A.N. thanks again for all of the reviews. And again if anyone out there would like to beta read for me just email me.

My address speaking"

"Harry and Ginny speaking in their minds"

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Anyways without further ado,

Chapter 16

The Ties that Bind Us

A rather large brown owl swooped down and dropped off a parcel to a figure sitting alone at a rather crowded table. He paid the creature what little money he had and propped the paper up on his half empty glass of pumpkin juice. He took another bit from his plate of sausages before the front page of the daily prophet caught his glance.

The Death Eaters attack.

During the late hours of last night Aurors were dispatched from their homes to "The Burrow," the home of the Weasley family.

"I immediately dispatched as many aurors as I could, once we found out the wards had been breached," Says Minister of magic Cornelius Fudge.

When they arrived on the scene the place was already a disaster. They could see twenty or so Death Eaters inside of the house. The team of aurors engaged the Death Eaters and within fifteen minutes had them captured and rounded up.

"They were all distracted. They seemed to be looking for something inside," Said Nymphadora Tonks. "Once we got them all captured and tied up though, He showed up.

He-who-must-not-be-named showed up and released his followers. A battle started up and the Aurors, having sustained a few casualties, retreated.

Amongst the dead are:

Kingsley Shackbolt (Senior Auror department of magical law enforcement.)

Gregory McDonald (Junior Auror department of magical law enforcement)

Arnold Peasley (obiliviator member of the accidental reversal squad)

Amelia Bones (Head of the department of magical law enforcement

Lucius Malfoy (escaped convict and former school governor of Hogwarts, Death Eater)

Rudolphus Lestrange (escaped convict for the torture of the Longbottoms, Death Eater)

Walden Macnair (executioner for the department of magical creatures, Death Eater)

Peter Pettigrew (already believed to be dead)

Molly and Arthur Weasley's whereabouts are unknown and believed to be dead.

After reading the article the boy, sitting by himself, grew pail. He could feel the blood draining from his face. His mind was unable to grasp coherent thoughts. A hand grabbed his shoulder and out of pure instinct he looked up to see who it was.

"Hey Ron," Luna smiled at him. He could feel the muscles in his face tense up into a smile. The rest of his face portrayed the sudden panic and loss that he felt.

After that everything went black.

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Harry and Ginny walked into the great hall just in time to see Ron pass out. They rushed over to him to see what happened. Luna didn't know. Professor McGonagall walked up to find out what was going on. After hearing that no one knew what was going on she levitated Ron out of the great hall. Ginny grabbed her brother's things and followed Harry and Luna to the Hospital wing. He was just about to enter the hospital wing when he heard Ginny scream. He turned to see what had happened and was knocked on his back.

The connection that Harry and Ginny shared returned with more force than every before. Harry knew why Ron had passed out.

"Luna could you go on in and stay with Ron we need to go talk to Dumbledore."

Luna merely nodded at this question.

Harry and Ginny raced down the corridors back to the great hall before she could say anything at all.

They entered the room and walked up to the teachers table. He was seated at his normal seat.

"Professor we need to speak with you."

"Yes I expected this," he said as he put down his copy of the "Daily Prophet."

They followed Him up to his office. He insisted on not asking any questions until they got to his office. Harry could feel the tears running down Ginny's checks as if they were his.

Once inside his office Dumbledore assured them that Molly and Arthur were ok. He could not tell them there exact location for their safety but they were on a mission for him.

Harry could feel Ginny relax and he released a breath that he was unaware of holding.

"On a side note but similar subject, due to the recent events I believe that we should increase the amount of lessons that I am giving you. That attack has weakened both sides of this war. Harry we need you to be ready for your sake and for ours. Ginny you can show up as well but I am aware that this is your owl year and so we will understand you not wanting this class."

"Well sir, after that attack I thought I lost my mom and dad. I want to be as ready as I can be so that I can make sure that doesn't happen."

"Very well, I thought you might say that. You two can go to your lessons now. Be back here at five o'clock."

They didn't wait to be told again. Harry and Ginny left through the spiral staircase. Once past the stone gargoyle they went their separate ways. He could still feel her in his head. She was just as relieved as he was. Her parents were fine. Harry went to his Charm class.

"Good Morning class."

"Good morning Professor Flitwick."

