Let's Try That Again Chapter 11 to 20 (Patreon)

11.

"Have you been staying up on the news?" Stephen asked.

They were currently stopped at a red light. The trip to London was taking longer than usual. It was the middle of the day on a work week, so it wasn't unexpected. Hugh didn't drive like a half-blind maniac, so the trip took longer than ten minutes. By car, a muggle one, it was about two hours to London. The Day Shift of the Night Bus did it in thirty minutes, usually.

Harry shook his head. "I live with Muggles. Trying to explain everything that happens in the magical world is a headache."

Stephen nodded. "You haven't seen this then?"

The young man held out a copy of the Daily Prophet. A mugshot of Sirius Black stared back out from the front page.

"They say he's the first person to ever escape Azkaban." Stephen said. "Are you worried about him?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

"He was you-know-who's top man." Stephen continued. "They say he's the one who told him where you lived."

"Bullshit." Harry snorted. "Sirius Black is my godfather by magically binding contract. He'd be dead before he could touch his wand if he wanted to hurt me."

Stephen's mouth dropped. Rook slipped over to sit beside Harry.

"But…" Stephen held up the paper. "They say he killed a dozen muggles and his best friend."

"They also say I live in a castle and have three veela wives." Harry shook his head. "Listen. I've seen the contract. It's ironclad. He couldn't kill me or conspire against my parents without paying with his life."

"He was their secret keeper." Stephen pointed to the part of the article.

"The magic that sealed the contract would have killed him before he could get the words out." Harry shrugged. "I don't know if he killed those muggles, or his friend, but I know he didn't betray my family."

Harry fell silent for a moment. He petted Rook as the scenery passed. A couple of people had gotten on, which had caused a slight detour and pulled Stephen away. Hugh checked his watch, then put some speed on. The bus pulled to a stop outside of Gringotts.

"Sorry about him." Hugh spoke softly.

Harry nodded. He took a step down, then turned around. Two galleons appeared in his hand.

"Nope." Hugh looked away. "Not this time."

"This isn't a tip. It's payment for services." Harry placed the coins on the dash. "Anyone who talks about Sirius Black, you tell them what I told you. Tell them Harry Potter himself gave you this information."

"You're serious?" Hugh looked from the coins to the young man.

"No." Harry chuckled. "Like I said, that's my godfather. I'm Harry."

Hugh shook his head. "I'm going to have to watch my words around you, aren't I?"

Harry winked at him.

"Keep paying me like this and I'll have my own car service." Hugh muttered as Harry stepped off the bus.

"Did you hear that?" Harry looked down at Rook as they walked. "His own car service. That would be kind of cool. Think I could hire him?" He sighed. "Actually, it would probably be too dangerous for him if I hired him as my private driver."

Rook woofed.

"I like cars." Harry replied. "They are by far the best form of transportation. Sure, it's slower, but I don't mind. Just imagine me strapping you to my broom for a trip into town."

Rook groaned.

"Exactly."

"Lord Potter." Ragnok stepped up as he entered. He spared a small look to Rook.

"Goblin Ragnok." Harry gave a small bow.

"Follow me." The goblin turned and walked away without a look back.

Ragnok led him to the same room as before. There was a low couch that looked to be the perfect size for a certain dog. Rook gave a woof in thanks and settled in.

"You are welcome." Ragnok took his seat. "Your companion is an interesting one."

"I will take that as a compliment." Harry smiled. "We are here to discuss the results of the inheritance?"

"Indeed."

Ragnok waved a hand, summoning the golden orb. He tapped the orb twice. It levitated in the air between them before unrolling and spreading out wide. A family tree stretched out incredibly wide.

"These are all your relations." Ragnok explained. "Even by the slightest bit, going back to the beginning of your family line."

Harry's name glowed, a line reached up along the pathway, guiding his gaze to the very top. Two names pulsed.

"Chwyfleian Llyn and Myrddin Wyllt." Harry looked to Ragnok. "Apologies, Master Ragnok, those names mean nothing to me."

Ragnok smiled. "Roughly translated, Wandering Woman of the Lake and the man legend has come to call Merlin." With a wave of a hand the tree spread out from there. "It's quite a distant relation. Eventually the line crossed with Pendragon which went on to intersect with Gryffindor then eventually Peverell, as you know became Potter."

"I hit all the big ones." Harry chuckled. "Does this mean I really am the next coming of Merlin?"

Ragnok cackled. "No. Merlin had quite a few children with plenty of women along his lifetime. He is nowhere near as prolific as Genghis Khan, but he is the progenitor of at least two dozen family lines."

"It does look like I am related to Arthur." Harry muttered.

"Again." Ragnok clarified. "Not as rare as you expect. Legends rarely include the children of scullery maids and camp women."

Ragnok tapped the edge of the golden sheet. It curled up into an orb again. The goblin handed it to Harry.

"The sword may have recognized your bloodline." Ragnok returned to his seat. "More importantly, it recognized the quality of person you are."

Harry blinked. He looked from the golden orb to Ragnok.

"Thank you, Ragnok." Harry cleared his throat. "That means more than you know."

Ragnok inclined his head. "Is there any other business we have to discuss today?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Is there a way to get a copy of the contract my parents made with Sirius Black?"

"Their will is sealed." Ragnok shook his head.

"Not their will." Harry slipped the orb into his pocket. "The contract making him my godfather."

Ragnok smiled. "That, I can do."

12.

Harry stepped into the house and waited. A moment later Petunia rushed from somewhere to gather him into a hug. He had come to learn to just let her get these out. She seemed to be trying to make up for all the years she had missed. Luckily, the wandering hands and sneaking into his bed had stopped. He wasn't sure where that had come from. It was something he didn't want to have to deal with. He had more important things to do.

This upcoming year was when Wormtail ran back to his master. Somehow, the rat knew how to find Riddle, even though he had been a rat for more than ten years. Harry knew before the World Cup in a couple of years that Riddle would be in his fathers' mansion. Either Riddle was hiding out at the mansion currently or Wormtail knew his hiding spot. Sure, he couldn't be there right now.

Harry extricated himself from Petunia's hug. "I have another meeting in a couple of days that I have to do on the magical side of things."

"Thank you for telling me." Petunia stepped away to straighten up her dress. "How did Rook do out among people?"

Harry looked to find Rook curled up on Vernon's favorite chair. The two had entered into a battle over the comfy recliner. Harry smiled. Vernon tried to act angry, but Harry had caught his uncle tucking Rook in when the dog fell asleep in the chair. Now that he thought of it, the only time in his past life that Vernon seemed to perk up was when Ripper was around. The fact that his sister came with the dog was something he endured.

The thought caused mental whiplash. Aunt Marge was supposed to visit this summer. Blowing up at her, pun intended, had led to him spending time in Diagon Alley. Now, though, he had no idea. He shook the thought from his mind. There were bigger issues to focus on.

"I'm going to be doing some reading in my room." Harry called as he headed down the hall.

He settled onto his bed with a new spell book. With the blocks that Dumbledore put up gone, and the chunk of Riddle out of his head, he found that learning magic was so much easier. There were some things that he was re-learning, but even those just seemed to click. Unfortunately, he could feel that he wasn't as powerful as his older self. He was probably more powerful than most of the students at Hogwarts, even the seventh years, but he couldn't touch Voldermort or Dumbledore yet.

Harry put the thought from his mind and turned his focus to this upcoming year. Riddle was still a specter. At some point between now and next summer he gained a quasi-body and took up residence in the Riddle Mansion. Crouch Jr would also escape shortly after the World Cup.

It felt like everything wasn't going to actually happen until next year. With Sirius safely settled in as Rook there wouldn't nearly be as much excitement. Except for the Dementors.

Harry groaned. He had forgotten about them. The Patronus spell was great at chasing them away and warding them off. Last time he was able to drive off a sizable number, with his power increase he could probably push out even more.

Hermione, the one from his old life, had theorized that Dementors, while creatures, were closely related to the undead than ghosts. Somewhere between a poltergeist and a revenant with a bit of bogart. Unlike popular media, the undead were a rather limited bunch. Ghosts that came in a variety of strength and lasting intent. Vampires weren't actually dead, it was a transformation similar to a werewolf, but without the transition back. Dementors though, they were tricky. There were many unproven rumors on how to kill them, but nothing concrete.

