A/N: Sorry, forgot to introduce myself earlier. I am Ashura. I was previously known as "Jigon" (god, that name sounds just terrible to me now), and if anyone remembers, I was the author of "Harry Potter and the Amazing Prodigies" before I got kicked off & my computer crashed. So if anyone has a copy of my 1st work, please send it to me!

I'm going to change the rating of this fanfiction to "M," just to be safe. There's going to be a lot of terrible stuff going on later on, and I'll have violence, language, and hints of…yeah, I'd better make it "M"-rated. Next Chapter, I'll change it, since that's when the 1st hint of M-rated stuff occurs.

I am so sorry I didn't update and give you this next exciting chapter! I was waiting for my new beta to review it, but something happened when I sent it to her, and I don't want to keep you waiting any longer. Gomen nasai!

Harry Potter and the Daughter of War

By Ashura

Chapter Two: Confrontation

"So he just, disappeared?" Ron questioned Harry as they, Hermione and Ginny sat in the Weasley's living room, where Mrs. Weasley had conveniently laid out a platter of milk & cookies for them. Harry couldn't help feeling relieved that the topic of discussion was now focused away from him and Ginny.

"Yeah," said Harry, "I'm guessing he dissaperated or—"

"But that's impossible!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because anti-apparation wards have been placed around this house for protection," Hermione stated in her usual as-a-matter-of-fact attitude.

"Maybe he used some other spell. I'm sure Apparation isn't the only quick-escape method," Ginny said, taking a sip of her milk, "Maybe it has to do with him backing into those trees you mentioned."

"Backing into trees, you say?" came the eerie voice of Moody behind them, causing all three of them to jump in their seats in suprise.

"Don't do that!" Ron shouted, giving the ex-auror a dirty look.

"Y-yes sir," Harry told Moody, a little shaky himself.

"Ahem, forgive me. I couldn't help but overhear," Moody apologized, "By any chance, were the trees dark, er, did they have a lot of Shadows?"

"Well yes they did," replied Harry, "That was why I didn't see—"

"Shadow Walking!" he suddenly shouted. Harry, as well as the other three, stared at Mad-Eye, not sure if he was serious or really 'bark'ing mad. "Shadow Walk," he continued, "Is NOT a type of apparation, but an escape method used primarily by wizard assassins. Basically, the user blends his/her body into his/her shadow, usually used in a dark corner (in this case a bunch of trees) and moves along other shadows. Very difficult to learn, but I wouldn't use it myself."

"Why not?" asked Ron, "Sounds like a useful spell to me."

"Well, think about it," said Ginny, "For there to be a shadow, there must be an object to create it and the sun shining behind it. If there are no objects, or if it's a cloudy day, you have no shadows."

"Bravo," exclaimed Moody, clapping his approval, "couldn't have said it better myself!" and with that said, Moody walked towards the kitchen, leaving the four teens alone once again.

Harry couldn't help but feel a little proud and amazed at how Ginny figured the shadow problem out so quickly. But much to his dislike, the aching feeling in his chest was starting to return, and he would rather not experience it again.

"Still, this leaves me worried," said Hermione, "I thought when it came to reading minds, only Voldemort—" a wince came from Ron when Ginny elbowed him in the ribs, "—and Snape were a threat. But now, it seems there are probably plenty Death Eaters who can—"

"Oh, lighten up Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, taking a bite of one of the cookies, "Just because he can do it doesn't mean he's a Death Eater!"

"I know that, Ron. I'm just saying it's a possibility that the other Death Eaters can, too," she reminded him, "And don't talk with your mouth full, Ron, it's disgusting."

Harry heard Ginny snicker at that last comment.

"Well, it can't be too easy to do it! Maybe this guy was an elite auror; an assassin like Moody said!"

"Yes, Ron, but just to be on the safe side—"

"And what would you have all of us do, learn Occlumency? Even Harry couldn't—"

"But Ron, that's not what I…"

Just then, Harry felt a slight nudge in his ribs, and turned his head to see Ginny rolling her eyes at them.

"I'm getting tired of this. Fancy a walk?" Harry nodded, and the two left quickly, with Ron and Hermione not even noticing a thing.

"Man, they sure argue a lot, don't they?" Ginny laughed as she ran in front of Harry. He couldn't help but laugh at just how energetic she was, despite what Mr. Weasley had said about her being depressed. He supposed she was happy just to be with him right now.

However, he hated to disappoint any ideas she had. How he hated distancing himself from her, when all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and show her just how much he really cared. But that was something he could not afford to do.

"Harry, you okay?" she asked him, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, though he wasn't so sure of his answer. Truth was, his "monster" was driving him insane with thoughts of pulling her close, kissing her, whispering sweet thoughts into her ear…

"You did it again!" she laughed, "you sure you're okay, Harry?"

"Yes Jess," he said with a bit more confidence, "I'm fine." But seeing Ginny frown made him think she still didn't believe him one bit.

"Well," she said quietly, turning her back on him and staring at the ground, "I'm not." He was just about to ask her what was wrong, but he realized he already knew.

"I-it hurts, Harry," she told him, her voice rough and Harry swore her heard her sniff up a few tears, "You're right here, and yet I can't even touch you."

"Ginny," he tried to say calmly, without breaking down as well, "We've been through this. Voldemort could…"

"To hell with Voldemort! I don't care!" she snapped her head back at him, and Harry could see now that she did in fact have tears in her brown eyes.

"I'm one of the best duelers you know! And I can improve! I'll learn more spells! I'll train harder! I'll…"

"Ginny, we CAN'T! it doesn't matter how much stronger you get, he'll still be even stronger! The only way is if we are sure he's—"

"Dead? And who's going to do that, you? Prophecy or not, you can't do this alone!"

