Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its characters. JKR, WB, and a whole bunch of other people do, but NOT ME! Warning: Spoilers for HBP ahead! Also, minor use of language. I will only post this disclaimer again for when new warnings are needed.

Harry Potter & the Daughter of War

By Ashura

Chapter One: Regretful Decisions

It was an ordinary day on Number Four, Pivet Drive. The mailman delivered the paper just like any day. Breakfast was served without a moment's delay. The TV blared the morning news, occasionally reporting that someone had been killed by unknown means.

But for one Harry Potter, today was nothing in the ordinary whatsoever. Today was the beginning of the end: his birthday. Normally, he would celebrate his birthday as much as he could, preferably at the Weasley's, but not this birthday. Today he was seventeen, which meant several things.

But the only thing that was on his mind was the spell that had just been lifted. Now he was no longer safe anywhere. Voldemort could drop on by right now and kill him if he wanted. This was why he was prepared to draw his wand at any time, listing the number of jinxes and hexes he could use.

Most people would be scared out of their minds right now, expecting Voldemort to arrive at their doorstep. But for harry, he was surprised to not find any trace of fear in him. It was a weird feeling, really. He guessed it was because of the prophecy, knowing he would have to face him. Right now, he wasn't thinking about if he could do it, but how he would go about it, and he had several ideas in his mind at the moment.

One more special occurrence was to happen this day besides the chance of his most hated enemy. Arthur Weasley was going to be stopping by to get Harry his Apparating license. This Harry looked forward to with great enthusiasm. He had apparated a couple times, and felt confident he could do it again.

Also, he could now perform magic whenever he wanted, which he was thankful of should Voldemort or any other Death Eaters should arrive, though Harry knew he need not fear Death Eaters. All of Voldemort's servants were not to kill Harry, saving him for Voldemort. Unfortunately, they would probably be used to get to Harry's friends.

Or even worse, Ginny. Harry shook his head when her name popped up. He refused to show any affection towards her until Voldemort was killed. If he did, and Voldemort found out, she'd be top of his list. He knew he couldn't do anything for Ron and Hermione's status, but at least he could keep Ginny out of it. It was her only chance.

Though when he thought about it, if anyone could put up with a horde of Death Eaters, it was her. Her dueling skills were second only to him, as far as he knew. But the fear that she could end up dead haunted him more. Losing Dumbledore was bad enough as it was.

He frowned at the thought. Thinking of Dumbledore, or Sirius for that matter, didn't bring sadness to his heart anymore. It only reminded him of what he must do to keep that from happening again. To anyone else. He would fight Voldemort until one of them lay dead.

How to kill him though? The thought still lingered in his mind since Dumbledore's death. After he found the four Horcruxes, then what? How would he kill Voldemort? He refused to use Avada Kedavra. For some reason, he wouldn't stoop that low. But Harry wasn't above using Crutiatus, as he discovered when he fought Snape. And, though it would have cost him a life sentence in Azkaban, he would have loved to have succeeded back then.

He would have to control himself. Remain pure, as Dumbledore had told him. It was his only weapon against Voldemort. Love was another, but Harry could not figure out how to use that to his advantage. He searched through his spell books over the summer, determined to find a spell like that. But he could find none.

It was then that he noticed the black Ministry of Magic car pulling up into the driveway, and realized Mr. Weasley had arrived.

"Hello Harry. You packed?"

Harry nodded, and he and Mr. Weasley collected his only belongings and placed them into the trunk of his car. He stayed silent the entire time, lost in thought of how he was to leave what was his only protection.

He turned around to get one last look at it. Soon he was to leave the house he had lived in for ten years and seven years each summer. The house where he was treated like scum, a freak. And now, he felt as if he might miss his cupboard under the stairs.

"You're not coming back, right?" said Uncle Dursley, standing in front of the house, Aunt Petunia and Dudley behind him, "You're gone for good this time?"