The only thing that Harry could think of was creating his own spell. He wanted something that would hurt them, something that would make them fear him. Killing them was the ultimate goal. In his previous life they had gone rogue more than a few times, even after Voldermort had been defeated.

Expecto Patronum. Harry rolled the spell around in his head.

Roughly translated 'I expect a guardian' from Latin. Most modern-day spells used a variation of Latin in the incantation. They weren't always direct translations as they had changed over the years. In truth, the Latin wasn't important. It was the intent and the focus put into the words that guided the magic into a spell. Using Latin just made it feel more magical. Speaking the words backwards, rhyming, or a chant worked just as well.

Harry didn't want a guardian; he wanted a warrior. Better yet, he wanted to be the warrior. Diffindo was the Severing Charm, which could work if he could figure out how to target ghostly targets. Sectumsempra was a possibility as well. Then there was Reducto, which could turn things to ash or mist. That sounded most promising. Focusing it on a Dementor, though, that was the trick of it. He couldn't practice the spells now; his wand still had the Underage Magic trace on it. That and there weren't any Dementors around to try it out on.

"Yet another thing I have to wait to see." Harry grumbled.

He put his book away in the trunk and stretched out on his bed. There had to be something he could do about Wormtail this year that wouldn't alter the timeline too much. On top of that, there were still a few Horcrux that he needed to deal with. Now that he thought about it, this was all just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, Riddle was a priority, but the blame for the war didn't rest solely on his shoulders. Killing him early wouldn't slow things down and remove a very dangerous threat. His followers wouldn't just disappear without him to guide them. A good portion of his old life was dealing with Death Eaters that were all too happy to continue on without Riddle around.

Harry sighed. With the knowledge from his old life, he could work down a list of targets. The element of surprise would be on his side. It would me highly likely that their security wouldn't be as powerful.

"Harry Potter, sir." Dobby said in a loud voice.

Harry sat up. "Yes?"

"Dobby has been calling you." The elf tapped his foot. "Dinner is ready."

"I was lost in thought." Harry slid off the bed.

"Lost in a nap." Dobby giggled.

"That too." Harry yawned. "I have a lot on my mind."

13.

Harry sat in a private room waiting. Rook lounged nearby, seemingly uninterested in whatever was happening. A gentle knock at the door preceded it opening. The familiar, if slightly younger, face of Rita Skeeter stole a look into the room. Her eyes locked onto Harry before she scanned the room to see they were alone, and a wide smile crossed her face.

"Mister Potter." She beamed hurrying into the room. "I was shocked to receive your letter. Honestly, I half expected this all to be a cruel joke."

Harry sat up in his chair. One thing he had not thought about taking over his younger body were the awakening hormones. Mentally, he was an adult, but physically, his body was in the stride of puberty. He couldn't help but admire the way her iridescent green dress hugged her curves.

Rita sat down across from him. She quickly putted out a quill and parchment that began to scribble.

"Rita Skeeter. Interview with Harry Potter." She stated. "May I ask you about Sirius Black and your thoughts? How do you feel about a group of Dementors being assigned to Hogwarts?"

Harry held up his hand. The quill froze in place.

"Miss Skeeter."

"Rita." She cut in.

"Rita." He nodded. "I'm fine with a dicto-quill, or handwritten notes, but I'm not going to continue this interview with one of those."

Rita gave him an impish grin. "You're a clever one."

She plucked the quill and replaced it with a standard dicto-quill. "Rita Skeeter. Interview with Harry Potter. Please state your name for the record."

"Lord Harry Potter. Heir to the House of Black." Harry stated.

Rita gasped. "Do go on."

"That is the issue I wanted to discuss with you today." Harry continued. "Sirius Black is my godfather by way of magical contract. The document is simple to acquire. I have no idea why it wouldn't have been brought up as evidence. Any half-competent representation would have done so at his trial."

"Indeed." Her eyes flashed. "I don't mean to insult you, but even with the power behind your name, there are those who would question the validity."

Harry produced a parchment. "This is a copy of the contract. I picked it up from Gringotts this morning. It states in simple terms that Sirius Black is to look after me as though I was his own son if something were to happen to my parents. Not only that, but his magic would also be stripped if he harmed me, or conspired with others to do harm to me."

He slid the parchment over to her. "That would make it really hard to sell my parents out to Riddle. Don't you think?"

"Riddle?" Rita asked.

"Voldermort." He clarified. "His name is Tom Riddle. He's a half-blood, you can look that up in the student records at Hogwarts."

Rita flinched at the name. "Are you certain?"

"He told me himself." Harry shrugged.

"You spoke with he-who-shall-not-be-named." Rita gasped.

"A shade of his." Harry clarified. "This previous year a diary with a powerful enchantment gave power to a sliver of his spirit. It latched onto a victim and leeched the life from them. Once he gathered enough power, he used it to release a basilisk to attack muggle-born students. Just like he did about fifty years ago."

"You're saying that the ghost of Tom Riddle, who is the true name of…" She took a breath. "Voldermort. Summoned a basilisk and attacked the school."

"Just this past year." Harry nodded. "People don't know?"

Rita shook her head.

"How?" Harry stared at her. "Students were petrified. One almost died. I almost died fighting the basilisk."

"You fought a basilisk?" Rita practically yelled.

"Don't worry." Harry patted her hand. "I killed it."

"Harry. May I call you Harry?" She continued without letting him reply. "You're, what, twelve now? You want me, and the rest of Magical Britain, to believe that you not only fought and killed a basilisk, but you spoke with a specter of V… Him and lived to tell the tale?"

Harry rolled up his sleeve to show the new scar. "This is where the basilisk fang bit into my arm." He ran his finger along the top edge. "This is where the phoenix tears landed to fight off the venom. I'm in talks with Gringotts to harvest the basilisk. I can get a copy of paperwork for that if you'd like." He paused. "I could probably take you down there with a photographer too."

Rita stared at him. She looked at the quill furiously writing his words.

"If a portion of what you are saying is true-"

"It is." Harry sighed.

Rita took a deep breath. "I did not expect this at all. A fluff piece about The Boy Who Lived and how he was dealing with the escape of the man who killed his parents. That's the piece I was ready to write. I come in here and not even ten minutes you've given me proof that Sirius Black might be innocent, you dropped the history of the most feared Dark Wizard of our time, and then you just happen to finish up telling me about how you killed a basilisk that was terrorizing Hogwarts. This is going to make my career. No more gossip column. Real journalism." Her eyes took on a predatory edge. "If you were a couple of years older… Mmm, the things I would do to you." She paused. "Strike that from the record."

"Don't tempt me." Harry took a deep breath.

"Your thirteenth birthday is this year?" Rita leaned back in her chair.

Harry nodded.

"If I remember correctly, and I do, the last living Lord of an Ancient and Noble house can claim their full place once they turn thirteen." She looked over him like a piece of meat. "It's one of those old rules set in place to protect bloodlines in danger of dying out." Rita leaned forward, staring into his eyes. "Look me up handsome."

She stood.

"Leaving already?" Harry asked.

"You've given me a lot to research." Rita shot him a sultry grin.

"I trust you won't turn this into a fluff piece?" Harry met her gaze. He let a touch of his true power pulse as he spoke.

Rita shuddered. "No fluff needed, sugar. You're sweetened the pot plenty."

With one final hungry look, she fled the room. Harry chuckled. He looked over at Rook who was staring up at him. Harry tried to keep calm. He had grown so accustomed to Sirius/Rook be around that he hadn't even thought before revealing how powerful he truly was. Even then, he didn't let it all out.

"I'm almost a teenager." Harry shrugged. "I can show off for older women."

Sirius/Rook woofed.

"Oh please." Harry shook his head. "Like you've never done anything stupid to impress a bird." He paused. "Do dogs try to impress ladies?" He shook his head. "I do not need to start thinking about the courting habits of canines.

Sirius/Rook let out a short series of barking laughter.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball." Harry sighed. "There's a magical pet store a few stores over that would love to give you a fancy new look. I hear they have a special where they can dye pet hair to whatever color you want. You'd look very pretty with pink fur and a poodle cut."

