Ten…nine… Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four… Three…Two…Bang!

“Where’s the cannon,” Dudley asked stupidly.

The door to the shack came crashing down. The man standing in the doorway was tall, but not particularly large. Still, he managed to cast an impressive silhouette. He was dressed in black from head to toe. That in and of itself was a bit strange. What made the man even odder, was the man was wearing some sort of robes. Harry had seen people dressed like this before, but it was normally right before Aunt Petunia rushed them away.

The Dursleys came rushing out of the bedroom. Uncle Vernon came out a shotgun in his hands.

“You!” Aunt Petunia seethed seeing the man.

“Hello Tuney,” the man said casually. The man withdrew a long wooden stick from somewhere in the depth of his robes.

“What are you doing here?” Petunia hissed.

“I’ve come for Potter.” The man said casting a steely eye around the small hut.  His eyes landing on the smaller of the two boys almost instantly.

“He’s not going. We said when we took him in that we put a stop to all this nonsense.” Uncle Vernon thundered.

“This is for you,” the man said taking a step closer to Harry.

“He’s not going,” Uncle Vernon repeated. He raised the gun, aiming it at the man.

The man glared at Uncle Vernon. With a flick, of the stick, the gun in Uncle Vernon’s hand disappeared, just like magic.

“The boy is going.” The man said flatly. “I would like to see you try and stop me.” He turned his attention to the black-haired boy once more. “Potter, take the letter.”

Harry took the bit on paper nervously. He didn’t know much about this man, but he could tell he was not someone to cross. Aunt Petunia seemed to know him too. And she didn’t like him.

Harry opened the letter with shaky fingers. He pulled out several sheets of parchment. His eyes cast over the stationary, stopping upon reading “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”.

“Sir,” Harry said nervously.

The man rolled his eyes. “What is it, Potter?”

“What does it mean School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?” Harry asked confused.

“You’re a wizard, Potter.” The man stated as if it was obvious.

“I’m not a wizard,” the boy protested, “I’m Harry, just Harry.”

The man snorted. “Potter, have you ever wondered why strange things happen when you are angry or scared?”

Harry thought about it. The sweater that shrunk, the horrible haircut, all the other strange things that had gotten him in trouble. The man hadn’t phrased it as a question. He knew Harry had done things, without even asking.

“Are you a wizard too?” Harry asked the man.

“I am Professor Snape, Potions-” the man began.

“He’s a freak,” Petunia interjected. “It’s his fault your mother is dead.”

“What!” Harry said spinning from the man to his aunt and back again.

A dangerous flash of anger crossed the man’s dark features. “Silence Tuney.”

Petunia ignored him. “If it wasn’t for him, your mother would be alive.”

Harry looked at her and then back to the man.

“She wouldn’t have been such a freak and gotten herself blown up.” Petunia continued.

“Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!” Harry shouted back.

If it were possible, the man looked even more annoyed at this statement.

“A car crash kill Lily,” Professor Snape scoffed. “She was one of the greatest witches of the age.” He turned to the boy. “Your parents were murdered.”

“What?” Harry asked dumbfounded.

“A dark wizard killed them,” Professor Snape said matter-of-factly.

“Why?” Harry asked.

Screwing up his courage or at least irritation Uncle Vernon barked, “Stop this.”

Professor Snape shot a glare at Uncle Vernon and Uncle Vernon was silence once more. He issued his family into the small bedroom.

The man, Professor Snape, continued as if there had been no interruption. “Your parents were part of a group that was fighting the dark forces. They lost their lives in the fight.”

“Oh,” Harry said sadly.

“Yes,” Professor Snape said slowly.

“Come along Potter,” Severus said briskly standing by the door of the shack. “That is unless you wish to stay here.”

Harry hopped to his feet. “But where are we going? It’s the middle of the night.” The boy asked.

“You shall see.” Professor Snape placing a hand on the scruff of the boy’s neck.

Harry stepped out of the small shack. The rain was still pouring down, but he wasn’t getting wet. He looked up to see if the professor was holding an umbrella. He wasn’t.

“Ho-” began to ask, but he stopped. He suddenly felt like he was being sucked through a straw. An instant later there were someplace else. Harry was in a heap on the ground. Harry had no idea where it might be, but it was most definitely not outside the shed on the rocks.

Harry stood and brushed off the dirt from his landing. He looked a little more to see if he could figure out where they were. There were a number of dustbins next to Harry. Black and white cat ran past him.

“Come along, Potter,” Professor Snape ordered. The man had come through their trip much more gracefully. He brushed a bit of nonexistence dust from his robes.

“What was that?” Harry asked taking two strides for every one of the professor’s.

“Disapperition and Apperition,” Professor Snape replied.

“What’s that?” Harry asked.

“What you just experienced. Think before you speak. If there is specific information desired, be sure to ask the appropriate questions.” Professor Snape instructed.

Harry looked at him puzzled.

Professor Snape rolled his eyes at the boy’s lack of comprehension. “Never mind, come along,” the man said again.

Harry followed the man into a building. They entered a dingy pub. There was a large fire in the corner of the room. An old man was smoking a long thin pipe reading a newspaper. Two old women were talking quietly showing each other strange objects. Several weird looking little men were around another table. Harry didn’t like their long fingers or pointed faces. They made him nervous.

Professor Snape ignored all of the other occupants. Instead, he moved with purpose towards the bar.

“Evening P’essor S’ape,” the toothless man behind the bar greeted the professor.

Professor Snape nodded in greeting. “We need two rooms,” the professor told the barman.

“Yes sir,” the barman replied. He disappeared around a corner and returned a moment later, two brass keys in hand.

“But sir, I don’t,” Harry began to protest.

Professor Snape brushed away his concerns. “You will reimburse me in the morning.”

“But I don’t have any money,” Harry was able to voice his objects this time.

“You do,” the professor reassured. “Now off to your room. I will collect you at 8:30 sharp for breakfast. Tomorrow will go to the bank and collect your money so you can pay for your school supplies.”

Harry followed after the professor up the stairs. The professor stopped in front of a room with a large brass number nine on the door. “This is your room. I will be in room number thirteen if you need me. I do not wish to be disturbed needlessly. Am I understood?”

Harry nodded.

“I will see you in the morning.” The professor said turning down the hall.

“Good night sir,” Harry said softly. "This is crazy," Harry mumbled to himself.

"Yes dear," a sleepy voice said behind him. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

No one responded. Harry looked around the room, he was by himself. That was strange. He could have somebody spoke a second ago. The only thing behind him was a battered wooden framed mirror on the wall. And mirrors only talked in fairy tales weren’t real. Then again, wizards only existed in fairy tales too.

Harry, let it go as looked around the room more. It had a large comfortable looking bed with four pillows. The comforter was old and slight stained; Harry wasn't sure with what. A few of the spots were black, like ink from a pen. There were a few small holes. Even with all that, it was nicer than anything the Dursleys ever let him sleep in before. It was better than the floor of the shack that was for certain. The wooden wardrobe stood in the corner, its doors slightly askew. Harry smiled. This was better than sleeping on the floor of a shack on some rocks. It was even better than Dudley's second bedroom. At least to Harry, Aunt Petunia would hate it.

Harry crawled under the blankets knowing that this all must be some wonderful dream and when he woke up it would all be over. What seemed like only minutes later there was a tapping at the door. Harry burrowed deeper into the blankets. He refused to open his eyes. A second knock wrapped on the door. Aunt Petunia was knocking to wake him.

"If I don't wake up, maybe I can still pretend I'm a wizard." Harry thought to himself.

"Potter," an annoyed voice called with the third knock. That wasn't Aunt Petunia Harry realized instantly.

Harry's eyes shot open. He wasn't in Dudley's second bedroom, or even the shack on the rocks. He was in an inn.

"Potter, you better be getting ready," the dark man, Professor Snape called through the door.

"Yes sir," Harry called back.

"Be ready in five minutes," Professor Snape instructed.

"Yes sir," Harry said again.

Harry heard the sound of boots clicking down the hall. He grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and placed them on his nose. He couldn't do anything if he couldn't see. He pushed the covers away. It wouldn't take him long to get ready. He didn't have a change of clothes or anything. He forgot to grab anything when they were leaving the Dursleys. Harry pulled his clothes from the day before back on. He made sure to tuck in Dudley's old shirt that was about five sizes too big for Harry. Professor Snape looked like one of those people who expected you to dress properly at all times. For this reason, Harry tried to flatten his hair a bit, but it was no use. Harry pulled open the door just as the professor raised his hand to knock.

"G'morning sir," Harry greeted nervously.

"Potter," the man replied. He cast a steely gaze over the boy. His lips turned down at the boy's appearance. "Are those not the clothes you were wearing yesterday?"

Harry bit his lip uncertain.

"I expect an answer, Potter." Professor Snape said darkly.

Harry played with the cuff of his long sleeve shirt.

"Well," Professor Snape demanded.

Harry nodded, "Yes sir... We...I forgot to grab...to bring my clothes last night...." Harry rushed on to explain.

"That was my fault,'" Professor Snape conceded.

"I should have-" Harry began.

"Stop Potter," Professor Snape said raising his hand to stop the boy's objections. "It is not very often that you will admit I have made a mistake. Take it as it was meant."

Harry nodded not sure what to say to that.

"Tell me, Potter, are all your clothes in such a dreadful condition?" The professor asked.

Harry pulled his at cuffs once more. "What do you mean?"

"Could they all be used as circus tents? Do they all have stains on the knees? Or are these your play clothes?"

Harry bit his lip again.

"Potter, answer the question. You are in no trouble. I simply wish to know so we can plan our trip accordingly. You should have a proper wardrobe before attending Hogwarts." Professor Snape explained.

"Errrrr.... They're all sort of like this," Harry finally said.

Professor Snape nodded to himself. "Very well, we will have to make a stop in Muggle London before we return you back to your family."

Harry wanted to protest, but the man was already annoyed.

"Come along Potter," Professor Snape said turning down the hall once more.

Harry followed dutifully. The two went downstairs and ordered breakfast from the toothless barman.

"What's a Muggle?" Harry asked as he played with his fork as the pair waited for their food.

"An individual that does not possess magic. Your aunt is one of the most Muggle people I have even had the misfortune to meet." Professor Snape explained.

"How do you know Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked.

"We grew up near one another." The professor said taking the fork from the boy's ceaselessly twitching fingers.

"So did you know my mum too?" Harry asked looking up at the man's sharp features through his fringe.

"I would have gathered such from your aunt's outburst last night."

"Errrr..." Harry mumbled.

Professor Snape said, "I told you last night, Potter, if you have a question ask it. But ensure it is the right question. To answer your question, yes I knew your mother. We were in the same year at Hogwarts. However, we were in different Houses."

"What are Houses?" Harry asked excited to know more about this fantastic new place he was going.

The professor's tone became even more formal. "The students are sorted into four houses, Gryffindor, your mother and father's house, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and my own house, Slytherin. You are sorted into your House when you arrive in your first year. Your House is much like you family while you are at Hogwarts."

"How do you know what House you belong in?" Harry asked.

"You are sorted based on personality traits." Professor Snape elaborated.

The barman arrived with their plates. Harry dug into his breakfast, extra hungry from the pathetic excuse of a dinner the night before. Professor Snape ate at a much more leisurely pace.

The professor paid the bill when the finished and Harry followed him out the back of the building. The man pulled his wand and tapped it on the third brick on the left above the rubbish bins. Harry watched wonder struck as a stone archway appeared before them. Harry had to take two steps for every one of the professor’s to keep up.

The man walked with purpose down the crooked cobbled alley. He paid no attention to the myriad of astonishing shops all around them. Harry didn't have enough eyes to take it all in. Several times he had to run to catch up with his chaperone who just kept walking, not noticing Harry had stopped at some stall or other. Professor Snape placed a hand on the scruff of Harry's neck when they came to the bottom of a white marble staircase. Harry looked up awestruck.

"This is Gringotts." Professor Snape told him. "We will retrieve sufficient funds to purchase a new wardrobe for both the wizarding and Muggle worlds."

"But I don't have any money," Harry protested.

The man snorted. "You have adequate funds, I assure you."

Harry walked beside the tall man up the steps. The little men with the pointed faces and long fingers disturbed him.

"What are they," Harry asked softly enough so only his guide could hear.

The professor did not keep down his voice, but he did answer Harry's question. "They are goblins, a highly intelligent race of creatures. They run the bank. If you have any sense, you will never try and cheat a goblin."

They approached one of the goblins standing behind one of the tall counters. "Mr. Potter wishes to make a withdrawal."

"And does Mr. Potter have his key?" The goblin asked.

The professor pulled a tiny metal key from one of his many pockets and gave it over for examination. He also pulled out a small glass vial and handed to Harry.

"What's this?" Harry asked eyeing it suspiciously.

"A stomach calming draught," the professor motioned for Harry to take it.

"But my stomach doesn't hurt," the boy protested.

"I am glad to hear it. I aim to keep it that way. The potion not only treats illness due to motion but will prevent it from developing." Professor Snape explained, his temper, slightly short.

Harry took the outstretched vial and downed the contents in one swift gulp. He made a face of disgust at the bitter taste. The goblin returned the key to the professor he gestured for another to take them down to Harry's vault. The three climbed into a rickety cart and speed off down the cavernous tunnels. Harry couldn't keep track of all the turns after much jostling around. They stopped outside a small metal door.

The goblin got out of the cart before Harry and the professor. "Key please," the goblin requested.

Professor Snape handed it over. The door opened silently. Huge piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins.

"Wow," Harry uttered gobsmacked.

"Wow indeed," Professor Snape said his lip twitching up for half a second.

"You can see why you will have no trouble with acquiring your school necessities."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed still looking at the coins. The man passed him a small leather bag.

“The bronze ones are knuts and equal to a pence. The silver ones are sickles, there are 29 knuts to a sickle. Each sickle is around 29 pence. Lastly, the gold ones are galleons, there are 17 sickles to the galleon and are roughly worth five pounds. However, the exchange rate between Muggle and wizard currency is variable.”

Harry nodded but didn't totally understand what he was being told. All he knew was this was more money than he had ever had in his life. If the Dursleys knew it existed, it would have been gone long ago.

"Potter, I am taking thirteen sickles and eight Knuts for your room and breakfast this morning." Professor Snape said counting out the coins with great care.

"Okay sir," said Harry.

The ride back up was just as unpleasant as the ride down. By the end, Harry was glad the man made him take the potion even if it tasted of sour milk. Their departure from the bank was delayed when they met Hagrid in the lobby. Hagrid it turned out was the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. He was also the person to get Harry from his parents' house the night they were killed. Professor Dumbledore sent Hagrid to get something from vault 713. Professor Snape got mad at Hagrid for mentioning that, but Harry didn't understand why. He grumbled about it all the way to the apothecary.

Harry didn't like the shop very much. It smelled of rotten eggs and old cabbage. The professor helped him pick out a good cauldron. He wouldn't let Harry get one that had any sort of dents, bumps, or nicks. He also suggested a few additional ingredients that were not on the school's required list.

Next, they went on to buying Harry quills and parchment. The professor bought him some practice sheets too. He didn’t call them a birthday present, but Harry thought of them as such. With one eyebrow raised and a sneer on his sallow face, Professor Snape explained to he expected Harry to practice using a quill and ink before he arrived at Hogwarts. The man went on about the less abominable penmanship the better, even if there was even one fewer student with illegal scrawl it would make his life that much simpler.

Then it was robes and the bookstore. The professor dragged Harry away from a tome on modern jinxes. Harry heard him mumbling something about 'just like your father'. Harry didn't know what he meant by that.

Finally, there was only his wand left to get in Diagon Alley. This is what Harry had been looking forward to the most. His own magic wand. The wand shop was small and dark. A small bell dinged as they entered the store. The walls were crammed full of dusty boxes. A little man with sharp silver eyes appeared from the back.

"Ahhh, Harry Potter and Severus Snape," he greeted. "I've been expecting you of course, Mr. Potter. You'll be needing a wand of your own."

He placed Harry on a dais the tape measure doing all the work unassisted as Mr. Ollivander pulled boxes from the shelves. The old man started giving Harry wands to try. Harry felt sort of foolish waving the wands. He didn't know how he was supposed to know it was the right one for him. Mr. Ollivander didn't seem to mind the ever-growing pile of boxes. After what felt like the hundredth one Harry found his wand.

A warm rush of magic ran up his arm when it was placed in his hand. Sparks of red and gold shot from it at that instant too.

"Curious, very curious," Mr. Ollivander muttered as he placed Harry's new wand in the box and wrapped it.

"What's curious sir," Harry asked nervously.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Everyone. Mr. Snape's ebony and dragon heartstring, your mother's willow and unicorn hair. This wand, holly and phoenix feather it has a twin. The phoenix gave only one more feather. It is the core of the wand that belongs to the man who gave you that scar." Mr. Ollivander said putting a long wrinkled finger to Harry's forehead. "I think we can expect great things from you. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named did terrible things, but great. Yes, I think we can expect great things from you."

Harry was glad to leave the shop, Mr. Ollivander made him nervous. On their way out of Diagon Alley, they ran into Hagrid again. He presented Harry with a snowy owl, a gift for his birthday. He explained that it was one of the three permitted pets and the most useful since they deliver your mail. Also, cats made him sneeze. Harry thanked the giant for the wonderful gift. She was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen and she was his. Aunt Petunia was going to hate her.

It wasn't until he and Professor Snape were sitting down for lunch in a Muggle hamburger restaurant after getting Harry's new Muggle clothes that Harry got a chance to ask about what Mr. Ollivander was talking about.

The professor explained about the dark times. How the Dark Lord, Voldemort went bad. He killed many people, but on the word of a foolish boy he wanted to kill Harry. Through all of this, there was a look Harry couldn’t identify, it wasn’t exactly sadness, but something similar to that. The man continued on about how when Voldemort went to kill Harry, the spell backfired and destroyed him. Harry was left with only a scar. This dark wizard was gone for now, but he would be back some day. There were still those loyal to him too.

Harry pushed his cart through King's Cross Station. Uncle Vernon wasn't happy about having to drive Harry into London but thought it was better than Professor Snape or somebody else from Hogwarts coming to Privet Drive. His uncle stayed long enough to help Harry load his trunk onto a luggage trolley before getting back in the car and going home. None of the other Dursleys even came to say goodbye. It's not that that terribly upset Harry, or he would miss them but he knew most of the other kids would have their families there.

It was a good thing Professor Snape explained how to get onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. It wasn't a place most, if any, Muggle could help him find. One had to walk straight through a brick wall to get to the other side. The trickiest part was making sure nobody noticed your disappearance. Harry chose his moment as a local commuter train began loading on Platform Nine.

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when he reemerged on the other side. A scarlet steam engine stood in front of him. The platform was crowded with people. Some students were already in their school robes, others in a combination of wizarding and Muggle attire. Harry navigated his cart down the train looking for an empty compartment. Spotting one that looked mostly empty Harry parked the cart and began to try and heave his trunk that weighed more than him onto the train.

"Do you want some help with that?" A man asked grabbing one of the ends of Harry's luggage. He was probably in his mid-40s or so. He wore khaki trousers and a dark blue button up shirt. His brown hair was close cropped, but little of it there was, was fuzzy.

"Yeah," Harry said with an appreciative sigh. Together the two were able to get it store an overhead compartment with no trouble.

"Thanks," Harry greeted breathlessly.

"It's no problem," the said brushing the dust off on his trousers.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?"

"Errr...they're dead," Harry said uneasily.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but where are your guardians?" The man asked instead.

"They're Muggles, so..." Harry began lamely.

"That doesn't mean they can't see you to the train." The man protested.

Harry didn't know what to say to the man. He wasn't wrong, but nobody before ever cared when the Dursleys did something like this. "They had an appointment," Harry tried lying.

The man looked at him skeptically but didn't argue the point any further. He seemed to be taking an inventory of Harry. The adolescent shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He wasn't used to people looking at him like that. He was very glad Professor Snape insisted on going and getting Muggle clothes too.

"Your first year at Hogwarts?" The man finally asked.

Harry nodded.

"Come, I'll introduce you to my daughter. It's her first year too." The man said waving a hand for Harry to follow back off the train.

Harry shook his head. "No, sir. I... You should get to say goodbye... As a family..."

"Fine," the man conceded. "I'll send her in here then."

"Okay," Harry agreed. He sat on the seat doing his best not to watch the man go and rejoin his family. There was the girl he mentioned. She was probably around Harry's height, she had very bushy brown hair. The door slid open again.

"Can I sit here?" A round-faced boy asked.

"Sure," Harry agreed. "Do you know need help with your trunk?"

The boy nodded vigorously. "Gran's not really able to carry it."

Harry followed the boy back to his cart and a very stern looking old witch wearing a hat with a stuffed vulture on top. Each boy grabbed an end of the trunk. It was a bit harder to get the trunk in the storage compartment this time, but they managed. The man must have brought his daughter's in too while they were out are there were three in the luggage rack at the point. The boy disappeared again. Harry could hear through the open window he had misplaced his toad. It was sitting on the seat across from Harry it turned out.

"I think that boy who helped you is Harry Potter," the grandmother told the boy.

"I don't know," the round-faced boy replied. "He looks just like his father," she said pensively. "Just like him, except his eyes.  He must have his mother's eyes. You could learn a lot from him."

"Yes Gran," the boy agreed sadly. "Get on the train, Neville." The grandmother told the boy, Neville, issuing him back aboard. He stood at the door a moment. "I'll see you at Christmas. Don't forget to write to let me know you got there safely."

"Yes Gran," Neville said once more before rejoining Harry in their compartment. The girl with the bushy hair joined them a moment later. She and Neville waved to their families as they pulled out of King's Cross. They waved until they turned the corner, the station lost from view.

"I suppose I should introduce myself," the girl said turning to Neville, her hand extended. "I'm Hermione Granger." She had very large front teeth and a bossy sort of voice.

"I'm Neville," the boy said nervously shaking her hand awkwardly. Hermione then turned to the other boy.

"I'm Harry," he began to say.

"Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter," Hermione finished for him.

"Oh him, I mean yeah," Harry confirmed.

Neville looked at him again. "You are? My gran said you were."

"You're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." She spoke very fast.

"Am I?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, I got a few extra books for background reading." She explained.

"Do you really have the scar," Neville asked.

Harry lifted his fringe, putting the thin lighting bolt scar on display.

"Cool," Neville said sitting back. "Gran said you look just like your dad."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I don't remember him, or my mum."

"Haven't you seen a picture?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "My aunt and uncle don't have any pictures of them."

"What's it like living with Muggles?" Neville asked.

"Awful," Harry said instantly. "Not all Muggles, just my aunt, and uncle." He went on to explain about living in the cupboard under the stairs, never having any pocket money, the fact he only got his first birthday presents this year from his future teachers.

"That's horrible," Hermione sympathized. "My family would never do that."

"Are they Muggles?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Hermione agreed. She told them about her parents being dentists. She had to explain what that meant to Neville since his whole family was magical. Then they discussed how they all received their letters.  Neville's family actually worried he wasn't magical enough to get a letter until he was eight; when he bounced down the garden path when his great uncle dropped him out of a window.

"When is your birthday?" Neville asked Hermione.

"It's in September, or I would have started last year."

"Mine is July thirty-first," Harry told them.

"It's the day after mine," Neville stated. "I'm glad we went to Diagon Alley before my birthday, not after."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"There was a break-in at one of the high-security vaults at Gringotts," Neville told him. "It was on your birthday."

"Really?" Harry was surprised to hear that.

"Oh, I read about that in the Daily Prophet,” Hermione said excitedly. “They said nothing was taken, but they're adding additional security measures."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, "stuff like that makes Gran nervous. She gets worried because it would take really dark magic to break into a place like Gringotts."

The ride north seemed to fly by, Hermione had to step outside as the boys changed into their robes. Soon they were pulling into the station at Hogsmeade. Upon arriving at the station the students started filing off the train. They made sure Neville had a hold of Trevor before they disembarked.

A light waved over the heads of the children. A loud voice called, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The lantern was held by Hagrid. Even in the dark of the platform, it was easy to make out the giant's figure. Harry and his fellow first years pushed their way through the crowd.

"Alright there, Harry?" Hagrid asked when the boy made it over to him.

Harry nodded. His nerves were starting to kick in. Professor Snape told him he would be Sorted as soon as he arrived at the castle, but he hadn't said how they did it. Another boy, a tall one with red hair and lots of freckles was telling some of the others how his older brothers said it hurt a lot, there was also something about trolls. Harry hoped that wasn't true. The professor would have told him about something like that right?

The group of first years began to move as the last of them joined. Harry's thoughts on the Sorting were temporarily distracted as Hogwarts came into view for the first time. They followed Hagrid around the shore of a dark lake. A fleet of little boats sat waiting at the water's edge. With a minimally amount of pushing the boys and girls climbed in threes and fours into the boats per Hagrid's instructions. With a wave of Hagrid's pink umbrella, they set sail across the lake. The windows' warm yellow light reflected on the surface of the water. They all had to duck as they went under a curtain of ivy hiding away the docks.

Once everybody was on land once more, and Neville's toad returned to its master after he went missing in the boats. Hagrid knocked on a hidden door. Harry was happy to get inside the warm castle and escape the cool night air. They were let in by a very stern looking woman. It was clear she was not one who approved of rule-breaking.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid mumbled.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

They were let into a huge entrance hall. Torches lit the stone walls. The ceiling high above, a magnificent marble staircase in front of them. They followed her across the flagged stone floor to a small empty chamber.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall greeted. "The start-of-term banquet will begin in a few moments. Before the feast can start, you must be Sorted. "The Sorting Ceremony is very important. It is where you are put into one of the four houses. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. You will attend classes with your house, eat meals at your house table, and sleep in your house dormitory. Your triumphs will earn your house points while any rule-breaking will cost your house points.

"Now the ceremony will start in a few minutes, I suggest you take a few moments to smarten yourselves up." Her eyes lingered on Neville's misbuttoned cloak which was under his right ear and a large smudge of dirt on the red headed boy's nose. She turned and left them then.

A blonde leaning casually against the wall spoke up, "They were saying on the train you're Harry Potter."

Whispered conversation broke out among the students.

"Yeah," Harry confirmed. The boy stepped forward his hand extended.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," the tall red haired boy snickered at that. "You think my name is funny? Loads of red hair and hand me down robes, no need to ask your name, Weasley. See Potter, you'll learn that some wizarding families are better than others. I can help you with that."

Harry looked at Draco to Weasley, then back to Hermione and Neville. "I think I can figure that out for myself, thanks."

Professor McGonagall returned before Draco had a chance to respond. They followed her into a large chamber, the Great Hall. It's ceiling looked just like the night sky. Hermione explained to any who was listening that it wasn't really the sky, it was enchanted to look like it. Harry wasn't paying much attention, he was too nervous.

The queue of students came to a stop in front of the rest of the school. A three-legged stool was placed in the center of the room, a dirty hat on top of it, everyone was watching it. Harry stared at it confused until it began to sing. It sang of the qualities of the different houses. None of them sounded exactly like where Harry would fit. He didn't feel all that brave, curious, hard working, or cunning. He was more nervous and nauseous than anything.

He knew his parents were in Gryffindor, Professor Snape was the head of Slytherin. When Draco Malfoy was Sorted into Slytherin that made up Harry's mind. He didn't want to live with a boy that reminded him so much of Dudley. Neville and Hermione were both sorted into Gryffindor too.

When it was Harry’s turn the whole hall held its collective breath.

"Please, not Slytherin," Harry begged under his breath. "Please, not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin hmmm... A fine mind, loyal, bravery oh yes, there is cunning too..." A voice whispered in his ear.

"Anywhere but Slytherin," Harry continued to chant.

"You could make many many important friends in Slytherin. It could help you on your way to greatness..."

"Please, not Slytherin."

"Well, if you're sure, better be Gryffindor!" The hat exclaimed the last word to the hall at large.

Harry walked over to his new table. He couldn't help but look up at the Head Table. Professor Dumbledore raised a glass to Harry, but it was the look of disappointment on Professor Snape's face that stuck with Harry.

The first month at Hogwarts had been interesting for Harry. In addition to learning how to find his way around the castle, he was dealing with the having friends for the first time. Hermione would never let him or Neville copy, but if they let her read their homework, they always ended up with the right answers. Neville was very nice but very forgetful.

There were three other boys who shared the dorm with Harry and Neville. Ron was one of seven children, the youngest boy and sixth overall. His family were all wizards, except for maybe a second cousin or something. Seamus' family was half and half. His mother was a witch, his dad a Muggle. Dean's mum was a Muggle, but he didn't know his dad, he left when Dean was very young. Dean was obsessed with football. He had a Westham poster above his bed. Seamus didn't understand how any sport could be exciting when nobody was flying. No, Seamus and Ron both liked Quidditch and would argue over which team was better. Harry did his best to avoid either of these arguments since he didn't follow football and had no understanding of Quidditch. He was more concerned about passing his classes. But Quidditch did have one thing Harry was looking forward to, flying.

Ever since he came to Hogwarts Harry wanted nothing more than to learn to fly a broom. He was finally going to get his chance Thursday afternoon. Hermione and Neville did not share his enthusiasm. Both would rather keep their feet firmly on the ground. In Neville's case, Harry had to admit that was probably for the best. Many of the wizarding children talked nonstop about their own flying adventures. Malfoy spent most of their Potions lessons bragging about his own skills.

The afternoon was cool and clear as Harry and his fellow first year Gryffindors. Harry's excitement dimmed slightly when he spotted Draco Malfoy, it seemed they were to have these lessons with the Slytherins. This was probably the worst pairing possible. Potions was the only time they saw each other and that was a good thing. Though maybe it wouldn't be too bad here. The Slytherins wouldn't get the favoritism that Professor Snape showed his own house.Harry didn't know what he had done, but the professor was so much colder to him since his arrival at the castle.

Brooms laid in two lines down the center of the column. The crowd split along house lines, Gryffindor on the right, Slytherin to the left. Nobody touched the brooms, however.

Madame Hooch walked down the center. "Good afternoon class," she greeted.

"Good afternoon," they replied.

"Stick your hand out above your broom and say 'Up'," she instructed.

Harry did as he was told the broom came zooming up to meet his outstretched palm. Hermione and Neville were having a much harder time with it. Hermione's broom simply rolled over. Neville's didn't even move. It took a long time for all the brooms to get in the air, Neville's being last.

"Mount your brooms," Madame Hooch ordered at that point. "On the count of three, I will blow the whistle. At that point, you will kick off from the ground, hover for a moment then return to the ground. Three...Tw-"

Neville was rising from the ground, his broom barely under control. Everyone watched as he rose into the air, almost a hundred feet at his highest. He fell at a much lower elevation, twenty feet perhaps. Madam Hooch rushed over to him. Neville whimpered softly, holding his arm to his chest.

Madam Hooch carefully took the injured arm under inspection. "Tsk tsk, a broken wrist," the professor tutted. To the class at large, she announced, "I'm taking this boy to the Hospital Wing. You are all to stay firmly on the ground. I catch anyone in the air they'll be gone before they can say 'Quidditch'."

The class watched as the pair walked across the lawn until they disappeared into the castle. Draco picked something up off the lawn. It was Neville's Rememberall, a small glass ball a little bigger than a golf ball filled with white smoke that turned red when you forgot something. His gran sent it to him it just that morning.

"Maybe if he gave this a squeeze he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse instead," Draco joked.

"Give it here Malfoy," Harry demanded, stepping forward.

Malfoy just gave him a nasty smile. "I think I'll leave it someplace for Longbottom to find - how about the roof?" He grabbed hold of his broom and took off.

Harry grabbed his own broom.

Hermione took hold of Harry's sleeve. "Don't Madam Hooch said not to. You'll get us all in trouble."

Harry ignored her. His heart pounded in his chest first in anger, but as he took from the ground it changed to exhilaration. This was the best thing Harry had ever felt. He flew higher to equal that of Malfoy. The girls screamed while Ron Weasley let out an appreciative cheer. Harry made a tight turn to face Malfoy.

"Give it back Malfoy," Harry demanded once more, "or I'll knock you off that broom."

"Yeah?" Malfoy asked. His sneer wasn't as convincing this time, he was clearly worried.

Harry instinctively knew what to do. He held onto the handle tighter, leaned forward and shot toward Malfoy. The other boy moved out of the way barely avoiding a collision.

"You're up here all by yourself, Malfoy," Harry taunted.

"You want it so badly, catch it if you can!" Malfoy said throwing it with all his might before heading back to the ground.

Harry watched as the tiny ball plunged toward the ground. He leaned forward racing it, urging it faster lying closer to the handle. He stretched out his hand catching the ball just feet from the ground. Harry leaved out the broom and rolled onto the lawn a foot off the ground.

"HARRY POTTER!" Exclaimed Professor McGonagall as she ran across the lawn. "In my forty years of Hogwarts, I've never seen... You could have broken your neck! Come with me."

Harry's heart sank. He was going to be expelled he knew it. He wondered how the Dursleys would respond to him showing up on their doorstep again. But that's not what happened. She didn't take him to the Headmaster, no she introduced Harry to Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Wood made Harry the new Gryffindor Seeker, he was the youngest player on a house team in a century. Harry thought that would be the end of it. He was very wrong.

The next day Gryffindor had Potions with the Slytherins. Professor Snape seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. He snapped at Harry when Neville knocked over a vial of sticky sap since they were working together. Not only did he yell, he took five points. Harry did his best to focus on their potion and not lose Gryffindor any more points, or his temper. Professor Snape was being totally unfair.

The class was dismissed when the bell rang. Harry packed away his things before he could leave, Professor Snape called to him, "Mr. Potter, stay a moment."

Harry shifted his bag up his shoulder, "Sir."

Professor Snape came around to stand in front of his desk. "I heard about your exploits during your flying lessons yesterday."

"Sir," Harry asked confused.

"A fifty-foot dive, pulling up a foot above the ground, with no adult supervision," Professor Snape elaborated.

Harry shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"Are you aware you could have seriously injured yourself?" The professor asked.

Harry bit his lip. "Yes, sir."

"Madam Hooch directed you and your classmates to stay on the ground did she not?"

"Yeah, but Malfoy," Harry protested.

"What does Mr. Malfoy have to do with anything?" Professor Snape inquired, his temper running short.

"He wouldn't give me Neville's Rememberall. It fell out of his pocket when he fell. Malfoy picked it up and wouldn't give it to me. He was going to hide it somewhere." Harry explained.

"So you decided to follow Mr. Malfoy's rule breaking with your own?"

Harry was going to say something to defend himself, but the teacher held up a hand to stop him. "It was a rhetorical question, Potter. Mr. Malfoy's rule breaking does not excuse your own. You were instructed to stay on the ground. For failing to do so you will serve a week's detention with me."

"That's not fair," Harry objected.

A dark sneer crossed the man's sallow features.  "Would you prefer to make it two? No, it is perfectly fair, Potter. What is unfair is you being rewarded for your rule breaking when every other student would have been punished, to begin with. Let me make this clear, if you were in my own house, you would have been."

"Why do you care?" Harry asked.

"Tread carefully, Potter." Professor Snape warned.

"You're not my Head of House," Harry pointed out.

"I am not," the man agreed, "however, I would like you to see your next birthday. Your mother gave her life for you, this is how you wish to use that sacrifice, to die over simple trinkets? You are too reckless, Potter, exactly like your father. Perhaps a week’s detention will make you think before you act."

Harry stared at the man speechless.

"I will see you tomorrow evening at seven o'clock."

"I have Quidditch practice," Harry stumbled, the professor's words sinking in.

"Then you will have to explain to Mr. Wood why you will fail to be there, Potter." The professor said his tone firm.

"Yes sir," Harry sulked.

"I will see you tomorrow, Potter," Professor said dismissing the boy.

Instead of attending Quidditch practice he would spend his evenings scrubbing cauldrons, gutting frogs, and preparing other ingredients. Oliver wasn't happy to hear that his brand new Seeker would be missing his first week of practice but understood how Snape could be. He arranged a set separate one-on-one practices for him and Harry to hopefully make up for some of the lost time.

Fred and George were Ron's older twin brothers. They helped Harry when Oliver was busy. These practices were a lot more fun, as the twins liked to joke around. Harry learned after his first practice with them to check inside his boots. Fred hid a glob of frog spawn in the bottom of Harry's right boot while he wasn't looking. He only discovered when his foot made a wet squelch.

September faded into October. The weather became cooler and rainier. Harry's free time was limited, lost to homework or Quidditch practice. It was a really good thing he was friends with Hermione, or there was no way he could have kept up with his classes, especially the week he had detention on top of practice and homework.

Halloween morning the castle woke up to the smell of baking pumpkins. There was to be a feast that night. Harry like many of his fellow first years was looking forward to it. But the meal wasn't the only thing they were anticipating. Professor Flitwick had announced at the end of their previous lesson he thought they had a good enough handle on the basics they could start learning to make things fly.

He split the room into pairs, Harry with Seamus, Hermione with Ron, Neville with Dean. Each pair was given a feather they were to try and make float off their desks. Professor Flitwick reminded everyone of the pronunciation of the incantation, 'Wingardium Leviosa', and to swish and flick. The pairs set to work.

Seamus lost patience and jabbed the feather with his wand, setting it on fire. Neville and Dean didn't seem to be having much better luck, but no flames as of yet.

"You're saying it wrong," Harry's could hear Hermione criticizing Ron on his other side. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi- o -sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snapped.

Hermione rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand, said, " Windgardium Leviosa !" The feather rose to four feet off the desk.

"Oh, look everyone Miss Granger's done it!" Professor Flitwick praised.

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of class. Hermione had stayed behind a moment to talk to Professor Flitwick, so Harry and Neville were walking back to Gryffindor Tower with Ron, Seamus, and Dean.

"It's no wonder nobody can stand her," Ron complained, "she's a nightmare, honesty."

"I don't think," Harry started to say.

"She only helps you out because you're famous. She's got no real friends." Ron insisted.

Hermione pushed past the boys, crying.

"I think she heard you," Harry snapped.

Harry followed after her but stopped when she disappeared into a girls' lavatory. He shifted his bag nervously, before shaking his head and going back to the Tower. Harry heard from one of the girls Hermione hadn't come out of the bathroom since this afternoon but forgot about his friend's upset as they sat down to dinner.

The Great Hall was splendidly decorated, live bats on the walls and ceiling, huge jack-o-lanterns. The food appeared magical onto gold plates as it had at the welcoming feast. Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall, his face ashen, turban askew.

"Troll! Troll in the dungeon! Just thought you ought to know." He exclaimed before passing out in a dead faint.

Professor Dumbledore had to let off several sparks from his wand to be heard over the frightened screams of the student body. "Prefects will lead your Houses back to your dormitories immediately!"

Ron's older brother, Percy, one of the Gryffindor prefect instantly took charge. As they were leaving the Great Hall that it occurred to Harry that Hermione didn't know about the troll.

Harry got Neville's attention, "Hermione doesn't know about the troll."

"We should tell a teacher," Neville urged.

Harry nodded. They fell back behind their group on the second floor temporarily joining a group of Hufflepuffs heading the other way. Before they could find a teacher, however, they spotted the troll. It was twelve feet tall, with dull grey skin. Its huge feet were horny, attached to short legs thick as tree trunks. Behind it, it drug a huge wooden club. Harry had never smelled something so foul. It was heading straight for the lavatory where Hermione was hiding.

"Oh no," Neville groaned.

"Come on Neville," Harry said running toward the bathroom.  Neville followed, but with much less haste. He cast a glance around the corridor just in case professor might appear.

His pace picked up when he heard Hermione scream. Hermione was curled in the back of one of the stalls. The troll smashed the stall just two down from her. Harry stood at the door.

"What should we do?" Neville asked nervously.

"We need to distract it," Harry said.

He picked up a chunk of wood and threw it at the troll's tiny head. Neville followed suit. The troll turned toward the boys, his club coming down and smashing a ceramic sink.

"Uh, Harry..." Neville began.

Harry threw another chunk of wood at the troll. Its club came at the boys this time. Harry grabbed hold of it. The troll picked it up, Harry hung from it, before falling onto its shoulders.

"Do something," Harry pleaded.

"What?" Neville called.

"Anything," Harry yelled back as the troll shook his head back and forth trying to shake him off. His hand slipped, his wand going up the troll's nose. Neville drew his wand, unsure what to do.

"Swish and flick," Hermione instructed.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Neville said flicking his wand.

The troll's club hung in the air for the moment before coming down on its head. Harry held on as it came crashing down. Harry removed his wand from the troll's nose. Thick grey boogers clung to it.

"Yuck troll boogies," Harry whined as he rubbed them on his robes.

The door banged opened revealing Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick.

"My word!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "Would you care to explain what happened here?"

"Uh... We heard about the troll...and...we were trying going to tell..." Harry began.

"It's my fault," Hermione spoke up. "I wasn't at the feast. Harry and Neville came to tell me about it. I'm sure they would have gotten one of you, but before they had a chance to, they saw it heading in here."

"Then Harry distracted it and jumped on his back," Neville added.

"Then Neville used its own club to knock it out," Harry finished.

"It's not every year you meet three students, first years at that, capable of defeating a full-grown mountain troll. Five points each to Gryffindor for sheer dumb luck," Professor McGonagall rewarded, brogue particularly thick.

"Miss Granger a word, please." Hermione followed Professor McGonagall out of the room.

"Professor Flitwick, will you please escort Mr. Longbottom back to his common room, I would like a word with Mr. Potter," Professor Snape inquired.

"Come along Mr. Longbottom, you can tell exactly how you managed to knock out this troll," Professor Flitwick said gesturing for the boy to come with him.

"Yes sir," Neville mumbled, flushing red.

"Care to explain yourself, Potter?" Professor Snape asked once they were alone. Harry looked down at his shoes. He noticed there was blood on the professor's leg. The boy only shook his head.

"Were Miss Granger's assurances correct? Were you and Longbottom were going to get an adult before you rushed in like a drunken hippogriff?"

Harry's head shot up, "Yes, sir. But like she said, the troll..."

The professor nodded. "You should have informed one of us before you left the Great Hall."

"Err... I didn't think about until we got to the second floor," Harry admitted.

"And failed to run into a prefect between there and the lavatory?"  Professor Snape inquired.

Harry shook his head, "We didn't see anybody."

"Very well, but I would prefer not to have these sorts of discussions in the future. Now back to your dormitory, they are finishing the festivities up there." Professor Snape said dismissing the boy.

When Harry got to the door he stopped him, "And Mr. Potter, that will be another week's detention. With your pension for trouble, perhaps you should advise Mr. Wood to have a backup Seeker available." Professor Snape remarked, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"Yes sir," Harry grumbled, though he couldn't feel too bad about it, not when things could have gone so much worse.

Harry told Hermione and Neville about Professor Snape's bloody leg when he talked to Harry after the incident with the troll. They all wondered how he could have hurt it. Neville thought he remembered Professor Flitwick saying Professor Snape was checking things on the third-floor corridor, the one they were told during the Welcoming Feast it was strictly off limits; unless you wanted to die a painful death.

Harry’s first Quidditch match was memorable for several reasons, one being that instead of catching the snitch, he nearly swallowed it. More importantly, somebody hexed Harry’s broom. It tried to buck him off. Harry spent a moment hanging for dear life before he was able to remount it. That’s when Hermione started to worry. She explained to Harry about how jinxes worked, how you have to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking.

Harry refused to believe the Potions Master was cursing his broom. If Professor Snape wanted to hurt him wouldn't he have done it already? He's been alone with him enough with all those detentions.

Still, Hermione wasn't so sure. When you put it together with his anger of Hagrid telling Snape and Harry about collecting something from the high-security vaults the same day. She wasn't so sure the professor was trying to protect was there, but to steal it. 

The trio's investigation into what the professor may or may not have been doing on the third floor was put on pause with the holiday's arrival. Harry was the first to sign up to stay at the castle over the holidays when Professor McGonagall came around with the sheet. Hermione was going to spend the break with her parents skiing. Neville was going home to his gran. A lot of his other family came to visit during the holidays including his Great Uncle Algie, the one who once dropped him out a window trying to get Neville to display his magic.

Harry wasn't alone in the Tower, however. The Weasleys stayed for the break as well. Their parents and younger sister, Ginny, went to Romania to visit the second oldest, Charlie, who was studying dragons at a preserve.

The holiday break started wonderfully. A fresh layer of snow covered the grounds. Fred and George enchanted a couple of snowballs to bounce against Professor Quirrell's turban. The days were spent in front of the fire in the nice comfortable armchairs there was no competition getting.

Harry ran into Hagrid one afternoon when he needed a break from everyone. Harry had first gone up to the owlery, but Hedwig was asleep. He then went on a walk of the grounds. Hagrid found him near the edge of the lake.

Harry followed Hagrid back to his small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was an octagonal shaped building with a thatch roof. A large bed took up a majority of the space. Hagrid boiled water for tea in the biggest copper kettle Harry had ever seen. Hagrid's boarhound, Fang placed his head on Harry's knee, drooling on his robes.

"How's yer year going, Harry?" Hagrid asked putting a bucket sized cup of tea in front of the boy.

"It’s okay," Harry replied taking a sip of tea.

Hagrid pushed forward a plate of rock cakes. Harry looked at them suspiciously but took one to be polite. When he took a bite his suspensions were confirmed, the cake nearly broke his teeth. Harry set aside, trying not to massage his sore jaw.

"Yer not havin' any trouble with yer classes? With Quidditch an' all?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Hermione helps me when I'm having trouble. She makes sure I get everything done on time, reminding me what's due and things." Luckily his sore jaw didn't affect his speech too much.

"No, yeh'd have no problems with the material. Not with Lily and James as yer mum and dad. They were some of the most talented witch and wizard of their age." Hagrid said chuckling. His warm beetle black eyes sparkled with fond remembrance.

"Really?" Harry asked. He knew so little about his parents. He loved when people told him things he didn't know about them, which was pretty much everything. Except when Professor Snape talked about his dad. He never had nice things to say about him.

"O' course, Head Boy and Girl in their year," Hagrid confirmed. "Yer a lot like yer dad, Harry. Yeh look jus' like 'im, except fer the eyes. Yeh got yeh mum's eyes. Yeh, dad was a great flyer. He played quidditch fer Gryffindor too. Got inta a fair bit of trouble when he was in school. He never met a greater rule breaker, well, maybe Fred an' George Weasley. "

"Hagrid," Harry asked. "Do you know why Professor Snape's leg was bleeding on Halloween?"

"That was jus' Fluffy," Hagrid told him.

"Who's Fluffy?" Harry asked confused.

"Me dog. I leant 'im ter Dumbledore door ter do a bit o' guardin'. He don' like people botherin' him. There's been more than just me checkin' in on 'im. They don't know how to calm 'im he'll bite. Bleedin’ fools ferget the music...Ferget I said tha. Ferget I said tha’."