"Yes," said Harry quietly, "This'll probably be the last time I ever see you again." He flashed a smile towards them. He half hoped for at least a goodbye, a nice farewell for a change.

"Good," he said hotly, "It's about bloody time! Now get out of my house!"

Harry chuckled under his breath. He should never have expected anything less. At the very least, he would be able to remember his uncle as he always had: a sack of hot air.

He turned his back on them and climbed into the Ministry of Magic car, almost certain he heard a quiet, "See ya," from Dudley. Harry smiled. Well, at least one of them had manners.

"How does it feel to be out of there, Harry?" he heard Mr. Weasley ask him when they drove a distance, "Being of-age and all?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. It's okay, I guess." Which was kind of true, in a sense. Being of-age didn't really feel any different to him. He still had magic, he still had the same destiny. All it meant was he could do magic any time he wanted and, as soon as he got his license, apparate.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Didn't feel any different for me, either," Mr. Weasley said to him, though Harry was only half-listening. "But for some people, it means a great deal. I know Ron's been enjoying his freedom. He's been giving us a hard time with giving payback to Fred & George."

Harry chuckled. Ron had been waiting for this for a long time. He could only imagine what he was unleashing upon the twins. Actually, he couldn't. He didn't exactly remember Ron ever using spells the twins didn't know.

"Hermione's been using magic constantly," Mr. Weasley continued, "Mostly cleaning up Ron's messes."

Harry couldn't stifle a laugh at this. He silently hoped Ron and Hermione were getting along well; though Dumbledore's death had brought them closer, their friendship was still a bit rocky. He hoped that Hermione wasn't cleaning his messes so much that it made Ron a tad jealous.

"I, um, heard you and Ginny hooked up recently, from what Ron's told me," he said from out of nowhere, "Is that true?"

This question took Harry by surprise so much, he was not able to answer it. In the back of his mind, Harry despised Mr. Weasley for asking that, but he knew he shouldn't. after all, how was he to know that all Harry could think about all summer was how he wished he could take back everything he said to Ginny at the funeral. And yet he knew he could not.

But this was a dilemma. He forgot that he never did tell Ron that he and Ginny broke up. He didn't know why, though. Maybe he was afraid of what Ron might say. But Harry supposed he just didn't want to accept it himself. After all, he wanted nothing more than to be with her.

"Um, Mr. Wealsey, I…" he had to say something to him, but found he just couldn't seem to form any words.

"It's okay, Harry," Mr. Weasley said calmly, "I have no problem with it. I'd rather it be you, anyways. Just make sure you don't leave her like those other two. She may not look it, but Ginny's very emotional. I supposed you may have noticed in your second year, but too much stress causes Ginny to, well, snap. It's not very pretty. She becomes an entirely different person. It took two years before she finally got over that Chamber of Secrets incident."

Yes, he did notice. And just now he realized how she took the situation rather well, but inside he could tell she was hurt. It was him. He broke her that day, by breaking up with her. He thought she was just accepting, but he didn't think she'd…

"She's been like that lately," he continued, "I think Dumbledore's death did something to her. She stays in her room all day, and keeps to herself. Not even Hermione's been able to have a conversation with her that lasts more than a 'hello' and 'goodbye.' Hopefully, you can cheer her up."

Now how could he tell Mr. Weasley about the break up? When it was he who was making Ginny act this way? The realization of what he had done ate him up inside, tearing at his already weakened heart. He fought the tears clawing out of his eyes, but they came regardless.

Thankfully, Mr. Weasley did not notice. Harry knew eventually he had to tell everyone about the breakup, but he kept hesitating, delaying it further and further. It was like Sirius all over again. A part of him didn't want to believe he had done it. That he had broken up with Ginny Weasley.

But he had to put that behind him. It was over and done with and he had to follow through with his decision. If not being with Ginny was what he had to do to keep her safe, then so be it.

