READ THIS PLEASE!: O.k.! This isn't your average chapter. I decided to put together a scenes from the last two years of Harry's student life at Hogwarts and put them up as quick little almost one shots to past the time until a real chapter comes up. Hopefully these will be somewhat entertaining and will help me flush out the characters I am writing. Both good points in my book.

At the end of Harry's Sixth Year at Hogwarts

Intermission: Alternative

The day was brilliant for the time of year. Students who were making their way to Hogsmeade planed to forget the end of the years' tests, OWLS and NEWTS. One student hated the day. His friends no doubt thought he went ahead of them. And hopefully they would never notice that he did in fact not go. He prayed they would not notice that he was actually on top of the Astronomy tower looking over the whole field of the castle and the town below it.

Harry glared at the village before him. Hogsmeade was always a nice village this time of year, but the visit before leaving Hogwarts was something he adamantly did not want to attend. The Griffindor gripped the small piece of wood in his hand. He felt a sudden sting and looked at it. The jagged edge of his wand cut his palm and Harry silently cursed.

After his confrontation with Tom that December, Harry was confident that if he could not defeat the Dark Lord, then he could at least fight him to a draw. The mission six days ago was just barely considered a success. A minor role in an attack neededsomeone inthesecondary attack groupto distract the death eater camp. But no one knew that Voldemort himself would be in attendance. Harry intervened when he saw the poor Order member almost die. Harry saved his life but the fight that ensued made Harry careless. Harry gripped the handle tight. He was unaware of the blood running down his hand this time.

It was his fault, he knew it.

The-boy-who-lived had made Tom come to a draw until they finally locked wands. Harry was warned not to let it happen. Harry took the advice to heart in the previous fights with Voldemort. He knew that if he had lost in that match, he could die.

Harry looked at the sky. Then fell on to his back. He could still feel himself fighting against Tom.Do you really think you can beat me like this you foolish child? The voice ringed in Harry's head. Voldemort had laughed when Harry saved the Order member. Harry gave a small grim smile to himself that while it was a good idea at the time, Albus was right that if Harry had died, saving that man was meaningless.

You made me your equal remember? Countered Harry. Counter…. That was all Harry had learned in his time the previous summer while being forced to hide at Hogwarts. Counter, counter, counter. It was not until he realized that he could change the nature of himself that he noticed how weak that strategy was. Albus, as Harry had finally learned to call him, had said 'countering magic' was as important as attacking or defending. Harry could no longer believe it after he found himself in the room of requirement Halloween night. He learned there, that purpose can change the very nature of a persons magic. When that fact clicked in his head, Harry became an equal to his headmaster in every aspect of a wizard except for knowledge and wisdom.

In the battle that ensued with Voldemort, Harry remembered taunting the evil wizard. Come on Tom, I know you must have been better than this before you tried to kill me. Harry remember slowly getting cocky about the fight. He remembered Voldemort slowly getting angrier.

Don't be ridiculous boy, you are here to die. Voldemort made mistakes that Harry could exploit. Harry barely remembered the warning about locking their wands.

I'll meet you in the center Tom! Harry felt himself silently mouthing out the words. Harry looked at the broken wand then felt his hand moving in a spell to force Voldemort to lock their wands.

You are a young fool. Voldemort chuckled.

Albus neglected to mention…

What? NO! Harry felt his mind screaming at Voldemort.

That the attacker was always the weakest.

Harry who had locked his wand with Voldemort, instantly felt his wand buckle from the exchange. Had Voldemort locked wands then he would have surely lost. Voldemort knew this and did not make the attempt.

You impulsive child. Do you really think you can beat me. Harry moved his arms to the sky and gave them a good look. He could still feel the vibration of his wand against them. It was almost unbearable fighting against the magic coursing through his arms. Harry closed his eyes against the bright sky.

He felt like he was falling for a moment. It felt much like the way he flew across the hall they fought in. Harry saw the look of triumph in Voldemorts eyes, and he could feel the pain of loosing his most treasured possession. Harry sat up from his laying position on Astronomy tower andstruggled to standup.

Harry was no longeron the Astronomy tower.

He was in the Great Hall of Wizards. He was fighting Voldemort. Harry struggled to get up. He felt his arm go limp from the shatter collar bone and snaped upper arm. He looked to Voldemort and felt the horror of now being defenseless. He could do nothing but wait for Voldemort to raise his wand.

Like the Dark Lord was doing now.

And cast the killing curse on him. Then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and knew with shame that Albus was there to save him again. Harry felt the pull of his navel and he was back in Hogwarts.A screaming voice ringed in his ears. A scream of being denied his right to kill Harry Potter.

Harry jerkedaway when he feltSusan touch his shoulder. He didn't even notice that she was there. He was so immersed in his memory.

The Astronomy Tower was not one of his favorite places. But its was a haven now. He was too mad at Albus and himself to go to the headmasters office to think. And that would be the first place Hermione, Ron and Susan would look for him. Now that he had been caught he gave a weak smile. "Hello Susan." Harry sat down on the floor and leaned back. He laid on his back staring at the sky and rolling clouds for a time. Susan knelt next to him.

