Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Training Begins

After lunch, everyone followed Harry out to the clearing he had used that morning. They all stood in silence as he placed the pensieve on the stump and removed the vial labeled three. He pulled out the cork and placed his wand into the swirling mist. After he had pulled out the memory, he looked up and gave Ginny a small wink before placing the wand to his temple.

The memory shot into his skull much quicker this time, and he fell to his knees as it began to burn. Everyone rushed to help him, but he waved them away. He clenched his fists as he started to feel his eyes water, but he wouldn't let the memory escape. Once again, his willpower won out and he felt the memory settle. Harry relaxed his hands and wiped the tears on his sleeve. He looked around sheepishly at everyone's concerned faces.

"Sorry guys, I guess I forgot to mention that it is kind of painful," he said with a smile, "Don't worry though, it's getting easier so the next one should be no problem."

"That's good to hear Harry, but are you sure you're all right?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. It goes away once the memory settles. It's just the mental fight beforehand that hurts," responded Harry, "Besides, it's definitely worth it. Watch this."

With one sweeping motion, Harry brought down his wand leaving behind a silver streak. Instead of disappearing, the silver began to condense. Harry held his hands around the molten blob and it began to reshape itself. Once the metal had solidified, He reached out and cupped the object in his hands. Carefully, he brought it over to Ginny and handed it to her. He watched as her face broke into a smile.

"It's beautiful Harry," she said, holding the silver rose up for everyone to see, "How did you do that though? What spell did you use?"

"It wasn't a spell, it was alchemy," responded Harry, an amused look on his face as he saw everyone gasp.

While he waited for this knew development to sink in, Harry reviewed everything he had just learned from the memory. Before today, Harry had no idea what alchemy was. Now, he knew everything that you could possibly read about on the subject: Alchemy, the magic that held the universe itself together. He saw the power of alchemy, but he was also frightened of the dangers. Alchemy had one fundamental rule, the rule of equal exchange: for everything that is created, something of equal value must be destroyed. Harry now realized the dual nature of this branch of magic; it was a two-edged sword, and he was standing on the blade.

"Blimey Harry, alchemy's supposed to be one of the most ancient and complex branches of magic. I've never even seen it before," said Ron, his mouth agape, "It is pretty wicked though."

Harry's grin widened as Hermione began to speak, "He's right Harry, but alchemy's also one of the most dangerous types of magic. That's why it isn't taught at Hogwarts. The consequences of misguided alchemy could be catastrophic."

"Don't worry, Hermione, I know all about alchemy," responded Harry, tapping his head, "It's all up here, the history, the theory, and the dangers."

"I've always been curious about alchemy, but it is one of the most secretive arts in the magical world. Only a handful of people know the secrets of alchemy, and even fewer can truly call themselves alchemists," said Mr. Weasley, "It's not something that you can read in a book, and it's not something you can just learn. It's a unique ability, almost as rare as Parseltongue. The fact that you are an alchemist is truly amazing, but I don't know how you did it. Dumbledore knew quite a bit about alchemy, but he was not an alchemist."

"You're right Mr. Weasley, but that was not one of Dumbledore's memories, it was Nicholas Flamel's. It was Flamel's philosopher stone Voldemort was after back in my first year. The philosopher's stone is the goal of alchemy, and Flamel was one of three people who have created one," said Harry, his voice monotone as if reading from a script, "Flamel must have given Dumbledore his vast knowledge of alchemy so that Dumbledore could pass it on to the next worthy alchemist. Dumbledore must have seen the gift in me, just as he saw it in Tom Riddle."

"Tom Riddle, who's Tom Riddle?" asked Mrs. Weasley before she put a hand over her mouth in realization.

"That's right, Voldemort is also an alchemist," said Harry, pleased that none of them had flinched at the name, "I didn't know it at the time, but I have seen him perform alchemy before. After he was resurrected, he created a metallic hand for Wormtail out of thin air. I never really gave it a second thought, until now. I always thought it was like conjuring a chair or food, which I've seen McGonagall do before. Now I know that he actually created that hand by reorganizing matter, by using alchemy. That's why Dumbledore gave me these memories, to fight Voldemort. I need to know everything he does; I need to be able to face him as an equal. Ancient magic is the key, alchemy is the key."

