A/n: Many thanks to my beta Sean

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.

Harry and Ron stumbled through the floo together, and Harry surprised himself by managing to keep his footing. Glancing around the deserted house, Harry noticed the pot of stew which had been left out for them, with a note reading only "Help Yourselves." Needing no further encouragement, the hungry boys each grabbed a bowl, settling themselves around the table to eat.

"How's your summer been?" asked Ron

"Interesting, for a change." said Harry, with a barely concealed smirk

Dinner was eaten in silence, and Harry knew his friend well enough to see that something was bothering the tall redhead. From the corner of his eye, Harry caught Ron taking suspicious looks at him, then quickly looking away when Harry met his gaze. When the two finished eating they quickly cleaned their dishes before heading up to bed. As they were leaving the kitchen, Ron finally turned to Harry and said "Try not to dwell on the war too much, it will tear you apart. We're still kids, and we should try to enjoy the time we have left before we grow up. I can tell it's killing you. Let it go." said Ron, trying to help his friend.

Harry turned, his eyes ablaze with fury. Ron unconsciously took a step back as he felt the power coming from his best friend.

"I stopped being a kid when I watched Cedric die. I stopped being a kid when I watched Sirius die. I stopped being a kid when I tried to cast the Cruciatus Curse. Ron, I haven't been a kid in a long time. I'm ready for the war now. Last year, I was still trying to hold onto my childhood but just look where that got me. Sirius died and I tried to cast Cruciatus." said Harry with passion

"Is that what changed you, then? I noticed the change in you at the end of the school year, but I thought it was just due to Sirius' death. What made you cast the curse?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius. I was trying to make her pay."

"Trying?"

"The curse didn't work. All I knew was the incantation, so I couldn't hold it on her."

"Harry, don't you understand? The Dark Arts made V-Voldemort. If you're not careful, you could end up like him."

Enraged beyond rational thought Harry lashed out, punching Ron in the face as hard as he could. As expected, Ron staggered back holding his nose.

"Look at me!" hissed Harry

Ron managed to turn his head to look at Harry.

Locking eyes with Ron Harry very deliberately spat out "I will never be like Voldemort!"

With that, Harry turned and walked away leaving Ron in a bloody heap. It took a second of leaning against the railing to bring his magic back under control. He could feel it moving around his body, writhing and pulsing uncontrollably due to his anger. Once Harry wrestled his magic back under his conscious control, Harry made a note to look in the Auror handbook for techniques on remaining calm.

"Harry Wait!" said Ron as he ran up the stairs after Harry

"Ron, this had better be good." intoned Harry, not completely trusting himself.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know what I was thinking – I know you won't become a Dark Lord; all I was trying to say is that you need to be careful."

Harry shrewdly observed Ron, trying to discern truth and decided to try something he had read. Calling up his magic to his eyes, Harry looked into Ron's eyes and reached out to touch his consciousness, trying to discern truth from lie. Finally deciding Ron was telling the truth, Harry released his magic.

"Okay Ron, I believe you. Please choose your words more carefully from now on."

"Thanks mate. Come on, I'll show you your new room."

Ron led Harry to the very top of the stairs to the master bedroom. Opening the door, Ron led Harry inside.

Harry observed his new room; apparently Mrs. Weasley had finally tamed the house because the room was immaculate. Dominating the center of the room was a king sized bed, with red and gold hangings to the left and right. Near the wall on the side was an ornate desk with a parchment and a quill set on it. The room felt comfortable to Harry, and walking over to the bed Harry sat down to test it out.

"Pretty nice, isn't it?" said Ron

"I like it. Tell your mum I said thanks for setting it up for me."

Ron walked over and sat on the other side of the bed before glancing over at Harry.

"Can I ask you something?" said Ron

"Sure. Can't promise I'll answer, though." said Harry thinking of the prophecy.

"How do you deal with all of the shit you've been through?"

"Why do you ask?" said Harry curiously.

"Well, earlier this summer I was sweeping the front hall when someone portkeyed in. He looked like he'd been tortured. He was bleeding everywhere and it looked like most of his bones were broken. Mum ran in and started healing him and she had me hold a wound closed till she could get to it. It was awful. I still have nightmares about it and I have to get up and wash my hands. That was the beginning of the summer, and I still can't get over it."