At last, Harry found himself at the only place he felt he could ever call home: The Burrow. It felt good to be back. And yet a part of him was dreading setting a single foot in it. He knew why, too. He didn't want to stay in a house where every day he was tempted with the sight of Ginny Weasley. Already his resolve was slipping from the mere thought of her.

But before Harry could even get to the front door, he had to jump back to avoid the reddish light of a stunning spell. He looked towards the source and found Ron locked in a duel with Fred, whilst Ginny battled George.

"Hold still, will you!" Ron yelled in frustration, his spells narrowly missing Fred. Fred only increased this aggravation by casting multiple shield charms around himself. Ginny, on the other hand, was performing much better than Ron, and had George casting the same shield charms just to defend himself.

Finally, Ginny heaved a great sigh and pointed her wand at George. "Ardor Maxime!" a large red beam shot out from her wand. George held up his want to defend himself, but the spell broke through and hit him square on the chest, knocking him backwards. "Accio wand!" she yelled, and George's wand flew into her hand, leaving a stunned and defeated George on the ground.

Fred looked up for a second at George's fall, but had to turn back to dodge Ron again. Distracted, Fred couldn't defend himself from Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex, which Harry was witnessing for the first time. Hundreds of tiny bats erupted from Ginny's wand and flew straight for Fred's head.

"Ack! Dammit, Ginny, this was supposed to be one-on-one!" he yelled at her as he tried to get rid of the annoying bats. "Oh, like you weren't going to do the same to me!" she yelled back at him and pointed her wand at him once again, "Expelliarmus!" and with that, Fred's one was released from his hand to be caught by Ron. However" Ron did not look as pleases you need to avoid the dual.

"Ginny, I was opposed to finish him!" Ginny only laughed at him and returned George's wand to him.

"that would have taken forever. If you didn't want my help, just dual one of them on your own!" and with that, she walked calmly past Ron and waved a "hello, Harry," before disappearing into the house.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, "sorry, mate, didn't see you…" before Ron could properly greet Harry, Fred and George pushed right past him and went right up to Harry, putting their arms around his shoulder.

"Hello Harry" George said with a sly look Harry knew could not be good, " Ginny would say anything, but Ron mentioned something to us about you going out with our sister. Is that true?"

Harry looked at them for a bit, then at Ron. He knew eventually he would have to tell them eventually, so why not now?

"No," he said calmly, "I'm not." Behind Fred and George, he saw Ron's jaw drop. The twins stared Harry then at Ron.

"But Ron said that…"

"After the Quidditch match, you—"

"We broke up," Harry said, and knew he said that in exactly the wrong way.

"You WHAT!" all three of them shouted. "What's wrong? She's not good enough for you?" "Just another fling, eh Harry?" "No wonder she's been so depressed lately!"

"Look!" Harry shouted to shut them up, "We broke up so she wouldn't be a target for Voldemort. If she's with me, she's as good as dead. I don't think any of you would want your sister just because she was with me. I'd much rather have her as my best mate's little sister than my girlfriend right now!"

There, he said it. it was over. He didn't care what they thought, and didn't wait to hear their answer, but instead just walked past their stunned faces and into the house. What for, he didn't know. His head ached. His heart burned. He needed to get something positive back. To for once have someone take his side for a change.

"Oh, hi Harry!" exclaimed Hermione as he walked in, reading a book in one of the arm chairs, "Ginny told me you had arrived." Ah, right on cue.

Harry took a deep sigh and said quietly, so only Hermione could hear, "Hermione, we need to talk." She gave him a questioning look, but didn't argue and led him into her and Ginny's room. Harry didn't say anything for a while, wondering what exactly to tell her. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but perhaps only 30 seconds, Ginny said, "is this about you and Ginny?" Harry nodded. "You two broke up, didn't you?" Another nod.

Hermione sat down next to him on the bed, and gave his back a light pat. "I figured as much. Ginny's usually so talkative, but all I get now is a 'Good night, Hermione.'"