"Harry, you can't be serious," Ginny said, concern in her voice, "Voldemort's evil, you can't possibly want to be his equal. There has to be something else. You need to catch Voldemort off-guard, you need to show him something new."

Harry turned to her and looked into her eyes, responding, "That's exactly what I'm going to do. I don't know how exactly, but trust me. Alchemy is the flow of the universe and the basis of all magic. Alchemy is the ancient magic that Dumbledore has always said Voldemort never understood. I always assumed that he meant that Voldemort was ignorant, but Dumbledore was saying that Voldemort was wrong. Like you said Mr. Weasley, alchemy is the most mysterious branch of magic. Voldemort twists alchemy into unnatural forms, other alchemists go with the grain and respect the boundaries, but no one has ever truly understood alchemy. The true potential of alchemy has never been realized, and Dumbledore thought that I could be the one to realize this potential. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I do know what I need to do. I need to keep training you three and myself. I'm sure I will find the answer when I'm ready."

They all nodded, trusting his judgment. He smiled and began to put away the vials. Once he had finished cleaning up, he turned to the group anxiously waiting for him. Everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had there wands out, ready to begin. Harry reviewed both of the new memories he had obtained so far and decided to teach them Remiedo Infinito first. Alchemy was far too complicated and dangerous to start with, and the healing spell would allow them to train longer and harder in the future. Having made his decision, Harry took out his wand and organized his thoughts.

"I thought we would begin with the healing spell I learned," he began and watched as everyone nodded in agreement, although Fred and George seemed slightly disappointed, "Many people are going to die in this war, and I don't want you all to be among them. This spell will not only help you, but others caught in Voldemort's path. It's not going to be easy to learn, though. The spell is extremely advanced, far beyond N.E.W.T. levels, but I think that all of you can do it.

"Now, to begin, there are a few things to understand. The spell takes concentration and love. You have to focus on the incantation, your target, and yourself. It's a really weird feeling, but it's like the magical energy comes from inside you and surges out of your arm. You have to help pull out that energy, direct it, and release it. To start, we'll practice the incantation verbally. It can be done either way, but I would rather you learned it before you tried to do it non-verbally."

After his speech, Harry paired the Weasleys, Hermione, and Fleur up and began watching them struggle with the difficult spell. As he walked between the pairs, he remembered his D.A. lessons. It seemed like it had been so long ago, when in reality it was only just over a year. The difference between the D.A. and the present bunch was staggering. Hermione and Ron had obviously been practicing since the end of term, and Harry was surprised at Fred and George's wand work. Although he had never seen Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in a learning environment, he was impressed with their serious manner and obvious skill. Bill, Fleur, and Charlie were making excellent progress as well, but Ginny was simply amazing.

As the only under-aged wizard, Harry had mistakenly assumed that Ginny would have the most trouble. The opposite seemed to be true. Ginny had been the first one to produce any results. After only ten minutes of practice, everyone had mastered the incantation, but only Ginny's wand was beginning to produce some light. Harry grinned to himself as he realized that Slughorn really was an expert.

After an hour and a half of practice, everyone had at least been able to produce light. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could fully perform the spell, and Ginny had become quite proficient. After Hermione successfully cast the spell for the fifth time, Mrs. Weasley suggested that they stop for dinner. Everyone quickly agreed and began walking back to the house. Harry followed the others at a slower pace, hoping to have a quick word with Ginny. Sure enough, she stopped to wait for him. As she approached, he noticed the concerned look on her face. It felt so good to have someone to love, especially someone as amazing as Ginny.

"Are you alright Harry?" she asked.

"Of course I am, I just wanted to have a quick word with you about the training," responded Harry, but he knew that this was not true.

"Oh ok," said Ginny with a grin on her face, "Were you impressed at how well I did? You seemed pretty pleased out there."

"Yeah, I was. You were amazing, even better than your older brothers, but I wanted to talk about why." Harry frowned as he continued, "I think that Tom Riddle's powers drained into you when I destroyed the diary."

At his words, Ginny's jaw dropped. Harry could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes. He quickly wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to calm her down. Instead, she broke down. It was as if he had unintentionally opened a damn, releasing a flood of emotions. As she continued to let her sorrow pour out through her tears, Harry wondered about the reasons behind this burst of emotions.

