Chapter one

Ever since Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts for his sixth year, people noticed a change. His friends understood why, the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, which caused Harry a great deal of pain. But there were a few things that Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley noticed about their friend. Harry was quieter, a lot more than he used to be. He was also harder. If anyone, mainly the Slytherin's ever said anything to him the look Harry gave them would make most flinch and back off. Only a few stood their ground, they paid the price by ending up in the hospital wing sometime later that day. No one could ever prove Harry had done anything to them as he was always in the company of his friends and they never saw Harry point his wand at anyone. He would talk, but only to his closest friends and only when they started talking to him. He never instigated any conversation, no matter the topic.

One more thing the friends noticed about Harry, he seemed cold towards Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, not just Severus Snape who he is usually cold towards. They did know that Harry partially blamed Dumbledore and Snape for the death of his godfather, but they had no idea why he seemed to dislike their head of house.

Harry was usually in front as the group moved through the castle. If it was to classes, then only Ron, Neville, and Hermione was with him, other times Luna and Ginny were also with him. They were together so much many had begun to call them the Hogwarts six, and it wasn't just they were friends and always together. Everyone knew what took place at the ministry for magic, how the six had fought twelve death eaters and survived. At the end eleven of the death eaters had ended up arrested, those eleven were now in Azkaban.

At first everyone had been surprised when Luna began to sit at the Gryffindor table and not at the Ravenclaw table. But everyone did know that she was close with Harry Potter and his friends. One thing good come out of this friendship, the people who used to pick on Luna, who called her looney, who hid her things, all ended up pranked. Something worthy of the Weasley twins, or even the Marauders. No one cause a problem for Luna after the first few Ravenclaw's ended up unable to read, and the words "bully" was dyed onto their foreheads, something that could not be removed. It would take a month before the word disappeared and their ability to understand words returned. A few Slytherin's ended up losing their clothes in the middle of the great hall, so they were left in their underwear as they ran screaming from the room.

Whenever anything happened to a student, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville would always glance at Harry, but he never paid any attention. Luna would just stay quiet, sitting beside Harry as she ate or read the latest copy of the Quibbler.

'Harry, I was asked to give you this.'

Harry turned, 'Hi Colin, thanks, can you wait a sec to see if this needs a reply?'

'Sure.'

Harry unfolded the note, read then grabbed a quill from his bag, 'Can you take that back for me?'

'Okay,' Colin took the note then headed up to the staff table.

'What was that about?' Ron asked.

'Dumbledore and his so called private lessons. I told him I decline to go to the rest. If he wanted me to have training then he should have done it years ago. And what he's doing now isn't training of any kind,' Harry finished his apple pie, 'I'm heading to the library, see you later.'

The friends along with Albus Dumbledore watched Harry leave. The headmaster had been surprised that Harry had turned down his lessons, but he needed to pass on important information. He was unsure how to make Harry understand that he did not need training in how to fight, he needed to see the information about Voldemort. Harry had only been to one, he had seen the disappointment on the boy's face. Albus could not get him to understand. Harry didn't believe him when he told him that love would be what would destroy Voldemort and Albus hated to admit it, but he was beginning to believe Harry might be right. The boy had told him that since he did not love anyone than he doubted love would help him in defeating Voldemort. Albus was sure Harry loved Sirius, until Harry pointed out that he hardly knew the man since they only got to see each other a handful of times.

Albus knew Harry could have stayed with Sirius even if he was in hiding, but he still believed he was safer with the Dursley's. That came to a head during the holidays, Harry who had been vindicated about Voldemort's returned had been sent a letter by the new minister, Rufus Scrimgeour. He explain that he had the traced lifted since Harry was in more danger than most, Rufus had also said Harry could get his apparition licence a year earlier.

Harry used his new found freedom of being able to use magic out of Hogwarts to threaten the Dursley's. He even went as far as turning Vernon Dursley into a pig and said he would change them all permanently if they bothered him. All he asked was to be fed and left alone. After Vernon had been changed back, they agreed but they also told Harry that he could not return once he left for Hogwarts. When Albus found out he had suggested Harry stay at headquarters. He refused then turned around and said that if anyone tried to force him to return to Grimmauld place he would burn the place to the ground, then he would leave and no one would ever see him again.

