Here is Chapter 119, enjoy!

"I love this so much," grinned Daphne in awe as Luna guided them through the bushy, dense woodland. It was late evening and the natural sunlight had already disappeared, getting slowly replaced by the bright moonlight. Drops of water were trickling down from the trees and caressing their faces, a chilly wind blew across them and the rustling of the leaves kept their hike lively.

"Moonclaves love dancing under a full moon, you know. If you see little circles in the grass, it's probably from their ballet," remarked Luna in her dreamy voice.

The young couple hiked their way up the hilltop as suggested by Luna earlier in the day. It was their last evening of the holidays. By the following afternoon, they would already be on the Hogwarts Express. And hence, Daphne was up for anything that her charming girlfriend had planned. While at Hogwarts, the couple got only a few eyebrows raised, the outside world was a little less accepting in comparison. Hence, during the holidays, they got very little time to spend with each other.

"Are you alright?" asked Luna, as she glanced at a pensive-looking Daphne. "I bet it is the Wrackspurts, they are buzzing around you. They float in forest air like this," she added.

Daphne glanced at her with a smile. "I'm just curious to see what plans you have for me tonight," retorted Daphne, with a suggestive look on her face.

"I... don't know... what you mean," shrugged Luna, however the blush on her cheeks indicated otherwise.

The girls walked ahead carefully through the thicker bushes. The ground beneath them felt damper and slippery. Daphne grabbed Luna's hands almost immediately. "Careful," breathed Luna as she held on to Daphne.

It only took them a few more minutes of hiking when their eyes finally fell on something inviting.

"Woah!" gasped Daphne as she let her grab on Luna's hands loose and stepped a few feet ahead of her.

A smile slowly appeared on Luna's face. "Come on," she whispered.

Carefully, the couple walked down the slippery, shrubby slope and found themselves standing over a large stone before Daphne stopped.

"You are not seriously thinking of going in the water, are you?" remarked Daphne, alarmed.

"Come on," retorted Luna, excitedly.

"It is freezing, Luna," replied Daphne. "I like the idea of warming each other up, but we need to survive the cold first, to do that," she chuckled.

"Trust me," assured Luna and took off her footwear. The next instant, she took off her top, followed by the warm leggings and the skirt. Daphne, however, stood rooted to her spot, alarmed by the suggestion of skinny dipping and at the same time, thrilled by the sight she was witnessing.

Once Luna was down to her final pieces of clothing, she took a few steps closer to Daphne and started toying with the hem of her top. Daphne, emboldened by Luna's enthusiasm, raised her hands a little and allowed Luna to undress her. It was only when she had shed a few items that she realised something. The air around where she was standing, felt different. It was cold, but not as cold as their hike up here.

Within a few seconds, Luna had completely rid Daphne of her clothes, except for the final two. She once again took Daphne's hands and guided her to the pond. Luna confidently entered the water, however, her partner was a lot more hesitant.

Daphne took every step to the pond, shivering and worrying about freezing. However, when she took her first step into the water, her mind was blown. She kept her other foot inside and realised the heaven that Luna had brought her to.

An audible moan escaped Daphne as her glance quickly shifted to Luna. "This is warm... Why is this warm? Oh my God, this is lovely," gasped Daphne in delight. And immediately, she dove in front and got completely submerged. The warmth of the water hugged Daphne completely, warming her up with every second.

"Isn't this nice?" sighed Luna as she closed her eyes, enjoying the temperature. "No one knows why, but this pond is warm throughout the year. Some say it is because of the fire salts deposited deep beneath the surface," she remarked, beginning to swim around.

Daphne moved around the water in bliss. "What do you think?" she asked, glancing at Luna.

"I think the pond is home to water spirits. They keep the water warm as a gesture of welcome to gentle souls who come to rest," replied Luna. Daphne was looking at her intently and after a pause, she continued, moving herself closer to Daphne. "On misty mornings, if you are very still, you can see the faint glow of their magic beneath the surface," she added, as her arm grabbed Daphne's waist under the water and pulled her closer.

"The things you do to me..." whispered Daphne as she wasted no time and pulled Luna to her chest. Within a few seconds, they had helped each other shed the rest of their clothes, bringing their aching skin in direct contact with the warmth. And it was no surprise that they spent the rest of their heavenly evening aiding each other in satisfying their ache.

…

A couple of hours later, the couple made it out of the pond and up the hilltop to Luna's house, also known as "The Rookery".

"Um... Luna," called Daphne softly as her eyes fell on the door.

Luna's eyes fell on the door, its broken state and then her eyes fell on the destruction that seemed to have befallen the front yard.

Daphne immediately gestured for Luna to tread quietly as she took out her wand, Luna followed suit.

Slowly, the couple walked through the front yard and opened the door to the house. There was complete silence.

