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Chapter Text

Year Five
~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 1995

One week after Harry managed to get away from Grimmauld Place, he was sitting in the sitting room with Severus and Remus. Severus had been gone most of the week at Hogwarts and Harry was finally going to find out why.

“So, what’s the news?” Remus asked once they were settled.

“Albus has been removed from the school and banned from the property. It will be in the paper next week. They were giving Minerva time to situate things at the school before letting people know what is going on,” Severus told them both.

“They actually removed him from the school?” Harry asked happily.

“Yes, Child,” Severus answered with fond exasperation. “The Dark Lord is very happy about it as well. He seems to think that now that Albus is gone, it will be easier to get into the school to get to you. But he doesn’t know Minerva.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Remus agreed with a chuckle.

Harry was currently sitting with Remus on the couch cuddled with the wolf. Moony had been extra clingy since the end of last year. Between the Graveyard situation and then being kidnapped, Remus was still not settled. Harry didn’t mind. He loved being close to Remus and Severus.

“She has already had the Goblins at the school this week. They have been reworking the wards and reinforcing them. Silverfang insists that once they are done it would take a muggle nuke to take them down,” Severus insisted.

“Oh, well that sounds promising,” Harry responded.

“Minerva will make an announcement at the beginning of the school year about all of the changes that she is planning to put into place. She seems to be on a war path,” Severus said with a chuckle. “I have never seen her so fierce. She is also refusing all contact with Albus. He has tried to send her a few owls and she has not answered any of them. I think she is angry with him.”

“Cedric and I may have helped to nurture her doubt about the safety at Hogwarts. We pointed out all of the ways that the school and me have been in danger since first year. She seemed quite upset after our conversation,” Harry admitted. Remus chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Good boy, Harry,” Remus praised. “This is a good thing. It means we might actually have a real chance of keeping you safe this year.”

“Oh, it gets better. She has decided to ask you to come back as the Defense teacher this year. So, we will both be in the school and on hand if anything happens,” Severus informed them. “You should be getting the owl about it, no later than Monday.”

“Perfect,” Harry said with a grin. “I loved third year when both of you were there. This year will be even better because both of you are there, and Dumbledore is gone.”

“What about Transfiguration? Is she still going to teach?” Remus asked curiously. He was very happy to be back at the school where Harry would be close all year round.

“No, she has given up her classroom and position as Head of Gryffindor. She did a little shifting around so Babbling is going to be teaching Transfiguration because she has a secondary mastery in it, and you will be happy to know that William Weasley will be taking over for Ancient Runes. He had to get a mastery in it in order to work for the warding team at Gringotts,” Severus answered with a grin.

“Bill is going to be our Runes professor?” Harry asked with a slight blush. Severus frowned and Remus chuckled. Guess he still had a bit of a crush.

“Yes, and you are to keep as far away from that rake as possible when not in class. I know all about his reputation and have caught him myself in compromising positions many times,” Severus insisted with a glower.

“Severus, Bill doesn’t even like boys,” Remus pointed out. “You’re being silly.”

“That is a lie. I caught him with another boy or two back in the day,” Severus countered.

“Dad, stop it,” Harry said with a laugh. “I am not going to sneak into a dark corner with one of my Professors. I don’t care how hot he is. That just isn’t appropriate. Besides, I got a letter from Fleur just yesterday telling me all about how she had received a letter from Bill asking her for a date.”

“See, no need to scowl so hard at him,” Remus chuckled.

“I am not scowling at him, I am scowling at the thought of him having a crush on someone like Bill Weasley,” Severus said with a sigh.

“It isn’t really a crush, Dad. I just happen to think he is quite good looking, that’s all,” Harry insisted.

“As if that is better. The only consolation I have about him being there is that he happens to feel the need to keep you safe. If something happens, I can depend on him to look out for you,” Severus stated.

“You do realize he has four siblings at Hogwarts as well, right? I will certainly not be his first priority if something goes on at the school,” Harry insisted.

“No, of course that isn’t what he means,” Remus spoke up. “I think he simply means it is one more person looking out to help you and not hurt you.”

“Exactly, Child,” Severus agreed. “Have you heard from Draco?”

“Yes, he says that even though Voldie is staying in his home, that everything has been ok so far. He has been instructed a few times to invite me over and so they don’t question him sending me messages, but he thinks he might have to start sending them through Blaise or Theo,” Harry informed him.

“So, he doesn’t need to leave just yet,” Severus agreed. Harry nodded but still frowned.

“I still don’t like him being there. I wish he would just pack his things and come here already. I can’t protect him there. I know we have been training and he is very good, but he won’t be a match for his father and Voldemort,” Harry insisted. Remus wrapped an arm around his shoulder and held him close.

“Lucius may be a devout follower, but he loves his son. And even if he was willing to give him to the Dark Lord, Narcissa will not. If nothing else she would risk her life to take him and run. I have spoken to her. She will not let the Dark Lord claim her son,” Severus tried to soothe Harry.

“I still don’t like it. If something happens to Draco there is nowhere in this world or any other that Lucius and Voldemort could hide from me. I would burn them all,” Harry promised. Severus watched as his eyes seemed to glow with power for a moment before he blinked, and they cleared again.

Severus had no doubt that his son would do exactly that. Harry had claimed Draco as family and his son only claimed three people as such. Theo and Blaise were very close to him, and he adored them, but Draco, Severus, and Remus were special.

“It won’t get to that point, Pup,” Remus assured him. “Draco knows to activate his portkey the moment he feels threatened. He will be here with you long before anything happens to him.”

“He better be,” Harry stated.

He had been upset when Draco had denied coming for a visit. Draco had insisted that it wasn’t safe for him to come and go. That he didn’t want to risk leading Voldemort, Lucius, or anyone else anywhere near Harry’s home. He would stay and spy for as long as he could before he had to leave.

“How about a game of chess?” Remus asked him.

Harry nodded though, they both knew that neither Remus or Severus had any hope of beating him. The only person who could was Draco. When they played chess against each other, they still won and lost in equal measures. They played a few games before Harry retreated to his room. He read for a bit before he decided to head to bed.

It was going to be a long summer.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Occlumency lessons?” Harry asked. He was sitting at the table with Severus and Remus for breakfast.

“Yes, Child. I know you have read something about it. You are too curious not to,” Severus insisted. Harry smiled at him and nodded.

“I did. Right after the first time you used Legilimency on me in first year,” Harry admitted.

“Of course, you did,” Remus said with a laugh. “I am not surprised at all.”

“What all did you end up learning?” Severus asked him. Harry smiled.

“It is an obscure branch of magic that not many people learn to master successfully. It is the only known way to repel external forces from invading your mind. People like you, Dumbledore, and Voldemort are masters at Legilimency, and Occlumency is the only way to protect the mind from that,” Harry answered.

“Very good, Harry,” Severus answered. “You are already on a good path to learn. You have mastered clearing your mind of spells that would control you, like the Imperius and the spell that Albus used to get you to the bank. I want you to be well on your way to at least being decent before the new school year.”

“Ok, where do we start?” Harry asked.

“We will start with meditation. It is the best way to learn how to clear your mind. Having a clear and calm mind is the best starting place,” Severus instructed. He waved his wand, and a book came sailing into the room and smacked into his hand. He passed it over to Harry.

“This book has many different ways to learn how to meditate. Find the way that works best for you and then start practicing every night before bed at least,” Severus continued to instruct him.

“Ok, Dad. I won’t let you down,” Harry insisted. Severus smiled at him.

“I know you won’t, My Harry,” Severus agreed. “You couldn’t even if you tried. Now, go and work on your summer homework.”

“Yes, Sir,” Harry answered. He hugged Remus and Severus both and then headed to the study right off the library. Harry had claimed it for his own to use for schoolwork or other studying during the summer when he was home.

Hello, Pretty Girl,

Harry said happily. Pretty was so big now and she was curled up in front of the fire in the study. The fire light was reflecting off her scales and causing little rainbows to dance around the room. She was so beautiful, and Harry would never allow the Ministry or anyone else to take her from him.

I have something for you, My Speaker.

Pretty uncoiled and there in the center of her last coil was a beautiful, glistening egg. It was a black as Pretty and the Onyx that she mimicked.

For Me?

Harry questioned her. Pretty rubbed her face against the egg and flicked her tongue out. She left the egg in front of the fire and came to Harry. He lifted her heavy body up and let her coil around his shoulders and the chair.

You must care for the egg. Give it magic so that it knows you even before it is born. If you do, it will be a true familiar to you. Like your Bird. You will be able to help it change size or glamour itself with ease. I have willed it while it grew inside me. Pushed my intent into it so that it will be a better companion for you than I. Now you will never be caught alone again like you were this last year.

Pretty insisted. She had been so incredibly upset when she had learned of Harry’s trip to the graveyard and of his abduction by Sirius. She had not been ok with the fact that he had been alone and unprotected. Apparently she had found a solution that satisfied her.

Thank you, Pretty Girl. I will treasure your young always

Harry knew he sounded emotional even if it was only hissing. Pretty cared for him enough to give him a companion that he could have with him always. He wouldn’t be caught alone again. This was a gift more precious than any he had ever received.

Now, put me down so that I can rest. Growing your new familiar was quite exhausting. Keep the egg with you, Speaker. Give it magic regularly and keep it warm. It should hatch before you return to school.

Pretty instructed. Harry lowered her back to the ground and then went to the egg and picked it up. He held it close and then went back out to find Remus or Severus. He didn’t have to search long, Remus was in the library searching for a new book to read.

“What do you have there, Pup?” Remus asked when he spotted the glistening egg. Harry held it out to show him but didn’t let him take it.

“Pretty was upset about the Graveyard and Grimmauld so she apparently laid an egg. She says she pushed her intent into it when she was growing it and that it will be a true familiar for me. That it can be glamoured or resized with no effort as long as both of us wish it. That I need to give it magic while it is still growing,” Harry revealed.

“That is quite the gift, Pup. You have very good friends,” Remus told him with a smile.

“I have a few questions; will you help me?” Harry asked him. Remus threw an arm over his shoulder.

“Of course, I will help you. What do you need?” Remus asked.

“Well, I need a bag to keep it in so that it is always close. So, I will need warming charms on the bag or the blanket we put inside to cushion it. And I have no idea how to push magic into something,” Harry responded.

“That is easy enough to do. Especially for someone who is capable of a fully corporeal Patronus at fifteen,” Remus insisted. “Come on, Pup. Let’s go out into the garden. It will be a more peaceful place to concentrate.”

“Sounds good, Uncle Remi, thanks,” Harry said with a smile.

“After this, you need to come back in and do your summer assignments. I know you haven’t done them,” Remus told him with a grin.

“I promise,” Harry agreed. “Now come on, I can’t wait to learn something new.”

Harry and Remus spent a good two hours or so in the garden out back. Harry learned to concentrate on his magical core. Once he could picture it in his mind, it was easy enough to do what Remus told him. He took a small piece of that magic and pushed it down his arm, into his hand, and then from his fingers into the egg.

“What are we out here working on so hard?” Severus asked them. He had come out to get them for lunch. Harry smiled up at him and showed him the egg. He explained everything to Severus like he had Remus. Severus seemed just as happy about the entire thing as Harry had.

“Well, if you can learn to do that in an afternoon, then you will do fine with meditation and Occlumency. Very well done, Child,” Severus insisted. “Now, come in for lunch.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 1995

Harry’s birthday had come and gone a week ago and while it was a good birthday spent with Severus and Remus, he had missed his friends dearly. Especially Draco. By this time, he had usually seen Draco at least once or more during the summer.

The green-eyed boy was currently moping around outside. It was night and he was laying on the roof outside his window staring up at the stars while he pushed magic into his egg. Pretty was coiled up next to his head and Hedwig was perched on a gutter nearby.

~Why do you mope, Child?~
Hedwig’s voice flitted through his mind.

He misses his Dragon
Pretty answered for him. Hedwig flew down and nipped at his ear.

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed. “What was that for?”

~Don’t mope, Child~
Hedwig reprimanded him.

“How can I not? Draco is important to me. He and I are together every day for most of the year and then to be completely cut off from him is really hard,” Harry insisted.

Let him be, birdie. He simply…...what is that
Pretty perked up and flicked out her tongue towards the sky.

~Death. Go inside, Child. Go to your father. Tell him that Death lingers outside the wards~
Hedwig demanded.

Harry sat up quickly and tucked his egg back into it’s charmed bag and then he climbed back into his window and ran down the hall. Severus was just exiting his room looking angry.

“Hedwig and Pretty say something is outside the wards. ‘Death’ Hedwig says,” Harry told his dad as he followed him down the stairs.

“I don’t know what it is but there is something there. You should have felt it when it brushed against our wards,” Severus informed him.

“I was practicing my meditation, and I was trying to block out Hedwig and Pretty talking in my ears. I must have closed myself off to the wards,” Harry answered. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to block my link to the wards.”

“Don’t apologize, Harry. We have never talked about the wards around the house. Come, let us see what has come to visit,” Severus responded.