"Guarding what?" Harry asked innocently.

"That's none of yeh business. What that dog is guardin' is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel." Then drawn on what he had said. "I shouldn'ta said tha’ I shouldn'ta said tha’," Hagrid grumbled to himself. "Yeh ferget I mentioned that name, Harry. It's not fer students teh know. Nothin' yeh need teh worry about."

"Okay," Harry said completely insincere.

He spent another hour or so with Hagrid. The giant told him stories about his own time at Hogwarts. It was then Harry learned his friend was expelled during his third year but refused to tell Harry why.

Hagrid also told him a few stories about his parents while at school. This included an amusing one about his dad getting Peeves to help him lock all of Slytherin House out of their dorm for half the night. He didn't even get detention for it, the Head of House was so impressed with the magic.

After Harry said his farewells for the evening he headed straight for the library. He could have sworn he'd seen that name somewhere. He really wished Hermione was back. She was so much better at this sort of thing.

Harry spent the next several days looking through all sorts of books with no success. Frustrated he shoved a book across the table. Madam Pince gave him a dirty look. It was then a thought occurred to Harry. Maybe he was looking in the wrong place, maybe the book he was looking for was in the Restricted Section. How could he get in there? No teacher would give him a note. He'd have to explain what and why he needed it before they could tell him no.

Harry was not looking forward to Christmas morning like his fellow Gryffindors. He fully expected the Dursleys would not send him any sort of present, so there was no sort of anticipation.

"I've got presents," Harry observed out loud to himself on Christmas morning.

"Of course," Ron said as he ripped open one of his packages. "Looks like you got one from my mum even."

Harry looked confused until Ron pointed at a bulky package wrapped in brown paper.

"She's made you a Weasley sweater," Ron explained. "She makes all of us one every Christmas." He found his own package. He pulled back the paper, with a groan. "I hate maroon."

Harry pulled forward his package. Removing the paper he discovered an emerald green sweater with a golden snitch on the chest.

"I didn't expect to get anything," Harry said dumbfounded.

The door burst open a moment later. Fred and George wore blue sweaters that each bore their first initial.

"Ahhhh, young Harry I see Mum sent you a Weasley sweater," Fred observed.

Harry nodded, "She didn't have to," the boy protested.

"We told Mum you didn't think you would get any presents and here you go," George explained. "Come and put it on, they're nice lovely and warm. You too Ron, we're all wearing them."

"I hate maroon," Ron whined.

Harry pulled on the sweater over his pajamas. George was right, they were very nice and warm. Percy came in a few minutes later, the twins forced him into his own sweater, much to his annoyance.

Harry went back to opening his gifts. Along with the sweater, Mrs. Weasley included a box of homemade fudge. It was really good. Hermione gave him a large box of Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans. Neville got him a box of Chocolate Frogs, a treat he introduced Harry and Hermione to on the train to Hogwarts. He also explained about people collecting the cards that came with them. Harry had almost a dozen now, including his first, Albus Dumbledore. Hagrid gave Harry a flute he must have carved himself.

Under all of these Harry located the Dursleys' present, a fifty pence piece, and a tissue. That was the worst gift they had given him. It was even worse than the old pair of Uncle Vernon's socks he got a couple years before.

Fred and George dragged everybody downstairs not long after for breakfast. This was followed by a many hour-long snowball fight, then Ron trying to teach Harry to play wizard's chest back in the Gryffindor Common Room.

The game was exactly the same as the Muggle version since except the pieces were alive. They would move their new spot on their own. When another piece was captured the capture would violently remove them from their spot. Harry wasn't very good yet. It didn't help that the set he was using, borrowed from Seamus didn't trust him and kept yelling advice at him.

Harry got a new set of chessmen in a Christmas cracker he pulled with George. He broke them in by losing spectacularly to Ron with the aide of Percy. All in all, it had been Harry's best Christmas ever. It wasn't until he was climbing into bed he realized he missed a present that morning. Harry was going to ask Ron if it was there this morning, but the other boy across the room was already snoring.

It was wrapped in a plain paper, but there was no card. Harry opened not curiously. Inside was a shimmery piece of fabric. Harry ran a hand over the soft material. It was cool to the touch, his fingers found a small card tucked inside. In a slanting, delegate hand, the giver wrote,"Your father left this in my possession not long before he died. It's time it was returned to you. Use it well. A very merry Christmas to you."

Harry stared at the card. He read it through two more times. Was something of his father's, really? What could it be? What did they mean, use it well? He set the card down and took the fabric from its package.

There was a lot of it. It was a cloak! But what did they mean, use it well? Harry stood and pulled it on over his shoulders. He looked down to see how much it covered...his body was gone! The cloak made him invisible!

Use it well? That must be why they would say something like that. What could he do with this? The Restricted Section, of course, maybe he could find a book about Flamel in there. No one would know he went in there if they couldn't see him.

Harry made sure to stay quiet so not to wake up Ron. He grabbed a lantern and headed for the library. He crept as quietly as possible. He ran across Mrs. Norris, Mr. Flitch's nasty cat about halfway there. He was tempted to kick her just this once. She watched Harry as if she could still see him, that could it be possible.  Could it?

Harry crossed into the Restricted Section nervously. He held up the lantern closer trying to read the titles on the spines, but he didn't know exactly what he was looking for. He grabbed a very old looking book and it flopped open. It let out a blood curling scream. Harry slammed it shut, but dropped his lantern panicked.

"Who's there?"

It was Flitch, the foul-tempered custodian. Harry back out of the library as quietly as possible. He took off at a run only to nearly crash into Professor Snape. Harry froze.

"Professor," Flitch wheezed coming up behind Harry. "I found this in the Restricted Section just now. It's still warm. Means a student's out of bed."

Harry held his breath hoping they couldn't sense his presence. The two adults stayed for a moment before taking off back toward the library. Harry headed the opposite direction. He got lost wandering the dark corridors. He stumbled into an abandoned classroom.

In the center of it stood an ornate mirror. It was about six feet tall with strange writing across the top. Harry dropped his Invisibility Cloak and stood in front of it and gazed at his reflection that was not alone.

In the mirror Harry stood with a tall man, whose glasses were cockeyed, his hair messy and sticking up in random places just like Harry's and a woman she had long red hair, a friendly face, and eyes just like Harry's.

"Mum?" Harry asked.

She nodded.

"Dad?"

The man nodded. Harry looked behind him, no he was alone, but his parents were with him somehow. They were joined by many others. Harry could tell by their shared features they too were his family.

Harry stayed there for many hours.

The next night, Harry stayed up waiting for his roommate for fall asleep.   He had briefly considered bringing Ron with him, but it was so special he wanted to back alone once more.  He could spend that little bit of time with the parents he never knew.  He didn’t exactly how to find the room.  He went around a dark corner and crashed into something.

“Reveal yourself,” Professor Snape commanded. 

Harry didn’t move, maybe he could just back up and he could get away. 

Snape drew his wand, “Now.”

“It’s only me,” Harry said pulling back the hood to show his disembodied head.

“Potter,” Snape hissed.  “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I was going to see my parents,” Harry said honestly.

“What are you on about, Potter?”

“Come with me, you can see them too.  I’m telling the truth, honest.” Harry said removing the rest of the cloak. 

It took them awhile to find the right classroom.  The corridors looked different by the light of the professor’s wand and Harry not desperately running away, trying not to be caught by the staff.  It was Professor Snape that opened the right door some quarter of an hour after their collision.  There it was, the tall mirror standing alone in the center of the room.

Harry approached it, “Look here. There’s my mum,” pointing to the left, pointing to the right, “and my dad.”

“I do not see them,” Snape said looking at the mirror.  He slowly walked around it.

“You wouldn’t from there,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

“That’s enough of your check, Potter.  I am still a professor and can still take points.”

“Yes sir,” Harry said standing up a little bit straighter. 

Snape came to stand next to the boy

“See, there they are,” Harry said pointing again.

“I still see nothing,” Snape said after a moment.

“Stand here,” Harry encouraged. 

They were only a few inches from the glass, the boy moved aside so his teacher could stand directly in front of the looking glass. The man moved into the now open space.

“Lily,” Snape breathed falling to his knees, as he ran a hand over the glass. 

Harry stepped awkwardly back from his distraught professor.  Harry didn’t know what to say.  He had no idea what the man was seeing. Other than Harry’s mother, apparently. He waited until the man seemed to have collected himself.

“Sir, are you okay?” Harry asked anxiously.

Snape stood up once more, “I am fine.”  He straightened his robe, “It is late.  You must return to your dormitory.  I will escort you.”

“Yes sir,” Harry said not brave enough to argue.The two walked back in a heavy silence, stopping in front of the portrait of The Fat Lady.

The two walked back in a heavy silence, stopping in front of the portrait of The Fat Lady.

"Potter,” the professor said, waiting for the boy’s full attention.  “Hope I never catch you out of bed again.”

Harry didn’t want to disappoint Professor Snape, but, he really wanted to see his parents again.  He couldn’t explain this desire to anyone.  It was all looked forward to these last two nights.  Harry made it to the room again for the third night in a row, alone once more.  Or he thought he was alone until someone cleared their throat. Harry spun around terrified. It was the headmaster.

"Sir," Harry said nervously.

"Good evening, Harry." Professor Dumbledore greeted. "I see you've discovered like many before you the delights the Mirror of Erised."

Harry nodded.

"Do you know what this mirror shows us, Harry?"

"It's not our pasts," Harry guessed.

"No," Dumbledore agreed. "Let me help you. If the happiest man on Earth were to stand in front of this mirror they could use it like any other."

"So it shows you something you want?" Harry asked.

"It shows us nothing more than our deepest most heartfelt desire," the headmaster elaborated. "But it gives us neither knowledge nor truth. Harry, the mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow. I must ask you not to go looking for it."

"Yes sir," Harry acknowledged.

The headmaster was at the door when Harry blurted, "Can I ask you a question... Sir?"

"You already have, but continue," the old man said smiling.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I see myself holding a pair of nice woolen socks. Another Christmas has passed and not a single pair. Everyone insists upon buying me books." The man chuckled lightly. "Come now, it's late. Back to bed, my dear boy."

Harry gave one last look to the mirror, "Okay."

When Hermione and Neville returned a few days later Harry told them about trying to find the book about Flamel and stumbling on the mirror.

"Harry, you shouldn't have done that. You could have gotten in so much trouble," Hermione chastised.

"It's fine, Hermione." Harry dismissed.

"But Dumbledore..." Neville protested. 

With both of his friends were surprised that the headmaster hadn’t punished for his nighttime wanderings, he was very glad he hadn’t mentioned taking Professor Snape to see the mirror with him.  Neither of them trusted the Potions Master the way Harry did.  They only saw the man that took points from Harry for no reason.  They never heard the man trying to get Harry think through his actions, or use the proper word for things.  Harry knew the extra detentions were the man’s way of trying to teach Harry the lessons he thought he needed to make those changes.  Still, he could see why others would think he was being unfair.    

Harry was two minutes late for his first Potions’ lessons back from the holidays because Wood stopped him in the hall to talk over strategy for the upcoming match.

"Detention Potter," Professor Snape snapped not bothering to turn around.

Harry flung his bag down moodily. How was that fair? He was two minutes late. Hermione gave him a knowing look. It wasn't until class ended that it made sense to Harry.

“For your nighttime explorations,” Snape explained once it was only Harry and himself in the room.

“But that was Christmas,” Harry began to protest, but a raised an eyebrow stopped him in his tracks. "Yes, sir."

"Tonight at seven, Potter." Professor Snape told him.

Harry's surprise was evident.

"We can't deny Gryffindor their Seeker in tomorrow's match, can we? You need all the help you can get defeating Slytherin. It's no fun rubbing Professor McGonagall's face in her house’s ineptitude if there is no real competition." Professor Snape explained.

Harry found Wood at dinner to tell him about it.

"You can't give him a chance to punish you like that, Harry." Wood brusquely. "We need you to be there if we have a chance of winning the Cup."

"Sorry Oliver," Harry apologized.

"Just do your best not do it in the future," Oliver pleaded.

"Mr. Potter, a word," Professor McGonagall said joining the boys.

Harry followed the Deputy Headmistress out of the Great Hall and into the corridor. Harry shifted nervously.

"Professor Snape informed me at dinner you have detention with him again," she elaborated.

“Err... Yes, ma'am. I was a couple of minutes late for Potions." Harry confirmed.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed. "At this rate, you'll spend more time in detention than your father."

"Sorry," Harry apologized.

"Make sure you don't get into any more trouble tonight, Potter." Professor McGonagall said dismissed him.

Harry rushed down to the dungeons to make sure he wasn't late. He couldn't get in more trouble, not when both Oliver and his Head of House were upset with him about it. He didn't want to lose his place on the team.

As far as things could go, the detention wasn't too bad. Instead of the normal preparation of ingredients or scrubbing cauldrons, Harry spent two hours copying out all the rules he broke when sneaking into the Restricted Section, (Harry didn’t confess to doing this, but was smart enough not argue the point) and for being out after curfew.

"Perhaps that way they might sink in," Professor Snape grumbled as he set Harry to his task.

Wood got the whole team up early the next morning to go over tactics and things they didn't cover during the practice the night before since Harry was missing. The team glared at Harry as Wood rambled on about Hufflepuff's defense style. They broke to get breakfast, Wood encouraged his team to eat, while not doing so himself.

They headed down to the pitch as the first students made their way into the Great Hall. Wood was just starting to discuss Hufflepuff's Seeker when there was a knock on the changing room door.

Harry could hear it was Professor McGonagall, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Oliver returned a moment, a deep frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Angelina Johnson asked.

"There's been a change. Professor Snape is going to referee the match." Oliver informed his team.

"Snape!" George demanded.

"Since when does Snape referee Quidditch!" Fred added.

"There's no way he'll be fair," Katie Bell pointed out.

"I know. I know," Oliver agreed, "but there is nothing we can do about it. Harry, we need you to catch that snitch as quickly as possible. Don't give Snape too much time to favor the Hufflepuffs."

Harry nodded.

"Come on," Oliver urged his team out onto the field.

The air was crisp a few clouds in the sky. It was perfect Quidditch weather. Oliver and the Hufflepuff team captain shook hands. The teams mounted their brooms, Professor Snape blew the whistle and they were off.

Harry cast his eye around for the tiny gold ball. He heard the professor call a foul for Hufflepuff when Fred sent a Bludger at his head. Harry flew higher in his search. Another foul was called on Katie for no reason at all.

Then he saw it. Harry went into a steep dive, flying right past the professor to catch the snitch. The game ended, Gryffindor 150 to Hufflepuff 30. It was the shortest match in anybody's memory.

The victory put Gryffindor in the lead for the Quidditch Cup for the first time since Charlie Weasley graduated. The party in Gryffindor Tower lasted into early hours of the morning. It only ended when Professor McGonagall came in and ordered everyone to bed.

Harry found something unexpected when he was getting ready for bed. On his pillow was a small piece of parchment folded in half. Harry couldn't help but smile as he read it. written in a familiar spidery scrawl,

    "Good job, Potter. SS"

• "This is my phone number, if the Muggles become unbearable, ring me. This is to be used under extreme circumstances only. SS"

• "I was informed you recently received a collection of pictures of your parents. The oaf failed to ask me, so I am sending the enclosed for your album."

Harry arrived early the next morning his sleep interrupted by nightmares of skeletal horses, decaying hands, and echoes of a woman screaming, "Not Harry!".  He was the first of the third years to arrive for breakfast and collect his schedule from Professor McGonagall, grabbing Hermione and Neville's as well.

"Hermione, I think you might need to have a word with Professor McGonagall," Harry said handing her her schedule.  "I think there's something wrong."

"What do you mean?"  Neville asked leaning over to look at the paper in question.

It was immediately obvious looking at the document.  She was marked down to be in the two to three classes in the same time period in almost every single class.

"Don't worry about it.  I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall," Hermione said running her finger down Monday's list of classes. "Ohh... we're starting a few new classes today. Isn't that lovely, Care of Magical Creature right after breakfast."

"As lovely as anything can be with a biting book," Ron said darkly. "How are you going to be in three places at once? I know you're good Granger, but nobody's that good."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione dismissed once more.

The third year Gryffindors headed down to Hagrid's hut in a cheerful mood which disappeared as they drew closer to the dwelling.  The Slyerthins were already there. Nobody had noticed with whom they were sharing this class.

Harry ignored Draco's repeated impersonation of him collapsing.  The other boy stopped when Hagrid appeared followed by his boarhound, Fang. The class followed the giant to a small paddock on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.  Their first lesson was to be hippogriffs.    

Draco was attacked by one of the creatures, Buckbeak after he failed to follow basic instructions and not to insult the proud beasts.  The catastrophic lesson was followed by their first Divination class, one that was possibly more horrible as Professor Trelawney took special pleasure in predicting Harry's premature death after spotting a death omen, a grim in his tea leaves. Everyone was terrified that Harry might die as they rounded the next corner on their way to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall restored his spirits slightly when she informed him that Professor Trelawney had unsuccessfully predicted the death of a student every year since arriving at Hogwarts. If he were to die, he wouldn't have to worry about turning in his assignment on Animagi.

Tuesday was more pleasant their first Charms lesson after breakfast. After Charms came their first Defense class.  Harry wasn't what to expect.  Professor Lupin had seemed very nice on the train. Harry was grateful the man was able to scare away the Dementor. But why did Professor Snape hate him so much?  That was still bothering Harry.

The Gryffindors entered the Defense classroom for the first time.  Every year it was slightly different as it took on the personality of the new instructor.  This year there were a number of posters about various creatures and a few showing how to do various spells.  The students readied their books and parchment to take note on what the professor might lecture about.

The man entered the classroom whistling an unfamiliar tune, "Good morning class. You won't need your books today, only your wands.  This will be a practical lesson. If you'll please follow me."

The class hurried to put their books and parchment away.  The only time they had ever come close to having a practical lesson was when Lockhart released a cage full of Cornish Pixies during his first lesson.  They went with him to the teacher's lounge.  

The staff room was mostly empty, except for Professor Snape who sat in a corner reading a newspaper.  He looked up in clear disapproval as Professor Lupin and his class entered.

Professor Snape rose from his seat, "Be warned, Lupin. Longbottom is in this class.  The boy is a walking accident."

Harry frowned deeply at the Potion's instructor.  He knew the man didn't like how Neville very much.  Harry blamed it mostly on his friend's inability to brew.  But he had never seen the teacher belittle Neville to another professor.  

"Actually, Severus, I was going to ask Neville to come and help me with this," Lupin said turning to the class, he waved his hand. "Neville, if you care to join me."

"I don't need to see this," Snape said sticking his paper under his arm and storming out of the room.

"We're going to face a boggart today," Lupin said as the cabinet gave a violent shake.  "Can anybody tell me what a boggart is?"

Hermione, as usual, bounced on her toes trying to get the instructor's attention.  

"Hermione," Snape called.

"No one knows exactly what a boggart looks like, but it will assume the shape of the greatest fear of those it is trying to frighten," Hemione explained.

"Well, Neville, what do you most fear?" Lupin asked.

Neville said something, but it was spoken so softly, nobody could hear.

"Sorry, didn't quite hear you," Lupin said casually.

"Professor Snape," Neville said loud enough for those assembled to hear.

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, you live with your grandmother."

"Yeah, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you miss understand me.  You see the thing that finishes off a boggart is laughter.  When I open the cabinet, I want you to put Professor-Boggart Snape in your grandmother's clothes.  Your grandmother wears a dress normally?"

"A long green one," Neville confirmed.

"What about a handbag?"

"A big red one?"

"And her hat?"

"Has a vulture on it," Neville supplied.

"Excellent." Professor Lupin instructed the class in the spell that would enable each of them to change the boggart from something scary to funny.  

Harry thought about what scared him most.  First, he thought of Voldemort, not the one that he met in the first year, or the shadow of a mad like in the Chamber of Secrets, but a full restored Voldemort. Then an idea of the hand from the Dementor, slimy and dead looking coming out from its robes.

"Ready?" Lupin asked.

Neville nodded.  The doors popped open and Professor Snape stalked toward Neville.  

"Ridikkulus!" Neville squeaked.  The boggart was transformed from the stern black robes to Neville's grandmother's clothes.  The class let out a peal of laughter.  

"Parvati," Lupin called.   

The boggart changed into a detached mummy's hand. "Ridikkulus!" The hand was trapped in a mousetrap. For Seamus it was a banshee, it made to lose its voice.  Ron a giant spider, (Harry wondered if Ron knew the two-foot tall spider was nothing compared to what Harry and Neville encountered in the forest last term.) put on rollerskates.  Everyone had a turn until Harry, Lupin stepping in front of the teen.  The boggart turned into a glowing silver orb.   Neville finished the boggart off with a gale of laughter as Boggart Snape was dressed as Mrs. Longbottom once more.

The story of Neville's boggart flew around the school at lunch. It obviously making to Professor Snape's ears as he stared daggers at Neville as the boy filed into the classroom. The boy was more on edge on than normal.  Potions was always his weakest subject, but the man's cold fury only making matters worse. Neville's Shrinking Solution that should have been a bright acid green was orange.  Hermione offered to help put it right, though Snape told her to leave it alone.  It was Neville's responsibility to fix it.  If the potion was corrected, the toad would shrink to a tadpole, if not, Trevor would likely be poisoned. Hermione did her best to instruct Neville whispering instructions out the side of his mouth.  

Harry expected the man to be anger about Neville's boggart, but never expected him to sink to trying to murder a student's pet.  As Neville tried to correct his potion, Malfoy was being more obnoxious than usual as his arm was still "injured" from the hippogriff's attack.  He got Professor Snape to make Harry prepare his ingredient for him. Harry ignored the Slytherin's remarks as much as he could. What he couldn't ignore was Seamus informing him that Sirius Black was spotted by a Muggle not far from the castle.

Luckily for Neville, Hermione was able to help him correct it.  It was well worth the points lost for violating the teacher's instructions.

"I don't know how you lived with him," Neville said as they returned to the Tower to drop their bags before dinner.  

"Shhh..." Harry said as they passed another group of students.  "People aren't supposed to know about that."

"Harry," Hermione said, "is he alway like that?"

Harry shook his head. "No.  I don't know why he's being like this? He really doesn't like Professor Lupin, but he won't say why.  He spent a lot of time yelling at Dumbledore for choosing him to teach defense."

"He yelled at Dumbledore?" Neville asked.

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, "but like I said, I don't know why."

"He must have a reason," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, but your guess is as good as mine."

Harry's concerns about what Professor Lupin thought about him were pushed to the side when Wood brought up Quidditch. It was captain's seventh and final year and he was determined to win the Quidditch Cup this year. They had come close, but events outside their control had always prevented their wins. Harry was glad to have the distraction. He got his thoughts away from Black's escape and the fact the mass murderer wanted him dead.

Harry headed out early for practice the second Saturday morning of term. He was having a hard time sleeping so he might as well go flying. He grabbed his broom and headed downstairs. He shoo-ed Crookshanks back toward the Common Room. Ron had spent the entire two weeks they had been back whining that Hermione's cat was after his pet rat, Scabbers. Harry was starting to think Ron was right.

Harry wandered downstairs to the Great Hall and grabbed some toast. The sky in the hall was a clear blue, perfect for a morning's Quidditch practice. He smiled as he walked out of the castle until he saw one of those creatures again, the black skeletal horse. It was flying over the forest. Another was coming to land by a small blonde girl. Harry jumped on his broom toward the girl. He wouldn't let this girl be hurt by such a creature.

She was petting its snout when he arrived. Harry dismounted very confused.

"Oh hello," the girl greeted.

"Hi," Harry said watching the girl pet the strange horse-like animal. "I thought I was going mad at the start of term."

"You're Harry Potter," the girl said looking at Harry, ignoring his comment.

"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "It's not hurting you."

"What? Oh, the thestral. No, they're very gentle." She said running a hand down its leathery skin. "They're beautiful aren't they?"

Harry cocked his head to the side. The thestral, is that what she called it, was very different. Its body was that of a horse, but instead of smooth hairs, it had a tight leathery skin. Harry could make out every one of the creature's ribs. It had great big white eyes, and black bat-like wings held firmly at its sides. Harry could see what she meant, in a way.

"Who was it?" The girl asked.

Harry frowned. "Who was what?"

"Who did you see die?" The casual nature of the girl's question caught Harry even more off guard.

"Err..." Harry stumbled. "How did know?" He asked instead.

"You had to have seen someone die if you can see a thestral." She pushed back a long lock of blonde hair to expose a large radish earring. "Mine was my mother. She died when I was nine. She was rather fond of experimenting with new charms."

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. He waited a moment, "Professor Lockhart, down in the Chamber of Secrets last year."

"Oh, I heard about that. You saved Ginny Weasley. I like her, she's always very kind to me even when other aren't. She won't let them call me Loony Lovegood." The small girl smiled brilliantly.

They watched the thestral wander back into the forest clearly bored of their conversation.

"Yeah, Ginny is great like that." Harry agreed. "Do you want to come down to the Quidditch pitch with me? I was going to fly for awhile before the rest of the team."

Not Loony Lovegood shook her head, "No. I think I'll look for snorkacks for a little while."

"OK," Harry said slowly, trying not to show he had no clue what she was talking about. He left her walking the edge of the forest humming atonally to herself. She was out of sight before Harry realized he never got her proper name. He would have to ask Ginny the next time he saw her.

After Quidditch practice, Neville and Hermione joined Harry visiting Hagrid. They learned Draco's father was still upset and though Hagrid wasn't fired, Buckbeak, the hippogriffs would be tried by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. All three promised they would help Hagrid with the research for Buckbeak's defense.

The next weeks were probably some of the most peaceful Harry could remember. That was until Seamus told them Sirius had been spotted in a Scottish village only a few hours away from the castle. Harry's anxiety was brought back full force. But then there was Quidditch. With Draco still feigning the Gryffindor/Slytherin was rescheduled. Instead, Gryffindor would play Hufflepuff.

Harry wasn't worried about the upcoming match. The last time they played Hufflepuff it was the shortest game in anyone's memory, Harry caught the Snitch in under ten minutes. Wood wanted everyone to take the match more seriously increasing the number of practices to four days a week. Harry only wished the weather was a bit nicer, it had started pouring two weeks and it hadn't stopped since.

The day of the game was no better. Within minutes Harry was soaked to the bone. His glasses were completely obscured by the pouring rain. He couldn't hear the score or anything that was going on with his fellow teammates. Harry followed the other players to the ground. Wood had called a timeout. Harry found out that Gryffindor was sixty points up, but they needed to catch the Snitch soon or they would be playing into the night. Hermione also appeared, she cast an Imperturbable Charm on Harry's glasses making them waterproof.

Not he could actually see Harry cast his eyes around in search of the tiny winged golden ball. He saw but so did the Hufflepuff Seeker, Diggory. Harry spend up, but he ears became foggy. A flash of lightening illuminated the huge great black dog in the top of the stands.

There was screaming. "Not Harry! Please! Not Harry!"

Harry woke sore in the Hospital Wing surrounded by his friends and teammates. He was soon told not only had Gryffindor lost the game (Diggory wanted a rematch, he thought it wasn't fair with Harry falling off his broom) but his Nimbus 2000 had been smashed to pieces by the Whomping Willow. The reason he fell was that the Dementors had been drawn to the pitch with the elevated emotions. Dumbledore saved Harry by slowing his fall and had furiously driven off the Azkaban guards.

Harry's already bad mood at the loss of his broom was only made worse by the announcement of the first Hogsmeade visit on Halloween. He hadn't gotten Uncle Vernon to sign his permission form before he left Private Drive. There was no way he would if Harry owled it to him either, not after what happened with Aunt Marge. Maybe he could get a professor to sign it for him, the twins suggested as Harry lamented about it over lunch one afternoon.

"Sir," Harry said approaching Professor Snape's desk cautiously.

"What do you want, Potter?" The man said looking up from what he was doing.

"Well sir, I was wondering could you sign my permission form for Hogsmeade?"

"I am not your parent or guardian, Potter." Professor Snape said standing.

"I know. But Professor Dumbledore had me stay with you for those last few weeks of summer holidays. I pretty sure if you said were okay with me going he would approve." Harry explained.

A deep frown appeared on the Potions Master's face. "I am not 'okay with you going', Harry. Your uncle failed to sign your form because you performed serious magic on a Muggle in violation of wizarding law."

"I didn't mean to," Harry objected.

"Do not interrupt me," Professor Snape snapped.

Harry hung his head, "Sorry."

"If you had managed to control your temper, you would have been granted permission by your guardians. You, however, did not. As you were never punished by the Ministry or anyone else for your breaching of our laws, your inability to visit the village a perfectly acceptable consequence." Professor Snape said smoothly. "Was there anything else I can help you with, Potter."

"No sir," Harry mumbled and sulked away.

"How did it go?" Neville asked as Harry joined him and Hermione outside the dungeon.

Harry shook his head.

"I don't know why you wanted to ask him. There was no way he was going to say yes," Neville commented.

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I just thought since this summer... Never mind."

"Are you going to try someone else?" Neville asked.

"Neville," Hermione chastised.

"What? It's not fair if Harry is the only third year that can't go into the village." Neville objected.

"Yeah, yeah I will," Harry said his spirits renewed.

Neville encouraged Harry to go ask after their next Transfiguration. Hermione shook her head in disapproval. Harry walked up to his head of house's desk.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry said biting his lip for a moment.

"What it is it, Mr. Potter? You have another class I'd I'm not mistaken." The woman said looking over the top of her glasses.

"Yes ma'am. I was....It's just that my family you know they're Muggles. They don't really understand about Hogwarts forms and things. I was wondering if you signed my Hogsmeade form, then maybe I could go too." Harry tried hopefully.

McGonagall's lips pursed, “No Mr. Potter, I don't think that would be appropriate. I am not your parent or guardian."

"But you're my head of house," Harry pointed out. "If you signed Professor Dumbledore would accept it."

"No Mr. Potter," she said firmly, "I am aware you already asked Professor Snape. If you wished to visit the village, you should have ensured your guardians signed the form. Now go, you don't want to be late for your next class."

Harry sighed down-trodden. Hermione and Neville were waiting for him. Harry told them she too had said no.

"It's probably for the best, Harry. You don't want to be out there with Black." Hermione said pompously.

Lee Jordan, who was good at copying things, offered to try signing for Harry. Harry shook his head. No, he accepted he would be the only one in his year not going to the village.

Harry saw his friends off that morning. He wasn't sure what he would do with his day. Oliver had loaned him a copy of Which Broomstick to look through so he could order a new broom. But Harry wasn't really in the mood. He could work on his Potions essay, or Defense essay maybe. Halfheartedly he began to walk to the library.

"Harry," Lupin called, drawing Harry out of his thoughts.

Harry looked up at the man, "Hello sir."

"What are you doing, Harry?"

Harry shrugged.

"Come in and have a cup of tea," he offered.

"Okay," Harry agreed.

"I just took delivery of this," Lupin said gesturing to a tank on his desk.

The creature within smashed its face against the glass. It bore its sharp green teeth.

"It's a grindylow," Lupin explained. "I don't think he'll give us too much trouble, not after the hinkypunks. See his long fingers? They are very strong but brittle. To defeat it you need to break his grip."

Harry watched the creature shake its fist at him for a moment.

"I only have tea bags," the professor warned, "but I dare say, you've probably had enough of tea leaves for a good while."

Harry looked up surprised, "You heard about that?"

"I did. You might not be surprised that you are the talk of a great amount of gossip in the teacher's lounge," the man said handing him a chipped cup of tea.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled.

They sat in silence for several minutes each sipping their tea. Finally, Harry couldn't stand it, he had to ask.

"Sir, when we were facing the Boggart..." Harry trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"You want to know why I stopped you facing it?" Lupin finished for him.

Harry nodded.

"I thought the answer would be obvious," Lupin said setting his cup down.

Harry shook his head, "It wasn't."

"I was afraid how the class would react to a version of Voldemort appearing in the teacher's lounge," he said easily.

Harry was a bit surprised to hear the man say Voldemort's proper name. He was one of the only people he knew who said it, Professor Dumbledore being the other one.

"That's what I thought about first, but.... but then I remembered that Dementor from the train," Harry told him.

"Really," Lupin asked.

Harry nodded.

"That's very interesting. That implies the thing you fear most is fear." Lupin said.

"But why do they affect me so much worse than anybody else?" Harry asked. "Nobody else on the train or at the Quidditch game collapsed."

"You've had some really horrible things happen in your past," Lupin reminded him, "far more than any of trivial matters of your classmates."

"Okay," Harry agreed. He thought for a minute, "Could you teach me how to make them go away?"

"Harry, I'm hardly an expert in Dementors," Lupin said uneasily.

"You made that one on the train go away," Harry urged. "What of they come to the next game? I need to at least be able to land."

Lupin sighed. "Very well, let me think about how to best go about this."

A knock on the door was followed by it opening, despite Lupin not having a chance to respond. In entered Professor Snape carrying a smoking goblet.

"Ahh, good afternoon Severus," Lupin greeted warmly.

Harry watched the Potions Master carry carefully set the cup on the desk. The man turned his dark eyes on Harry. Harry shifted slightly uncomfortable under the gaze even he had done nothing wrong.

"What are you doing here, Potter," Snape asked.

"I invited Harry in for a cup of tea and to show him my new grindylow. Would you care for one, Severus?" Lupin answered before Harry could say anything.

"No, thank you," Snape said curtly. "It would be wise to drink that quickly, Lupin." He said motioning to the still smoking goblet. "I have prepared an entire cauldron full should you require more."

"Thank you, I should probably take another goblet tomorrow too," Lupin said with a smile.

Snape nodded and turned to Harry. "Potter, I trust your Potions work will be better than the last drivel you turned in."

"Yes sir," Harry said automatically. His work hadn't been drivel even to Snape's rigorous standards, he received an "E" on it.

With that Snape exited the room speaking not another word. Harry watched as Lupin grimaced at the taste of the smoking concoction.

"Blach, disgusting," Lupin said setting the goblet back down. "Pity sugar makes it worthless."

"What.."

"I haven't been feeling well the last few days. Professor Snape was kind enough to brew this for me. It is the only thing that works and is rather complicated, far beyond my potions skills." Lupin explained.

Harry nodded. "Professor Snape, he doesn't..."

"Like me very much," Lupin finished. "No, we were at school together and never got along." He said honestly.

"I really should get to that Potions essay," Harry said rising from his chair.

"Yes, you don't want to get on the wrong side of Severus," Lupin said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I learned that this summer."

The man cocked his head to the side. Harry shook his head.

"I...err...sort of stayed with him for a little while during the summer...after I blew up my aunt," Harry explained.

"You will have to explain that to me another time," Lupin said with a chuckled.

"Okay," Harry promised. "I'll see you later, Professor."

Harry returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and did work on his Potions essay until Hermione and Neville returned to the castle. They came back carrying all sorts of sweets from Honeyduck's. They described in great detail about all the places in the village. It sounded like they had gone everywhere and done everything. He was glad the had fun. He just wished he could have been with them.

Harry finally got to talk about his own afternoon as they walked downstairs to join the rest school for the Halloween feast. The meal was wonderful as always. Harry was sure that it would have tasted even better after a day full of treats in the village.

The meal was filled with jokes and stories. Harry got to hear about the rest of his classmates spent their day. Many were like Hermione and Neville, they all seemed to go everywhere. After everyone ate their fill, they all watched the Hogwarts ghosts perform some formation gliding, it was time to return to Gryffindor Tower and head to bed. But there was a backup at the portrait of The Fat Lady, the guardian of Gryffindor House.

Percy Weasley, this year's Head Boy, and oldest Weasley still at school shoved his way to the front. He found the painting ripped, large gashes in the canvass. He ordered somebody to find the headmaster. Professor Dumbledore and all the heads of house appeared a few minutes later. The Fat Lady Lady informed the Headmaster who it was that slashed her picture. It was Sirius Black!

The Gryffindors were joined in the Great Hall by the rest of the houses as the teachers began their search for Black. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and hundreds of purple sleeping bags appeared on the floor. The story of what happened spread like wildfire as everyone settled in for the night. The biggest question was of course how the mass murderer had gotten into the castle.

Harry listened to all of them. Hermione increasingly grew more impatient as she repeatedly heard people suggesting Black Apparated into the school. This was something the Hogwarts wards prevented. Anyone who read Hogwarts a History would know that. Harry was fairly certain Hermione was the only person he knew who had read it, and definitely the only who memorized sections of it.

The whispering went late into the night. Harry's ears perked up as footsteps came by where he was "sleeping". He heard Professor Dumbledore tell Percy how they weren't able to find Black. He also heard Professor Snape insisting Dumbledore ask Lupin about it. Harry knew he didn't like the Defense professor, but why would he think he was helping Black?

Professor McGonagall called Harry into her office the following morning to discuss the break-in. She was relieved to hear Professor Snape hadn't hide the fact Black was believed to be after Harry. She insisted that all Gryffindor practices be supervised a professor. She also wanted Harry indoors before dark, unless accompanied by a professor. Harry agreed with her new rules, the only other choice was to quit Quidditch and he wasn't going to do that.

Harry met Wood on his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon. The older boy talked to Harry so long that he was already five minutes late before he left the team captain still wanting to discuss how practice would change under the watchful eye of a teacher. Harry ran down the halls trying to get to class and cause the least disruption possible.

Harry threw the door open, "Sorry Professor Lu...What are you doing here?" Harry demanded, realizing it was not Professor Lupin teaching the class, but Professor Snape.

"How nice of you to join us, Potter. Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said icily.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Harry demanded, not moving from where he stood.

"He is feeling unwell and I am covering his class until he has recovered. Now take your seat, Potter or it will be detention." Snape snapped.

Harry hurried to his desk beside Neville.

"As I was saying before Potter so rudely interrupted, Professor Lupin has failed to provide any sort of documentation as to what you have covered so far," Snape said turning back to the rest of the class once more.

Hermione put up her hand, "Sir, we've covered boggarts, hinkypunks, grindylows, red cap, kappas..."

"I was not asking you, Miss Granger. I was simply making an observation about the lack of organization. Nastily Snape added, "And five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn."

"That's not fair," Parvati Patel complained.

Snape ignored the comment, "As there is no record of what we are meant to cover today we will discuss werewolves."

"We're not meant to cover werewolves until the spring," Hermione objected. "We're meant to start..."

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Do so again and it will be a week's detention you insufferable know-it-all."

"Oi," Hermione's least likely defender, Ron Weasley chimed in. "She was just trying to tell you what we're supposed to be doing you, slimy git," Ron called Hermione a know-it-all at least once a week, but his contempt for Professor Snape was far greater.

"Detention Weasley," Snape said lazily. "Now turn your books to page 394."

There was a moment as everyone waited to see if someone else would speak up, but they all dug into their bags for the required text. Professor Snape lectured for the remainder of the class and set them a two-foot long essay due to him on Monday. Again, Harry wondered what Lupin did to make Snape hate him so much.

Much to the Gryffindors' relief, Professor Lupin was back in class for their next meeting. He was immediately overwhelmed by his students' complaints about their substitute's handling of the class. Voice over voice tried to be heard of the unjustness.

"Two feet.."

"Werewolves..."

"A week's detention..."

Professor Lupin raised his hand trying to quiet the class. "You don't have to do the essay," he promised. "I'll have a word with Professor Snape about it."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, that was all, except Hermione.

"I've already done it," she moaned.

“Professor Lupin,” Harry asked walking up to the desk at the end of the lesson.

“How can I help you, Harry?” Lupin said shutting his battered leather case.

“You said you could help me with the Dementors.  I was wondering when we could start our lessons.”

Lupin looked more tired than usual.  “I’m sorry, Harry.  We will have to wait until after the holidays.  I fell ill at a rather unfortunate time.  I need to catch up with the lesson and will be away for the break.”

“Yes sir,” Harry said resignedly, “I understand.”

“Don’t worry, Harry.  We’ll have you in top shape before you play your next match.” Lupin reassured with a tired smile.

Harry gave his own weak smile, “Yes sir.”

“What was that about?” Neville asked. 

“You weren’t trying to see if he would sign your Hogsmeade form were you?” Hermione demanded. 

Harry shook his head, “Of course not. Even if I did, there’s no way McGonagall would accept it.  She was pretty mad at me for asking Professor Snape.  I don’t know if she knew about me staying with him.”

“I think she would,” Neville guessed.  “She’s the one who sends out the letters every summer.”

Harry frowned. “Dumbledore brought my letter this summer when he came to talk to Professor Snape.”

Neville shrugged, “Still.”

“Maybe,” Harry agreed. 

“If you didn’t ask him to sign your form, what did you ask him about?” Hermione asked.

“I wanted to know when we could start our Dementor lessons,” Harry explained.  “I want to start as soon as possible.”

“What did he say?” Hermione asked uneasily.

“He said we can’t start until after the holidays,” Harry said. “Why?”

Hermione shook her head, “No reason.”

Harry looked at his friend.  There was something she wasn’t saying.  “What is it, Hermione?”

“It’s nothing,” Hermione insisted.  “I’m just tired.  It will be nice to have a bit of break, won’t it?”

Harry watched his friend carefully over the next several classes. She seemed to have developed an odd sort of discomfort around the Defense instructor. She was more hesitant to answer questions in his class, something she had never done in the entire time he knew her. He tried to ask her what was wrong, but she always avoided answering his question directly. She blamed it on being tired. She was taking more classes than anyone else.

In addition to taking Care of Magical Creatures and Divination with Harry and Neville, she was taking Muggle Studies (much to Harry's confusion as she was Muggle-born), Arithmancy, and Ancient Ruins. How she managed to get to all her classes was another thing that confused Harry. Half of her Muggle Studies were at the same time as Care of Magical Creatures, but according to Ernie McMillan, she had never missed one class of Muggle Studies. Harry knew for a fact she hadn't missed Care of Magical Creatures. Hermione was even more vague about her answer about that.

Even with all of her classwork Hermione was still helping Harry and Neville with their research in the defense of Buckbeak. Harry tried to help as much as possible, but he had Quidditch practice three nights a week. He was using an old school broom at the moment. He would have to buy a new one soon, but he still couldn't bring himself to do it.

Snow arrived a heavy coating covered the castle and the grounds. Hagrid brought in salamanders, fire-loving lizard-like animals. All they had to do for the class was make sure the fire was well stoked, a task happily done on a cold blustery day. The giant was in a better mood, hopeful about Buckbeak's upcoming trial. He was sure there was no way they could lose not with all the research the three had put in. The hippogriff's trial was on the first day of winter holidays.

The last day of term came with another trip to Hogsmeade. Harry once again said goodbye to his friends at the door. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the day.  He was looking forward two weeks without any classwork, so he wasn’t going to do homework. Dumbledore said that Dementors weren’t to be fooled by invisibility cloaks, so that wasn’t an option. He really wished he could go to the village.

The twins presented Harry with the desired escape.  They gave him a map, the Marauder’s Map, which showed not only the rooms of the castle, the names and locations of everyone in there, but seven secret passages in and out of the grounds.  Fred and George steered Harry away from the three they believed the caretaker Filch knew about.  They pointed out an entrance through a statue of a witch on the third floor.  Harry would only need to tap the witch’s hump and he could enter the tunnel that ended in the cellar of Honeydukes Sweetshop.   The twins left the map with Harry with the strict instructions to say, “Mischief Managed”, or anyone could read it. 
  
Harry couldn't contain his excitement. He barely checked the coast was clear before jumping down the witch's hump and running all the way down the long tunnel. He should have thought to return to the Tower for his Cloak of Invisibility, or at least his coat, hat, and gloves. He was able to find Hermione and Neville with surprising ease. They were in the sweets shop when he arrived.

Hermione was worried that if Black were to show up Harry would be in danger. Harry argued he would have a hard time finding him in the see of students doing their Christmas shopping. Still, she wanted him to go to Professor Dumbledore with the map in case that was how the fugitive was entering the grounds. If he wouldn't go to Dumbledore to at least tell Professor Snape. If Harry told Professor Snape he snuck out of the castle and into the village he Harry would spend every weekend for the rest of his time at Hogwarts scrubbing down the loos with a toothbrush. Where was Hermione's Christmas spirit?

The cold, biting weather cut short their sightseeing, with Harry lack of proper clothing. The trio decided the best thing to do was get a warm drink at the Three Broomsticks. Neville went to get them drinks while Harry and Hermione found them a small table tucked away near the large joyfully decorated Christmas tree. It was hard to find anyone in the busy establishment, but when Hagrid entered he was hard to miss, so too were his company, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and the Minister of Magic.

The new group came and sat just on the other side of the tree. Hermione forced Harry under the table so they couldn't possibly see him. Neville joined them as they listened to the Minister discuss the matter of Dementors in the village and the escape of Sirius Black with the owner of the pub, Madam Rosmerta.

She remembered Peter Pettigrew, a dumpy little boy whose friends were far more talented, an observation attested to by his professors. She also remembered who Black's best friend was, James Potter. Black was the Potter's Secret-Keeper, he alone was responsible for knowing the location of where Harry and his family lived. The only Voldemort could know was if Black told him. If that was not hard enough to hear, it turned out Black was Harry's godfather as well.

Harry didn't remember getting back to the castle that afternoon. He went straight to bed when he did pretending to be asleep when Neville came to check on him hours later. Harry kept twisting over what he heard all night. He even found the pictures of Black and Pettigrew in his album. He had never paid much mind to them before.

The next morning Harry woke late, the rest of the boys already gone on the train. Even fewer students stayed for the holidays this year as their parents worried about their safety. Neville wanted to stay but his grandmother demanded he come home.  She was scared the security of the class would be even laxer with fewer students to protect.  Neville had spent a week owling back and forth about his ability to stay before she finally agreed after getting several concessions from the Headmaster. This would be his first Christmas away from home.

Harry was angry. Why hadn't anyone told him it was Black's fault Harry had no parents? Why had no one mention he had a godfather? How many people knew about all of this?

Harry wanted to demand answers from anyone that could possibly answer. Hagrid was one of the first that came to mind. But all that was driven out of their minds once they heard the results of Buckbeak's trial. Hagrid lost, if he didn't win the appeal, Buckbeak would be executed.

The three friends spent the next week either visiting with Hagrid or doing more research. The days blended into one another as they went even deeper into trying to save their friend's pet's life. It was only when they came down the stairs on Christmas morning and a large pile of gifts lay under the tree, Harry realized what day it was.

Hermione gave him a large box of chocolate frogs. From Neville, he received a book on the Quidditch teams of England and Northern Ireland. Mrs. Weasley sent him his normal sweater, green this year featuring a golden snitch across his chest. Harry put aside the package of rock cakes from Hagrid.

There was one last package with Harry's name on it. There was no note, no card, just the simply wrapped box. Harry excitedly pulled back the paper and the lid of the box. Inside was the most beautiful broom Harry had ever seen. Not a single twig was out of place. Golden letters down the handle spelled out, "Firebolt". Harry knew that this was one of the best brooms ever to be sold.