"Daddy," called out Luna, nervously. At first, there was no response. However, just as she began to hastily look around the house, she heard a faint noise.

"Luna... Lu... na..." came Xenophilius Lovegood's weak voice.

She immediately rushed to the kitchen, from where the voice was coming. Daphne followed her immediately. Inside the kitchen lay Xenophilius, on the floor, a big gash on his head and a few other bruises all over his body.

"Daddy... What happened?" asked Luna, hastily, as she knelt to check on her father.

"Mr Lovegood, what happened, who did this?" asked Daphne as she knelt alongside Luna.

"They were here... asking me to stop writing against the Ministry..." replied Xenophilius, his words broken, half of them barely audible, while the other half, incoherent.

Luna stared at Daphne, alarmed.

"I'm sending a message to the Order," exclaimed Daphne. "You will be fine, Mr Lovegood, don't worry," she added.

"Luna... dear," called Xenophilius weakly and almost immediately fell unconscious.

The school year had started on full tilt from the get-go as students arrived after the holidays. Much to everyone's surprise, the 2nd half of the school year boasted quite a few more students than the 1st half did. Many believed the reason to be Harry Potter's appearance. There was a growing belief amongst the common folk that Harry's arrival would mean an end to Voldemort's reign as the Minister of Magic, for he was after all the "Chosen One".

It was a weird feeling coming back to Hogwarts for Harry. Not because of everything that happened in the past few months, or the reaction he got from everyone after coming back. It was because he was entering his 6th year just then. He was quite literally behind his classmates by half a year.

Not only that, Harry was entering a school that he hadn't seen before. In the couple of days he had spent before Christmas, Harry had already come to realise the host of changes the school had gone through, the rebellious stand it had taken against the Ministry. But with every passing day, he started to realize how truly the school had changed. The classes that were happening, the way of teaching that had changed, students from different years studying together, houses being disbanded, and on the list went.

Surprising to many, Harry was aware of the things that had happened in the country in his absence. Every once in a while, someone would talk to Harry and ask him if he knew what had happened a few months back. Harry, patiently, would let them explain everything in detail, only to reply at the end that he had read about it in the papers, or that Jane had told him about it. Students recounted many things like "Magic for Muggles", "Voldemort's speeches", "Bellatrix Lestrange's death", etc. to Harry in the first couple of weeks.

However, there was one thing that Harry was yet to find out. It was early in the evening. They had a bit of a break from the classes to enjoy. It was then that Harry caught a hold of Luna for something.

"Hello, Harry," greeted Luna as she walked over to him.

"Hi, Luna, how have you been?" asked Harry, politely, with a smile.

"I'm good, nice of you to ask me, Harry," replied Luna, smiling. "But I can see in your eyes that you have something else to ask," she added.

"It is about Colin, did something happen to him?" asked Harry.

"Colin... No, he has been the same," replied Luna.

"Ever since I have been back, he has seemed a little different," remarked Harry, puzzled. After a moment, he continued, "Has this something to do with..." he began but paused.

"Go on..." assured Luna.

"I know that you and Daphne... are... more than friends..." said Harry, cautiously. "Is that something that's upsetting Colin?" he asked.

"Colin is a good friend," smiled Luna in response. "He doesn't have a problem with Daph and me being together," she added.

"Oh... Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to prod," remarked Harry, apologetically.

"He has been this way ever since his family passed away," sighed Luna, mournfully. "He hasn't been the same all year," she added. And that's when she noticed Harry's eyes widening. "Oh," she gasped. "I thought you knew," she added.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, shocked. Luna proceeded to divulge everything that had happened with Colin's parents and his brother, how they had been slaughtered in their own house. Harry remained open-mouthed throughout. Finally, he got up and went looking for Colin. He had last seen him just a while back, going towards the top of the Astronomy tower. So, that's where Harry headed to.

Colin was looking through one of the telescopes when he heard the footsteps.

"Daph... I'll be in class in 10 minutes," exclaimed Colin, without turning his back.

Harry awkwardly stood silent for a couple of seconds before adjusting his throat. "Hey," he said.

Colin turned around instantly. "Harry, what are you doing here?" asked Colin, surprised to see him.

"Hasn't anyone told you that this part of the castle is off limits, except for when Professor Sinistra is here?" exclaimed Harry, sounding serious.

Colin stared at Harry, perplexed. Harry walked over and sat next to him.

"I bet she will be mad to see me here, don't you think?" remarked Harry, glancing at Colin.

"She... might," replied Colin.

An awkward silence lasted between the two for a few seconds before Harry spoke up. "I'm sorry," he said.

"What for?" asked Colin, surprised.

"I didn't... know... about your family..." said Harry, choosing his words carefully.

"Oh... that," sighed Colin, nonchalantly.