Harry followed Severus down the stairs and out the front door. Hedwig was perched in a tree near the wardline when they arrived.

“Dementors?” Severus asked surprised. “Why are they here?”

~They search for you, Child. Step four paces to the right~
Hedwig told him.

Harry walked to the side and the Dementor’s heads swiveled to follow him.

“Hedwig says they are here for me,” Harry explained to his dad as he walked back over to him. Severus raised his wand.

“Well, whoever sent them will fail in whatever they were trying to accomplish,” Severus stated. “Expecto Patronum.”

A beautiful doe burst from the tip of his wand and passed through the wards and the Dementors fled. The two of them stood there for a bit longer to see if they would return. But they didn’t.

~I will follow them, Child and see where they return to or who summons them again~
Hedwig stated and then she flew away into the night after them.

“She is going to follow them and see if she can see who sent them or who inquires about what happened,” Harry explained to Severus.

“She is a very good familiar,” Severus praised and then he wrapped an arm around Harry. “Come, Harry, how about a cup of tea before we retire for the night?”

“Sounds good, Dad,” Harry agreed.

He didn’t know who had sent the Dementors after him and honestly it was kind of sad that he had too many enemies to pinpoint one. He sighed and cuddled up to his dad. One of only three people in the world that he knew loved him unconditionally.

“How did they find me here?” Harry asked finally. “I thought I was basically invisible here. That no one could find me.”

“Unfortunately, the rules for Dementors are different. They could come as far as the wardline but not cross it. If a Wixen or Muggle had been with them they would not have been able to come that far. You are still protected. I swear it,” Severus insisted.

“I believe you,” Harry accepted. He yawned but didn’t move to get up. The way he was feeling this evening, he could really use a good cuddle. Severus held him tighter and chuckled.

“Missing your Dragon?” Severus asked him.

“Yes,” Harry answered with a pout. “I know you all joke about him being my other half, but I truly feel like half of me is missing. Like Draco is my soulmate but not in a romantic way.”

“Soulmate doesn’t automatically mean romantic,” Severus responded. “Draco very well could be your other half, and it can always be platonic between the two of you. There are twins who share a soul, like your Weasleys. Why not then can you and Draco without it being anything beyond the love of brothers?”

“You think so?” Harry asked him.

“I do, Son,” Severus answered. “I know you miss him, and this situation is not ideal, but you will be back together soon.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Harry responded. He yawned again, but this time he hugged Severus before heading up to his bed.

Severus was just standing to head to be when he felt the stone in his pocket heat up and a bell rang in the air. Someone had activated their portkey and arrived at Spinner’s end. He informed Lotty of where he was going incase he didn’t return right away so that she could let Remus and Harry know.

He didn’t have to take Harry with him. Harry had written down ‘the secret’ of the house on a piece of parchment and placed his magic in it so that it would work to allow entrance. Severus only had it for this purpose. He would burn it once he was through picking up whoever had arrived at Spinner’s end.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Theo’s POV

“Remember Theodore, this is an honor. Our Lord has asked for you personally. You will be respectful and remember your training. Do not disappoint or embarrass me,” Cantankerous Nott instructed his son.

Theo nodded and made sure that his clothes were straightened and that he looked good. The Dark Lord had called for him. He would be ‘honored’ during the meeting and given his first mission to see if he could be useful.

All Theo wanted was to be able to get into Malfoy Manor and look for Draco. He knew that no one had heard from the blonde for a little over a week and Harry was starting to get worried. If they didn’t find out something soon, Harry was going to storm Malfoy Manor and challenge them all and they didn’t want him to do that.

Draco had never missed writing to Harry for his birthday if he wasn’t with him. And this year he had missed. The only reason Theo was looking forward to this meeting with the Dark Lord was so that he could find out what was happening with Draco.

“I won’t disappoint you, Father,” Theo answered.

He made sure that his wand and weapons were strapped to him. He also felt his pocket for his trunk. He had made sure to pack anything important as well as clothes. He had no idea what he would find at Malfoy Manor, and he might need to take Draco and run.

“You better not,” Cantankerous threatened. “You know what will happen to you if you do.”

“Yes, Father,” Theo answered simply. Then the two of them flooed over to Malfoy Manor. Theo suppressed a shiver at the feeling of wrongness. The Manor was always dark but now it was as if something truly evil had physically seeped into the walls. The house was saturated in it.

“Welcome to our home, Lord Nott, Heir Nott,” Lady Malfoy greeted them. “Our Lord is waiting for you in the Ballroom. Please, follow me.”

“Lead the way, Lady Malfoy,” Lord Nott replied.

Theo and his father followed Draco’s mum to their ballroom. Waiting inside was a small group of Death Eaters in robes, but their masks were hanging from their hips instead of on their faces. It looked like most of them were the Inner Circle with a few extras.

Theo was glad that he had learned long ago how to keep his face blank no matter what was going on around him. The creature sitting on a throne at the front of the room was monstrous. He was bald and a sickly pale-blue color, he had blood red eyes, no nose, and a forked tongue that flicked out to taste the air.

He was also sporting a cris cross of scars on his face and neck that Theo knew had come for Harry. He couldn’t wait to let Harry know that he had scared the creature. He was barefooted and looked like something that belonged in a gutter and not leading the pureblood elitest of their world. Why were these people following him? What could they possibly see in the abomination?

The three of them made their way the front of the room and then dropped to kneel in front of the monster. Theo was disgusted. He had expected his perfect, pure blood, proper father to follow someone worthy at least but this was down right embarrassing.

“You may rise,” came a scratchy high pitched voice. There was a sound of hissing in his words that made Theo want to laugh. Seriously, he was so confused why anyone would follow that. He stood when the other two did and stood at attention just behind his father.

“I have brought you my son, just as you requested, My Lord,” His father said enthusiastically.

“Step forward, Heir Nott,” The Dark Lord instructed. Theo did as he was told. He stepped around his father and calmly stepped up until he was at the bottom of the steps. “Not even a tremble. So calm and proud. What a perfect little Heir you have raised, Lord Nott.”

“Thank you, My Lord. I have raised him to serve you in all things,” his father answered. Theo wanted to roll his eyes but wouldn’t show such emotion here in the place surrounded by enemies.

Voldemort stood from his throne and yanked on a chain that Theo hadn’t seen before. He narrowed his eyes when he saw what was at the other end of the chain. Harry was going to rip this man limb from limb.

“If only Lucius had raised his son as properly,” Voldemort hissed out. Draco stumbled to his feet and over to where Voldemort now stood right in front of Theo. The Dark Lord reached over and shoved Draco back down to his knees next to them.

“Heir Malfoy has disappointed me. He has refused to give me any information on Harry Potter. Has refused to use the friendship his father encouraged to bring him to me. You will not disappoint me will you, Theodore?”

“Of course not, My Lord,” Theo answered and then bowed his head. “But I am not as close to Potter as Heir Malfoy. He has never been to my home, and I have never been to his.”

“You think I do not know that already?” Voldemort snarled. “I know it will take time to grow closer to him. You have until Winter Break to get the boy to trust you enough to spend the holiday in your home. Then you will bring him to me. But understand that you are not the only one in Slytherin who has been given a mission concerning the boy. Whoever brings me the boy first, will be greatly rewarded.”

“I will not fail you, My Lord,” Theo promised. He didn’t move at all when he felt a cold scaley hand caress his cheek.

“Such a beautiful boy. A proper heir who knows how to serve,” Voldemort said. Theo had been prepared for this as well. His father told him during his ‘training’ that he was to serve his lord in ‘all’ things. Apparently, The Dark Lord has a thing for boys. “Tell me, Theodore, did your father truly raise you to serve me in all ways.”

“Of course, My Lord,” Theo answered and lifted his face to look the man in the eyes.

“And are you still untouched?” Voldemort asked him.

“As you prefer, My Lord,” Theo responded calmly. He just needed to get through this meeting. He had no intention of allowing the Dark Lord to bed him. He would get Draco somehow and then he would leave. This was another line he was not willing to cross.

“And if I were to gift you for your loyalty and servitude? What would you ask for?” Voldemort asked him.

“I would ask for Malfoy. It has always disgusted me the way that he panders to the boy who lived. He is weak and I have always harbored a secret desire to punish him for it. It would please me to finally be gifted with that opportunity,” Theo decided to see what exactly he could get away with.

“My Lord,” Lucius spoke up. Voldemort snarled and flicked out his wand. Lucius fell to the ground screaming from a well-aimed Crucio. Theodore didn’t take blink or take his eyes off the Dark Lord.

“I could not give him to you permanently. He is his father’s only heir and even though he is a disappointment I would not end their line, it is old and has always served me faithfully,” Voldemort told him as Lucius screamed in the background.

“For a day then or a week?” Theo countered. “I would even promise not to permanently maim or scar him. My father was very thorough in my training I could do so many things to him that would leave no outward marks on his pretty skin.”

“Perfect,” Voldemort sighed out. Lucius finally stopped screaming as Voldemort lifted the curse. He leaned forward and pressed a dry disgusting kiss to Theo’s lips before he slipped Draco’s chain into Theo’s hands. “You may have him for one week to do with him whatever you please. Scar him permanently, I care not as long as he can still produce another Heir for his line.”

“Thank you, My Lord. You are most gracious,” Theo responded. He reached down and petted Draco’s head. The blonde whimpered and Theo felt like shit. He would have a lot to apologize for, but he hoped that finally getting Draco free and back with Harry would be enough.

Voldemort turned then and headed back up to his throne. He sat down and a very large snake slithered into the room and coiled at his feet. He looked over the room for a moment before he turned back to Theo’s father.

“I am most pleased with your Heir,” Voldemort praised. “I will give him two weeks, one to enjoy his gift and then one to prepare himself. Then I expect him to move into my rooms here in the Manor. I will continue his training so that he may serve me properly.”

“Of course, My Lord. He is happy to serve at your pleasure. In two weeks’ time he will be here as you have requested,” Cantankerous agreed. Theo was disgusted. His father was standing in this room of their peers all pure blood and proud and was selling his son like a whore to a monster. He hoped that his father was punished in horrible ways after Theo was gone.

“You may take your new toy to his room and gather whatever of his things that you wish to take with you. Enjoy him while you can. Maybe he will be better prepared to serve after suffering at your hand. You may go, I have more things to discuss with the others. See you soon, Pet,” Voldemort dismissed him.

Theo bowed low and the yanked Draco to his feet and pulled him from the room by his chain. Draco glared up at him. As soon as they were out of the Ballroom Theo pulled Draco around the corner.

“Are there any others in the house besides the ones in the ballroom?” Theo asked quietly. Draco shook his head no. “Good, lets go.” Theo unclipped the chain and put it in his pocket.

“What?” Draco asked him. Theo was a bit offended that Draco thought he was really that cruel.

“Let’s go,” Theo said again. “We need to pack your things and then get the fuck out of here. We need to go before they get out of that meeting. We are going to Harry.”

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Draco breathed out. “I thought for a second…”

“I know you did. I’m sorry, I didn’t know how else to get us out of there without a fight,” Theo admitted as they ran up the stairs to Draco’s room.

“I’m sorry, that I doubted you, Theo,” Draco said when they made it to his room.

“It’s ok, Draco, just pack your things quickly. We need to go,” Theo insisted.

“I don’t need to pack. I have had my things ready in case I needed to run since the summer started,” Draco said and pulled a shrunken trunk out of his wardrobe and shoved it into his pocket. “It is so late; do you think someone will come for us tonight?”

“If they don’t we will be fine,” Theo insisted. “Come on. Let’s go quickly.”

“Yeah we just need to get to the Foyer and then we can use the portkey,” Draco stated. Theo put his portkey in his hand and then clasped his and Draco’s hands together around it. He wanted to be ready to port out of there as soon as they got to the foyer.

They had nearly gotten away without being seen. They were just stepping into the foyer when they heard a shout. Neither boy recognized the voice and neither of them turned around to see who it was. Once they were both in the foyer Theo activated the Portkey and held Draco tightly as they were swept away.

“We made it,” Draco said with a grin. “We are free.”

“Yes, we are,” Theo agreed. “Now we wait.”

They didn’t have to wait long. Severus showed up about ten minutes later. He told them to just wait and that they would talk about it in the morning. That he didn’t want to be away from the house longer than necessary because of their earlier visit from the Dementors.

He showed them the parchment and was glad that it had actually worked. He set it on fire and then led the boys into the house. He showed Theo to a room next to Harry’s room and then showed his Godson to Harry’s room. Severus knew there was no way he would sleep anywhere else after being away from him for so long.

Draco looked like he was barely holding it together as he quietly slipped into Harry’s room. He looked over at Theo who was still standing in the doorway to his own room.

“How closely am I going to have to watch my son?” Severus asked Theo.

“Closely,” Theo answered seriously. “As in, only Draco will have any chance of convincing him not to storm the Manor as soon as he is awake.” Theo pulled the collar and chain out of his pocket and handed them to Severus.

