Author's Note: Why am I updating in the middle of finals week? I must be insane. I don't know what I am thinking. Oh well. I hope you all like.

Now on to the story!

Dear Mi,

Thank you for passing along the information. I have something to ask you. Would you mind if I didn't come back to Hogwarts this year? I've been thinking about it and I just don't think that I am ready to do it. Not with everything Dumbledore has done. I wouldn't blame you if you did get angry with me, but I need to do what is best for me. I'm just starting to realize that. Paul has said that I can stay here if I want to, and I am tempted to take him up on the offer. Before I make a final decision, I was wondering if you'd be willing to look into something for me? I need to know if Hogwarts has anything like homeschooling or a correspondence course available. Thank you in advance for all of your help. I don't know what I would do without you.

Oh, there is a school play coming up. Paul thinks I should try out. What do you think? Please write back.

Love,

Skywalker

Dear Skywalker,

I won't mind…much. I'll miss you, of course, but I'll understand. I think you should try out for the play. Maybe my parents will bust me out of Hogwarts to come and see it. I'll beg. They can't resist my puppy eyes.

I looked into the homeschooling thing. There is nothing really formal set up. You must send a letter to the Ministry when you are ready to take the exams for a certain year. That's all. They send you dates of the examinations during the summer. That's all. The person I spoke to mentioned that a lot of people, more than we think, do home education instead of Hogwarts. I'll send you all of the homework assignments (except Divination! Please drop that worthless class!) so that you can keep up on the theory. I have nod idea how you'll do the practical work. I'm sure that we can find a way. Please take care. May the Force be with you.

Love,

Hermione

Harry paused at the bulletin board to add his name to the list for tryouts. Paul was right. Harry could have fun with it. He only hoped that he would make it. He needed to prepare a monologue to perform. Well, Hermione had sent him all those Shakespeare books. He should be able to find something to perform in one of them. He would ask Paul. Maybe he would have some suggestions.

Harry turned and went to Paul's office, thinking over Hermione's latest letter. He could just test out of the sixth year and be ready for seventh year. He didn't think it would be too hard. At least he wouldn't have Snape ready to kill him for getting into NEWT potions. He had a funny feeling that his life wouldn't be threatened this year, like it had been for the past five years at Hogwarts. Voldemort would not be looking for him here. Voldemort was probably bidding his time, just waiting for Harry to return to the magical world so that he could kill him. One thing that Harry had learned from those manipulative dreams was that Voldemort was intelligent and extremely patient. He was willing to wait for what he truly wanted.

Harry paused outside Paul's door and took a calming breath standing before Paul's door. He didn't want to worry Paul with his dark thoughts of death and dying. The thing that amazed him was the fact that learning about your enemy helped to dissipate some of the fear. Harry had never been afraid of Voldemort, only Voldemort's actions. Harry did not want to die. He did not want any of his friends to die either, though Dumbledore seemed determined to put all of them on the receiving end of Death Eater's curses. Harry shuddered as his mind told him he had done the same thing. No, I'm young and stupid. Dumbledore knows better. He knocked and entered when told to do so. "Hi, Paul."

"Harry, come on in! What's new?" Harry put his school bag down and settled on the couch.

"Nothing much. I signed up to tryout for the play." Harry smiled at Paul's reaction. Stunned silence. "Wow. I've rendered you speechless. A first." Paul raised an eyebrow, reminding Harry of the Weasly twins.

"Speechless? I? Never. So you signed up for the play? What part? Actor, costume designer, set crew?" Paul asked, handing Harry a water bottle from his mini-fridge. Harry nodded his thanks and opened it.

"Acting. The announcement said that anyone who tried out and was not assigned a part could join the crew, so I'm going to be doing something with the play." Paul smiled and nodded, making a note in his book.

"That's great. Chess?" Paul asked.

"Can we take it outside?" Harry asked, brightening up. Paul smiled and got to his feet. Now that Harry had figured out that Voldemort was not going to appear out of nowhere and kill him, Harry used every excuse to go outside. Paul humored him, happy to see some of the fear that Harry carried disappear with each venture out. Harry jumped to his own feet eagerly and told Paul of his plans for his tryout piece. It seemed like Harry was going to use something from Shakespeare. The two of them settled at a picnic table and set up the board.