Harry stared at Colin for a few seconds before looking away. He couldn't read him. Colin looked sad, his usual bubbly, energetic self was gone. What sat in front of him was a mere shadow of the boy he knew. But Harry had no words for Colin. He didn't know what to say.

This time, it was Colin who broke the silence. "Does it get easier, Harry?" he asked.

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. After a moment, he replied, "Aunt Petunia used to tell me a story," he began. "After dinner, she would take me on a short walk... Just me, and not Dudley. She used to point at the stars and tell me that's where my parents were," he continued, slowly. "Dudley used to get mad at her all the time. Why was I given the special treatment?" he added.

"Didn't Dudley's father pass away early too?" asked Colin, surprised.

"Yes, he did... Only a few months after mine, but that was an accident," replied Harry. After a moment, he continued, "Aunt Petunia never allowed me to wonder about my real parents," he remarked.

"But?" prompted Colin.

"But that doesn't mean I don't think about them," continued Harry, a brief smile appearing on his face. "I think about them all the time, I wish they were with me right now, helping me..." he added.

"I slept through the entire thing man. I slept through it... I didn't even hear a word, I didn't hear them screaming, pleading for their life," sighed Colin.

"This feeling... It will never go away," replied Harry. "But, you will learn to live with it," he added. After a long pause, he continued, "I miss the old Colin, I desperately want him back," he remarked and got up.

Just as Harry was walking away, Colin took out his camera and captured him. Harry paused and glanced back, chuckling. Colin smiled in response and got up for he was getting terribly late for his class.

It was late in the evening. Harry had just returned back from the Combat class with Professor White. He was furious, not just at White but also at himself. He let his anger out of his hands and got himself carried away. Not only that he got beat multiple times during the duels, but he also got yelled at for losing focus.

He had been meaning to do this eventually, but there was something holding him back. He did not want to go back there, so soon after what had happened. But that evening, he braced himself and decided to go back to The Room of Requirement.

Harry took out his invisibility cloak and immediately made his way towards the "Come and Go" room. As he walked into the corridor, his mind replayed the events of a few weeks prior, when he and Jane had made their way in, found the Horcrux, destroyed it and made it back out, only for them to be ambushed by White.

Harry looked around and couldn't see anyone, and sure enough, nobody could have seen Harry either. He paced back and forth in front of the wall. He had something in his mind, something he wanted to try out. It was a ridiculous idea but not without merit. He had thought about it in the past, but never really given it any importance or attention. But ever so recently, he had been feeling a little worried. Since he had been at Hogwarts, he had seen a noticeable difference in the quality of wandwork from his fellow classmates. They had improved a lot in the past few months. While Harry had picked up a few things like better Occlumency and had sustained his quality in duelling, he felt like he was going to be left behind by the others.

But, Harry had something that very few others had. While it was unconventional to possess 2 wands, it was completely unheard of to use both of them simultaneously. And that is what Harry wanted to experiment with.

It was in these moments that he wished he had John or Jane with him. It was in these moments he wished he had his parents, with whom he could have talked to about it. While Sirius was just a few minutes away and Remus would absolutely help Harry out, he was somewhat uncomfortable about discussing with them. Both of them cared for Harry but were always protective of him. He was about to try out something with a little bit more flair, a crazy idea. The exact kind he knew White would have entertained, but he was never going to trust that man ever again.

After a few seconds, the Room opened itself and invited Harry inside. The Room looked very different and it brought in him the same feeling it always brought, amazement. Wide open space lay in front of him, with shelves on either side, lined with what looked like spell books, old and almost withered books. And training dummies stood, scattered across the room.

Harry took a deep breath and pulled out his wand, the phoenix feather. After a moment, he put his hands into the inner pocket of his robes and took out his other wand, his mother's wand and held it in his left hand. He stared at the wand for a few seconds, replaying Jane's words from the time they were breaking into Hogwarts through the Chamber of Secrets.

"We had Lily with us"

"Have you never wondered how this works for you so well?"

"Are you telling me this wand belonged to my mother?" asked Harry.

"Until her last breath"

"Lily was with us, for a few years. And I can tell you, the only thing she wanted with all her heart, was to protect you. She wanted nothing else, but the best for you"

Harry stood in his usual duelling pose, angled in such a way that his right shoulder was pointing to the front while his left shoulder, was a little behind and pointing in the opposite direction. However, this time, he had a wand on both his hands.

"All right," he murmured to himself. "Come on Harry, let's give this a shot," he told, giving himself a pep talk.

"Stupefy," he cried flicking his right hand, a jet of red light escaped his wand and hit one of the dummies making it fall forward. Harry flicked his right-hand multiple times, every time, a powerful charm escaping his wand.

And then suddenly, he slashed his left hand from the bottom to up, in a diagonal movement, "Protego". To his amazement, a shimmering shield appeared in front of him. Instantly, he flicked his right hand and another jet of red light escaped, hitting another dummy straight in its abdomen. He tried it a couple of more times and was amazed at how he could do both, defend and attack, simultaneously.