"Today class, we will be studying magical theory. It is important that you learn this because you will need this to pass this next semester and your seventh year should you choose to take it. Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, I have been informed that young Mr. Weasley has been put in the hospital wing. Please help him with this theory. If you need any help with instructing him feel free to seek me out in the castle."

Harry and Hermione nodded their understanding. Ginny had stopped paying attention to her Defense class. She had chosen to instead listen intently in on Harry's class.

"Ok now for the class. Please take out your books, a quill and parchment. Turn to page 397."

Harry turned his book to the specified page and found a diagram of a wizard that showed every blood vessel.

"Magical theory shows us much more than waving a wand and producing an effect. The reason that wand movements and incantations are required in your owl year is because it places you in the right state of mind. The movement and thought process allows you to connect with you magic and produce the desired effect.

It is possible to gain the desired effects without the proper wand movements and incantations though. It is just harder to do. Some of you may have heard of Occlumency. It is know as the art of closing your mind to another wizard. To be more accurate and truthful about it though, it is the art of focus, and mental clarity. With it you can organize your thoughts. This is the first step in Occlumency. Being able to focus your mind and not show your emotions on the surface."

Harry attention was drawn away from the teacher. That bastard Snape skipped the first step. He just said 'Clear your mind Legilimence'

The rest of the class was used to discuss wandless magic and silent magic; the differences between them, their advantages and disadvantages. And the described your magical essence and core.

Harry went to lunch were Ginny was waiting for him. He sat down and helped himself to onion soup, sausages, and sourdough bread. Ron entered the great hall just as Harry had finished pouring a glass of Pumpkin juice. He walked over to Harry and sat beside him. His eyes avoided contact with Harry's before he spoke.

"I need your help."

"Ron, your parents are not dead. They are out of the country right now."

"I know that, I need your help in training me to beat them."

He had a look of sheer determination in his eyes. Harry could tell that this had woken him up completely to the war at hand.

"Alright I will help you. Meet me in the room of requirement tonight and we will discuss it even more."

Ron didn't say anything. He barely moved at all or even acknowledged that he understood. And in a very un-Ron like manor he got up and walked out of the hall. (Un-Ron like because he didn't even eat anything.)

Harry stared as his best friend left the hall. He was completely bewildered. He shrugged it off as he figured that Ron was just getting acknowledging the fact that his parents came close to death. He could feel Ginny's thoughts having the same battle in her head.

After lunch Harry made it to his next class and it was over before it really began. Or at least it felt that way to him. In no time he was heading up towards the stone gargoyle that blocked the entrance. He mumbled the password as Ginny approached.

They wondered briefly what type of training that Dumbledore would have for them. They opened the door to the office and saw that the study to the right had been transformed. It was much bigger and empty. In the main part of the office Dumbledore was mildly chatting with Tonks and James. They stopped their conversation when they saw the two enter the room.

"Ah Harry, Ginny I'm glad to see that you made it."

Harry just looked at him for a second. He was a bit anxious to get to his other lesson with Ron. Ron seemed a bit off today after his house was attacked. He needed to help him and find out how to assure him that his family would be alright. The only way that he could see Ron relaxing was to help him with his training. Make him better than he is right now so that he could duel against the death eaters.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Well seeing that two are hardly in the mood for the normal pleasantries I think that we should just jump right into the lesson. You both will be dueling against these two. They are your enemy right now and you two can work together to defeat these two. Treat them as if they were death eaters. The only rules that we are going to use are no curses that can kill and nothing that leaves serious damage.

That room over there has been altered to for this purpose. The room itself has traps in it that will simulate a real battle. There are wards in there that you cannot see that will curse whom ever activates them. Now while I assure you that none of them will kill you or seriously hurt you, I must warn you that they are made to immobilize you. You may begin when ever you are ready."

Harry, Ginny, Tonks, and James walked into the room. They heard Dumbledore mutter an incantation and draw runes into the air. The room faded from view and they were in a forest of some sort. They could see Tonks and Remus vanish from view as the thick shrubs grew amidst them.

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her out of the clearing that they were standing in. They walked over to the tree line towards there left. A snapping sound in the distance alerted them that James and or Tonks were of to the right and closing in on where they last saw them.