"I think you should do something from the history plays. They're not as popular as the tragedy plays and avoiding the whole 'to be or not to be' speech might make you stand out in their memories." Paul reached out and moved his knight. Harry frowned and studied the board.

"I don't know. What if they don't know the piece I choose?" He moved a pawn and sighed as Paul took it with his knight.

"The teacher is a drama teacher, Harry. He'll know it, trust me. Your move." Harry moved his bishop and took Paul's knight. "Oh, nicely done! I didn't see that trap." Harry smiled at the praise and looked back at the board.

"Maybe I should try something from the plays Hermione suggested." Harry said, trying to memorize all of the plays that Paul could make. Paul nodded.

"That could work. Your friend seems to have great taste. How's your meditation coming?" Paul sent a rook after one of Harry's pawns.

"Better since you helped me." Harry sabotaged the attacking rook and sent another pawn after Paul. Paul looked down at the board and moved his own pawn forward. "My breathing becomes so automatic that it fades into the background. Now I focus on the ventilation system. The Occlumency book said that a common feeling experienced was a type of 'losing yourself'. After that happens, I can't even hear myself breathe anymore. I figured out that that was why I was losing my concentration." Harry moved his queen and smiled at Paul. "Check."

Paul looked down at the board. Harry was good but he could not… "Oh, no." Paul moved his king out of harm's way. "You almost had me." He told Harry, who was still grinning.

"Almost." Harry agreed. He moved his knight. "Paul?" Paul looked up from the board. "I…" Harry took a deep breath. "I don't want to go back to Hogwarts this year." There, he said it! Gryffindor bravery! "Can I stay here?" Ha! He was a Gryffindor! Paul looked up and realized Harry was afraid of being told he had to leave.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere else until you're ready, Harry. Of course you can stay here." Harry relaxed and smiled. Paul moved his next piece and smiled at Harry. "Check." Harry studied the board and knocked his king over.

"How do you manage to put me in check three different ways?" Harry asked. Paul looked at the board.

"Three? I only did two." Paul said, clearly perplexed as to how he had managed it.

"Only you, Paul." Harry told him. "Only you can pull that off." Paul smirked.

"Yes, that's right. I am a chess master." Harry laughed, nearly falling off his seat in the process.

"Have I ever told you about wizards' chess?" Paul shook his head as he gathered the pieces. "The pieces move and shout out advice to the players." Harry smiled at Paul's face. "They each have their own personalities." Harry put his pieces away. "Hogwarts has a giant chess set. Since the pieces actually hit each other, it gets brutal." Paul's reaction told him that a wizarding chess set would be ideal for Paul.

Harry rolled out of bed and stretched. He had an hour until he was due in the gym. He hurried through his morning routine and made it to the dining room in a short time. His usual breakfast was there waiting for him. He ate as quickly as and took off for the gym. Sensei and Rick were waiting.

They were already in the gym when he arrived. He needed no instructions and went to change. He pulled on his uniform and went back to the floor. "Stretch!" Harry and Rick, who had decided to share Harry's lessons, both dropped to the floor and started stretching. Rick guided him through a new stretch and lectured on what muscle it was supposed to stretch. "Run!" Harry and Rick fell in side by side as they started to run the perimeter of the room. Sensei watched them run for a while, so long that Harry lost track of how many laps he managed to do before he wished that his legs would just fall off. "Stop!" Harry slowed and stopped. "Stretch." Harry started to go to the ground when Rick stopped him.

"Trust me. Against the wall." Oh, this was different. Harry leaned against the wall. "Give me a leg." Harry raised one leg and Rick grabbed it. "Now, stop me when it hurts." Harry nodded and let Rick push his leg up.

"Ow! Right there." Rick stopped and lowered the leg a bit and held it in that position.

"Feel that pull?" Harry nodded. "This will give you some flexibility in your legs, which will help your kicks." The two of them stretched until Sensei called a halt. He just motioned to Rick, who went to a trunk and pulled out focus mitts. "Get in your stance." Rick said as he moved to the center of the floor. Harry put up his hands and his back heel. "When you see the cross on the mitt, punch. If the mitt goes down, like this, kick. If the mitt goes like this," Harry instinctively ducked as the mitt came near his head "you duck. Good!" Harry smiled and kept his hands up. "Ready?" Harry nodded and started to follow Rick's instructions as Sensei kept an eye on them. This is a lot of fun. Harry felt the mitt skim the top of his head. Oh, that was close. I love this! The two of them worked on that for almost ten minutes before Sensei called for them to stop.