However, within a few seconds, the shield flickered and broke apart.

"Come on," exclaimed Harry and tried it again. This time with the disarming charm. Once again, he was able to shield for a few seconds but it gave away.

Harry grit his teeth and restarted.

This time, the shield stayed a little longer while he attacked his imaginary opponent multiple times. Harry had his left hand steady and focused on it a lot more, keeping the shield active. The longer he held on, the more difficult it felt. And suddenly, Harry felt a force pushing him back, he stumbled and fell on his back with a small thud.

Harry stared around, shocked at what had happened. And then a grin appeared on his face. He got up energetically and tried again, this time alternating defence and attack, like a dance, moving his body back and forth, right foot ahead and after a moment, alternating to his left. His right hand attacked, while his left defended him. A moment later, the roles reversed, his right hand provided the steadiness to keep him safe while his left provided the flair, he was known for.

As the night grew into itself, so did a wizard who was beginning to realise his potential.

It had been close to a month since the students had been back from their holidays. Everyone had settled into their rhythm, their own pace and routine. Harry had started frequenting the Room of Requirement and had started gaining confidence in his dual wandmanship. However, he had still kept his new training a secret from everyone. During classes, he made it a point to use only one wand. Often, he would use his mother's wand for the same.

Another regular occurrence since Harry was back, was the non-existent contact between him and Ron. And this one, was there for everyone to see. Most of the school, the Order and everyone else had gotten back to their regular terms with Harry. He was once again the most popular in the school and for the right reasons. But this wasn't the case when it came to his two closest.

Hermione, on one hand also spent most of her time to herself, something Harry was comfortable with, for in the brief moments they did spend together, everything was normal. Ron, however, maintained his distance from Harry. Eventually, Harry had grown used to this new normal and had reached a point where he no longer cared, or that's what he thought.

One fine evening, right when Harry was about to get his cloak for yet another trip to the Room of Requirement, he was stopped in between.

"Harry, got a minute?" came a voice and Harry glanced up. It was Draco standing in front of him.

"Draco," exclaimed Harry, surprised. "Yeah, what happened?" he asked.

"Where are you going?" asked Draco in return.

"Umm... nowhere, in particular," chuckled Harry.

"We can all see that you disappear for a few hours... around this time... every... day," chuckled Draco. "Is it the Room?" he asked.

Harry burst into a wide grin. "I didn't realise that I needed to up my game," remarked Harry in response.

"Well, whatever you are doing in there, it is not reflecting in the classes, Potter," said Draco, in a mocking tone.

"Are you checking up on me, Malfoy?" retorted Harry, surprised.

"I wouldn't have to... None of us would have to if you actually spoke to us," replied Draco with a straight face. Harry had a puzzled look on his face. After a pause, Draco continued, "Come on, mate... You haven't been yourself since you have been back, and I get it... None of us are the same... can be the same, after what has happened in the last year," he remarked, strongly. "But you have just been... distant," he added.

"I don't know... what to tell you, mate," retorted Harry, chuckling nervously.

"Whatever it is that is going on between you and Ron is affecting you... It is there for everyone to see," exclaimed Draco.

"I'm not underperforming in the classes, Malfoy," retorted Harry, strongly. "I am... conserving my energy," he added.

Draco gave him a puzzled look. "What kind of training are you doing inside the Room?" he asked.

"I am just experimenting with a few things," replied Harry.

"Is it something you trained with Jane?" asked Draco, curiously. "What were you two doing for all those months? You are always coy about it, and dodge the question," he added.

"I... can't talk about it, mate... Only Professor McGonagall and a few others know about it, the fewer that know, the better," replied Harry, calmly.

Draco shook his head, disappointed. "You sound confident, but your actions speak differently. Trust me, I know the difference," he remarked calmly. After a moment, Draco walked away leaving Harry to ponder. There was an immediate change in Harry's thoughts. From being excited about going to the Room to train, he sat back down, various thoughts circling in his head.

In another part of the country!

"My Lord!" trembled her voice.

"Do you have any reservations about this?" hissed Voldemort. "Tell me, dear... If so, I will have someone else do it for me," he said, in a bone-chilling voice.

"No... No, my Lord, of course I will print it," replied the woman, still bowing down.

"My Lord!" bowed down Snape. "May I say something?" he asked.

"When have I ever stopped you from speaking your mind, Severus... Do go ahead," remarked Voldemort.

"Are you sure this will go down well with everyone? We are targetting some... well-liked... members of our community," remarked Snape, a tremor noticeable in his voice.

"Enough is enough, Severus! I have given them a long rope, now it is time to show them what we can do," snapped Voldemort.

Hope you liked this one... The next chapter will be out sometime this week!