"When Cedric died I had nightmares that I was back in the graveyard, but those went away with time. When Sirius died, I just got over it… but, that left the anger at the Death Eater who did it. This summer I joined this muggle fight club. Each time I fought was like a breath of fresh air. I can't explain it, but fighting helps me. Takes my mind off things"

"Really? I'm so desperate right now that I'm willing to try anything." said Ron

"I was thinking of starting one at Hogwarts, with magic." said Harry

"Wicked! We should do it. I want to help."

The two spent the night coming up with plans for the Hogwarts fight club. Between the two of them, they managed to smooth out some of the details, like medical help – magical fights tended to be a lot more brutal than muggle ones. When they finally finished it was early morning. Exhausted, Ron left for his own room and Harry stripped and laid down on his own bed with a smile on his face.

Rising a few hours later, Harry brushed his teeth and lay down on floor to do his morning exercise. Instinctively, Harry found his magic and called it out to cover his entire body. Slowly, the green light that was Harry's magic cocooned around his body. Next, Harry went through his list by first making his magic power every single muscle in his body, then asking his magic to blend him against the floor. After cycling through his exercises, Harry started his magic twirling around his center, which was the exercise the auror manual recommended for increasing Magical strength. Harry decided he would not try to make himself invisible until he could first blend into things.

Feeling drained from his exercises, Harry stumbled to the bathroom and was refreshed by the steaming hot water of the shower. Feeling much better, Harry dressed and made it downstairs just in time for breakfast.

As Harry walked into the kitchen he could feel the tension in the room, so he found his place at the table quickly and whispered a quiet a good morning. Looking around, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley – her normally tidy hair was disheveled, like she hadn't washed or cared for it in some time. Her eyes were defeated and blank. She occasionally moved her lips as if she were mumbling to herself. Ginny seemed little better; she looked stressed and hadn't even noticed that Harry was even in the room, so intent was she on encouraging her mother to eat.

Grabbing a plate, Harry sat between Tonks and Ron. No one was talking, and the only break in the silence was the occasional "You need to eat Mum" from Ginny.

Not wanting to stay in the room any longer than necessary, Harry ate his breakfast in silence and left the room only to be gestured into the corner by Tonks. Making his way over, Harry observed that Tonks no longer had a bounce in her step and her normally friendly eyes looked cold. She looked completely unremarkable – in fact Harry's eyes seemed to slide off of her if he wasn't concentrating on her.

"Hello Harry" said Tonks

"Hey Tonks."

"How was your summer?"

"Perfect." said Harry with an evil grin

"It's about to get better. Listen to this: It is my official duty to inform you that you're allowed to do magic this summer. The Ministry can't pick it up if you're here, and Dumbledore says to practice hard." said Tonks with a smirk.

The only response Tonks got was a grin that threatened to split Harry's face in two.

"Thank you very much for that information, I'll put it to good use."

"I'm sure you will. Study the offensive portion of the handbook, now that you can." said Tonks with a wink. With that she walked away and was gone.

Harry was ecstatic he could finally allow his magic to leave his body. He ran as fast as he could up to his room, stopping only to tell Ron to meet him there. Harry threw open his trunk and reverently removed the Auror handbook. At this point Ron walked calmly into the room.

"What are you shouting about?" asked Ron

"Tonks just told me that we can do magic. Apparently having so many adults here means that the ministry can't pick us out of the crowd. We can practice magic this summer."

Ron just smiled and told Harry he would be right back. When Harry looked up to try his hand at raw magic, he noticed Ron reading a healing book. Harry called his magic up, allowing it to leave his body until it began to swirl around him. Letting his magic roam freely around him, Harry surrounded his Auror handbook with magic and lifted it into the air. Harry then used his magic to lift the book up and down, even throwing and catching it in front of him with his magic. Finally beginning to feel the strain, Harry held it only a little longer before he calling his magic back into his body. Once Harry's magic was safely returned to it's resting place, Harry collapsed on the ground panting in exhaustion. A smirking Ron came into his vision.

"That was pretty cool; it looked like you were floating the book in front of you. I felt your power, too. That must be what Dad does when he gets mad, because I always feel that push I just felt when he's upset." said Ron

"Yeah, I used my magic to float the book. The book says most wizards and witches do it unconsciously when they're angry, I'm trying to control it so I can use it in a fight if I get disarmed." Said Harry from the floor.

"You mind if I try a spell out? It's supposed to force all of your energy into a two hour period, making you sort of supercharged on a weird sugar high. After the two hours you'll pass out, though. The book says healers use it on patients that are dying to give them more time to work. This should cure your exhaustion for a little bit." said Ron with a slight smirk.

"Bring it."

Harry's answer spoke volumes about the trust he had in his friend.