They would be able to hear them in the state that they were in. Harry cast a silencing charm on Ginny and himself. He pulled Ginny to the ground as he heard the incantation from Tonks. A curse flew over head. He looked around for the shooter and realized that they had probably cast a disillusionment charm on themselves. He let go of Ginny's hand and told her to run in a different direction than himself though he did this without words. He ran slightly towards the left running inside of the forest. Ginny took off towards the center of the forest.

"Ginny cast an Invisibility charm on yourself."

"I don't know how to Harry."

"The incantation is Evanesco."

He sent her his memories of how to cast it appropriately. She tried it but nothing happened. Harry cast the spell on him. He felt the familiar tingle as the light refracted around his body.

"Try it again."

He could feel her try again but it didn't seem to be any help. She just hasn't had the practice with the spell. A thought occurred to him.

"Just try it Harry."

"Evanesco."

Harry cast the spell once more while focusing on the link that they shared. He could feel the spell trickle down her spine as the familiar tingle started. It worked. They were able to cast spell on each other through their connection.

"That could be useful."

His thoughts were on Ginny so he didn't see the stunning spell that was sent his way courtesy of the wards that Dumbledore had placed there.

"Enervate."

Harry could feel himself wake up as Ginny's voice left his subconscious.

"Very useful I wonder what spells we can send from one another like this. When this is over I think that we should practice this. I mean after we help Ron."

"Sounds good Ginny."

"Ok now that we are invisible and silent I think that we should meet back up with each other."

"I am heading back to where we started ok."

"Ok meet you there."

With that Harry set off running towards that area. When he got there he could no longer hear Ginny in his head. She had been hit by a stunning charm after James had cast a finite incantatem. Ginny was on the ground visible and unconscious. Harry crept in silently. He cast a stunner at the unsuspecting James and watched him as he fell to the ground. A flash of red light shot towards him and he rolled out of the way.

"Finite Incantatem." Both Harry and Tonks had cast the charm at the same time. Tonks Had appeared in front of a tree on the opposite side of Harry. He pointed his wand at here and sent a stunner towards her. She batted it away easily. A smirk rose across her face.

"I am insulted Harry, after all I am a fully trained auror and you use something as simple as a stunner."

Harry kept his wand pointed towards her. She sent a body bind at him and he flicked his wand catching it at the tip. He sent it back towards her. She dove out of the way knowing that her shield would not block her own magic.

Harry smirked this time

"Not bad Harry."

She moved forward. Harry could see Ginny laying just behind her now. She was in position.

"Enervate." He silently cast to allow Ginny to awake.

"Don't move Ginny."

She complied with him knowing full well what his plan was. She was to wait until Tonks cast another spell towards Harry and then stun her at the same time.

Tonks smirked at him again. She pointed her wand towards Harry

"Get ready Ginny."

She waited with baited breath for her to cast the spell. She didn't expect what Tonks did next.

"Enervate." Tonks moved her wand towards James.

"Stupify."

Ginny cast the spell towards Tonks but found out that Tonks had been expecting this. She moved out of the way leaving Harry to defend against the spell. He batted his wand at it and flung it to the side.

"That was a very good job, Harry. I am not sure how you revived her but I sensed her when she woke up. Her sharp intake of breath alerted me."

James seemed to just stare at the two and their exchange. He was slightly amused that Harry had managed to stun him just seconds after he stunned Ginny.

"Well that will have to be our little secret until this is over."

"Very well Harry if you wish to end this so quickly."

Tonks cast several stunning spells. She aimed her wand at everywhere Harry would be able to move. Harry thinking that he could just deflect the spell batted at it. The spell mad contact with his wand in glowed for a minute and then funneled its energy through his wand. The stunner hit Harry in the chest and due to the increased power he was sent into the tree behind him.

Ginny was quick to enervate him but she fell quickly after that. Harry opened his eyes just in time to see the stunner hit him again.

Harry opened his eyes once more. He was back in Dumbledore's office. Ginny was waking up as well and he could feel her presence in his head.

"Harry it's good to see that you are awake. That was most impressive what you did in there. Can I ask once again how you did that?"

Harry shook his head again and laughed. Tonks was really curious to know how they did that.

"We used our connection. We just found out in the training room that we could do that. When I was stunned by a ward Ginny enervated me."

"Only after you discovered that we could do it by casting an invisibility charm on me."

Dumbledore spoke up.

"Well that was most impressive. I was not expecting you to be able to defeat these two tonight. Actually I was more impressed that you lasted so long against them."