"Who sent it?" Neville asked.

“I don't know. There wasn't a note." Harry said walking around the broom as it hovered at perfect mounting height.

"This is a rather good broom," Hermione observed.

"It's the best in the world," countered Harry.

"So who would get it for you?" Hermione asked once more.

"Professor McGonagall," Neville offered, "she's nearly as mad you win the Quidditch Cup this year as Wood."

Harry shook his head. "She said she might be able to get me a Nimbus 2001, like Malfoy. Anyway, she only got me one the last time because I was the first year."

"Dumbledore likes you," Neville tried again. "He gave you your cloak."

"That was already mine, he was just borrowing it," Harry objected. "We know it's not from Lupin," Harry said with a laugh.

"No," Hermione agreed uneasily, "It wouldn't be."

Harry tore his gaze away from his new broom for a moment. He still didn't know what was causing the girl's sudden uneasy with the professor.

"I don't think it's a good idea to ride that now, Harry," Hermione said.

"What? Why?" Harry demanded.

"We don't know who sent it. What if somebody wanted to hurt you?"

"Like who?"

A heavy silence hung between the two.

“How could Sirius Black get Harry a broom?" Neville finally asked.

Hermione shrugged, "We order things through the post all the time.  Harry, he could have jinxed it to throw you off."

"That's ridiculous!" Harry snapped. “We’re not murders on the run, Hermione.”

“Harry, please,” Hermione begged. 

Christmas dinner was a tense affair with Harry not wanting to talk to Hermione. Neville sat awkwardly between his two friends, trying to get them to engage in conversation. When Professor McGonagall came and confiscated the broom so it could be checked that it wasn't cursed Harry stopped speaking to Hermione altogether. He still wasn't speaking to her when the rest of the students returned from the holidays.

Wood was annoyed to hear that Harry still hadn't ordered a new broom. Harry explained why and Wood promised to discuss the matter with Professor McGonagall. Ron too was offended that Hermione would turn over a brand new Firebolt to be "stripped down", what if it did throw Harry off. How could somebody do something like that to a gorgeous new broom?

~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Harry was glad to hear Professor Lupin was ready to start their Dementor lessons on Thursday evening. He needed a distraction especially when Wood said that he wasn't able to get Harry's new broom back. Even though he didn't know what to expect Harry was looking forward to the lessons.

Harry walked into the Charms classroom about ten minutes early he lite the torches and waited. He looked at the posters Professor Flitwick had hung up demonstrating different charms. He was starting to wonder if Professor Lupin was coming when the door behind Harry opened. The man had a large battered case under one arm.

"Good evening Harry," he greeted warmly setting the case on top of Professor Flitwick's desk.

"Good evening," Harry replied looking at the case.

"Ahhh... Yes...this is what we'll be using to practice," Professor Lupin explained as he ran a hand over the old worn leather. "Now Harry, I must warn you the magic we are going to try here tonight is far beyond Ordinary Wizarding Levels. There are many fully qualified wizards that aren't able to do this."

"But I have to try," Harry insisted, "What if they come to the next match?"

"Yes, I understand. I simply felt I needed to ensure you knew how difficult is what we'll be trying to do here."

Harry nodded, "Okay, so what do I have to do?"

Lupin removed his wand, "The incantation is 'Expecto Petronum'."

"Expecto Petronum'," Harry repeated.

Lupin smiled softly, "Very good. Now a properly conjured Patronus will defend you from a Dementor."

"What do they look like?" Harry asked excited, brain coming up with giant shields the size of Hagrid.

"Each is unique to the witch or wizard that creates it," Professor Lupin said. "But saying the words is not enough, you'll need to think of a happy memory to go along with it."

Harry frowned, a happy memory? Obviously, anything that happened at the Dursleys was out. He decided on the first time he ever flew a broom.

"Now try it without the Dementor," Lupin encouraged.

"Expc...Expecto Petromem...Sorry..."

"Take your time," Lupin reassured.

"Expecto Petronum," Harry tried once more and a thin silver cloud burst out of his wand. "I did it."

"You ready to try? On the count of three..."

Harry nodded, his palms sweaty in anticipation. "Expecto Petronum... Expecto Petronum..." Harry muttered as Professor Lupin pulled back the lid of the case.

The room went cold, the torches extinguished.

"Expecto Pec...Expecto... Expecto Petronum."

There was a cold high-pitched laugh, the screaming, "Not Harry! Please! Not Harry! Take me. Please, not Harry." ,

The cold high different d voice, "Stand aside you silly girl."

"Please, not Harry..."

"Harry. Harry," a different voice said this time.

Harry realized he was flat on his back on the floor. The torches were lit once more. Lupin helped Harry groggily sit up.

"That's one heck of a Dementor," Harry groaned

"That wasn't a Dementor. It was a Boggart. If it was a Dementor you would have collapsed as soon it was in the room," Lupin said crouching next to Harry. He removed a chocolate frog and handed it to the teen. "Eat this before we go again."

Harry shoved half of the chocolate into his mouth. The cold sweat on his back easing, warmth returning to the tips of his fingers.

"Harry, what was the memory you chose?" Lupin asked standing back up.

Harry pushed back his sweaty hair, "The first time I rode a broom."

Lupin shook his head, "No wonder you collapsed. That's not happy enough, not nearly happy enough."

"Oh," Harry said softly. He finished the frog as he tried to come up with another happy memory. He decided that Gryffindor winning the House Cup at the end of his first year was probably one of the happiest times he could remember. He stood back up.

"Ready for another go?" Lupin asked.

Harry nodded. The lid was pulled back once more...

Hard tried to ignore the screaming in his ears. "Expecto...Expecto Petronum..."

Everything was cold and dark once more.

"Not Harry! Please! Not Harry! Take me. Please, not Harry."

The cold high different d voice, "Stand aside you silly girl."

"Please! Not Harry."

"Go, Lily! He's here..."

It was all black…

Harry felt his professor shaking his shoulder again.

"I heard my dad," Harry said sitting up again.

"You heard James?" Lupin asked softly.

Harry nodded, "Did you know him too?"

Lupin smiled, "I did we were in the same year at school."

Harry grinned as he took another frog from his teacher. He didn’t know much about his dad. Professor Snape mentioned him on occasion, but normally when Harry had done something idiotic and Gryffindor. Other people said that he looked a lot like his dad, but that didn’t mean much he didn’t know what he was like.

“Really? What was he like?” Harry asked excitedly.

Lupin grinned, “James was incredibly brave. He was an excellent flyer, just like you.  He also played Seeker.  He had a penchant for trouble. From what I hear, you seem to have inherited that from him.”

Harry could see that the man wanted to say more, but there was something stopping him. Harry just wasn’t sure what.  Maybe it was the same thing that stopped Professor Snape when he talked about Harry’s mum.

“Do you want a try another go tonight, Harry?” Lupin asked after a moment.

“Yeah, I think so,” Harry said readying himself once more.

“Three...Two... One…” the lid opened once more.

“Expecto Petronum!” Harry tried again, a wisp of silver smoke came out of his wand the laughter and screaming weren’t overpowering this time, more like it was coming through a poorly tuned radio.  Harry forced the Dementor back into the case.

“Alright, that’s enough for tonight,” Lupin said snapping shut the lid of the case. He removed a large bar of Honeyduke’s chocolate.  “Make sure you eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will have my skin.”

Harry chuckled, “Yes sir. Good night, sir.”

“Good night, Harry. I will see you in class tomorrow,” Lupin said picking up his case once more. “I have a cabinet in my office that I think he’ll like between lessons.”

Harry nodded and headed back to the Tower munching on the chocolate Lupin gave him. He had managed to produce a wisp of a Patronus.  It would never scare off a real Dementor, maybe not even give him enough time to land, but it was only his first lesson.  But Harry had, to be honest with himself, no matter how much he hated it, he wanted to hear his parents again.

“What are you doing, Potter?” Professor Snape demanded.

“Just going back to the Tower, sir,” Harry said shoving the last bit of chocolate into his pocket.

“Out a bit late, did you manage to get detention already.”

Harry shook his head, “No sir, Professor Lupin is helping me. He’s giving me Dementor lessons.”

Snape raised a curious eyebrow.

“Er...He’s teaching me to cast a Patronus,” Harry clarified.

“I see,” Snape said softly. “Get back to your house, Potter. It’s almost curfew.”

Harry rushed off once again wondering what made the two professors not like each other so much. Harry watched the two men the next morning at breakfast. He was right, Snape glared at Lupin more than usual. Harry shook his head and went back to his breakfast.
 
~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Apparently, Hermione now thought like Snape, that in and of itself concerned Harry.  She made little sounds of displeasure when she heard Harry telling Neville about his Dementor lessons. She wouldn't what had caused her sudden change of heart though.
 
When Harry finally demanded after yet another disapproving tut, her response was, "I don't think it's such a good idea being alone with him."
 
"Why?" Harry snapped.
 
"It's it obvious?" She said before storming off once more.
 
Harry turned to Neville who only shrugged. The two spent less time with her since Professor McGonagall came and took Harry's broom. But even so, they could tell she was increasingly on edge the pressure of her studies catching up with her. She could normally be found in one corner of the Common Room books piled high around her. She would snap at anyone that tried to disturb her. She worked into the late night to complete all of her assignments. Still, Harry was trying to figure out how she did it. How could she be in two places at once?
 
Harry liked his Dementors lessons. He was getting better. He wasn't collapsing anymore and he could now produce a Patronus every time, but wanted to still do better. It still didn't have a true form or chase down the Boggart-Dementor. Harry chastised himself, he would never get any better if he still halfheartedly wanted to hear his parents.
 
"Thank goodness you're here," Neville said meeting his friend at the top of the stairs returning from his latest Dementor practice.
 
"What's wrong Neville?" Harry asked.
 
"That mad painting won't let me into the Tower," Neville explained.
 
"I thought you had all of this week's passwords written down," Harry asked.
 
The painting of Sir Cadogan replaced The Fat Lady while she was repaired. The rather balmy knight enjoyed coming up with complicated passwords that were hard for anyone to remember, it was practically impossible for Neville with his horrible memory for that sort of thing.
 
"I can't find it," Neville moaned.
 
"It's no problem. The current password is 'flibbity gibit.'”
 
They walked back to the portrait, Harry cut off Sir Cadogan with the password before he could say anything about Neville. A group of students stood in the center of the room.
 
"What's that all about?" Neville asked.
 
"Can I have a ride, Harry?" Seamus asked.
 
"Me too?" Ron asked. "I've never gotten to ride a new broom."
 
Wood brought Harry over his Firebolt. "Professor McGonagall brought this back a few minutes, Potter. She wanted you to have a proper broom for the next match."
 
"Everything was fine?" Harry asked.
 
"Must have been if she gave it back," Fred said joining the crowd.
 
The excitement of the crowd lasted late into the night. Harry knew he should apologize to his friend but he couldn't find her in the common room. Lavender told him that she had gone to bed early.
 
Harry followed his roommates upstairs when Percy came down to chase them all to bed. They were woken up only a few hours later by Ron screaming. He had woken up to Sirius Black standing over him with a large knife.
 
The professors had escorted everyone to the Great Hall once more. He had gotten into the Tower with the passwords. A furious Professor McGonagall banned Neville from any future visits to the village. The harder thing was he was not allowed to know the password, no one was allowed to give it to him either.
 
Harry didn't get a chance to speak with Hermione while the teachers checked the castle once more. Wood had decided that now their Seeker had a proper broom they needed an extra practice so Harry didn't get back to Gryffindor Tower until late the next evening.

“Harry,” Neville called as Harry came through the portrait hole. 

“What?” Harry asked.

“We need to talk to Hermione,” Neville told him. 

“Why?” Harry grumbled.  He still hadn’t forgiven her for getting his new broom confiscated. He didn’t have to wait very long to find out why.

“It was your bloody cat!” Ron yelled across the Common Room.

“There’s no way to know it was Crookshanks,” Hermione yelled back.

“He’s been after Scabbers since we got back after summer hols,” Ron countered.

“I don’t see why he’s complaining,” Fred said coming to join Harry and Neville. “He never liked that dumb rat.”

“He’s looked awful for ages, been losing weight since Egypt,” George added.

“Why does he think Hermione’s cat did it?” Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, “He does seem to be more focused on Scabbers than the other cats. He was always trying to sneak into our dorms.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” George agreed. “He’s pretty easy to recognizable with that smashed face.”

“You don’t care about anybody but you’re stupid cat. Nobody likes you,” Ron hollered.
 
Hermione couldn’t stand it anymore at went running up the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

“Oi! You git,” Fred said calling out his youngest brother.  “That was over the line, mate.”

“Yeah, we’re sorry her orange beast ate your dumb rat.  You never liked the dumb thing, but he’s in a better place now filled with custard tarts and plenty of comfortable places to nap,” George continued.

"Look, there's a Hogsmeade visit next weekend, you can get a new pet then."

"Yeah alright," Ron sulked and went up the opposite stairs to the boy’s dormitory.

"There's another Hogsmeade trip?" Harry asked.

"It's not like we can go," Neville pointed out.

"I wasn't supposed to go at Christmas either," Harry pointed out.

"How about you come with us," Fred offered. "You in Neville?"

The round-faced boy shook his head.

"Fine," Fred said with a shrug. "We'll meet you in Honeydukes then."

The morning of the trip arrived. Harry said goodbye to Hermione at the castle doors and the twins too with a wink. He checked the map and made his way up the corridor with the One-Eyed Witch. He just got the hump open when he heard steps behind him.  Harry dropped his cloak down the tunnel and shut the opening, spinning around to see who was coming.

Harry’s heart dropped, it couldn’t have been worse. In his haste, he hadn't noticed Professor Snape's name in the proximity.

"Potter! What are you doing here?" The man snapped as he came down the corridor his black robes flapping behind him like a great bat.

"Nothing," Harry said sounding like a small child caught with hand in the biscuit jar.

The man stared down his long nose at the boy. "Potter..."

“Nothing,” Harry insisted refusing to make eye contact with the teacher.

“Look at me,” Snape ordered. 

Harry looked up defiantly, his chest puffed out.  He hadn’t done anything wrong… yet.

Snape’s fiery onyx gaze burned into Harry.  The teen tried his best to stay calm.  He had not done anything wrong. There was no reason he could be in trouble for simply being in the corridor.  Still, Snape had a way of finding things out. 

“Stay here,” Snape ordered Harry as he inspected the One-Eyed Witch’s statue in great detail.  He ran his hand over the hump, muttering to himself.  The hump did not open.  Harry scuffed the toe of his right trainer on the stone floor as he watched his professor disappear behind trying to reveal the witch’s secrets.  After what felt like ages the man stood up straight once more.

“Come with me, Potter,” Snape ordered.

“What did I do?” Harry demanded. 

A stern look from the Potions Master quieted any further protests from the teen.  Harry followed the man silently down to the dungeons. 

“Empty your pockets, Potter,” Snape ordered.

“Sir,” Harry asked.

“I said empty your pockets.  If you have been in the castle you should have nothing to worry about.  Do not make me repeat myself.”

Harry hadn’t left the castle yet, but the contents of his pockets made his intentions clear.  He had his money bag full of coins destine for Zonko’s and Honeydukes and more importantly, the  Marauder's Map.  He was glad he had cleared before putting it in his pocket in preparation for entering the tunnel under the witch.  He pulled out the old parchment with great caution.

“Now, Potter,” Snape ordered.

Harry put the parchment on the table followed by a small sack of coins, a chocolate frog, and a broken quill.

“Is that all,” Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes sir,” Harry said patting his pockets.

“What’s this?” The man said picking up the Marauder’s Map, that was thankfully blank.

“Just a spare bit of parchment,” Harry said a little too quickly.

“It’s rather old to just be a spare bit of parchment,” Snape said looking it over once more. “If it’s only a spare bit of parchment you won’t mind if I burn…”

“No!” Harry said lunging forward.

Snape held it higher out of Harry’s reach.  “So, it’s more than a bit or parchment then.  What is it?”

“Nothing,” Harry said with a shrug.  But it was too late, his actions said exactly the opposite.

Snape removed his wand and ran it over the map, “Reveal your secrets!”

Nothing happened.

“I, Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, command you to reveal your secrets.” Snape tried again, his temper rising.

Harry held his breath as words began to appear before them.

“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.”

Snape stood frozen, as he read the words.  But there was more…

“Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.”

Harry would have laughed if it wasn’t so serious.  And still, there was more….

“Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.”

Harry closed his eyes not sure if he could deal with anymore.  When he opened them there was one last line on the map...

“Mr. Wormtail bids, Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.”

“What... We’ll see about this….”  He crossed the room and threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. “Lupin, a word.”

Harry waited anxiously as they waited for the Defense professor to make his appearance.

“Severus,” Lupin greeted, “and Harry,” he said noticing the nervous teen.

“You’re supposed to be the expert in Dark objects, Lupin. Care to explain,” Snape said pointing to the map still sat in the center of the desk.  “Obviously this is serious dark magic.”

Lupin looked it over, Harry thought he might be trying not to laugh. “Serious dark magic,” He said standing up again.  “No, this looks more like a Zonko’s product to me.  It’s designed to insult anyone who looks over I expect.”

“Zonko’s?  The asinine names of the authors are surprisingly familiar. Is it not more likely that the boy inherited it from one of them?” Snape asked coldly.

“Inherit?  From whom, Severus? Lily and James’ house was destroyed after the attack by Voldemort.” Professor Lupin scoffed, “Why not simply ask the boy?”

The men looked at Harry who said nothing.  The boy stared back, unsure what to say.  He couldn’t tell them that it was his friends. Harry sighed in relief as some knocked on the door.

“Professor Snape,” a first or second year Slytherin said coming into the room.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jones." Lupin greeted warmly.

“Uhhh...Hello, sir,” the boy said nervously.  “I can come back.”

“No. No, don’t let us keep you.” Lupin waved the boy off.  “I’ll be taking this, Severus. As you say, it is my area of expertise. Come along, Harry,” the professor instructed.  

Harry could feel the Potions’ Master’s dark eyes boring into the back of his head until they made it to the first floor, even if he had never actually left his office. Harry followed Lupin into a small chamber off the main hall. 

“I don’t care how you got hold of this map,” Lupin said.  This was the angriest Harry had ever heard him. “Yes, I know it is a map.  I also am well aware Mr. Filch confiscated it many years ago.”

“How..” Harry began.

“I assume Severus caught you trying to sneak out of the castle and found this in your pockets.” 

Harry didn’t say a word. 

“So like James,” Lupin sighed. “How could you do this, Harry?  Your parents, some of my best friends gave up their lives so you could live.  This is how you chose to repay their sacrifice sneaking out of the castle to what? Buy a couple of cheap tricks and candies?  Is that all they mean to you?”

Harry stood there stunned.

“Go!” Lupin said pointing in the direction the stairs, “think about what your parents mean to you and what might have happened if Black had found you this afternoon.”

Harry still speechless left the man still standing in that small room. He didn’t stop when we got the Common Room, he continued straight to his dorm. He pulled the curtains on his bed, the photo album Hagrid gave him once more laying open in his lap.  He wasn’t trying to find his murderous godfather this time.  He ran a finger over the first photo, his parents dancing in a public park.    

Harry shook his head, trying to shake off his emotion.  How could he have been so stupid?  Lupin was right.  His parents were worth more than a trip to Hogsmeade.  How did Lupin know how to operate the map?  What did Snape mean did Harry inherit it?  Why would Lupin recognize those names?

“Harry?” Neville asked nervously.

Harry hesitated, “What is it, Neville?”

“Are you alright? I thought you were… you were going to sneak into the village.”

“I didn’t.” Harry sighed. 

“This is ridiculous,” Hermione huffed pulling back the curtains. 

“Oi, Hermione, you’re not supposed to be here,” Harry objected.

“Hermione he could have been indecent,” Neville added.

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Don’t be ridiculous.  He’s just having a sulk.”  She sat on the edge of Harry’s bed. “What happened?”
 
“You’re right.  It was a horrible idea.” Harry admitted. “Anyways, Snape caught me.”

Neville gasped.  “How long are you in detention?”

“I’m not. I hadn’t left yet.”  Harry informed them.   
“You’re lucky he caught before you left the castle, not after,” Hermione said.  “You would have been lucky to only get detention.”  

Harry nodded, “He didn’t couldn’t prove I had done anything wrong.  He called Lupin to look at the map. Lupin knew exactly what it was.  He confiscated it.”

“How could he know about the map?”  Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, “Don’t know. Snape seemed to think I might have inherited it.  Who could that have been from?”

It was Neville’s turn to shrug. “The cloak used to be your dad’s.  Maybe he thought Dumbledore gave it to you too.”

“I don’t think so.” Harry shook his head. “He made it sound more like I got it from Lupin.”

Hermione tensed at the idea.

“What is it, Hermione?”  Harry demanded.

“Nothing,” the girl said dismissing Harry on the matter once more. “Why don’t we go see what’s for dinner?”

“Hey Harry,” Fred greeted.  “Where were you?”

Harry shook his head.  “Didn’t make it. Sorry.”

“As long as you didn’t get caught,” George said.

The three friends shared a look but did not correct the twins assumption.  Harry didn’t have detention or anything after all.  He had missed the last Hogsmeade trip of the year.  Now all there was to look forward to was Quidditch and the end of term.

It seemed Harry to the whole school cared more than usual about the approaching match. Everyone wanted Slytherin defeated. Even the professors were taking an interest in the game. Professor Flitwick refused to assign homework for the weekend. Professor McGonagall too did not give homework, but she threatened to double it if the house didn't win the match. Professor Snape took points when Harry arrived late because his protective detail delayed him.  

None of it mattered though. Gryffindor was able to easily win the Quidditch Cup.  Harry was able to cast his first real Patronus during the match. Too bad, it wasn't against an actual Dementor. Instead, it was sent at Draco’s henchmen dressed as Dementors.

After the game, life became far less fun, exams here once again the students of Hogwarts. Percy, who was sitting his N.E.W.T.s, the highest level of certification the school offered and was likely to snap if someone in the common room so much as breathed too loudly. The only person who may have been more high strung was Hermione. She could be found up late at night working on complicated Ruins translations or diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects.

Harry, now free of Quidditch practice, was able to start helping Neville with their research in the defense of Buckbeak. The trail would be on the last day of exams. The trio was desperately trying to find anything that might save the hippogriff's life. So far, they weren't having much luck. Hagrid was trying to give the animal as nice of a time as he could.
Harry had managed to make through all of his exams so far with varying degrees of success. His tea kettle turned turtle for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration exam may have been a bit off, but it didn't still have a spout for a tail like Ron, or willow pattern shell like Dean. Professor Lupin's exam had been the easiest for Harry.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor had set up a bit of an obstacle course that each student, in turn, had to face. Harry had cruised through with ease. Neville did well with a Boggart, hinkypunks, and red caps, but got tripped up and caught by the grindylow. Hermione went to pieces at the Boggart.  Professor Lupin had to spend several minutes reassuring her that it was all fine. Ron wasn't so kind; he made fun of her all through lunch, for her Boggart being Professor McGonagall telling her she failed everything.

Harry and Neville's last exam was Divination while Hermione went to sit hers for Arithmancy. Professor Trelawney called each person into the tower classroom in turn. They would have to tell her a fortune using one of the methods they had studied over the last year. Harry had never been able to see anything in any of the methods they had studied so it made little difference to him.

Neville was one of the first to be called. He disappeared up into the stuffy room for only ten minutes before returning. He refused to tell anybody about it. Professor Trelawney said if he did, he would have a terrible accident. Harry cared a great deal for his friend, but even he could guess that. The boy was one of the clumsiest people Harry had ever met. The crowd on the landing whittled down until it was only Harry left sitting there.

"Harry Potter," Trelawney's ethereal voice called.

Harry climbed the stairs into the attic room. It was sweltering hot, the air heavy was strange perfumes. A large crystal ball sat in the center of a little table covered in lace doilies. Harry came and sat across the table from his professor.

"You will tell me what you see in the crystal ball," she instructed.

Harry stared in vain at the glittering orb, but as always, saw only fog.  

"What do you see?"

Harry cast his mind around for anything to say. The only thing that came to mind was Hagrid and Buckbeak's appeal. It was supposed to be starting any time now.

"I see Buckbeak," Harry said.

"Ahh... You must be seeing the fate of Hagrid's poor creature on trial today."

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"What more do you see?"

"Hagrid's crying," Harry continued.

"And what of the animal? A bloody ax perhaps, pools of blood and feathers?"

Harry shook his head, "No... He's flying away. "

"Ah well, a good attempt Mr. Potter. That will be all," she said making a few last marks on Harry's paper.

Harry shrugged and collected his bags.

"HE RETURNS THIS NIGHT," Trelawney said. This wasn't her usual voice, It was deeper and like it was coming from a great distance.

"What was that professor," Harry said turning back to the woman.

Professor Trelawney sat rigged in her chair, the jeweled glasses that always made her eyes look like a great big bug sat crooked on her face.
"HE WILL RETURN AGAIN THIS NIGHT...THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT... THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT... BEFORE MIDNIGHT... THE SERVANT... WILL SET OUT... TO REJOIN... HIS MASTER..." Trelawney said before her head fell forward.

"Who will return tonight?" Harry asked.

"What was that dear? I must have drifted off," Trelawney said looking to Harry.

"Nevermind,"  Harry grumbled the words of that far off voice still stuck in his head. He rushed downstairs to tell Neville and Hermione what he just heard, but it was driven from his mind in the moments after reuniting with his friends. They wanted to relax the good weather and end of exams. They wouldn't know their results for a week or so and Hagrid was busy with Buckbeak's case.

They weren't the only ones wanting to hear about Buckbeak's fate. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle sat on the steps of the castle talking and laughing as the trio came down the stairs.   

"Off to see the oaf?" Malfoy drawled. "I bet his great chicken doesn't have much longer."

"Why you foul, loathsome, little cockroach," Hermione said before punching Draco hard in the lower jaw.

"You'll pay for that, Mudblood," Draco said, a hand flying up to his injured jaw.

Hermione pulled her fist back again, but Draco was already heading into the castle.  She turned headed in the opposite direction, down the lawn towards the lake.

"That was brilliant," Harry said, jogging to catch up with the girl.

"It felt really good," Hermione admitted running a hand over her sore knuckles.

"He's going to tell Professor Snape," Neville warned.

"No," Harry said with a chuckle, "He wouldn't want to admit he just got hit by a girl."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't care," Hermione said, flopping down gracelessly onto the lawn under a large oak tree.

The three of them spent the time until dinner relaxing under the tree. Harry all but forgot about Trelawney's prediction. They were even able to set their worry about Hagrid aside for a few hours, that was until they reached the castle steps.

There stood the Minister of Magic in his signature lime-green bowler hat and pinstriped cloak. Next to him was a thick, cruel looking man, a large ax hung from his hip.  They were accompanied too, by a very old and frail looking wizard. The Minister informed Harry they were there for Buckbeak's trial and execution.  
"I can't believe they've already made up their minds," Hermione said taking a helping of chicken from the serving trays.

"Maybe they haven't," Neville offered disingenuously, "maybe they just want to be prepared.

"I wouldn't count on it," Harry said picking at his mashed potatoes.

"We should go see him," Neville said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"We can go after dinner," Hermione added.

"But how?" Neville asked, "We're not supposed to be outside after dark."

"Harry, where did you leave your cloak?" Hermione asked.

"In the tunnel to Hogsmeade. If Professor Snape sees me anywhere near there, he'll skin me alive," Harry said shaking his head. "I don't know how I managed to get out of his office as it is."

"You can't but he wouldn't ever expect me," Hermione said with a slightly mischievous look.

Harry and Neville grinned. They really had been a bad influence on her. The boys waited for Hermione by the Great Hall as she disappeared upstairs.  Harry could feel Professor

Snape's eyes on him. He tried to look as innocent as possible.

Hermione came back a little while later her book bag stuffed with the cloak. They walked out to a small room off the hall and waited for there to be a break. After they hadn't heard anybody for a while they threw the cloak over all three of them. It was harder to do now than in first year. They had to go slow so nobody could see their feet.
There was some loud shuffling as Hagrid came to the door of his hut.  They could hear him yelling at Fang to get back. Finally, the door opened. From the look on his face, they could tell the trail hadn't gone well.

“Oh it’s yeh lot,” Hagrid said.  “Yeh shouldn’ta come,” Hagrid said sadly.

“We couldn’t let you be alone,” Hermione said.

Hagrid stepped aside to let them in.  “I wouldn’ta been alone.  Dumbledore says he’ll come down ter be with me.” Hagrid whipped a tear away from his face, “Great man, Dumbledore.”

“Hagrid,” Hermione asked, “Where’s Buckbeak?”

“He’s tied up outside,” Hagrid said motioning with one huge hand.  “I thought he should get ter see one last sunset.” He broke down in uncontrollable sobs.

“How about some tea?” Hermione asked.

Harry cocked his head at his friend.

“Your aunt doesn’t make tea when someone is upset?”  She asked.

“Gran does,” Neville said, “I’ll make it.” He hopped up and placed the huge copper kettle on the fire to boil.

Hermione collected mugs and placed them on the table.   

Neville went through the cabinets looking for tea leaves and sugar. “Hagrid, where’s the milk?”

“Second cupboard,” Hagrid choked out mid-sob.

Neville opened the indicated cupboard and pulled down a half-empty bottle of milk. But dropped it when something moved in the back of the cupboard.

“What’s up Neville?” Harry asked standing up.

"Something moved in the cupboard," Neville said pulling out a second bottle and placed it on the counter. He grabbed the creature that startled him so badly by the tail. "It was just a rat."  Neville carried the rat over for closer inspection.

The rat tried his best to squirm out of Neville's hands. He scratched and the hands holding him until Neville only had him but the tail. Harry grabbed a glass bowl from the draining board Neville set the terrified rat down as Harry slammed the bowl down over the top of him.

Harry after a moment of inspection, stunned said, "That's not just any rat, that's Scabbers."

"What!" Hermione demanded.

"Look," Harry said pointing to the missing front toe. "How many rats are missing that toe, or are that bald."

She wasn't as familiar with Ron's rat, but she had to agree, this was Scabbers. "I told him Crookshanks didn't eat his stupid rat."

There were voices outside.

"That's them," Hagrid realized. "Out the back. I don't want yer in trouble cause oh me."

"Get Scabbers," Harry urged as he picked up the cloak. "We'll take him back to Ron."

Neville grabbed the rat with great difficulty. He couldn't get the rat to go in his pocket and stay. Hagrid opened the back door and the three carefully made their way into the garden. Buckbeak turned his great orange eyes in their direction, but couldn't see them. That didn't stop him from scratching the ground nervously, his six inch long talons making deep ruts in the soil.

"What if we let him go?" Harry asked.

"They'll think Hagrid did it," Hermione whispered back.

Neville was still fighting to keep hold of the rat. It squeaked and scratched.

 "Stop it," Neville moaned.  "Owww!" Neville dropped the rat and let put a painfully cry as the crossed the grounds.

“What happened?" Hermione asked.

"He bit me, " Neville said before throwing off the cloak chasing after the rodent. "Scabbers, stop," Neville cried.

Neville didn't see it as he scanned the grass, the bear-sized dog that tackled him as he finally recaptured Ron's wayward pet. Neville screamed at the sight of fierce jaws snarled in his face. He unsuccessfully tried to roll away, but the beast was too big. It sunk its jaws into Neville's leg and dragged him off and under a tree.

"Neville," Hermione moaned.

Harry ran forward but was hit by a six-inch wide limb. Of course, the dog had gone into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. Branch after branch rained blows on the pair of teens as they tried to rescue their friend. Their rescue came in an unexpected form, a smash-faced, bandy-legged orange cat, Crookshanks. The cat placed a paw on a knot on the tree and the branches stopped their vicious attack.

"Oh, thank you, Crookshanks," Hermione said but the cat was gone.  

They could just make out the tip of his bottlebrush tail disappearing under the now calm tree. Harry and Hermione followed the cat down the low tunnel, carefully ducking to avoid roots coming down through the low ceiling, occasionally bumping their heads on roots, or stumbling over stones in their ways.

“Where are we going?” Hermione asked.

“I’m not sure,” Harry replied, “but I think I have an idea of where this goes.”

“How did Crookshanks know how to stop the tree?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t know, but he seems to know that dog.”

Through the silence, they walked as fast as they could on the uneven surface, in a crouched position.  The tunnel seemed to last forever.  They just hoped their friend would be okay when found him.  The earth sloped gently upward near the end leading to a small set of wooden stairs.  They climbed them hoping the boards didn’t creak as they made their way up.

The steps lead into a dusty room, broken furniture surrounded them.  Hermione let out a sudden gasp, realizing where they were.  Harry looked back confused.

“We’re in the Shrieking Shack,” she whispered.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked back.

Hermione nodded vigorously.

“Neville’s this way,” he said spotting the trail in the thick dust.

It led upstairs.  They were not as lucky this time, as they mounted their way up.  A stair about halfway up, creaking loudly, disturbing the silence of the shack.
Neville lay on a broken four poster bed, his leg bleeding.  His round face was pale and sweaty in a mixture of pain and fear.
“Where’s the dog?”  Harry demanded.

“Not a dog,” Neville said shakily, confusing Harry further.

“What do you mean not a dog?”

Neville pointed a shaking finger at opposite side of the room; there stood the deranged Sirius Black, a wicked grin spread across his manic face.  Hermione screamed.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

“Expelliarmus!” The adult wizard yelled, denying Harry and Hermione their wands.

Harry lunged at the wizard, all thoughts of doing magic, or that this was a full-grown man and he was a short, skinny, thirteen-year-old, forgotten in his anger.  He jumped at the man his fists flying without a care.  Black simply laughed.  He didn’t seem to notice that he was being punched repeatedly by this scrawny teenager as they lay tousling on the dirty floor.

“Harry,” Hermione screamed, distressed by her friend’s reckless actions.

Black threw the boy off eventually, seeming none the worse for wear.

“You killed my parents,” Harry screamed at the madman.

“Harry,” Hermione exclaimed again.

“You’re just like your father.” Sirius said with another laugh, “Just like James.”

“Don’t talk about my parents. You killed them.” Harry exclaimed again.

“I didn’t, but I might as well have.  It was Peter Pettigrew.  He’ll pay for it tonight.”

“What!  You’re mad! Pettigrew is dead!  You killed him!”  Harry yelled again.

“He’s not,” Sirius said back.  “He’s right here, in this very room.”

“He’s completely mad,” Neville said from his place on the bed.

“No. No, I’m not,” Sirius insisted.  “Peter’s been here all this time.”

There was another creak as someone else came up the stairs.  The quartet was joined by another familiar face, Remus Lupin.

“I knew it,” Hermione exclaimed as the three children watched the two men embrace.

“What?” Harry demanded, spinning around to his angered friend.

“I knew it.  I knew he’s been helping him.  He has to have been.”

“I have not, Hermione,” Lupin said breaking the embrace with the other wizard.

“You have to have been,” Hermione insisted.

“No. No, I don’t.  Honestly, I have not been helping Sirius.” Lupin

“Don’t trust anything he says,” Hermione instructed the boys.  “Don’t trust him.  He’s a werewolf.”  Anger clear in her shaking voice.

“Not at all up to your usual standards,” Lupin said softly.  “I have not been helping Sirius.  Here.  Take your wands back,” Lupin said throwing back the appropriate to each of the teens in turn, before setting his own aside.  “I have not been helping Sirius.  But I am a werewolf.  How long have you known?”

“Since Professor Snape set the essay,” Hermione said her anger still clear.

“He’ll be happy to hear that.  It is of course why he set the assignment,” Lupin said with shaking his head.

“Snape?” Black asked, huskily to Lupin.

“He’s here,” Lupin confirmed.  “He’s teaching Potions.”

Black out a disapproving scoff.

“If you haven’t been helping him, how’s he been getting into the castle,” Hermione asked. “And…”

“He killed my parents,” Harry shouted over his teacher.

“Harry, he didn’t,” Lupin said once more, “Peter Pettigrew did.  We can show you.”

“It’s all mad,” Neville muttered.

“He admitted it,”  Harry said ignoring Neville’s comments.  “He said he killed my parents.”

“No,” Black growled, “I said ‘I had good as done.’”

“They died because of him,” Harry said pointing at the escaped convict.

“Yes,” Black agreed, his face falling losing its manic grin for the first time.

“See,” Harry said pointing at the wizard. “He killed them.”

“No,” Lupin insisted yet again.  “Neville, let me see the rat.

“Huh?” Neville said trying to keep hold of the still panicked rodent.

Lupin let out a tired sigh, “Harry, there is a great deal to explain.  It will all be much easier once you can see properly.”

“Let’s just kill him,” Black snapped.

“No, Sirius,” Lupin said turning back to his friend. “Harry deserves to know the truth, all the of truth.”

Black let out a frustrated growl.  “I’ve waited twelve years.  I want to commit the murder I was convicted of.”

“Sirius, we owe him an explanation,” Lupin reminded him.

“Fine,” Black conceded with another angry huff, “Make it quick.”

“Sirius, you’ll have to explain some of it.  I don’t know the whole story, but it all starts back at Hogwarts.”

“Remus,” Black grumbled.

“They need to understand, that means starting at the beginning.”

“Fine,” Sirius said sinking down onto the bed, sitting as far away from Neville as possible, making sure not to disturb the boy’s injured leg.  Crookshanks happily hopped into the man’s lap, purring loudly as the man stroked behind his tufted orange ears.

“Hermione is correct, I am a werewolf.  That’s where this story begins.” Lupin began. “I was bitten as a small boy.  My family feared I would never be able to attend Hogwarts given my condition.

“My family’s fears were alleviated one afternoon with a visit from Professor Dumbledore.  He promised that I would be able to attend school, like any other normal boy my age. It was a dream I never thought I would be able to achieve.  But something I always wished to do.

“I boarded the train as an eleven-year-old boy and was Sorted into Gryffindor. There I made my first friends, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and your dad,” Remus said gesturing to the boy, “James Potter.  Now like you Hermione, they couldn’t help noticing how I kept disappearing.  I made excuses, my mother was ill and I had to go visit, that I was sick.  They were some of the most talents youth of our generation.

“Eventually they figured out what was wrong with me.  They confronted me, they wanted to know why I failed to confide in them.  How could I have admitted I was a monster?  Instead of ridiculing me, abandoning me, they did something very different.”

“What?” Harry asked.

“They became Animagi.” Lupin said with a smile, “That was in the days before the Wolfsbane Potion, without it I become a vicious beast, I used to bite and scratch myself since I had no people to attack. I couldn’t be around people but I could be around other animals.

“It took them the better four years to figure out how to do it. By fifth year all three were able to transform successfully.  Sirius became the great black dog, Peter a rat…”

“What was my dad?” Harry asked excitedly.

“Hurry it up,” Black barked watching the squirming rat.

There was another creak of the stairs.

“This place is haunted.  Gran always said it was haunted,” Neville said looking at the door toward the stairs.

“Augusta isn’t always right,” Lupin said with a soft chuckle.

“I wouldn’t tell her that,” Neville said uneasily.

“I wouldn’t either,” Lupin agreed. “But the screams that people used to hear weren’t violent ghosts, they were me.  It was me attacking myself since I had no other source of prey.  That was before my friends were able to join me. Now in our fifth year, once they were able to complete their transformations they joined me here in the Shrieking Shack.  Being in their presence calmed my mind.

“It wasn’t long before we out the beast’s energy to use.  We explored the castle and grounds on the full moon.  I’m certain no one has come to know Hogwarts as well as the four of us.  We used this knowledge to create the Marauder’s Map.  We even signed it with our nicknames. I was Moony, Sirius was Padfoot, Peter was Wormtail…”

“My dad was Prongs,” Harry finished.

“Yes,” Black and Lupin agreed.  “After graduation, we all joined the Order of the Phoenix, fighting against Voldemort.  But we were betrayed.”

“By him,” Harry said once more pointing at Black.

Snape lifted the cloak, revealing himself to the ensemble.

“Severus,” Lupin said surprised.  “How did you know we were here?”

“I came to bring you your potion this evening when I saw you left your map open on your desk.  I saw you rushing to join Potter.  And now I have proof for what I have been saying. I repeatedly told Dumbledore you couldn’t be trusted.”

“Same as always, Snivellus. Has all the facts and draws the wrong conclusion,” Black goaded.  “Why don’t you go back to your dungeon and play with your chemistry set?”

“Sir,” Harry said stepping closer to the Potions Master.  “I want to hear what they have to say.”

“They’re lying, Potter.  They’re both mad.  Pettigrew is dead.”  Snape said dismissing him.

“Oh yes, you would know,” Black needled.  “You were the one kissing Voldemort’s boots, one of his little Death Eaters.”

Harry, Hermione, and Neville gasped in surprise.  They had heard a few times that Neville’s gran didn’t trust Snape, but they always thought it was only a rumor Snape was a Death Eater.  This was the first time they had ever heard someone make the accusation directly.

“Yes, like your dear little brother,” Snape snapped back. “How did it work out for poor little Regulus?”

Black lunged toward Snape but Harry jumped between them.

“This scum...” Black began.

“I’m not the one that betrayed Lily and Potter,” Snape hissed.

“Neither did I,” Black replied.

“Then who did?” Snape demanded.

“It was Peter,” Black told them.

“Sirius, you’ll have to explain.  Even I don’t understand this part.”

“Lily and James wanted to make me Secret Keeper,” Sirius reminded them. “I was to go into hiding as well.  But at the last minute, I begged Lily and James to pick someone else.  I begged them to make Peter the Secret-Keeper instead.  I never thought he would betray them.  Who would ever suspect poor, talentless Peter?  Then I heard of the attacks.”

“And you killed Pettigrew the day after the Potters were killed,” Snape continued.

“I wanted to,” Black admitted.  “I tried, but he got away from me.  Not before he started yelling for the whole street to hear how I betrayed Lily and James.  He blew the street half apart.  He must have transformed.”

“They found parts of him,” Snape countered.

“A finger, Snape.  Look at the rat, it’s missing a toe,” Sirius pointed out.  

The Potion Master stepped closer to Neville.  “Let me see the rat, boy.”

Remus said with an exasperated sigh, “Here Neville, hand me that rat.”

Neville did so reluctantly.  It squirmed and fought even harder in the werewolf’s hands, clearly distressed. “If the rat is who we think it is, this won’t hurt him.  If he’s not, if he’s not just Scabbers, this spell will show us who he truly is.  Severus, if you would be so kind as to help me.”

Snape gave a terse nod.  

“On the count of three?” Lupin purposed to receive another nod. “One… Two… Three…”

The teens watched spellbound as the professors cast their charm.  At first, it didn’t seem to do anything, then suddenly, the rat’s small body began to expand.  The body lengthened and stretched wider, the features still rodent-like, but clearly a human face and body.

“It’s true,” Snape said stunned.

“What you don’t know who else are under those robes?  Too busy kissing Voldemort’s boots?” Sirius said to Snape.

Snape glared at Black in response.

“Remus… Sirius…my old friends…” Pettigrew stammered finally gather enough wits to speak.

“Shut up,” Black snapped.

Pettigrew flinched away from the convict.

“Hello Peter,” Lupin said more civilly than Harry could have managed.  

“Remus…” Pettigrew stammered.  “You have to protect me.  Sirius… he wants to kill me…”

“And I will,” Black promised.

Lupin glared at his friend, “That’s not going to help, Sirius.”

Black only shrugged in response.  

“So good of you to join us, Peter.  Sirius won’t hurt you...yet.  We all have some questions we would like to have answered before that happens,” Lupin said lightly.  

Pettigrew whimpered in fear.  

“Was that really the best thing for you to say, Lupin?” Snape asked ignoring the cowering man in the corner.

“Really Severus?” Lupin asked frowning, “I thought you were a fan of the direct approach?”

“When dealing with misbehaving students perhaps.  When trying to retrieve information from traitors and cowards, I find a more subtle approach tends to work better.”  Snape said coolly.  

“Have a lot of experience with that, Snivellus?” Black said glaring at the Potions Master once again.   

“Professor,” Hermione asked nervously.

Snape and Lupin both looked at the girl expectantly.  

“Well, this man, Peter, if he wanted to hurt Harry, why hasn’t he done it over the last three years.  He’s been sleeping in Harry’s dormitory the whole time.  Harry’s even spent time at the Weasleys during the summer.  He could have acted at any time.”

“Yes,” Pettigrew squeaked, “Exactly. Clever girl.”

“He’s a coward,” growled Black.

“Sirius,” Lupin chided.  

“It’s the truth, Remus.  The little traitor didn’t come forward because he wasn’t going to stick his neck out.  Why do you think he found a wizard family to live with for the last twelve years?  So he could make a move if he heard anything about his little Death Eater buddies.”

“Not true,” Pettigrew mumbled.

“Not true,” Black growled, “Who else could it have been?  You were the Secret Keeper! You turned Lily and James over to Voldemort! For what?”

“What else could I do,” Pettigrew moaned.  “He would have killed me.”

“Then you should have died!  Like James and Lily would have done for us.” Black snapped.

Remus sighed, “He’s right, Peter.  You should have realized, if Voldemort didn’t kill you, we would.”

In an awkward silent exchange, Snape handed his wand to the escaped convict.

“NOOOO!!!!,” Pettigrew pleaded.

Remus raised his wand, Black held Snape’s black wand in his hand, testing the feel of it.

“Wait!” Harry said stepping forward.

“Harry, this scum is the reason you don’t have parents,” Black reminded him.

“I know,” Harry said looking at the trembling coward.  “But I figure my dad wouldn’t want his two best friends to become killers for this rat.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Pettigrew said throwing himself at Harry.

Black kicked him back.  “Don’t you dare touch that boy!”

“Potter has a point,” Snape said speaking up once more.  “Killing Pettigrew, though I am sure would feel good, but would accomplish little in terms of the Ministry.  I doubt you wish to spend the rest of your life on the run, Black.”  

“We should take him to the castle,” Hermione said.  “They can’t continue to hold Mr. Black for a murder if they have the victim.”

“My point exactly Miss. Granger,” Snape said smoothly.  

“Five points to Gryffindor,” Lupin joked, only to receive a glare from Snape.

Lupin grinned shyly, “It’s a reflex.”

Snape rolled his eyes.  Harry and his fellow students watched the exchange bemused.  They had never seen either of their professors behave in such a manner.

“We need to get Peter back to the castle,” Lupin observed.    

“Incarcerous,” Snape said lazily, thick ropes bound and gagged Pettigrew in an instant.

“Peter,” Lupin said his words deadly serious, “If you try to escape this time, we will kill you. That okay, Harry?” The boy in question nodded before the werewolf turned to the other boy.  “Neville, I’m not as good as healing spells as Madam Pomfrey, I’ll bind until we can get to see her,” Lupin said coming inspect the boy still laying on the bed.