“What is this?” Severus asked looking at the delicate silver chains.

“The collar and leash Voldemort had Draco on when I arrived. He refused to give up any information on Harry when he was asked. He was beaten for it, and I don’t know what else may or may not have happened to him,” Theo answered.

“How did you manage to get away?” Severus inquired. Theo scowled and shivered.

“I convinced Him that I was ready to serve him the way my father trained me to. In all ways. When he asked me what I wanted to reward me for my loyalty and service, I asked him for Draco,” Theo revealed.

“And then you ran,” Severus responded. It wasn’t a question, but Theo nodded anyways. “You did good, Theodore. Both of you are safe now. I will send an elf to Zabini with a letter so that he knows you are both here and to be aware if anyone comes looking.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Theo answered. “May I go now? I need a shower; I can still feel his hands and lips on my skin.”

“Go on, Theodore,” Severus said quietly. He really hated the Dark Lord. Keeping Harry from killing him tomorrow as going to be really hard.

He needed a plan. Theo disappeared into his room and Severus sighed. He peeked into Harry’s room to see Draco sobbing in his son’s arms. When Harry looked up at him he could see murder and all manor of dark things passing behind those glowing green eyes. Yes, he was definitely going to have to keep an eye on his murderously angry son.

The Dark Lord’s days were numbered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You cannot keep me from going,” Harry spat out. “You have no idea what was done to him. That horrible man let one of his filthy Death Eaters hurt Draco. He violated him, Dad. Do you understand what I am saying to you?”

“Yes, Harry. I understand and I swear to you they will pay for it with their lives. Right now, Draco needs you. He hasn’t come out of your room for three days. Would you really leave him now when he is clearly in pain?” Severus tried.

Harry growled and threw a spell at the wall next to them. Severus was impressed. He hadn’t even used his wand. Harry had simply thrown pure magic at the wall and now it was starting to blacken, and the paint was flaking away. Harry was marvelous.

“I will be the one to rip his heart out of his chest,” Harry said quietly after he took a moment to calm himself down. “Both of them.”

“When the time is right I will hold him down while you do it, My Heart,” Severus promised. “But the time isn’t right.”

“Fine,” Harry agreed and then he grimaced when he looked at the wall. “Sorry about the wall.”

“We will fix it, Child,” Severus responded.

He took a cautious step toward his son. Harry had been just as absent as Draco. This was the first time he had left the blonde’s side since he had arrived. He had been so high strung that the only person brave enough to talk to him had been Severus and Draco. Then Harry turned watery eyes up at Severus and it just broke his heart.

“Dad, they hurt him so badly,” Harry whispered.

“I know, Child,” Severus answered and stepped closer to Harry again.

“He wasn’t ready for something like this. He has been spoiled and cared for his entire life and then Lucius just handed him over to Voldemort so that he could do whatever he wanted to him. McNair may have hurt him physically, but Lucius broke his heart,” Harry insisted.

“Lucius is mine to deal with,” Severus claimed. “I will make him pay for what he allowed to happen.”

“Fathers are supposed to protect their sons,” Harry insisted as a single tear slipped down his cheek. Severus finally pulled Harry into his arms. His son clung to him and breathed him in.

“Yes they are, Child. I would kill them all or die trying before I ever allowed anyone to hurt you, especially like that,” Severus promised.

“I know you would,” Harry responded. He let Severus hold him a little longer before he straightened up and wiped his face. “I am going back to Draco now. I am going to try and convince him to come out for dinner.”

“Good boy, Harry,” Severus told him.

He kissed Harry on the head and then watched as his son quickly fled the room to go back up to his own. Severus sighed and sat down. Hopefully, he had convinced his son to just wait a while longer before he attempted to kill the Dark Lord.

“Do you think he will wait?” Remus asked as he came into the room and sat down.

“I hope so,” Severus answered with his face still in his hands. “And if he doesn’t, I hope he at least comes to one of us and doesn’t simply take them on by himself.”

“Did he do that?” Remus asked as he examined the wall.

“Yeah,” Severus said with a chuckle. He raised up and looked at the black rotted spot on the wall. “He was so angry. That was pure magic shot at the wall. No spell and no wand involved.”

“Merlin, do you think it has to do with what he is and where he comes from?” Remus asked curiously. “I have never seen a Wixen wield pure magic like that outside of children who have accidental magic. Even then it isn’t like this.”

“Yeah, I think it has to do with his true heritage,” Severus agreed. “I hope we can reverse it.”

“I am sure that we can,” Remus stated. “Though I am not sure how much it matters if the two of you aren’t going to stick around after you find a way to get him back to his home dimension.”

“That’s true,” Severus agreed. “We haven’t really worked all of that out yet. We will figure out what we are doing with everything once we determine whether it is even possible to get him home.”

“It is possible. If he could be taken he can be returned,” Remus insisted. “You just have to find the right spells.”

“You are right, of course,” Severus answered. “I just don’t want to let him down.”

“You won’t,” Remus stated. “I think he will be happy as long as he gets to stay with you.”

“And you, Wolf?” Severus asked seriously. “Have you decided if you are going to stay with him as well?”

“He wants me to go with you both if you find a way to leave?” Remus asked surprised. Severus scoffed.

“Of course he does. After this, he will probably try to convince Draco to go as well. The three of us and to an extent, Theo and Blaise are his family. He would keep us all with him if he could,” Severus pointed out.

“If he wants me, then I am more than happy to follow him anywhere. This world has done nothing for me,” Remus insisted.

“Make sure you let our boy know that,” Severus stated. “I am going to go brew for a bit so that I don’t return to Malfoy Manor myself to cause a few of them pain.”

“Like father like son,” Remus said with a chuckle. “Don’t rob our boy of the pleasure of his own revenge. He would be quite upset if you left him behind.”

“Yeah he would,” Severus agreed. Then he stood up and left the room to lose himself in his brewing for a while.

His Godson had been violated and the only person he would allow to comfort him was Harry. Which was ok as long as he was letting someone help him. Harry would be a rock for Draco and Severus would be a rock for Harry.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus Pov

Severus stood and watched as the Dark Lord raged.

He was angry and had already cursed quite a few of his followers. Severus included. They hadn’t been able to find Draco and Theo and return them to him. He honestly wasn’t sure what the Dark Lord was more angry about. The fact that they were gone or the fact that he didn’t get to bed Theodore.

“You mean to tell me that they have simply disappeared into thin air?” Voldemort exclaimed and held Lucius and Cantankerous under the Cruciatus.

“Of course not, My Lord,” Lucius breathed out as soon as the curse was lifted.

“Then where have they gone?” the Dark Lord demanded.

“Potter has a home that none of us have been able to locate for years. Not even Albus Dumbledore,” Lord Flint spoke up carefully. “Perhaps they have gone to the boy for protection.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, My Lord,” McNair added with a grin. “The pretty little Malfoy is very loyal to the Potter brat. If he was that loyal without Lucius’ knowledge, what is to say that Nott was just as ignorant of his son’s true loyalty?”

“I want them dead,” Voldemort hissed out.

Severus watched as both Lucius and Cantankerous reacted. But they reacted in very different ways. Lucius looked horrified before he looked resigned. Nott looked like he wanted to murder his son himself. Severus hated them both.

He would happily rip the heart out of the Dark Lord’s chest to keep Harry safe. He didn’t understand how they could be fathers and not choose their sons above everything else. Severus would Avada himself before he ever sat back and allowed someone to hurt Harry.

“And what of your concern for their family lines?” Narcissa spoke up.

She was a mother. A true mother. Willing to do what it took to keep her son alive. Severus didn’t know if she even truly understood what her son had suffered. What Lucius had allowed her son to suffer. He didn’t think she did.

He was going to enjoy letting her know.

“You will simply need to provide your husband with a new heir and if you have grown too old, I will allow him to breed a young pureblood daughter. Same for Cantankerous. I cannot suffer those boys to live simply for the sake of an heir. You can always make more,” Voldemort responded coldly.

“Shame,” McNair stated with a shrug. “The Dragon was awfully fun to ruin. He cries so prettily.”

“Yes, well find someone else to play with,” Voldemort waved him away. “Lucius, Flint, I hear rumors that the wards around Hogwarts have been strengthened to the point that the old bitch has made it impossible for the students to even duel. Is it true?”

“Unfortunately, the rumor is true,” Flint spoke up. “McGonagall has pretty much made it impossible for you to get him through the students or staff. As long as he is on school property, you will not be able to use a dark artifact, portkey, or anything else to get to him. You are going to have to get him when he is off the property.”

“If any one acts on school property they will be removed. I would not suggest risking your spies or followers in the school by having them attempt to take the boy or the other two traitors from the school,” Lucius added.

“That woman is marked for death as well,” Voldemort spat out. “She made that school more impenetrable than Albus ever thought of doing. He likes to play games at least, she does not.”

Severus stood there as more things of insignificance was discussed. Things like raids and possibly planning a prison break he caught Narcissa’s eye once and realized that she wanted to speak with him when she gave him a signal that they didn’t often use anymore.

Once the meeting was finally dismissed, Severus made like he was leaving before he silently slipped into the stables outback of the house. He waited barely a moment before Narcissa slipped in as well and privacy spells were erected around the stable house.

“Has Draco contacted you?” Narcissa asked him quickly.

“Yes,” Severus answered simply. “I am only going to ask you this once, Cissy. Did you know what they were doing to your son? Did you allow it to happen?”

“No, Severus. I have a horrible heart breaking idea, but I do not know. I went for tea with Lady Flint to keep up appearances that everything is normal in our home. When I came home, Lucius had already given Draco to the Dark Lord,” Narcissa explained. “Is he safe?”

“He is safe. But I need you to help me make him safer,” Severus answered and handed her a stack of parchment.

“What is this?” Narcissa asked him.

“This is you giving him permission to become emancipated. To allow him to be free of both you and Lucius so that once he returns to school, Lucius cannot touch him,” Severus explained.

Narcissa looked the parchment over and then signed it with he blood quill that Severus handed her. This would make sure that it was more legally binding since she wasn’t doing it in person. Severus rolled the parchment up and tucked it back into his robes.

“Your son is free of the Dark Lord, Cissa. He is as safe as I could make him. Now it is your turn. Run. Don’t stay here and make yourself available for the Dark Lord to use to lure Draco back by hurting you,” Severus instructed.

“I will leave tonight. I am going to make a stop at the bank before I go,” Narcissa stated with a grin. “I am going to make sure that Draco get’s what is owed to him. Take him to the bank tonight for his emancipation. But before you do, empty his vaults.”

“Ok,” Severus answered. He was ready to get back home to his own son before the boy did something stupid like stormed Malfoy Manor.

“Take care of him, Severus,” Narcissa stated and then she kissed him on the cheek and turned to leave. Before she got to the door she turned around and looked at him knowingly. “Both of them, Severus. I know that Harry is important to you. I know that you have been taking care of him. I am a smart woman, and I have been watching him closely since he first came to us. When you are mentioned, he softens. Protect him, Severus.”

“Have no doubts that I would level cities to do exactly that,” Severus answered simply.

Narcissa nodded and then the privacy spells were dropped and she left the stables and headed back into the house. Severus watched her for only a moment and hoped that she managed to actually get far away from here and into hiding. Then he turned and apparated away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry was pacing the foyer of their home and had been for the past thirty minutes. Severus had been gone too long. He flicked his gaze over to where Remus was casually leaning against wall reading, but Harry knew that he was alert.

Theo was watching him as well. The tall Slytherin was not being as subtle though. He was examining one of his blades. But that was because Theo’s goal wasn’t the same as Remus’. Harry’s Godfather was there to try and talk Harry out of leaving. Theo was there to follow him into battle, so to speak.

“It’s been long enough. I am going to get my dad,” Harry stated and then headed toward the door. Theo stepped up behind him as Remus stepped into his way. “Don’t make me fight you, Uncle Remi.”

“Harry, you need to think this through,” Remus pleaded with him. “Severus wouldn’t want you to do this.”

“I don’t care. I won’t sit here while he is being tortured and you shouldn’t ask me to do that,” Harry insisted. “Please move, Uncle Remi.”

“Think about Draco,” Remus tried.

“What about him?” Harry growled out.

Now would be a good time for Remus to tread carefully. Harry was sensitive about Draco. Especially right now. Even Theo seemed to shift into a more fight ready stance. Remus raised his hands placatingly.

“How would he feel if he needed you or called for you and you were gone?” Remus asked carefully.

“Then you can explain to him that I went to get my dad,” Harry stated. “He would understand.”

“Harry, think this through,” Remus tried again.

Harry was just about to walk around him when the wards shifted in the back of his head, and he knew that his dad was home. He immediately relaxed which caused both Remus and Theo to relax as well. Remus breathed a sigh of relief and was just moving out of the way when Severus strode through the door.

He looked at the three of them standing in the foyer and pinched his nose before he chuckled and gave Harry a pointed stare.

“You were gone too long,” Harry answered that stare with a shrug.

