I.

• Be prepared for anything from your enemy, especially what they seem least likely to do.
• Never let them know your next move. Make things appear to be what they are not.
• Take advantage of Voldemort’s unpredictable moods and choleric-ness. Choleric-ness is not a word, Potter.
• Train in secret. Don’t let V. know how much you know. (Occlumency?)
• Never go into a fight without knowing what you’re getting into and having a plan.

II.

• War is really expensive. Get the Order a sugar daddy. Potter that is inappropriate.
• Take whatever you can from the enemy, making yourself stronger at no cost while also weakening them.
• Avoid long, drawn-out fights, because people will get tired and more likely to make a mistake.
• A long war will wear down on and frustrate civillains. Keep the war brief, not just battles. Shorter war will also mean less lives lost.
• People with a purpose will fight better. (That’s why there’s those old propaganda posters from WWII?) Yes. Phrases like “Keep Calm and Carry On” were meant to encourage the Muggles during air raids. Other posters inspired patriotic pride and reminded the people why their sacrifices were worth it. 

• Fight to capture, not kill. Also gives you the moral high ground.
• Never underestimate strength in numbers.
• Keep people who fight united and in one mind. Division or doubt amongst the ranks will lead to defeat. (Sow doubt in the Death Eaters? Make them afraid to fight, or make them fight each other?) Not a bad idea, Potter. The various followers of the Dark Lord rarely get along at the best of times. The competition to be his favorite is too strong. Finding a way to exploit this would be very helpful.
• Know when not to fight.
• Know your enemy and his strengths/weaknesses so you can plan better.

• Voldemort’s gotta make a mistake sometime. Be ready for it when it comes.
• Take advantage of the Earth factor. Fight on familiar ground so you can set traps? Also related to fighting on your own terms.
• Don’t worry about the public’s approval (ignore the stupid Prophet articles.) The public doesn’t know the details of the war and can’t. The Prophet is a rag of lies. You would do well to ignore them regardless of topic. I do not doubt that you remember last year’s articles on the Tournament?
• You win by making no mistakes. (How do you make no mistakes??)
• Fighting in and of itself isn’t the goal. If you can win without a fight, do it. Keep end goal in mind. (How can I kill Voldemort without fighting him?) It seems unlikely, it is true. However, do not forget the first note you made on this chapter; the Dark Lord may make a mistake that will leave him vulnerable in a way you do not expect. Do not miss a chance to win just because you are looking for a traditional fight.

• Knowing how to move your forces effectively will conserve energy and help you do the most with the least effort. It takes strategy and planning to do this!!
• Communication between portions of forces also related to effectiveness. (What kind of magical communications are there besides owl or charmed parchments?) The Patronus charm may be used to transport messages in an emergency. The animal will find whatever person you send it to and tell them the message in your own voice. Not very practical during a battle, but often communication methods are set on a case-by-case basis.
• Two types of maneuvers: direct and indirect. Use each to design movements in battle and wider strategies. Momentum of a fight is important too.
• Hiding organization and strength in false chaos will distract the enemy, make them underestimate you, and give you opportunity to strike.
• You can use bait to keep the enemy moving and wasting their energy. (Remember: deception!! Distract Voldemort by sending him chasing after false leads since he’s looking for me?) We will discuss this.

   

• Hold out for every advantage you can get.
• Target your enemy’s weaknesses, and try to lessen the impact of their strengths. (Part of Voldemort’s strength ishis following, one of his weaknesses is the tension between the Death Eaters? Like note in III., kill two birds with one stone?)
• Travel is easier, even over great distances, when no enemy is present. (Like our hike across the highlands.) It’s almost as if it’s easier to go somewhere when you’re not ducking curses the whole way.
• Even if your enemy is in a highly defensible position, you can force them out of hiding if you attack another place to force them to come out and relieve their troops there.
• DECEPTION. Make enemy think you will target one place, so they will strengthen their forces there, then attack another place because to strengthen one place is to weaken another. Another school of thought is to keep the enemy in complete doubt, so as to force them to spread their forces out thin to protect all various weak points that might be targeted.
• Force enemy to reveal himself to find weak points.
• Don’t use repeat tactics, or the enemy will be prepared. You might even have to learn a spell besides Expelliarmus, horror of horrors. ha, ha.
• Be ready to change plans at any notice when the situation changes.