With a twist and a slash, a cry of Chuskonicon and a flash of purple light Harry felt like he had just drank twelve cups of coffee.

"WOW!" Said Harry

Harry jumped up off the floor and had just finished setting the timer on his watch for two hours when a completely brown owl flew through the window and dropping a letter on Harry's head, promptly left. Harry quickly opened the letter and was confused by what he read.

The Library of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is on the first story the second door on the left.

This letter will burn 15 seconds after the seal is broken.

"Ron! Quick, read this!" shouted Harry as he passed the paper.

Ron managed to read it just as it burst into flames. Dropping the burning parchment on the ground Ron looked at Harry with questioning eyes.

"They have more rooms in this house under Fidelius?" asked Harry

"I don't know. I guess it makes sense if you think about it. If only the research team ever saw each other then they couldn't tell who the other people in the Order were, in case they were captured." Said Ron

Harry couldn't help but agree with him. It made a certain amount of sense to keep the people in the Order secret from each other. That could minimize the damage a spy could do.

"Come on, lets go find the library." Said Harry as he walked out the door, pausing only to grab his Auror handbook on the way out.

As the duo arrived in the front hall they concentrated on what they had read, and watched as the wall shifted and a door appeared. Harry walked in first and was awed at the library that was assembled here. It was a huge room: two stories high and covered completely in bookshelves that were packed full of books. In the center rested desks to study on, and along the walls there was a huge fireplace and a couple squashy couches and armchairs.

"From now on, we study here." said Ron who was just as shocked.

"Sounds Good." replied Harry

The pair quickly separated, and Harry sat down and opened the Auror Book to the recommended curse books to try to decide which books he needed to find. After several minutes searching through the index, Harry found the first of the books he was looking for. Opening the book, Harry began to read. Apparently each curse had a classification, from one to six (one being easily reversible and six being the hardest to reverse and the most dangerous). Harry continued reading and started to take notes on curses he wanted to learn.

Curse: The Ripper
Classification: Level 2
Wand Movements: A forward motion followed by an abrupt snap back
Incantion: Atrophio
Affect: Where the spell impacts, it will pull muscle from bone

Beneath the text of the book was a moving image showing a man demonstrating the whip-like wand movement. Also listed was the reversal spell, which turned out to be a minor muscle healing charm.

The boys spent several hours in the library until there grumbling stomachs led them to the kitchen. As they walked into the kitchen, Harry saw Ginny putting a plate of sandwiches on the table to serve lunch. There was no Mrs. Weasley in sight. The three sat down to eat and the tension crept back into the room.

"Mums not well; she's acting as a healer and it's giving her nightmares – she can't sleep." said Ginny, trying to justify her Mum's strange behavior.

"It's okay Ginny, your food is just as good" said Harry with a gentle smile.

Apparently Molly Weasley was cracking, and Ginny was trying to pick up the slack. Harry couldn't help but curse the cruelty of war. The acceptance that her mum was justified seemed to put Ginny at ease because, she seemed to slump back into her chair. Harry had just finished his lunch when Remus Lupin walked in the room and asked Harry for a word.

Walking into the drawing room Harry sat down and waited for a conversation he didn't particularly want to have.

"Sirius made me the executor of his will. The bottom line is that he left everything to you and I. We both received 51,634 gallons and change, and he left you this house under the condition that the Order gets to keep using it as headquarters." Said Remus in a bored tone

Harry was using this as practice for his Occlumency. Calling his magic into his head Harry, was using it to maintain a blank screen that no one could get anything from, which led to the blank expression on his face. Harry's Occlumency was allowed him to take in the news of his new assets with a cold logic.

"Harry, Sirius asked one more thing from me. He asked that I be your guardian; this takes you away from the Dursleys." said Remus very tensely

Harry had to call all of his magic to his head to maintain the screen in spite of his anger.

"No!"

Remus was taken back at Harry's answer. Shock was written all over his face.

"What do you mean, no? I could take you away from the Dursleys forever. I thought you hated them."

"Where were you all my life when I needed someone? At least Sirius had an excuse – he was in Azkaban! You, on the other hand, knew about me and but chose to wallow in self-pity! Who cares if you're a Werewolf? Get over it! You could have raised me. We could have been close but instead you chose to be a social outcast. You disgust me. I would much rather live with the Dursleys for one more summer than have to be with you. Get out of my sight." spat Harry

With that, the anger became too much and Harry's blank screen snapped as the anger took control of him. Harry's raw magic roared out of him and tossed Remus like a rag doll through the doors of the drawing room, slamming him into the wall on the far side. Remus barley managed to look up to see Harry radiating magic before he lost conciousness.