The dog stopped. He glared up at Harry as he let out a sound that wasn't quite a growl, or a whine but somewhere in the middle.

"You know I'm bluffing." Harry laughed. "I'd have to be seen with you."

Sirius/Rook scoffed.

"Are you looking forward to coming to Hogwarts with me?" Harry asked.

The dog instantly perked up.

"Don't go into the forest." Harry warned. "It's infested with giant spiders."

Sirius/Rook chuffed.

"It's true." Harry said. "I saw them with my own eyes. They tried to eat me and my friend Ron. We were saved at the last minute by an enchanted car." Harry stopped. "Damn that sounds weird to say."

The duo fell into an easy silence.

"I rented this room for another hour." Harry finally broke the silence. "I didn't expect her to rush out like that. They're supposed to be bringing by some food soon too." He looked at his companion. "Mind if I tell you my strange life so far?"

Sirius/Rook hopped to his feet. The dog deftly sat in the chair that Rita had recently vacated. He put his paws on the table and leaned forward looking intently at Harry.

Harry cleared his throat. There was an odd lump forming in it that was making it hard to speak.

"So." He let the word out slowly. "The night my parents died I was dropped off at my aunt and uncles house. I didn't find out until I was eleven that they were killed by an evil wizard. Magic was just something in storybooks and my relatives hated it. Any time I did accidental magic I would get punished."

Sirius/Rook growled.

"They're different now." Harry put a hand on Sirius' paws. "You've seen them yourself. It wasn't their fault. I found out recently that there was magic placed around the house, and on me, that made them like that. Not just them either. It was a subtle series of spells that made people focus on the negative aspects of interacting with me."

Sirius/Rook tilted his head to the side.

"A powerful wizard put them on me when I was a baby." Harry explained. "It wasn't until I claimed my Lordship that the enchantments were broken."

Sirius whined.

"It gets worse." Harry sighed. "The wizard that did it was incredibly skilled at magic that altered peoples' minds. Changing their memories, influencing their behaviors, and all that. I think that plays a part why Rita didn't know about the basilisk. There were students who were petrified, people had to know." Harry shook his head. "My relatives changed once the enchantment was broken. It was drastic too."

"That's just something I found out recently." Harry continued. "I got my Hogwarts letter. Hagrid, he's a half-giant and works at the school, took me to Diagon Alley. We went shopping. He bought me Hedwig as a birthday present. Hagrid is a little." He thought for a moment. "I don't want to say stupid, more absentminded. He doesn't realize that most people don't find deadly animals to be cuddly. Being half-giant gives him a soft spot for creatures. He's the one who let the giant spiders loose in the forest."

"My first year he also put a Cerberus in the school to guard the Philosophers Stone. He also tried to hide a baby dragon in his shack." Harry chuckled. "For some reason Dumbledore, that's the Headmaster at Hogwarts, decided to put the Philosophers Stone in the school for safe-keeping. The evil wizard that killed my parents was after it to heal himself. He had possessed one of his followers that managed to get a job teaching at the school. Long story short, we fought, I killed him, and the stone was safe."

"I wonder if people know about that." Harry muttered. "I'll mention it to Rita the next time we talk."

Sirius woofed.

"What?" Harry tried, and failed, to contain a blush. "She's a good resource if she's on my side."

Sirius stared at him.

"Fine." Harry rolled his eyes. "She's hot. Back to the story. I killed the possessed teacher, Riddle, that's the evil wizards real name, was turned back into a smoke-specter type thing and fled. No idea where he is now. I asked Dumbledore to stay at the school over summer, my relatives were still under the spell and they were not people I wanted to be around. He said no. I went back to their place to find that my uncle had put bars on my window and locks on the outside of my door. Dobby, before he worked for me, showed up and warned me not to go back to Hogwarts."

The elf in question popped into the room.

"Harry Potter called?" Dobby asked.

"Sorry." Harry said. "I'm telling Rook here my life story and your name came up."

Dobby nodded. "Dobby tried to protect Master Harry Potter. Dobby dropped a cake on a muggle lady and then turned the doorway into stone."

"You also charmed a bludger to chase after me." Harry added.

Dobby winced. "Dobby thought it was a good idea at the time."

"I know." Harry chuckled. "You were desperate to protect me. You're an amazing friend, Dobby."

Dobby smiled brightly. "Thank you, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be going back home now."

"See you in a bit." Harry waved at the elf. He turned back to his furry audience once Dobby vanished. "Back to the story. Turns out my elf friend was trying to protect me from his former master, Lucius Malfoy."

Sirius growled.

"I know. His name even sounds like a bastard." Harry smiled. "Lucy slipped an enchanted diary into a student's basket when they weren't looking. That was the one I told Rita about. It was the first horcrux that Riddle had made all the way back when he was still a student at Hogwarts. Back then he released a basilisk, just like this time, but the first time he managed to kill a student rather than just turning some to stone. He left notes around the school about 'The Heir of Slytherin'. A few days later I learned that I was a parseltongue, and guess what? Slytherin was one too. Naturally, everyone suddenly thought I was the one turning muggle-born students to stone. They seemed to forget that my mother was a muggle-born and I was good friends with one too." He stopped. "That was probably some of the spells put on me too. Not all of it. Like I said, it made people focus on the negative things." Harry shook his head. "Long story short, with some help I figured out where the basilisk was, went down, and killed it. It kind of killed me in the process, but I got better. Phoenix tears are amazing. I used the basilisk venom to destroy the horcrux and that about catches us up."

Sirius sighed.

"I know." Harry leaned back in his chair. "Saying out loud sounds crazy. Now Sirius Black has escaped a magical prison, which was supposed to be impossible. The magical government is scrambling to catch him, and someone had the bright idea to allow Dementors around the school." Harry groaned. "It took me all of five minutes to find out that Sirius was my godfather. Everyone knew that he was friends with my parents. They say he was their secret keeper. Why wouldn't they check the records? Not only that, my parents' will is sealed for some reason. Someone is putting a lot of effort into keeping the truth hidden. I think it's the same person who put the spells on me, or at least someone working with them."

Someone knocked on the door. Harry was up out of his seat with his wand drawn. He had pulled the chair in front of him at some point.

"Lunch service." The voice came from the other side.

"Come in." Harry took his seat but held on to his wand.

14.

Harry sat back with a smile on his face. True to her word Rita had done a lot of research. She started with the basilisk attacks at the school last year, then continued on to expose Tom Riddle as the summoner of the beast the first time. From there she chained the travesty of justice, Hagrid being charged with the crime without any real proof and transitioned it into current events. She had published a copy of the contract Sirius and the Potters had signed at Harry's birth. It didn't take long for her to discover that there hadn't been any trial. Each article came out at the first of the week. This provided time for the public to discuss the issues and do their own digging before she pushed on. She sent a copy to Harry before it was released.

Rita had exposed the multiple mishandling of justice. She had even turned her attention to the missing Wormtail without any prompting. Sirius escaping was starting to look less like a crime and more of a wrongfully imprisoned man trying to regain his freedom. The fact that Sirius was the Head of a Noble and Ancient House helped spur people into action.

Unfortunately, the dementors were still scheduled to be stationed at Hogwarts. The public outcry about the basilisk attack and the other dangers at the school that shortly came to light actually helped solidify the order. Harry had hoped that they would have simply increased security by stationing a couple of Auror, but apparently, that was expecting too much. Luckily, the Kiss on Sight order on Sirius had been recalled. Now there was a kindly worded request for him to contact them for further investigations.

Fudge and his people were scrambling. During all this the Minister found himself without his greatest ally. The Malfoy family had vanished. Their manor was stripped clean, even the wards had been removed. It was almost like no one had ever lived there in the first place. When Fudge sent someone to investigate the place hadn't been touched in over a month, which, was right about the time that Harry had met with Lucius at the start of summer break. Really, that was a footnote in the chaos that was unfolding.

This year was shaping up to be something completely different than he had expected. There was no telling what Wormtail would do. The one thing Harry knew for sure was that he still needed a way to deal with the dementors. They were something tangible to focus on for now. Everything else would just have to come as it may.