“Okay,” Neville said as he watched bandages wrap themselves tightly around his injured leg.  “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Black said giving Neville a hand up to his feet.  “I was going for the rat.”

“It’s okay,” Neville said with a shrug, “I’ve been hurt a lot worse than that.”

“Remus said your grandmother’s name is Augusta.  That wouldn’t be Augusta Longbottom would it?” Black asked.

“Yeah, she is.  Do you know her?” Neville asked standing a bit unsteadily.  

“Only a little, I knew your dad.  He was a couple years ahead of us at Hogwarts.  He put me and James in detention more times than I care to remember,” Black said with a soft chuckle.  “I was sorry to hear about what happened to Frank and Alice.  That is a fate worse than death.”

“Get moving Black, we haven’t got all night,” Snape prodded.

“Come on,” Black said helping Neville lean on him as they made their way out the door.  Neville almost tripped as Crookshanks came around in front of them on the stairs.  They were followed by Harry and Hermione and Snape.  At the end of the group came Lupin hovering the still bound Pettigrew. They made their way down the tunnel Sirius fell back so he was just ahead of Harry.  

“Harry, I didn’t get a chance to say this before, but before your parents died they named me your guardian.  Now that my name will be cleared, you could come and live with me.” Black said too afraid to look the boy in the eyes.

“Come and live with you?” Harry asked shocked.

“I can understand if you don’t want to leave your aunt and uncle’s…” Black began.

“You mean leave the Dursleys?” Harry said excitedly.  “Do you have a house?  When can I move in?”

“You want to come?” Black asked.

“Of course,” Harry agreed.  

“You can come as soon as the term ends then,” Black said the grin on his face was unrecognizable compared to the manic expression that adorned his face before.

“Great,” Harry said, the hope of change overwhelming him.

They completed the crawl down the tunnel in silence.  Harry desperately tried to contain his excitement.  His thoughts raced about what leaving the Dursleys would be like.  He would never have to deal with Dudley again.  Aunt Petunia couldn’t force him to do all the chores.  Uncle Vernon wouldn’t always yell at him to get a haircut.  Better than all of that though, it would be wonderful to have a real place to call home.  A place where he could go and people would actually look forward to his company, something he had never had before.

The strange line of people made their way out of the tunnel.  It was full dark now it would have been hard to navigate the grounds if it were not for the moonlight breaking through the clouds. The moon was full!

Lupin stopped in his tracks his body going rigid.  

“He didn’t take his potion,” Hermione whispered.

“Get back,” Snape ordered.  He pushed the children behind him. Pettigrew fell to the ground as Snape moved to cast whatever spell they might need.
Black changed into the great black dog as Lupin’s features began to lengthen and contort.  His skin erupted into a thick coat of brown fur.  Neville tried to back away from the wolf but tripped over the lump that was Pettigrew.  

“Professor,” Neville cried weakly.

Pettigrew must have transformed to escape his bonds because he now stood behind Neville, the boy’s own wand pointed at his throat.  Snape looked from the menacing werewolf to the boy held at wand point.  

“Potter, Granger, be prepared to run,” Snape said his voice calm as ever.  

Harry and Hermione nodded silently.  Harry pulled Hermione back with him as he slowly backed away as the werewolf padded closer, his sharp teeth exposed, snarling.  He moved closer but was tackled by Black’s great black dog form.  The two began to fight as Snape cast his first spell at Pettigrew.  The man successfully used Neville as a shield.  Pettigrew threw the dead weight of the now unconscious boy to the ground.

The dog and wolf continued to wrestle on the ground biting and scratching.  They broke apart when a spell cast by Pettigrew grazed them.  The wolf ran off to the woods, Snape lay on the ground a wound to his head, not from a spell, but tripping over the uneven surface.  Pettigrew, disarmed at least, had transformed once more and disappeared into the grounds.  Then the cold came.  

“Oh no,” Harry breathed, “It’s Dementors. Sirius run!”

The dog ran off toward the lake, Harry left Hermione left to look after Professor Snape and Neville.  He ran after the dog finding him back huddled in his human form again, sobbing on the lake shore.  The Dementors began to swarm.  Sirius sobbed Harry as they approached.
Harry fought back the screaming.  Sirius was going to be okay. He was going to be fine, Harry was going to live with him. There was the high cold laugh.  “Please, not Harry.” Harry shook his head trying to clear it. “Expecto… Expecto… Expecto Patr... onum…” He shook his head again, “Expecto Patronum!” This time something emerged from his wand, a small shapeless thing.  The Dementor pushed it away without a second thought.  It picked Harry up with one hand, as if he weighed no more than a feather, with the other it lowered its hood.  The face like its hand was dark, rotten looking flesh. There was no proper mouth, just a gaping hole.  Harry would have screamed, but he didn’t have the strength.

A brilliant light came charging at Harry, the Dementor let him go. He hit the ground hard.  There it was, a brilliant silver doe chasing all of the Dementors away.  In its silver light, Harry could make just make out another person across the lake shore.  But it was impossible, it couldn’t be.  His dad was dead, James Potter couldn’t be standing by the lake.  Harry lifted his head to look again, then everything went black…       

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

“That can’t be Dumbledore,” a weary voice said.  

“I assure you it is true, Minister,” Dumbledore said.  

Harry lifted his groggy head. He reached out a hand feeling for his glasses, with them on he could make out the familiar surroundings of the Hospital Wing.  Hermione lay in the bed across from Harry, Neville was still unconscious in the bed next to her.  He didn’t see Sirius, or Professor Snape anywhere though.

“I was there, Minister.  What the Headmaster says occurred did.”  Harry heard locating the voices at the far end of the ward.

“Ahhh, you’re awake,” Madam Pomfrey said bustling around Harry’s bed.  She placed a cool hand on his cold and clammy forehead, looking into his eyes.

“I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore,” Harry said, but he couldn’t continue as the nurse stuck a thermometer in his mouth.  

“But Madam Pomfrey,” Hermione protested getting the same treatment now.

“Dumbledore, they’re children,” Fudge complained.  “They need their rest.”

“Yes,” Madam Pomfrey agreed as she carried over the biggest block of chocolate Harry had ever seen.  She took a small hammer and chisel and started breaking off bits for her patients.  

“Madam Pomfrey, I must insist on having a word with Miss. Granger and Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore said watching as the matron forced huge chunks of chocolate on Harry and Hermione.  

“Sirius didn’t do it,” Harry said around a mouthful of the sweet.

“Pettigrew was there in Shrieking Shack,” Hermione insisted.

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence them.  “You must listen, the Minister has Sirius in the Charms classroom, on the third floor the seventh from the right.  The Minister has summoned the Dementors are coming to perform the Kiss.  There isn’t enough time.  Do you understand Miss Granger,” Dumbledore asked.  

Hermione was already up and out of bed and pulling something from under her robes, “Yes sir.”

“You know the laws, Miss. Granger.  If you do this right, you can save more than one life tonight.  I’m going to lock you in.  It’s ten minutes to midnight.  Miss. Granger, three turns should do it,” Dumbledore said before shutting the door.

“Come on, Harry,” Hermione said pulling him out of bed.

“Hermione, what’s going on? What did he mean three turns,” Harry demanded confusedly as Hermione threw a gold chain over his head.  “What’s that?” He said raising a hand to the charm that Hermione was carefully spinning.  She smacked him away.

Harry stood by fascinated as the world around them seemed to play in reverse.  “What just happened?”

“We went back in time,” Hermione said flatly.  “We’re three hours in the past, where were we then?”

Harry frowned.  

“Come on, Harry, where were we?”

“I don’t know, heading down to Hagrid’s?” Harry said, shrugging.

Hermione grabbed his wrist, “We need to get back down there, but we can’t be seen.”

“Uh okay,” Harry said following Hermione out of the Hospital Wing and down the stairs.

Hermione held him back as they reached the entrance hall, “Wait.” There was the sound of slowly shifting feet.  “Yes, that’s us leaving under the Invisibility Cloak.” She waited until the door closed once more.  “Let’s go now.”

“What’s going on?” Harry demanded.

“We’re back in time, but I don’t understand why now.  Two lives, what did Professor Dumbledore mean?” Hermione asked. “We were going down to Hagrid’s….”

“Buckbeak,” Harry said.  “We were going down to visit Hagrid before they killed Buckbeak.  Do you think he wants us to save Buckbeak?”

Hermione smacked her forehead, “Of course.”

The pair ran down the grounds, instead of crossing straight down the lawn like they did before they crossed by the greenhouses and on the edge of the forest.  The two were finally down to the hut.  

“Harry,” Hermione said taking a seat in the woods behind the cabin.  Harry looked back to his friend. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to do this?”

“We untie Buckbeak and then use him to free Sirius and they escape together,” Harry said finally.  

“I know that,” Hermione sighed, “but Harry, there’s all sorts of history filled with wizards who went back in time and tried to change things. Sometimes they killed their future selves because they didn’t understand what was happening.”

“We’ll be careful, Hermione,”  Harry promised.  “We need to untie Buckbeak.”

“Not yet, we have to wait until the Ministry officials see  him, or they’ll think Hagrid let him go.”  The two waited anxiously for the time to pass.  The backdoor opened and Buckbeak tossed his head sensing the presence of the three under the cloak.  There were voices in the cabin. They saw the ancient wizard look out to see that Buckbeak was tied up outside.

“Now,” Harry said.  He carefully repeated all the steps Hagrid taught them on how to handle the hippogriff.  When the creature sunk to his knees he was able to get him untied.  Harry lead him into the woods.  Dumbledore and the Ministry officials came out to find nothing.  The Minister wanted to organize the search of the grounds, but Dumbledore pointed out that it would be pointless with an animal that can fly.  ‘

Harry and Hermione moved closer to the tunnel so they can see when they emerged hours later.  They sat there in uncomfortable silence to for long moments before Harry finally broke it.  

“Hermione,” Harry said uneasily.  

“What Harry,” she said as Buckbeak dug at the ground looking for worms.

“I know this is impossible, but I think I saw my dad tonight,”  Harry said not looking at his friend.

“Harry, I’m sorry...But Harry, your dad is dead.” Hermione said sadly.

“I know,” Harry said.  “But I saw him across the lake when those Dementors were all around us he was across the lake from us.  He’s the one that made them all go away.”

“Harry…” Hermione said softly.

Harry sighed, “Fine, I know.”  

The silence returned as Harry gave up arguing with Hermione.  They had to move again when the wolf would have come running right at them.  Harry slipped away when they moved, leaving Hermione with Buckbeak. He ran to the lake trying, waiting to see his dad.  The Dementors were swarming. He was going to be Kissed.  Then it hit him, he was the one that cast the spell.

“Expecto Patronum!” Harry cried as the silver stag erupted from his wand chasing all the  Dementors away.

“Oh my! What did you do Harry!” Hermione yelled running toward Harry as she dragged a reluctant Buckbeak behind her.

“It’s fine, Hermione.” He reassured her.  “It was me, not my dad.  I knew I could do it this time since I already did it.”

The two watched as Professor Dumbledore came back up the grounds from Hagrid’s.  He conjured stretchers and carried the four unconscious people up to the castle Hermione following timidly behind him.  They saw a silver bird, possibly a Patronus sore over the grounds and down toward the village.  They watched as Fudge returned to the castle several minutes later.  We need to get moving.”

“Okay,” Harry said climbing aboard the back of the hippogriff.  He put his hand out down for Hermione to climb on behind him. Harry put his heels and Buckbeak took off.  

“I really don’t like this,” Hermione said squeezing tightly around Harry’s middle.  

“I know,” Harry said trying to count windows.  They stopped in front of the right window,  Buckbeak raising and lowering by several feet to the beating of his great wings.  Hermione removed her wand and magically unlocked the window.

“What’s going on?”  Sirius asked.  

“Get on,” Harry encouraged.  

The three of them flew up to the top of the Astronomy Tower.  Harry and Hermione slid off the hippogriff’s back.  “We have ten minutes, Harry.”

Harry nodded.  

“Hermione,” Sirius said in a low voice, “You really are the cleverest witch of your age.”

Hermione smiled shyly.     

“Harry, you really are your father’s son,”   Sirius said pulling the boy into a hug.  “We’ll see each other again.  Don’t worry.”

Harry nodded.  

“Harry, we’ve got to go,” Hermione said tugging on Harry’s sleeve.  Harry watch and his godfather flew off on the back of the fugitive hippogriff.   They arrived at the doors to the Hospital Wing breathless just as Dumbledore was locking them.

“Did you do it?” Dumbledore asked.  

“Sirius just left on Buckbeak,” Harry said.

Dumbledore listened to the door for a moment, “Yes, I think you’ve gone.”  He opened the door again, letting Harry and Hermione returned to their beds.  

They slipped under the covers and didn’t care when an annoyed rather Madam Pomfrey shoveled chocolate on them.  The Minister of Magic came down a little while later to inform Harry he was very sorry that Black had somehow managed to escape.  He also informed Harry that Dumbledore would no longer allow the Dementors to be stationed around the school. The Minister hoped Harry didn’t blame him for any of these mistakes.  Harry just shrugged it off.  

Madam Pomfrey released the three of them from the Hospital Wing the next day after lunch.  They headed out to the grounds to enjoy the early summer weather.  

“Hello Hagrid,” Harry said as the giant’s shadow fell over the three as they sat on the lake shore, beside the oak tree they rest under the day before.

“Yeh heard abou’ Buckbeak?” Hagrid said, his grin barely contained the grin on his scruffy face.

“No,” Harry said trying to sound innocent.

“He escaped,” Hagrid said proudly.  “I always knew he was a clear hippogriff.  He escaped under the Ministry’s nose.  He was there one minute and gone before McNair could chop his head off.”

“Wow,” Hermione said trying to feign surprise. “How could he have done that?”

“I dunno, he mustn’ta tied him up well enough,” Hagrid said.  “I was just going to take this up to Professor Lupin before he leaves.”

“Where’s he going?” Harry asked sitting up.

“Dunno, but he resigned this mornin’ didn’ he?” Hagrid said with a shrug.

“What!” All three of the Gryffindors exclaimed.

“He gave his letter to Professor Dumbledore this mornin’.  O’ course he didn’ have much choice with not takin’ his potion last night.  Didn’ want to put the students in more danger,” Hagrid said, but then stopped.  “I shouldn’ta said that. I shouldn’ta said that.”

“When’s he leaving?” Harry asked.

“Right soon, I expect.”

“I’m going to go up and see him,”  Harry said getting to his feet.

“Do you want us to come?” Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head.

“Okay,” Neville said, “we’ll be here when you’re done.”

“Thanks, guy,” Harry said sprinting off to the castle.

“Hello Harry,” Lupin greeted him a few moments later, not even looking at the door as Harry entered.

“How did you…” Harry began.

“I saw you coming,” Lupin said gesturing to the map laid open on his desk.

“Right,” Harry acknowledged with a sheepish grin.  “Hagrid said you’re leaving.”

“Yes,” Lupin said.

“Why you’re the best Defense professor we’ve ever had,” Harry argued.

Lupin shook his head.  “I put you all in danger last night.  We were incredibly lucky that none of you were hurt or worse last night.  No, I can’t put you in that sort of danger again.”

Harry shook his head.

“How about you tell me about your Patronus?”  Lupin said trying to raise the boy’s spirits.

“Dumbledore?” Harry asked.

“Who else?” Lupin said.

Harry recounted the entire encounter from the time Remus ran into the woods.  Harry described the doe Patronus in great detail.

“It’s interesting.  James was always a stag when he transformed, his Patronus as well." Lupin said with a sad smile. “It was your mother’s Patronus that was a doe.”

“Lupin, the headmaster wishes you to know your carriage is here,” Snape said coming into the room.

“Thank you, Severus,” Lupin said with a nod. He placed one last thing in his case before closing the lid on the worn leather case. He looked around the room once more, “I think that’s everything.” He stepped closer to Harry, “It was great getting to know you over this year, Harry.  You truly are James and Lily’s, son.”  He then pulled the boy into a tight embrace.

“Thanks, sir,” Harry said as they broke apart.

“Call me, Remus.  I’m not your professor any longer,” Remus said clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“Okay,” Harry agreed.  “Do you want any help carrying your stuff down?”

Remus shook his head.  “I’ll only take a few things with me.  The others will be sent on in a few days.”

Harry nodded as he watched his former professor collect his battered briefcase in one hand and slip the tank that once held the grindylow under the other.

“Severus,” Remus said politely as he departed.  The Potions Master holding the door open for his departing colleague.

Harry watched the ex-Defense instructor leave, his spirits that had been high since Sirius’ successful escape falling through the floor.

“What’s the matter, Potter?” Snape said taking in the features of the disheartened boy.

“Everything we did last night doesn’t matter,” Harry sulked.

“I would tend to disagree,” Snape said after a moment.

“I’m still stuck leaving with the Dursleys, everyone still thinks Sirius killed all those people and has to stay in hiding and…and Pettigrew got away and he’s going to go off and join Voldemort.” Harry finally concluded.

“Yes,” Snape agreed. “That is all true.  But you saved two lives last night, Harry.  If it were not to the Headmaster sending you and Granger back both Black and the hippogriff would have lost their lives for little reason.  And even if Black had been acquitted, there was no way the Professor Dumbledore would have allowed to live with him.” Snape said observing the downtrodden teen.

Harry looked up at the man, his head cocked to one side.  “Why not?  He’s my godfather.”

“Preciously,” Snape said, “Black is not a blood relative.  Therefore, living with him will not offer you the protection residing with Petunia does.  You must call Privet Drive home, at least until you come of age.”

“That’s not home,” Harry countered, “It has never been.  Hogwarts was the first home I’ve ever.”   

“You are not the only one to call this castle home, Harry,” Snape said. “I know how unpleasant it can be to have to go back to a home where you are unwanted.  But you have an advantage I never had.”

Harry’s head shot up surprised, “What’s that?”

“I will leave that to you to figure out,” Snape said snarkily.  “Even a foolhardy Gryffindor should be able to come to the logical conclusion.”

With that, he turned on his heel and left the confused teen standing an almost bare classroom.

It was the last morning of the term.  The Gryffindors had stayed up late celebrating their winning of the House Cup once again.  The train would be leaving for London in a few short hours, students were drifting in to eat breakfast while others finished collecting and packing their belongings.  Harry and Neville had finished their packing before coming down to breakfast.  They were sitting at the Gryffindor table playing a game of chess as Hedwig came floating down from the high windows in the Great Hall.

“Hi girl,” Harry said running a hand down her chest feathers.

“Who’s that from?” Neville asked.

“I’m not sure,” Harry said handing a scrap of bacon to the owl.  Harry tore open the envelope and moved a note along with a familiar piece of parchment.  

The note read:

     
 Harry,

I didn’t think Severus would appreciate me giving this to you in front of him.  Still, as I am no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt returning this to you.  Put it to good use and try not to let Severus know you have it back. You would make your parents proud.

Until we see each other again,
Remus

There was a smaller envelope tucked inside the envelope with the map.  Harry opened it curiously.

          
Harry,

I’m sorry I never got to tell you that I was the one to send you the Firebolt at Christmas.  I ordered it and told them to withdraw the gold from my vault.  I never meant to frighten you that night in Surrey or during your game.  I only wished to see you.  You fly just like your father.

Sirius

“Hermione is never going to let you forget she was right about that,” Neville said moving his knight to check Harry’s king.

Harry shrugged but knew his friend was probably right. There was a second note as well.

I, Sirius Black, being Harry’s godfather do hereby grant him permission to visit the village of Hogsmeade on designated weekends,
Sirius Black

 

“Do you think that will work?”  Neville asked.

Harry grinned, “It’ll probably good enough for Dumbledore.  I don’t think Snape will like it too much though.”

The train ride back to London was uneventful Fred and George stopped by and all of them discussing their plans for the summer.  Hermione’s family was going to spend a week in Majorca.  Neville was off to see his Great Uncle Algie and Great Aunt Enid for several weeks.  Harry was certain the Dursleys didn’t have anything exciting plan, and if they did, he wasn’t going. Fred and George hoped their dad could be able to get tickets for the Quidditch Cup that summer if he did they would make sure he could ones of Harry and Hermione.  Neville said not to bother, there was no way his gran would let him go.

The closer they train got to London the quitter Harry got.

“Are you alright mate?” George asked.

“Fine,” Harry said unconvincingly.

Hermione waited until the twins left to ask, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Harry reassured.  “I’m just worried about Sirius.”

Hermione nodded.  “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“At least now you know he’s not trying to kill you,” Neville pointed out.

“Right,” Harry agreed, “but the Dursleys don’t.”

Neville and Hermione looked at each other.

“Harry,” Hermione asked.

A wicked grin spread across Harry’s face, “Don’t worry Hermione, I won’t do anything against the rules.  My aunt and uncle might just be surprised to hear I have a godfather that’s a convicted murder.”  Then added to himself, “That’s what Snape meant.”

Harry was expecting his family to be surprised by the news of him having a godfather.  It was nothing to rival Harry’s own as Sirius and Remus stood on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters waiting for Harry to arrive.

“What are you doing here?” Harry demanded as Sirius pulled him into a hug.  “What about the Ministry aren’t they still looking for you?”  

“I’ve been cleared.  With what you, Remus, Dumbledore and even Snivellus had to say convinced Fudge to let me off,” Sirius explained.

“Really?” Harry asked.  

“Yep,” Sirius confirmed. “Even Fudge couldn’t argue against that amount of testimony.”

"But Professor Snape..." Harry began.  
Sirius dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it, Harry.  Snivellus doesn't know what he's talking about." 

Harry’s goodbyes to his family were short, but not very sweet.  Uncle Vernon said something along the lines, “Good riddance to bad rubbish.”  Aunt Petunia only shook Harry’s hand stiffly.  With this sort of greeting at the station, this summer looked like it was going to be much better than the last.  It was easy to push aside the worry and fear Pettigrew’s escape might mean… at least for a little while.

Harry sat up in his cot in Ron's room at the Burrow. His face and back were drenched in a cold sweat. He rubbed gently at the scar on his forehead that still ached. Harry was worried about that, his scar had only hurt like this once before when he was in the presence of Lord Voldemort.

Mr. Weasley had gotten the tickets for the Quidditch World Cup through a friend at work. He had offered to get ones for Sirius and Remus, but being so close to the full moon, Remus didn't think he would be up to it. Sirius wanted to make sure his friend was okay, so was staying behind as well. Harry was excited to attend his first professional Quidditch match, even if his guardians weren't coming with him. Hermione would be joining them later that week to go to the match too. Though Quidditch was not really her favorite thing, Hermione could not pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Hermione wasn't the only one coming in for the game. Bill, the oldest Weasley child was coming all the way from Egypt. He was supposed to arrive the day before the match.
Harry climbed out of bed and padded down the three flights of stairs to the kitchen, not wanting to wake Ron up. He found some parchment and quill and scratched out a letter to his godfather.

Dear Sirius,
I hope you and Remus are doing okay after the full moon. How was it? I had a weird sort of dream last night. I woke up with my scar hurting. That’s only ever happened once before when You-Know-Who was there. He can't be anywhere here now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterward?
Harry

He folded it up and placed Sirius name on the front.
Harry had come to visit the Weasley because of the full moon. Remus didn't want Harry around during his transformation. Harry could understand his friend's unease with his presence, having seen it once. Snape made Remus the Wolfsbane Potion, but for everyone's peace of mind Harry came to the Burrow early.

On the second piece of parchment, he started another letter this one to Professor Snape. Harry wasn't sure how to write this letter. It was even harder to write than the first one. Harry didn't want to worry his teacher but the man always made it clear if Harry needed someone to talk to he was available. Harry rubbed the quill on his chin trying to figure out what to write.

Dear Professor Snape,
I hope you're having a good summer. Last night I had a weird sort of dream. I woke up with my scar still hurting. It's weird since the only time that's happened was when I faced Quirrell.
I'm okay. I'm at the Burrow because of Remus' transformation. We're going to the Quidditch Cup at the end of the week. I'm really excited. This is my first time seeing a professional Quidditch match.
Harry

He frowned as he read his letter through once more. He wasn't sure if he should send this to his professor. Professor Snape had always looked out for Harry, but that was before Harry had his godfather. Then again, the man had stopped Harry on his way down to the train to tell him if he needed anything this summer, even if it was only someone sane to play chess with, not to be afraid to reach out. Harry wasn't sure what he meant by that, or why he thought Sirius might not take care of him.
There was a creak on the stairs as someone else came down them. Harry looked up to see Mrs. Weasley still dressed in a fuzzy pink bathrobe. She smiled at Harry.

"Good morning dear, you're up early. Did you sleep alright? Ron's snoring didn't wake you did it?" She asked as she started pulling out pans and ingredients for breakfast.

"No, I slept fine. Ron's snoring isn't as bad as Neville's. I just err... Had.... Err would it be okay if I borrowed Errol?" Harry asked nervously.

"What about Hedwig dear," she asked, not exactly as no, but a way to get more information.

"Er...I need to send two letters," Harry hesitated.

"Is everything alright dear?" She asked Harry could tell her overprotective mother-side was starting to show.

"No...Yes... I'm fine...I just wanted to see how Remus was doing after the full moon."

"You don't have to owl for that you could Floo call Sirius anytime you like," Molly said sitting down with a cup of coffee.
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to bother them."

"And the second owl?" Mrs. Weasley pressed.

"Oh...uhhh... The Dursleys."

Mrs. Weasley's eyebrows disappeared into her fiery red hair. "Your Muggle family? I didn't think you got on from what Ron and the twins have to say."

Harry shrugged, "I just feel like they should know I'm alive and doing okay with Sirius."

"That's very sweet of you if that's the case," Mrs. Weasley said taking a sip of coffee. "Of course, you may use Errol, Harry dear."

"Thanks," Harry said folding up the second letter.

"Use Errol for your letter to Sirius, Remus lives much closer than the Muggles," Mrs. Weasley requested as she went back to bustling about making breakfast.

Harry nodded and secured each letter to the appropriate owl. He watched as they disappeared into the horizon. He had no idea how long it would take for either of them to respond, he hoped it was soon.

Harry pushed aside his worries as the as faded and they played a pickup game of Quidditch out in the apple orchard. It wasn't as nice as flying out at Remus' house where there was no one around for miles but it was always good to be in the air.
There were some advantages to being at the Burrow. He didn’t have to worry about Sirius having swapped the sugar in his tea for salt or disappearing half his socks, forcing him to wear mismatching socks.

The next few days were passed playing Quidditch and discussing who was going to win. The match was between Ireland and Bulgaria. England had done embarrassingly badly in the early matches. Bill argued through most of dinner about which had a better team. Fred and George said Ireland, but they did like Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.

Hedwig returned as they were just shuffling off to bed.

"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked as Harry anxiously opened his letter.

"It's fine," he reassured her.

He hung back on the bottom floor so he could read his letter in peace. He didn't want her asking questions about why he was writing letters to the surly Potions instructor. Harry wasn't sure what he expected it to say. He was pretty sure it wasn't like this.

Potter,
You dolt. Inform me the instant this happens again. Do not use your owl, she is too easily recognized.
SS

Harry read through the letter once more. The professor started off by insulting him, that was never good. Harry didn't know exactly what he did to deserve it though.

Sirius' own letter arrived the next morning, before dawn.

Harry,
I don't think you should worry too much about it. We've had a bit of a talk with Dumbledore. He wants to know if it happens again. Have fun at the match,
Sirius

Harry read the letter in the early morning light as they walked up the hill. They had to walk a few miles so they could catch a Portkey to where the match was being held. They were met by another Ministry employee and his son. They all knew the teen, Cedric Diggory. The twins still hadn't forgiven him for beating the Gryffindor team in Quidditch last year.

Harry discovered he didn't care for the sensation of using a Portkey, like a hook pulling you by the navel. So far, the only way Harry liked traveling was on his broom. It's too bad he wasn't able to do that everywhere.

The Dursleys never went camping, they hated nature, so why would they? That meant Harry had never been camping, even if he had, it would not have prepared him for this trip. Mr. Weasley borrowed a tent from the other wizard in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Though it looked like a normal Muggle family tent, it three rooms, a stove, and multiple sets of bunk beds. Harry could forgive for smelling of cats for these comforts, not that Mr. Weasley wanted to use them. He insisted on doing things the Muggle way that took three times as long and would have taken longer if Hermione wasn't an experienced camper.

Harry and Ron were sent to get water and ran across a number of people they went to school with, including Seamus and Dean. Oliver Wood stopped them, introducing Harry to his father and let Harry known he had been picked to play professionally for Puddlemere United. They also ran across the Lovegoods.

Luna had been outside collecting some sort of root to make tea. Ron had done their best to avoid her, he thought she was weird. Luna and her father lived a little ways away from the Burrow and would occasionally visit the Weasleys for dinner.

Harry told Ron about his encountered with Luna last year. Ron looked at him as he too was mad. Why would he believe Harry there were invisible horses that pulled the carriages? Harry didn't want to at first, it was only running into Luna that convinced him he wasn't crazy.

The night before the match was filled with excitement. The Irish fans were celebrating raucously. The Ministry officials in duty had to make sure no magic was been by the Muggles. When the Muggles did notice anything they would have to perform memory charms to make them forget their questions.

The match itself was wonderful. Mr. Weasley's friend that got him the tickets, Ludo Bagman, was a retired professional Beater who once even played for the English national team, and was the commentator for the match. The tickets he gave Mr. Weasley were for the skybox, premier seating, with the two countries Prime Ministers and other high-ranking officials, Percy's boss, Mr. Crouch being one of them. They never saw Mr. Crouch during the match, but his house-elf, Winky, was there holding his seat. Harry wished he had, then it would have been him, not Draco Malfoy sitting behind him.

The game which could have gone on weeks if no one managed to catch the Snitch was short in comparison. Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker caught the Snitch within the first several hours. But it wasn't enough to save the match for his team, Ireland was too far ahead. The twins did win their very handsome bet with Mr. Bagman though.

They all walked back to the tent to excited into sleep. Even if they wanted to, there was no way to, not with the noise coming from the victorious Irish fans. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys stayed up late reliving the game until Ginny collapsed into her cup of hot cocoa. They woke up to screaming a few hours later.

"Oh, those Irish," George complained grabbing his coat and sliding it over his pajamas.

Harry rubbed his own eyes, his glasses on askew.

"Dad," Bill sticking his head out the door.

"What is it, Bill?" Mr. Weasley said coming to stand beside his oldest child.

People were running by the tent, screaming. They could see smoke rising from a nearby tent. The campground host and his family were suspended in the air. The wife spun upside down silently screaming.

"I need to go help," Mr. Weasley said grabbing his wand.

"We'll come with you," Bill said.

Mr. Weasley nodded, "You lot, go into the woods. Stay together.
We'll come and get you when it's safe."

The six of them that were underage headed into the forest trying to find a safe place to wait. They lost Ron and Ginny in the confusion. Harry tripped painfully over a clump of roots. It was at that point they thought to use Lumos to light the end of their wands. Harry patted his pockets trying to locate his wand, it was missing.

A green cloud appeared in the sky above to crowd, it took the shape of a skull and snake. People suddenly appeared all around them, Stunning Spells electrifying the air. Harry narrowly missed being hit by one.

Mr. Crouch demanded to know about who cast the spell. None of them knew it sounded like a man from behind the bushes. He disappeared behind them to investigate, but returned only with his Stunned house elf. Hermione was horrified to see the man fire her, even after all four of the children who heard the spell cast assured him that there was no way it was a house elf who did it. Harry was horrified to learn that his stolen wand was the one to cast the mark of Voldemort.

Mr. Weasley was able to use his Ministry connections to get them back to the Burrow early the next morning. Sirius and Remus were already there waiting when Harry and the others arrived back. They barely let him say goodbye Apparating back to Remus' house.

Sirius pulled his godson into a tight hug before demanding,

"What the Hell happened?"

"I don't know," Harry said sleepily.

"The Dark Mark was cast over the site?" Sirius demanded.
Harry frowned.

"You've seen the pictures, Padfoot, you know it was." Remus handing his friend a cup of tea. Maybe that would calm the man's nerves, at least.

Sirius ran an agitated hand through his hair.

"What's the Dark Mark?" Harry asked sipping his own tea.

"It was what Death Eaters would leave at the locations of their attacks," Remus explained calmly.

"Mr. Crouch was really upset by it, more than any of the other people," Harry told them.

"He would be," Sirius grumbled. "He'd know all about who would cast that."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"His son was a Death Eater, one of the worst," Sirius said slamming his mug onto the table.

"Is that why he was so mad to see it? He accused me of casting it," Harry informed his guardians.

"He never did have any sense," Sirius snapped. "Of course, that's why he was angry. His idiot son ruined his chance to be Minister of Magic"

"Harry," Remus said drawing them all back to the present. "We are going to have to be very careful in the future. If Death Eaters are willing to come out and commit these sorts of attacks, there is nothing say they will not do worse. And with Sybil's prophecy..."

"You think Voldemort is coming back soon?" Harry asked.

"It is possible. We need to be prepared," Remus told him honestly.

"Okay," Harry reluctantly agreed. He let out a loud yawn and was promptly sent back upstairs for a nap. He woke several hours to the sound of raised voices, Sirius and Professor Snape.

Harry shoved his glasses back on and rushed downstairs. He didn't want them to start cursing each other in Remus' kitchen if he could help it.

"How dare you, you slimy git?" Sirius yelled at Snape.

"Hit a little too close to home, Black?" Snape jabbed back his wand in his hand.

"Stop it!" Harry demanded, bursting into the room.

"Potter, polite as ever," Snape remarked as he lowered his wand.

Sirius did the same. "Snape wanted to speak to you. The git wouldn't listen when we said you were asleep."

"That's not what you said," Snape refuted.

"Sirius, Severus," Remus pleaded.

Snape nodded to the werewolf, it took another long moment before the Animagus did the same.

"Now that you are awake Potter, we must have a word," Snape said gesturing toward the table.

"Right now?" asked Harry.

"You may not realize this, Potter, but the world does not revolve around you. Other people have things they need to accomplish." Snape said snidely.

Harry rolled his eyes, "I know that. That's why I figured you might need to do those things."

Snape shook his head, "No, the Headmaster thought it was best to have this conversation as soon as possible, and I would tend to agree."

"Is this about what happened at the match?" Harry asked.

"In part, it also reflects what happened in the spring and Pettigrew's escape," Snape elaborated.

"Oh," Harry said as he looked down at his twinned fingers on the table top.

"If Trelawney was correct in her prediction, the Dark Lord will return sometime in the future with the assistance of Pettigrew. It is impossible for us to know exactly when. We must be prepared for it."

"That's what Remus said," Harry said.

"Yes, well the wolf does some sort of sense," Snape admitted.

"Don't call him that," Harry chastised.

"My apologies," Snape said, not totally insincere. "Potter, if the Death Eaters are willing to make such a public display at a high-profile event, such as the World Cup, they must be hearing things." The man rubbed uncomfortably at his covered wrist.

Harry frowned watching the action. The boy had never seen the Potion Master look so uncomfortable. The usually stoic face was clearly frustrated.

"So what does this mean?" Harry asked.

"It is unclear. It is probable I will have to... In the future, I may not be as available to you." Snape said.

Harry shook his head, "I don't understand."

"For both our safety, Harry, I will have to distance myself," Snape explained. "It would not be good for certain individuals to know of our relationship."

"Like Malfoy?" Harry suggested.

"Yes," Snape confirmed, "but there will be others."

"Who?"

"No other students know of this yet," Snape began.

"I won't tell," Harry promised.

"I wouldn't care if you did, Potter. I simply think you must have all the perennate information. The school will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. There will be students and teachers from two other schools in the castle much of the year. We must be careful around them," Snape explained.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"We simply must," Snape said exasperatedly.

"Is it because they're foreign?"

"No," Snape said rolling his eyes. "It is because there is no way to know if the Dark Lord has already infiltrated these schools."

"Okay," Harry agreed reluctantly.

Snape nodded, "I will see you September first, Potter."

"Yes sir," Harry said getting to his feet.

Snape did so as well, "Be sure to inform me if you have another of this dreams that make your scar ache."

"Yes sir," Harry did again. He walked the man out of the house and into the backyard.

Harry spent the rest of his holiday at home working on his neglected summer homework. Remus made sure it was completed to a satisfactory level, not rushed through like what Ron and many others seemed to turn in.

Before they knew it was already September first. Sirius pushed Harry's cart for him as they walked through King's Cross Station. It was great having people with him to see him off that would actually miss him when he was gone, he'd never had that with the Dursleys. Little things like that still caught him off guard sometimes. Harry grinned up at Remus who walked beside him. This was going to be his best year ever at Hogwarts, he was certain, nevermind what Snape said about having to watch out for Death Eaters and all that. He had a family, or at least something close to it. It was his, not just hanging on like what he did at the Dursleys, or even the Weasleys.

Sirius ran full speed at the pillar that led to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, barely looking to see if any Muggles were watching.

Remus shook his head, "Somethings never change."

Harry and Remus casually leaned against the barrier before tipping onto their destination platform. The Hogwarts Express fiery red engine gleamed in the sun. The platform was placed with families saying goodbye to their children. Owls hooted in their cages, voices raised causing the commotion of friends seeing each other for the first time in months.

Remus and Harry caught up with Sirius halfway down the train. He was talking to Mr. Weasley. The luggage trolley was already empty, so he must have already picked a compartment for Harry. He didn't mind at all.

It felt strange, to him. He was excited to start his fourth year at Hogwarts, but he was sad too. He had finally settled into a pattern at home. He would miss seeing Remus in the morning as he made breakfast for everyone. Harry chose to make them, not because he had to, but he wanted to, unlike at the Dursleys when Aunt Petunia woke him every morning by banging on his door to get him started on everyone's meals. He would miss talking the latest Quidditch standings with Sirius. It was all so normal.

Now he was heading off back to school, a year that promised to more dangerous from the start if Professor Snape was to be believed. Harry had never gone wrong trusting the man's judgment but he wondered if Sirius wasn't concerned as the Potions Master. Maybe, it was just their contempt for each other that prevented them from agreeing. Harry just knew he needed them both in his life.

"Ahhh...Harry, there you are," Mr. Weasley said clapping Harry on the shoulder.

Harry smiled at him.

"Sirius was just telling me about your last week back at home. He said you tried your hand at the Wronski Feint," Mr. Weasley said with a chuckle.

"I thought Moony might go into heart failure," Sirius said with his great bark of a laugh.

"Yes, yes, laugh it up at my expense," Remus rolling his eyes.

"I don't know what could be so funny," an old, but surprisingly strong voice said coming up behind them.

The laughter stopped in an instant.

"Augusta," Remus said stepping forward and offering his hand.

"Lupin," she greeted placing her claw-like hand in his rough one.

She glared at Sirius, "Black."

"Hey Neville," Harry greeted his friend.
"Hey," he replied as they watched the tense interaction between their guardians.

"What's up with your gran?" Harry asked.

Neville shrugged.

"Augusta, I was so sorry to hear about what happened to Frank and Alice," Sirius said sadly.

Mrs. Longbottom continued to glare at Sirius. "It was at the hands of your cousin and husband you know. It would have been better if they'd killed them."

The train whistle blared.

"Come on you lot, let's get you settled on the train," Mr. Weasley said redirecting the attention to the boys standing by quietly. It only took a moment for them to get the two of them loaded on the train in Hermione's preselected compartment. Mrs. Weasley made sure to give Harry a hug and kiss just like any of her own children before he boarded the train. The train pulled away from the platform like it did every year exactly at eleven o'clock. Harry waved to his family as the train began to move until they vanished from view turning the first corner.

Harry sank back down the bench across from Neville. Hermione had pulled out a ball of yarn and a set of Muggle knitting needles.

Harry raised a curious eyebrow,"What's with those?"

"You'll see," she said as her only response.

Neville shrugged, the quiet boy, was more so than usual.

"What's wrong, Neville?" Harry asked.

The other boy only shrugged.

"What did your gran mean when she was talking with Sirius?" Harry asked.

Neville looked away from the window and to Harry for the first time.

Harry tried again, "What did she mean, 'it would have been better if she killed them'?"

Neville looked back out the window.

"Your parents aren't dead," Hermione asked, looking up from her stitches.

Neville shook his head. There was a long moment's silence before he spoke again.

"They...they were tortured... Tortured with an Unforgivable Curse...until they lost their sanity..." Neville said shakily. He hastily wiped the tear that threatened to fall from his eye.

"Oh Neville, I'm so sorry," Hermione said sadly.

"Thanks," Neville whispered.

In the three years they had known each other the boy had never mentioned his parents. Harry always thought they must have died like his own parents, in the war against Voldemort. He was wrong. That must have been so much worse, to have your parents alive and unable to take care of you.

"Where are they?" Hermione asked.

"Hospital," Neville muttered wiping away another tear, "London, Permanent Spell Damage Ward."

"I'm sorry," Harry said.

Neville shrugged the silence in the small chamber heavy, only to be broken by the door sliding open once more.

"Anything from the trolley dears," the old witch asked.

Hermione and Neville shook their heads. Harry stepped forward his money bag in hand and picked a wide selection of snacks put out to the other two. Harry handed her a handful of gold without much thought. Since he had found out he was a wizard Harry always had more than enough pocket money. He always got more when he went to Gringotts. But when he moved in with Sirius, his godfather, he had even more. It was possibly more money had ever before. It was a nice kind of strange.
The three of them ate in silence until the door opened once again.

"Hi," Harry and Neville greeted as Fred and George came into the carriage.

"Hello you three," George said sitting down next to Neville and helping himself to a cauldron cake.

"Any better idea what Percy was on about during the Quidditch World Cup?" Harry asked as he passed Fred a pumpkin pasty.

Fred shook his head. "The silly prat wants us to ask, but then he won't tell us anything."

"We gave it up, after a week of the git doing that," George added.

"I might have an idea," Harry said between bites of a chocolate frog.

"What?" Everyone asked excitedly.

Harry shrugged uncertainty. "I don't know exactly, Professor Snape said something about the Triwizard Tournament. He said there would be foreigners around the school. And he's worried..." But Harry shook his head.

Harry refused to continue. Hermione watched him trying to figure something out. The weather got colder and darker the further the north they went. Much of the rest of the trip was filled with games of Exploding Snap and talk of why there might be guests at the school and what it could mean for them.
Harry was hoping that for once he could have a normal school year. He just wanted to be able to enjoy whatever it was like everyone else. He knew Professor Snape wanted him to be vigilant about their guests. The professor and Sirius didn't agree on much, but they were both concerned about Harry's strange dreams that made his scar ache. They only disagreed on how concerned they were. Professor Snape wanted to know the instance Harry had another of those dreams. Sirius had a discussion with Professor Dumbledore about it, but they hadn't said any more about it to Harry.

The rain picked up as the train slowed into the station in Hogsmeade. Harry hurried behind Neville and Hermione as they ran for one of the thestral drawn carriages out front. Harry had never asked his friends if they could see the creatures too. He hoped they couldn't.

This was the first year Harry was able to see the Sorting since his own four years ago. He was surprised to learn the Sorting Hat wrote a new song every year. Neville liked the one from their second year best, but this year's was okay.

The question on why there would be visitors in the castle was answered as soon as Professor Dumbledore rose to address the student body. Hogwarts was to play host to the Triwizard Tournament this year, for the first time in a hundred years. The other schools would arrive the day before Halloween. Each school would put students forward to represent them and have one champion selected by an impartial judge.

Harry was relieved no one could make him participate because this year the submission were to be voluntary. Even if he wanted to compete, wouldn't be allowed, the champion was to be of age, seventeen years old at least. It sounded like it would be fun to watch and cheer on the Hogwarts champion, whoever it was. The only thing that upset Harry about it all was there would be no Quidditch this year. It was a good thing Oliver graduated last year, his head might have exploded at that bit of news if he had been present.

Dinner appeared as usual on the golden plates before them, everyone tucking happily into their dinners, (except Hermione who was not eating in solidarity with the house elf cooks) until the doors to the Great Hall banged open. The oddest looking man Harry had ever seen limped into the room and up to the teachers' dais. Harry and the rest of the student body watch him with great curiosity.

The man, Alastor Moody, was a retired Auror, dark wizard catcher, according to the Weasley twins. He was a bit mad but was great at his job. That was probably half the reason he was so crazy, you can only spend so long with people trying to kill you all the time before becoming paranoid.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of Moody's, magical eye. It was large, electric blue, and probably three times bigger than his natural one. It zoomed all around the socket before always returning to Harry. He wasn't the only one it returned to he noticed, but Professor Snape as well. The look of disdain on the Potions Master's face was normally reserved for Harry's godfather. Harry had to wonder if the two had a personal history, or if Moody hated all those that were once associated with the Death Eaters. He would have to wait and see.

Harry sleepily followed his fellow Gryffindors up the stair to their house Common Room and then their circular dormitory. The talk the entire way up was filled with excited talk of the Triwizard Tournament, who the possible champion might be, and what they might do with the thousand Gallon prize. Harry listened to Ron animatedly discuss how he would spend his winnings on a new broom, followed by at least it seemed to Harry, upgrading everything he owned.

Harry fell asleep wondering who would be the champion and what this year might bring them. He smiled in his sleep that he would never have to worry about the tasks and being scolded for taking unnecessary risks by Professor Snape because he wouldn't be taking part.

Snape's dislike for Moody did not seem to be shared by the rest of the castle. Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins came to lunch the afternoon of their first day back boasting of how amazing the class had been. Ron complained loudly the first of their own Defense Against the Dark Arts would not be until Wednesday. Lee and the twins were not the only ones impressed, however.   Moody seemed to have made an impression on many of the students be it good or bad.  All respected him, a rare enough feat for the rotating door of instructors.

Harry like the rest of his classmates was curious what this experienced Auror may have to teach them. This man had seen the worst that wizardkind could do to one another and lived to tell the tale. He bore the evidence of just how it could be, with the missing chunk of his nose, the restless magical blue eye, and a thick wooden stump instead of a right leg. Then there were the behaviors that weren't commented on like always drinking from a flask, jumping at sudden noises, flinching if people tried to touch him. Nobody said a word, possibly even noticed, but after years of first Snape, and then Sirius telling me him to paying attention to those around him Harry couldn't help but notice. Harry wondered what had happened to make the man so nervous even at a dinner table in the safety of Hogwarts.

The fourth years were not disappointed during their first lesson with Moody.  The man gave them a demonstration of all three Unforgivable Curses, the Cruciatus, the Imperius, and Killing.   After the demonstration, Moody had each student try and fight off the Imperius Curse, a spell that was used to control the actions of another.  It could be thrown off if they one under control had enough will power.  Harry was the only one in his class to throw off the hex.   