"I know we would have won two if I had thought about it and cast a silencing charm over Ginny before I enervated her."

"True possibly wouldn't have expected here to be enervated. I am an auror though so I might have been able to dodge that curse though. Still this was a test to only find out how good you are. And I must say that it was surprising. I didn't think that you would be able to get either of use."

Harry and Ginny excused themselves. Their stomachs were growling and dinner had just begun. The hour and a half lesson was to say the least a little draining. It was by far one of the better lessons of the day.

After they ate they made their way up to the room of requirement. Ron was waiting for them. To say the least they were shocked when the night was over. Ron seemed to want to know more curses for attacking then for defending. He even went as far as to ask what dark arts Harry knew. Harry casually lied to him. He couldn't have Ron take his anger towards the death eaters down a path that he knew would happen. He wanted Ron to stay on the side of the light not eventually turn against it.

He quickly explained what curses that he knew stating that he didn't touch the unforgivables. Ron's face told him that he knew he was lying but he didn't press the matter. He had only told Ron a bit of the weaker spell that he knew. While they were considered dark art they were not illegal.

After the lesson with Ron he left the room and was out of the corridor before Harry could get to the door.

The weeks went by and Dumbledore's lessons had increased to every day. He was teaching them different forms of shields and other defensive charms and Runes. The offensive charms that he taught them had to stay towards the weaker ones until they became better at silent spell casting. The charms that he knew had no incantation and would require using your essence to force you will to happen.

The duels against Tonks and James increased. The room never returned to the same state as its previous ones. Sometimes it would be a forest others an open field, or a city.

On the Friday the week before Christmas vacation Harry and Ginny had finally beat James and Tonks in the duel. They had practiced magic through their connections and found ways increase either's spells. Most of the time Ginny would fight with Harry, this time she hid somewhere in the room and focus on the creating runes for protection. Combined with Harry's own protective shields they were hard pressed to actually hit Harry.

While she spent her time creating the appropriate shields for Harry he spent his time creating the runes to increase his awareness of his surroundings as well as his stealth and connection to his essence.

Harry had encountered Tonks and James about half an hour into the fight. He crept up on them and went for James first. He knew that Tonks would already know that he was here. He fired a stunner at his father. Tonks cast a shield around them and it fizzled into it. She sent a stunner back at him. Harry didn't move as the stunner fizzled on an invisible wall.

"Impressive. Where's Ginny."

"Looking for you two I suppose."

"Oh I highly doubt that Harry."

Harry sneered at her. She was more alert than she normally was. He noticed the signs of a rune cast around her and signaled for Ginny to start to break it down. If he was correct in assuming he would know that the Rune that she was using help with her concentration and balance.

"Nice Job Tonks. The Rune of focus, though I am not aware of the variation that you are using."

Tonks' face flashed in shock for a brief second and then it was gone.

"You are unaware of this variation because I created it myself. I combined the Rune of Focus with the Rune of Power. It gives me both attributes but they are a bit weaker in some areas than casting both would be. The advantages are that you cannot break them without proper knowledge of what Runes were cast. The Rune is easier and quicker than using two separate ones. And when combined you can have them feed certain strengths into one another."

"Cool can you show me how you can create Runes at some point."

She smiled at him.

"Of course."

"Well as much as I would love to listen to you both continuing this conversation, I would like to end this and go down to eat. Sorry son."

The look on James face let you know that he meant what he said. Harry smirked

"Reducto." James dodge out of the way as the spell was sent towards him.

Tonks merely raised her wand.

"Specialis Revealo." Harry could see the different Runes that he used to create his offensive measures. He laughed knowing that she was probably looking for the Rune that stopped her curse. Ginny spoke up in his head letting him know that it appeared were she was hiding. She also stated that she was just about finished with removing the Runes around Tonks.

No sooner than she said that did the Runes around Tonks flicker and fade away. He could see the look of panic sweep her features for a second. She was good at controlling her emotions but not as good as she could be.

"Surprised?"

Tonks gave him a quizzical look before she decided to answer him

"Yes actually I am."

For a split second he could feel time slow down. The wards on the back of him shimmered as the spell his father sent ricocheted off. With a small burst of magic that Ginny had sent at him he waved his wand.