“And would you have stormed Malfoy Manor alone? Simply because the meeting ran longer than we anticipated?” Severus asked him.

“He would not have gone alone,” Theo pointed out.

“Of course not,” Remus agreed. “I may not have wanted you to leave, but I would have gone with you as well.”

“I know Uncle Remi,” Harry told him and then he hugged the wolf. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, Pup. I know you are on edge about all of this because you are worried about Draco,” Remus responded and held him tightly.

Harry pulled away from Remus and then turned to his dad. Severus ruffled his hair and headed for the sitting room. Harry and the others followed him. Just as they were sitting down, Harry heard Hedwig in his head.

~Your Dragon is awake. He is taking a shower. Perhaps he is ready to venture out of your room~

`Thanks, Hedwig` Harry answered. He would wait a few minutes and then he would head up to see his best friend.

“What is it?” Severus asked him.

“Draco is up and taking a shower. Hedwig thinks he might be ready to come out of the room for a little bit. I will go and get him in a few minutes,” Harry answered.

“What happened at the meeting?” Remus asked.

“He has decided that he wants Theo and Draco dead. He cares not that they are the last of their lines, they have turned from him to join you and so he wants them dead,” Severus answered. He knew Harry would want to know this information first.

“They will never get close enough,” Harry promised and shared a look with Theo.

“And if they do, they will regret it,” Theo added, and Harry nodded his agreement.

They might only be fifteen, but they were powerful, and they knew how to duel. Severus had made sure they would be ready. Especially when they fought together. After their weekly lessons with Severus, they took turns teaching each other things that they knew personally.

Harry was teaching them the Patronus and how to muggle fight. He had learned a few things from Dudley and his friends when they beat him up. Theo was teaching them about knives. Blaise about poisons. And Draco, well Draco was the Princess that Harry had claimed him to be.

He didn’t have anything to contribute as far as special skills. He grew up spoiled and pampered. His parents hadn’t prepared him for the world and how cruel it could be. But he was a fast learner and eager to soak up everything the others taught him. So, he was just as skilled as the rest of them now.

“Minerva has made it impossible for them to get to you in the school,” Severus stated.

“Wait,” Harry stopped him. “Don’t talk about it yet. I want Draco down here for that conversation.”

Harry stood up and headed upstairs to see to his best friend. He opened his bedroom door to see Draco sitting on the bed. Pretty was coiled around him and he was petting her absently. Harry came over to him and knelt on the ground in front of him.

“Hey, Drake,” Harry said with a smile. He cast a drying spell on Draco’s wet hair and a warming charm on the sweater he was wearing. Draco’s hands were cold when Harry clasped them together.

“Hey Har,” Draco responded with a careful smile.

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked him and leaned forward to lay his head on the other boy’s lap. Draco absently carded his fingers through Harry’s hair. Pretty had moved to curl up in front of the fire.

“Better today. Just a bit. I…I think I am ready to leave our room now,” Draco responded.

“That’s good, Drake,” Harry praised. “We were just about to have a conversation about the changes McGonagall made to the school.”

“Alright,” Draco agreed. He tugged Harry’s messy curls, and the smaller teen leaned back to look up at his best friend. “Let’s go.”

“I will be with you every step of the way,” Harry promised.

“Thank you, Harry. I am so glad to be back with you,” Draco told him. “I should have just come when you asked me to the first time.”

Harry stood up and wrapped his arms around the trembling blonde. Merlin, Harry was going to collar and leash Tom Riddle and make him crawl over hot coals and razor blades and then he was going to feed McNair his own cock before he ripped his heart out of his chest with his bare hands.

Pain, unimaginable pain, is what they were going to suffer for what they had done to Draco.

“I’m going to kill them for you, Draco. I am going to rip out their hearts with my bare hands. You give me permission to leave, and I will do it now,” Harry swore to him. “Theo will come with me. They will never see us coming.”

Draco held him tighter, and his trembling stopped.

“Merlin, Harry,” Draco said with a small laugh and a sniffle. “I can literally feel the murderous intent coming off of you in waves.”

“You know I would do anything for you,” Harry stated and pulled back to look Draco in the face.

“I know, Harry. And I would do anything for you,” Draco promised. “Come on. I am ready to actually see your home. So far, I have only seen this one room.”

“This place is beautiful, Drake,” Harry insisted. He pulled Draco up and let the much taller teen wrap an arm around him. “It’s so open and light. The library has two stories, and you can do as much magic here as you want even with the trace and the Ministry can’t find you here.”

“That’s awesome,” Draco agreed and let Harry lead him out of the room and down the stairs.

Harry talked nonstop and kept Draco completely distracted as they walked through the house. When they finally made it to the sitting room, there was tea and snacks on the table. Theo had moved to sit on the couch with Remus so that Harry and Draco could sit together.

“It’s good to see you up and about, Dragon,” Severus said carefully.

“Thanks, Uncle Severus,” Draco said as he sat down pressed close to Harry. “I decided that I have moped enough. I will not be a victim. I will be a survivor. I won’t give them the satisfaction of knowing I crawled into a hole and gave up.”

“Of course you won’t,” Harry agreed. “Now, I think you were getting ready to tell us about McGonagall and her new protections.”

Severus nodded and took the prompting for what it was. Harry didn’t want them to dwell on what Draco had been through. He wanted them to help the blonde move past it. And the best way to do that was to act normal. So that was what they did.

For the most part.

No one touched Draco or got to close other than Harry. The blonde would get jumpy or simply wilt if anyone got too close and then that would set Harry off. So, they were careful.

That night, they went to Gringotts. Theo and Draco were both instructed to remove everything from their Heir Vaults and so they did. Theo’s father apparently was very generous with his only heir and so Theo was good to provide for himself until he graduated.

Draco on the other hand was quite shocked and surprised to realize that his mother had transferred what seemed like the entirety of the Malfoy fortune into his heir vault before she fled Britian. Both Theo and Draco transferred their money into vaults in Harry’s name that they were given complete access to so that nothing could be traced back to them for any reason.

Then Silverfang and Amelia Bones were once again present to take memories and statements that would help both Theo and Draco become emancipated. Their fathers would have no way of reaching them when they returned to school and could do nothing legally to hurt them or get control of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week before school started back, Harry received an anonymous letter.

The letter was clearly from Albus but had not been written by him or sent by him so there was no way to prove it. He hadn’t touched the letter at all with his magic or otherwise. The old man was very careful.

Dear Harry,

I had hoped to have this conversation with you in a more civil way. As friends. But you have thwarted my every attempt to be kind and helpful toward you.

Do you know what a Horcrux is? In all of your reading for curiosities sake have you come across the word? Well, no matter, I will explain it to you. A Horcrux is a very dark magic. It is what happens when a specific ritual is performed and a human sacrifice, a murder is committed.

The result is that half of the person’s soul will split away and embed itself into an object. An object that is nearly impossible to destroy. An object that grants the caster, immortality. Tom has created many. Including the diary that you destroyed in second year.

I know you are wondering what this has to do with you, so let me explain. The night he came for your parents, he had already split his soul to many times. So, when his curse rebounded, it ripped another piece from him and that piece embedded itself inside of you.

You are a Horcrux, Dear Boy. It is why you are connected to him. Why your scar tingles or pains you when he is around.

You must fight. You must prepare to face Tom, and you must allow him to kill you. It is the only way for the world to truly be rid of him and safe from him ever rising again. But only after the other Horcrux have been located and destroyed.

It must be timed perfectly so that he can be defeated for good. And it must be you who does it. It can be no one else. I am the only one who can help you. I have gathered memories that will give clues to what and where the other Horcrux are. No one else can help you with this the way that I can.

So, you must drop these silly charges against me. You must come to me and let me train you. Let me help you so that you are prepared to do what you must.

For the Greater Good.

There was no signature, but Harry didn’t need one. He handed the letter to his father and leaned back into Draco’s arms. The blonde had read the letter over his shoulder. They waited silently as Severus and Remus who was leaning over his chair, read the letter.

“Is it true?” Harry demanded. “Can I be a Horcrux?”

“I don’t know,” Severus answered honestly. “But we can find out.”

“How?” Draco asked.

“By going to the Goblins. They will either be able to do the ritual to test for it or will know where we can look to find it ourselves,” Severus answered.

“We are going now,” Draco demanded and stood up pulling Harry with him. “If he has a piece of that horrible man’s soul inside of him I want it out and I want it out right now. No one rests until we know how to remove it.”

“Agreed,” Remus stated. “There is no way that death is his only option. We will not allow it.”

“Then we are in agreement,” Severus added. “Let’s go see the Goblins.”

The four of them apparated to Spinner’s end and then flooed to the bank. They showed the note to Griphook who summoned their King.

“You are quite the trouble magnet aren’t you, Princeling,” Silverfang stated with humor.

“Looks like it,” Harry agreed with a laugh. “Can you help me?”

“We can and we will,” Silverfang assured him. “It will be a simple thing to verify and then it will take us a day to prepare for the ritual. You will be Horcrux free before you return to school on the first. I swear it.”

“What sort of side affects with there be?” Severus asked. “The soul has been inside of him for nearly fifteen years. It will not want to leave.”

“He will probably sleep for a day or two afterward. There will be fatigue for a month or so at random times until he has recovered completely. And there may be fluctuations with his magic during that time as well. But he will be fully recovered before the month is up,” Silverfang explained.

“What does that mean for school?” Harry asked them. “I don’t want to fall behind in class.”

“Harry,” Draco said pointedly. “We are learning Auror level spells. You aren’t going to fall behind.”

“You will still have access to you magic, Child. He simply said it may be unpredictable for a few weeks,” Severus explained. “You have nothing to fear.”

“Ok, then lets do this,” Harry agreed. “It will be nice to shove it in Dumbledore’s face that I am free of the Horcrux and didn’t have to die to do it.”

“I wonder if this is something else that we can use against him during his trial?” Draco asked. “That he knew Harry was a Horcrux and that there were more. That he sat on the knowledge that there was a way for Voldemort to return and did nothing until it suited him.”

“We will give the letter to Amelia and let her know. She will take it from there,” Severus stated. “Now, lets confirm that my son is actually a Horcrux so that we can prepare to remove it.”

Silverfang and Griphook performed the spell for confirmation and then let them know to return to the bank in exactly twenty-four hours to perform the ritual to remove the Horcrux. Then Harry and the others returned home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 1st, 1995

Harry smiled down at the small snake wrapped around his wrist and hand.

A beautiful little solid black snake with purple eyes that looked like a near replica of Pretty. His new familiar. He had named the little male snake Mors. He had hatched the day after the ritual that had removed the Horcrux from his head.

“That’s new,” Hermione stated as she claimed the seat across from Harry and Draco. “Did you figure out a way to shrink Pretty?”

“No, we couldn’t find anything that would work,” Harry answered then he grinned. “Pretty was upset that I was alone last year for everything that happened. She laid an egg so that I would have a snake with me at school again. This little guy is Mors.”

“He is lovely,” Hermione praised, and Neville nodded his agreement. “Hello, Draco, how was your summer? Did you end up staying with Harry?”

“He did,” Harry answered. Draco was sitting in Harry’s usual place against the window.

He hadn’t wanted to risk anyone sitting too close to him. Harry was sitting next to him to make sure he was fine. This was the first time Draco had been out of the house other than to go to the bank since he had come to Harry. Theo was sitting directly across from him and Blaise was next to Theo.

A wall of protection for their wary friend.

“Hello, Lovelies,” Fred and George stated as they stepped into their cart.

“Hey guys,” Harry greeted happily. He didn’t not fail to notice the blush on Hermione’s cheeks when Fred winked at her.

“Oh, nice prefect badge, Harrykins,” Fred stated as he settled between Hermione and Neville.

“Like we didn’t see that coming,” George added as he sat down next to Harry. “You as well, Mione.”

“Neville as well,” Hermione stated. “He is just shy about it and won’t put his badge on yet.”

“Well, congratulations all around,” Blaise said with a grin.

There was a rap on the door frame and Pansy stood there smiling at all of them. George stood and bowed dramatically and then kissed her hand. Pansy winked at him and pushed him back down on the bench.

“Come now, my fellow Prefects. It’s time for our meeting,” Pansy stated and then stood there and waited.

Harry gave Theo and Blaise pointed looks before he squeezed Draco’s hand and stood. Theo moved immediately to claim Harry’s spot. Though he made sure that he was still not touching him. Harry smiled brightly at Pansy and held his arm out for her to take.

She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to escort her to the Prefect car. Hermione, and Neville were following behind them. They made it to the car and took their seats along with the other Prefects to be given their duties for the school year.

For the fifth years, it mostly just consisted of following rules, setting a good example, and being allowed to ‘monitor’ the younger years. They weren’t allowed to rejoin their friends until helping keep everyone in line when getting off the train and heading back to the school.