"Ginny, I have to!" Harry argued with her, "I have to do this alone! I have no choice! I can't be held responsible for you or anyone else!"

He was fed up with this. No one understood anything. No matter how powerful Ginny was, no matter how much his heart ached for her, the image of Voldemort laughing over her dead, lifeless body always changed his mind. He had let too many people die because he could not save them: Cedric. Sirius. Dumbledore. Each of their deaths could have been prevented, had he only been stronger.

"Ginny, I thought we had an understanding. You said you knew I had to fight Voldemort alone."

"You'll let Ron and Hermione—"

"That's different, Ginny!"

"Are you saying you love them more than me!" she yelled and turned to run away from him, not wanting to hear his answer.

But she felt her arm being pulled and she came face to face with Harry once again. "Ginny, I love you more than anything!" he insisted, pulling her to him and holding her close. She smelt like , "And that's why I can't drag you into any more danger."

"But Harry, I—"

"No but's, Ginny!" he cried, "I want to be with you too, but I would feel a whole lot better if I didn't think you were out there risking your life by fighting with me."

"But Hermione and my brother—"

"—have been with me since this whole mess started, and know exactly what's out there. I don't worry about them as much as I do with you."

Tears were now pouring down his face as everything he had been feeling for the past two months poured out of him. He felt more at ease, more sure that he had done the right thing. The monster in his chest had now settled.

A silence now filled the grassy field, as Ginny took in Harry's words. They stung in her heart; he did not trust her as much as Hermione and Ron. Nevertheless, she knew that he was right to feel this way. Ron and Hermione had been with Harry since day one, and risked their lives for him on numerous occasions. She, however, was only in battle twice, and faced death only in her 1st year. And having him worry about her, he said, would only hinder him when he faced Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"Harry," she finally said.

"Yes, Ginny?"

"When you kill Voldemort," she said, and paused to place a brief kiss on his lips, "You had better make it up to me."

He laughed. He couldn't help but laugh, and it felt good. He hadn't laughed in a long time.

"Sure, Gin. You've got it."

And with that, she smiled, hugged him, and backed up several steps. Harry looked at her curiously, not sure what exactly she was up to.

"Well, now that that's been settled," she said, and reached into her pocket and drew out her wand, "Let's duel, Harry."

He stared at her. She grinned back. She wasn't serious, was she? But she ahd her wand out; it was poised in the traditional dual starting position.

"Ginny, are you—" he began to say, but she nodded before he could even finish. She was definitely serious, "But why, Gin?"

"Simple," she told him, "Both you and Ron (as well as my parents and other five brothers) seem to think I'm this fragile little girl that needs to be protected and cared for.

"Ginny, it's not that I…"

"I don't care. Besides," she said, and her grin made Harry get goosebumps, "I've always wanted to."

"But Gin, I—"

"Fine, you want incentive? We'll make a little bet. Fifty galleons and, as an added bonus, a date."

"A date?" he questioned, "Ginny, we just agreed that—"

"Don't worry; I have it covered. Besides, if you win, I'll leave alone completely and I won't even complain once!"

"Ginny, you don't even have fifty galleons!"

"How do you know I don't?"

"How do I know you do?"

"You won't win, so it doesn't matter."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"I don't think I could lose to—"

"Prove it then," she challenged him. With that, Harry had enough and pulled out his wand. He and Ginny bowed to each other and prepared to cast the first spell.

Harry gulped. He had never seen Ginny duel completely, so he had no clue as to how the duel would start. From what he saw from the only two duels he witnessed from her, she seemed to be using a "wait for an opening" strategy. That meant that he had to…

"Ardor Sempra!" he heard Ginny yell, and Harry was barely able to dodge the fiery stream that came streaming towards him. He heard her cast it again, but Harry was ready for it now.

"Protego!" he cried, but Ginny's spell simply cut right through the shield and hacked into Harry's chest. He winced when he stood back up. His shirt had been completely burned off, and 2nd degree burns were clearly visible on his chest.

"One thing I've learned about the Shield Charm," Ginny explained, "is that it can't block elemental spells. Nice chest, though. Rarr."

"Expelliarmus!" he yelled, and Ginny, distracted by her own statements, couldn't block it in time and her wand flew from her hand to the ground behind her.

"Hey, I wasn't—"

"Accio wand!" Harry cried, pointing at Ginny's wand. It flew off the ground and towards his open hand. Much to his surprise, however, Ginny lunged for it as it drove past her. She succeeded in grabbing onto it, and was able to hold her ground just enough to…

"Stupefy!" this time, Harry had no choice but to dodge, breaking the spell from her wand. But before he could even get back up, he found several tiny bats approaching him rapidly.

"Ardor Maxime!" he cried, and like he saw when Ginny dueled George, a large beam of red light shot out from his wand. To his surprise, the bats that weren't hit were also burned in the process. Harry wondered how Ginny—"

"Expelliarmus!" he heard Ginny shout, and instantly knew it was over. His wand shot out from his hand and with a "Accio wand!", she caught it before it ever rached the ground.

"I guess this one goes to me!" she grinned happily, kissing her wand as an afterthought. Beating Harry Potter sure made her happy, proving herself as she had hoped.

But inside, Harry was devastated.

A/N: well? Comments? Bashings? Have an idea you would like to see later on (I will credit you)? Want to just say hi? Either way, read & review! It's what I live write for.

Dueling Notes: Ardor Sempra—"Burn Repeatedly." There are other words I could have used, but I think Ardor sounds better than the alternative. But you're the reviewer, so you may decide if you want me to be spot-on accurate or not.