Harry had taken to leaving copies of the paper out for Sirius to read. He suspected his godfather swapped over to his human form when the house was asleep. From the way Dobby acted around Rook, it was almost certain the house elf had encountered Sirius but couldn't say anything. Technically, Dobby also worked for Sirius since Harry was Heir Black. Harry had noticed a couple tumblers of fire whiskey set out after Vernon had gone to bed.

The Weasleys were due back in the next few days. Last time around he had been at Diagon Alley by now. Aunt Marge hadn't visited which left Harry on the backfoot. Mrs. Weasley almost certainly would want to drag him along for school shopping. He had already completed all of it, plus he needed to distance himself from the family.

He didn't trust himself around them. Finding out Molly and Ginny had been dosing him with Love Potions angered him on a level he could not properly explain. He had kept busy, not allowing himself to dwell on things. Thinking about Ginny led to thinking about Hermione, which then turned to all the lies he had thought were truth. How often did they alter his memory? When did they start? When did Hermione get in on it? It would make sense that she would be the brains of the operation.

Harry had been focusing on Voldermort, the horcrux trail, and the dementors. Those were tangible problems. He needed to kill Nagini, destroy the ring, and finally the necklace. Nagini being the most challenging. After that he could kill Voldermort. Once that was done, he would start on taking apart the Death Eaters. Before all that he needed to come up with a way to kill the dementors.

Dealing with Hermione, Dumbledore, and the Weasleys were the hard part. Never once had he suspected Hermione to betray him on such a level. They had multiple children together and he couldn't even remember a moment they spent in each other's arms. That thought hurt him more than he expected. In some twisted way did she love him? Was that what started it all? Her loving him, but not being able to have him.

It was too much to think about.

The Weasleys were, in theory, easier to deal with. He would simply allow them to drift away. Ron would throw a fit about something and all he had to do was let him stew. Harry would avoid Ginny, perhaps even push her toward another. Fred and George were the hardest part of that puzzle. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't spend near as much time with George after the war. If nothing else, they were the brothers he never had. Being around George was too painful.

Dumbledore. Just the thought of the man made his teeth clench. He was of two-minds on how to deal with the bastard. One, he could let Dumbledore kill himself with the ring again. There had to be a way to remove the horcrux while keeping the curse intact. The other option was simply to kill the old man. Problem being that Harry wasn't powerful enough to take the man on in a fight just yet. He would also need Dumbledore around until he finished off Riddle.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by a wet nose brushing against his hand. He looked down to see the worried gaze of Sirius/Rook staring at him.

"I'm ok." Harry scratched his godfather behind the ears. "Just trying to solve a problem."

The dog let out a string of vocalization.

"Talk it out with you?" Harry asked.

Sirius barked.

"Fine." Harry turned to face the dog. "The dementors. Given my luck, they are going to come after me. Trouble finds me." He tapped his chin. "There's a spell, Expecto Patronum, that can chase them off. It takes a lot of power, and I don't know if it would keep them away from me more than a few moments."

Sirius chuffed.

"Plus, it's not just me they are going to go after." Harry continued. "I need something that can hurt them. Something that could even kill them."

Sirius sat up. His jaw worked but no sound came out.

"Yeah." Harry flopped back onto his bed. "It's not an easy task."

Sirius hopped up onto the bed. The dog settled in beside him. Harry absently began to pet him.

"The Patronus spell requires the caster to call on their happiest memories." Harry continued. "It fights off the dread and hopelessness. If I keep on that train of thought, I need something that harnesses that happiness and turns it into a weapon." He rubbed the bridge on his nose. "An English to Latin dictionary would help. I can find the words to focus my intent."

Harry sat up. "What do you say? Up for taking a trip to town?"

Sirius/Rook hopped onto the floor. His tail wagged quickly.

"It's a nice day." Harry looked out the window. "Let's walk."

15.

Harry sat in the back of the car with Rook beside him. Vernon and Petunia were in the front to see him off. Dudley was at the house, enjoying a rare day of free reign over the SNES. Dobby had already moved Harry's trunk to the dorm.

His aunt and uncle walked with him up to the pillar.

"Are you sure about this?" Petunia looked at the pillar.

"Yes." Harry nodded. "I just walk through it."

"But." Vernon motioned to the brick pillar. "It's solid."

"Trust me." Harry smiled. "Rook, want to show them?"

The dog let out a little woof and trotted over. He disappeared through the pillar. Harry smiled at the shocked expressions on his relatives faces.

"And no one notices?" Vernon asked.

"Not unless they are looking for it." Harry replied. "Thank you for coming with me." He hugged his aunt and shook his uncle's hand. "I'll see you in June."

"We're doing something special for your birthday this year." Petunia said. "No arguing this time."

"The cake was nice." Harry said.

"I'm sure you have friends to invite." Petunia ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe a lady-friend?"

"Love is the one magic that has eluded me." Harry pressed a hand to his forehead and looked up to the ceiling.

"Be safe this year." Vernon stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "I have many, many years to make up protecting you."

Harry found it hard to talk. A lump had quickly formed in his throat. He pulled his uncle into a hug. Vernon stiffened for a moment before patting Harry on the back.

"You're a good lad, Harry." Vernon cleared his throat. "We'll miss you."

Harry wiped his eyes. "I've got to go, or I'll miss the train."

He hurried through the barrier without another look back. Even after a couple of months the change in his family was hard to identify with his past. His family. Not once in his old life had he thought of the Dursleys as family. It lit a fire in him, seeing another part of his life that Dumbledore had stolen.

The old man would pay.

Harry pushed the thoughts away as he made it to the train. He tracked Sirius/Rook down. It didn't take long; the big black dog was sitting in the cabin with Hermione and Ron. A sleeping Lupin rested in the far corner. Sirius/Rook stared at the resting werewolf.

"Harry!" Ron yelled as Harry entered the cabin. "You didn't write me back. Did your relatives burn the letters? This dog won't leave the cabin."

"You've been crying." Hermione cut in. "Did they hurt you?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "Got some grit in my eyes and that's my dog." He nodded to Remus. "Who's that?"

"Remus Lupin." Hermione read off the briefcase. "I think he's a professor."

"Never heard of a professor riding the train." Ron said. He had already gotten a sandwich out from his bag and started to eat.

"Where did you even get that?" Harry asked.

"My trunk." Ron patted it. "Do you want one? Mom made three."

"No thanks." Harry replied quickly. He didn't trust anything that Molly Weasley made.

"How was Egypt?" Hermione cut in. "Did you see the tombs? What about the museums? Did you take the tour of the pyramids?"

"Let me breath." Ron snapped.

Harry sat back and watched the exchange. The brief moment of nostalgia shifted to a sour feeling that grew with each passing word. He started to absently stroke Rook as he stared out the window. The conversation blurred into white noise as the two began to argue without even noticing his silence.

He couldn't blame Ron for his part in things. If anything, Ron was just as much as a victim as he was. Hermione, though. He still had no idea how to deal with her. This was the year she had the time turner, maybe he could use that to push her away. Question her about her classes and push until it became an issue. It wouldn't be out of character for him to rush into things without thinking. A skeleton of a plan began to form. The time turner, that was the key. He could steal it from her, claim he was protecting her from herself, and just let things go from there.

"Why are we stopping?" Ron asked. "It's too soon to be at Hogwarts."

"There's something moving outside the train." Hermione said.

Harry stood and drew his wand. "Stay here."

He stepped out into the hall and waited. It didn't take long for the first dementor to appear. Harry felt the dread and fear pressing into him. He pushed it away, focusing on the love he had felt in his life. Much to his shock, Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley came to mind.

"Serenitas Ferrum." Harry growled out the spell.

A lance of pure white energy ripped through the air, tearing a hole through the dementor. It let out an ear-piercing screech. It twisted in place, trying to flee. Harry pushed more magic into the spell. He flicked his wrist, adjusting his aim and decapitating the creature. The cloaked form crumpled to the floor. Harry spun around, facing the dementor that had come to investigate.

The fear he felt from the dementor was directed at him in a completely different manner.

"Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough." Harry gave a predatory grin.

The dementor fled. He waited a moment to see if it would return, or call for reinforcements. When none came, he walked over to inspect the dead dementor.

