"I was thinking," Harry said one evening before the DA was scheduled to take place.

"Yeah?" Ron asked, going over the list of spells they were going to learn tonight.

"The only way for us to defeat Voldemort is to be more powerful than he is."

Ron nodded, "Well yeah, that's why we're doing this."

"No, I mean, not just learning spells and stuff. We need to think smarter than he does, and have more people than he does, and be just plain all around better than he is."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Ron set the parchment down.

"I dunno. How are we supposed to get the upperhand on him? He's got all those followers following one man. We're scattered. Half the school thinks he's not alive, some follow us, some follow Dumbledore and won't let us in on their secret plans... just look at Snape."

Ron nodded. "Well, we're with you Harry, that's a start. The whole DA follows you. Look how much we've accomplished since you started the DA."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe, but two dozen students against an army?"

‘Come on Ron, take the bait, you're almost there,' Harry thought to himself, trying to look downtrodden at the same time.

"Maybe we should go recruiting... you know, get more Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws in... heck, there's only ten Gryffindors in the club not including us."

‘Yes! Yes! That-a-boy... this is all your idea. Harry Potter had nothing to do with drawing them in to join his ranks.' He looked up trying to look like that had been a great idea on Ron's part.

"Seriously? I never even thought of that." Harry beamed. "That's why your my best mate. I need you."

Ron looked proud suddenly and said, "I'll work up some posters with Hermione and see if we can't get them posted in the other common rooms. Hermione's got all the passwords since she's Head Girl."

"That would be great," Harry said. Ron stood up to leave, but Harry reached out and took his wrist gently. "Ron?"

Ron sat back down. "Yeah?"

"Remember a little while ago when Snape tried to chuck me out for putting him in that closet?"

Ron nodded. "He's nutters."

"I'm worried that he may not really be... you know... a spy for him."

Shuddering Ron nodded again. "Well, we always suspected that."

"Yeah but now he's actually really trying to get me out... what if he manages one of these times and they throw me out and Voldemort's there waiting for me? Or what if he tries to kidnap me when nobody's looking?"

"He has been acting odder... if that's even possible. Well, maybe we'd better start getting DA to go with you wherever you go. That won't be too hard since you and I share all our classes and Hermione's with us most of the day too."

"I don't want to burden anybody," Harry said.

"Pss," Ron scoffed. "Forget it Harry, you're nutters. You really think you'd be burdening us after all the times you stood up to Voldemort... AND Snape, for us?"

"Uh... yes?"

Ron laughed and stood up again. "I'll talk to some people at the DA tonight and see if anybody will volunteer."

Harry smiled up at him. "Thanks Ron, you're the best."

Grinning down into his book as Ron walked away, Harry felt yet another piece of his plan falling into place.

And so it was the next morning, and every day thereafter for a week that no less than four DA members accompanied Harry wherever he went. Soon it was more than four, and they began practicing DA learned spells out on the lawns during breaks, and going over charms and curses in the halls between classes. Even DA from other houses were sitting around Harry at Gryffindor table during meal times. Snape did not fail to notice. To make a show of being friendly towards Snape, Harry gave him a little wave from Gryffindor table that none his peers noticed. Snape positively scowled, and Harry pretended to shrink away from it, hoping the Headmaster or some other staff member had seen.

‘This is working,' Harry thought. ‘By the end of the year I'll be unstoppable.'

Another few days went by and Harry began to tire of having so many people around him. Besides, he had taken on the greasy git before, and when the time came again, he would take on Snape and squash him like a bug. To protests from Ron and Hermione, he waved them away one night after dinner and said that he needed some alone time. When they left for the Library without him, he was glad to have some space again. They had served their purpose, and would do so again, but he wanted them to know that he was in charge.

Stretching, Harry stood from the table and waved goodbye to some other DA members that had been sitting there, and headed out of the Great Hall. He had no desire to get himself into trouble just at the moment, but he wasn't about to be bound by the school's silly rules about students not being out after curfew... or any rules for that matter. Being decided then on staying out late for no other reason than he wanted to and was determined to do whatever he damned well wanted, Harry headed off towards the east side of the castle for a long stroll to clear his mind. He had only made it to the darkened second floor however when Snape stepped out in front of him from behind a statue of a knight with a scarred face.

"Well well Potter, finally away from your... followers?"

Harry crossed his arms. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean Professor sir," Harry said with mock politeness.

Snape took a step forward and Harry was tempted to bind him and put him in a closet again just to remind him who was boss now.

"Won't the Headmaster be so displeased to find out that his little hero is not at all who he claims to be?"

"And won't he be disappointed to find his Head of Slytherin house floating in the lake tomorrow morning dead as a door knob?" Harry reached for his wand but suddenly somebody had grabbed him from behind and Snape was pulling his own wand and casting a binding charm on him.

"How dare you!" Harry screeched.

"Harry, this needs to be done," a calm voice sounded in his hear. It was the Headmaster who had him so tightly held.

"Sir, Professor Snape was just threatening me," Harry protested. "I was only trying to scare him off. I don't want any trouble, really!"

"The truth will be told Potter," Snape said, pulling a small phial of clear liquid from an inner robe pocket. "I've been carrying this around for weeks just waiting to hear you spill your guts."