Harry sighed, and let his body fall back onto the soft bed. "I hate this, Hermione. I know I did the right thing, but…"

"No, you didn't," she said flatly, "I know you had the right intentions, but Harry, Ginny's not your average girl. Ginny's strong, Harry. She duels much better than me or Ron, or even you for that matter! If we're allowed to be your friends, then there's no reason for you to—"

"If we were still together, she'd be the Death Eater's number one target!"

"Then Ron and I are number one targets too, did you think of that?" Harry stayed silent. He had no answer to this. "We're all targets, no matter how much you try and distance yourself from us. Besides, Voldemort may underestimate love, but even he isn't completely clueless. Even if you do stay apart, he's still going to go after her first. We're all better off with you than without you."

Harry was silent, taking this all in. "No," he said to her, "You're all still targets. If Voldemort's attention is on me and away from you guys, then—"

"What about the saying, 'safety in numbers,' Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I was hoping you'd agree with me on this, Hermione. I guess I was wrong."

"Harry, I—"

"I need to think," he said, and left that room for the sanctuary of his and Ron's room. However, Ron was in there already, and Harry felt he was not in the mood to face him right about now, not after what he said about him and Ginny. Then he had it. "Accio Firebolt," he thought, and his broom leaped into his hands, much to the surprise of Ron Weasley. Racing out of the house pass Mrs. Weasley and two twins ready with questions he'd rather not answer, he kicked off the ground and took to the skies.

Calmness began to seep back into Harry as he felt the familiar sensation of the cool wind on his face. He flew high above the trees, taking his time to pick a decent landing spot. At last, he descended in a small clearing far away from the Weasley house and the source of his current problems.

He sat down next to the lake4 he had spotted from the air and set his Firebolt against a nearby tree. Not caring how clean the water was (clear blue was a good sign, wasn't it?), Harry splashed some water on his face and stared back at his contorted expression.

He tried to convince himself what he did was right. But as soon as he was sure there was no way he could be wrong, the monster inside of him roared angrily at him for doing so.

"Arrrggg!" he yelled, madly throwing stones at the water, "Why does this feel so wrong!"

Because you know it is.

It can't be, my logic is…

But you lover her.

Yes, and that is why I can't let her be with me.

If you truly love her, you shouldn't be doing this.

NO! YOU'RE WRONG!

Again, he splashed his face with water in a desperate attempt to silence the beast.

"You know, splashing water all over yourself won't solve anything," Harry heard a voice behind him. He spun around to find a man in about his late twenties, with short, messy brown hair and small glasses. He wore a silver jacket and was resting against a tree flipping a gold coin in his right hand.

"If you really want to figure out the answers to your little love life, I suggest you sit down and calmly meditate for a few minutes. It should become much clearer after that."

Harry stared at the man, taking in what he had said. But then a thought came to him. "Hey, wait a minute. How did you know what I was thinking?" Harry questioned. And even if he did read my mind, how come I didn't feel any pain like when Snape used Legimens on me?

The man laughed suddenly and shook his head. "For one thing, Legimens is used not only for interrogation, but as a torture device."

"What? You mean there's more than one spell?"

"Well, yes, naturally. Most of them don't work very well, but with trial and error, you'll eventually figure out the right one."

Without warning, the wind started to pick up, and the atmosphere started to get a bit chilly. For a moment, Harry stared at the man before him. His right hand twitched instinctively, ready at any moment to draw his wand from his pocket. A chill just ran down his spine, and Harry knew it wasn't from the wind. For some reason just now, he felt nervous and wary around this man.

"Who are you?" he asked him.

The man smiled an evil smile that caused goose bumps to erupt on Harry's skin, "You'll find out," he said, and stepped back into the shadow of the trees. Harry rushed forward, determined not to let him get away so easily. But to his surprise, he found nothing behind that tree. That man, whoever he was, was gone.