"By right of combat, I claim my prize." He scooped up the corpse and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Dobby."

"Harry Potter, called?" The elf asked popping into the space nearby.

"Take this to the goblins." He held out the dementor. "Ask them to process it."

Dobby looked from the dementor to Harry. "Master is great and powerful."

"Not 'Master', but I'll settle for 'boss'." Harry chuckled.

"Yes, boss." Dobby took the corpse, then disappeared.

Harry looked up to see the cabin doors open. Everyone was watching him, including Remus and Sirius/Rook. Harry dusted off the frost that had gathered on his shirt.

"Anyone seen the trolley?" He asked. "I could go for a spot of chocolate."

"I have some in my briefcase." Remus said.

"Thank you." Harry walked over to him and held out a hand. "Harry Potter."

"Remus Lupin." The werewolf shook his hand.

"How did you do that?" Hermione yelled.

"That was bloody brilliant." Ron was just as loud.

"I did a lot of reading over the summer." Harry shrugged.

"Harry James Potter." Hermione snapped. "That is not an answer."

Harry felt that fire building from within. He set a cold glare on her.

"Do not treat me like a child." His voice came out flat with no emotion.

Hermione shivered and shrank from his gaze. "Sorry."

"It's a bit cramped in here." He stood up. "I think I'll see if I can find an open cabin." Harry looked to his godfather. "Want to come, Rook?"

The dog looked from Harry to Remus.

"Catch up when we stop." Harry looked to Remus. "Careful, he's got huge pads for feet. Mud and grit cling to them."

Remus flinched. The man took a closer look at the dog beside him. Harry stepped back out into the hallway. He took a deep breath, pushing that fire down. It needed to be contained for now, letting it out now would ruin things. Killing the dementor would already cause some issues.

"Dementors, check." He mumbled as he walked down the way. "Hermione, possibly check."

He looked in to see a mostly empty cabin with a couple of stunned Gryffindor students in it. The trio of Katie, Alicia, and Angela seemingly just started at each other. Harry knocked on the door. They jumped at the sound.

"Mind if I join you?" Harry asked.

"No." Katie scooted over. "Feel free."

"Thanks." He smiled at her and took a seat. "So, how was your summer?"

They stared at him blankly. He started to laugh.

16.

Harry ignored all the stares and whispers in the Great Hall. Dumbledore had done his introduction, the feast had started, and Sirius/Rook wondered off. Harry noticed Lupin slipped out shortly after. He waited a few minutes but calmed down when he didn't hear any sort of explosions or screams. A part of him was worried about Remus. It was likely that the werewolf had been influenced by Dumbledore as well, though non-humans had some extra protection. It was an advantage he now had as well, considering he was technically back from the dead.

"Harry." Hermione whispered.

He looked at her, settling a cold stare on her. She shrunk back.

"Professor Dumbledore is staring at you." She said softly.

"I know." Harry went back to eating, not even bothering to dismiss her.

Ron looked between his two friends. He didn't seem to understand what was going on and wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Ron had spent enough time around him parents to recognize a storm brewing. The best thing for him to do was to stay out of it.

Harry closed his eyes. He took a slow calming breath. When he opened his eyes he noticed something was missing. Hermione didn't have cat hair on her robes. They hadn't gotten together to go shopping together, which meant she must have not gotten her pet. If that was the case, Wormtail wouldn't have a scapegoat for his sudden disappearance.

"Where's Scabbers?" Harry asked.

Ron jumped. "Oh. Uh… He's in my room. He hasn't been feeling well lately. Why?"

If Wormtail didn't know Sirius was at Hogwarts, what would he do? Once Sirius and Peter saw each other, even in their animagus forms, they would recognize each other. Sirius was going up to his room. Wormtail was in the same room.

"Fuck." Harry jumped out of his seat.

He dashed out of the Great Hall. Years of having the Marauders Map had taught him quite a few shortcuts. He made it up to the tower in record time. Harry burst into the common room to see Lupin holding a fully human Wormtail at wand point. Sirius was bound and gagged on the floor, glaring at both of them. All three stopped to look at Harry as he entered.

Wormtail saw his chance. The chubby man was surprisingly nimble. His spindly fingers wrapped around the end of Lupins' wand. A quick yank disarmed the distracted werewolf. Wormtail shifted from terror to triumph as he pointed the wand back at Lupin. The brief moment of his victory was shattered as a powerful stunning spell slammed into the side of his head. Wormtail went down hard, crashing through a table as he fell.

"Harry!" Lupin yelled.

"MURREE." The still-gagged Sirius called.

Harry took a deep breath. "Could someone please tell me what the bloody fuck is going on?"

"Language, Harry." Remus chided.

"Fuck off, Professor." Harry cut back. "I come back to find the man suspected of murdering my parents bound on the floor while you are pointing a wand at a man who is supposed to be dead."

"Hm ahsz uh proint." Sirius said.

Harry inclined his head. "Even the wanted murderer agrees with me."

Sirius smiled through the gag. Harry took the brief pause to bind Wormtail and retrieve Lupin's wand. He held it out to the professor.

"He's not a murderer." Lupin took the wand. "Stupid and impulsive, yes. A murderer, no."

Sirius scoffed. A ghost of a grin flashed across Harry's face.

"Has anyone seen my dog?" Harry asked. "He's big with black fur."

Sirius looked over at Lupin. Remus shrugged. The human form of Sirius shifted into the canine form of Rook. Harry stared at the dog. Even after all these years seeing an animagus transform was still weird.

"Is that why you only pooped when Vernon had to pick it up?" Harry asked.

Rook gave him a goofy dog grin. The grin stayed on his face even after he returned to human form. His bindings, however, were gone.

"What about him?" Harry pointed to Wormtail. "Where did he come from?"

"He turns into a rat." Remus said. "He was hiding out in your dorm room."

"Ron's going to be crushed." Harry shook his head. "We need to call the DMLE."

"We can get Dumbledore-"

"No." Sirius cut in. "I don't trust him. Floo Amelia Bones."

"You don't trust him?" Lupin asked.

Sirius looked to Harry. "It's a long story that should be discussed off of Hogwarts grounds. Let's take him to Hogsmeade. Once there we can contact her." He gave Harry a small smile. "I was hoping to meet you face to face on better terms."

Harry returned the smile. "You've been getting steak strips and ear scratches; I think that's a pretty good introduction."

Sirius laughed. "True. We can talk more later. Be careful around the old man. Don't look in his eyes."

His godfather kicked Wormtail in the stomach. The bound man yelped.

"We know you're awake." Sirius growled. "Try to run and I swear by your shifty eyes that I'll cut the rest of your fingers off."

"Did you search him for a wand?" Harry asked.

"No." Sirius shot a look to Lupin. "Cover me."

Sirius roughly searched the wiggling Wormtail. He found a familiar looking wand hidden in the ratty jacket. Pun intended.

"Nice call." Sirius nodded to Harry. "Come along, Moony. We need to get somewhere safe to talk."

"You be careful too." Harry called after them as they left. "Get somewhere safe as soon as you can."

"Yes, mum." Sirius called back as the painting closed.

Harry shook his head. He turned his attention to the common room. His mouth set into a hard line as he looked at the paintings on the wall.

"You will mention none of this to Dumbledore." Harry commanded. "Anyone who does will soon discover how flammable their canvas is. Do you understand?"

The subjects nodded.

"Spread the word." Harry slowly turned to face each one. "Tell Dumbledore and his people nothing about anything I do this year."

"He's the Headmaster." One of the paintings said softly.

"And I'm Harry Fucking Potter." He growled. "It's simple. Serve Dumbledore against me, and we find out if destroying your home painting gets rid of you as well. Go about your lives, ignore me, and you're safe. Understood?"

The painting nodded.

"Thank you." Harry gave a small bow. "Excuse me. I need to clean up this mess."

17.

Harry woke up the next morning. He took some extra time to enjoy the bed. Hogwarts had the best beds. He had no idea how they did it, but they were amazing. Even with his new bed at the Dursley's it was still better. His old bed, in the past… or his future, whatever it was, wasn't bad. Ginny was hard to share a bed with. She hogged the covers and constantly pushed him further toward the edge of the bed. Except for when she was pregnant. The memory fracture and shattered. Nights with Hermione cuddled against his chest overtook the false images of Ginny.