Harry had been anxious about being away from Draco for so long. He hadn’t been away from him for any real length of time since he had come to the house. He was happy to see Blaise and Theo sitting on either side of Draco. He slipped in between Draco and Blaise and was happy to see Draco smiling and talking with the people around them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hate that pink toad,” Harry exclaimed as he threw himself down on the couch in Severus’ quarters. “She is targeting me.”

“What do you mean?” Severus asked him calmly as he sat a cup of tea down on the table in front of Harry.

“I mean she is deliberately trying to goad me into a reaction of some sort. I think she is trying to give me detention,” Harry explained.

“She is not a pleasant person to be around at all,” Severus agreed. “You think she is targeting you?”

“I know she is,” Harry answered.

“Then you will remember that you are not an impulsive reckless Lion and keep your cool. Try to keep your Dragon on a leash as well,” Severus instructed.

“I know, Dad. I am doing my best, but you know how he can be sometimes,” Harry said with a sigh.

“How you both are. If the situation was reverse, you know that you would be just as quick to come to his defense,” Severus stated pointedly.

“That’s true,” Harry agreed with a shrug. “The difference, however, is that Draco is likely to do something in class to get himself in trouble. And I will get her when she least expects it and cannot pin it on anyone.”

“He is such a good Slytherin except when it comes to you,” Severus said with a chuckle. “I will talk to him about maintaining his composure and getting her back quietly.”

“I am going to sick Fred and George on her if she keeps it up,” Harry said with a nearly feral grin. “That will teach her to watch herself. Why did McGonagall even let her come here? She isn’t a teacher so why is she here?”

“She was sent by the ministry to keep an eye on things around here because of the trial against Dumbledore,” Severus answered. “Minerva didn’t get a choice.”

“So stupid,” Harry pouted and then finally picked up his tea.

“Other than the pink nightmare, how have things been. In the dorms and such?” Severus asked him.

“It’s a bit weird, you can literally tell which students have parents that are Death Eaters. They are tense and nervous every time they are around any of us four. But so far they haven’t attempted anything, so we ignore them,” Harry answered.

“Good boys,” Severus praised. “It should stay that way. The Dark Lord has rescinded his order of kidnapping or harming any of you on school property. He doesn’t want to risk his followers being kicked out of the school when he may need them here.”

“Well, that’s at least one good thing. I was worried about it,” Harry said with a grin.

“I know, so was I,” Severus revealed. “This makes my job just a bit easier.”

“Have you been called to any Order meetings? Your or Uncle Remi?” Harry asked him.

“Not yet, I think Albus is minding his P’s and Q’s right now with the Ministry breathing down his neck and his trial coming up,” Severus answered. “I don’t think he wants to add, leader of a secret illegal organization to his list of crimes.”

“I didn’t think about that,” Harry agreed.

They talked for a little bit longer before Harry threw his invisibility cloak around himself and went back to his common room. Pansy was sitting with his boys when he came in and he sat down next to Draco.

“How was your tea?” Pansy asked him. Harry gave her a look and she laughed. “I am not an imbecile, Harry. I know that you do not spend every Sunday evening walking the school. Especially not now with everything going on.”

“Right, well, mums the word, Pans,” Harry warned.

“Of course it is. I wouldn’t betray any of you. Just so you know. I am now and always have been your friend,” Pansy stated with a pointed look.

“You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with a certain redheaded seventh year?” Blaise teased.

“Oh, hush it you,” Pansy responded with a blush. “Besides, a lady never kisses and tells.”

“Would you tell if I asked really nicely?” Harry asked her and fluttered his eyes at her.

“Perhaps, but only because you asked really nicely,” Pansy answered.

“Awesome,” Harry stated with a grin. “These three never talk about stuff like that.”

“Excuse me,” Draco gasped out. “Do you have a secret boyfriend we don’t know about? What stories do you have to contribute to boyfriend gossip?”

“Well, none. I don’t think anyone here is attractive like that,” Harry defended.

“That isn’t exactly true though is it?” Pansy pointed out. “He thinks our Runes professor is quite good looking. You should see the way he blushes in that class every time Professor Weasley praises him.”

“Yeah, older men are what attract our Harry,” Blaise agreed.

“In the words of the wise Pans, hush it,” Harry snipped with a laugh. “Chess, Drake?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Draco agreed.

So, they sat around and played chess for a while before they retired to bed for the night. It was really good to have friends. Being back at school, it was like there wasn’t a war brewing. McGonagall and most of the other professors had forbidden the students from talking about it.

‘War wasn’t something for children to worry over,’ McGonagall had insisted in her speech at the Welcome Feast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October ‘95

Remus came into Severus’ quarters one Sunday when Harry and Severus were having tea. He had made it a habit to join them at least twice a month so far. Harry was really happy about it. The wolf sat down next to Harry and pulled him in close for a cuddle.

“You look stressed,” Severus pointed out.

“I am going to have to resign,” Remus announced.

“What? Why?” Harry asked surprised. He had sat up, but Remus pulled him back down beside him.

“Umbridge knows…or at least has been hinting at the fact that she knows I am a Werewolf. She is making comments and watching me like a hawk,” Remus answered.

“How would she know?” Severus asked him curiously. “Only the three of us, Draco, and Hermione know about your little furry problem. And none of us would have said anything.”

“That isn’t true,” Harry said with a growl. “Dumbledore knows and so does Sirius. Both of them are very unhappy with us all right now.”

“Sirius wouldn’t tell,” Remus insisted quickly. Harry looked up at him like he was crazy.

“Sirius is insane and so far up Dumbledore’s rear-end that he would do anything that man told him to do,” Harry countered.

“He isn’t wrong, Wolf,” Severus backed him up.

Remus sighed heavily and leaned his head back on the back of the couch. Harry snuggled closer and started playing with his hands, tracing his scars while he took a minute to gather his thoughts.

“You are both right,” Remus said eventually.

“If it is any consolation, I don’t think it was the mutt,” Severus admitted. “I wholeheartedly believe that Albus is the one that has tipped them off about your being a wolf. You don’t need him right now. You got this job because you are good at it. You are not struggling.”

“And Dumbledore would prefer that you were struggling so that he can swoop in and help you. He needs to be needed so that he can manipulate people,” Harry added.

“Exactly,” Severus agreed. “But even if you quit, you still won’t need him because we have you.”

“That’s right, Uncle Remi,” Harry agreed.

“Well, it isn’t an if,” Remus pointed out. “I am resigning. I cannot risk being exposed and having her attempt to have me locked away or put down. She is known for her hatred of all things creature.”

“What will you do?” Harry asked him. “I will miss you not being here. Are you going to rent a house in Hogsmeade like you did before?”

“Not this time, Pup,” Remus responded. “I am going home to start putting all of my effort into dimensional travel. I would rather find a way to leave this place than for any of us to be forced to fight.”

Harry nodded his agreement and then looked over at Severus. He wanted to tell Draco. He wanted his best friend to know the whole truth. He was ready. Harry was even pretty sure that Draco would agree to leave with them. This world had done him dirty. He didn’t owe it anything.

“You are ready to tell your dragon,” Severus spoke out loud.

“I am,” Harry answered simply. “But only him.”

“I think that is a good idea,” Remus gave his opinion. “The boy has already proven that he would endure torture before he ever gave up anything about you. I think he has proven his loyalty.”

“I agree,” Severus stated.

“Thank you,” Harry said with a bright smile. “Literally the best parents a kid could ask for.”

“We know,” Remus teased and then tickled Harry for a moment before the teen snorted and wiggled onto the floor.

“Stop that,” Harry insisted. Then he looked up at Remus with a sigh. “I understand why you are leaving. I am just going to miss you so dang much.”

“I know, Pup,” Remus responded. “I am going to miss you too. But the good thing about being emancipated, and everyone knowing it, means that you can come home and spend Christmas with me.”

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that,” Harry exclaimed happily. “My first Christmas at home. You could come too, right dad?”

“I could not go for the entire holiday, but I could come for at least part of the one day,” Severus answered. “I think going home for the holiday is a great idea.”

“Awesome, I think that is when I will tell Drake,” Harry thought out loud.

“Alright,” Severus said and pulled Harry up off the ground. “It is time for you to return to your room, Child.”

“Don’t leave without saying goodbye, Uncle Remi,” Harry said sternly and then wrapped the man in a hug.

“I won’t, Pup,” Remus promised.

Harry turned to Severus and let the man pull him into his arms. He just breathed in the smell of his dad for a few minutes. He had a bad feeling. He didn’t like his dad being a spy. Severus simply held him until he was ready to let go.

“I love you, Dad,” Harry told him seriously.

“And I love you as well, Child. Everything is going to be fine,” Severus promised him. “Now run along.”

“Ok,” Harry responded and then he left the sitting room and headed back to Draco and the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is she really going to be our new DADA teacher?” Neville asked as their group was sitting together in the library.

“Who?” Fred and George asked.

“Umbridge,” Hermione spat out. “I hate that woman. I hate her so much. She is simply awful.”

“Agreed,” Pansy said and patted Hermione on the hand.

“Well? Is she?” Neville asked again.

“Yes,” Harry answered. “She forced Remus to quit and now she is taking over his class starting Monday.”

“I have a feeling that DADA just got really boring and useless. I don’t see her being someone who will actually teach us anything useful,” Draco said with a sigh.

“We will be fine,” Theo assured him.

“Yeah, It isn’t like the four of us aren’t miles ahead when it comes to defense,” Blaise pointed out.

“Lucky for you four,” Hermione grumbled.

“Don’t mind them, Mione. They forget that some of us aren’t as naturally talented as they are,” Pansy stated dramatically.

“I am never going to pass my OWLS,” Neville said dejectedly and dropped his head onto the table.

“Oh,” Hermione exclaimed excitedly. “I have a wonderful idea.”

“Is it, ‘I am going to champion the House elves’ wonderful or ‘I figured out Slytherin’s monster’ wonderful?” Draco asked her pointedly.

Hermione blushed and then threw a wad of parchment at him that Harry snatched out of the air before it could make contact with the blonde. Draco laughed and stuck his tongue out at Hermione who frowned at him.

“Now now Children,” Fred said with a laugh.

“Finish your wonderful thought, Mione,” George added.

Hermione huffed one more time before she smiled at all of them.

“I think we should start a secret defense group. You all said yourself that Umbridge isn’t going to teach us anything and this is our OWL year and the twins NEWTS year. We cannot let her ruin our exam grades,” Hermione revealed.

“And who would teach this secret defense group?” Pansy asked her curiously.

“Harry, Draco, Theo, and Blaise,” Hermione stated as if it were obvious. “They have the top marks in Defense and were literally just bragging about how far ahead they are. They could spread that knowledge around to the rest of us.”

“Listen. I don’t mind helping, but some of the stuff that we know isn’t exactly legal,” Harry pointed out. “We have been preparing to fight Death Eaters.”

“So what,” Neville countered.

They were surprised that it was Neville of all people that didn’t seem to have a problem learning illegal magic. Neville just looked at all of them pointedly.

“We need to be able to defend ourselves against Death Eaters too. They aren’t going to care that we are teenagers. They are going to try to kill us anyway. We should at least be allowed to have a fighting chance,” Neville continued.

“And we could find a way to keep anyone who agrees to join from being able to tell on us,” Hermione added. “We are the most brilliant in our year and the twins have the perfect type of minds for this.”

“Four of us are Prefects,” Pansy pointed out. “It would be easy to get away with it.”

“Let’s take a day or two to think about it,” Harry countered. “Do some research on how to keep people from ratting us out. Figure out a secure place for us to be able to do it. And discretely start feeling other people out about it.”

“And that gives him time to talk to Snape about it,” Fred pointed out with a grin.

“Mustn’t forget that little detail on your list,” George agreed.

“Right,” Harry said with a laugh. “And it gives me time to talk to Severus.”

“Pansy,” George said with a grin and a wink.

“Mione,” Fred stated as well.

“Join us for a walk around the lake?” They asked together.

Harry laughed when both girls blushed prettily and nodded.

“Give us ten minutes to put our things up in our dorms and grab our coats,” Pansy countered.

“We will wait very impatiently,” Fred started.

“For the two of you in the Entrance Hall,” George finished.

The girls stood up and quickly put their homework away before leaving the library giggling together. Harry looked up at the twins who were both watching them with stupid looks on their faces. They were so gone on the girls it was funny.

“Be good to our girls,” Harry warned them.

“Always,” They said together as they turned back toward Harry and the others.

“Wish us luck,” George said with a smile.

“We hope to be taken men when we return from our walk,” Fred explained.

“Good Luck,” Theo said with a smile. “You are going to need it with someone like Pansy.”

“Yeah, that one is high maintenance for sure,” Blaise agreed.

“We can handle it,” the twins answered confidently.

“Of course you can,” Harry agreed. “You got this. The four of you will be good together.”

“Yes, you will,” Draco agreed. “You are lucky that Pansy’s mother never allowed her father to betroth her to anyone. She wanted her daughter to have the right to choose who she married.”

“We know,” George assured him.

“We asked,” Fred added.