"Water." Harry nodded and headed over to the fountain. He stretched out his arms and sighed. He wasn't tired yet. "Evan!" Sensei gestured for Harry to join him. Harry jogged over and smiled.

"Yes, Sensei?" Sensei gestured him to the mats.

"Break falls. Ten each side." Harry nodded and started practicing his breakfalls. Sensei watched him while he spoke to Rick. After Harry finished his last set, he hopped to his feet.

"Done, Sensei." Sensei nodded.

"Stretch." Harry stretched out. Sensei motioned for him to join Rick. Rick had a bucket of golf balls next to him. "Put them in the other bucket." Harry looked at the other bucket, the balls, and shrugged to himself. He picked up one and tossed it at the bucket. A miss. Hmm. He tossed another. Miss. He stopped after the last ball and frowned. He had not managed more than ten into the other bucket. "Pick them up and then toss with your left hand." Sensei told him. Harry did as he was told and started with his left hand. Harry could not understand the golf balls, but Sensei surely had a purpose, right? "Enough." Harry stopped and stretched out his arm. "Relax." Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Rick! Run with Evan outside."

Evan and Rick pulled on their shows and left the gym. "Rick, why do we run so much?" Harry asked as they started on their circuit of the grounds.

"You can't figure it out?" Harry shook his head. "Running is the best thing you can do in a fight." Harry's look gave away his thoughts. "It isn't cowardice. You run to help someone, you run for help. You come up against someone you know you can't beat. You run. Someone has a weapon. You disable them and run. All of those reasons are valid for running, but it also gives you a great body for the girls." Evan shook his head.

"You have girls on your mind a lot." He said to Rick as they turned the corner. Harry stopped when they turned the corner. Hermione was standing there, talking with Michelle and Julie from the martial arts class.

"Ah, it looks like I'm not the only one." Rick whispered. Harry shook his head

"Hermione's just a friend." He told Rick. Michelle looked up and smiled at Harry. Harry's heart did a little tap dance. Rick put a hand on his shoulder and bent down to whisper in his ear.

"Who said I was talking about Hermione?" Rick asked with a playful tone. Rick patted his shoulder and went towards the girls. "Good morning, ladies!" Harry stared after him. Words could not describe Rick. He was too good at what he did. "Ms. Hermione Granger! Good to see you again!"

"Hello, Rick." Hermione shook Rick's offered hand. Hermione looked past Rick and smiled at Harry. "Excuse me." She rushed over to Harry and threw her arms around his neck. "Hi, Skywalker!" Harry smiled and hugged her back.

"Hi, Mi." He answered. Hermione pulled back and smiled.

"How are you?" She asked. Harry only smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"I'm wonderful." He told her truthfully. Harry thought he hared Michelle or Julie mumble something along the lines of you can say that again but dismissed it.

"He's wonderful, but I'm afraid that he's also on a run that he must finish." Rick said, turning into a task master.

"That explains the sweat." Hermione smiled at Harry and moved away. "I'll see you after you are done."

"Julie, Shell, why don't you take Hermione here down to the dojo and let Sensei entertain her while Evan and I finish our run?" Julie and Michelle nodded eagerly, each taking one of Hermione's hands as they led her away. Harry thought he heard Julie ask Hermione if Evan had a girlfriend at all since Hermione was not it, but decided he really didn't want to know. Some things, especially girls' intimate conversation, he decided should be left alone except in dire circumstances. "Come on, Evan. Only six more times." Rick said in a cheerful voice.

"Oh, is that all?" Harry asked sarcastically, starting after Rick. He wondered what Jack had nicknamed Rick. Eternally-chipper? Bloody annoying? Too-much-energy-for-anyone's-good? Rick called to Harry again. Oh, definitely the second.

Author's Note: There you go guys! I'm finished with finals now, so my updates should become a little more regular!