The year 2002 passed quickly for Harry. After his life-changing experience in Afghanistan, he had continued to dedicate himself fully to his work in the SAS. As part of Sabre A Squadron, he knew that life as a British Special Forces operator was a constant cycle of preparation, training, and missions. When he wasn't in the field, he was training or instructing other soldiers, passing on skills and learning new ones.
But for Harry, that wasn't enough. He wanted more—more precision, more control over his body and mind. Every experience he had faced up to that point had taught him the importance of being the best he could be at everything he did, especially in combat. The SAS demanded excellence, and Harry, as always, would settle for nothing less.
By the end of 2002, he had made a decision. He had proven himself on the battlefield, but he knew there were specific areas where he could improve even more. CQB (Close Quarters Battle) and hand-to-hand combat became his new obsession. Harry not only wanted to master these techniques, but to make them second nature, something as ingrained in his instinctive response as breathing.
At SAS headquarters, Harry spent long days and nights in the CQB training camp. The facilities were like small villages, with narrow corridors, multi-room houses, and even a simulated urban environment with vehicles and multi-story buildings. He trained in close quarters combat, dealing with multiple adversaries, moving through narrow rooms and corridors with deadly precision. Every move was calculated, and he repeated the entry and elimination sequences until they were done without thinking, an automatic reflex of his intense training.
Harry excelled at simulation training. He and his team carried out simulated hostage rescue operations, terrorist eliminations, and assaults on occupied buildings. The instructions were rigorous. Every mistake was pointed out and corrected, because in the real world, any hesitation could mean death.
The senior officers noticed his performance, but also his mindset. Harry was meticulous and determined, never satisfied with "good enough." He was constantly adjusting his stance, his reaction time, the way he held his weapon, striving for relentless perfection.
"Potter, you're obsessed," said one of the senior instructors, observing him in a training room. "You're already one of the best, but you act like you're still a rookie."
Harry looked at him, sweating and panting after an intense series of simulations. "I still have a lot to learn. I can still improve."
The instructor laughed and shook his head. "If everyone had half your determination, Potter, things would be a lot easier around here."
In Hand-to-Hand Combat, Harry dedicated himself even more. He trained with the best instructors, fighting experts from different martial arts disciplines. He learned a combination of Krav Maga, Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai techniques, focusing on quick, destructive responses to disarm and neutralize opponents. His muscular physique and battlefield endurance helped him endure the intense training. He often left the training room with bloodied fists and aching body, but with the satisfaction that each session brought him one step closer to being invincible.
Combat wasn't just physical; Harry learned that it was also mental. One of the martial arts instructors, a former special forces operator, explained that the real key to winning in hand-to-hand combat was the mind. "You have to be more ruthless than your enemy. Faster, more focused. You have to be able to predict his move before he makes it. That, Potter, is what separates the good from the best."
Those words stuck with Harry. No matter how much he trained, he knew that the real challenge lay in the combat mindset. He spent hours visualizing combat, anticipating moves, forcing himself to find new ways to attack and defend. Every combat situation was an opportunity to learn something new.
By the end of the year, Harry was a force to be reckoned with within the SAS. He had not only honed his CQB and hand-to-hand combat skills, but had also become a respected instructor. Although still young, his fellow operators recognized his skill and experience. He was no longer just "the boy from Hogwarts who lost his magic"—he was now Harry Potter, a highly trained and focused warrior, a man who had turned his weaknesses into devastating strengths.
That night in late December 2002, Harry looked at himself in the bathroom mirror of his mansion. The reflection was of a completely different man than the one who had once walked the halls of Hogwarts. His green eyes still glowed, but now with a different intensity. His full beard and muscular body made him almost unrecognizable to anyone who had met him before.
He smiled slightly, pleased with the progress he had made, but knowing that the journey was far from over. The global war on terror was only just beginning, and Harry Potter was more prepared than ever to face whatever lay ahead.
As he lay down that night, he knew that although he had left the world of wizardry behind, he had found a new purpose. And in this new world, he was exactly where he needed to be: strong, focused, and most of all, free.