“Well, the two of you better run along. You must never keep a woman waiting,” Blaise instructed.

“Right,” The twins agreed with a grin before they smiled and headed out of the library.

Harry was happy for them. It had been a long time coming and he was really glad that the four of them were not going to allow the threat of war to keep them from being happy. They were going to need every bit of happiness that they could wring out of life during these times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
December ‘95

Things were great and easy for the next month. They studied hard and even managed to actually get a secret defense club up and running. Harry, Theo, Blaise, and Draco were teaching about twenty other students everything they could starting with the easiest spells, and they were going to work up to the more complicated spells.

Harry kept waiting for Dumbledore’s trial to start but for some reason or another, the old man kept managing to get the date pushed back. It was starting to look like he was never going to actually see a court date. Molly Weasley on the other hand, was a wanted woman now. She had disappeared the day before her trial date and had not been seen again.

Harry was positive that she was in the same place that Sirius was. The Ministry was avidly searching for them both. Dumbledore was still trying to find a way to get Harry to come to him, but Harry had sent him a copy of the results of his ritual stating that he was Horcrux free and told the man to leave him alone.

He hadn’t heard from the man since.

Other than those few things, Harry was having a good calm year. Well, he had been. Until today. He finally let that horrible pink toad goad him into talking back in class. He didn’t even remember exactly what she had said. It had been stupid but he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep the night before because Draco had nightmares and he was tired.

That was the only excuse he could come up with for why he ended up with his second ever detention.

“Well, good luck,” Draco said as Harry took a deep breath and steeled himself for whatever was going to happen when he went into that room.

“It’s just detention,” Theo told him. “You have lived through worse.”

“Exactly,” Blaise agreed.

Harry waved them off and knocked on the door.

“Enter,” Umbridge called from the other side.

Harry opened the door and slipped inside closing it behind him with a click. The room was awful. It was different shades of pink and there were kitten decorations and pictures everywhere. The Toad herself was sitting behind her desk sipping tea and smiling at him.

“You are early, good,” Umbridge stated. “Sit down. You will be writing lines.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Harry responded politely and sat down at the indicated desk. “And what am I writing?”

“You will write. ‘I must not tell lies.’” Umbridge told him and then did that annoying little laugh that she did often when she thought she was lording her power over others.

Harry gritted his teeth and did not react. He was not a liar. It was something that he was quite proud to be able to say. But he had promised that he wouldn’t antagonize the woman further. His dad had been so disappointed that he had allowed himself to be goaded into this.

“How many times am I to write it?” Harry asked her as politely as he could manage.

“As many times as, it takes for the message to ‘sink’ in,” she said with glee. Harry didn’t get it but he wasn’t going to argue. He reached down for his book bag. “You will be using this quill.”

Harry knew a blood quill when he saw one. He had signed enough documents at the bank with them. They weren’t considered ‘dark’ objects which was how the woman had managed to get it into the school apparently.
“You do know that use of a Blood Quill outside of official documentation is against the law, don’t you?” Harry asked her.

“I am the Undersecretary to the Minister himself. I know the law better than a fifteen year old boy. Pick up the quill and write your lines,” Umbridge ordered him.

“No, ma’am, I will not. If I wrote with that Blood Quill for that long, it would create a dark binding between myself and the quill. You would be able to use it to do me harm. I have the right to contest your methods with the Headmistress and my head of house,” Harry told her simply and sat back.

“I have the Ministers permission to dole out punishment as I see fit. I am the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, I have more authority in this school that the Headmistress and your head of house,” Umbridge told him with a grin. “Write. Your. Lines.”

“You have permission from the Minister to punish minors with a blood quill?” Harry asked her pointedly. “He knows that you are doing this to students?”

“Of course,” Umbridge answered confidently.

“Be that as it may, I will not write with that quill. In fact, I think the papers and parents would be very interested in learning what the Minister and Undersecretary are doing to their children,” Harry told her and stood from his chair.

“You will sit down this instant. You will write your lines, or you will be expelled,” Umbridge threatened him.

“Expell me,” Harry called over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. “It will make the headlines so much better if you do.”

“I will be respected,” Umbridge nearly screeched. “Crucio!”

Harry hit the ground hard and gritted his teeth to keep from screaming out. She let up a minute later and walked up to him. He grinned at her.

“You are going to regret that,” Harry promised her. Before she could respond he pulled his wand from his pocket. “Imperio.”

She went glassy eyed immediately.

“Step back and take a seat at your desk,” Harry instructed her. He did not move otherwise. He had plans.

She did as she was told. Harry grinned.

“Pick up your Blood Quill and write ‘I will not torture children’. Do not cry out and do not stop for one hour,” Harry instructed.

Then he lay on the ground in the exact position he had been in. It would help when he obliviated the woman and took this memory from her. She would see the scars, but she would not know how it had happened. Once the hour was up. Umbridge stopped writing.

“Stand up and bring me both the quill and the parchment,” Harry instructed. “Place both in my bag.”

Once she had done as she was told, he made her get back into position over him and then he used a combination of Obliviate and Legilimens to take the entire memory from her. No one would be able to recover it because it wouldn’t exist. Then he released the Imperio and started crying on the floor.

It would look as if she had used Crucio on him and he just laid there and cried. Umbridge looked down at him and laughed.

“Pathetic,” Umbridge spat at him. “Now get up and write your lines.”

Harry jumped up and grabbed his bag before sprinting out of her room. She yelled at him to come back but he ignored her and ran until she couldn’t see him anymore. Then he walked calmly the rest of the way to Severus’ quarters.

“Umbridge has done something that will help us get her removed from the school,” Harry told his dad the moment he was in the room.

“What happened,” Severus demanded.

Harry explained everything and then he set the quill and parchment on the coffee table. Severus did not touch them. Harry had taken them for a reason.

“Are you hurt?” Severus asked him.

“No, her Crucio was weak compared to Voldemort’s,” Harry said with a chuckle.

Severus shook his head and sighed. He stood up and pulled a box from his bookshelf. Harry placed the quill and the parchment in the box and then Severus put it back on the shelf.

“I don’t know what I am going to do with them, but I think they might come in handy later,” Harry insisted.

“Come on, we are going to Minerva,” Severus told him. “We are going to take care of this right now.”

“Ok,” Harry agreed. “Dad?”

“Yes, Child?” Severus stopped and turned back toward him. Harry walked forward and buried himself in his father’s arms. Severus simply held him.

“Why is it always me?” Harry asked quietly.

“I don’t know, Love. But you handled yourself beautifully. I am proud,” Severus praised him.

“Thanks, Dad,” Harry breathed out. He held on for a moment longer and then he stepped away and let Severus lead him to the Headmistress’s office.

It was time to get rid of a toad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That is entirely untrue,” Minister Fudge exclaimed.

He was standing in McGonagall’s office along with Harry, Severus, Minerva, and Umbridge. McGonagall had called the minister immediately after hearing Harry’s story. She had summoned Umbridge after the minister’s arrival.

She would have no misunderstandings, and she would have that awful woman removed from her school.

“The Minister does not have to explain himself to you,” Umbridge stated confidently.

Harry didn’t understand how she could be so confident when it was obvious that the minister was fixing to hang her out to dry.

“Be quiet, Woman,” Minister Fudge demanded.

Umbridge looked at him and for the first time she seemed a bit unsure.

“But Minister, you gave me permission to use whatever means I thought necessary to punish anyone who spoke out about He who must not be named returning,” Umbridge exclaimed.

“And you assumed that meant that I would allow you to use a Blood Quill of all things on students?” Fudge asked her.

“You said whatever means,” Umbridge repeated.

“I did not say torture, Delores,” Fudge countered. “You have overstepped. And you attempted to use my name and position to cover you back. Well, that won’t work. You are fired.”

“What? Fired? I was only doing what you asked of me,” she exclaimed.

“Lord Potter has already proven that he hasn’t spoken up about You know who at all. Not in any class and not to you. I watched the memories Delores. You have targeted him. Why?” Fudge asked her.

“You have seen the papers, Minister. He and Albus have been spreading it all over the place about Him returning,” Delores countered.

“I have not,” Harry interrupted. “Rita Skeeter has lied about me many times and this summer has been the worst. I didn’t even leave my home this summer. I certainly haven’t spoken to the press. Minister Fudge asked me not to spread panic after the tournament until there was irrefutable proof that Voldemort had returned. I thought that was a very fair thing for him to ask and have honored that request.”

“That simply isn’t true and you know it,” Umbridge spat out. “You are a horrible boy and a liar.”

“Mister Potter has never lied. He prides himself on always being truthful,” Severus spoke up in his defense.

“That is one thing that I can absolutely agree with,” McGonagall stated. “Mister Potter is a wonderful young man. Studious, polite, top of his class. He causes no trouble and has only served one detention, ever. And neither I nor anyone else, student or teacher have heard him speak about You Know Who at all.”

“That isn’t even why you put me in detention,” Harry pointed out.

He had already explained that it had been a situation where he had been frustrated and snapped at the professor because he was tired and she had finally began to wear him down after riding his back all term. He had shown them the memory. Even admitted that he had deserved detention because no matter how awful a professor was, their position deserved respect.

Minister Fudge and McGonagall had both all but cooed at him. His dad had suppressed a laugh. He knew that Harry was playing the other two like fiddles. They were putty in his hands.

“You are hereby removed from your position as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, you are removed from your position as DADA professor, and banned from ever stepping foot on Hogwarts property again,” Fudge began. “You are also removed from your position as Undersecretary.”

“You cannot do this to me,” Umbridge wailed. “I have always supported you and everything I have done has been for you.”

Fudge ignored her wailing and turned to Harry.

“Is this sufficient?” Minister Fudge asked him. “You are the injured party after all.”

“She has tortured many other students, some much younger,” Harry pointed out. “Plus, I don’t mean to be trouble, Minister but she used an Unforgivable on a student.”

“What?” McGonagall and Fudge both exclaimed. Umbridge looked pale.

“I thought we told you,” Harry told them and wrung his hands together. “She…she didn’t like it when I refused to use the quill. She threatened to expel me and then when I kept walking out to go to Professor Snape, I was hit in the back with…with a Crucio.”

Harry sniffled and lowered his head. Severus placed a hand on his shoulder and Harry winced and jumped. Severus knew that it was all for show. His son was laying it on thick.

“She must be sent to Azkaban,” McGonagall demanded. “That was clearly very traumatizing for Mister Potter. Especially, after what he suffered at the end of last term. Whether it was Death Eaters or You Know Who, he was tortured and held under that very curse. I happen to know that he suffered the effects of that night for a month. And now he has been placed under it again. By the Undersecretary to the Minster? This is outrageous and cannot go unpunished.”

Harry watched McGonagall in all her glory. She was angry and she looked like an avenging mother ready to rip apart someone who had threatened her child. Harry had never appreciated just how loyal and avenging the woman was.

“Severus, if you would,” the Minister asked.

Severus had Umbridge bound and gagged before the Minister was finished turning toward the floo to have two Aurors step through.

Fudge explained everything and they all watched as the angry wailing woman was taken away. Fudge assured them that she was going straight to Azkaban and would remain there until they could get her a trial.

“You will need to come in and give an official statement to Madame Bones. During the holiday will be early enough. I know that you have mid-terms coming up. I am sorry that this happened to you Lord Potter. She will be punished for this,” Fudge told him.

“Yes Sir. I will go to Madame Bones during the break and give her my statement and all of the evidence,” Harry agreed.

“Good boy, now you look absolutely exhausted, why don’t you take him back to his common room and let his shadows fret over him,” McGonagall spoke up.

“Good idea,” Fudge agreed.

“Thank you for listening to me and acting quickly. Someone should check her office and home for the quills that she had been making the other students use. It makes me sick to think about what she was planning to use them for,” Harry pointed out.

“It will be done, Lord Potter,” Fudge assured him.

“Come now, Potter,” Severus insisted. “Malfoy will already be pacing holes in the floor.”

“Yes, Sir,” Harry agreed and let Severus lead him out of the room.

Harry was sure that Severus was right. Draco was probably frantic and rallying the others to go searching for him. Severus chuckled when they opened the door to the common room and Draco was standing there with Theo, Blaise, Pansy, and a few others.

Draco pulled Harry into his arms and Severus left his son in the care of his other half and their friends. He headed back to his office and poured himself a drink before floo calling the wolf. He would want to know what happened.

As he waited for Remus to answer, he asked himself the same question that Harry had asked him earlier. Why was it always, Harry? Why was he always the target? Severus could only hope that things were different when they managed to get to Harry’s true home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days before Winter Hols started something terrible happened.

Harry, Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy were sitting together at breakfast when Neville and Hermione came rushing up to them. By this point, it was common knowledge that all of them were friends and so it wasn’t unusual to see the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw with the Slytherins.

“They look worried,” Pansy whispered.

“I wonder what happened,” Harry responded as they gave the other two their full attention.

“Can we talk to you in the hall?” Hermione asked and she looked super stressed.