He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and held his head in his hands. They had stolen his life. What happy memories did he have that were true? How often did they mess with his mind? What other parts of his life would just melt away when he thought of them?

Harry took a deep breath, focusing on how the air felt in his lungs. He let it out, shifting his attention to the room around him. That hadn't happened yet. It wouldn't happen this time. Better to leave the country and let it burn than to have his life stolen again.

Harry trudged to the bathroom. The last embers of his good mood rekindled under the hot water. He found a fresh set of clothes waiting on a stool nearby when he got out. Dobby appeared as he finished getting dressed.

"Where is Boss' Rook?" Dobby looked quickly around the room.

"Turns out he is Sirius Black." Harry shook his head.

The elf let out an exaggerated gasp. "Dobby had no idea."

"How long have you known?" Harry chuckled.

"Dobby just said that Dobby had no idea." The elf looked up at the ceiling to avoid Harry's eyes. "Harry Potter sir might need to have Madam Poppy check his ears."

"You don't say." Harry felt a swell of warmth for the elf.

Dobby started to squirm.

"What did the goblins have to say about-"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter sir." The elf leaped forward, pulling Harry's legs into a hug. "Dobby knows that Rook is Sirius Black. Dobby saw Sirius Black at Dursleys house, but Sirius Black ordered him not to say anything to Harry Potter."

Harry returned the hug. "Dobby."

"Yes, Harry Potter sir?" Dobby still wouldn't look at him.

"Look at me, Dobby." He said gently.

The elf looked up at him. His big eyes were full of tears.

"Do I look mad?" He asked.

Dobby shook his head.

"Do you know why?" He asked.

Dobby shook his head again.

"I trust you, Dobby." Harry gave the elf another hug. "If Sirius Black had any sort of evil plans for me, I know you would have told me."

"That is true, Harry Potter sir. Dobby would have told you where Sirius Black was buried."

Harry let out a loud laugh. "You're a good friend Dobby."

Dobby wiped his eyes on Harry's pant leg. "Harry Potter sir really isn't mad?"

"Now I am." Harry scoffed. "Look at my pants, they've got Dobby snot on them."

Dobby snapped his fingers. "Harry Potter sir is very dramatic."

"I'm dramatic?" Harry's jaw dropped.

Dobby cackled as he disappeared with a pop.

"That's it." Harry grumbled. "You're getting a day off tomorrow. With pay."

Dobby popped back in front of him. "Harry Potter sir isn't being fair. Dobby has laundry to do. Harry Potter sir has a lot of summer clothes that are smelly."

"Nope." Harry crossed his arms and turned his head away from the elf. "You brought this on yourself. Day off with pay."

Dobby muttered before disappearing again. Harry shook his head. That was one strange elf.

With his good mood firmly in place he headed down to the Great Hall. Today was the first day of the new school year. He'd be getting his schedule, again. Not that he could remember what it was supposed to be this year. He stopped when he entered the Great Hall. The Gryffindor table was mostly empty. Over the summer he had gotten into the habit of waking up early. This prevented Dobby waking him up from sneaking in his room after cooking breakfast to play Street Fighter. It also gave him time to handle some of the fan mail each morning. The backlog, even with love potions, marriage proposals, and scams filtered out was imposing.

Harry moved beyond the table to get a look at the other houses. Sitting alone at the Ravenclaw table, he found Luna. Even in the school uniform there was something about her that was almost mystical. She looked like she should have a set of iridescent wings and a dress made of moonlight. In his old life he didn't meet her for a few more year. That would have to change.

As he got closer to her, he noticed that she was wearing a robe that was too small. As were the rest of her clothes. She was a wisp of a girl, but the uniform looked like it was supposed to be on a doll rather than a second year.

"Good morning." Harry stood across from her. "May I sit?"

"Of course, Mister Potter." Luna smiled up at him.

"Thank you." Harry took up a spot on the bench. "Mister Potter?"

"That's the proper way to address adults." Luna plucked a powdered donut from a nearby platter.

"And I'm an adult?" Harry asked.

"You were." Luna took a big bite. "Time travel leaves all sorts of Gibbles and Whangdoodles around people. Not as much as you. They are just swarming all over you."

"That makes sense." Harry set himself up with a plate of eggs, bacon, and some biscuits. "Why is your uniform so small?"

"Vermicious Knids." Luna said between bites. "They keep shrinking my clothes. Odd that. They usually stick to the jungles. Much too cold for them in Scotland."

Harry waved his hand in front of her. Her uniform adjusted to fit.

"Thank you, Mister Potter." She plucked another donut from the plate and offered it to him.

"Call me Harry." He took the offered treat. "Let me know if it happens again."

"Thank you, Harry." She bopped around in her seat. "Are we friends again?"

"I would like that." He found himself smiling broadly.

"Mister Potter." Professor Flitwick stopped beside him. "I don't have your schedule."

"Of course not." Luna shook her head. "This is still his dimension."

The half-goblin nodded before turning to Harry. "You need to head back to the Gryphindor table for now. It is nice to see Inter-House Comradery again."

"Thank you, Professor." Harry waited for Flitwick to move on. "Could I convince you to start up a dueling club this year? A grandmaster such as yourself would draw quite a few interested students."

Flitwick stopped mid-stride. "Mister Potter, how would you know that?"

"I spent the summer catching up on my reading." Harry gave a small grin.

"We will see." The professor continued to hand out the schedules.

Harry made it back to the table from McGonagal to give him his. He let out a long sigh.

"I forgot about divination." He muttered.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Parvati cooed from nearby.

"Two galleons says I have my death foretold at least once." Harry shook his head.

"I wouldn't take that bet." Fred said. "Harry almost dies at least once a year." George continued. "Saying he's facing death isn't reading the future." Fred added. "It's just facts." The twin said together.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Harry chuckled.

"We do need to talk." George leaned in, speaking low. "Managing Mischief and such." Fred matched the hushed tone.

"Agreed." Harry held up his schedule. "I can talk after Moony's class."

The twins stared at him. "Moony?" Fred gasped. "As in Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail?" George spoke faster.

"Remus Lupin." Harry motioned to the professor. "His name is basically Moon Moon. Not that hard to figure out."

The duo stared up at the professor in awe. They sat back down and started to speak in overlapping whispers.

Harry sat back with a satisfied grin on his face. This was going to be a fun year. His mirth was interrupted by a letter falling on the table before him.

Mister Potter,

I request an audience this afternoon after classes.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

P.S. I do so love luminous lollies

"It was going to happen sooner or later." Harry mumbled.

18.

Hagrid's first class went smoothly without Malfoy there to mess things up, and the bookstore employee knowing how to calm the books. Most of the students thought the Monstrous Book of Monsters was pretty awesome when they didn't have to fight it. Hagrid may have unwittingly been a tool for Dumbledore, but Harry still felt a warm glow from the smile on his friends' face.

Harry had a hard time being around Hermione. Seeing her pop up constantly through the day due to the Time Turner was starting to grate on his nerves. Luckily, he didn't have Potions or Divination until the next day. Having to deal with Snape, Trelawny, and Hermione would have been too much. The first day of the year was almost complete. All he had to do was get through the meeting with Dumbledore.

"Luminous lollies." Harry said before the gargoyle could ask.

The statue gave a little huff as the passage appeared. Harry looked up at the gargoyle.

"I'm sorry." Harry said. "I shouldn't take my frustration out on you. Would you like to hear a riddle?"

The gargoyle flopped down to sit cross-legged on its perch. "Proceed."

"There are two groups of horses, one in a paddock and one free." Harry held up his index finger on each hand. "One group starts singing 'Don't Fence Me In' and the other begins to sing 'Wide Open Spaces'. Which group sings which song?"

Harry headed up to the stairs as the gargoyle began to mumble to itself.

"Come in." Dumbledore called before Harry could knock.

"You wanted to see me?" Harry stepped into the office.

"Take a seat." Dumbledore gave a warm smile as he motioned to the open chair. "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you." Harry sat. "I would say that it's a record to get called in on the first day, but last year I was in here before the feast was over."

"Indeed." Dumbledore chuckled.