When Dumbledore had told him that Voldemort had given him some of his powers, Harry had been angry and resentful. He had felt ashamed of being associated in any way with Voldemort. He had also been too shocked to react. Although his connection had come as a surprise, Ginny had told him that she recognized her connection to Voldemort. She had said that she was the only other person who understood as he did. Suddenly, the truth hit him like an express train.

"Ginny, how long have you known?" he asked her as she slowly stopped shaking, "When did you figure it out?"

"I knew since the Chamber, but I denied it until you told me about the horcruxes," said Ginny with a grim expression on her face, "You and I not only have some of Tom's powers, but also some of his soul."

"Are you sure though?" asked Harry, but he knew it to be fact.

"I'm sure Harry. It all makes sense. You indirectly killed Voldemort when you were a baby, and then Tom Riddle while he and I were connected. Horcruxes are made by murdering someone, but maybe because you didn't do anything evil, your soul wasn't ripped apart. Instead, a small part of Voldemort's soul transferred to you and me. Either way, we are both carrying something evil." Ginny looked like she was on the verge of tears again, but Harry stopped her with a soft kiss.

Pulling away, a smile on his face, Harry said, "Don't worry Ginny. We didn't want his soul. It doesn't belong in us, but maybe we can use it. Think about it. I've had a connection with Voldemort since birth. I can enter his thoughts and see his plans. What if you can do the same? What if you have a connection with me?"

Harry began to blush at the grin spreading across Ginny's face, "That's not what I meant, but that's another conversation. Right now, we need to think about this connection, see if we can manipulate it. Voldemort has been using Occlumency against me since the Department of Mysteries, so we may not be able to use that path. We could use our connection though. I don't know how or why we would, but it may be useful in the future."

The thought of being so intimately connected to Harry seemed to completely change Ginny. Now, she was positively beaming. She reached up to Harry's face and pulled him into a passionate kiss. After she had let go, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've always been afraid of the Chamber," she said, her voice calm and serious, "Ever since you destroyed the diary, I was worried that I was somehow tainted. That's one of the reasons why I still didn't talk to you. You were a beacon of light, and I felt like I had a shadow hanging over me. Now that I actually know that a part of him is inside of me, I don't feel that bad. It's all because of you."

"I know what you mean," Harry said, his tone matching the dark memories racing through his mind, "All of my life, I've felt out of place. Even in the wizarding world. Sure, people treat me like a hero, but I've always been sickened by my connection to Voldemort. I accept it though. It's my responsibility, and I wouldn't have it any other way. What's the point in being angry about it? Why not use the tools we are given? That's what I've learned from your family. That's what I learned from Dumbledore."

Suddenly, a bright flash erupted above them, causing Harry to cover Ginny and reach for his wand. As he looked up, he was relieved to see that it was Dumbledore. He put his wand back in his pocket and helped Ginny up, brushing the dust off her robes. Dumbledore flew over and came to rest on Harry's shoulder. Harry was again amazed at how light the enormous bird was and began to listen as Dumbledore began to sing.

"Harry, I'm sorry that this task had to befall you," he began, "I wish that I could have taken up this burden. I did not know that Voldemort's soul resided in you, but I think I know someone who could help you remove the soul fragment when the time is right. The wedding is coming up and you will be busy training and preparing. While you are preoccupied, I will go and see what I can find. While I am gone, please do not forget that you must also live. It is ok to have a little fun."

With these words, Dumbledore vanished in a column of flame, leaving Harry and Ginny behind.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He said that he may know someone who can help us remove Tom's soul," Harry said, smiling at the excitement on Ginny's face, "Since we'll be training hard and getting ready for the wedding, Dumbledore's gone off to find this person. He also said to have a little fun while he's gone, but don't get too excited. Now that I know your potential, I'm going to be harder on you in the future. I figure we can start by trying to use this connection to our advantage."

"Nothing would make me happier," responded Ginny with a mischievous grin. She reached for his hand, and they began their walk back to the Burrow.