Two reductor curses, a disarming curse, stunning curse, the full body bind, and several other offensive attacks (like the oppugno and ice conjuring were sent at his father). He threw up a shield that blocked the two reductors and the oppugno, the ice shard slammed into the shield after that and the impact tore through the severely weakened shield. The disarming charm made contact with his father followed by the full body bind. A blasting curse sent him back into the wall behind him. Finally the stunner hit him and he was out cold.

Tonks had watched the entire thing take place. He could see that she was a little less confident in this match up.

"Enervate." The spell was sent towards James. Harry waved his wand

"Deletrius." It never made it to the destination. The canceling charm stopped it before it passed Harry.

She was now practically defenseless. He shot a reductor at her and she dived. Unfortunately for her the Runes that she had placed on her kept her from being clumsy. Now that they were gone she tripped over the rock that was next to her and Harry took advantage of it. She was stunned before she could even acknowledge what happened.

Harry brought the two of them back to the headmaster's office. He let the room fade back to its original shape and enervated then. James had a few small bumps on his head and a scorch mark on his robes. Other than that he was fine.

Tonks had scrapped her arm when she fell but she sustained no other damage. She pointed her wand at her arm and the scratch healed itself. Looking over James she reduced the swelling and healed the burn marks.

They were both impressed. Over the last two months they had improved so much and now they were able to duel and beat them both.

They were dismissed and sent down to the great hall to eat. James and Tonks stayed behind to discuss what had happened between them. To say the least Tonks was impressed at their skills.

Harry and Ginny walked into the great hall for dinner. They had another meeting with the D.A. and needed there strength.

Once in the Room of Requirement, Harry had the Room change into a forest that resembled the one that they first trained in Dumbledore's office only with a view of the whole room for Harry and Ginny at the top. He split the group up into teams of two. He then stated that it was a free for all duel. The team that lasted the longest and showed the most skill would win. By the end of the night the only teams that where showing any signs of skill were Hermione and Neville, Ron and Luna, Cho and Dean, and a few seventh years.

He was going to need to keep doing this. They were obviously not ready to battle anyone outside of themselves.

"Ok listen up…" Harry said as the room changed back into the normal D.A. room. "…that wasn't that bad. I will be doing this more often as it seems that you need it. I encourage you all to study up on offensive and defensive spells and Runes. As you all noticed you couldn't touch Neville and Hermione. That was because of the Rune that she placed over them as protection. While it can be destroyed and it doesn't block everything I would suggest that you learn them.

Alright now the only rules that I am going to give you when researching spells are; one don't use anything in here that can cause serious damage, and two dark arts are not allowed in this room yet. The person that I assigned you to tonight will be your partner for the rest of the year. Also studying with groups more than what I assigned is alright. If you wish to study some of the darks arts please ask me. I do not want you to become the next dark lord. You are free to leave."

Harry watched as the group of excited kids walked out of the room. The sound level increased to a small murmur of white noise. And just as sudden as it started it faded down the hall. Harry could feel Ron walk up to his side.

"So are you going to teach me the dark arts that you know? I need to know what curses are out there so I can help in this war."

Harry could feel something off about the way that Ron was looking at him. He didn't know what it was but he knew that something wasn't right with him. He started to gather up his books on the table beside himself.

"Alright Ron, I will teach you what I know."

"Even the unforgivables."

"Why would you want to know those?"

"I need to understand them in order to fight against the death eaters and Voldemort."

Harry turned to face Ron. He knew that he was saying his name now but the tone that he used made him think of Bellatrix. It was the exact longing in his voice that she had used when she spoke. The only problem was that she didn't say his name aloud.

"Ron I don't know the unforgivables."

"That's a lie Harry I know that you used the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix."

"How did you know that?"

Ron gulped audibly.

"I really didn't but after seeing you this summer I had a suspicion that you might have. The way that you look when you mention the curse it was a look of understanding. I want to have that understanding."

"Ok Ron I will see what I can do."

Ron nodded his head and walked out of the room. Luna ran after him to catch up.

"That was weird." Hermione spoke up this time.

"I know we need to keep an eye on him. I don't want him being corrupted by the dark arts."

They all agreed on it and Ginny was going to talk to Luna about it when she saw her next.

The vacation had officially started and the first weekend seemed to fly by. Before they knew it Monday had shown up and at five o'clock Harry ascended the spiral staircase leading to Professor Dumbledore's office.

They opened the doors and a pair of red lights hit them before everything went black.