Neville was visibly shaken after the demonstration of the Cruciatus Curse.  Moody kept him after class, Neville wouldn't tell Harry exactly what they discussed, he was too lost in the book the man had lent him, some sort of herbology text or other. Professor Sprout had told Moody of Neville's skill in the subject.

Moody lessons were the subject of discussion during dinner. Harry was one of the only people able to throw off the curse. Nobody knew how he could throw it off. Moody had made him repeat the exercise until he could do it every time.  Seamus was still skipping every other step because that's what Moody ordered him to do under the spell.  It wasn't only the Gryffindors that heard about Harry's feat.


"Detention Potter," Snape snapped as Harry frantically tried to clean the mess of his ruined potion the next day in Potions, "Tonight, seven o'clock."

"Yes sir," Harry sighed.

"Good job Potter," Malfoy remarked from the next table over.

"Why does he always do that?" Ron who was Harry's partner for the day asked. "He gives you detention every time. He doesn't give Neville detention when he messes up. He does a lot worse than you."

Harry shrugged, "I don't know, why don't you ask Professor Snape?"

"Are you mad?" Ron said shaking his head back and forth with great fervor.

"Me neither," Harry grumbled, putting his ingredients into his case, "I just do what he says."

Ron nodded, unsure what to say.

"You okay?" Neville asked as the headed back up the stairs towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"Just Snape being Snape," Harry said.

"The detention," Hermione clarified.

Harry nodded, "Ron wanted to know why he's always giving me detentions. I don't know what to tell him."

"Why don't you ask him?" Neville suggested.

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. I don't mind I guess. I'm not missing Quidditch.'

Hermione shook his head, "That's not a good reason, Harry."

"Alright," Harry conceded. He didn't really eat much at dinner to worried about what might happen during detention. He hadn't done anything too wrong, he didn't risk his life or break any real rules. He left Hermione and Neville working on their Transfiguration homework. He dragged his feet to the dungeon, knowing Snape would be mad, but really caring. He didn't deserve it as it was.

"You're late, Potter," Snape barked at him.

Harry shrugged, just sinking into one of the desks, not saying a word.

"This behavior is unacceptable, Potter."

"So what? You'll give me another detention?" Harry demanded.

"Consider your next words very carefully," Snape warned.

Harry glared at the man. "Why? I didn't do anything to deserve this one. I messed up my potion. Everyone does that sometimes. You never give Neville detention for doing the same thing.   How is that fair?" Harry's voice cracked on these last words.

Snape paused for a moment before he spoke. "You of all people should realize that world is unfair, Harry. I told you before the start of term that I would not be able to see you as freely as in the past."

"So you gave me detention?" Harry asked.  "But the other schools aren't here yet."

"They are not," Snape agreed, "but they are not the only ones we need to concern ourselves with in that manner."

Harry frown, his failure to understand clear.

"Potter, the Dark Lord had many followers, most of which were never caught or punished by the Ministry. Even if they were they have not given up their support. Most of those individuals have gone on to have children, your school mates. You should be able to name a few."

"Malfoy," Harry breathed.

"Indeed." Snape agreed, "Now, there is a sink full of first-year cauldrons waiting for your attention."

"I didn't think this was supposed to be a real detention," Harry protested.

"It was not, but then you were late and disrespectful. Get to work, Potter." Snape said pointing to the sinks.

Harry sighed, "Yes sir." He worked in silence for a few minutes in relative quiet. The only sound coming from the sink filling and Harry scrubbing at a stubborn spot on his first cauldron,

Snape's quill scratching across a piece of parchment. "You know sir," Harry said breaking the silence, "You might want to find a different way to talk to me.

"Why is that, Potter?" Snape said, his quill not even pausing in its movement.

"Ron asked me why I'm always getting detention when Neville never does," Harry explained.

"I will take that under consideration," Snape said after a moment.

Harry rinsed the first cauldron before setting it aside, "How come I always get detention when I mess up and Neville doesn't."

"Longbottom is completely hopeless in the subject, you have no such excuse. You come from two talented brewers. You simply fail to pay attention." Snape said moving back to his work.
There was another long silence this time broken by Snape, "It seems that your stubbornness does have some practical uses."

"Sir," Harry said stopping midway stacking his just finished cauldron.

"You may not be surprised to learn you are often the topic of discussion in the amongst the faculty," Snape explained.

Harry shook his head, "I don't..."

"I was referring to your accomplishment of throwing off the Imperius Curse.  It is a very useful skill to possess, Harry."

"Oh," Harry said, "I wasn't trying or anything, just didn't think jumping off the desk was a good idea."

"Was that the only thing Moody requested of you?" Snape asked interestedly.

Harry shook his head, "Just the first time."

"I see. Then I will stand by my original assessment, your incomparable stubbornness does have an occasional usefulness." Snape said. He removed his watch from his waistcoat pocket, "That will be enough for tonight, Harry."

"Okay," Harry agreed, drying his hands on his jeans.

Snape shook his head in disapproval. "Hurry, you do not wish to be caught out after hours."

Harry made his way upstairs much faster than he had come down. He didn't know what to think of the evening. Was Snape mad at him at first? But he also was proud of him for throwing off the curse?

~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

The first two months back at Hogwarts were probably the slowest Harry had ever experienced during his time at Hogwarts.  He didn't have his usual distraction of Quidditch practices to help break up his evenings. Instead, he spent his nights working on homework with Hermione and Neville or maybe having a game of chess with Ron or Neville.  The twins were always up for a game of Exploding Snap or Gobstones. It was nice to have more than one or two nights a week to do his work. His marks had always been good, but he had always had to rush to get everything done.

An announcement appeared on the Common Room notice board informing the Gryffindors the guests from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang would arrive Friday afternoon, the day before Halloween. The class was to be released early, in order for students to return their books to their dormitories and have time to assemble in front of the school. Ron was excited to get out of double Potions that afternoon. Harry was nervous, after all, Professor Snape and Sirius had to say about he wasn't too sure he wanted to be there for the introductions.  

The pending arrival was the sole topic of discussion the next several days. Malfoy could be heard bragging that his father wanted to send him to Durmstrang, but his mother didn't want him to be so far away. Fred lamented Malfoy's mother liked him. If he'd gone to Durmstrang they could have pushed him into a fjord. This made Harry ask where Durmstrang was located. Nobody knew exactly, just that it was in the north, they had heavy fur collars as part of their uniforms. Beauxbaton was somewhere in France.

Harry walked slowly back to Gryffindor Tower after lunch on Friday.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked. "You don't want to see the students from the others schools?"

"Not really," Harry admitted, "Professor Snape and Sirius said I can't trust any of them."

"Oh Harry, they're here to compete, do you think we'll really get to spend much time with them?"

"Professor Dumbledore said it was supposed to be," Neville screwed up his face in concentration, "'fostering spirits of international friendship'."

"I know Neville," Hermione sighed, "but why would they want to make friends with us?"

The boys looked at one another and then to Hermione.

"I'm The-Boy-Who-Lived, Hermione." Harry reminded her.

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, but other than that."

"That tends to be enough," Harry shrugged.

"Well, once they spend some time with you, they'll see you're perfectly normal," Hermione said haughtily.

"Thanks," Harry said dryly.

Since the three of them were relatively short they ended up in the front of the group of fourth years. The school was organized by year versus by house. Malfoy stood next to Hannah Abbott, three people away from Harry.  Malfoy's usual henchmen Crabbe and Goyle two rows behind him. Teachers went around straightening up lines, adjusting robes and hats to smarten up anyone that looked the least bit shabby. The closer to the expected arrival time the more anxious the staff seemed to become.

The students watched the drive to the school waiting for something to happen. Nothing was happening, there were no carriages, nothing. That was until, Dennis Creevey, Colin's younger brother pointed out a fastly approaching flying carriage. It was drawn by half a dozen fiery-eyed giant flying horses. Hagrid would love taking care of them, Harry thought.
The Beauxbaton students rushed into the castle, their thin blue silk robes no match for the chilly late October air of Scotland. Only their headmistress, a woman as tall and slightly less wide stayed behind. Harry couldn't blame them for not wanting to wait for Durmstrang to arrive. At this point, he too wanted to get inside. Everyone was looking for where they might come from, down the road, or in the sky. A huge sucking sound drew their attention to the lake. A two-masted ship had appeared on the water.

"Wow," Harry breathed.

The students, all boys Hermione pointed out filed past in their heavy burgundy, fur-lined robes. Their headmaster was accompanied by one student.

"That's Krum!" Ron said pointing at the young man standing with his headmaster and Dumbledore. A buzz of conversation broke out among the students. An international Quidditch star was here at Hogwarts. He was still a student. It was hard to believe.  Ron hoped they would come sit with the Gryffindors, but was all but heartbroken when they chose to join the Slytherins.

At the feast, Dumbledore welcomed everyone to the castle and went over the rules once more.  That contestants must be seventeen years or older, that once the name was selected by the judge as the school champion, they were bound to compete for the remainder of the tournament. The person with the highest score at the end of the three tasks would the thousand Galleon prize.  The judge, it turned out was the Goblet of Fire, an ancient looking trophy with dancing blue flames. Anyone wishing to compete was to put their name in the goblet before lunch the next day. The winners would be chosen at the end of the Halloween Feast that evening.

Harry like the rest of his house and all of Hogwarts it seemed got up early the next morning to watch people put their names in. Durmstrang had stuck in before breakfast to enter all their names. Beauxbaton did theirs as a group after breakfast. Angelina Johnson just made the cutoff, by a few days her birthday being the week previous.  Fred and George were six months too young, they still tried by taking a few sips of Aging Potion. It didn't work though, they were thrown out sprouting magnificent white beards that rivaled only Dumbledore himself.
The Goblet was moved away from the Great Hall after lunch so it could select from the names free of tampering. In only a few hours each school would have their champion. The spirits of the castle were high, each house routing for their member to become Hogwarts champion.

The air over dinner was tense, nobody was eating. It wasn't that the food wasn't delicious as always. The house elves outdid themselves, but it wasn't as special having a feast just the day before. But the real issue was everyone just wanting to know who was to compete for their school. The Goblet of Fire was brought back out as dessert was cleared away with a wave of Dumbledore's wand.

"Once the name of the champion is called they are to proceed through this door behind me. There they will discuss how the tournament is to continue with Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, the representatives of the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore instructed. A flaming piece of paper shot out of the cup, Hogwarts' headmaster caught with ancient, but nimble fingers. "The champion for Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!"

The sloped shoulders and duck-footed teen waddled past the Dumbledore. His own headmaster, the long-haired, slimy, Igor Karkaroff clapped him excitedly on the shoulder. The surly teen did not show any real response to the announcement, just made his way into out of the hall. The cheers for the boy finally calmed after several minutes.

The second piece of parchment flew out, "Fleur Delacour will represent Beauxbaton."

A pretty girl with silver blonde hair rose from the Ravenclaw table.

"She's a Veela," Ron guessed.

"You're daft," George said, his eyes fixed on the girl all the same.

"No normal girl's that pretty," Ron protested.

"The last and Hogwarts School champion will be," Dumbledore said before snagging the third name from the air, "Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory."

The Hufflepuff table exploded in celebration. The house was very rarely given a chance to be applauded by the rest of the school. The hard working lot was often overlooked. Their defeat of Gryffindor was the previous year was the most notice the house received, probably in a decade, Harry guessed. Harry was glad if it couldn't be a Gryffindor that Cedric would represent Hogwarts, he was a Quidditch player after all.

The hush that had come over the hall as the names were read burst like a balloon. Hundreds of voices filled the hall, all discussing the merits and odds of winning of the various contestants. Many were too busy talking to notice the Ministry officials, teachers, and Headmaster Dumbledore were still watching the Goblet of Fire. The blue flames threw out another piece of parliament.  Dumbledore snatched it out of the air.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

Harry sat frozen.

"Harry? You put your name in?" Neville asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Harry, how did it pull out your name?" Hermione tried.

Harry shook his head again.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again.

"Go on mate," "Come on, Harry," Fred and George urged.

Harry walked slowly through the now almost silent Great Hall. He looked to Professor McGonagall, she sharp features turned downward. There was an unusually cold look in Professor Snape's eyes as well.  

"Go on Harry," Dumbledore requested.

Harry nodded slowly, hoping that the man might say something more, but he didn't. Harry joined the other teens in the small chamber. Harry wished the world could just swallow him up and leave him alone for once. He took a seat in a chair in the corner hoping everyone would just forget about him.
Professor Snape was the first to enter the room, Harry didn't notice him at first as he sat curled on his chair. He did notice an odd sort of buzzing sensation in his ears but thought it must be his nerves.

"Potter," Snape said standing in front of the boy.

"Sir," Harry said looking up but refusing to make eye contact.

"Potter, tell the truth, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Snape said sharply.

Harry's emerald eyes meet Snape's cool black ones. There were many times in the past it felt like the man could read his mind. Harry wished he would do it now so he could see he was telling the truth.

"No sir," Harry insisted.

Snape nodded and stepped away from the boy, the buzzing sensation disappearing at the same time.

Professor Dumbledore was followed by Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, and the heads of the other schools.

"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet," Dumbledore asked calmly.

"No sir," Harry said once again.

"Did you ask an older student to do so?"

Harry shook his head, "No sir. I didn't want to be a champion."

"He's lying," Karkaroff scoffed.

Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "I do not believe he is, Igor. But this does change things, Harry will have to compete."

This comment created a great deal of shouting.  Harry did his best to ignore it, all he wanted was to go back to the Tower and sleep for the next week.  The three other teens were not happy to learn Harry's name was also called. Surprisingly, maybe not so surprisingly, Cedric was the least upset to learn there would be four champions, two of whom came from Hogwarts. He questioned how Harry's name was chosen, but so did Harry, the entire teaching staff, Mr. Crouch, and the heads of both visiting schools. Moody was the only person who had any sort of guess since Harry insisted he had not had somebody willing submit his name. The ex-Auror believed a skilled and powerful wizard must have Confunded the Goblet into believing four schools were participating and Harry was the only entry for this fictional school.

The first task was set for the end of the month.  There were to be no hints as to what was coming in the task. Everyone was reminded there were all to compete on their own skills and intellect.  Harry didn't miss Snape's disapproving snort at the comment.

Harry would have to write to Sirius. Would his godfather believe he didn't put his name in the Goblet? Harry was shaken out of his thoughts by Professor Snape sometime later. Harry noticed it was only the two of them left.

"Time for bed, Harry. You should write the mutt in the morning." Snape said leading the boy to the entrance hall.

"I can do it now," Harry said. He was having a hard time processing everything. It was like the words were coming through water.

"No, it is late, wait until morning. I am sure the headmaster will be in contact with him tonight, but he should hear from you as well."

The party waiting in Gryffindor Tower was as if Harry had won a dozen Quidditch Cups all at once, single-handedly. Harry left early, he had no desire to celebrate something he did not want. He woke early the next morning and left the dormitory before anyone else was awake. He went straight to the owlery sending off the suggested letter to his godfather.  He watched as Hedwig disappeared on the horizon hoping the man would have some idea of what to do.

It was still early, too early for breakfast, Harry had no desire to return to the Common Room. Everyone wanted to know how he got his name in the Goblet of Fire without growing a beard.  Even his friends were slightly skeptical. It took him nearly an hour to convince Hermione and Neville he didn't want to be champion.

Harry went down the front steps of the castle, no real destination in mind. He kicked a stone down the gravel walk. The next step he kicked it a bit further.

"That's not very nice to the stone nymph," a dreamy voice said behind him.

"Oh hi, Luna," Harry sad spotting the blonde to his right.

"Hullo Harry," she said coming to walk with him. "You're not very happy about being champion."

Harry shrugged, was it that obvious.

"It was probably ratspunks that put your name in."

Harry stopped, "You don't think I did it myself?"

"No, it was ratspunks," Luna said seriously. "If you did it yourself, you'd be much happier. You should wear a Gerber daisy to ward them off."

"Errr...okay," Harry said uncertainly. "Thanks for believing I didn't do it, Luna."

"It's no problem Harry, do you want to come with me and check my nargle traps?"

Harry shook his head, "Maybe some other time."

As much as Harry didn't like attention, he wished the news of being the fourth champion was as well received by the rest of the school as if was in Gryffindor. The Hufflepuffs took particular offense to it. Harry didn't like, but he understood their feelings. The Ravenclaws and the Slytherins had sided with Hufflepuff, possibly out of jealousy, or solitary with the other move overlooked house (at least in the case of Ravenclaw).  The Slytherins, well, the two houses never got along, so Harry wasn't too surprised by it. Malfoy creating, "Potter Stinks!" badges, was annoying, but totally expected.

At least, he wouldn't have to worry about the task until the end of the month, or that's what he thought. He was in the middle of making a Babbling Concoction when a second year knocked on the door of the dungeon.  Harry felt bad for her, she was sent by one of the Ministry officials to collect Harry for the press shoot.  Harry could have hexed Malfoy for his uncontained snicker. If looks could kill the second year would have been dead several times over.  Still, Harry couldn't avoid going, no matter how much he wished he could have.

The press event was worse than anything Harry expected. He was pulled into a broom cupboard and "interviewed" by Rita Skeeter, a reporter for "The Daily Prophet".  She was noisier than Aunt Petunia and twice as spiteful. Harry didn't think he said a single thing that she quoted him saying. Harry spent the week after it was published having to deal with Malfoy and other Slytherins quoting it back at him.

Sirius' response was not much comfort.  He didn't know who could put Harry's name in the Goblet. There was no way to break the contract, even if he wanted to, Harry would have to compete. He needed to be careful though, it was probably someone connected that Voldemort who did it. Harry balled the letter in frustration.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Harry yawned loudly as he stretched, he had spent the last several hours working on a complicated essay for Snape on moonstones. It was the first chance he had had to do his work after all of the insanity that was being named the fourth champion. Harry might be excused from exams at the end of the year, but he knew Snape would never excuse him for turning in substandard work. He rubbed his eyes as he stumbled up the stairs to his bed. He yawned again as he changed into his pajamas. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Harry was walking up a flight of stairs. He'd been here once before the night where his scar hurt. The huge snake lay in front of the fire like some perverse twist on the family dog doing the same thing. Pettigrew stumbled into the room, almost dropping the tray he carried. The snake raised its head curiously, before laying it back down sleepily.

"Careful Wormtail," a voice hissed from an unseen individual.

"Sorry Master," Pettigrew said nearly dropping the tray on the table in front of Voldemort.

"Your mistakes have been great Wormtail." Voldemort complained, "You almost let Bertha Jorkins escape."

"But," Pettigrew began.

"Yes, you were able to recapture her. If it were not for her we would not know what we do. We would not know what was happening at Hogwarts this year. We would not have been able to place our person in the castle." Voldemort agreed. "Harry Potter will be ours, Wormtail."

Harry woke up covered in a cold sweat, his scar burning.  He tried to sit up but was overcome by a wave of nausea. He laid there wishing the room would stop spinning for several minutes. Finally able to sit up once again he put his glasses on not sure what to do. Professor Snape said if he had another of those dreams he was supposed to inform him immediately. How was he supposed to do that?

Harry threw back the sheets and grabbed his glasses.  He carefully opened the lid of his trunk and removed his Invisibility Cloak.  He couldn't go anywhere at this hour.  He thought about telling Neville where he was going but decided against it. The other boy didn't know anything these dreams, no need to worry him about it.

He went downstairs to the Common Room, he would put the cloak on down there before he went out the portrait hole. He had never been in the room this late, so he had never seen who cleaned the room while the students slept. He knew from Hermione's crusade that it was done by house elves, elves she was single-handedly trying to free with making elf clothes that she knit herself. It looked like all of what she had left was now wore by one elf, that bustled around the room cleaning up the broken quills, empty ink jars, candy wrappers, and other detritus of Gryffindor House.

"Hello," Harry said, not wanting to startle the little creature. He recognized it instantly when it turned around.  It was Dobby, the house elf, formerly owned by the Malfoys until Harry freed him at the end Harry's second year.

The elf spun around, almost toppling over with the quick change in his balance. "Hello, Harry Potter," Dobby squeaked, his huge tennis ball green eyes shining with undisguised excitement.  "Dobby was hoping he's could see Harry Potter again."

Dobby was a bit mad and should never be allowed to try and save Harry's life, but he liked him. After he forgave him for breaking his arm and nearly getting him expelled. If it wasn't for the house elf, things in second year might have been far worse.

"Dobby, what are you doing here?" Harry asked surprised to see the elf again.

"Dobby is cleaning, Harry Potter, sir."

"You work here?" Harry asked surprised.

"Oh yes, Harry Potter," Dobby said nodding his head so vigorously his whole body moved. "Nobody else wants to cleans it, not with all the clothes hidden."

"Right," Harry said uncertainty. He would have to have a word with Hermione about that. "Dobby, do you know where Professor Snape's rooms are?"

"Dobby is knowing Harry Potter, but we is not supposed to be showing students to staff's private rooms."

"I wouldn't normally ask, but I really need to talk to Professor Snape, Dobby. It's like when you didn't want me coming back in second year." Harry pleaded.

That was all it took. Dobby didn't wait for Harry to pull on the Invisibility Cloak. He grabbed the boy's wrist and Apparated them to outside the professor's door. Harry recognized the painting of a deer in a moonlit forest. He would never have guessed the Potions Master's quarters behind it.

Harry knocked on the painting unsure what else to do. Dobby stood nervously by his side. Harry wondered if he should pull the cloak in case someone were to wander by and wonder what Harry was doing outside a professor's quarters in the middle of the night. The painting swung back to reveal a very irritated Severus Snape.

Snape took in the scene in front of him, a guilty looking house elf and worried teen.  "Potter, it's the middle of the night, why on earth are you invading my personal space," Snape grumbled, as he tied the knot in his dark green dressing gown.

"Sorry sir, but you said you wanted me to tell you as soon as possible if I had another dream that made my scar ache,"  Harry said, doubting for the first time if he should have forced Dobby to bring him down here.

Snape put a hand on the boy's upper bicep, pulling him into his quarters.  "I thank you for your assistance, you are dismissed," Snape said.

"Yes Professor Potion Master Snape sir," the said nodding, his eyes fixed anxiously on Harry.

"I'll be fine, Dobby," Harry reassured.

It was then that Dobby was willing to leave.  Harry had helped himself to a seat as the professor disappeared into a small room off the side of the sitting room. The fact he came back with several potions vials led Harry to conclude it was one of two things, another potions lab, or a bathroom. He really couldn't be sure and it was too late to care.  He handed Harry a blue Headache Tonic and offered a green one Harry didn't recognize and refused to take. The slugged back the foul tasting potion in one gulp, grimacing at the taste. He closed his eyes as he waited for it to kick in.

"That elf cares for you a great deal," Snape observed.

Harry shrugged, "I guess. He's alright, he tried to save my life a couple times during second year."

Snape raised a curious eyebrow.

"He's the one that jinxed the Bludger, he figured if I got hurt I would leave school and couldn't get eaten by the basilisk."

"I see," Snape said dryly.

"I know," Harry agreed. He paused before he spoke again, "He didn't seem to like you very much, sir."

"What do I care of the devotion of house elves, Potter?"

"Nothing, it's just sort of weird, I guess." Harry shrugged again.

"He really likes Hermione and Professor Dumbledore of course."

"Perhaps it has to do with my past affiliation with his previous masters," Snape suggested.

Harry cracked open an eye, looking skeptical up at the man.

"I was never able to cut my connections with my past, Harry.  We knew that the Dark Lord will return someday, I will need to have the trust of my fellow followers, not just the Dark Lord." Snape elaborated. "Now, would you care to explain why you insisted on waking me at such a ridiculous hour?"

"My dream," Harry said frowning.

"Details, Potter. Details," Snape clarified.

"Oh," Harry said before explain all he could remember.

Snape paced back and forth in front of the fireplace as he listened. A deep frown appeared on his sallow face. "I will have to have a word with the headmaster about this."

"What am I supposed to do until then, just keep having these weird dreams?"  Harry demanded.

"Yes Potter," Snape said, rolling his eyes. "I do not know how best to address your situation, I must confer with the headmaster how to proceed. I am sorry for the inconvenience."

Harry huffed, "Okay. You're not worried? Voldemort said he had someone at Hogwarts."

Snape grimaced, "I did not say that, Potter. It is late, both of us have classes in the morning. Would you like me to walk you back to your dormitory?"

Harry shook his head, "I know the way."

"Then you should head back," Snape advised.

"Yes sir," Harry said.

"And Potter..."

"Sir," Harry said somewhere to the left of the door.

"No wandering."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed.  

~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Harry slept late the next morning after finally drifting off again just before dawn. He only woke when Neville shook his shoulder roughly. The other boy had brought him some toast and hard boiled eggs to eat on their way to Herbology. Hermione was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

Harry told them about where he had been the night before. They wanted to know why he hadn't told him about the dreams before now. Harry shrugged and explained about Professor Snape's reaction to writing it in a letter earlier in the summer. At lunch, Katie Bell handed Harry a roll of parchment tied with a purple ribbon.

Harry frowned, "What's this?"

"I don't know, Professor Dumbledore asked me to give it to you before breakfast, but you never came down," Katie said taking a seat a few down from Harry.

"Okay, thanks," Harry said slipping off the ribbon.

Harry,
Please come to my office this evening at 7 o'clock. By the way I'm rather fond of cockroach clusters.
Albus Dumbledore

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to me tonight," Harry said slipping the parchment into his pocket.

"Do you think it's about your dream?" Neville asked.

"Maybe, I don't know," Harry said with a shrug. He had a hard time focusing on what Professor Flitwick was trying to teach them about Summoning Charms. His mind kept wandering to what Dumbledore wanted to talk about. He went straight from the Great Hall to the headmaster's office. The gargoyle hopped out of the way to display the spinning spiral staircase at the mention of cockroach clusters. Harry stepped onto the stairs riding them to the office door.

"Come in," the headmaster called before Harry could knock to announce his presence.

The headmaster sat behind his heavy wooden desk, Professor Snape stood by the fireplace. Sirius rose from one of the chairs in front of the headmaster.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as he gave his godfather a hug.

"As your guardian, Dumbledore thought I should be here for this."

Harry took a seat next to Sirius.

"Harry, my boy it's good to see you." His blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. "I asked Sirius to join us tonight because if we are to proceed, we will need his permission."

Harry frowned, "Permission for what?"

"Let the headmaster explain, Potter before you ask idiotic questions," Snape said pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Harry, we are concerned these dreams you've been having are somehow connecting you to Voldemort," Dumbledore explained.

Harry shook his head, "Connected how?"

"We are not certain, but there seems to be some sort of mental link between the Dark Lord and yourself," Snape answered.

"How?" Sirius asked.

"We do not know for certain, the boy and Dark Lord have a complex history."

"Complex history?" Sirius repeated. "He tried to kill Harry."

"And failed, that leads to complexities, Black. There are no other survives of that curse. We have no way of predicting what the results of that may be." Snape shoot back.

"What do you need Sirius to give permission for?" Harry interrupted.

"We think there may be a way to stop this connection," Dumbledore explained.

"If I have a link to Voldemort wouldn't it be good for us to know what he's up to?" Harry asked.

"You're a child, Potter." Snape countered. "Spying on the Dark Lord is a dangerous task, leave it to the trained adults."

"You'd know all about that Snivellus," Sirius said with a disapproving sneer.

"Yes Black, remind what you did for the last twelve years."

"Gentlemen," Dumbledore said silencing the squabble.

"So...what do you want me to do?" Harry asked looking from his godfather to his teacher, and finally his headmaster.

"If Sirius agrees, I would like you to begin Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape," Dumbledore answered.

"What's that?" "Why Snape?" Sirius demanded at the same time Harry asked his own question.

"If you hadn't noticed, Black," Snape interjected, "the headmaster is rather busy running a school and this absurd tournament your godson got himself wrapped up in. He has no time for trying to train the boy."

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said with a disapproving glance over his glasses. "I am busy, that is true. What is more important, however, is Severus a far greater talent in the art than myself."

"Fine," Sirius reluctantly agreed.

"Eight o'clock Monday, Potter. If anyone asks you where you are, you are to tell them you are receiving additional training as preparation for the tournament." Snape instructed.

"Okay, but won't they wonder why Cedric isn't getting extra training," Harry said looking to Snape.

"Diggory is of age, you are three years junior, it is a way to demonstrate magic you have yet to encounter in class, that is all," Snape lied smoothly.

Harry wanted to know if he had come up with that on the spot, or had considered the question ahead of time.

"And Potter, no one is to know of these lessons, not even your little friends."

Harry gave a slow nod, "Yes sir."

Harry arrived in the Potions classroom five minutes early, but found no instructor. He waited for another three minutes before he started to second guess himself. Harry walked down the hall to the professor's office. He was there, sitting behind his desk, tapping his fingers impatiently on the wooden surface.

"You're late, Potter."

"Sorry, I went to the classroom, I thought we were meeting there," Harry said taking a seat in front of the desk."

"Very well, let us begin," Snape said standing.

"What? I don't get some sort of explanation? I don't even know what Occlumency is." Harry protested.

Snape rolled his eyes, "It's Occlumency, Potter. It is the art of deflecting one's thoughts so an intruder is unable to know what one is thinking. It is a manner of keeping your thoughts private. Legilimency is often used to enter the mind of another. A skilled Occlumens can repel these attacks."

"Let me see if I understand, your are going teach me a way of stopping people from reading my mind," Harry summarized.

Snape rolled his eyes, "A completely unsubtle way, but if that is the only way you can understand it, so be it. I will try to penetrate your mind, you will try and block me. On the count of three.  Three...two...one..."

Harry was being shoved into the cupboard understand the stairs all of his hair, but his fringe shorn off...Ripper chasing him up a tree...Sirius coming to collect him at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters...

Harry fell back onto the dusty floor of the office.

Snape was rubbing his wrist. "Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex," he asked.

"I didn't know I had," Harry grumbled brushing the dust from his bum.

"You let me in too far," Snape concluded.

"Well, how am I supposed to stop you?" Harry snapped.

"Mind your tone, Potter. You need to push less painful memories forward while also forcing me out completely."

"I don't think I understand," Harry said.

"It is a matter of mental skill and determination. A time when your wonderful stubbornness can be put to use.  It is not a skill acquired, nor perfected overnight. You will practice clearing your mind every night before sleep. You will work on Occluding, directing your thoughts once in the morning and again at night." Snape directed. "That will be it for tonight. I will know if you practiced, so make sure you do, Harry."

Harry did his best comply with the professor's orders, but his focus began to drift as the first task approached.  He had no idea what he was going to face. Hagrid answered that question for him. He took him, Madam Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, and a snooping Karkaroff out to the pens, the pens where the creatures were being held. Harry's problem then became how to survive a close encounter with a dragon.

Harry's distress was clear to his professors. McGonagall excused him from class worried he might accidentally transform a classmate, not the bird into a basket. Moody held him after class.  The man seemed to know what the task would have Harry facing. He suggested Harry play to his skills, what he meant by that.

"Damn it, Potter!" Snape snapped,"You were doing better than this a week ago. What is wrong with you tonight?"

"I don't want to be eaten by a dragon," Harry moaned flopping gracelessly to the floor.

"What in the name of Merlin are you on about, Potter?" Snape said glaring down at the downtrodden teen.

"The task is dragons," Harry explained. "How on earth am I supposed to get past a dragon?"

"You are a champion, you are supposed to figure that out for yourself." Snape reminded him.

"Well, I never wanted to be in this stupid thing. I just wanted to sit back and watch, cheer on Cedric or whoever Hogwarts champion was.  Why can't I have a normal year?" Harry whined.

Snape offered a hand up, "I will not talk to you on the floor like a toddler recovering from a tantrum."

Harry took the hand and was pulled up effortlessly. He moved from sitting on the floor in a chair in front of the desk. "So what am I supposed to do against a dragon?"

Snape sighed, "I believe I just said you were to figure that out on your own.  I will say this, a dragon's eyes are its weakest point, a Conjunctivitis Hex to them may allow you slip past unseen. This, however, may upset the animal, so be careful."

Harry nodded, "Professor Moody said I should play to my strengths, but I don't know what that means."

"You asked Moody about this matter?" Snape asked taking a seat across from Harry.

Harry shrugged, "Not really, he just sort of suggested it. He has to know what was coming. What strengths?"

"Other than your Gryffindor rashness and being more stubborn than an ill-tempered chimera," Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded.

Snape rolled his eyes, "You are the youngest Seeker in a century."

Harry frowned, "What...You mean I should try and fly past it?"

"It is merely an idea."

"But I'm only allowed my wand," Harry protested.

"Accio Headache Drought," Snape grumbled, "Even you should be able to manage a simple Summoning Charm."

"Errrrr...Yeah, of course."

"Either way, you have three days, Potter. I suggest you get to work, the sooner the better. That will be all for tonight," Snape said raising from his chair.

"Yes sir," Harry said rising from his seat.

"Harry," Snape said stopping the boy as he opened the door.

Harry turned back, cocking his head to the side, "Sir."

"In case I do not see you before, the best of luck."

Harry gave him a warm smile, "Thank you, sir."

Harry rushed his way back to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Neville were working on their astronomy charts when Harry found them sitting in the corner.

"I know what I need to do," Harry said between gasped breaths. "I know how I'm going to get past the dragon." He explained about the what he and Snape discussed. He wasn't sure which was best, so Hermione suggested learning both. Anyways, Harry needed to learn the Summoning Charms for their exams. He didn't see the point arguing he didn't have to sit exams this year.

"Harry, you said Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff saw the dragons too," Neville said sitting forward.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "So Krum and Fleur are going to know...but, not Cedric. I need to tell him." Harry sank back into his chair, looking up the ceiling. "Is he even going to believe me?"

"I'm sure he will," Hermione reassured, "You should tell him tomorrow. We need to start practicing."

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

Mastering the Summoning Charm was easier than getting access to Cedric. He was always surrounded by his classmates or other Hufflepuffs, none of whom seemed too pleased to be in Harry's presence.  In the end, Harry jinxed a tear into the boy's bag to get him alone. Cedric didn't want to believe him about the dragons, but he didn't know what else there was to do.
Harry was glad that Snape made his suggestions. He ended up using the Summoning Charm to bring his Firebolt to him. He flew high to draw his dragon, the Hungarian Horntail, (the worst tempered of the lot according to Charlie Weasley) up and away from the clutch of eggs she sat on. He swooped down managing to grab the golden egg he was supposed to retrieve. He even got compliments from Krum and Bagman both professional Quidditch players while doing it too. Altogether, Harry was pretty pleased with the results. He was in second place for his efforts.

The party in the Common Room was even more riotous than the last. Harry nearly deafened his fellow Gryffindors by opening the egg. It was supposed to be a clue to the next challenge, but he didn't understand how. Maybe Seamus' suggestion they were to face a banshee was correct. Harry finally climbed the stairs up to his bed late into the night too full of butterbeer and sweets stolen from the kitchens. He smiled as he spotted the note sticking out from under his pillow.

A fine job nearly giving me heart failure, Potter. Try not to wait to solve this one at the last minute. SS
P.S. Be glad I did not deduct points for your needless showmanship

"Harry when are you going to start trying to solve your egg?" Hermione asked several days after the first task.

"I've got ages, Hermione." Harry dismissed as he tucked into his plate of eggs and bangers.

"The second task is in February, Harry. That's two and a half months away.  What if you have to brew a special potion that takes an extended amount of time?  Remember it took us a month to brew the Polyjuice in second year."

"Hermione, the first task was dragons. You really think they would go from that to brewing?"

"I don't know," Neville interjected. "Professor Dumbledore said it was going to test your magical knowledge in all sorts of ways.  Makes sense you might have to brew something."

"Great," Harry grumbled. "Snape would love that. Can you imagine if I do have to brew a potion?"

Hermione frowned in confusion. "I don't know what you're saying, Harry? You do fine in Potions."

"I do okay, well enough to get by without too many snarky comments.  But he knows I don't like, that I hate how long it takes. If it is a potion, it'll probably have a hundred disgusting ingredients that I'll have to chop up, skin, crush with a silver blade, or some other rubbish." Harry elaborated with a particularly violent stab to a bit of egg.

"You never seemed to bothered by it during class," Neville observed.

Harry shrugged. "Wouldn't do me much use, we can't drop Potions until sixth year anyway."

"Still, where's this coming from?" Hermione asked placing a comforting hand over Harry's.

"Nowhere...just something Professor Snape said during our last lesson." Harry shrugged, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. For the first time since coming to Hogwarts, there were things going on with Harry he wasn't allowed to share with his friends. He thought he understood why Professor Snape didn't want him telling them.  Still, Harry didn't like hiding things from the people he cared about.   Neville and Hermione had been by his side since the first train ride from London. It felt like they deserved to know what was going on now.

"You know you can tell us anything, Harry?" Hermione said squeezing his hand.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not allowed to."

"Who won't allow you?" Neville asked looking concerned.

"Professor Snape, but it's nothing. It's just these lessons get inside your head and make your emotions run all high and things." Harry tried to explain.

"Maybe you could talk to Madame Pomfrey about?" Neville suggested.

"I'm fine," Harry insisted, "really."

"If you change your mind," Neville encouraged.

"Thanks, Neville. We better get a move on, you know how McGonagall is about being late."

Professor McGonagall ended class a little earlier than normal, so she could talk to them about something important, the Yule Ball, a traditional part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It was to be held on Christmas night. All students fourth year and above were welcome to attend. Those who wished could bring a younger student may. The piece of information that really concerned Harry was he and the other champions were expected to open the dancing. Therefore, going stag wasn't an option for Harry.

The ball was probably why so many choose to stay for the holidays that year. It seemed like all anyone could talk about. It had been a week and Harry still didn't have a date. He didn't know who he wanted to ask or how to go about doing it. His godfather had given him the same advice the twins had, just walk up to the girl and ask her. Neither were any help on who to ask. Remus was slightly more useful in this regard, he was very understanding and suggested asking a friend, Hermione perhaps. It should be someone whose company he enjoyed.

"Hermione," Harry asked that evening over dinner.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Do you have a date for the Yule Ball?"

"Oh, Harry. I'm sorry, but I do." Hermione said.

"It's okay," Harry said,

Ron leaned over, "She's lying, I bet.  Just doesn't want you to know nobody's asked her." If he was trying to say it softly enough that Hermione didn't hear, he failed miserably.

"For your information Ronald Weasley, somebody already asked me last week. Otherwise, I would have been very happy to accompany Harry." Hermione snapped at the ginger.

"Who then?"

"That's none of your concern." Hermione snapped her book shut and stormed off.

"That wasn't very nice, Ron," Harry said still looking to where his friend had gone.

Ron shrugged. "I still reckon she doesn't have a date."

Harry stared as the other boy went back to shoving his dinner into his face. He would have to find someone else to ask. He wasn't really friends with Lavender or Parvati, anyways Hermione told him Lavender already said yes to Seamus. Neville had come back beaming the first evening having asked and been accepted by Ginny. Harry felt slightly better when he heard he wasn't the only one that didn't have a date. Ron was still asking pretty much any girl he came across. The funniest one was when he tried asking Fleur Delacour. She had all but laughed in his face, mortified at his own acts Ron had retreated back to the Tower complaining of being overwhelmed by her Veela powers.

Harry was getting increasingly anxious. He needed to ask someone, he didn't want to look like a fool in front of the whole school. Even now he still didn't know who he was going to ask. The following night he was walking back to Gryffindor Tower, ache and sweaty from his hour long lesson with Professor Snape when he spotted Luna standing on tip-toe trying to retrieve a violently green shirt from the top of a suit of armor.

"Let me help you with that," Harry said rushing forward. "Accio shirt."

"Thank you, Harry," Luna said accepting the rescued clothing item.

"It's no problem," Harry said pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. "If it's yours, how did it get up there?"

"Some of my Housemates think I'm quite mad. They think it's funny to hide my things sometimes." Luna explained.

"You shouldn't let them do that. You should tell a teacher," Harry told her horrified.

Luna shook her head, golden hair falling into her eyes, "Oh no, it's all in good fun. But as I'm going home in a few days it's time to start collecting things."

"Going home?" Harry asked dumbly.

"For the holidays," Luna clarified.

"Right..." Harry agreed uneasily.

Luna started to skip back down the hall, lost in her own world once more. He made up his mind.

"Luna! Luna wait up?" Harry asked taking off after her.

She waited patiently for Harry to speak. Harry gulped awkwardly, still not saying a word. Luna cocked her head to the side as if looking for something others couldn't quite see.

Harry shifted his feet, "Err...do you...do you want to come to the Yule Ball with me?"

Luna smiled sweetly at him. "Yes."

Harry grinned. They said good night and Harry walked back up to the Gryffindor Tower in a much better mood than he left Snape's office.  He found his friends sitting in front of the fire Ron and Neville in a rather intense game of chess. Hermione gave him a penetrating look.

"What has you so excited?" She asked pushing the ginger cat from her lap.

"What?" Harry asked, being drawn back to reality.

"You're grinning like a kneazle at the cream," Ron observed.

"Huh, oh, it's nothing. I just have a date to the Yule Ball." Harry said with a shrug.

"Great for you, mate. Now it's only me who doesn't have a date."

After Hermione's outburst in the Great Hall, he had stopped making comments about not believing Hermione had a date.  It had only taken, Ginny and both the twins telling him off to do it. Harry still wasn't sure if Ron believed her, or he didn't want to hear about it from his siblings again.

"Who you going with?" Ron asked taking Neville's knight.

"Luna," Harry said stopping Crookshanks from swatting at the game board.

"Luna? You're taking Looney Lovegood? Ahhh.. geese mate... It might be better if you went stag."

"Don't call her that." Harry snapped.

"At least Harry has a date, Ronald. I don't see them lining up to go with you." Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, well, if they're all as mad as Looney Lovegood, I'm ok with that."

"That's a horrible thing to say," Neville said moving his queen into position, "Checkmate."

Ron looked down at the board, sighed and tipped his king. "You might think it's horrible, but you've never had he go off on you about blimpie care or whatever. She's completely mad."

"That doesn't mean you should talk about her that way." Neville insisted.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He stormed off up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"Well, I'm glad you found somebody, Harry," Hermione said putting aside her book.  "But you might want to be more like Neville and take Professor McGonagall's dance lessons more seriously. You do have to open the floor, remember?"

Harry groaned, "Yeah, I remember."

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Neville insisted.

Harry nodded, "Thanks."

Harry tried to hid his embarrassment when Dean, Seamus, and the Weasley twins found the two of them practicing a few days later. At least, we who it was the story wasn't as likely to get out of Gryffindor Tower. Harry was certain if Malfoy found out he would rather take another go at that dragon from the first task.

 
~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~
 

Term came to an end for the holidays, not that you could tell by the number of people still in the castle. The professors who normally did a wonderful job of decorating the castle seemed to want to impress their visions by going even further this year. In addition to the traditional twelve Christmas trees, there were fairy lights, made of real fairies.  The suits of armor were taught to sing carols as people passed by them.

Christmas morning arrived with a pair of green eyes staring into Harry's own. Dobby had come to present his gift to Harry, by leaning over the boy much to Harry's displeasure. The house elf was instructed to just poke him the next time, or something. His gift it turned out was a pair of socks he knitted himself, one red with broomsticks and the other green with snitches. Harry felt guilty that he hadn't thought to get the elf anything, so he quickly grabbed an old pair of Uncle Vernon's socks and gave those to Dobby. The elf didn't care they weren't wrapped, or an awful mustard yellow. Though, he did seem to be confused by them matching. Ron fixed that by giving him the new violet pair his mother sent him with his sweater.

Other than Dobby's socks, the mountain of presents bigger than Harry had ever seen before. There was the traditional Weasley sweater barring a roaring dragon across the chest and a box of treacle fudge from Mrs. Weasley as well. Hermione had gotten him a book, Quidditch Teams of  Great Britain and Ireland. From Neville, he received a practice snitch.  Sirius sent a useful little penknife that could unlock any door, or undo any knot. Remus had sent a large bar of Honeydukes Best Chocolate with Sirius' present. Hagrid had sent him a collection of sweets including Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's and others. There was a small plain wrapped packet that Harry had a sneaking suspicious Dobby left behind. It contained a book on wizarding first aide.

Potter,

Since you continually insist nearly getting yourself killed I thought it wise if you have some idea of how to repair the inevitable damage. SS

Harry chuckled at the snarky dedication. He was glad everyone was too busy opening their own presents to notice his reaction. He didn't think Professor Snape would like the rest of his House knowing the man sent him Christmas presents.

Much of the morning was spent in the Tower people displaying their new gifts and playing games. Lunch was delicious with at least one hundred turkeys on the menu along with all the sides. Lunch was followed by an epic snowball fight organized by Fred and George. The twins built a huge fort to hide behind as they lobbed their ammunition at their opponents, which consisted mostly of Ravenclaws. Hermione left after a little, saying she needed to go and get dressed for the ball. Ron scoffed at that, he wanted to know why she needed three hours to get ready. Harry was hit in a well-thrown snowball from one of the Ravenclaw Beaters as he tried to say goodbye to her. Neville left a short while later, he wanted to look good for Ginny. He was hit in the back one snowball after the other for making that comment in front of three of her older brothers. Slowly more and more people left, heading back to the castle to get ready for the ball. Harry and the male Weasleys were the last to leave the field of battle.

Harry took a quick shower to warm up and get the bits of dirt and twigs that had come from the snowball fight. He hadn't had to worry about shaving yet so just went back to his dorm to get dressed. His dress robes were already laid out for him, they were an emerald green. Remus told him Mrs. Weasley had picked them out, she thought they would good well with his eyes.

Harry smiled thinking about his mother. Living with Sirius and Remus he had learned a lot more about James Potter. Before this summer, he had known he resembled his father a great deal. Both from the pictures he was given by their friends, but the frequent comments from anyone who had known them.  They always said the same thing, "he looked just like his father, except his eyes. He had his mother's eyes."  He was starting to get sick of it if he were honest.

But knowing he looked like the man didn't tell him much who was as an actual person. It turned out James too got into a great deal of trouble at school. It wasn't exactly as dangerous as Harry, he never faced off Lord Voldemort until the night he died. No, his trouble was much more ordinary, skipping class, being out after hours, unsanctioned potion experiments in the back of the lab, and most often using magic in the halls. James and Professor Snape hadn't gotten along since they met on the train. Sirius and Remus never explained why.

Harry fumbled with the tie, unsure how to do the bowtie he was given by Remus to wear with his robes. He had shown Harry once the day before Harry was supposed to return to Hogwarts, but he couldn't remember any of the steps now. He left it hanging around his neck undone as he went downstairs first to the Common Room and then the Great Hall. He was supposed to met Luna at the entrance hall, but he didn't see her or Hermione. Neville and Ginny were standing in a corner talking. He waved and considered going over, but thought it would be too awkward.

"Ahhh... There you are, Potter." Professor McGonagall said coming to stand next to the teen. "You were the last champion to arrive."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled. "I didn't think I was late, but I couldn't get my tie done."