When they reached the Burrow, they found out that Fred and George had gone to Diagon Alley to check in at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. They had said that they would be back for dinner. Everyone else was nearly finished with lunch; they had obviously been too hungry to wait for Harry and Ginny. As Harry pulled out a chair for Ginny, everyone expressed a desire to go back to the clearing after lunch. Harry thought this was a great idea and expressed his agreement by shoveling his food into his mouth as quickly as possible.

Once everyone was full, Mrs. Weasley enchanted the dishes to clean themselves, while everyone else filed out the door. At the clearing, Harry paired everyone back up. This time, he paired Hermione and Ron, Ginny and Charlie, Mr. Weasley and Bill, and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur so that each pair had a teacher and a student. While everyone continued to practice, Harry uncorked another vial. After he had siphoned the memory, Harry began to laugh. This caused the others to stop what they were doing and stare at him.

"What's up Harry? Was it a tickling charm?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"We already know those Mr. Weasley, so Dumbledore wouldn't need to teach Harry that one," stated Hermione, "Besides, it wouldn't really be that useful."

Ron put his face in his hands, while everyone else laughed. Hermione, realizing that Mr. Weasley was making a joke, began to blush in embarrassment. Mr. Weasley walked up and gave her a hug, causing both of them to grin. Harry noticed that Ron had a look of longing on his face.

As soon as everyone had calmed down, Harry told them about the memory. It was Dumbledore's version of Occlumency and Ligilimency training. What had made Harry laugh was that he had remembered Dumbledore saying that he should have taught him instead of Snape. Harry found it ironic that Dumbledore had gotten his wish, in a way. Mr. Weasley volunteered to test Harry's powers. Harry obliged by quickly piercing the veils around Mr. Weasley's mind. Harry felt the memories sweeping by him and found that he couldn't stop. Luckily, Mr. Weasley pushed him out before he had reached the more 'interesting' memories. Mr. Weasley returned the favor, but Harry brought up his shields quickly, although not as fast as he expected. He was disappointed with his new skills. Everything else had come so easily. Why then wasn't he a master?
"It seems that you'll still have to work on your mental skills, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, literally reading his thoughts, "The skills of the mind cannot be learned. They require hard work and practice. You are proficient, but you only know the theory. You need to focus and learn control. You will be a master in time, far better than I am."

Harry felt the words lift his hopes. He realized that he had been taking this training for granted and felt ashamed. Of course he would need to practice. Of course he wouldn't just be able to master everything thrown at him. He realized that this also applied to alchemy. Although he knew everything in theory, he still had a lot to learn. There was also the untapped potential of alchemy, seemingly just outside his reach. It was like a black hole in his mind, frightening and awesome at the same time. He couldn't get cocky, there was too much at stake.

A bright flash brought Harry from his thoughts and he looked up to see that Dumbledore was back. Harry was happy that Dumbledore had found his friend so quickly, but his elation disappeared as Dumbledore began to sing a slow, sad song.

"Harry, Diagon Alley is under attack!" his phoenix began, despair evident in his song, "Fred and George are trying to fight them off, but they won't last long. You must go as quickly as possible."

With that, Dumbledore disappeared. Harry quickly filled everyone in on the situation and banished all of the equipment back to the Burrow. Harry ran over and grabbed on to Ginny's arm. Everyone quickly followed his lead, forming a small ring. With a small pop, the Weasleys found themselves on the edge of a raging battle.

Harry quickly picked out Fred and George's flaming heads in the mass of hats and hoods. He grabbed Ginny's arm and began to run towards them as Mr. Weasley began to shout orders at the others. Hermione and Ron set off to battle the dementors swarming above Madam Malkin's while Charlie ran to aid some wizards fighting off a giant. Mr. Weasley told Bill to take care of the werewolves, a job him and Fleur were more than happy to handle. After everyone had left, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley began to walk amongst the fallen, binding Death Eaters, healing wizards, and placing shield charms around the helpless. As they were doing so, Order members began to appear, alerted by Mrs. Weasley.

Harry quickly caught up to Fred and George and was impressed with their tactics. They were back to back and were shouting orders as often as jinxes. Seeing Harry, George gave him a look that clearly said 'we've got this under control.' Harry nodded and released Ginny.

"Alright Ginny, here's your chance to watch my back," he said with a wink, "And don't worry, I've got yours."