Harry felt something press on his mind. His years as an auror had taught him to recognize the signs of Legilimency even without the protection Death had given him. A rush of heat sparked within him. Using mental magic on a minor was not only frowned upon, but illegal.

Dumbledore stared at Harry for a moment longer.

"Did you need something?" Harry felt the pressure once more.

"Yes." Dumbledore said the word slowly. "What do you know of Sirius Black?"

"He is my godfather." Harry lifted up his hand to show the Black Heir ring. "Also, the head of the Noble and Ancient House of Black."

"You claimed your Heir ring?" Dumbledore sat back in his chair.

"Yes." Harry willed the Potter ring to appear as well. "Now that I'm thirteen, and the last living Potter, I am now Lord Potter as well."

"Are you sure that is wise, Harry?" Dumbledore leaned forward.

Harry could feel the pressure on his mind increase.

"These last two years have taught me that I need extra protection." Harry nodded. "The rings provide defense against magical and legal attacks."

"You are not old enough to take the Potter seat." Dumbledore's eyes glanced at the two rings. "I can help you chose a proxy until you are seventeen. Arthur Weasley, for one, would make a great representative."

"Thank you for the recommendation." Harry gave a short nod. "I need to arrange a meeting to get everything settled. I'm still learning how to deal with the political side of things."

"Of course." Dumbledore smiled, his grandfather act slipping back into place. "I'm not overly fond of the bureaucratic aspect of our government myself. Since you are a student, we can handle that for you."

"No thank you."

The words wiped the smile off of Dumbledore's face. "Pardon?"

"As Lord Potter, I need to learn how to take care of these things on my own." Harry said. "If the papers are to be believed, my parents' will is sealed, and I will need to work on that."

A brief flash of frustration crossed the Headmasters face. Dumbledore schooled his expression with impressive speed.

"Ah yes, the papers." Dumbledore straightened up in his chair. "It is rather disappointing such news of Hogwarts has been spread so publicly. Did you have something to do with that?"

"Disappointing?" Harry tilted his head to the side. "It should be old news. The basilisk was last year. Parents and students would have been talking about months ago."

"The news changes quickly and the public can forget just as fast." Dumbledore waved the train of thought away. "Digging up the past will unearth old wounds. Rita Skeeter is doing the wizarding world no favors."

"Except for getting the Kiss On Sight order for Sirius Black removed." Harry was beginning to tire of this conversation.

"The dementors. Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "Many students claim to have seen you singlehandedly slay a dementor on the train."

Harry laughed.

"There is no truth to it then?" Dumbledore gave a jolly smile. "Even Professor Lupin said something of the kind."

"Professor Lupin was asleep in the cabin." Harry shook his head. "I admit that I stepped out to protect my friends, I couldn't let them get hurt." He sighed. "Killing a dementor. I didn't even know what they were called until this summer. That would mean in the past few weeks I somehow came up with a spell that no one else has created to kill that creature. I doubt even Hermione could do that."

Dumbledore studied him for a long moment. "I can understand you wanted to protect your friends, Harry. However, I must caution you against facing a dementor. They are some of the most fearsome creatures that are known to exist."

"Facing a basilisk was more than enough monster fighting in my life." Harry stood. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"Of course." Dumbledore stood as well. "Just because the papers say that Sirius Black might be innocent doesn't mean you don't need to be careful. He spent years in Azkaban, there is no telling what that has done to his mind."

"Hogwarts is the safest place in the world." Harry paused in the doorway. "Right?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Right."

Harry headed back down the stairs. A small hand tugged on his shirt collar as he got to the bottom.

"The horses in the paddock are singing, don't fence me in and the wild horses are singing, wide open spaces." The gargoyle crossed their arms. "Right?"

"Nope." Harry smiled up at the gargoyle.

The stone creature blanched. "But… how?"

"Horses don't sing, mate." Harry winked before he turned and walked away.

Harry laughed at the gargoyle began to curse loudly.

19.

The next day Harry sat in Potions and waited. He had no clue how he was going to handle Snape. Dumbledore may have had use for him, but Harry didn't. Not only was Snape a deplorable human being, but he was also a shit teacher. Neville was a prodigy when it came to herbalism. With any other teacher that would have carried over to him being rather good at potions. Knowing what herbs and plants work together, their reactions to certain stimuli, and proper care would be amazing knowledge to tap into. Instead, Neville was terrified to go near a cauldron.

Harry tapped his fingers on the table before him. Hermione sat with Ron across the small divide. With Draco gone it left the class with an undeniable fate. A Gryffindor and Slytherin were going to have to sit together. Now that he wasn't really a thirteen-year-old the bitter rivalry between the two houses was rather trivial.

He didn't care that he was sitting next to Millicent Bulstrode. She was quiet and her book had notes in the margins that reminded him of the used potions text he had used last time.

"As you know." Snape appeared from the shadows in the front of the room. "Potions are a delicate balance of skill and genius. Starting next year, you will be able to choose what courses you will take. Only a few in this class should consider continuing on. The majority of you will simply waste my time."

The hook-nosed professor scanned the students. His gaze lingered on Harry and Millicent.

"Potter." Snape sneered. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Currently, I'm waiting for you to actually teach something." Harry sighed. "Have been for a couple years now."

The class seemed to freeze. No one made a sound.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape growled. "I would give you detention but that would mean I would have to spend more time with you."

"If you'd prefer, I could just leave now." Harry countered. "I'm sure I'd be better prepared for my OWLS reading the texts in the library than being constantly insulted by you."

"Another fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape practically screamed.

"I'll make a deal with you, Severus." Harry began to pack his bag. "I will try to find a spell to find what crawled up your ass and died if you drop your pathetic infatuation with my mother. Deal?"

Snape's mouth dropped. Harry tucked the last of his books away. He was out of the classroom before Snape had regained enough mental capacity to begin yelling. The last time around, his skill in potions dramatically improved once he had a new teacher. Having another lifetime of experience put him ahead of the curve. He wasn't sure if he remembered enough to be able to pass his NEWTS, the OWLS though, those he could handle.

Harry strolled up to the seventh floor. After a moment he stepped into the Room of Requirement. It took the shape of a small office with fireplace. A small dish of floo powder sat nearby. He hadn't expected to react to Snape in that way. Knowing everything that Severus had done, would do, and the motivations made it a test of will not to simply curse the sorry excuse of a man into a puddle of goo.

He had to remind himself that even though he was more powerful than before, he still hadn't caught up with his older self. The air around Hogwarts was thick with magic. His core greedily drank it in, making up for lost time and expanding his power with every passing minute. Not only that, but he had noticed that every time he experimented with magic, he got stronger. It was like working a muscle.

Right now, he just needed to burn off some energy. What better time to wrap up some loose ends?

"Riddle Mansion." Harry tossed the powder into the fireplace.

The color shifted to green. Harry stepped through. It had taken longer than he liked to admit, but he had finally adjusted to traveling via the floo network. The trick was to walk into it just like walking on an uneven path. It still wasn't something he enjoyed, but at least he didn't fall on his ass all the time.

Harry stepped out of a large fireplace. He found himself in a rundown sitting room. It didn't look like anyone had been here for a while. The only time he had seen in previously was in a vision. It was just as depressing as he remembered it. He paused, listening for any sound of habitation. Aside from the occasional skitter of mice the place was quiet.

He sighed. It would have been too easy if Nagini was here. As it was, he could still deal with the ring. The mid-morning sun helped him navigate through the mansion. He found the front door chained from the outside. Using his magic wasn't an option. It would leave behind a trace, and he didn't want to tip Riddle off that anyone had been here. Floo Travel didn't leave a trail. It did, once upon a time, but that had been taken care of once more people began to use it.

The front window had a pane of glass partially broken. A couple of kicks completely cleared the shard from the frame. He pulled his robe tight, making sure it didn't catch, and made it out into the front yard. It wasn't as ragged as the mansion. The caretaker hadn't been killed yet.

Harry strolled along to the back of the mansion and down a small hill. The Gaunt Shack was tucked away in the corner of the property. It was in the middle of a cluster of half-dead willow trees. The hanging branches tangled up on the roof, forming thick thread that looked like desiccated snakes. He rolled his eyes.