"You're not late," the headmistress reassured. "Now let me see about this tie." She moved to stand in front of Harry.  Her old and spotted hands made quick work of it. "My word, you dashing Mr. Potter. Very much like..."

"My dad?" Harry guessed.

"Like a gentleman," she corrected. "I wish Lily and James were here to see you, Potter. They would be proud of you, I'm sure."

Harry fought back a blush, "Thanks, Professor."

She straightened back up, readjusting her hat, "You're welcome, Mr. Potter. The champions and their guests are to be at the doors to the Great Hall in five minutes."

"Yes ma'am, I'll be there as soon as I find Luna."

She nodded once more and hustled off to do whatever was expected of her at the moment. Harry craned his neck looking for his date. He didn't see her anywhere. He hoped Ron wasn't right and she wasn't wearing something completely mad like radishes in her ears like the first day he met her.

"Hullo Harry," she said behind him.

Harry spun around nearly losing his balance in his slippery dress shoes. "Hi Luna," he greeted his balance regained.

Ron wasn't right, Luna could dress appropriately it turned out.  She wore a shimmery blue dress that brought out the light blue of her eyes.  In her hair, she had two lovely pins that had butterflies whose wings beat.

"You look amazing," Harry finally said.

"Thank you, Harry."

"We should...we should get down there, Professor McGonagall already warned me not to be late."

Remembering what Remus and Professor McGonagall had shown them, Harry offered his arm to Luna. They walked over easily finding the other champions using Fleur's fancily done silver hair as a beacon. Harry looked around as they walked trying to find Hermione. He knew she wasn't lying about having a date, but she wasn't here as far as he could see.

"Have the nargles gotten to you Harry?" Luna asked as he continued to look around wildly.

"The what?"

"They fly into your head and make your brain go fuzzy."
Harry frowned, "What? I was trying to find Hermione."

"Hi Harry," the girl in the frilly pink gown said.

It took Harry a moment to realize it was his best friend. Her normally bushy brown hair was straightened and done up. She wore makeup too, not too much, just enough. She stood next to Viktor Krum, her arm linked with his.

"Wow Hermione," Harry said. "You look great."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Harry. Hello, you must be Luna."

"Hullo," Luna replied.

"Champions, this way," Professor McGonagall issued them off to a side room.

Mr. Bagman and Percy Weasley were there waiting for them.

"H'llo there Harry," Mr. Bagman said coming over and forcibly taking Harry's hand.

"Hi," Harry said awkwardly.

"Now," Mr. Bagman said turning to the rest of the group, "we're just waitin' for the rest of the guests to find their seats then you an' your lovely guests will be introduced. There's a special table set aside for you, Professor McGonagall will show you to it. Percy here will share a few remarks Mr. Crouch who was too ill to make it tonight, but he wishes you all well."

Harry and Luna were the last to be introduced. Everyone was already standing at their seats, they stood behind their chairs as Mr. Bagman and Percy completed their remarks. Harry was happy to follow Dumbledore's suit as they finally sat down to eat. Unlike any other meal Harry had eaten at Hogwarts, there were no trays of dishes. Instead, at each place stood a small menu. Harry watched as the headmaster spoke clearly to his place requesting his preferred dish.

Harry wondered what Hermione thought about this, it had to be a great deal of extra work for the house elves. He noted she didn't say anything about it at the moment, she was too busy discussing things about Durmstrang with Krum. Professor Karkaroff didn't seem to happy about that. He wanted to keep their school's secrets secret. Professor Dumbledore had Harry laughing when he told a story about finding a room filled with chamber pots during one late night stroll. The man had been in the castle for decades, he had only found that room once. It was proof that Hogwarts had many secrets even from those that though they knew it best.

Dumbledore and Luna got into a conversation about merpeople. Harry wasn't sure if he could believe everything his companion had to say about the topic. She didn't like the merpeople who lived in the lake because of the way they treated the giant squid. Dumbledore agreed with her about the treatment of the squid and promised to have a word with their chief the next time they spoke.  Harry wondered if the headmaster was telling her the truth, he hoped he was but there was no way to know for certain.

Dinner was delicious and Harry was content to sit and listen to the Weird Sisters, the musical entertainment for the night play, sadly he and the other school champions were to open the dancing. Harry was just waiting to make a mistake, he knew Malfoy would be watching for him to make a mistake. It was a good thing Luna was a much better dancer than Harry. He didn't step on her toes too many times.

Harry lead Luna back to their seats after the first dance. He breathed a sigh of relief he was done for the night. Luna watched as the other couples danced.

"You're not a very good dancer," Luna stated.

Harry brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, sorry.  I'm great on a broom, but I don't know...it's like it's like I've got two left feet."

Luna gave him a hard look, "You're thinking too much."

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded.

"Do you want to give it another go?"

"No," Luna said slowly.

"Do you want to take a walk outside?" Harry asked, pulling at the collar of his dress robes.

Luna pulled his hand away from his collar and led him outside. Harry felt much better being out of the stuffy air of the overheated Great Hall. It was cooler than it was inside, but the teachers must have extended Warming Charms to the elaborate gardens that now stood in the front drive. Luna kept hold of Harry's hand as they walked. Harry hoped she didn't notice the sweaty state his palm was in. They turned a corner and stopped, startled by the raised voices.

"It's getting darker," the first voice insisted.

"That's Karkaroff," Harry whispered wanting to hear just a bit better. "Who's he talking to?"

"Don't listen, Harry, that's rude," Luna said tugging his hand gently to start walking the opposite direction.

Harry ignored her stepping closer toward the voices.

"This isn't the place Karkaroff! Anyone could hear you, you dolt!"

"And Professor Snape," Harry told Luna.

She tried to tug them away again. Harry refused to move once again.

"You won't speak to me, Severus. What am I supposed to do?" Karkaroff demanded. "He's growing stronger you can't deny it. He is coming back. Look at your arm, Severus!"

"I am not discussing this with you, Karkaroff," Snape said. There were footsteps coming closer and there Snape was standing before Harry and Luna the anger clear in his sallow features.

"Potter, that's ten points from Gryffindor for eavesdropping," Snape snapped, "and the same for Ravenclaw."

"We weren't," Harry protested.

Snape quirked an eyebrow up. "I see. Is that true, Miss Lovegood?"

Harry gave her a pleading look.

"Yes Professor," Luna said,  "We were just walking past and heard you."

"Ten more points for lying, Potter. Come with me, boy," Snape said placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Errrr... bye, Luna," Harry called as the man marched him back toward the castle

Harry practically had to jog to keep up with the Potions Master's quick pace. They didn't stop and Snape didn't remove his hand from Harry's robes until they reached the professor's office.

"Tell me all you heard," Snape demanded.

Harry shook his head. "We didn't hear anything."

"Don't lie to me, Harry."

"I'm not," Harry insisted. "We were just walking past, we heard Karkaroff saying something about it getting darker and you not wanting to talk about it. That's it."

Snape gave him a familiar penetrating stare.

"I promise," Harry told him, he locked his eyes with the man. If he wanted to make sure he was telling the truth by Legilimency he could.

Snape nodded after a long moment. If he had Legilimenced Harry, Harry hadn't felt the familiar intrusion of the man's mind in his own. Harry wondered what that was about. The man believed him, did he trust Harry was telling the truth?

"I do not want you anywhere near Karkaroff," Snape finally said.

"Okay," Harry said taking a seat in his usual spot. "I don't really see him."

"Be that as it may, be careful, Harry." Snape began to pace the length of the small office.

Harry waited for him to speak. When the professor didn't Harry had to say something.

"Was he talking about... that thing on your arm? Voldemort's symbol?"

"Don't say that name," Snape snapped instinctively. He stopped pacing to make eye contact with Harry. "He was indeed referring to the Dark Mark. He fears the return of the Dark Lord. He betrayed the Dark Lord and his fellow Death Eaters at the end of the last war. Many have never forgiven him for his actions. He believes he will be killed for these actions if he were to return."

"Will he?" Harry asked.

Snape nodded, "It is highly possible, however, fleeing from the Dark Lord will only guarantee his demise."

"Then why run?" Harry asked.

"The man is a coward. He does not wish to face the consequences of his actions."

"So he's going to die either way?"

"It is almost certain," Snape confirmed.

"That's stupid."

"The Dark Lord does not tolerate disloyalty. It is this fear of vengeance or death that will bring back many of the followers that may have otherwise moved on in their beliefs." Snape explained.

"Right," Harry agreed not completely understanding.

"There are some former followers who have a great deal to lose if the Dark Lord returns. They will no longer be free to peruse their own aims, but be servants once more to another's will," Snape clarified.

"Okay," Harry agreed.

"You need not concern yourself with that now, Potter. It is late, you should return to your tower."

There wasn't a curfew tonight but Harry knew the man wasn't making a suggestion. If Harry was up in his dorm he was safe.

Harry sighed, "Good night, sir."

"Harry, you would do well apologizing to Miss Lovegood in the morning," Snape suggested as the boy made to open the door.

"Apologize for what?" Harry asked.

"That your desire to eavesdrop lost her House ten points and you abandoned her so early in the night," Snape replied as if were obvious.

"I didn't abandon her. You dragged me off." Harry stumbled.

"Miss Lovegood may not share your feelings about it. You should do your best to rectify the situation." Snape continued. "Misunderstanding and hurt feelings can doom a relationship, if you explained what happened, she is more likely to accept your apologies."

"I didn't... We're not... We're just friends..." Harry stammered a blush creepingy up his neck.

"If you ever desire it to be more, take heed to my warning, Potter. Now away with you, I must return to that travesty of a dance," Snape said with a heavy sigh.  The two walked together until they reached the ground floor.

"Good night sir," Harry said before turning to continue up the stairs. He was surprised to find he wasn't the only one in his dorm when he arrived. Ron was already snoring in his four-poster as Harry changed for bed. Ron must not have been enjoying himself that much if he was already in bed, it was barely after midnight after all.  Harry laid down but had a hard time falling asleep. Snape's words kept playing in his head. Karkaroff fearing for his life, Death Eaters not wanting to return to Voldemort's service, was Snape giving him dating advice?
Harry was one of the earliest up the next morning. He ate breakfast by himself in nearly an empty Great Hall. He didn't see Hermione or Neville until after lunch. Apparently, both had come back sometime around dawn. Hermione's hair was back to its normal puffiness, she admitted she had used a lot of products to make it look like that. She could do it every day, but it wasn't worth the effort.

"Oh no," she sighed setting down her paper between the three of them.

"What?" The boys asked together.

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione said spotting a column.

Harry rolled his eyes, "What did she say this time?"

Hermione scanned down the article. "She mentions I am dating Viktor."

"Are you really?" Harry asked.

Hermione blushed.

"Good for you, Hermione," Neville said.

"She goes on to talk about Harry being dragged into the castle by Professor Snape," Hermione continued.

Harry frowned, "How does she know about that? The only person around was Luna. She wouldn't talk to Skeeter."

"What did Professor Snape want?"

Harry shook his head, "I didn't do anything, just he thought I heard something I shouldn't have."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing, Hermione. What did Skeeter say that was so bad?"
Hermione leaned forward to read the exact words of Skeeter's article about how Hagrid being half-giant, the son of the notorious giantess, Fridwulfa.  From there she went on to make speculations about his character, including his fondness for brutal beasts.

“We should go and see him,” Harry suggested at once.  “He should know we don’t care who is mum was or what he might be. I know what it’s like to be embarrassed by your family.”

“That’s not really a fair comparison, Harry.” Hermione chided.  

“You’ve never really met them.  Trust me, Hermione, they’re just about as bad as being related to a giant. At least giants have an excuse why they don’t act like decent humans; my aunt and uncle never did.” Harry said bitterly.  

"I don't...I don't... But how could she know that?" Neville stuttered.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. “Harry’s right we should go after breakfast.”

"If it's true, who would he trust with that?" Neville asked. "Did you know, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't care, but he didn't tell me."

"Did you ever see her yesterday?" Hermione asked. "She doesn't seem to like Viktor very much."

"Yeah, she was trying to talk to Dumbledore or trying to, but he ignored her to dance with Madame Maxime," Harry told them. "I didn't see her after that. Luna and I went for a walk, then Snape sent me to bed."

"What did you hear?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

Harry shrugged, "Karkaroff is scared of Vol-You-Know-Who coming back. He wants to run away."

"How can you say that isn't important, Harry?"

"I don't know." Harry huffed. "Professor Snape just wanted to make sure I stayed out of Karkaroff's way. I think he's scared Karkaroff might use me to make things better with You-Know-Who or something."

"Harry, how can you sound so casual about that?"

"He can't do anything to him here, Hermione." Neville pointed out, "not with Dumbledore here."

"Her-mo-nee," Viktor said waddling up to the Gryffindor table.

"Hi Viktor," Hermione said blushing again. "We can talk later."

"Have fun," the boys said letting her go.

"So, how were things with Ginny," Harry asked.

Hermione wasn't the only one to blush that morning.  She came back a few minutes later having changed her plans with Viktor to later that day so they could go and see their distressed friend.

Their visit to Hagrid’s was one of the hardest ever.  Hagrid had answered the door half-drunk.  He had thrown himself on Harry and Neville weepingly messily into the boys' cloaks.  He had told them a little about his early life, showing them the only photo he had of his tiny father. Yet by the end of the visit, none of them had a better idea how Skeeter could have found out. Hagrid refused to believe Madame Maxime would say anything about it.  The woman had even more to lose than Hagrid.  She might deny it, but there was no doubt she was like him after all.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~

With the holidays past and term beginning again, February was starting to feel a lot closer. Harry was no closer to solving the egg. Every time he tried, it let out the same blood-curdling screams. If he didn't solve it soon he wouldn't have time to prepare for the upcoming task. He wished he had listened to Hermione and started earlier.

Harry made his way down to Snape's office like he did every Thursday night. His Occlumency lessons were going better, but Snape could still break in. The man was frustrated with Harry's lack of progress. Harry tried to argue it was the upcoming holidays had him distracted with them past, that was no longer going to work, not that it worked all that well before.

"Potter," Professor Snape greeted as Harry entered his office without knocking.

"Sir," Harry said taking a seat waiting patiently the for man to finish with the papers he was working on before his arrival.

"I trust you have been practicing during our time off," Snape said setting his quill down.

"Errr..."

"I see. What is your excuse this time?"

"I didn't..." Harry sighed. "I don't have one."

"Potter, I am not doing this simply for my amusement." He said with a heavy sigh. "If the Dark Lord tries to access your mind this could not only save your life but that of others."

Harry frowned, "More than my life?"

"Yes Potter, you know a number of things the Dark Lord would care to know."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

Snape rolled his eyes, "I believe you will find that defeats the purpose of this exercise, Potter. You have more than Drooble's Best Blowing Gum between your ears if you put you mind to it."

Harry tilted his head to the side unsure if the man had just insulted his intelligence or not. He pushed aside that comment to think about Snape meant about knowing things.

"You mean your life," Harry said after a long minute. "That's what you meant when you came after the Quidditch Cup?"

"It is more than my life, Harry. If the Dark Lord returns, truly returns, as strong or stronger as the night he time slot to cast that Killing Curse, many lives will be at risk. A war is not fought, nor won by a single individual. A war will occur when the Dark Lord returns." Snape stood,"Enough of this for now. You need to work on your lamentable Occlumency skills. Try and direct more innocuous thoughts and feelings to the surface. You need to keep the most important ones in the deepest part of your mind."

"Yes sir," Harry said standing as well.

Harry did better than he expected, he was able to throw off the professor's assault every time. Snape wasn't as pleased with how long it took Harry for just that.  He was also able to get access to some of Harry's memories.

"Whose dog was that," Snape said offerings Harry a hand up after his final assault.

"Aunt Marge," Harry said rubbing his sore bottom.

"Is that not the woman you inflated last summer?"

"Yeah, but that was before I started Hogwarts, Dudley's ninth birthday, I think."

"I see," Snape said taking in the boy, "so your attack on her I have to assume was not just fueled by the comments of that night."

Harry shrugged. "She was talking about my mum and dad being worthless drunks. That's when she started blowing up like a balloon. She spent the week before insulting and spying on me. I dealt with that fine."

"Yet her comments about Lily drove you to break the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery?"

"Didn't you hear? She was insulting my mum and dad. She was saying mum was like a dog, that she was underbred, or some bollocks." Harry fumed.

Snape nodded once again. "You should realize by now, the world is an unfair place, Harry. People will say and do things that are unjust. It may be about yourself or that of your parents. That, however, do not give you excuse to illegally hex them."

"I know all that," Harry sighed. "I told you when I came to Spinner's End, it was an accident. I lost my temper and it just happened. I didn't use my wand or anything."

"That is no better, Harry. You must learn to control your thoughts and feelings, it may be the difference between your life and death. It is nearly curfew, I will see you in class." Snape said returning to his desk.

Harry shook his head at the odd dismissal, "Good night, sir."

"Potter," Snape said not bothering to look away from his marking.

Harry headed back toward the Tower via the library. He needed to get a book for his Divination assignment. He would, as he always did, give it a proper try before making up his answers. Professor Dumbledore said the woman wasn't a complete fake, but as far as the headmaster knew, she may have only had two real visions. That wasn't really a good percentage if you asked Harry.

Harry made his way down the Divination aisle running his finger down the spines of texts. Finally, he spotted the one he was looking for. He walked to the counter to checkout, when he saw Cedric working at a table with what Harry assumed were some of his fellow Hufflepuffs. The older boy waved at Harry. Harry returned it uneasily. Madame Pince handed Harry back his book, but he stopped seeing Cedric hold up a finger.

The older boy joined Harry at the counter, he motioned them to walk out. Harry frowned, but followed out into the hall. They walked down the corridor stopping in front of a snow covered window.

"I heard Snape's giving you some extra help," Cedric said looking over to Harry.

Harry shrugged, "Not with the tournament, just stuff I haven't got to do in class yet since..."

"Since you're a fourth year," Cedric finished.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"From what I heard he doesn't like you all that much. He must love having to help the famous Harry Potter."

"Professor Dumbledore asked him, I reckon nobody can really say no to Dumbledore." Harry craned his neck to look up at the taller teen. "That's not why you wanted to talk to me, is it? I
promise you Snape would never help me cheat."

Cedric shook his head, "No, have you figured out your egg yet?"

"What?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Have you figured out your egg?"

Harry shook his head, still too shocked to speak.

"Well you helped me out, so I should do the same. I would've been dead if it wasn't for you." Cedric said seriously. "Take a bath."

"What?" Harry managed to ask.

"Take with you to a bath, you can even use the Prefects' Bath. The password is 'pine fresh'." Cedric clarified. He looked down at his watch. "You better get going, you'll be out after hours in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Cedric," Harry said shifting the book from one hand to the other.

Cedric smiled in response, "Now we're even."

Harry nodded and headed down the hall. He sighed as he had been very clear with what was coming with the other boy. How was he repaid, "take a bath"? How was that supposed to help?
Still, it was further than he had gotten before. He would have to go out after hours and make extra sure Professor Snape didn't catch him. The man was already uncomfortable with Karkaroff and the others from Durmstrang being around him during the day.

Harry decided he would have to wait until sometime early next week, this close to the weekend there would be too many people patrolling.

"How was your lesson," Hermione asked handing him a green Headache Draught.

"Fine," Harry said slugging it back in one gulp, grimacing at the foul taste.

"Seamus was asking if you solved your egg yet," Neville informed him.

Harry shook his head.

"That's what I told him."

"You really should be working on it, Harry." Hermine chided.

"I am," Harry told her, "I have a clue what it's about."

"Oh," Hermione looked up hopefully.

"Er...well...I don't want to discuss it just yet..." Harry said scratching the back of his neck. "Wait? Weren't you having dinner with Krum tonight?"

Neville snorted clearly amused at the obvious redirect.

"We did. It was fine until Ron came barging in on us while we were studying in the library." Hermione said with a blush.

Harry frowned. "Why would he care who you're studying with?"

"He was going about me betraying you," Hermione explained.
"He thinks I shouldn't be dating somebody from Durmstrang since they are competing against you or something."

Harry groaned. "I'll talk to him, don't worry. Honestly, Hermione, I don't care who you date."

Hermione smiled, "I know. Thank you, Harry."

"Anytime, Hermione," Harry said settling down to work on Trelawney's latest assignment.

Harry waited until late on Monday night to head down to the Prefect's Bathroom. He had his egg in his backpack. The Marauders Map was open to make sure he didn't bump into any professors or others who happen to be awake and roaming the halls. His walk down to the bathroom was slow, it seemed like every professor was out tonight. Harry wondered why Mr. Crouch was at the castle so late. He must have been visiting Professors Dumbledore and Snape since he was in the dungeons.

Harry had never seen a bathtub as big as the one in the
Prefects' Bathroom. There were swimming pools that were smaller he was sure. He used a number of the taps, each creating a different smelling or looking bubble. Actually solving his egg came with a little help from Luna at Christmas dinner and Moaning Myrtle. He would have an hour to get back something from the merpeople in the hour time slot, or it would be lost forever. Now all he had to do was figure out how to breathe underwater for an hour.

Harry drained the tub after he was sure Moaning Myrtle was gone, he wrapped a towel firmly around his waist and dried off. He had a lot of research ahead of him he was sure. At least Hermione would leave him alone now. He grabbed the egg and Invisibility Cloak putting it on once more. The Marauders' Map showed his path to the castle was clear.

Harry watched the map, Mr. Crouch was coming right towards him. Harry tripped falling into the gap of the stair Neville always forgot to jump. His bag flipped over sending the golden egg crashing down the stairs, popping up letting out its ear-splitting screams. Harry's only relief was he was still covered by the Invisibility Cloak. He struggled, trying to get out of the gap.
The screaming stopped, Harry turned to see who had closed it. It was Professor Snape, his black eyes casting around to find Harry. A second set of footsteps came down the hall, there was no mistaking, them. Professor Moody appeared around the corner an instant later.

"What are you doing here Snape?" Moody demanded.

"I was on my typical patrols, Moody. I was drawn by the screaming," Snape said snidely, showing the ex-Auror the retrieved egg.

"Give it here, Snape. I'll be seeing Potter in class tomorrow."

"There's no way to know which champion this belongs to you paranoid..."

"Mind your tongue you Death Eater scum," Moody shot back. "I don't know what you've done to convince Dumbledore, but I know who you are." Moody looked up at the stairs once more.

Harry waited for a few minutes making sure the footsteps had faded before pulling back the hood of his cloak. Snape shook his head as he leaned over and put his arms under the teen's pits to remove him from where he was stuck. "Potter would be disappointed in you boy."

Harry stood there uncomfortably in the Potions Master's presence unsure what to say.

"What were you thinking?" Snape demanded.

"I..."

"How many times have I told you not to go out in the room at night?" Snape said his face inches from Harry's.

"I was trying to solve my egg," Harry explained.

"And you couldn't do that before curfew?"

Harry shook his head, "I was... I needed a bathtub...and not to be distributed..."

"So you broke into the Prefects' Bath?"

"I didn't break in," Harry said lamely looking at his slippered feet.

"Harry, that's not what's important," Snape all but sighed.

Harry looked up through his lashes, "I know. But when was I supposed to get to us the bath? We only have showers in the dorm."

"And you didn't think to ask your Head of House? I assure you, Professor McGonagall would have accommodated your request, Potter."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled.

"That does me little good if you get yourself killed, Potter." Snape paused, Harry could tell he was collecting himself. "I will escort you back to your dorm. I will see you this evening for the first night of a week's detention."

"Yes sir," Harry sighed. He should have known to expect that.

Hermione and Neville agreed with Snape when he told them what happened over breakfast.

"Do you have an idea of what you're going to use to get the thing back?" Neville asked.

Harry shook his head, "I guess I was going to start looking for charms or something like that this afternoon."

"You could do that, but why not just use gillyweed?"

"What's that?" Harry asked. Sometimes Neville's passion for plants had its benefits.

 
~~~*****~~~*****~~~*****~~~
 

Harry knocked on the office door.

"Enter," Professor Snape said not looking up from his papers.

Harry shifted slightly uncomfortable.

"What do you need, Potter?"

"Can I have some gillyweed?"

Snape set his quill down. "Why do you require that particular ingredient?"

"It's for the task tomorrow," Harry explained.

"And you did not to ask before tonight because?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I tried ordering some by owl post, but they wouldn't send it. I don't know what else to do." Harry explained with a huff.

"My word, Harry Potter thinking ahead. I have no idea why an apothecary might have failed to fill your request. Follow me," Snape said rising from his desk.

Harry followed the man into the restricted potions cupboard.

"If you are asking me for ingredients I can assume you and your little friends are not the ones pillaging my cupboard for supplies," Snape said pushing aside glass jars to retrieve the appropriate one.

"Supplies for what?" Harry said as he read the labels of unfamiliar ingredients.

"Polyjuice," Snape opening a jar. "Someone has taken boomslang skin and bicorn horn from this cupboard over the last several months. You three aren't trying your hand at it again? Miss. Granger has learned her lesson in brewing above her level."

"The potion was fine, she just used a cat hair on accident." Harry protested.

"Indeed," agreed Snape looking at the boy in the dark confines of the space.

"We aren't doing it," Harry reassured. "We were trying to figure out who the Heir of Slytherin was in second year. Why would we do it now?"

"I would suggest you stop speaking now if you ever wish to be a member of the Quidditch team again."

"Huh?"

"If you incriminate yourself further you will be spending every Saturday for the next three year helping Mr. Filch with every dirty job he can think of." Snape threatened softly.

"You can't do that." Harry protested, "That was years ago."

"Try me, Potter."

Harry stopped speaking.

"Good boy. Now how long do you think you will need to breathe under water?"

Harry said nothing.

"It is polite to speak when asked a question, Potter."

"Err...we have an hour to get to what they've taken and get back to the surface," Harry replied.

"Very well," Snape handed him a handful of slimy grey weeds that too closely resembled rattails for Harry's liking. "This should give you eighty minutes, give or take ten minutes, just in case it takes longer."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said smiling up at the man. It was so weird how the man could go from threatening him to put him in detention for years to make sure he had a little bit of extra protection. Something about what he was thinking must have shown on his face.

"It is for my own sake, Potter. I have no desire to retrieve you from the bottom of the Black Lake. I'm sure if anything were to go wrong the mutt you call your godfather would put the blame solidly on my shoulders."  

Harry fought back a laugh, "Yeah, he would. Still, thank you, sir."

Snape nodded, "Try and not get yourself killed, Potter."

Harry nodded. "I'll do my best."

Snape shook his head leading him out of the cupboard. "Off with you, you insufferable Gryffindor brat."

Harry made his way upstairs back to his room. He actually felt okay about with what tomorrow might bring. He woke up groggy the next morning the weak February light streaming through the windows. He rolled over, looking at the clock on the bedstand. It was a little over an hour before he was supposed to be at the lake. He should probably have something to eat now if he was going to eat before the challenge. Aunt Petunia always yelling at Dudley not to going to swimming until half an hour after eating? Or was it an hour? Oh well, he was hungry, he was going to have a bit of breakfast.

Harry got dressed and walked down to the Great Hall. He thanked all his well-wishers. It was only when he was finishing that he realized he had seen Neville or Hermione at all this morning.

"Hullo Harry," Luna said coming and sitting next to him.

"Hi Luna," Harry said still looking for his missing friends.

"You're distracted," Luna said watching him.

"Yeah," Harry admitted, "Sorry, I was just looking for Hermione and Neville."

"They're not here." She stated as if it was obvious.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I saw them walking with Professor Dumbledore early this morning."

Harry frowned. Where could they be? He couldn't imagine them not coming to cheer him on. Wait they were walking with
Dumbledore. "Were they going to the lake?"

Luna cocked her head to the side.

"Dumbledore took them to the lake, that's what we're going have to retrieve from the merpeople. It's not a thing, but a person," Harry explained.

"Do you have to rescue both?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't know. Maybe?"

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said coming down the aisle between the tables.

Harry stood, "Coming Professor."

"Harry," Luna said coming with him.

"What is it, Luna?"

She passed him a small odd shaped lump, of something Harry didn't recognize. "It's for good luck."

"Uhhh...Thanks, Luna," Harry shoved the thing into his pocket. She walked beside him. Harry was not sure what to say.

"Through there, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall instructed as they arrived at a white tent on the lakeshore.

"I'll be cheering for you," Luna told him.

Harry nodded and headed in, the other champions were all standing in bathrooms waiting for the task to begin. Harry disappeared behind the partition to change into the provided swimsuit. He was glad to see it had a pocket and a wand holster. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with his gillyweed or his wand as he swam to the bottom of the lake.

"Hello all," Mr. Bagman came bustling into the room. "It's a wonderful morning. I hope each of you has figured out a strategy for today's task. Each of you has a hostage waiting for you at the bottom of the lake. You are to retrieve them within and return to the surface in the allotted hour. The person who comes back the fastest will score the highest."

Harry nodded along as Mr. Bagman spoke. He noticed it was not Mr. Crouch with him, but again, Percy. Mr. Crouch must have been very sick to miss judging the actual task.

"Percy," Harry said getting the young man's attention.

Percy looked over at the bespectacled boy, "Oh, hello Harry."

"Is Mr. Crouch still ill," Harry asked.

Percy looked uncomfortable, "Yes, I'm afraid he is. He's still working very hard from home of course. He sends owls every morning at least, if not several during the day. He wishes he could be here, of course. As his deputy, I was charged to represent the Department of International Cooperation."

"Harry, we're waiting for you to start," Mr. Bagman said coming back into the tent.

"Sorry," Harry apologized as he and Percy hustled to join the rest.

Mr. Bagman announced to the crowd that at the sound of the whistle all four champions would enter the water to retrieve whatever person they lost. That would be the start of the hour time limit. Harry stretched his muscles as best he could remember from physical education in primary school. He really wished Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had paid for him to take swimming lessons like they did in for Dudley.

The whistle blew Harry felt like an idiot walking into the water, no obvious magic in use. The gillyweed was rubbery and tasted like old licorice. Neville hadn't said exactly how he would know when it had taken effect. Harry just stood hip deep in the chilly water, trying not to shiver as he chewed, finally swallowed. Harry could tell the instant it was in effect his head ached from the lack of oxygen. He brought up a webbed hand to touch the newly formed gills on the sides of his neck. He dove. Everything disappeared in the cloudy water, all sounds of the crowd, the cold, his sense of time. He still had a watch (an abandoned birthday present of Dudley's) but it wasn't waterproof apparently. It had stopped working as he entered the lake.

Harry swam down not sure exactly where he was going. He had to fight of grindylows on his way down. The merpeople looked nothing like the one in the painting in the Prefects' Bath. They wouldn't let Harry collect Neville and Hermione. He was only supposed to take Neville. Hermione was there for Krum. The Bulgarian showed up several long minutes after Harry, cutting Hermione free after Harry handed him a sharp rock before he accidentally bit Hermione in two with his transfigured shark's head. Cedric too came and collected his person, Cho Chang, the sixth year Ravenclaw Seeker.

Time was running out and Fleur had yet to show up. Harry couldn't just leave the little girl down here. She couldn't be more than eight or so.  He ignored the merpeople's orders to leave her and cut her free bring her with him and Neville back to the surface. He was very glad the professor made sure he had enough gillyweed to last longer than the hour.  It was much harder to swim carrying two unconscious people with him.

The last of the gillyweed wore off as Harry broke the surface. The little girl, Harry guessed she was Fleur's sister started to panic. Neville had no trouble taking hold of her and bringing her back to the shore. Harry was exhausted and wished someone would bring him back. He managed to get back to shore before collapsing on the muddy bank. He didn't care what the judges decided.

Hermione sat with Krum a little way away. They seemed to be having a very intense conversation from the look on his friend's face. He would have to ask her about that. Fleur was on the other side speaking in very fast French. She had thanked Harry and Neville for saving the girl, her sister, Gabrielle. Neville was wrapped in a blanket sitting next to Harry not saying anything. Harry appreciated the silence, he knew that he would be mobbed by the press, his classmates, and anyone else who wanted to know about what happened down in the lake.
Harry was half asleep when Neville jostled him to inform him that he and Cedric were tied for first place. He had lost points for coming back after the hour time limit, but the merpeople informed the judges how Harry arrived first and refused to return until all the hostages were collected. He grinned proudly trying to mentally compose his next letter to Sirius. His godfather and Remus would want to know how he did in the task. Harry also wanted to ask what they knew about Mr. Crouch. It seemed odd to Harry the man would miss something as important as one of the Triwizard Tasks. And to send Percy, a brand-new employee to the Ministry, one who he confused the name of multiple times at the Quidditch World Cup, that didn't sit right either.

Harry wished he could call them like he had been able to at the Burrow. It would take days for Hedwig to come back with their response to all of Harry's questions. What else was there to do?
Harry was still in a great mood when he arrived for Occlumency lessons the next evening.

"Yes, yes, Potter, you did very well yesterday. That idiotic stunt didn't cost you. It may only cost your life in the future." Snape said as Harry took a seat.

"Huh?" Harry said taking his usual seat.

"What if the time limit had meant life or death? Your insistence on saving everyone could have gotten Longbottom killed."

"So I should have let Fleur's sister die?" Harry demanded.

"No, but you need to think about the consequences of your actions." Snape clarified. "What did the mutt have to say?"

"I don't know yet, Hedwig hasn't come back with his letter," Harry admitted. "I wish I could call him."

"After our session, you may use my fireplace. I need to speak to the wolf anyway. This is only tonight,"  Snape stressed.

Harry grinned, "Thank you."

The lesson was one of the best Harry had ever had. He had managed to force Snape out of his mind and even penetrate the older man's memories for an instant. Harry didn't know or understand exactly what he saw in his mind, but he recognized the location at the house on Spinner's End.  Harry guessed the yelling man must have been Snape's father, a cowering woman protecting the small boy, Snape's mother.

Sirius and Remus listened excitedly as Harry recounted the entire task in great detail. Snape provided biting commentary along the way. It was only afterward Harry remember what he wanted to discuss with his godfather. Harry explained how Mr. Crouch was still missing from the task, but he had been on the map. Why would he be at the castle late at night, but fail to attend something as important as the Triwizard Tournament?

Sirius didn't have an answer. Neither he nor Snape liked the man, who had been highly involved with the Death Eater trials at the end of the last war. Sirius was never given a chance to defend himself, whereas Snape was only saved from the Dementor's Kiss by Dumbledore personally vouching for him. Both Sirius and Snape agreed something must be wrong with such a driven man to miss something like the tournament.

The Snape and Sirius disagreed however on how Harry should protect himself. Sirius wanted Harry to spend more time with Mad-Eye Moody. The old man maybe a paranoid nutter, but he was the most talented Auror the department had ever seen. Sirius ignored Snape's misgivings about the man blaming them on his prejudice developed as a Death Eater.

In other news, Remus told Harry they planned to move to Sirius' old family house in London during the summer holidays. Harry would get to help make the place the home it never was to Sirius. Harry knew that probably meant a lot of cleaning and other menial jobs, but somehow Remus made the prospect of spending his summer cleaning house not sound too bad. Now all he had to do was survive this last task and he could go see his new home.

February turned into March, then April. Harry continued to work with Professor Snape on his Occlumency at least one night a week. Any detention he earned during class were turned into extra lessons.

Harry had gone with the twins on the most recent Hogsmeade weekend since Neville was going with Ginny and Hermione was with Krum.  Harry thought about asking Luna but backed out at the last moment (so much for legendary Gryffindor courage). In a way, Harry was glad he hadn't brought Luna. Rita Skeeter spent the entire day buzzing around the village trying to come up with new gossip about Harry or the others competing in the tournament.

Skeeter created a nonsense story about Hermione's rejection of Harry for an older, more talented, star. The article had run in some of the women's magazines. Hermione had received some nasty letters in response to this, including burns from undiluted Bubotuber pus. Harry promised he would hit her the next time he saw her and those stupid bejeweled glasses.

After the news broke about Hagrid, Dumbledore had banned the reporter from the school grounds. Yet she seemed to have a way of getting past the headmaster's declaration, as she was continuing to publish new columns that were too accurate for her not to be around the castle. Snape received several Howlers one morning when Skeeter reported Harry had detention with the man for being out five minutes after curfew.  The man cared not, he simply incinerated as soon as the unlucky bird dropped its missive, never giving them a chance to spew whatever the message was inside.

With April came another meeting of the champions, this time down on the Quidditch Pitch. The once perfectly manicured lawn was now covered in long snakes of three foot or so high hedges. Mr. Bagman informed them that the last task was to take place the last day of exams (for the rest of the school). Since Harry and Cedric were tied they would enter at the same time, Krum five minutes later, and Fleur another five after Krum.

"Potter," Krum called out to Harry, slowed to let the other boy catch up.  

"Herm-own-ninny speaks of you often," Krum said walking back toward the castle.

"Uhhhh...yeah...we're friends..."Harry said nervously.

"Di paper, dis Skeeter woman, she says you and Herm-own-nniny are more," Krum said stopping at the edge of the forest.

Harry shook his head. "We're not. Hermione's great, she fantastic. But she's...she's sort of like a sister to me."

"You do not love her den?" Krum clarified.

"Not like that," Harry confirmed. "She's just a friend."

"Den you do not mind her seeink me?"

Harry shrugged, "It's her choice. I don't think she'd care who I was dating."

"She does, she hef spoken of it," Krum said. "She tinks di girl from di dance is... whot is word.. mad? Talkink of impossible tinks. She is very strange."

"Luna, yeah, she is," Harry admitted, "but she knows who she is.
 Anyway, we're just friends."

"Like wit Herm-own-ninny?"

A rustling of leaves and a branch breaking drew the boys' attention to the forest. Both had their wands in hand instantly. The little hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end.

"What lives in dere?" Krum asked.

"Lots of things," Harry whispered back. "Lumos." The tip of his wand released a thin stream of light.  

Something came crashing through the woods, Harry gripped his wand tighter a hex on the tip of his tongue. As it got closer, Harry dropped his wand. It was a man, it was Mr. Crouch.

"Mr. Crouch," Harry said approaching the man cautiously. "Mr. Crouch, can we help you?"

Mr. Crouch grabbed the front of the boy's robes, "Dumbledore! I must speak to Dumbledore!"

Harry looked to Krum for help, the man still held him tight. Krum stepped forward his wand raised. Harry shook his head.

"Mr. Crouch, I can go get Dumbledore, but you need to let me go." Harry pleaded, "If you let me go we can go together."

"Made a terrible mistake," Crouch breathed letting go of Harry's robes.

Harry stepped back from his captor. Something funny happened, Mr. Crouch started talking to a tree as if it were Percy Weasley.

"He is one of your ministers," Krum said watching the man uncomfortably. "He is mad."

Harry shook his head, "He's confused. He's acting like that tree is Percy. What he’s talking about happened a few months ago. It's like how those Muggles acted after the Ministry used Memory Charms after what happened with the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup. We need to get help," Harry said looking from the confused Crouch to the castle.

"You wish to takes him to Dumbledore? What madness does he needs to hear?" Krum asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Harry admitted, "But we can't just drag him. Can you watch him while I go?"

Krum clutched his wand, nodding.

"Thanks," Harry said before running up the lawn.

"Potter," Professor Snape snapped as Harry crashed through the front door. "What in the name of Merlin do you think you are doing?"

"I need to talk to Dumbledore," Harry breathed, rubbing slightly at his side, winded from his long run.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Why is that?"

Harry took a big breath in, "Mr. Crouch is with Krum, down by the forest. He's acting sort of funny. Mr. Crouch, not Krum. He's talking to trees like they're Percy Weasley and going on about making mistakes."

"Show me," Snape said heading out the door. Harry jogged down the grounds, trying to stay with the professor's long strides.  A frown appeared on his face, it grew deeper as the came closer to where Harry had left Krum with Crouch.

"Potter," Snape said looking around.

"There," Harry said pointing at the dark lump.

Snape pushed Harry behind him, "Stay here."  Snape waved his wand a silver doe raced across the lawn, back to the castle. He waved his wand casting several spells over the unconscious Krum. Apparently approving of the results Snape stepped closer to and tapped Krum with his wand.

The heavy brows furrowed as Krum sat up with the aid of
Professor Snape.

"Where is Mr. Crouch," Snape asked waving his wand over Krum once more.

"I do not know," Krum rubbed the back of his head gingerly. "He was upset when Potter left. He yelled. He must hef hit me."

"What are you doing here, Snape?" Moody demanded to find the trio.

"Potter said he had run into a distressed Mr.Crouch this evening, who requested to speak with the headmaster. I returned with him as not to put the students in harm's way." Snape's tone was neutral, but Harry knew Snape would love to hex the paranoid Auror.

"Severus, Alastor, I am glad you are both here," Dumbledore said cutting the heavy silence between the teachers. "Mr. Krum, could you explain what happened?"

"The man came up to us when Potter and I were talkink," Krum began. "He was mad, talkink of mistakes, to trees. Potter went to get help, leaving me with him. He was upset, he must hef hit me. I woke up with your professor standing over me."

"Alastor, see if you can find him. We must know what he wanted to discuss." Dumbledore looked at Harry, "Severus, take Harry to my office."

Snape nodded, "Come along, Potter."

Harry followed without complaint, he could feel the displeasure coming off the Potions instructor but why it was directed at him, Harry was uncertain. He didn't have to wait too long to find out.  

"What were you thinking, Potter?" Snape demanded as soon as the door to the headmaster's office shut.

"What did I do?" Harry asked.

"Why were you alone with Krum? The mutt and I specifically instructed you to be cautious around those from Durmstrang." Snape hissed.

Harry flopped into a chair, "We were just talking."

"And what could be so important to put your life at risk? Quidditch standings? Chocolate Frog Cards?"

"No," Harry sighed.

An eyebrow raised in response.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Hermione."

"What was that?"

"He wanted to ask me about Hermione. The papers were saying that Hermione was my girlfriend or something. He wanted to make sure it wasn't true, I guess." Harry explained.

"And you felt it worth your life to discuss a nonexistent romantic relationship with him?" Snape asked.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Harry sighed.

Snape rolled his eyes, "That much is obvious."

Harry pouted, "How come you never warned Hermione about Durmstrang? Doesn't she have to worry about them too?"

"Potter, Miss. Granger is capable of taking care of herself. I am sure she could handle herself if the need arose."

"And I couldn't?" Harry demanded.

Snape sat next to Harry making sure his onyx orbs meet with Harry's. "Harry, Granger does not have the same concerns. She did not defeat the Dark Lord as a toddler. She does not have to worry that a deranged follower will try to use her as compensation for their sins."

"It's Krum. He doesn't seem so bad." Harry sighed looking away from the teacher.

"People may not always show you their true self, Harry." Snape reminded him.

"I know," Harry agreed. His eyes cast around the room over all the strange artifacts.  The portraits of past headmasters dozing comfortably in their frames. His eyes fell of a silver light in the corner of the room. "What's that?" Harry asked walking toward the source.

Snape joined him by the stone bowl. "It is a Pensieve, a way to see look back on your memories."

"How," Harry asked prodding a finger at the shimmering surface.

Snape reached out grabbed his hand away, "You can break the surface of the memory. You are able to see the memories outside yourself."

Harry frowned, "I don't think I get it." He pulled his arm away from the bowl.

Snape let go of his wrist. "You need not concern himself it, Potter. It is a great offense to enter another's memories without their permission."

"Yes sir," Harry said giving the bowl one more look.

"Hello again, Harry," Dumbledore greeted the teen as he entered the office. "Severus, thank you for waiting with him." Snape nodded politely."I see Severus was showing you the mysteries of the Pensieve."

"In fact, I was not, Headmaster. Potter would have barged into yours, I had not been present." Snape corrected.

"Ahhh, Severus, one can sometimes not help their curiosity," Dumbledore said his voice light, a small smile hidden in the waist length beard.

Snape frown, "That is no excuse for such incivility."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "Now Harry, can you please give me your account of the night's events?"

"It was like Krum said, we were walking back to the castle by the forest when Mr. Crouch appeared. He was all dirty and going on about mistakes he made. It didn't make a lot of sense."

Harry apologized. "Mr. Crouch kept asking for you so I left him with Krum and came looking for you. Professor Snape was mad at me for running in the halls until I explained. Then we want back, but Krum was knocked out. Wait," Harry turned to Snape, "was that doe a Patronus?"

"It was," Dumbledore confirmed. "The Patronus a fascinating bit of magic not only can they be used to dispel Dementors but to send messages as well."

"Cool," Harry said sitting back, he could almost hear Snape rolling his eyes in response to his comment.

Dumbledore placed his wand to his temple removing a long silver strand, almost like a liquid hair. Harry watched as the man dropped it into the stone basin before them.  The image of a teenage sitting with a younger Dumbledore floating up. Dumbledore added another, this time a young man pleading for his father not to send him away.

"Who was that?" Harry asked.

"Bartemius Crouch Jr., he and three others were sentenced to life for their vicious attacks on an Auror and his family," Dumbledore said adding another memory.

"Mr. Crouch's son was a Death Eater?" Harry was surprised, Mr. Weasley said the man hated dark magic. Harry remembered how the man reacted seeing the Dark Mark in the sky once more. He had been desperate to blame it on anyone, even his devoted house-elf.

"He was," Snape confirmed. "The boy died not long after being sent to Azkaban. His cohorts are still there."

"Were the Auror and his family okay," Harry asked after a moment.

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "No, they never recovered. They are still in St. Mungo's."

Harry furrowed his brow, "Mr. Crouch's son attacked Neville's parents?"

"Yes, had Neville never mentioned why he lived with his  grandmother?" Dumbledore asked.

"He said they were sick, but he never said who did it," Harry clarified.  

"I see," Dumbledore said with a pause. "Now, why don't you head back to the Tower?"

"Yes sir," Harry said getting up, "Good night Headmaster, Professor Snape."

"Good evening," both said.

Dumbledore must have let Sirius know about what happened because Harry received a letter from Sirius the next morning lecturing him almost on the same points Professor Snape had last night. He shook his head as he shoved the letter into his pocket. The two men might not get along, but they were so much alike when it came to worrying about Harry.  
 

~~~*****~~~*****~~~
 

Professor Snape put their Occlumency lessons on hold the week before exams were to start.  He didn't have the time to practice with Harry, but he still expected Harry to continue with their nightly exercises. Harry was glad for the break, it gave him more time to prepare for the upcoming task.

Hermione and Neville were helping him look up and practice useful spells. They found one that would act like a compass to locate true north. The cup would be at the center of the maze, this way he would have an idea of which way to go.  There was one Neville found to slow the momentum of an approaching enemy. Professor McGonagall gave them an extra classroom to practice in after stumbling on the group several times.