Ginny smiled and turned around to face the masked figures surrounding them. Harry began firing stunning spells non-stop, but his spells were easily deflected. While he was trying to break their defenses, Ginny was creating some of her own. Both forces were having trouble hitting their targets, but the Death Eaters had numbers on their side. It was only a matter of time before they broke through. Harry's mind was racing for a solution, an idea, anything. Suddenly, he got an idea. Harry cleared his mind, put up his mental shields, and thought Levicorpus. The ring of Death Eaters around him suddenly flipped upside down as if a rope had pulled up on their ankles. They paused for a moment in mid-air before the assault of spells began again.

Harry was not worried anymore. The Death Eaters were firing spells in desperation. They were scared. Harry erected a shield around him and Ginny to give her a rest. She lowered her wand and watched as some of the spells rebounded on their casters. Harry raised his wand again and, with one sweeping motion, all of the Death Eaters wands flew out of their hands and created a molten blob of matter. Harry put his wand back in his pocket and began to direct the matter with his hands. The Death Eaters watched in horror as the globe of matter grew. Harry was pulling matter out of the air around them. He was conducting a symphony of magic before Ginny's awestruck eyes. When the globe stopped growing, it split itself into smaller orbs that began to stretch and harden. Once they had hardened, Harry set the shackles around each of the death eater's wrists.

With a loud thump, the ring of Death Eaters fell to the ground. It was obvious by their vacant expressions that they were all stunned. Ginny turned to Harry and wrapped her arms around him. Holding Ginny tight, Harry swept his gaze over the battlefield. The fighting had completely stopped and the Death Eaters who had not been knocked out were nowhere to be found. Harry lowered his shield and took Ginny's hand as he began to walk towards the Order member gathered near Gringotts.

"That was amazing you two!" exclaimed Ron, clapping Harry on the back, "You should have seen the looks on everyone's faces. I don't know who was more shocked, mum or the Death Eater she was fighting."

"Yeah Harry, I've never seen anything-" began Hermione, but she was cut off by a series of pops around them.

Aurors and Ministry wizards began to appear amidst the fallen friends and enemies. A few rushed to check on the fallen giant, but most just stood silent, shocked by the battle that was already over. Rufus Scrimgeor was the first to regain his composure and he immediately began to approach Harry. Close behind him was Percy Weasley and none other than Dolores Umbridge. She had a look of absolute loathing on her face, a look that Harry was sure he matched. Before they had reached Harry, Mr. Weasley stepped forward to greet them.

"Hello Minister, Dolores, Percy," he said, his tone unreadable, "As you can see, the situation has been handled. Fred and George were here when it began and we came as soon as they sent word. We can give you a full account if you would like, but I would prefer to do so at a later date. We really need to take care of the wounded and arrest the Death Eaters."

"Not so fast Arthur. The Minister would like to have a word with those two," said Dolores, pointing at Ginny and Harry.

"What do you want with us?" asked Ginny.

"You Ginevra Molly Weasley are charged with the use of underage magic. Since you are not yet of age and you came here of your own accord, you are not innocent on the grounds of self-protection. You Harry James Potter are charged with the use of Dark Magic and the killing of twenty Death Eaters," said the Minister, and Harry was surprised to see that he did not look happy, "Your court dates will be scheduled, and Harry must come with me. I am sorry, but this is the law."

"I don't think so, Minister," responded Harry, pulling Ginny closer to himself, "Ginny may have come here of her own accord today, but she did not know what she would face. She came with the original intention of saving her older brothers, as did we all. She only used magic once she was attacked. As for the other charge, I think you need to come up with a more believable charge before you bring me in. I don't use Dark Magic and I didn't kill anyone. If you were to look closer, you would realize those Death Eaters are merely stunned."

Harry lowered his voice to a whisper, but the anger in his voice made his message clear enough for everyone to hear, "Before you accuse me, consider who your real enemies are."

Harry turned his gaze to Dolores Umbridge, causing her to gasp in outrage, "Me? You dare accuse me? I would never fight against the Ministry, unlike you and that fool Dumbledore. The preservation of peace in the wizarding world has always been my number one priority. How dare you accuse me of anything, you filthy child."