"Sir, that's not allowed, is it?" Harry asked, referring to the veritaserum the greasy git was holding.

"I'm afraid it is if we are to clear your good name Harry," Dumbledore said, suddenly levitating Harry and moving him down the hallway and then into an empty classroom. Snape shut the door and spelled it locked and quiet so that nobody would intrude or overhear what would happen next.

"Please sir," Harry said, trying to sound desperately innocent. "He's been after me for years, threatening to turn me in to the Dark Lord, threatening to get me expelled or do me harm. I don't feel safe in the same room with him!"

"I knew something was off my dear boy when I smelled alcohol on you a few days after Severus was found tied up in the closet. The Harry James Potter I know would never drink."

"I wasn't drinking sir," Harry said as they set him down in a chair and Snape uncorked the bottle of Veritaserum. "I had come across one of the DA drinking and he got mad at me and threw the bottle at me!"

"Truly?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yes sir, honest!"

"Then you have nothing to be afraid of my dear boy. The veritaserum will have out with the truth and it will corroborate your story."

Snape hurried forward and to wild protests from Harry he poured it down Harry's throat. Suddenly Harry felt a mild calming sensation come over him, and knew the potion was working. Damn, but how it would work against him.

"Well now Potter," Snape said, arms crossed. "Why have students been trailing behind you like lost little puppies this last week and a half?"

"We've been doing extra studying for the DA," Harry said, thinking that that had been truth enough. They had been afterall.

"Were they not following you for your own protection?"

"From the Dark Lord," Harry said dully, thinking again that if he had told this to the DA than it must be good enough as truth.

Severus shook his head. "And who did you tie up and leave in a closet in the dungeons?"

Harry couldn't help but look up at Snape now and remember the look of shock on his face as he lay there, bound and gagged, and knowing the jig was up because of the veritaserum, he finally allowed himself a good long laugh over it. "I did you fool!" Harry shouted after a moment. "You think you can force potion on me when all I wanted was a lousy sleeping potion!? You deserved it! And now you know who's boss! You think that fool you serve is a true dark lord? You haven't even seen the meaning yet! You will though, you will. Trust me on that, an you will bow down before me as all the others are ready to do!"

Harry had worked himself up now and was struggling again, hoping his followers would burst in at any time and save him, confirming in their minds that not only Snape, but Dumbledore as well were after him. No such rescue attempt came though, and Snape and the Headmaster only gave each other fearful looks.

"That's right," Harry said, calming himself. "You'd better be afraid. And you'd better let me go this instant or I'll have the both of you killed."

"The calming draught is wearing off," Snape said dryly, and the Headmaster nodded. Snape pulled out another phial, this one with clear blue liquid in it and plucked out one of Harry's hairs, dropping it into the mixture. Suddenly it turned bright red and started to fizz.

It took Harry's mind a moment to grasp what had been said as he watched the man preparing the antidote for him to the opposite self potion. Calming draught? They had tricked him and he had divulged all his secrets to them freely? Damn but he had messed up good.

And then Snape was coming towards him and was forcing his mouth open again and pouring the fizzing liquid down his throat. It burned and suddenly his whole body was on fire.

"Noooooo!" Harry shouted, trying to struggle, but then he was calm and the burning had subsided.

It was long moments before anybody said anything.

"Harry?"

Albus moved forward and stooped down a little to try to catch Harry's eyes, but stood again abruptly.

"I believe it has worked," he commented to Severus.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because the Dark Harry would not have cried."

Snape stiffened at that. Was Potter really crying.

"Can you please untie me?" He asked quietly, not looking up at them, too ashamed to do so.

"Of course Harry."

The ropes vanished and Harry leaned forward and put his head in his hands in the darkened room.

It was another few moments before Harry said, "You were wrong about me."

"How so Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not you," he said, "him."

Snape sighed. Apparently so.

"My apologies for forcing the potion on you."

Harry shook his head and tried to stand up, feeling weak, but he promptly collapsed back into the chair as his legs gave out. He didn't want to be there crying after his near takeover of the school and conversion into Voldemort.

"I will leave you alone for a moment Harry," Dumbledore said, giving a meaningful look at Snape that Harry didn't catch, and then he was gone.

Harry wiped his eyes on his sleeve and didn't look up.

"The other Harry would have never forgiven me," Snape said matter-of-factly.

Harry shook his head. "You're right, and now you're stuck with the weak Harry. The Harry who takes all your insults, all your belittling, all your snide remarks. This is the Harry who you will never even see because you didn't care to notice anybody but James Potter and the evil Harry. This is me," he finally said, looking up into the man's dark eyes.

Severus was slightly taken aback by the sorrow in the boy's eyes, and the want. What was it that he wanted? And then it occurred to him... to be understood.

Harry rose and headed for the door.

"Potter..."

He stopped momentarily, but when there was no more answer, he walked out, leaving Snape to wonder over what had been said.

Feeling guilty and ashamed himself, Severus sat in the chair Harry had occupied moments ago. Someday perhaps, he'd be given another chance to see Harry James Potter... Lily's son, for who he really was.