The morning of the third task arrived, everyone was excited for the exams to finish and the Triwizard winner to be announced that evening. Harry sat with his friends at breakfast listening as Hermione quizzed Neville on various topics for their History of Magic exam which was just after breakfast. Harry wasn't sure he was going to go. Professor McGonagall had thrown him out of the room the day before for distracting the others as they took their exams by summoning and repelling objects across the room.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said briskly as Harry made to follow Neville and Hermione upstairs. He decided he would try and read during the exam, that was if his nerves didn't get the best of him.

Harry stopped on the rise of the first stair, "Ma'am."

"The families of the champions have been invited to come and watch the task. As you do not have to sit your examination, you may spend the day with your family." Professor McGonagall explained.

Harry grinned and followed the woman into the same chamber the four students had waited in before the first task. Krum and another heavy-browed man stood in the corner speaking in Bulgarian. Fleur had her arm wrapped around her little sister's shoulders as they spoke in lightning fast French with their parents. Cedric was by the fireplace, trying not to appear embarrassed as his father told him about how he had bragged about his son being the true Hogwarts Champion and leading in the standings. Harry felt a bit bad for Cedric. As much as he wanted people to notice his achievements, it was obvious he didn't enjoy his father's unrelenting boasting.

"Hey kiddo," Sirius said pulling Harry into a tight embrace as he reached the chair where his fate in this tournament had been decided only a few months before.

"Hey," Harry returned finally letting go of the man. "Hi Remus," he added to the werewolf sitting in the chair beside them.

"Good morning Harry," Remus said closing his book. "The Weasley will be joining us later today, after lunch. I believe Molly wanted us to have some time to catch up."

"Great," Harry said as he embraced the man.

"How about me and Moony show you about the castle, like where we used to go?" Sirius suggested. "I bet you won't have seen half the places."

"He has the map, Sirius." Remus reminded his old friend, though he said it very quietly as if he was scared a professor would punish him for speaking out of turn in class.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "That's different than seeing and doing, Rem."

The two men filled Harry's morning with stories of adventures from their school days. Most featured his father in a central role. Occasionally, there were mentions of his mother playing a role in their antics. Who they didn't ever mention was Peter Pettigrew. Harry was glad they said nothing that may dull his contempt of the treacherous rat.

Mrs. Weasley apologized at lunch that Mr. Weasley wouldn't be able to make it, an emergency call from the Ministry. The body of a second missing Ministry official was found murdered that morning. Harry accepted and admitted to being surprised by the news. She told him they were trying to keep it out of the papers after all that was going on with Mr. Crouch's disappearance, sudden reappearance, and subsequent disappearance.

After lunch, Mrs. Weasley led the group on her own tour. It turned out, Mrs. Weasley had her own mischievous history to the castle. It was clear to Harry where the twins got it from.  Harry wondered if Mrs. Weasleys' own children knew even half the stories she told him that afternoon.

Not matter how much Mrs. Weasley and Remus nagged him at dinner, Harry couldn't eat a bite, not even treacle tart, his favorite. He pushed his potatoes around the plate as Mrs. Weasley interrogated her children about how their exams went. He was somewhat relieved when Mr. Bagman came over to collect him. The walk down to the pitch was tense. None of the champions would make eye contact with him.

Harry held tight to his wand, as Mr. Bagman went of the instructions for the night. Harry nodded in the appropriate places, not really taking it in. It would all be over once he made it to the center of the maze. That's all he had to do.  Win or lose, as long as he finished this he would have survived the tournament.  That's all he could ask for right now.

Remus, Sirius, and the Weasleys came by to wish Harry good luck, with tight hugs from all. Remus slipped a small piece of paper into his palm as their hug broke. Harry frowned, Remus, shook his head, and mouthed "in the maze". The teen cocked his head to the side, he couldn't believe the man would help him cheat, but why else would the man hand him a note that he wasn't supposed to read the until he was inside the maze?

Harry placed the note in his pocket waiting for Mr. Bagman to blow the whistle. Cedric was doing jumping jacks trying to expel his nervous energy. Mr. Bagman motioned for Harry and Cedric to approach the entry. The whistle blew the boys headed into the maze together, walking until they reached the first fork.

"Good luck," Cedric muttered as he set off down the right fork.

"You too," Harry said heading down the left.

The quiet was eerie, the darkness oppressive, as he wandered. He had to turn back twice as he ran into dead ends. At the first one, Harry took a moment to retrieve the note from his pocket, curious what it could be. By the faint light of his wand, Harry could make out a familiar spidery scrawl.

Potter,  
As I was unable to wish you luck before the task, may I convey my best wishes now.  May you make it through this maze with the least amount of bodily harm.  If the need should arise do not be too stubborn to request assistance from the professors.  Your life is worth a bag of galleons, Harry, no matter how large.
Be aware, SS

He took the next left trying to find his way to the center. He thought he heard a scream, but then there were red sparks, someone had signaled they were in distress. One less person to compete against. He was mildly curious as to who it might have been.  

When he turned the next corner, everything turned upside down. Harry stared at the stars that were now the ground, unsure what to do. Harry held his breath, closed his eyes, put his foot out, and stepped forward. He cracked an eye open, glad to see the grass under him once more. He rushed down the path taking the next right as it would head back north.

The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up as a familiar cold crept over him. The Dementor glided toward him, its rotten hand sticking out under it robe, outstretched to grab Harry.

He summoned the happiest thought he could come up with, getting out of this maze and yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" The Dementor stumbled, tripping over its robes as the silver doe charged it down.

"You're not a Dementor, you're a Boggart," Harry realized. "Riddikulus!"

The Dementor-Boggart disappeared in a puff of smoke. Harry heard another scream, this one much closer. Harry bit his lip, not sure what to do, then there was another scream. Harry pointed his wand at the hedge and burned a hole just large enough for him to climb through. Krum had Cedric under the Cruciatus Curse. Without a second thought, Harry stunned Krum.

"I thought he wasn't too bad," Cedric breathed as Harry tried to help the other boy sit up.

"He's not," Harry said, "he's always been good to me and my friend Hermione. He's told her how he doesn't like how focused on the Dark Arts they are at Durmstrang."

"He must have been lying to her," Cedric said standing up shakily.

"I guess," Harry sighed.

"Do you want me to signal the professors?" Asked Cedric.

Harry nodded.

"Good luck," Cedric said leaving Harry once more.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, it was only the two of them left, he had an equal chance to win. Harry took off once more. His encounter with the Sphinx wasn't as bad as he thought it might be.

There he was, the cup was only a short run away, he could make it. Then Cedric was there, but he was closer... He was going to win. The Hufflepuff looked back, seeing Harry he stopped....

A crash came through the silence. An eight-foot tall spider came over the hedge between Harry and Cedric. It opened and closed its pincers coming toward Harry, lunging and picked Harry up under his knee. Harry screamed in pain as the spider's venom sank into his flesh.

Harry tried to cast something to make the creature let him go.  Nothing worked it was too big or too magical. Cedric stepped forward, "Stunning Spell on three. Aim for the underbelly. One....two....three!"

The two flashes of red light hit the spider hit it at the same time. It released its jaw sending Harry crashing to the ground again. Harry tried to stand, his injured leg collapsing under him immediately.

"Take it," Harry told the Hufflepuff, "it's yours. There is no way I'm getting there on this leg."

"It should be yours," Cedric said walking not toward the cup, but Harry. "I never would have made it past the first task without your help."

"You helped me with the lake," Harry said hissing through the pain.

"I got help with that too," Cedric admitted.

"Hagrid helped me with the dragons," Harry confessed. "Just take it so we can get out of here."

"No," Cedric refused.

"Go on, be the biggest win for Hufflepuff in a century," Harry urged.

"Together, we do it together," Cedric said grabbing Harry and getting him to his feet. The two hobbled together. They grabbed the glowing blue cup, the jerking sensation behind his bellybutton told Harry they were on their way. It was over, he survived the Triwizard Tournament.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

"Where are we?" Cedric asked, looking around the dark surroundings. "This isn't another part of the task, is it? Should we send up red sparks?"

Harry couldn't see very much, they stood on the edge of some woods.  It was nowhere near Hogwarts, that he knew. "I don't think that will work.  Do you know how to send messages with a Patronus?"

The other boy shook his head, "Do you?"

Harry too shook his head.  He would have to ask Professor Snape how to teach how to do that during their next lesson.  

"Maybe we should see where we are?" Diggory suggested.  

Harry nodded. "Wands out," he said tightening the hold on his holly and phoenix feather wand.

Cedric slipped an arm under Harry's arm, helping him to walk. Stepping out of the woods they were in a graveyard now, a family one Harry would guess by the few names he could read. When he looked up, it felt like a cold bucket of water was dumped over his head.  

"I know this place," Harry said.  The large house looming over them was the one from those strange dreams that made his scar ache.

Cedric turned to Harry, "From what?"

"Kill the spare," a reedy voice said as a man approached the pair.

A flash of green light and Cedric fell to the ground, dead. Harry saw the boy's unblinking blue eyes looking, but not seeing the sky above. Ropes wrapped themselves tightly around Harry's injured frame. Harry was drug away from the body and the cup.

Harry didn't have his wand, it fell out of his hand as the man dragged him across the yard. They stopped in front of the largest headstone. The arms of the angel came down the grab him. It was then that Harry recognized the man who had killed Cedric, who dragged him across the yard, Harry wouldn't forget those pale, watery eyes for the rest of his life, it was Pettigrew.

Harry forced the violent thoughts under his shields. He couldn't afford to lose his temper now. He was an injured fourteen-year-old wizard. If Pettigrew was here, Voldemort must be near.

Harry needed to figure a way to escape.  He was hurt and unarmed Voldemort would kill him this time for certain.  

Harry flinched as the rat-faced wizard took his blood with a silver dagger, combining it to the concoction. He watched in horrified fascination as Pettigrew added the remaining ingredients to the bubbling vat as he recited a complex incantation.  What emerged from the cauldron was not the half-alive, mutilated baby-wizard, but a full-grown restored Voldemort. The red, vertically slit pupils, pale flesh, and lack of a nose revealed that the wizard was no longer truly human.  

Death Eaters appeared within instants of Voldemort touching Pettigrew's Dark Mark.  The restored Voldemort explained how he was able to return to this form.  That Harry was no longer a threat to him as he had used the boy's blood to bring himself back.  The protection Lily once gave him now ran through his body as well.  To prove the point the maniacal wizard touched Harry's face. The boy felt like his head was going to split open, the dark wizard remained unaffected.  

Voldemort's mistake was his pride.  He wanted to show his Death Eaters just how powerful he was by defeating Harry in a one on one duel.  Something unexpected happened, however,  the wands would not duel properly.  

Instead of Voldemort's Killing Curse striking Harry it collided with the boy's Disarmament Spell. When the green light hit red, a golden web of light formed a bubble around the two wizards.  They were still connected, a bead of the gold moving between them. Harry tried with all his might to force it back to Voldemort. He didn't know exactly what was going to happen, but he knew his only chance to live lay with that ball of light staying with Voldemort.

Harry was right. The ball of light forced its way down the older wizard's wand and from it emerged not quite a ghost, but more like heavy shadows. The Hufflepuff was followed by a middle-aged woman version of the girl from the Pensieve. After she came an old man, the one from Harry's first dream, then Harry's mother. Harry fought back tears as she told him to hold on until James arrived. Then he was James, the odd sort of shadows paced the space of the web, terrifying and confusing Voldemort. The shadows gave Harry the time he needed to reach Cedric's limp form and summon the Triwizard Cup once more. He was never so happy to have a Portkey transport him.

The sound when they returned to Hogwarts was deafening first in victory but quickly followed by horror as the professors instantly realized something was wrong. Harry was too exhausted to question it as Moody forced him back to the castle. He followed the man to his office, he was asking about the Dark Lord's return with great enthusiasm.

Harry couldn't understand how the man could know about that yet. Harry hadn't said anything yet. Moody approached Harry with a knife, but he was shot back. Dobby forced the man away from Harry who fought to stay awake. A moment later, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were bursting through the door, all with wands drawn.

Dumbledore ordered the house elf to take Harry to his office.  The house elf was asked to go and retrieve Winky from the kitchens.  Professor McGonagall took Harry up to Professor Dumbledore's office to wait for the headmaster while he interrogated the Moody imposter.  Harry would not be alone, Sirius and Remus were sent there as soon as Harry reappeared on the edge of the maze.

It was only later that Harry learned the truth how the imposter, was able to perpetrate his scheme.  Under Dumbledore's watchful eye, Professor Snape administered a powerful truth potion to Harry's captor. The man all believed to be Alastor Moody was not, he instead was a man all believed to be dead, Barty Crouch Jr. He had kidnapped and captured the real Moody at the beginning of September, before he reached the castle,  replacing him as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He had spent the year living under the disguise of Polyjuice Potion. He had been stealing the needed ingredients from Snape's all year. He was the one to add Harry's name to the Goblet of Fire.

Crouch had been kept his father as a prisoner under the Imperious for most of the year, as payment for the years he had been forced to do the same. But his father had escaped and come to confess what he had done, to warn Dumbledore of his son's and Voldemort's plan. Crouch had killed his father the day Harry and Krum found him in the forest.  He hid the Transfigured body in the forest as Harry went for help.

The evening of the Third Task he had turned the cup into a Portkey to transport Harry to where the Dark Lord was to be reborn. He removed many of the obstacles in Harry's way to the center of the maze. He Stunned Fleur when she was too close to the center, and he put Krum under the Imperius Curse to attack Cedric. Crouch was to join his master as soon as possible. The burn of his Dark Mark was the proof he required to know he had been successful.

As Dumbledore interrogated the fake-Moody, Harry sat dazed in the headmaster's office. Remus fretfully began to treat Harry's wound, cleaning the blood away from Pettigrew's cut on his arm. Fawkes' tears healed much of the damage to Harry's leg.  Sirus anxiously pace the small chamber occaitionally swearing at one of the portrait's of a deceased headmaster.  The portrait apparent was one of Sirius' less pleasent ancestors.   

When the headmaster finally did appear, he requested Harry tell him all that happened once they left the maze, over the very vocal objections of the boy's guardians.  

Harry did his best to recall everything.  He told them of the potion, Pettigrew taking Harry's blood, and now how Voldemort could touch him. Harry struggled with what happened with the wands. Dumbledore was able to explain it better.

A wand will never act properly when forced to fight its twin. Harry's and Voldemort's wands had turned to making the other reveal the spells it had cast, Prior Incantatem. The weighted shadows were not ghosts, but more like an echo of the persons, Voldemort had killed with that wand. Finally, the man let Harry be taken to the Hospital Wing.

 
~~~*****~~~*****~~~
 

More people were waiting for them there. Mrs. Weasley was tucked into her husband's chest as they waited. Hermione and Neville sat beside one another on one of the empty cots. Fleur and Viktor were at the far end of the ward kept company by their families. Professor Snape was the last to enter the room in a swish of black robes.

"Severus," Dumbledore turned to the Potions Master, "I must ask you to return to your role. The time has finally come."

Professor Snape nodded, "Yes Headmaster."

"Don't go," Harry cried, looking up from his cot at the dark haired man. "He'll kill you. He thinks you've betrayed him and he'll kill you." His sobs made it hard to understand what he was saying.

Professor Snape sat on the edge of Harry's bed facing the panicked youth. He carefully took the boy's face in his hands. "I must go, Potter. There is no one who can serve in this role. I accepted my fate many years ago."

"But you'll die," Harry choked out. He tried to shake his head, but his teacher still held it in a firm but gentle hold.

"Harry," Snape whispered, "you must believe me, I know what I will face tonight. The Dark Lord will not be pleased with me, but I assure you, he will not kill me. I will be back shortly. Every moment of delay only increases the Dark Lord's fury."

"Then why don't..." Harry began, but couldn't complete the sentence.

Professor Snape used a calloused thumb to wipe away a stray tear, "I need you to understand, Harry. I knew this day would come since you struck down the Dark Lord the first time.  i am prepared.  This is what I have been readying you for the last year. If I am to succeed, I must count on you."

Harry wasn't able to shake his head as it was still in Snape's large hands. "Me?" He managed to ask.

"You," Snape confirmed. "You must Occlude everything of our relationship. If the Dark Lord has the slightest inclination that you care for me, or the inverse, both our lives will be at serious risk. Do you understand?" Snape's dark eyes were locked with Harry's, unblinking. The seconds of silence were heavy feeling, like minutes.

Harry whispered, "You care for me?"

Snape rolled his eyes, he hands moving back to the bed coverings. "Do you think I would put my life in danger if I did not, Potter? You are more than The-Boy-Who-Lived to me. You should realize that by now."

Harry gave him a half shrug in response. His eyes were fixed on the man's long fingers, only centimeters from his own. He took in a small scar on the side of Snape's left index finger.

"None of that, Potter. There is no time," Snape said, "Do you believe me, Harry."

Harry nodded, his gaze still on the Potions Master's hardworking hands.

"Harry," Snape asked his tone not quite pleading.

"I know," Harry managed.

"I must go now," Snape said standing. "Madame Pomfrey is to give you a measure of Dreamless Sleep. It will enable you to sleep through the night. I will return as soon as possible. Harry, you must Occude from this moment on.  You must have your shields up for the remainder of the war. Many lives are at risk."

Harry made another silent nod.

Snape rose from the bed in a flurry of black material. Harry wasn't sure how Professor Snape was going to join the Death Eaters. Harry pushed the thoughts away, burying them under his shields. He couldn't think about that now. He needed to keep Professor Snape safe. If the Voldemort entered his mind now, Professor Snape or others could die. Harry could be responsible for that. No, he would Occlude all of that like the professor told him.

Madame Pomfrey came back a moment later followed by Mrs. Weasley.

"You need to take this, Mr. Potter, it will help you sleep."

Madame Pomfrey instructed. In her hand, she held a glass with a thick purple liquid in it.

Harry shook his head, "Not yet."

The nurse frowned, "Mr. Potter, do not argue with me."

Harry shook his head, "Not yet."

Mrs. Weasley sat in the spot just vacated by the Potions Master,
"Why not, Harry dear?"

"I have...I have to...I need to clear my mind...Get my shields up..." Harry stammered.

"Do what you need then, love," Mrs. Weasley said patting his blanket covered knee.

Harry said in silence trying to calm his mind. "I can't,"  he cried throwing his back onto the pillows behind him. The tears following from his emerald eyes once more.

"Oh dearie," Mrs. Weasley scooped Harry into a tight embrace, holding Harry tight as he sobbed uncomfortably into her shoulder. It was the closest thing he had ever had to a mother's hug since Lily Potter died thirteen years before. Harry didn't know how long he cried, or how long she held him in her warm embrace. His sobs decreased, into gentle snuffling.   His thoughts becoming less frantic.

"How about you try those shields now?" Mrs. Weasley inquired.

It was too hard to think, so much had happened tonight. He shoved everything related to the night under his shields. He didn't want to think about Professor Snape in danger. He didn't want to think about Voldemort returned to power. He didn't want to think about Cedric. With this, the tears began to creep up on him once more. Mrs. Weasley put the cup to his lips making him drink. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Harry woke hours later, the sunlight streaming into the ward. On one side of his bed, Remus sat reading a potions journal. The other Sirius half-lay, half-sat in an armchair, his robes thrown over him like a blanket.

"Harry," Remus greeted setting aside his reading.

"Hi," Harry mumbled, fumbling for his glasses.

Remus picked them up from the nightstand and placed them in Harry's outstretched palm. "How are you feeling?"

Harry ignored the question, struggling to sit up he asked,  "Where's Professor Snape? Is he back?"

Remus pushed him back onto his pillows, "Severus is fine. He's back in his quarters. I will let him know you were asking about him, but you need your rest, Harry."

"I'm fine," Harry said trying to sit up once more.

"Sirius, aren't you going to help?"

Sirius let out a wide yawn, "Looks like you got it handled, Moony."

Remus pushed Harry back to the mattress. "Stay there."

Harry stopped struggling and lay back. "Can I see Neville and Hermione?"

"Harry, they're a few things we need to discuss before you see anyone," Remus said gently.

Harry frowned, Remus's expression was making him uncomfortable.

"What's wrong," Harry asked.

"Harry," Remus almost sighed. "The Ministry..."

"The Ministry doesn't believe you, kid," Sirius said finally sitting up properly. He stood and put his rumpled robes back on properly over his shirt and trousers.

"What? What don't they believe?" Harry asked, shaking his head softly from side to side.

"The tossers don't believe any of it," Sirius told him firmly.

"Padfoot," Remus chastised softly.

"He deserves the truth, Remus," Sirius said to his friend. "Fudge is a terrified idiot. He doesn't want to believe Voldemort is back. He's saying the Diggory boy died in a tragic accident. He's telling the papers that it was the trauma of witnessing that that made you say all those things last night."

"But it wasn't just me," Harry protested.

"Yeah well, Snape isn't the world's most loved Death Eater," Sirius grumbled.

"Dumbledore though," Harry continued.

"Even more reason not to back you up," Sirius said, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "Fudge has never had a firm hold on his job since my escape. Even before he was never very confident. He was always asking Dumbledore for what he should do. It was like a little kid borrowing their dad's robes, they don't fit. If he admits Voldemort is back, he's afraid people will want someone else to lead them. I wouldn't be surprised if a Ministry group hasn't come by to see him already."

"Barty Crouch Jr," Harry tried.

"The Dementor Fudge brought with him Kiss him before Crouch could admit the lot," Sirius explained.

"They killed Cedric," Harry moaned.  

"They did," Sirius confirmed. "He's the first to die in a war that will take many more."

"That's enough, Sirius," Remus said cutting off his friend. "Let's get you something to eat, Harry."

"I'm not hungry," Harry said staring at the blankets trying to understand all that Sirius said.

"Harry, you need to eat,"  Remus said.

"I'm not hungry," Harry repeated.

Remus ordered a plate anyway, keeping under a Heating Charm.

Harry lay on his bed processing what Sirius told him that morning still, working on what Professor Snape said the night before. Sirius and Remus let him be, keeping a careful eye on him. Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic arrived a short while before dinner.

"Here are your winnings, Harry. We would normally make a formal presentation but given the circumstances..." Minister Fudge said twisting his lime-green bowler hat agitated.

Harry shook his head. "I don't want it."

"Harry, they're your winnings. You earned them," Fudge replied.

Harry shook his head again, "Cedric got there first. He should have won. Give it to his family."

"I will leave that to you," Fudge said stepping back.

"Minister," Harry said looking away from the bag of gold sitting on his nightstand.

"Yes my boy," Fudge said placing his hat back on.

"I wasn't lying," Harry said firmly.

"Ahhh...yes..." Fudge stumbled, "Yes, I believe that you believe that..." He walked away from them without another word.

"Alright there Harry," Sirius asked.

Harry shook his head. "Can I talk to Cedric's mum and dad?"

"Are you sure you want to?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded, "They should know what really happened."

"I'll see what we can do." Remus agreed. He put a plate in front of Harry. "Try and eat something. I know you're not hungry, but you need to eat."

Harry didn't protest this time but ate less than half of what he was given. Neither of the adults said a word about it. Harry and Remus played chess until Neville and Hermione arrived after dinner. They brought armloads of cards and get well gifts from their fellow students. Harry wanted to be sick just looking at them.

His friends didn't want to know what happened in the maze or after. They didn't ask how Cedric died, or how he got back. Harry wouldn't ever be able to find enough words to express his thanks for that. Instead, they talked about the summer, what they might like to do, places to go. Before the Third Task, Harry knew he was going to spend most of the summer making Sirius' old house livable, now what seemed like mind-numbing chores were a looked forward to distraction.

The Diggorys arrived the next morning, escorted by Mr. Weasley. Mr. Diggory was a mess, torn to pieces by the loss of his only child. Mrs. Diggory was quiet but no less heartbroken. Her pain, past the point of tears. Harry told them all, trying to explain how Cedric had died. Mrs. Diggory thanked him for bringing back her son's body.

"You should have this," Harry said shoving the bag at her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first."

Mrs. Diggory looked at Harry, a sad smile, "No dear. That's yours. Cedric would have wanted you to have it."

Dejected Harry's hand fell back to the bed. He sighed unsure of what to do with the coins now. He didn't need the money and wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe he could give it away. The Weasley could use the money, but Harry knew they would never take it. The same was true for Remus.

Sirius and Remus went home the next morning. They let Harry decide if he wanted to take the train or Floo to Sirius' new home. Harry wasn't sure what he wanted to do, it wouldn't feel right not taking the train with the others. But then again, he wasn't sure he wanted people to look at him, asking questions. He was very glad to be locked away in the Hospital Wing in some ways.

Madame Pomfrey cast yet another diagnosis spell over Harry. Like the last ten, it showed nothing was significantly wrong with Harry. His blood pressure was a bit high, but it was put down to stress. With another wave of her wand a silver hummingbird appeared and darted out of the room. A silver doe returned a moment later. Madame Pomfrey pulled the curtains further shut. Harry stopped eating, not really interested in his dinner anyway. He listened for further sounds as he pushed around the remaining bits of his stew with little interest. There was a rush of the Floo flaring to life and mutterings too soft for Harry to make out what was being said.

"You keep that up and Lupin will start watching your every bite," Professor Snape said taking a seat that Sirius occupied for the last several days. His approach so quiet and Harry so lost in his thoughts he had realized the man had come to join him. Harry shrugged.

"Do desist with that apathetic gesture," Snape demanded. "What is the matter, Potter?"

"Where were you?" Harry asked pushing the tray away. "Remus said you were coming by and you never did.  It's been days."

"Potter, did you not understand a single word of what I said before I left?"

Harry cocked his head to the side.

"Harry, even you must realize how dangerous it is for me to visit you now. It is well known that Black and I despise one another.  I had no desire to row with the mutt in front of you. More so the point, what questions might arise if the wrong people were to find out I had visited you in your sick bed?  Why would I visit a student not in my own house, a child I am supposed to despise?  Could you have managed to maintain your wards properly under that stress?"

Harry sigh, "I know.  I was just worried."

"I understand, Potter." Snape said softly.  "However, the need for decression is even greater now the Dark Lord had returned. The Ministry's refusal to see the truth puts all lives at risk.  We must be viligant in all of our actions and inactions."

Harry was released from the Hospital Wing the evening before the train was to leave for London. The normal end of term feast was canceled, a memorial service was being held for Cedric before they all boarded the train back to London.

Harry didn't know what to expect at this memorial service. If there was anything done for his parents, he was too young to remember, not that the Dursleys would have attended any sort of wizarding memorial service. Dobby had packed Harry's bags the night before, under the request of Professor Snape, so he was free to wander the corridors after breakfast.  Harry found Luna carrying an armload of books.

"People still hiding your things?" Harry asked taking a few off the top of the precarious pile.

"Hullo Harry," Luna said dreamily. "They are, but I think I've found everything. Don't you need to be packing?"

Harry shook his head, "Somebody bribed one of the house elves to do it for me last night. I just got out of the Hospital Wing."

Luna stopped walking, Harry paused to stand beside her. He needed her to lead the way, he had no idea where the door to the Ravenclaw Common Room was. She stood in silence taking Harry in, her blue eyes seeing more than his outside. Harry wasn't as unnerved as he was when Professor Snape or Headmaster Dumbledore did the same action.

"You shouldn't push everything down, Harry," Luna said softly.

"I'm not pushing anything down."

"You are only hiding from yourself when you deny what happened," Luna countered.

Like so often, Harry didn't know what to say to that. Luna led him to a door on the six floor in the south tower. Luna picked up the knocker that was made of the tail of an eagle.

"I shouldn't hear your password, Luna," Harry warned.

A reedy voice asked, "What gets broken without being held?"

"Wait, you don't have a password?" Harry asked as Luna pondered the inquiry.

"No, of course not," Luna said more distracted than usual.

"But what if you can't figure it out?" Harry asked.

"Then you wait until somebody can, how else are you to learn?" Luna said, before turning back to the door. "A promise."

"Acceptable," the eagle said before the door swung open.

"I think I like my passwords better," Harry mumbled mostly to himself.

Luna motioned for him to return her books. Harry placed them back on top of the large stack reaching just under her nose.

"Luna, you should come sit with me and my friends...at the... for the memorial service...or on the train." Harry offered.

The door closed before he was able to hear her response. It felt wrong just waiting outside the Common Room, so Harry walked back downstairs. Slowly more and more students began to drift into the Great Hall. Unlike any other event, people were not sitting with their houses or their school.

"Harry, would you mind if I sat with Viktor?" Hermione asked, looking from Harry and over her shoulder to the boy sitting with a number of his fellow students from Durmstrang. Krum had become the surrogate head of the school after Karkaroff disappeared as the Dark Mark burned.

"Go ahead," Harry said giving his friend a weak smile.

Neville sat hand in hand with Ginny. Luna did not join them, Harry didn't actually see her at the service at all. Dumbledore spoke about Cedric being slain. The headmaster did not mince words, he said Cedric was murdered by Voldemort. Harry noticed a few children of Death Eaters were not saddened by the mention of the murder of their schoolmate, they seem to revel in the mention of an upcoming war.

Harry saw Cho Chang sitting in the front tears running down her face.  She was dating Cedric according to Lavender Brown. Harry tried to focus on Dumbledore's words about coming together as one and facing the evil ahead, but his attention kept drifting. He watched the professors' guarded expressions, the reaction of the students from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang at the call for unity.

The crowd dismissed there was a bustle as students shuffled to say goodbye to their new foreign friends. Krum came over with Hermione almost wrapped around the boy's Quidditch toned arm.

"I'm sorry about Diggory," Krum said extending a hand to Harry. "He never treated me differently because I was from Durmstrang."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Are you going to have any trouble with your ship with Karkaroff gone?"

"No, he stayed in cabin," Krum informed them. "I must goes."

"Yeah," Harry said shaking the boy's hand again.

The Quidditch star leaned down and placed a kiss on Hermione's lips. Harry didn't miss the wolf whistles from Fred and George. Hermione turned as red as her tormentors' hair.

"We're only joking, Hermione," Fred reassured.

"Mind, if he hurts you, you know who you'll have to answer to," George said to Krum.

The boy raised a heavy black brow.

"Our Hermione doesn't have any brothers by blood, but she's as good as one of us," Fred said.

"So you'll be having to answer to all six of us if you hurt her," George finished for his brother.

"I would never," Krum promised.

"Good," the twins said together.

Fleur came to say goodbye as well. She made sure to kiss Neville on the cheek as well. Harry hoped he would see both of them again.

The train ride was mostly a daze when Harry tried to think back to it.  Hermione showed them a glass jar with a small bug inside, it turned out Rita Skeeter was unregistered Animagus.  That was how she got her stories all year.  Hermione had caught her in the Hospital Wing just after Harry fell asleep.  She promised to keep Skeeter's secret as long as the report did not reveal anything she heard the night of the Third Task and published no stories for the next year.  

The the other thing he remembered was giving his Triwizard winnings to a worthy cause. Fred and George had lost all their savings to Bagman at the Quidditch Cup and no funds with which to launch their joke shop, a year before they were to leave school. Harry threatened to hex them if they refused to take the thousand galleon prize. They could start it with that.

Remus and Sirius were chatting with the Weasleys as they waited for Harry and the others to arrive. Harry gladly accepted the hugs from Mrs. Weasley and then her husband. Sirius didn't seem to want to let go of Harry after his own hug, he kept a hand firmly on Harry's shoulder as they said their goodbyes. Harry didn't know exactly where they were going when they left the station, but that seemed fitting as they were all facing the unknown with Voldemort's return.

Harry woke, screaming for the fourth time in as many days. He pushed his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes and made his way downstairs. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep. He didn't want even if he could. One visit to the graveyard was bad enough.

"'Lo Remus," Harry greeted as he sank onto one of the benches at the long wooden table.

The wizard folded down the right corner of his paper to observe the teen. His worn features turned down in disapproval at the heavy bags under Harry's dimmed emerald eyes. The boy had lost weight too.

It was a good thing Molly was arriving later that day, she would be able to make Harry eat. Remus wasn't the best cook and Sirius could burn water. How his friend could make NEWT level Potions without batting an eye, yet couldn't make a simple pasta dish was beyond Remus' understanding. Kreacher, the Black family's house-elf, did all the cooking when Sirius was growing up. Now, they were lucky if the horrid thing would serve them moldy bread.    

"Good morning, Harry," Remus replied. He folded up his paper and set it aside. "How did you sleep?"

Harry shrugged, noncommittally as he poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the table.

"It's early yet, are you sure you don't want to go back to sleep for a few more hours?" Remus suggested. "I don't want to face Molly Weasley thinking we can't look after you properly."

"I'm fine, Remus," Harry grumbled.

"You're not. That's to be expected after what happened to you in that graveyard, Harry." Remus tried to reassure Harry.

"I don't want to talk about this," Harry said slamming his mug down to the table. A little of the hot liquid sloshing out and scalding his hand.

"Harry," Remus soothed.

"No," Harry snapped, "I'm fine." He shoved away from the table, the bench falling backward with the force.

He stormed out of the room coffee still in hand. He was careful out in the hallway avoiding the troll-leg umbrella stand or waking the portrait of Sirius' mother's portrait. He didn't know where he wanted to go. Remus would come looking for him in his room, the same with the library. He pushed open the door to one of the unoccupied bedrooms on the third floor. The twins could probably do well in this room. There was more storage than the other rooms, it was also away from the rest of the guests so any unusual sounds or smells were more likely to go unnoticed.

Harry glared down at the cup in his hand. He didn't know why he had it, he didn't want it. He flung it across the room coffee flying in all directions soaking into one of the unused twin beds. The porcelain mugs shattered into pieces with a satisfactory crash. The only damage to the wall, a small coffee stain at the chair railing.

His rage subsidies, he fell into the nearest of the worn mattresses. The room was a mess, the coffee wasn't the only problem. It was clear Kreacher hadn't been in this room for a good deal of time. Well, now was a good a time as any.

"Kreacher," Harry called. "Kreacher," he tried again. He sighed when the creature didn't come. He wasn't surprised by this, Harry may be Sirius' ward, but he was not a Black. They were fairly certain the elf would only listen to a Black that was listed on the family tapestry.  

Harry groaned and walked down the stairs looking out for the lurking house elf. He found him peering around the door frame of the drawing room.

"Kreacher, you need to clean that bedroom on the third floor," Harry ordered.

"The Potter brat is speaking to Kreacher," Kreacher mumbled to himself.

"Hey," Harry objected, "don't talk about me like that."

"What's the matter," Sirius asked, stumbling out of his room, his long hair still messy from sleep.

"Potter brat is ordering Kreacher and Kreacher is doing it," Kreacher muttered to himself to Sirius' question.

"Cut that out Kreacher," Sirius snapped. "Harry is my ward, you're to treat Harry as if he were my son, by blood."

"Master Sirius, embarrassment to the noble name of Black is ordering Kreacher to treat Potter blood-traitor like a Black. Oh, what would mistress have to say!" The house mumbled to himself once more.

"Why I ought to," Sirius said raising a fist.

"What's going on?" Remus said coming to join the pair of wizards.

"I was just asking Kreacher to clean the bedroom on the third floor. I thought it would be good for Fred and George.  They could work on their products without disturbing anyone else up there." Harry explained.

"I see,"  said Remus. "Kreacher, could you please prepare the bedroom upstairs for our guests that will be arriving this afternoon?"

"The werewolf is making demands of Kreacher now. Oh, what would my old mistress have to say?" Kreacher mumbled.

"Just do it," Sirius demanded, kicking at the house elf.

The creature disappeared with a loud crack.

"You really should try and be nicer to him, Sirius," Remus chided.

"You heard how he was talking about me and Harry, Moony," Sirius remarked.

"Yes, I did," Remus confirmed. "It's not his fault that he thinks that way. He served your family all his life. Do I need to remind you what your mother said to me the first time we meet? And that was only for being half-blood. Imagine what she could have come up with if she knew about my condition?"

Sirius sighed, "I know. I just hate being back here."

"Why do we have to? " Harry asked. He wasn't very fond of the creepy house. The heads of the house elves that served the family before Kreacher lining the stairwell, the screaming portrait of Sirius' mother.

"My great grandfather was obsessed with security, this is probably one of the most secure places in Britain that aren't Hogwarts or Gringotts. It is unplottable, anti-Muggle, and any other wards you can think of," Sirius explained. "Dumbledore casting the Fidelius will make it all but as safe as either of those."

"Okay," Harry agreed reluctantly.

"Let's go have breakfast and then we can get to work on the bedrooms. Our guests should have decent accommodations for their stay," Remus suggested.

The others followed not very ecstatic. Harry helped fry the bacon and make another pot of coffee. Remus manned the eggs and tomatoes. There was little conversation as the three ate, or ever as they prepared the bedrooms for the Weasleys arrival. Sirius had volunteered the house to be the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. What exactly the Order was, neither of the men had exactly explained to Harry.  

There was a lot to do to get rooms that hadn't been used for a decade or ready for use. It was made slower by doing things the Muggle way. Sirius warned it was highly possible that objects or even whole rooms could be booby trapped. Harry found a biting book in the nightstand in room they were setting aside for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They were only able to get it finished before lunch.

The arrival of the Weasleys was announced by the insane screams of Mrs. Black as they rang the doorbell.

"We're going to have to make sure not to do that in the future," Remus remarked to Harry as they pulled close the curtains. Harry nodded as the curtains closed silencing her bigoted rantings.

"Hey Harry mate," Fred greeted as he moved past the troll leg umbrella stand.

"FILTH! VERMIN! POPULATING HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!" Walburga Black's portrait screamed.

Harry groaned and dove for the curtains again. Fred and George went for the other side, they were able to get it shut with not too much difficulty. Harry jerked his head back to the side, back down the stairs towards the kitchen. The twins followed him.
The rest of the Weasley family was already sitting around the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley popped to her feet at Harry's arrival.

"Hello Harry dear," she said pulling him into a fierce hug.

"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Harry mumbled embarrassed as Fred and George made faces at him over her shoulder. Harry rolled his eyes at him.

Mrs. Weasley pushed him away from her, "You're too skinny, dear." She fixed her glare on Harry's guardians. "Have you been feeding him at all?"

"We have," Remus reassured.

"Well, I'm here now, we'll fatten you right up." Mrs. Weasley said giving Harry's upper arms another squeeze.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley," Harry groaned.

"You've got bags under your eyes, have you been sleeping?"

Harry looked to the table for assistance. Fred and George shook their heads in unison.

Mr. Weasley came to his rescue, "Hello Harry. Come now Molly, I'm sure Remus and Sirius have been taking wonderful care of Harry." Mr. Weasley said moving from to stand next to his wife.

Harry took Mr. Weasley's hand, "Hi. I'm fine really. Remus and Sirius are looking after me, I promise."

"Of course they are dear. I'll make us some lunch." Mrs. Weasley bustled around the kitchen locating pots and pans that none of the residents knew existed. It didn't take Mrs. Weasley to whip up for the seven of them at the house. It was the best thing he had had to eat since leaving Hogwarts.

"Have you heard from Hermione," Ginny asked passing the basket of bread to George.

Harry shook his head, "Not yet. She's not supposed to leave until next month I think."

"Where's Hermione going?"  Mr. Weasley asked interestedly.

"Bulgaria," said Fred.

"To see her boyfriend, Viktor," teased George, "Viktor Krum."

Ron groaned in disapproval.

"That's nice for her," Mrs. Weasley said, her tone not totally approving.

"She's going with her parents to see some of the historical places or something." Harry corrected.

That seemed to make Mrs. Weasley a bit happier. Sirius led the tour of the house after lunch. Harry and Ron were to share the room Harry currently occupied. It was one of the few that were properly cleared of troublesome objects and magical pests. Harry made sure to warn the others to lock their doors at night as Kreacher had a habit of coming in the middle of the night to "clean".

The Weasleys spent the rest of the day settling into Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore was supposed to arrive after dinner to put on the last of the wards to the house including casting the Fidelius Charm. He would also bring in the members of the Order so far.

Harry wondered how many there could be at this point.  Sirius mentioned the fact that some were certainly members during the last war, like he and Remus. Remus reminded Harry Neville's parents were also.  Mrs. Weasley got a bit teary eyed when she mentioned her brothers Fabian and Gideon were members as well. Who would return was now the question.

Mrs. Weasley came up with a fabulous stew for dinner. The seven expanded to a full dozen for the evening meal. A tall, black, Auror, with a gold ear stud, Kingsley Shacklebolt, joined them. He was the first new person to join other than Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Along with Kingsley came the headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Mad-Eye Moody, and Dedalus Diggle.

Harry had actually met the top hat wearing wizard once before, at about age seven. He had bowed to Harry outside a shop. Aunt Petunia had demanded to know if Harry knew the man. When Harry said he didn't know him, she rushed them back home without even going inside to do their shopping. Harry was surprised the man didn't burst from excitement when Harry told the man he remembered him from this encounter.

Harry knew Dumbledore was considered by many to be the greatest wizard of the age, if not of all-time, but the teen had never seen the man do that complex of magic. He drew up a chair for Professor Trelawney for Christmas dinner, vanished a few things, spells most NEWT students at Hogwarts could accomplish. The Fidelius was unlike anything Harry had ever seen before.  

Harry was inside the building of Number Twelve when Dumbledore cast the spell. Harry could feel it as the spell took hold. It was like the address of where they were slipped from his mind until the headmaster gave him a piece of parchment with the address in Dumbledore's own fine script announced, "Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Harry," Dumbledore called as reentered the house.

Harry looked up at the man, "Yes sir?"

"Come and speak with me a moment," Dumbledore said directing them into the drawing room.

Harry followed dutifully. "I wouldn't sit down," Harry suggested as the headmaster closed the door behind Harry.

"How are you, my boy?" Dumbledore smiled the way he always did at Harry. His half-moon spectacles glinting in the firelight.

Harry shrugged.

"Have you been practicing your Occlumency?"

Harry nodded, "Yes sir."

"Good, that will be very import in the future Harry. Voldemort must not be able to enter your mind." Dumbledore said more seriously than Harry had ever heard him.

"I know. Professor Snape told me...told me the night Cedric...the night in the graveyard," Harry explained.

A look crossed Dumbledore's face Harry couldn't quite name. "Severus will be in a great deal of danger, Harry. You must do all that you can to help protect him."

Harry looked down at his shoes, "I know."

"Harry," Dumbledore said again softly, Harry looked back up at him. "My boy, I know you and Severus have formed a bond over these last several years."

Harry slumped in one himself, "He can't be there for me now. He has to make sure Voldemort or anyone doesn't think he cares about me."

"I'm sorry, my boy," Dumbledore said placing a hand on Harry's thin shoulder.

"What about my Occlumency lessons?" Harry asked.

"Those will have to end. We no longer have the cover of him helping you prepare for the upcoming task of the Triwizard Tournament. If you wish, I can assist you with them." Dumbledore offered.

Harry shook his head, "No sir, I couldn't ask you to do that.  You've got," Harry motioned around the room, "all this and what's going to Hogwarts too."

"Very well, but the offer stands if you change your mind."

Harry nodded, "Thank you, sir."

Harry left the headmaster standing in the drawing room, going upstairs to Fred and George's new room. He tried to turn the knob, but the door was locked.

Harry raised a fist and tapped on the door.

"Bugger off Ron," one or both of the twins yelled, Harry couldn't tell through the distortion of the wooden door.

"It's Harry," the boy in question corrected.

Fred appeared an instant later opening the door enough to pull the younger skinny boy through the crack before shutting and locking it once more.

"What's wrong?" Harry demanded. "Why did I get to come in if you told Ron to bugger off?"

"We're organizing our merchandise. We don't want Mum to know. She doesn't approve of the joke shop idea. She thinks we should do something more respectable. She's already destroyed all of our products once." George explained.

"Respectable? Like what?" Harry asked taking a seat on the right side bed.

"It used to be the Ministry. Not sure she's as hot on that idea now with you know, how Fudge took the news with You-Know-Who," said Fred. "If Percy wasn't being such an arse we wouldn't even bother going back this year."

Harry looked at him mildly confused, "What do you mean? What's Percy done?"

"He's siding with Fudge, if the Ministry says You-Know-Who isn't back, he can't possibly be back. It's like the sun shines out of Fudge's arse."

"I think he's doing it because of the job. He got a fancy promotion a couple of days ago. He spent months taking orders from owls from his Imperio-ed boss and didn't notice a thing was wrong. The Ministry lot was going to investigate him, then next you know, he's got a fancy job in the Minister of Magic's office. He wouldn't listen when Dad tried to tell him that they gave it to him since the family is close to you." George commented as he placed several long thin boxes next to Harry on the bed.

Harry frowned, "Do you think he'll come around?"

Fred shrugged, the action mirrored by his mirror image.
"I think sometimes he was Sorted into the wrong house," Fred grumbled as he added more things to the piles on the bed.

"So," Harry said feeling they needed a change in topics, "What's all this?"

"Our wares, dear Harry," Fred said with a wicked grin. "This is Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the finest joke shop around. As our first backer, you're entitled to see our preliminary products.

George flopped down across the Harry, "Since we don't much care about our exam results we figure we can put this time to good use. We'll find out what the students are most looking for in a joke shop."

The two had managed to sneak in a fair amount of products under their school books and supplies. There were colorful sweets wrapped in one large bag. In another were what looked like custard tarts.

"Looks like you have a lot of things for your mum destroying everything thing. What are those?" Harry said spotting a violently purple tube. It wasn't a fake wand, those came in boxes, if one wasn't paying close attention, would think came from Ollivander's Wand Shop.

"They're our version of wet-start fireworks. They still need work," George said sadly.

Harry nodded. Yes, he was very glad he had suggested this room for his friends. Hopefully, the others in the house would be spared any sort of disturbance from their experiments up here.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

"When does Hermione get back," Mrs. Weasley asked as they sat down for his birthday dinner.

Harry took a large helping of potatoes and passed the dish on. He was always hungry recently, it was probably due to the several inches he had grown in the weeks he had been back from Hogwarts. "Next week, I think. She's had a couple of changes in plans. Her dad wanted to go see a castle or something and Viktor had a game he invited them to," he explained

"It will nice to have her back won't it dear," Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"She goes on and on about all the places she been, six hundred years of history about some balmy old castle," Ron remarked.

"Then you don't have to listen," Fred reminded him.

"Yeah, nobody wants to hear all your questions about how wonderful Krum is, git," added his twin.

"Fred, George," Mr. Weasley chided.

"It'll be nice to finally meet her," Tonks a bright pink haired witch. She was a new member of the Order. She was only a few years older than Harry and the rest, a classmate of Charlie Weasley. She was a metamorphagus, meaning she should change her appearance at will. It was a bit of a game at dinner requesting her to make her nose into various configurations. Harry wasn't sure Mrs. Weasley totally approved, but everyone got a good laugh from it.

The dinner talk was light and pleasant. Mrs. Weasley dimmed the lights in preparation for bringing in the cake. She firmly refused to let Tonks help. The young woman may be an Auror, but she was the least coordinated person Harry had ever met. Her clumsiness had nearly stopped her from passing her Auror qualifications.

Mrs. Weasley returned a moment later, a huge dragon-shaped cake with candles already lit. Helping her carry it was Hermione. Harry blew out the candles before running over and giving his best friend a hug.

Much to Ron's horror, she spent the rest of the evening the center of conversation. She told them of meeting Krum's family, the difference in wizarding culture in Bulgaria. Even an amusing story about Krum trying to get her on his broom to fly with him. There was no talk of six hundred years of a castle's history.   

After dessert, everyone headed upstairs to bed. Hermione followed Harry up to his room for a chance to speak in private.  Harry hadn't done much to his room other than placing a few Gryffindor poster over top the faded Slytherin hangings. There were still the previous occupation papers and things scattered on the floor and desk. After spending his days cleaning the manner, the last thing he wanted to do was clean his room.

Hermione took a seat on Harry's bed. "How have you been? You haven't said much in your letters."

Harry shrugged sitting next to her, his back braced one of the posters. "We're not supposed to put much in there, in case the letter is intercepted."

"Harry."

The boy didn't say anything.

"Why aren't you sharing a room with Ron anymore?"

"He doesn't like being woken up in the middle of the night by someone else's nightmares." Harry had stopped sharing a room with the week or so before. Ron had complained about Harry's frequent nightmares and talking in his sleep. Harry had moved into the room across from Sirius. The room had once belonged to Sirius' younger brother, Regulus.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said softly.

Harry shrugged.

"Are they all about the graveyard?" She asked concerned.

"I don't want to talk about it, Hermione." He said it a bit more firmly than intended.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm just worried."

"I'm fine," Harry insisted. He shoved his anger under his shields.

"Everybody keeps asking me about it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm fine."

Hermione didn't want to hurt her friend anymore so changed the topic, "What do you know about what the Order is doing?"

Harry shook his head, "Not that much. There's lots of talk about guard duty and shifts. We don't know where. We've seen Professor Snape a few times, but he doesn't stay. You know how he and Sirius don't get on."

"Sirius said you've been time cleaning up the house," Hermione began.

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, "not that you can really tell. This place is a disaster. And that mad old house elf Kreacher isn't much help."

"Harry," Hermione chided.

"He's horrible. Just you wait and see. He's always muttering terrible things about all of us, "blood-traitors", "Mudbloods", "filth". You should hear some of the horrible things he has to say about Remus." Harry defended.

"It's not his fault, Harry. He's been alone in this house by himself for years. His masters were horribly bigoted people, he knows no better." Hermione countered.

"Whatever," grumbled Harry.

"In all this cleaning, have you found anything interesting?"
Harry chuckled, "There was this set of robes that tried to strangle Ron the other day."

"That's horrible," Hermione gasped.

"Oh yeah, it was, but after Fred and George kept making fun of him so Ron "accidentally" turned their hair green for three days," Harry said chuckling once more. "There was this weird locket not of us could get open. Sirius didn't recognize it though. Most of the stuff is pretty dark. We're not keeping anything."

Hermione nodded.

"So, how was Bulgaria?" Harry asked happy to turn things back on Hermione for awhile.

Hermione blushed slightly and told him all about the parts of her trip that she wouldn't dare share in front of Ron or the twins.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

"Are you sure you're alright mate?" Fred asked.

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get out of here. He needed to breathe. He couldn't handle one more person asking him how he was feeling.

Harry grabbed his wand and a jacket and headed out the front door. He didn't know where he was going, but it didn't matter. In a couple of months, he had been living in this house in London he hadn't explored the neighborhood at all. Sirius and Remus had taken him to Diagon Alley a week or so before, but they had Apparated there and back. He watched as Number Twelve seemed to melt between numbers eleven and thirteen.

The Muggle neighborhood that Sirius' house was located in was a bit different than Little Whinging. Harry headed aimlessly down the road. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets of his jeans. It was surprisingly cool for how dry as it had been there. He wished he thought to grab his Muggle money, not that he was sure he would spend it on. The cool night air prickled the hairs on the back of his neck.

Harry nodded as he passed a Muggle couple passed him their days shopping in hand. He turned the corner spotting a small shop maybe he could go in there and look. He kicked a can down the street, then a bit further when he caught up to it. He stopped a familiar, unsettling feeling creeping up on him.

A high cold laugh, the laugh from the graveyard, then there was the voice, Lily's last words, "Not Harry!"

Three Dementors were gliding down the street, the one closest to Harry with its rotten hand extended out to Harry.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled his silver doe charging the creatures down.  

"You shouldn't have done that boy," Mundungus said behind Harry.

Harry turned around.  "What are you doing here?"

"I was outside smoking, minding my own business when you stormed out. I was supposed to keep an eye out, make sure you didn't get in trouble," Mundungus explained. "I didn't ask for Dementors. Go back to the house, Sirius or somebody can deal with this mess."

Harry ran down back down the road, his wand still held firmly in his fist. He didn't ponder the wonders of the magic of Number Twelve reappearing before him as he ran up the front steps.  He shoved the front door open knocking over the troll leg umbrella stand.  The portrait's screams and Harry's pounding competing to block out another sound.

"Harry!" Sirius said pulling the boy further into the house.
"What in the name of Merlin happened. We just received an owl from the Ministry. What are you doing casting a Patronus in the middle of a Muggle street, kid?"

"The Ministry's already sent a letter?" Harry asked, his breathing returning to normal, but shoulders slumping. "Did they expel me?"

Sirius only nodded.

"Dumbledore was here, he's going to have a word them, see if he can sort things out. What happened Harry?" Remus asked leading the boy downstairs to the kitchen.

The hall was silent once more, somebody must have shut the curtains on the painting once more.  A number of people were still sitting around the table. Harry's encounter and abrupt return must have disturbed the normal meeting proceedings. There were still diagrams spread across the length of the oak table. Bill shoved them away as Mrs. Weasley brought around tea for everyone.

"Drink this, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley ordered placing a full mug on the table in front of Harry. "Arthur's gone with Dumbledore to see if he can help sort out this mess. He's got some friends in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Harry nodded slipping his hands around the mug, thankfully for the warmth. His heart jumping into his throat at the loud cracking sound, but it was only Remus breaking up a Honeydukes Best Chocolate Bar.

"You should have some of this," the werewolf said placing a large chunk into the teen's hand.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled before biting half off. He felt the warmth return to the tips of his fingers.

"What happened Harry?" Hermione asked sitting across from her friend.

"I was walking down the lane, just going to the shops," Harry twisted the mug slightly. He wasn't looking at any of the concerned people around the table, but at the vanishing contents of his mug. "It sort of got cold, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck..."

"Did you hear the voices again?" Remus asked when Harry didn't complete his sentence.

Harry nodded.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said softly.

If the other people in the room were confused by the statement, they didn't say anything. There was a heavy silence in the room, no one sure what to say. The only sound in the kitchen the loud ticking of an ancient clock next to the pantry.
Everyone looked up anxiously as the Floo flared to life depositing Mr. Weasley in the kitchen. He brushed on the ash on his robes, paying no attention to the group of people completely fixated on his actions, just waiting for him to speak.

"What did they have to say, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley finally demanded.

"Dumbledore has got them to reinstate you, Harry, as a student. The Ministry won't be coming to collect your wand, at least not yet. However, you will have to go and speak to the head of the Magical Law Enforcement office." Mr. Weasley explained.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Ron said.

"If the head doesn't believe Harry, what could happen?" Fred asked.

"Let's not think about that now," Mr. Weasley pushed back.

"No," said Harry firmly. "I want to know."

"Harry, I don't think you need to worry about that. Just tell the truth and you'll be fine," Mr.  Weasley reassured.

"Mr. Weasley, please," Harry pleaded., "Sirius, do you know?"

His godfather's expression was very dark. It always was when they talked about the Ministry of Magic. "The truth doesn't always save you, Arthur. I should know. Twelve years in Azkaban without a trial."

"Sirius, the times were different then," Mrs. Weasley dismissed. "The war had just ended."

If possible, Sirius' expression got even darker. "It's still that idiot, Fudge, in charge."

"What does that all mean for me?" Harry demanded.

Remus gave the teen's shoulders a comforting squeeze. "Arthur is right, just tell the truth, Harry."

"Don't baby him, Remus." Sirius snapped. "If they don't believe you, you'll be expelled. You could even go to Azkaban. The Ministry doesn't want to believe you at the moment, Harry. You've seen what they've been putting in the papers. They're trying to convince everyone you're mad."

"Why?" Harry sighed. "I was trying to tell people Voldemort is back."

Mr. Weasley spoke up once more, "You don't know what it was like the last time, Harry. There is no way to describe the fear, the worry. You never knew if that would be the last time you saw your friend or loved one."

"The fear of distrust," Remus said solemnly. "The fear made me believe Sirius betrayed your parents. Can you imagine a time when you would believe Hermione or Neville would betray you and join Draco?"

All of the students shook their heads. There was nothing in their experiences of their short lives that could come close to that.

"I hope you never do, but this will get worse before it gets better. If we are lucky, the Ministry will come around quickly and do their best to help us to stop Voldemort from gaining any more power." Remus said.

"When does Harry have to go see them," Hermione asked after several moments quiet contemplation.

"He'll get an official notice of the dates in a day or so," Mr. Weasley offered. "Don't worry about it. You did what was right."

Harry gave him an instead nod, "Okay."

The notice came two days later. He had a meeting with Madam Amelia Bones at nine in the morning one week later. Harry's nerves got worse the day got closer. Mrs. Weasley and Sirius tried to distract him and the others by cleaning the house and making it more livable with a renewed vigor.

Harry was glad he wasn't sharing a room with Ron anymore. He was fairly certain the other boy would have hexed him by now if they were. If it wasn't the nightmares of the graveyard, it was of Minister Fudge snapping his wand and sending him off to the Dementors.  Harry spent much of the night before his appointment staring up at the faded star chart on Regulus' ceiling, unable to get to sleep.

Harry stumbled into the kitchen not long after dawn. No one else was there, the only sound coming from the ticking clock and the faint embers in the fireplace. He thought about making himself something to eat, but the very idea nauseated him. He wasn't sure how long he had been absentmindedly tracing patterns into the oak table.

Mr. Weasley was the first to come down. He put on the kettle to start the tea. He offered Harry a weak smile. He would be the one to take Harry to the Ministry this morning. The night before was the full moon. Sirius had spent the night with Remus making sure the werewolf was kept in check. Not that he really needed it. Professor Snape had provided him with a supply Wolfsbane last week. But it helped to provide Remus that extra piece of mind.

Harry wished Sirius was coming with him, but couldn't ask him to do that after such a long night.  Even if Sirius could come, he wouldn't be allowed to be in the meeting with Harry Mr. Weasley explained. So Harry would be facing it alone. He could do that. He had faced Voldemort by himself surrounded by a dozen Death Eaters and survived. He could make it through one meeting with a Ministry official. Everyone in the Order said Madam Bones was very fair and would listen to what Harry had to say.

Mr. Weasley loved everything Muggle, so he insisted they take Muggle transport to the Ministry that morning. Harry helped him navigate how to use the automatic ticket machines and the Muggle currency. Harry tried not to be embarrassed by Mr. Weasley's comments about fascinating Muggle devices and pondering how Muggles managed to get by without magic.

The visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic looked like a normal, but rather neglected telephone booth. Mr. Weasley rang the number for the Ministry office. Where the change was normally dispensed instead issued Harry a visitor's badge with his name and the reason for visit, "juvenile delinquent".

The other wizard that worked with Mr. Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office found them as Harry registered his wand as was required. The man wanted Mr. Weasley to know they had moved up the time and changed the location of Harry's meeting. Instead of meeting in Madam Bones' office they were meeting in Courtroom Ten, a full Wizagumont panel had been assembled. They only had a little over five minutes to get there with the new start time.  Mr. Weasley rushed Harry into the nearest down lift, quickly jabbing the button for five, the lowest level the lift went. They still had to run down another two flights of stairs after that. They made it to the courtroom with seconds to spare.

Harry took a deep breath and entered the chamber. Harry had never seen the inside of a wizarding courtroom. He stood at the bottom of a large room a number of witches and wizards above him. How many it was hard to say, he couldn't tell if there was anyone he knew up there, as he couldn't make out faces.

"Take a seat, Mr. Potter," a familiar voice ordered. It was Minister Fudge.  

Harry looked around, there was only one seat, a heavy wooden, one with rusty manacles attached to the foot and arms. They shook threateningly as he sat, but they did not move to secure Harry to the seat.

Fudge banged his gavel several times in quick succession bringing the room to order. Harry tried to see if there was anyone he knew that might be able to help him. He saw a red head he did know well, Percy sat next to the Minister of Magic, quill at the ready.  On the other side of Fudge sat a toad-faced woman in carnation pink. There was a smug look on her face that made Harry shift uncomfortably.

"I, Cornelius Fudge, do hereby bring this meeting of the Wizardgamot to order on this day, the sixteenth of August, 1995." Fudge said pompously. "Leading the proceedings along with myself is Deputy Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Dolores Jane Umbridge. Taking notes will be Percival Ignatius Weasley. Are you Harry James Potter, formerly of Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, currently residing at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, London?"

"Uhh...yes," Harry said as the manacles shook once more.

"You understand this hearing has been called because you are accused of carelessly producing a Patronus Charm at the hour of twenty thirty-five hours, on August sixth?" fudge demanded.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"You are aware that all children under the age of seventeen are not allowed to perform magic outside of school?"

"Well, yes," Harry admitted. This Fudge was very different than any of the other times Harry had met the man.

"Two years ago you received a letter from the Improper Use of Magic Office for the illegal use of a Hover Charm in front of your Muggle relatives?  Were you not warned previously that further magic use, especially in the presence of Muggles would warrant your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"Yes," Harry agreed again.

"Yet you proceed to produce a Patronus nonetheless?"

"How else was I supposed to get rid of the Dementors?" Harry demanded definitely.

"You produced a corporeal Patronus?" This question was not from Fudge, but a silver-haired woman, wearing a monocle, on the opposite side of the chamber.

"What?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Corporeal," the woman repeated, "it was more than a ball of gas, it had a distinct form."

"Oh yeah, it was a doe, like it always is," Harry said nonchalantly.

The monocle fell from the woman's face, "You've produced one more than once?"

"I've been able to since the end of third year," Harry told her.

There was an excited buzz of conversation at this revelation.

Fudge slammed his gavel down once more. "Yes, yes, it's very impressive. That, however, is not what is in question here. Why are we to believe Dementors randomly appeared on the street you happened to be walking down in a Muggle neighborhood of London, Mr. Potter?"

"It's what happened," Harry insisted.

"Do you have any proof? A witness perhaps?" Fudge asked.

"He does," Dumbledore said appearing at Harry's side.

The room burst into applause. Dumbledore bowed slightly.

"Ahhh, Dumbledore, I see you received my owl about the change of location." Fudge mumbled darkly.

"As it happens, I did not. Luckily, I was here on another matter, and one of the Aurors was good enough to tell me where I might find Madam Bones," replied Dumbledore.  "It's most unusual a matter of underage use of magic would warrant such a trail, Cornelius."

"Yes well, extraordinary times, and all that," Fudge grumbled.
"You said the boy has a witness?"

"He is waiting outside," Dumbledore confirmed.

The doors opened to let in a very ruffled looking Mundungus.
"State your name and occupation for the record sir," Fudge ordered.

"It's Mundungus Fletcher isn't it?" Mundungus said as Dumbledore placed the man in a newly drawn up chair.

"Your occupation, Mr. Fletcher?"

"Well, you could say I'm a businessman," Mundungus said uneasily.

"I would like to note for the record, this man has been found guilty of several crimes against the Ministry. He has spent months in Azkaban for theft and other crimes." The toad-faced woman, Umbridge interested.

"Noted," Percy said, his quill never pausing.

"You witnessed the incident, Mr. Fletcher," Madam Bones asked.

"Of course, I did. I wouldn't be here if I hadn't wouldn't I?" Mundungus said looking at the head of Magical Law Enforcement.

"What were you doing that evening? How did you come to see it?" The woman asked.

"I was outside the house, having a smoke. The boy comes tearing out of the house in a right state. His uncle is a friend o' mine. He says the boy's right pissed off. An' asks me to keep an eye on him since he don't know the neighborhood. I follow so he don't get too mad at me too. I come around the corner and there's that feeling. That cold feeling, like you'll never be happy again. I know right what it is. Like that, toad says, I been there before. But the boy don't care. He just pulled his wand and his great deer thing chased them off." Mundungus explained.

"You see," Dumbledore said raising from his own seat, "Harry acted perfectly within the law."

"Hear here, Dumbledore. You are not running this trail. You can't call for its dismissal." Fudge said rather petulantly.

"But I can," Madam Bones spoke up. "All those in favor of dismissal?"

All but a few went up. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't felt his worry free in ages.

"Come now, Harry. I'm sure there a many waiting for you to celebrate at home." Dumbledore gestured to the door.

Dumbledore was right, it seemed every member of the Order at least stopped by to congratulate Harry, but the teen wasn't the only person with something to celebrate.  Hermione and Ron were both made Prefects for their year. Harry wasn't at all surprised by Hermione's appointment.  Ron on the head, everyone seemed a bit shocked by that one. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were so thrilled, they bought him a new broom as a reward.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Summer came to an end with the normal amount of chaos. Everyone was trying to find things that they had misplaced. Harry was fairly certain that Kreacher had hidden some of his things. The elf didn't like the fact Harry was sleeping in Regulus' old bedroom. Sirius said that his brother was always the old elf's favorite person.

The four Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were escorted to King's Cross station by a large contingent of Order members. Moody wore a long duster coat and a battered bowler hat pulled over his magical eye. The small miracle was they had managed to get hold of several cars, so at least they didn't have to take everyone's trunks and owls on the underground.

Harry was pulled by Moody through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The Auror found the nearest empty compartment and put Harry's truck in the rack as the others made their way on the platform. Harry looked around trying to spot Neville.

"Hullo Harry," Luna said appearing from the crowd.

"Hi Luna," Harry greeted.

"I'm not the one you're looking for," she observed.

"Errr... I was trying to find my friend Neville," he admitted. "But you should come and sit with us."

"Harry," Hermione called him back.

"I'll be right back," Harry said before rejoining his group.

"Moody's got us a compartment right in the middle of the train,"
Harry informed Hermione.  

"I'm not sure I can sit with you, Harry," Hermione said sadly.

"The Prefects have a compartment up by the driver. I'll come and join you if I have a chance."

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Okay, of course, I'll see you later." It occurred to Harry then he had never had a ride on the Hogwarts Express that Hermione and Neville were with him. He tried to sound casual, as he asked, "Have you seen Neville?"

Hermione pointed down the platform. There was the unmistakable form of Neville's gran in her vulture-topped hat. Harry slipped past Mr. Weasley to guide his friend and Mrs. Longbottom to join the rest of them.

"Potter," Mrs. Longbottom greeted Harry.

"Good morning ma'am," Harry said taking her claw-like hand.
"You've been getting yourself in the papers more than usual," she remarked.

Harry shrugged, "I'm not trying to."

"Of course you aren't, those idiots in the Ministry wouldn't know rabid hippogriff it walked into the Ministry and filled out the paperwork itself."

"Gran," Neville moaned.

"I have no doubt what you told that fool, Fudge, the truth." Mrs. Longbottom said squeezing Harry's hand. "You stay true to your word. You'll show them they're wrong soon enough."

"Thank you, ma'am," Harry said as she finally let go of his hands. "We all back over this way," he said to Neville. Remus helped to carry the other boy's trunk into the compartment. Luna was seated next to the window a pair of multicolored paper spectacles on her face as she read her magazine upside down. She said hello, to the former professor, it was the first time she had seen him since he left Hogwarts at the end of Harry's third year. The two talked for a moment the truth of the man's condition clearly not impacting her impression. Harry wasn't surprised but was relieved the two got on so well.

Neville joined Harry and Luna in the compartment as Remus made his way back to the platform. Ginny joined them a moment later. The train began to move quickly gathering speed. The trip north was filled with the happenings of the summer. Luna and her father made a trip to the continent looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Neville's was the normal trips to see his extended family. There was a great deal of tension between those who believed what Harry had to say about Voldemort and those who didn't.

Hermione joined them not long after lunch. She told them who the other house prefects were for their year. Luna made a sound of approval at the mention of Terry Boot's name.

The Welcoming Feast was the strangest Harry had attended so far in the five years he had been a student of Hogwarts.  The Sorting Hat instead of singing about the various qualities of the houses encouraged them all to work together. The thing that was the most different though, was the speak given by the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge.   

Harry got bored with the waffling manner of speech and instead started a game of hangman with Neville on a scrap of parchment. Hermione later explained the reason behind her speech, and even placement in the school meant the Ministry planned to interfere with the affairs of Hogwarts.

“Potter may speak with you,” Professor McGonagall said as class dismissed.

Harry sighed dramatically. He couldn’t think of a reason he would be in trouble with the stern witch but after five years he had come to know that disappointed tone.

“Do you want us to wait for you?” Neville asked as put his book away at the end of the lesson.

Harry shook his head. “This shouldn’t be too long.”

“What did you do?” Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, “Who knows? I haven’t gotten detention in over a week.”

“Then how do you know it won’t take too long,” Neville pointed out.

'“McGonagall is pretty good at letting you know what you did wrong right away,” Harry said mirthlessly.

Neville nodded, pulling the concerned Hermione behind him.

“May I see your hands,” McGonagall said setting aside the collected homework assignments.

Harry shifted his bag higher up on his shoulder. He held out both of his hands palms up.

“The backs, Potter,” McGonagall said firmly.

Harry turned his hands over displaying the still clear trace of the words, “I must not tell lies” on the back of his right hand.

“Professor Snape tells me that you have refused to discuss this matter with him,” McGonagall said running a finger lightly over the words.

Harry shrugged.

Looking over the tops of her square-rimmed spectacles she said, “Since Professor Umbridge is still breathing, I take it that you still have not told your godfather either.”

“I don’t want him to get in trouble,” mumbled Harry.

“What was that Potter,” McGonagall said softly.

“I don’t want Sirius to get in trouble,” Harry repeated. “It’s like you said, he’d come in here…”

“Harry, I am well aware of Sirius Black’s temper. I also know he would wish to know if someone was hurting his godchild. You realize this was done with a dark artifact?”

Harry shook his head, he had guessed it but no one had said as much.

“She will not be allowed to do this to you again,” McGonagall informed him.

“Professor,” Harry protested.

“I will not see that woman, harm any more students, Potter.”

Harry nodded, “Yes ma’am.”

Harry didn’t get to see the confrontation between McGonagall and Umbridge but Lee Jordan heard raised voices coming from the Defense instructors office. Harry was disappointed to see the black quill on the desk waiting for him once more when he received his next detention. He almost wished Hermione had never said anything. That way McGonagall would not have put herself in a more delicate position with High Inquisitor.

The DA started with the basics of defense, Disarming and Shield spells. Neville and Hermione were Harry's best assistants as he went around the room helping those struggling with what they were working on. Many people were shocked to see how formidable Neville could be. Most of the school only saw him as Harry's bumbling friend.

The DA was only able to hold a half a dozen meetings or so before the holiday break. Harry was looking forward to his holiday back in London. Sirius and the others would write him but they were never able to say much about what was happening in case the letters were intercepted. Harry knew that Sirius had requested a larger role in the Order since the escape but he didn't know what that meant. It would be nice to be home and able to talk about things in person.

Harry wasn't the only person frustrated with not being able to speak freely. Hermione had to censor her letters to Viktor. He was playing Quidditch and traveling all over the continent. They were never sure where he was, or who he might meet. He planned to see Hermione on Boxing Day as long as nothing came up.

"Alright everyone," Harry said getting everyone's attention, "I think that's enough for tonight. We'll start here again after the holiday."

He started to clean up the room a bit as Fred and George dismissed the members in twos and three as not to draw too much attention from those that might be passing by. The twins had the Marauders’ Map to make sure no one like Filch or a professor was close by.

"Can I speak with you a moment?" Cho asked Harry.

He looked up at the slightly taller girl, "Yeah. That's fine."

"I wanted to tell you 'Happy Christmas'," she said nervously.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said back uncertain what else he was supposed to say.

The Room of Requirements as the group had taken to calling their meeting place, provided its own answer to that question. The clump of mistletoe appeared above the pair's heads. 

Cho leaned forward placing her lips on Harry's. He stood the stalk still, unsure what to do. It didn't help that Cho seemed to be crying too. Harry pulled back from the kiss.

"I'm sorry," Cho sobbed.

"No," Harry dismissed, "It's okay. I just didn't expect it. Are you okay?"

Cho wiped her eyes with the back of her head, "I'm fine." She ran out of the room leaving Harry standing there alone and utterly confused. Harry's return to Gryffindor Tower was long and slow as he tried to understand what just happened. Maybe Hermione could explain. She was a girl, she was good at all that emotional stuff. Harry shook his head and what he imagined what Sirius might say.

"You alright mate?" Fred greeted Harry when he finally made it back to the Common Room.

"Fine," Harry reassured.

"Doesn't look like it," George said. "Looks like somebody Confunded you."

"I'm fine," Harry insisted.

"You want a tart?" Fred offer.

Harry eyed the boy suspiciously. "Are they safe?"

Hermione had yelled at the twins multiple for testing their products on younger students. Harry wouldn't be surprised if they slipped something into one of the tarts.

"Of course," Fred said with a grin. "As long as you stay away from the custard."

"Why..." Harry began but Neville erupted into bright feathers answered his uncompleted question.

The room filled with laughter as Neville malted.

"Canary Creams," George announced to the room. "Ten knuts each or three sickles for half a dozen. My brother and I will be taking pre-orders now. We also have a collection of Skiving Snack Boxes available for order."

"What happened after the meeting?" Hermione asked now Fred and George were distracted.

Harry looked away embarrassed. "Cho kissed me."

"That's nice isn't it?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, "I don't know."

"Don't know what?" Ginny asked.

"Cho kissed Harry," Neville informed her as she sank in beside Neville.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Neville asked.

"She was crying," Harry explained.

"Of course she was," Hermione said.

"What?" Harry demanded.

"She cries all of the time," Hermione explained. "She has to be confused. She liked Cedric but she's still sad he died. Then she likes you and wants to show you she likes you."

"I didn't make her. We were just talking." Harry objected. "I think maybe she was mad too that I didn't kiss back."

"Do you like Cho?" Ginny asked.

"Yes...No...I mean she's pretty... She's good at Quidditch..." Harry stammered.

"That wasn't the question," Hermione pointed out. "Did you want her to kiss you? Do you like her that way?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know."

"If you don't, that's fine. Harry, you just need to be honest with her." Hermione instructed.

"Right," Harry agreed. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. He didn't know how he felt about it any more than Cho did. Talking to Hermione and Ginny was helpful. Maybe Remus or Sirius would have an idea of what to say to her. Harry nodded to him. "Thanks, Hermione, Ginny."

"It's no problem, Harry," Hermione said with a smile. 

Harry looked at his friends. Neville and Ginny had dated since they went to the Yule Ball together, almost a year before. Neville had shown Harry his anniversary gift for her on their latest trip to Hogsmeade. He wouldn't be able to give to her until after the date or had to do it early. He was still trying to make up his mind which was better. Harry was no help here.

Hermione would be better to ask, Harry reminded his friend. She and Viktor were approaching their own anniversary. Harry was the only one of the trio who was not dating. Sirius always talked about his time at Hogwarts and how many girls he dated at school. He said James was the same, that was until he started dating Harry's mum.

Harry wondered if something was maybe wrong with him. He just didn't know how to act around girls. Hermione and Ginny didn't really count, they were basically his sisters. The only girl he ever felt totally normal around was Luna. That was in part why he asked her to go to the Yule Ball with him. 