Albus knew Harry was still angry, not just with him but also Severus, he blamed them for Sirius' death. Harry also blamed himself. Albus needed Severus to keep up the pretence of occlumency so he could see if Harry wasn't telling him about all his visions on Voldemort. It seemed Harry realised that those lessons actually opened his mind more, something Albus should have foreseen.

If love could not defeat Voldemort than Albus had to see if maybe Harry could fight and survive, if he had enough knowledge and skill to go up against Voldemort. Since he was dying he had tried to plan for anything, one was making sure Hogwarts could keep the students safe if Voldemort decided to attack the school. He had used some blood that had been stored in the hospital wing, blood that had belonged to James and Lily Potter, he then mixed it with all the staff. He used that to help ward the school. He just hoped it would be enough.

When Albus read the reply to his note, he realised that showing Harry the rest of those memories might be pointless, so he decided it was time to share that knowledge with another. But he also realise he would need to see which students could handle themselves in a fight, especially against adults with a lot more experience. With the war heating up, the students needed to learn more than basic spells.

It was a week later that Harry walked down to the common room to see almost all the Gryffindor's near the notice board. Some looked excited, some looked worried.

Ron spotted Harry and pulled him over so he could read the notice, 'Duelling, but nothing held back apart from unforgivables.'

Harry's brow furrowed as he continued to read, 'Pomfrey will be on hand and a full supply of potions will be available if needed. Now I know why some look worried.'

'Yeah, but if we make it through our age group we fight seventh years then the teachers and keep going until we're knocked out. I would love an excuse to hex Snape.'

'Snape and Trelawney,' Harry said, he kept his face impassive but inside he was grinning. He hoped he would be good enough to go up against Snape, but also McGonagall and Dumbledore. He didn't think he would beat any of them but he just wanted to hit them, at least once, 'I think a bit of training in the room of requirement is needed.'

'At least everyone can get a bit of training, like the first years. Lupin can help them with age appropriate spells,' Ron said.

'We can brush up on what we learned from last year, then work on more advance spells, like what the seventh years would be learning,' Hermione said.

'Among other spells, but we have a month before it starts so that gives us a fair bit of time to learn,' Harry said then headed for the portrait. Hermione and Ron both raised their eyebrows. They wondered just what spells Harry might want to study.

Over the next few weeks Hermione and Ron didn't see Harry using any spells that neither of them had practiced, but they did know he had disappeared most nights. They assumed he was either in the room of requirement, practicing, or on the astronomy tower. He went there to think and to be alone. Hermione and Ron knew Harry went there to speak with Sirius, he may be dead but Harry seemed to find comfort talking to the dead. He had told them he often spoke with his parent's, especially when he had been locked up at the Dursley's. They didn't want to ask where he went of a night, he had told them he never wanted to talk about it, he didn't want to talk about a lot of things, so they just let him be. They just hoped that one day Harry would finally tell them what was on his mind and if he was okay. If they asked if he was okay he would say fine, like always, but they knew he was anything but fine.

Harry spent every night until midnight in the room of requirement, he planned a surprise, in the hope he would end up facing Snape. So he took the time in the room to learn more dangerous spells, also spells that would maim and injure, even some that were borderline dark but still legal.

What a lot of people didn't think about was the safe and simple spells could also cause damaged if used in the right way. He doubted anyone would consider using wingardium leviosa to injure someone, maybe only Ron, since he knocked out a troll using that spell. So Harry combed books, when he practiced the spell and if he thought it could be useful he would write it down. He already had a long list of spells he would be using, he just hoped he made it through the students to at least face one or two of the teachers, preferably Snape. He had a spell ready to use on the greasy git, a spell that would probably shock everyone but shock Snape's hair white, or at least clean. He knew many would look at him with curiosity if he did get to face Snape and use the spell he wanted to. But he's been a curiosity for everyone inside Hogwarts since he arrived.