“Of course,” Draco answered and the five of them stood up. Pansy linked arms with Hermione while Harry and Draco bracketed Neville. The Gryffindor was always nervous around the other Slytherins.

Once they were out in the hall and a little bit away from the Great Hall, Hermione made them stop. She looked so upset and Harry was starting to get worried. Pansy apparently was too, because she wrapped her arm around the other girl.

Pansy and Hermione had become close after Pansy really started hanging out with them and now that they were both dating the twins they were even closer. It wasn’t strange at all anymore to see the two of them together, even when they weren’t hanging out as a group.

“Something awful has happened,” Hermione exclaimed. “Tell them Neville.”

“McGonagall came to our dorm room around three this morning and woke up Ron and hurried him out of the room. I followed because the twins were there as well and looked really upset. Their dad is in the hospital,” Neville explained.

“Do we know what happened to him?” Harry asked quickly.

“He was attacked at the Ministry last night. Apparently, Voldemort’s snake got into the Department of Mysteries somehow and attacked him. He is in really bad shape,” Neville answered.

“My dad has an anti-venom already brewed to counter Nagini’s poison. Does he know what happened?” Harry asked quickly. “It might not be too late to save him.”

“I don’t know if he knows. I only know what Fred and George told me before they left with McGonagall and their brother and sister. They were going to floo from her office straight over to St. Mungos,” Neville replied.

“I need to talk to my dad and see if he knows,” Harry said and quickly headed back toward the Great Hall. Theo followed behind him. They didn’t let Harry go anywhere alone. Tensions were high with everyone even their own house. Especially their own house.

Draco turned back to Neville.

“Do you know why their dad was in the Department of Mysteries at all? Doesn’t he work in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts?” Draco asked Neville.

“This probably has something to do with Dumbledore,” Pansy answered.

“Oh, your are probably right,” Hermione exclaimed and then she looked angry. “Remember the twins told us that their mum and dad were part of The Order. They said that Dumbledore was obsessed with something in the Ministry and was assigning members that worked in the ministry to see to it.”

“I remember that,” Draco agreed. “Harry and Uncle Severus think it has something to do with a prophecy.”

“A prophecy?” Neville asked.

“Yeah, apparently Trelawny gave a prophecy when she was meeting with Dumbledore to get hired here. Something that indicated that a savoir was going to be born at the end of July that was going have the power to defeat Voldemort. That is why Harry’s parents were murdered. Why Voldemort is so determined to kill him,” Draco revealed.

Neville looked a bit pale and Hermione reached out to grasp his arm.

“What is it, Nev?” Hermione asked him.

“My…my parents were tortured that night as well. I was born the day before Harry. Do..do you think this prophecy is why?” Neville stuttered out.

“Oh,” Hermione gasped.

They turned to look at Draco who seemed to be really thinking about it. He looked solemn and then nodded.

“Yeah, it probably is the reason why they were tortured. It’s weird that everyone just assumes that Harry is the Savior or the boy the prophecy is talking about when it could very well be you,” Draco answered.

“I don’t want people to think that,” Neville responded quickly.

“Don’t worry, mate,” Blaise said with a grin. “Harry would never let anyone start spreading that. He would never let anyone paint a target on any of our backs. If you are the boy the prophecy was talking about, then it will be our secret.”

“Exactly,” Pansy and Hermione responded together.

“Merlin, are the two of you going to start talking like the Terrors?” Draco exclaimed.

“Maybe,” Hermione said and laughed.

“Perhaps we will do it just to annoy you,” Pansy added.

By then Harry and Theo came striding back toward them quickly. They looked relieved. So, Severus had obviously already known.

“Dad already knew,” Harry stated as he stepped close again. “Bill told him before he left.”

“Does he know anything else about what is going on?” Draco asked.

“Only that Mr. Weasley was having a really rough time but is doing better. He thinks they got the anti-venom into him in time, he should be able to go home before Christmas,” Harry answered.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Hermione said, and Pansy nodded in agreement.

“I am going to send a letter to let them know that we are thinking about them and hope their father pulls through. I think all of you that want to should just add to the one letter that way we aren’t overwhelming them with owls while they are focused on their dad,” Harry told the others.

“We want to add to it,” Pansy stated and indicated herself and Hermione.

“So do I,” Neville spoke up.

“You have the three of us covered don’t you?” Draco stated.

“Yeah, I got you,” Harry agreed. “Come on. Let’s go to the library and go ahead and write it.”

So the seven of them headed up to the library and wrote out a letter for the twins. Hermione, Neville, and Pansy took it to the owlery to send it off. They all hoped that the Mr. Weasley pulled through. The twins as well as Bill, had assured them all that Arthur had taken no part in anything that Molly had done and that he as a good father.

What a horribly sad way to start the holidays.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco stared down at the parchment in his hand and read it for probably the twentieth time since Harry had handed it to him. He looked up at Harry and then took a deep breath.

“You are a Prince?” Draco asked him.

“Yes,” Harry answered simply.

“Like a real life, flesh and blood prince? You are actually royalty?” Draco asked him.

“Yes,” Harry answered again but this time he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“James and Lily Potter are not your parents,” Draco stated.

“They are not,” Harry agreed.

“Wixen don’t have a royal family,” Draco pointed out.

“No, they don’t,” Harry agreed.

“You don’t have a birthdate,” Draco continued.

“No, because the magic couldn’t place it,” Harry answered.

“There is no information on here about your parents or your inheritance from them,” Draco kept reading.

“Correct,” Harry stated. He was going to let Draco work through it slowly and on his own. He knew his best friend was smart. He would figure it out.

“You are a creature and have a secondary gender,” Draco asked.

“Yes,” Harry responded.

“Luna called you Fae Child and you have been doing a lot of research about it. Is that what you are?” Draco asked him.

“We think so,” Harry agreed. “Though we don’t know that that means for me.”

“We don’t have secondary genders. The creatures here don’t either,” Draco pointed out. “The Fae have been gone from our world for so long that people think they never existed.”

“All true things,” Harry agreed again.

“Harry,” Draco stated and Harry simply waited. “You…it’s not possible, is it?”

“What isn’t possible,” Harry prompted.

“Other dimensions don’t exist,” Draco insisted.

“Who says?” Harry asked pointedly.

Draco floundered and looked back down at the Inheritance test, the proof that the ring around his neck was not made of materials found here, his missing birthday, the lack of information, and everything in between.

“You aren’t from this dimension,” Draco finally breathed out. “Is that what you have been keeping secret? That is the whole truth that you have been hiding?”

“Yes,” Harry answered calmly.

Draco put everything down and pulled Harry out of his chair and over to the couch with him. They cuddled together and Harry waited.

“Are you planning on leaving? To try and find your home?” Draco whispered.

“Yes, my dad and uncle are going to go with me if we can figure out a way to go,” Harry revealed. Then he fidgeted. Draco placed a hand over Harry’s.

“I…you will take me with you,” Draco stated. It wasn’t a question. “I won’t be separated from you by an entire dimension.”

Harry breathed out and felt a bit light headed. Had he been holding his breath? He sagged into Draco who held him tighter.

“Oh, Harry,” Draco said soothingly. He wiped tears off of Harry’s face that the smaller teen hadn’t even realized was there.

“I was so scared that you wouldn’t want to leave with me,” Harry breathed out. “I…I didn’t know how I was going to handle being separated from you. I even contemplated simply knocking you out and taking you with me.”

“I have already chosen you over my family. I don’t owe this world anything. Where you go I go,” Draco insisted.

“Where you go, I go,” Harry repeated. “Thank you, Drake.”

“As if I would really let you run of and be a prince without going with you,” Draco teased.

“I love you, Drake,” Harry said a few moments later.

“I love you as well, Har,” Draco responded. “Now, we better get to bed. Uncle Severus is coming really early in the morning to open up gifts with us before breakfast at the school so that no one knows he is gone.”

“Right, I wish he could have spent more time here. I have missed him,” Harry said with a sigh and stood up. “Thanks for taking this so well, Draco.”

“You are more than welcome, Harry,” Draco responded.

The two of them were still sharing Harry’s room. Draco just didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in a separate room. Even at school, Draco had spent more nights in Harry’s bed then he had his own. It was getting better but it was slow going.

Harry didn’t mind. He was there to offer his best friend whatever support he needed to help him heal from what he had suffered over the summer.

They took turns in the shower and then slipped into bed and were sound asleep quickly. Harry couldn’t wait to spend his first Christmas morning at home surrounded by the people that meant the most to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 1996

A few days after returning from Winter Holidays, the papers report that a mass breakout had happened, and ten Death Eaters had escaped. The papers were blaming the whole thing on Sirius Black. Harry and the others began to tread a little more carefully and had not attended any Hogsmeade weekends so that they did not run the risk of something happening.

Voldemort was rebuilding his army.

Severus had been called to many meetings from Voldemort and Albus alike. He was playing his role as a spy perfectly. Harry was still really worried about him though. It was a dangerous job, and he didn’t like his dad being at risk like this.

Another thing that was new about the school, was Defense Against the Dark Art’s professor. McGonagall had spent the holidays hunting down someone to fill the role for the rest of term and had managed to fill it with someone that was completely competent and almost as good of a teacher has Remus had been.

Kingsly Shacklebolt. He was an Auror and had been for a few decades. He was also fair and strict. He didn’t tolerate any shenanigans or tom foolery during class but was also willing to help or tutor anyone who needed it.

Harry liked him. He had apparently also been a member of the Order but had quite when he had found out about the charges that Harry had brought against the man. He was a man of honor and believed in the law. He had only joined the Order because his father had been a member during the first war and because he believed that Albus was doing more for the war efforts than the Ministry was doing.

They still continued to meet with their secret defense group which the others had decided to start calling STAB. It had been Fred and George’s idea after there had been a silly conversation about how it was funny that outside of the Room of Requirement everyone was shunning the Slytherins, but they didn’t have an issue coming to the Slytherins for help with defense.

“Slytherins only think they are better,” Hermione had teased.

“Darling, you do realized that our entire class consists of a bunch students being taught by four Slytherins?” Pansy had pointed out.

There was a little more debate about it and then Neville had chimed in.

“She’s right, Mione. Slytherins technically are better,” Neville stated.

“Oh, that is perfect,” Fred responded with a laugh.

“STAB,” George agreed.

“Where in the world did you get STAB from?” Draco had questioned.

“Slytherins Technically Are Better,” George repeated.

“STAB,” Fred stated. “I think it is perfect, and I won’t call our defense group anything else now.”

Harry had busted out laughing, followed quickly by Pansy and Hermione. And from that moment on they were STAB. They continued to meet even though they had a competent Professor because Shacklebolt wasn’t teaching them anything that could remotely be considered dark or that could help them really fight Death Eaters if it came down to it.

So, things had continued on. School was better now that Umbridge was gone. And for the most part there was no drama. Tension but not drama. Now it was June, and they had just finished taking their final exams. Harry was worried that he hadn’t seen Severus around for the day, but he figured his dad was just really busy with exams or something.

He was relaxing in the common room with Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy when there was suddenly a commotion and Severus came striding quickly into the room.

“Come with me,” Severus stated shortly. “All four of you.”

Harry and the others stood up quickly. Something had happened. His dad looked stressed. They followed him out of the common room and straight to his personal quarters.

“What happened?” Harry asked him.

“They have taken Lupin,” Severus told him without beating around the bush.

“Who?” Harry demanded. “How? He was supposed to be at home.”

“Voldemort has been desperate to retrieve the Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. He has been trying to figure out how to lure you to the hall to retrieve it for him,” Severus explained.

“How did they get him?” Harry demanded to know.

“The wolf left home to go to the bank,” Severus told him. “They caught him when he flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron. They snatched him right out of the Alley.”

“Why didn’t he floo directly to the bank? He knows it’s dangerous for all of us right now,” Harry asked.

“I don’t know, Child. But you are not to walk into their trap. They need to get you out of Hogwarts because they cannot touch you here,” Severus insisted.

“I am not staying here. You can’t ask me to do that, Dad. That’s not fair,” Harry stated.

“Harry, this isn’t up for debate,” Severus countered.

“Who is going to rescue him?” Harry demanded. “Dumbledore? The Aurors? They won’t even acknowledge that Voldemort is back. You can’t do it. It would blow your cover. I won’t just sit here and let them torture or kill him. You will not ask me to do that.”

Severus pinched his nose and took a deep breath.

“You don’t think I can do it?” Harry asked quietly. “You don’t think we could rescue him?”

Severus opened his eyes and looked down at his son who was watching him carefully. The answer was important. He could see it in his son’s eyes.

“It isn’t that, Child. I trained you myself. I know that you are capable. I know that the four of you together are capable of amazing things. I simply find myself reluctant to allow my fifteen year old son to knowingly walk into a trap,” Severus answered.

“We will be smart about it, Dad. I swear,” Harry promised.

Severus looked at him and made a decision. This was the end of his usefulness as a spy. He could not, would not, send his teenage son into the bowels of the ministry to fight Death Eaters without going with him. The world would know where Severus’ true loyalties lay after this night.