~~~******~~~*****~~~

The mood of the students returning to London the next day on the train was high. Harry sat with the twins, Ginny, and Neville playing Exploding Snap while Hermione put an end to several jinx contests and an ill-advised first-years from lighting a bunch of wet start fireworks in their compartment on her rounds. Like at the start of term, about half the Order was waiting for them on the Muggle side of the barrier. They were to take the underground to get to Headquarters this evening. Harry was practically attached to Moody with Unstuckable Sticking Charm the entire length of the trip.

The one person Harry wished to see wasn't at the station, nor was he at the house when they arrived. Sirius was away on an Order mission fans, he probably wouldn't be back until next morning at earliest. Harry sighed but understood that the Order work was important.

"So what's been going on?" Harry asked as they sat down to the dinner Mrs. Weasley prepared for them.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Mr. Weasley responded serving himself a helping of potatoes.

"I want to know what's going on with the Order. I know you can't tell me anything in your letters but we're here now." Harry elaborated.

"Harry, you're not a member of the Order. We can't tell you that much." Mr. Weasley said uneasily.

"I want to join." Harry insisted.

"You're underage." Mrs. Weasley said it as if it was the end of the argument.

"So? I can fight."

"Harry no one is saying you can't," Mr. Weasley said.

"Then why can't I know?" The teen demanded.

"You're too young," Mrs. Weasley said firmly.

"I wasn't too young to face Voldemort," Harry shot back. 

"Harry, that's enough," Remus interjected. "You are underage."

"Sirius would tell me what's happening."

The boy was right, his longtime friend would tell the boy. It was probably best he wasn't here tonight. Sirius would likely tell Harry everything, despite what Dumbledore told them.

Remus relented. "We can tell the basics of what is happening. When we say that's it, that's it. You have to accept that there are things you will not be told."

Harry nodded in acquiescence.

"Ginny, Fred, George, Ron, out!" Mrs. Weasley ordered.

"What! How come Harry gets to know and we don't!" Ron demanded.

"We're of age!" The twins objected together.

"I'm older than Harry." Ron pointed out. "Why does he get to know everything?"

"He doesn't," Remus said. "You heard me say I would not tell Harry everything."

"Remus, maybe we should wait until Sirius returns."

The werewolf shook his head, "He had the right to know. There is no reason to make him wait."

"Then I want to stay," Ron objected once more.

"Ron, listen to your parents," Remus begged.

"No matter how much we care for him, Harry's not our child, Ron." Mr. Weasley said sadly. "What Remus chooses to tell him is not our concern."

"Go!" Mrs. Weasley ordered.

Ron and Ginny stormed up the stairs. Harry could hear them making their way up the stairs. Mrs. Black's portrait started screaming as the passed the ground floor.

"We're not going," Fred said crossing his arms over his chest, George mirrored his actions.

"You are our children," Mrs. Weasley said firmly.

"Molly, they are of age. We can't make them go." Mr. Weasley sighed. "Fred, George, you are not to share this with Ron and Ginny. They are too young for this." The twins nodded in understanding. "Harry, can I ask the same of you?"

"I won't tell them anything," Harry promised.

Mrs. Weasley nodded her head.

"Thank you," said Mr. Weasley.

Remus took a deep breath, unsure where to begin.

Harry's questions of "Where's Sirius," gave him the starting point he was looking for. "He is on a mission for the Order. He will be back soon."

"What's he doing?"

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you that."

Harry sighed. "Fine, what can you tell me?"

"You have heard members talk about guard duty?” Remus asked the boys nodded in the affirmative. "Sirius like the rest of the members is taking his turn."

"What are they protecting?" Asked George.

"You-Know-Who wants to get his hands on...something... something that he didn't have during the last war. He is convinced this will help him win the war," Remus explained. 
Fred asked, "Is it like a weapon?"

"That's enough, Remus. If you tell him much more, you might as well induct him into the Order." Mrs. Weasley said standing up from the table.

"Sorry boys," Remus apologized, "Molly's right. That's enough for now."

"So this weapon, it's what everyone has been protecting since the summer?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus confirmed. "Now, how about you tell me about what you've been up to. Severus doesn't seem to know anything. You asked us about a place to meet, but never let us know how that worked out."

Harry shrugged, "Sorry, things have sort of been crazy."

Mr. Weasley went to gather the others as Mrs. Weasley started on dinner. The kitchen was filled with the excited talk of what the DA had covered so far and what Harry hoped to cover in the future until dinner. If Mrs. Weasley didn't approve, she didn't say anything.

The small group from the train station was joined be several others for dinner. Kingsley Shacklebolt joined his fellow Auror. Both had come off guard duty on what was supposed to be their days off of work. They seemed to take it in stride. Both were impressed with Harry's plans. Kingsley made several suggestions on how to change up the training routine like they did with Auror candidates, get them used to thinking on their feet not just depending on the same handful of spells.

Harry talked late into the night with the Aurors. He felt a little bad for keeping them. Tonks waved him off. She didn't like Umbridge from the Ministry. The little toad treated Tonks like a freak because she was a Metamorphmagus. If Tonks could help Harry make Umbridge's life miserable, she would gladly stay up all night. It was Harry that called it a night after nearly falling asleep in the middle of a sentence. He managed to stumble upstairs to his room before falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

"You going to spend your whole break sleeping?" A voice broke into Harry's dream of a pretty blonde girl in Quidditch robes.

Harry groaned, still drowsy. "Sirius?"

Harry's godfather leaned lazily against the doorframe of the teen's room. "Molly's refusing to serve breakfast until you're awake. Ron is close to eating Kreacher so it would be nice if you could wake up. Although, if Weasley ate the little creep we wouldn't have him sneaking around all the time."

Harry sat up, putting his glasses on so he could see the man properly. "When did you get home?"

"An hour or so, we had to talk to Dumbledore about what we heard. They're going to be making some security changes. It's going to affect how we do guard duty." Sirius explained.

"The security on the weapon?" Harry asked still waiting for his brain to completely engage.

"Weapon?" Sirius scoffed, "Who told you that? We're guarding a prophecy."

Harry wasn't sure he heard that correctly, he was still a bit tired. "A prophecy," he repeated.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed.

"They store prophecies? Why does it need guarding?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort wants it for some reason. Dumbledore didn't tell us exactly why he would want it. We need to make sure no Death Eaters can get to it." Sirius explained.

"Oh," Harry muttered, that made sense. He picked at the bed clothes still not ready to get up and face the morning.

"Harry," Sirius said getting his attention once more. "You need to know, I'm going on a mission in the next several days. It's likely I won't be back for several days."

"Okay," Harry said.

"I'll be back in time to open presents," Sirius reassured. 

Harry nodded, "Good."

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

Mrs. Weasley and Remus kept them busy decorating the house for Christmas. Harry was disappointed Sirius wasn't there to do it with them. Harry had never been allowed to participate in decorating at the Dursleys and wished he could do it with it his family like they had.

The house elf heads were dressed in Santa hats and beards. The banister was lined with fairy lights made of real fairies. It was hard to believe it was the same place Harry come home to at the start of the summer.

Christmas Eve Mrs. Weasley made a large roast beef and all the trimmings. After dinner, everyone sat in the library passing a quiet evening as they digested. Harry was slaughtered in three games of chess by Ron. Fred and George were talking with Mundungus. Mrs. Weasley had felt bad for the petty criminal for not having anywhere to go, so she invited him to join them for dinner. He was spending the night and would leave for his guard duty shift after breakfast Christmas morning.

Harry woke early on Christmas morning excited to see Sirius and open presents. He grabbed his dressing gown and headed downstairs still in his pajamas. He expected to find his godfather at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, maybe reading the Daily Prophet. Instead, he found an empty room and a cold hearth.

There was no reason to go back to bed, Harry knew he wouldn't get back to sleep. He thought about making breakfast but he only knew how to the Muggle way. The kitchen in the Pureblood fanatics Black's home wasn't exactly for that. He would have to wait for Mrs. Weasley, or someone else, to make the meal. 

Fred and George arrived next. The boys had already made a good amount of money on their Skiving Snack Boxes. As requested, one of their first purchases was new dress robes for Ron, per Harry's request. Harry was certain the twins were going to give their family members nicer gifts than they even received before.

"Morning," Harry greeted.

"Sirius back yet?" Asked Fred as he sat across from Harry. 
Harry shook his head, "Not from what I could see. The door to his room was open. I think Kreacher might have gotten in there again."

"Good morning boys," Mr. Weasley greeted.

"Morning, Dad." "Mornin'."

"Has Sirius gotten back yet," Mr. Weasley asked as he started the tea.

Harry shook his head. "He said he'd be back in time to open presents."

Mr. Weasley nodded, "He has a little time then."

Harry shrugged. 

"Don't worry, Harry. He'll be here. Now, why don't you help me with breakfast? Boys, can you set the table?"

Harry looked to the twins slightly confused. Every meal he had ever eaten at the Weasley's was made by the Mrs. Weasley.

"Dad always makes breakfast Christmas morning," George supplied to the unasked question.

Fred shrugged, "It's normally not too bad."

The Floo flared to life behind them. Everyone turned to see who had just come in.

"What? You didn't think I would miss first Christmas I get to spend with my favorite godson?" Sirius demanded in mock offense.

Harry grinned. "I'm your only godson."

"All the more reason to to be here," Sirius said with his own cocky grin. "You're making breakfast Arthur?"

"He does every year," George repeated.

Sirius hummed in acknowledgment. "If it's too bad, we can always have Kreacher whip something up."

"You should be glad Hermione wasn't here to hear you say that," Harry joked, then groaned.

"What's wrong, mate?" Asked Fred as he and George finished setting the table.

"I meant to give him that. I should go get it from upstairs." Harry said more to himself than the others assembled.

"Get what, Harry," Sirius asked for clarification.

"A Christmas present," Harry answered confusing Sirius once more.

"I thought you haven't done presents yet?" 
Fred and George shook their heads.

"It's for Kreacher," Harry clarified.

"It better not be clothes." Sirius warned, "We've told her he can't be freed."

"I know," Harry reassured. "She wanted him to have something though. It's a quilt or something."

Sirius nodded in approval.

"Getting a house elf presents," George scoffed, "she's mad."

"No," Mr. Weasley disagreed. "Hermione has a point. Kreacher is a creature of his environment. He was poisoned by the family's prejudices. Even so, he deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. We could all learn from her example."

Despite all the teasing breakfast was actually pretty good. It might have been a bit simpler than what Mrs. Weasley would have made but nobody went hungry. Mr. Weasley explained how the tradition had started in the first years of their marriage. He wanted to do something nice for Mrs. Weasley, they didn't have much money for presents so he made her breakfast, then next year, he did the same thing. From there it became a tradition.

After everyone ate their fill of breakfast they all moved up to the drawing room to open presents. Harry received his usual Weasley sweater, navy blue one with a large H on it. He was glad it didn't feature anything Quidditch related. The ban was still a sore subject. He missed playing more than he would care to admit. Sirius gave him a pocket knife that could open any lock. Remus gave him a collection of defense books, mostly collected from the shelves of the library of Grimmauld Place. Harry appreciated them anyway. They would come in handy for his future plans with the DA. Hermione gave him a planner that said annoying things like "never put off what you can do today until tomorrow" every time you opened it. Neville's collection of sweets was much more satisfying.

The day was spent playing chess, exploding snap, Remus and Sirius entertaining them with stories of their misadventures while at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley prepared a fantastic Christmas dinner of turkey and all the usual sides. Harry split a cracker and received a punching telescope, three sickles, and chocolate frog.

The fireplace flared to life as Mrs. Weasley was dishing out the Christmas pudding. A bloody Kingsley Shacklebolt stumbled into the kitchen.

~~~*****~~~*****~~~

"Arthur, contact Dumbledore. He'll want to talk to him as soon as possible "Mrs. Weasley ordered her husband.

"Remus, we may need Severus' help." The man's silver wolf Patronus followed Mr. Weasley's weasel out of the house.

"Everyone out!" Mrs. Weasley barked at the assembled children. There was no argument from any of them as they hurried upstairs and out of the way.

"What happened to him?" Harry asked his friends.

Ron shook his head, "I don't. Maybe he was in a duel?"

"Maybe," Harry agreed as they entered the drawing room to wait and hear an update on how Kingsley was doing.

The only sound in the room was the soft ticking of a large clock on the mantle. Ginny fell asleep leaning against Ron sitting on the sofa. The boy's head rested on the top as he tried to fight the urge to sleep. All eyes turned as the door opened. A collective disappointed sigh was heard when it turned out to only be Kreacher.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, hopeful for any sort of update.

"The boy is talking to Kreacher. Kreacher is not supposed let them know the blood-traitor is hurt," Kreacher muttered to himself.

The group stared, downtrodden at the miserable old elf.

"What are you doing in here Kreacher?" Sirius demanded.

"Kreacher doing nothing," Kreacher replied defiantly.

Sirius scoffed, "Get out, just get out." He pointed as he directed the elf out of the room.

"What's happening?" "Is Kingsley going to be okay?" "What did Dumbledore have to say?" "Do we know what happened?" All the questions were asked at once everyone trying to be heard over the others.

Sirius held up his hands, "Calm down, I can only answer a question at a time." He waited until they were all seated once more. "Molly thinks Kingsley will have some scars, but he'll be fine. He hasn't spoken but Tonks arrived a few minutes after. There's an attempted uprising at Azkaban. They're calling in all the Aurors any other Ministry personnel who wish to help. Moody already left."

"You're not going?" Harry asked surprised.

"I am," Sirius corrected. "I wanted to talk to you first."
Harry shook his head, "Don't go. Please don't go." He didn't notice his friends slipping out of the room.

"Harry," Sirius knelt in front of his godson, "I have to go. I know Azkaban better than anyone else here. They need my help."

Harry shook his head once more. "Please," he begged.

"I'll be back by morning," Sirius promised cocky grin on his face.
Harry sat up anxiously waiting for news. Mr. Weasley had gone with Sirius, Moody, and Tonks. Remus left after Mrs. Weasley assured him she had everything under control. Mrs. Weasley had tried to force them all to go to bed but gave up quickly her own nerves in ruins. The clock ticked on mercilessly. For the first time, Harry was glad the Weasley's clock was not at headquarters. He wasn't sure he could stand Mrs. Weasley watching her husband's hand.
The Floo flared to life for the first time an hour after dawn. Tonks was back. Her vivid pink hair replaced with a damp mousey brown.

“I can't stay," Tonks gasped. "I need...St. Mungo's..." her hand was held tightly to her side.

"What's happening?" Harry demanded.

"Death Eaters," the young Auror gritted out. "Escaped. More than a dozen..."

"Oh sweet Merlin," Mrs. Weasley breathed.

"Dumbledore coming."

"Let me look at it dear," Mrs. Weasley urged.

Tonks shook her head again. "Just need to go."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Asked Fred speaking for the first time in hours.

"I'll be fine," Tonks reassured.

Mrs. Weasley helped her to the Floo. "Are you sure you don't want one of us to come dear?"

Tonks shook her head, "They let my mum and dad know once I check in. They all know me." Her attempt at humor falling flat. The witch disappeared in a swirl of green flames.

The house was silent once more. Not sure what else to do Mrs. Weasley started making breakfast. No one was really hungry. They sat silently at the table picking at their breakfast. 
The Floo flared to life shortly before ten in the morning. Harry looked up hoping to see Sirius. His heart sank, it was Moody. The ex-Auror was followed by Bill Weasley (how Bill got to the battle was beyond Harry), several other members of the Order and a beaten and bloodied Remus. The last person out was the headmaster.

Harry sat by looking at those gathered in the kitchen. He didn't know what to say. He looked to Mrs. Weasley. She rang her handkerchief in her hands. There were several important people still missing. Where were Sirius and Mr. Weasley?

"Albus," Mrs. Weasley greeted.

The headmaster didn't say anything as he took a seat at the scrubbed kitchen table others followed suit, not sure what else to do.

"The Ministry still refuses to acknowledge Voldemort has returned. This breakout will have more questioning whether the Ministry is telling them the truth." Dumbledore said as he took off his half-moon spectacles to clean them.

Many nodded in agreement.

"What can we do to make them believe us?" Bill asked. He sat next to his mother her small worn hand clutched in his large rough ones.

"That is a matter for another time. We need to discuss how we proceed from here." Dumbledore redirected.

"How come we didn't know this was coming," a witch Harry recognized from her coming and going to meetings during the summer, but he didn't know the name of asked.

"Our intelligence into the plans of the other side is not perfect. Our source only learned of this attack this evening when the Dark Mark burned. They had no way to warn the Order." Dumbledore explained.

Someone made a sound of disapproval. They didn't seem to believe either the headmaster or the informant. Harry was almost certain the man was talking about Snape, why he didn't just say the name was beyond Harry. Snape wasn't here either. Was he still with the Death Eaters or maybe he was with Sirius and Mr. Weasley?

Harry looked to his Remus, the werewolf used his sleeve to wipe away a bit of the blood from the cut over his eyelid. There was a lost look on the man's face Harry couldn't name. How come people hadn't protested about Harry and the others who were not yet of age still being here as they discussed Order business? Why wasn't anyone saying anything?

"Where's Dad?" Ron finally asked breaking the silence that had fallen.

If possible the silence got heavier. Harry looked to Remus, who looked away. No one spoke.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry tried this time.

"We don't know," Remus admitted softly. "He was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange on the third tier... She was armed...They must have broken into where they store the imprisoned wands... It's a ridiculous system... Maybe she stole it from one of the guards..."

"Remus," Bill said refocusing the man's story.

Remus looked at his hands, it was as if he was looking past them. "The fight was not going well, for either side. Several of those trying to escape were recaptured immediately. Rabastan Lestrange was hit by one of Moody's Stunning Spells and fell four stories.”

"What about Sirius?" Harry asked again.

"He...he's..." Remus could not make himself say the words.

"They took him," Bill supplied, his long ponytail bounced as he shook his head.

Harry's heart hit the floor. Sirius was captured by the Death Eaters. There was no way to know where they had taken him.

"You're going to find him?" Harry demanded. His voice was not forceful, it was the plea of a terrified child.

"Harry," Remus said his voice cracking on the name.

"Did they take Dad too?" Fred asked.

"Arthur? Where's my Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley inquired. It was as if for the first time she noticed the balding wizard was not in the room.

Bill pulled his mother into his chest, "Mum. I'm so sorry." That was all he needed to say.

Mrs. Weasley broke, her sobs filling the vast kitchen. Fred and George leaned against each other as the tears broke onto their normally jovial faces. Ginny curled into a ball on the floor of the kitchen where she sat.

"What? No," Ron stammered. "No."

"I'm sorry," a wizard Harry didn't know tried to place a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder, only to be shrugged off.

Mr. Weasley was gone. Sirius could be too, they had no way to know at this point. What were they supposed to do now?

"The disappearance and uncertainty of the owner's fate put the future of this location's suitability into question. It would be best if we were to leave Number Twelve until Sirius returns." Dumbledore said.

Harry was grateful the man did not continue that sentence. Sirius would be back, he promised.

"Molly, I am sorry to bring this up at such a time. However, it is something of which we have little. We must leave headquarters as soon as possible. We can not risk being caught if Sirius were to break under duress."

Bill nodded. "We understand. We'll start at once."