"Cold." "Hungry." "Ah! Giant!"

Harry stopped as the sound of voices reached him. He smiled as he saw a few little snakes slithering around.

"Hello." Harry spoke softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Can you move out of the way so I can open the door?"

"Speaker?" "A speaker!" "Giant! FLEE!"

Harry chuckled. The trio of snakes moved out of the way. One of them disappeared in the nearby bushes. He stepped up to the door. The curses and wards made the air feel like sludge.

"Open."

"Who dares-"

"Open, now." Harry commanded.

The door popped as the old hinges worked. He stepped to the side and waited for it to open all the way. Once it was complete clear he could feel the pull of the curse. It was obvious that this was a trap. He had no idea how Dumbledore could have fallen for it.

Harry crossed the small space to where the magic was the strongest. He held out his hand over the warped board in the corner. A small pulse of magic launched the ring from beneath the floor into his outstretched palm. Gooey tendrils of a curse wiggled around. It called to him, desperately pleading for him to put it on.

He shook his head. Harry tossed the cursed piece of jewelry into the air. He summoned the sword and sliced the ring as it fell. The piece of soul gave a tortured moan as it faded away.

"Another one down." Harry let the pieces fall. "That just leaves the locket and the snake."

He made sure leave the shack as he found it. Harry jogged the short path up to the mansion. Carefully, he climbed through the window and navigated back to the fireplace. A small dish of familiar powder was tipped over near to the side. Harry gathered up as much of the dust as he could.

"Hogwarts." He called, then stepped through.

Unlike the first time, this landing was rough. He launched out of the fireplace. Only instinct had him tuck into a ball. He rolled for a bit before colliding with something hard. Once the room stopped spinning Harry found himself resting on his shoulders with his knees nearly touching his face.

"What are you doing?" A stern voice snapped nearby.

Harry slid to the side, He steadied himself before trying to find who was talking. His gaze settled on Madam Pince, the librarian.

"I dropped my glasses." Harry stood, dusting himself off.

"And that explains you coming out of the fireplace, how?" The raven-haired woman glared at him.

"That is a very good question." Harry looked over from her to the fireplace. "Has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes?"

Madam Pince blushed. "Nice try. You're a few years too young for that to work."

"I'll be sure to try it next year." Harry winked at her.

Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red. "Go on, get out of here."

20.

Oddly enough, Harry didn't get in trouble for leaving Potions. It seemed that Snape was happy with the arrangement and didn't report it. Harry used the class period to catch up on his reading. Madam Pince didn’t seem to mind his company, though she still was quick to shush him and made sure he was treating the texts with proper care. The Hogwarts library was an amazing resource, even with Dumbledore's edits to the material at hand. Harry thought of the free period as independent study. He brushed up on his runes, ward construction and breaking, and delved into textbooks long forgotten of the core subjects. It was a tragedy how much information was simply lost to time. There were entire chapters in Transfiguration that were no longer covered, including dueling techniques and further rituals similar to becoming an animagus.

He really hit the jackpot when he found a textbook for dueling. Apparently, it had been part of the curriculum at some point. In his past life he had been an accomplished duelist, his time as an auror demanded it. Still, there were little tips and tricks that he could incorporate into his style.

When he wasn't in the library he was in the Room of Requirement. Not only was it a secluded place to push his magic further, but it also contained years of lost things. There was more jewelry than he ever expected, as well as socks. Never a matching pair though. Textbooks, diaries, and notebooks were another thing the room had in large quantity. He only delved into the diaries and notebooks that weren't cursed. If he recognized the name as a living wizard, then he would set it aside to return to them. The cursed ones he ignored; they weren't worth the time.

The only thing half-way interesting was when the dementors were recalled to Azkaban. After that it was two months before something happened. By then he had settled into a pattern of classes, independent study, quidditch, and avoiding Hermione. She was persistent, but her bloated schedule helped add some distance. He couldn't think straight when she was around. Part of him just wanted to yell at her and find out why she had betrayed him. Logically, he knew it wouldn't solve anything and he would just come off raving mad. That part he could deal with. It was the stolen memories that hit the hardest. Flashes of their nights together, followed by a muddled patch in the morning. They must have slipped something in his morning cup. That train of thought circled right back around to wanting to interrogate her.

She wasn't that Hermione, yet. Maybe she would never become her. It still hurt. At least Ginny made sense. She wanted Harry until she had him but didn't want to give up the lifestyle. Ending a magical marriage wasn't as simple as going to court to file for divorce. She would have been locked out of the Potter vaults, especially when it came out that she wasn't the mother of the children. If he wanted, he could push for Line Theft. Her reputation would suffer, which would probably have led to her quidditch career tanking. It didn't leave her with a bright future. Harry didn't like it, but he could follow the logic.

This cycle of mental and emotional anguish was the reason he was happy when McGonagall pulled him away from lunch one day. She didn't speak as she led him to her office. Once inside he found Sirius, Remus, and Amelia Bones waiting.

"Harry." McGonagall cleared her throat. "This is Amelia Bones, she's the lead auror for the Ministry. She has something to discuss with you."

"What's this about?" Harry schooled his expression to one of confusion. "Why is professor Lupin here?"

"Please sit." Amelia inclined her head to the open chair. "Have you been keeping up with the news?"

"I haven't gotten my copy of the Daily Prophet in about a week." Harry took the seat as he spoke. "I've sent a letter asking why but I haven't heard back."

Amelia shot McGonagall a tight look. "This is Sirius Black. Until recently he was thought to be one of the people responsible for your parents' death. As it turns out, he is innocent on all charges, as well as your godfather. The responsible party has been apprehended, charged, and was kissed yesterday."

"I knew he was my godfather." Harry nodded at her. "The goblins keep exquisite paperwork."

"Indeed." Amelia smiled at him.

Harry felt his chest flutter. Damn, teenage hormones.

"Sirius is your legal and magical guardian." Amelia continued. "We thought it would be a good idea to get some time to speak."

"Well." Harry chuckled. "He spent the summer with me, in a sort."

"I've registered as an animagus." Sirius turned to Amelia. "This summer I was watching over him in that form." He looked to Harry. "Thank you for not naming me Slippers. Rook wasn't a bad call, but I got by Padfoot when I'm a dog."

Harry nodded. "I'll have to remember that. Why is Professor Lupin here?"

"I'm a friend of Sirius." Remus looked down at his feet. "Not a very good one."

"Stop it, Moony." Sirius sighed. "I was in prison for murdering our friend. I have already forgiven you for being an idiot."

Remus shook his head.

"You were friends with my parents?" Harry asked.

Remus nodded.

"Why am I just meeting you now?" Harry asked. It was always a question he wanted to know. Unfortunately, the war was more pressing than heartfelt conversations.

"I have a condition." Remus looked to Sirius. "Having me around wasn't an option."

"The werewolf thing, right." Harry said.

The adults in the room gawked at him.

"Please, it's not hard to tell." Harry motioned to Remus. "He eats like he's starving but it skin and bones. He gets grumpy a week before the full moon, disappears for a couple of days, and then comes back looking even more ragged than before."

Sirius laughed. "You get your brains from Lily."

"Thank you for keeping it a secret." Remus gave him a tired smile. "Werewolves aren't looked up in a kind light."

"It's pretty obvious considering how the Ministry treated Hagrid last year." Harry returned the smile.

"What happened with Hagrid last year?" Amelia asked.

"He was blamed for basilisk attacks." Harry shifted his gaze to her. "It's the same thing that got him expelled and his wand broken when he was a student. There was never any proof. He's half-giant so no one cared when he was put in Azkaban. Aside from my friends and I, that is."

"He was put in Azkaban?" Amelia's mouth pressed into a tight line.

Harry nodded.

"If you will excuse me, it seems I have some matters to attend." Amelia moved with surprising speed. One moment she was standing by McGonagall's desk and the next she had tossed powder in the floo. She disappeared with a flash of green flame.

"It was nice meeting you." Harry called after her, but she was already gone.

"You're a bit young for her, pup." Sirius smiled at him. "Can't fault you on your taste in women."

"Sirius." Remus and McGonagall said at the same time.

Sirius laughed. "Want to go get some lunch? I'm starving."