"You had everyone worried you know." She didn't sound angry, just sad and concerned. Harry felt whatever anger and bitterness of his situation drain from him. He reached for her hand and she eagerly took his.

"Sorry. I am just angry at myself. Snape didn't say anything to me about breaking away from the team and going off on my own. I over heard him saying to McGonagal that I just looked too defeated." Harry looked at her but the sunlight only made her a halo of blonde hair and shadows. "He was right. But it just amazes me." He squeezed her hand and she laid down next to him and cuddle close. They both should have been uncomfortable on the stone floor, but neither of them noticed. "Voldemort… Albus… me… If we are supposed to be the great wizards that everyonethinkswe are, it can change in a heart beat without having a wand." Harry raised his broken wand. The handle and part of core were still in one piece. Susan gasped at the bleeding that was seeping from his hand into his robes.

"You idiot! You should have gone to the hospital wing to get this treated. Give me your hand." Harry reddened and let go of his wand and showed her the three defined cuts the wand gave him.

Susan casted several spells to clean, stop blood flow and finally a spell to seal the wounds. "Good, I am glad that I took up healing with Madame Pomfery. I have never been able to get you to the hospital wing short of you being unconscious this year. You probably would have died from blood loss six times this year if I hadn't been here to heal you." She looked sternly at him.

Harry wanted to smile. She was cute when she glared at him. But Harry just mumbled something about visiting the infirmary too many times. Susan gave him an exasperated sigh and leaned back to him. Harry placed his arms around her and continued to look up at the sky.

Susan bit her lip before she asked, "So what are you planning to do now? Did Professor Dumbledore say when you can get another wand?"

Harry was still thinking and snapped himself out of it. He looked at Susan. He cared about her more than anything in the world. Which was why he almost didn't say, "I am not going to get another wand Susan." She squirmed from him so she could glare at him properly . Harry simply held her until she gave up. She huffed at him and he laughed. She couldn't stay angry at him now. It was the first laugh since he returned a week ago.

"Susan, a wand is a tool to focus our magic." He explained patiently. "It isn't why we can use magic. I am just going to have to find a way to focus magic with out one. I never want to be in a situation where I would be defenseless because I was dependant on a tool." Susan looked at his wand. When she looked up at him, she knew he wasn't referring to his destroyed wand. She let him think himself through. When he did he looked at her. She kissed him quickly before he continued.

"Besides," Harry raise both hands and the wand handle flew back and forth, then hovered between them. "I think I have a head start on this whole wandless thing for a long time now." The handle danced in between his hands and Susan gingerly raised her hand to touch it. She smiled at boyfriend when she pulled back her hand. "And if I can't make this work on my own. There is always Dobby. He could probably help. House elves are good at wandless magic."

"Dobby?" She asked mystified.

Harry looked at her surprised then began laughing again. He coughed and said, "Dobby is a house elf I freed from the Malfoy's." He didn't look at Susan's face when he said it. He was glad that Dobby won his freedom, but was a little embarrassed now that someone else besides Ron, Hermione, and Ginny knew.

Susan grinned. "Where is this Dobby now?"

Harry smiled and said, "Dobby." The house elf immediately popped in front of Susan and jumped at Harry.

"Is there something Dobby, can do for the great Harry Potter!" He jumped on top of Harry for a few minutes. Harry grimaced realizing why he was embarrassed.

Susan laughed and looked from Dobby the house elf to Harry. She kissed her boyfriend and said, "I think he is cute. Hello Dobby, I am Susan."

"Is Miss Susan Harry's ladys friend?" The house elf said in a jumble of words. Susan laughed and kissed Harry's cheek before she said, "Yes."

Dobby promptly jumped on Susan and exclaimed. "I be pleased to meet the great wizard Harry Potters' Susan!" Susan laughed and pulled close to Harry who joined her. Harry let the rest of the day go along with that. Susan and Dobby were good company. For now, being with Susan was the important thing.

Let training to be a more powerful wizard left for the summer.

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Well that was an interesting break. Hope you all enjoyed these two intermission pieces. Note to the readers, the daily update is probably going to kill me with finals approaching in two weeks, so expect maybe 2 updates a week rather than the first 5 chapter blitz. If I have time, I might try to get into a rhythm of a Monday, Wednesday, Saturday posting habit.

Thanks for the reviews!

zero-skillz: This isn't as sweet as the previous one, but hopefully it will help answer some questions about Harry and his lack of wand.

Anonymous: Thanks for pointing out what would normally be very obvious to me. I made note for the mistakes, and will hopefully have them fixed in the earlier chapters by the end of the week. Thanks for pointing out the grammar. Its not one of my strongest points. I'll do better in the following chapters. I hope.

Stryder: Thanks for the review. I am not going to do slash and really try and avoid stories that have it, but there are one or two that I have read that were ok. If you can ignore it.