Harry was fighting with his magic for control, finally winning forcing it back into place. Looking up, Harry saw the face ofKingsley Shacklebolt before his watch alarm went off and he promptly passed out.

Harry woke a couple of hours later from the spell Ron used on him. Grumbling to himself about killing Ron later, Harry walked out of the room still disgusted with Remus. Harry made it to the kitchen, seeing that only Kingsley was there. Grabbing a plate of pot roast, Harry sat down opposite the tall auror and began to eat.

"That was some pretty impressive raw magic you pulled, kid." said Kingsley

"Whatever you say" droned Harry as he ate his food. Finishing his meal in silence, Harry had an idea and turned to Kingsley who was nursing a cup of coffee while warily watching the teenager eat.

"How do I use raw magic in duels?" asked Harry

"You can use it for anything as long as you have the creativity and power for it. I mostly use it to slow down incoming spells and speed up my spells. I also spread it out over my body to increase speed and my reflexes."

"How do you slow down incoming spells?"

"You have to let your magic completely loose and surround the whole area where you're dueling. Basically use it to push hard towards your opponent. Your raw magic will push against their spells, slowing them down a bit. It's doubly useful because the magic pushing away from you also catches your spells and speeds them up."

"How long did it take you to get that good?" asked Harry

"With one year of constant practice I could use raw magic proficiently. If you want, I can show you a fight I was in yesterday where raw magic saved my life. I should warn you that the man met a gruesome end – it's not pleasant to watch."

"Can I see?"

"Okay, look me in the eye. This is going to feel weird; I'm going to enter your mind and project the memory to you directly."

With that, Harry met Kingsley's gaze and was rewarded by the feel of something wet slipping through his eyes. Then he saw it.

Harry looked down an empty corridor; at the end stood a black-robed Death Eater firing spell after spell at a locked door. Harry knew Kingsley was here because it was his memory but he couldn't see him. Suddenly a voice boomed in his head.

"I am using raw magic to make myself invisible. I'm over there." said Kingsley as he pointed ten feet behind the Death Eater.

Harry watched as the Death eater stopped casting. As fast as lightning he turned around and an orange beam rocketed out of his wand. The spell seemed to stop for a second in mid-air in an explosion of light. As the light exploded, Kingsley's invisibility dropped and he flew backwards. Suddenly Kingsley stopped flying and floated in place until he gently landed on the ground.

"I pulled my raw magic out there and pushed against the walls to stop me from falling, then I used it to float back to the ground. It's a useful technique: if you're ever airborne unwillingly use your raw magic like a hand to grab onto something and right yourself." said Kingsley

The duel began in earnest with both men fighting with everything they had. As Kingsley landed, the Death Eater sent a volley of silent red, pink, and violet spells at him. The air shimmered as the spells slowed to a crawl; Kingsley merely stepped between the spells with a look of concentration before returning fire with a fiery lance that shot out of his wand at unnatural speeds.

"I am using my magic to slow his spells and speed up mine here."

Harry looked and saw that the space in the middle of the two fighters was faintly glowing as Kingsley's spell slowed to normal speed. The two fighters seemed to be evenly matched in power, and the Death Eater turned and animated a piece of the wall to intercept the lance. Suddenly the Death Eater glowed an eerie dark yellow before the air rushed at Kingsley and a black curse shot at him at unimaginable speeds. The spell struck Kingsley in the chest and he went down with a scream, convulsing on the ground. The Death Eater approached and let his eerie yellow glow drop. He stood over a convulsing Kingsley and kicked him in the stomach. Kingsley rolled over from the kick and Harry saw a flash of blue before the Death Eater's head collapsed on itself.

When the duel ended Harry felt like someone was pulling a wet spaghetti noodle out of his eyes and Harry came back to reality staring into Kingsley's dark gaze.

"What happened there was that the Death Eater's raw magic was more powerful than mine. He pushed mine back into my body – that was the yellow flash you saw. He then dominated the field of raw magic in the duel, allowing him to hit me with that seizure curse. The flashes of color you saw was our raw magic. When raw magic is used in excess outside of your body it starts to show it's color." said Kingsley

"How did you beat him?" asked Harry

"He let his raw magic drop, letting mine free. My only option was to kill so I used it to surround his skull and crush it."

"I see. So in a duel there are actually two fights going on. The fight for raw magic superiority and the duel itself."

