It is a beautiful day outside Number 4 Privet Drive. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the warm summer breeze is blowing. But the occupant of the smallest room in Number 4 Privet Drive paid no attention to all this. He was simply too busy with more important things to pay attention to such things as singing birds, summer breezes and a perfect cloudless day outside.
Harry was busy preparing for war. He had no choice. Just like the prophecy said, it was either him or Voldemort. Well, he has no wish to be a killer, but it's not like he has much of a choice. The prophesy was quite clear. He'd gotten it memorized by now "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."
He'd only been back at Privet Drive for about a week or so, but in that time he had made himself quite busy. Since he couldn't practice magic here, being underage and around muggles, he did the next best thing...he taught himself all about muggle weapons, both ancient and modern. He borrowed books about war and muggle armies from the library, he went to an internet cafe and downloaded articles on muggle war tactics and weaponry. He even bought "The Art of War" book by Sun Tzu.
He knew that none of these would be enough to defeat Voldemort, but it might be useful against lower ranking Death Eaters who didn't know enough magic to defend themselves from such simple weapons as crossbows and poison darts, or spears.
He even built himself a homemade crossbow and an atl-atl. He set-up a bunch of targets on one wall of his room, using some old wooden boards. On the wooden boards were stuck 3 pieces of parchment...they bore the hand-drawn images of Bellatrix, Voldemort, and Umbridge.
Deep inside, he was still hurting from losing Sirius, but outside you couldn't tell. Inside he may weep, but outside...he was a young man preparing turn himself into a fiercesome warrior. He vowed to avenge his godfather and his parents. There is no way he was going to let Voldemort win!
He wasn't simply thinking like a soldier, he was trying to think like a general! Everyday when he woke up he would ask himself, what can I teach the DA next year that will help us win the war? What can I learn that will help me lead them to victory?
He was no longer looking at the DA as just a group that practiced to defend themselves should they encounter Death Eaters.
Now that Voldemort has no more reason to hide in the shadows, he was certain that mere "defense" was enough. It was time to learn offense. It was time the DA lived up to its name. It was time they truly became Dumbledore's Army! Sure there were the Aurors from the ministry, but there were too few of them. Even with the help of the Order, there's still not enough. As he had found out, too few of them can even create corporeal patroni! Now with the Dementors likely to side with Voldemort, they need more people who can produce corporeal patroni! He vowed he would teach as many of the DA as he can to properly produce patroni.
THHHUWWWWUUCCCKKKKKK!!!!
Harry admired his aim with his homemade crossbow as his arrow just struck the image of Voldemort smack in the middle of the forehead. The first arrow was still quivering when he took out a second longer "arrow". This he placed not on the crossbow, but on a curious little notched piece of wood with a stone weight tied to it. He raised his arm high behind his back, and swung with all his strength, at the same time leaning forward, as he let the long dart go.
THHHHUUUCCCCKK!!!!!!!!
It struck the image of Umbridge smack in the big ugly toad like mouth. The weapon he just used is called an atl-atl. He learned about it in the internet. It is a primitive weapon more ancient than the bow and arrow. But has he also found out, it is quite powerful. Capable of launching long darts at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Primitive, but effective. The atl-atl was slowly being rediscovered by modern hunters throughout the world, and was still widely used by the world's indiginous native cultures.
Harry then took out something from a secret pocket he'd sewn into his jeans. He flicked his wrist.
TAACCCCKKKKK!!!!!!
The 8 pointed ninja star embedded itself between the eyes of the image of Bellatrix on the wall. Harry had bought a bunch of them off a martial arts store he saw while on the way to the library.
Downstairs...
"Now what the devil is that crazy boy up too now???!!!!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
"I don't know dear, he's been even stranger than usual since he got back. He keeps himself locked in his room all the time now, and hasn't even touched the food I left outside his door last night. I think he even changed his locks. I tried to open his room last night to take a peek, but the key no longer works." replied Aunt Petunia.
"Dad, I could spy on him you know. If I can borrow your drill, I'd make a hole in the wall and see what he's up to." Dudley suggested.
"Put a hole in the wall! Heavens! And damage our beautiful house?!" shrieked Aunt Petunia.
"Now, now dear. The boy has a point here. The kind of racket he's making upstairs, how do we know he isn't already doing some damage to our house?!" responded Uncle Vernon.
When Petunia didn't say anything, Vernon figured she'd let Dudley drill the hole.
"Go get the drill Dudley, the manual one, not the powered one...so you'll make less noise when you drill the hole. You know how to use it right?"
"Yup!" said Dudley excitedly. He too had been wondering what his strange cousin has been up to. It's about time they found out.
Upstairs...
Harry finished with his target practice. He sat on his bed and tried not to think of Sirius. He missed him a lot, but he tried his best to channel his sorrow into something productive, like preparing for war. The scene at the ministry replayed itself in his head. Bellatrix laughing with delight. Sirius falling into the veil. . .
"I'll get you Bellatrix, I swear!!!!" he yelled out loud.
He smacked his right fist into his open left hand. Then he thought of some battle scenarios. He wondered what effect modern muggle weapons would have on Death Eaters. Probably will take care of the entire lower-ranks...well, if they caught them by surprise and Voldemort wasn't there to protect them. It'll be no good against dementors though, or against Voldemort himself. Still, it would be an advantage if they could get the muggles' help. If the Royal Army and the MI:6 were on their side, they can round up Voldemort's pawns and other lower-ranking followers. That'd free up the Aurors, the Order and his DA to go after Voldemort and his inner circle. Surely Voldemort is a threat not just to wizards but to muggles as well. He did kill a bunch of muggles before.
Harry vowed he'd suggest this idea to Dumbledore whenever he got back to Number 12 Grimauld Place. It's got a small chance of success, but he at least knew the Statute of Secrecy wasn't absolute. He knew the muggle Prime Minister was alerted of the Azkaban break-out by the Ministry of Magic. So obviously there are some high level contacts between both worlds. How much contact there is, he didn't know, but he vowed to find out.
He heard a strange noise outside his bedroom. It wasn't very loud. It was as if someone were trying NOT to make noise. He stuck his ear to the wall. A drill! Uncle Vernon or Dudley must be wondering what all the noise coming from his room is all about. Well, he'd teach them not to mess with him. No more Mr. Nice Harry, no more pushover Harry. He took a bottle of water, and poked a hole in the cap. He waited for the drill to punch through and for whoever it was outside to put their eye on the hole.
As soon as he saw an eyeball...he squirted it with water.
"AAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Mom! Dad! My eye! My eye!"
Dudley. Figures. Nosy little pig that he is. He should be grateful it was only water. "Duddydidikums! What happened!??!" a scared Aunt Petunia screamed.
Dudley was busy wiping his right eye. It had gone red.
"That's it! I have had it with that crazy boy!" Uncle Vernon yelled and hurried up the stairs.
"Listen you freak! If you don't get out of that room right now, I am going to break this door down!!!"
So Harry opened the door. . .
Aunt Petunia took one look at the drawings on the far wall with the arrows and darts and ninja stars stuck into them and screamed.
Uncle Vernon was in shock.
"Bloody freakin' awesome!!!!!" yelled a very suprised Dudley.
"Dad, can I get a crossbow too??!" he asked.
Aunt Petunia screamed even louder.