“I am going with you,” Severus spoke out loud.

“You are not,” Harry countered. “This war is only just getting started. As much as I despise it, you are an amazing spy and you already said it was important for you to be in their meetings so that you can keep us safe. Trust us to do this.”

“Harry,” Severus responded.

Harry simply stepped up and let his dad hold him for a moment. Severus buried his nose in Harry’s hair and breathed him in. Harry leaned back and smiled. It was not a kind smile. It was a smile that promise unimaginable pain for those that had taken his Godfather.

“Ok, I trust the four of you do this. But know that I will be there. I will not interfere unless your life is in danger. Do you understand? I will remain as a spy until the moment your life is in danger. Then all bets are off,” Severus finally relented.

“Four of us?” Draco asked with a chuckle. “Yeah right.”

Just then there was a knock on Severus door. He looked at the four of them curiously before he went to his door and opened it. He stepped to the side with a chuckle when Fred, George, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Pansy came striding in.

“What’s the plan?” Fred and George asked.

“How?” Severus asked them.

Draco pulled out a coin and flipped it into the air before tossing it to Severus.

“Our brilliant bushy haired friend created those,” Pansy stated.

Hermione blushed and explained how the coins worked to send messages. That it was how they had been setting up their secret meetings. Draco had sent a message out to them the moment he had known what was going on.

“Go back to Voldemort,” Harry told his dad.

“I will alert the Order as well,” Severus told him. “They can help you fight.”

“Perfect,” Harry agreed. As long as they didn’t endanger Remus or anyone else that Harry cared about, he didn’t care.

Severus ruffled Harry’s hair once more before flooing out of his office. He still had a role to play. He wanted to make sure that he was with the team that was waiting for Harry at the Ministry. He would not allow any harm to come to his boy.

Harry and the others got ready to storm the ministry. He used his familiar bond to summon Mors and smiled when he felt the snake settle around his shoulders. Mors had gotten so big since the beginning of the year and Harry felt confident that he would come in handy during the fight.

Then when they were ready, they used the floo to go straight to the ministry. The ten of them quickly and quietly made their way through the deserted ministry and used the lifts to head down to the lowest levels of the ministry.

Harry led them through quite a few different halls and doors until they finally arrived at the Hall of Prophecies. It was the largest room they had been in so far and was wall to wall and floor to ceiling shelves and they were filled to capacity with orbs. Some glowing, some not.

“So many,” Hermione whispered.

“The ones that are dark are the ones that have already been fulfilled or cancelled out somehow,” Pansy whispered back.

“Come one,” Harry stated. “We need to find Remus.”

They walked until they reached a small area that was a little bigger than the others. A crossroads of sorts. Harry was trying to listen to see if there was a noise that would help them decide which direction to go.

“Which way?” Neville asked and Theo shook his head and pointed to his ears.

There was something. A sort of whooshing sound. But it wasn’t coming from one direction. It was coming from all around them. Harry made a motion with his hand and turned to face outward. Theo, Blaise, and Draco immediately moved to do the same and the others followed suit.

They drew their wands and stood with their backs to each other and waited.

It was only a moment more before there were pillars of black smoke circling them before they materialized to reveal several Death Eaters in black robes and bone white masks surrounding them. Remus was chained and muzzled at the feet of the one that was clearly Lucius Malfoy.

Harry smiled dangerously at him and shifted just slightly. The others reacted to his movement and waited for his mark. Harry was starting to think that Voldemort had a thing about collaring people.

“Let him go,” Harry stated. “You got what you wanted, and I am here now. So, let him go.”

“I don’t think so, Potter. Greyback has requested your pet wolf as his reward for joining with our Lord. You have stepped into a trap that you will not be stepping out of,” Lucius insisted.

“Oh, you have no idea how much I have dreamt about what I would do to you when I managed to get my hands on you,” Harry told him with a flash of teeth.

“Me personally? How lucky I am that I have managed to gain the attention of the Chosen One. Unfortunately, our Lord has claimed the pleasure of your death and so I am going to have to disappoint you,” Lucius responded.

“What exactly were you hoping to accomplish here?” Harry asked him pointedly. “I am bored already.”

Lucius snarled and pointed to the shelf behind them. Harry did not turn to look. He would not be distracted. His dad had taught him better than that.

“Retrieve the Prophecy. Only those who are mentioned in it, can retrieve it. Do this for my Lord and he has promised you a quick death. Resist and he will force you to watch as he tortures and kills all of your friends one by one,” Lucius instructed.

“Theo,” Harry stated simply.

“Dark,” Theo responded.

“If you would, please,” Harry instructed. He heard the rustle of a cloak and knew that Theo was retrieving the prophecy. There were a few whispered words among the Death Eaters and Harry knew they were curious now.

The orb was pressed into his hand and he took it without breaking eye contact with Lucius. The Death Eater stepped forward and Harry grinned at him. Lucius paused. It was a bit terrifying. The boy looked completely feral.

Then Harry tipped over his hand and let the orb fall to the ground and didn’t even flinch when it shattered around them.

“How dare you,” Lucius nearly screeched. “You will pay for that.”

“No, you will,” Harry countered.

He raised his wand and a spell slammed into Lucius’ chest. It was a dark spell that would cause him unimaginable pain for the rest of his life unless he managed to find the counter. Which Harry knew he wouldn’t. Severus had created the spell and the counter was only known to Severus, Remus, Harry, and his three friends.

That was the signal for the others to begin as well. The fight began. Spells were thrown around and orbs were smashed when they were caught in the spells. Harry and Draco moved as one unit. One to defend and one to attack.

Just the way Severus had taught them. The same way they had taught the others. Harry didn’t have to look to know that they had paired off and were fighting in the same formation. Harry and Draco made their way to Remus and freed him quickly.

“Pup,” Remus breathed out. “What are you?”

“Like I would leave you here at their mercy,” Harry responded. “Come on.”

The door out of the room had sealed behind them when they had entered the Hall, so they needed to find another way out. Harry and the others were split up, but they knew what they needed to do. Find a way out and take it.

Finally, a door was spotted. He sent sparks into the air so that the others would know to head their way, then they slipped through the door and waited. Two by two his friends joined them and they slammed the door closed. They could hear the Death Eaters on the other side trying to break through.

“Come on, we have to keep moving,” Remus insisted.

They continued to run and fight when the Death Eaters managed to catch up to them until finally they entered a room that was as large as an amphitheater. There was nothing in the room but a massive stone doorway in the center of the room.

“Spread out. There has to be a way out of here,” Harry instructed.

The others moved to do as they were told. But there was nothing. The door they had come through was the only way out and there were an unknown number of Death Eaters on the other side of that door.

“We are going to have to fight them and hope that an alarm was triggered. The Aurors and the Order should be coming. We just need to hold them off or take them out until then,” Harry called out.

“Remember the things we have taught you. Formations of two, three, or four. Work together. Have absolute trust in your partner,” Draco added.

They shifted around to make sure that they gave each other plenty of space to maneuver and fight. Then they waited.

It didn’t take long before the door was blasted open and the Death Eaters came streaming into the room. The fight began again. It was intense and Harry was grateful when the Order arrived. At some point, he didn’t understand when or how, he was separated from Draco and Remus.

He stood alone on the dais that held the weird whispering doorway. Bellatrix Lestrange stood across from him. He knew who she was because of the pictures in Malfoy Manor as well as the Prophet. She was grinning madly and raised her wand.

“Hello, itty bitty Potty,” She cackled madly.

“Choke and die, Lestrange,” Harry responded.

She pouted and then attacked him. She was fast and Harry had to work hard to hold her off. But he had been trained by Severus and so he was fast too. They battled viciously and Harry could tell that he was just as hurt as she was.

Finally, she had managed to get him down and shot a spell at him that he didn’t recognize. Before he could throw up a shield or roll away, there was a mass of dark robes between him and the spell. Harry rushed to his feet and watched in horror as Severus stumbled backward and into the doorway.

There was silence in the room as his body was covered in the whispy spirit like tendrils that occupied the doorway. Then he was lifted and faded away. Harry waited.

He was going to come back out. His dad was going to come tumbling out the other side in only a moment. Because the alternative was unacceptable.

One heartbeat passed….

Two….

Nothing, where was his dad? Why wasn’t he coming back? Harry took a step toward the doorway. But arms wrapped around him from behind.

“Harry,” Remus breathed out.

“Let me go,” Harry whispered.

“I cannot,” Remus answered. His voice full of anguish. “He is gone, Pup.”

“No,” Harry responded quickly. “I just need to go and get him. Let me go get him, Remi.”

“It is a Death Veil, Harry,” Remus stated.

Harry breathed out as if the air had been punched out of him. Death Veil? His dad was…No. Harry tried to launch himself at the veil. Remus tightened his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Remus kept repeating over and over. Harry screamed. He screamed and he struggled. He needed to get to his dad.

The sounds of utter devastation coming from him were heartbreaking. No one moved. The Death Eaters were down. And the others were in shock. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of Harry’s heart literally shattering.

Bellatrix cackled. She cursed the Order member holding her and then stook off running. Laughing manically the entire time.

“I killed the traitor. I killed Severus Snape. I killed Severus Snape,” She sang over and over again as she sprinted from the room.

Harry stopped moving and turned toward her.

“Let go of me Remus,” Harry stated with a voice full of rage. His magic crackled around him and Remus let him go as soon as he felt the first snap of it against his skin.

“Harry,” Remus tried.

But Harry was already moving. He sprinted after Bellatrix Lestrange as she continued to gloat about Severus’ death. He finally caught up to her in the Atrium.

“Crucio,” Harry whispered out and watched in satisfaction as Bellatrix fell to the ground screaming in pain. He held her under it with no intention of releasing her.

There was a dark chuckle to his left and he turned toward Voldemort. Still he did not release Bellatrix.

“Perhaps you are not as much the Savior of the Light as they claim you to be,” Voldemort stated.

“I am no more the Savior of the Light than you are,” Harry responded coldly.

“Such power,” Voldemort said covetously. “It has manifested physically around you in your glorious anger.”

Harry finally released Bellatrix but bound her so that she could not move as he gave his full attention to Voldemort.

“You have no idea just how powerful I truly am,” Harry stated simply.

“Join me, Harry. They will never accept you as you are. They will turn against you just like they have me. We could rule them together. Side by side. Equals in power and status,” Voldemort offered.

“I don’t care for their acceptance. And I don’t have any interest in joining you. I promised your death to someone important to me,” Harry told him. “I keep my promises.”

“Shame,” Voldemort said with a sigh and lifted his wand.

Before he could fire a spell, Dumbledore was suddenly there and the two of them ignored him in favor of dueling each other. Harry turned his attention to the whimpering woman at his feet. He had every intention of killing her. She would suffer for stealing his father from him. The first adult to take care of him since Lily and James Potter’s death.

“What are you going to do?” Draco asked as he stepped up beside Harry.

“Make her pay,” Harry responded with a voice devoid of all emotion.

He pulled a button off of his robe and then turned it into a portkey. He pressed it into Bellatrix’s hand and activated it. She was gone in a moment.

“Where did you send her?” Theo asked him.

“To the cell in the dungeon of Spinner’s End,” Harry answered and then they turned back to the battle taking place behind them.

Voldemort attempted to posses Harry in a moment of desperation to gain the upper hand but Harry attacked him and blocked him from entering his mind. Voldemort screamed out and fell to his knee. Just then the floos began to activate and the Minister followed by the Aurors and others watched in horror as Voldemort rose and then apparated out.

“He’s back,” Fudge whispered in horror.

There was a flurry of activity and questions. Harry and the others had managed to capture every Death Eater that had been in the ministry. Apart from Voldemort and Bellatrix whom everyone assumed had escaped. What felt like hours later, they were finally escorted back to the school.

Harry went straight to Severus’ quarters.

Draco followed him and the others returned to their own rooms. Draco watched as Harry slipped into Severus bedroom and then into the man’s bed.

“Draco,” Harry whispered and held out one small trembling hand.

The taller teen quickly climbed into bed with Harry and pulled him into his arms. Harry trembled and buried his face in Draco’s chest.

“She killed my dad,” Harry whispered in anguish. “My…my dad is dead, Draco.”

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” Draco whispered back. “I’m so sorry.”

Draco tightened his arms and Harry began sobbing. Soul shattering, heartbreaking, hiccupping sobs that didn’t let up until nearly morning when Harry finally fell into an exhausted sleep. Draco simply continued to hold him as he cried his own tears at the loss of his Godfather.

Harry wouldn’t be the same after this. He was going to need Draco and Remus more than ever now. They would have to watch him closely over the summer. Draco didn’t know what Harry had planned for Bellatrix, but he would stand behind him no matter what he chose to do.

Draco would follow Harry right into the heart of Voldemort’s lair and help him kill him if that was what he needed to do. Harry would never simply travel to another world before he completely destroyed the people who had stolen his dad from him.

And Draco would be there with him every step of the way.