"Correct. When you get to that level of dueling it takes a lot more concentration because you have to focus on many things at the same time." said Kingsley

"I saw him animate that piece of wall. Why didn't he use a shield?"

"That spell I used is called The Lance, and there is no shield that can block it. His only option was to have something block it for him. One of the things that make a good dueler is creativity and observation. You need to be aware of where you are fighting because anything can be used… like a piece of wall. Also, with enough creativity anything can be used as a weapon."

"One more question. How did you still retaliate when you were under the curse?"

"When I saw his curse coming I knew what it was since the seizure curse twists in the air. So I used the raw magic inside me to counter the curse as best I could. As soon as he let go of my magic I crushed his skull, ending his spell." Said Kingsley with a glance at his watch. "It was good talking to you. Owl me if you have any more questions. I have to run." said Kingsley as he walked out the door.

Harry spent the rest of the day reading on how to duel, and taking notes on curses.

Ron and Harry spent the last week of the summer with no real highlights except studying. They both had a couple moments of enlightenment, one of which caused Harry to wear a nasty smirk all day. Ron seemed to be progressing just as fast as Harry in magic, sometimes they sat in Harry's room and battled for raw magic superiority. Harry always won because he had more time to power his magic but Ron had a couple close calls at victory.

People were always moving in and out of headquarters. Once, Harry even had the chance to pick the brains of Albus Dumbledore about the war but all he said was that it was still being fought. Sometimes the duo would see shadows looking at different things in the library, they guessed that they were Order members enchanted so that Harry and Ron couldn't see their identities.

The summer finally ended and Ron and Harry found themselves crowded in a compartment on the Hogwarts express. They both had their trunks put away and were having a raw magic fight. Finally, Ron was able to win one and push Harry's magic back inside him.

"Finally, I win!"

"Don't get used to it."

The train was actually nearly empty. McGonagall had told Harry that students that were at high risk for attack were invited to stay at Hogwarts over the summer with their families. Naturally, this meant that none of Harry's friends were on the train so Ron and Harry occupied their time by dueling with raw magic. When the train was underway they both changed into their robes and set off on the mission that Harry desperately wanted to complete.

After much searching, Harry and Ron finally located the compartment Draco Malfoy was riding in. They both turned invisible: Ron using Harry's invisibly cloak and Harry using raw magic to blend himself in with his background. They had to wait quite some time for Malfoy to come out. After almost an hour, he finally stepped out and both boys carefully followed him, not really worrying about stealth because the noise of the train more than covered any noise they made. Finally Malfoy made it to the loo, stepping inside to change. Ron and Harry followed him in.

Ron sealed the door with a silent Colloportus while Harry called up all of his magic and let it loose, pinning Malfoy to the floor. He managed a small grunt of pain before Ron's silencer hit him in the face.

Removing Malfoy's wand from his pocket, Harry turned to him.

"So Malfoy, joined Daddy at Voldermort's side yet?" sneered Harry as he pushed up Malloy's left sleeve to reveal a bare arm.

"Good! That makes this much easier."

Ron looked into Malloy's eyes and could see the fear at what was about to happen. The terror he saw was invigorating.

With a cry of Tatranta the tip of Harry's wand began to glow a cruel red. Harry then set to work moving his wand up and down Malfoy's left forearm while Ron held him in place with raw magic.

The silent scream of pain was making Ron grin; those Death Eater bastards were going to pay for what they did and he and Harry would extract the revenge.

Finally Harry finished and canceled the spell with a Finite. Ron and Harry admired Malfoy's new forearm, one that now sported a phoenix that was burned into it. Their plan was that the phoenix burned into Malfoy's arm would cause Voldermort to kill Malfoy if he ever tried to take the mark.

"Ready Ron?" asked Harry

The only response he got was a nod of the head. The two then turned to Malfoy and in unison performed a full circle with their wands before they jabbed and cried Peratranten. This spell would make the burn permanent and un-removable.

The two left Malfoy on the floor wimpering, confident in the knowledge that his pride was too great for him to tell anyone about his defeat.

Harry and Ron walked back to their compartment grinning. They knew this would only make Malfoy try harder to beat them but still smirking with victory.

Harry and Ron passed the rest of the time reviewing curses and dueling techniques. Finally, the Hogwarts Express arrived at the station. A couple of minute later and several hugs from Hermione, Harry and Ron found themselves at their customary seats waiting for the sorting. Occasionally they would send an evil grin Malfoy's way.