"You forget yourself Dolores. I am not a child and I did not accuse you of fighting against the ministry. I accused you of being an enemy."

"I will not take this impertinence," shouted Umbridge, hate evident in her tone, "Harry Potter, I challenge you to a wizards duel!"

This caused everyone to gasp. Scrimgeor began to protest, but Harry silenced him with a look. Harry released Ginny and stepped forward, his wand in his hand. Everyone backed up, forming a ring around the combatants. Dolores pulled out her wand and faced Harry. The two enemies bowed and before Harry had raised his head, Dolores had begun firing spells.

Luckily, Harry had been expecting her to cheat. He hadn't bothered to raise his head before erecting a shield charm. The spell rebounded back towards Umbridge, who had to dive to the ground to evade it. Harry raised his wand and readied himself for her next assault. She stood back up and sent a ball of flame his way. Harry responded with a jet of water from his wand. Umbridge shot a stunner, Harry parried, a jinx, a counter-jinx, a hex, a shield. Harry deflected everything she threw at him, but he wasn't smiling. It was obvious that Harry was taking this battle very seriously. He wasn't playing with Umbridge, he was breaking her down. This fight was not about magic, it was about will power. Harry was determined to reveal her for what she was. He was determined to show them what he had seen when he had looked inside her mind.

While Dolores was watching the Minister state his ridiculous charges, Harry had been delving into the depths of her mind. Harry had been surprised at what a poor Occlumens Umbridge was. He hadn't had any trouble entering her mind, and had found it easy to find what he wanted. Obviously, she felt that she had nothing to hide. Her head was filled with plans to destroy mud-bloods and half-breeds, to enslave elves and goblins, and to destroy Harry Potter. After seeing these thoughts, Harry knew he had to provoke her. He had to show the Minister who she really was. With these thoughts, he began his battle with Dolores Umbridge, something he had wanted to do since he met her.

The spells continued to fly and the battle had become more of a dance. Dolores was tiring and had fallen to one knee, while Harry continued to dodge and circle around her. , Dolores collapsed to the ground, clutching her wand. Harry could hear her long, rattling breaths. She was obviously exhausted, which was just what Harry wanted.

"I have won Minister," Harry said, turning to face Scrimgeor, "Now I will show you who Dolores Umbridge truly is."

Harry walked over to Umbridge and placed his wand to her temple. Her body and mind were too exhausted to resist. As he pulled his wand away, a thin strand of mist came with it. Harry lifted his wand and approached the Minister.

"This is one of Dolores Umbridge's memories Minister. Would you like to look at it?" asked Harry, a smirk on his face.

The Minister nodded slowly, and Harry put the wand to his temple. The memory shot into Scrimgeor's head and he jumped backward, shocked at its contents. He glanced up at Harry, his look apologetic, and then at Umbridge. Harry saw his eyes narrow as he looked at Dolores' prone body. Scrimgeor raised his wand and ropes shot out of it, binding Umbridge. He then called over two aurors to take her along with the Death Eaters.

"I'm sorry Harry, I had no idea," began Scrimgeor, his tone somber, "I never would have employed someone that vile. I only kept her on because Fudge said she did such a good job. Now I know that it was her ideals that appealed to Fudge. He may be proud but he's not evil. I don't think even he knew how prejudice she was though. Now it all makes sense. Why you hate me so much and why you won't help me. Ever since I took office, I've been listening to that woman's twisted advice. It was her idea to make you help the Ministry, and I think we should try something different. I would like to help you Harry. How can I help you? Lord knows, we need all of the help we can. It's hard enough trying to fight evil when it's branded."

Harry had to agree with the Minister. He had enemies everywhere, but now here was an opportunity to make an ally. Although Harry had been wary to trust the Ministry in the past, he felt that Scrimgeor was being honest. He wasn't asking for Harry to play the poster boy for the Ministry, he was asking Harry to let him help stop Voldemort. That was something that Harry respected and needed. Harry reached out and grasped the Minister's hand. As they shook hands, Harry's mind reviewed the day's events. Dolores Umbridge was anything but a Death Eater, and yet she was still evil. There were still more people like her out there. Harry realized Scrimgeor was right, not all of their enemies were clearly marked.