night with me?"

"Sure... but in my room and only sleeping. I am kind of sore." he joked.

"I think a little massage could help." she said smiling.

"You see? It is alright. You are smiling again. That's my girl. Now let's get down and tell Moony we are both alright. And then you both will tell me what I have to do better."

They analyzed the duel and told him, that he had to improve his aim on moving targets and that he also had to anticipate the moves of his opponent, that he had to bring him or her to do some things and counter them beforehand, like Tonks had done it with the apparition.

The next day he wasn't able to duel but was nearly healed. He looked now in his books after tactics for his next duels.

He found some very creative moves in them.

snifflers unite: No, I didn't realise that Nightwing is Robin. I did watch the movies but I am not a realy bigl fan of Batman or more espacially Robin. It doesn't really matter anyway, because I posted now the name Nightwing and I will let it be for this story. I find it kind of cool, but maybe that is because I am German and here sound many English names cool which are maybe pointless to you over there grin As for your betaing, I am still undecided. I am thinking about re-reading the rest of the story and give it to you for the betaing though, at least if you can manage one chap per week. But I will email-you then if I do so. Thanks for the offer anyway.

hatchedryda: This fic is written in English only. Sorry. My other german fics you can find in the account. I only have written one fic in English AND in German and that is 'In the end'

Sauron the deceiver: Thanks for your review in my main language! I appreciate the effort. If you want to try to improve your German, try to read my other fics ;-)

BJH: Thanks for the hints! I will try to remember it while I re-read and re-check the following chaps!

To all my other readers and reviewers: Thank you!