Let's Try That Again Chapter 21 to 30 (Patreon)

Harry jumped as the painting of Walburga Black began screaming.

"Shut up your trap, you old bat." Sirius yelled back. "Sorry about that. I can't seem to get the painting off the wall."

"Have you tried putting a case around it?" Harry asked. "Muggle museums use them to protect older paintings. Seal her up in glass and put some silencing charms on it."

"I'll have to try that." Sirius gave him a happy grin.

Harry looked around. Grimmauld Place looked about the same as he had last seen it. The main difference was that the thick, dark curtains had been removed from the windows. The fresh sunlight fought valiantly against the ever-present shroud of darkness. It was cleaner than he expected, but still had a long way to go.

"Why did you want to have lunch here instead of at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Let me show you to the kitchen." Sirius led him to the room to find Kreacher at work at the stove. "Kreacher, lunch for my guest."

Unlike the entryway the kitchen was warm and inviting. The dining table was new, the floors were clean, and the smell of fresh baked bread drifted through the air.

"Nasty Blood Traitor Master wants lunch for half-blood." The house elf grumbled.

"He doesn't seem all that happy here." Harry nodded to the elf.

"He's just mad I took down the house elf heads." Sirius groaned.

"House elf heads?" Harry had forgotten about that.

"My mother, she would mount the former house elf heads on the wall like trophies." Sirius shuddered. "She was a right nutter."

"Place of honor." Kreacher grumbled louder this time.

"You could set him free." Harry offered.

"He knows too much about the Black family." Sirius shook his head. "Plus, my brother loved the old creep. I can't bring myself to get rid of him."

"You had a brother?" Harry asked.

"Regulus." A sad smile crossed his face.

"Master Regulus." Kreacher said at the same time.

"We got off track." Sirius cleared his throat. "You asked why I wanted to speak to you here. The answer is simple. I don't trust Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry had to fight the wave of relief that sparked within him. "Why?"

"For one, he knew I was innocent and didn't do anything about it." Sirius growled. He took a breath to calm himself. "After a stint in St. Mungos it was discovered that I showed signs of multiple manipulations. The Imperius Curse isn't the only way to control someone, but it takes a skilled hand to do it without causing lasting damage."

"And you suspect Dumbledore?" Harry pressed.

Sirius hadn't been there for the conversation with his aunt and uncle. Harry didn't think eagerly agreeing to resist Dumbledore would make sense at this point in time. That would lead to questions he didn't want to answer yet.

"I was there when you spoke with Skeeter." Sirius motioned for Harry to sit. "You mentioned that people just seem to forget the basilisk and other things that go on in the school. That takes someone with a lot of power and the knowledge on how to use it."

"Ok." Harry took the seat offered. "What about the Ministry? It could be them."

"They may have had a hand in it." Sirius nodded slowly, rolling the thought over. "My money is on Dumbledore. He has the house elves, ghosts, and paintings keeping an eye out. On top of that there are the wards for the school. You said yourself that your paper isn't arriving. A simple order from him and all the mail stops." He took a breath. "Ask yourself, pup, how did a troll get into the school? How did a possessed teacher? Why did it take a year of waiting to treat the basilisk victims? Mandrakes are a common potion ingredient. There's a shop in Hogsmeade for Merlins' sake."

Harry took a deep breath. "Then what do we do? You said it yourself, he's very powerful and has the knowledge to back it up."

Sirius tilted his head back and laughed. "Lily's brains and James' fire. You're dangerous, pup."

Kreacher set food out on the table.

"Thank you." Harry said.

"Half blood thanks Kreacher." The elf bobbled his head.

"Shut it." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"There's more that I didn't get to tell Skeeter." Harry scanned the room to make sure there weren't any new paintings on the wall.

"We're safe here." Sirius had a steady edge in his voice that Harry had never heard.

"What do you know about horcruxes?" Harry asked.

A loud crash followed quickly by broken glass echoed in the kitchen. Harry looked over to see Kreacher staring wide-eyed at him.

"Soul magic." Sirius said. "Nasty stuff. Why?"

"Riddle, Voldermort, whatever, he made seven them." Harry brushed his bangs back to show his scar. "This was one of them. The basilisk venom killed it. When I talked to the goblins about it they found another hidden in the Lestrange vault. He used Helga Hufflepuff's cup. I found the diadem of Ravenclaw, it was one too. I'm certain that if we could find an artifact from Slytherin that would be one too."

"Why do you think he made seven?" Sirius asked.

"Anymore and the soul just shatters." Harry explained. "What's the point of being almost immortal if you're less than a ghost?"

A heavy silence settled on the room. Only the tinkling of broken glass being swept broke the hold.

Harry locked his gaze onto Kreacher. "You know something, don't you?"

Kreacher disappeared with a pop only to return a moment later. The old elf held the Slytherin locket out in front of him.

"Master Regulus made me promise." The elf began to sob. "Kreacher failed. Kreacher can't destroy it."

"Put it on the table." Harry stood up.

Kreacher did. Harry summoned Excalibur. With a flick of his wrist, he sliced the locket into two pieces. A thin wisp of black smoke drifted away with a scream.

"Your promise is fulfilled." Harry banished the sword.

Kreacher collapsed. The old elf curled into a ball, weeping.

"You have a sword?" Sirius asked.

Harry laughed. "After all that and you want to know about the sword?"

"You created a sword out of thin air." Sirius said.

"I summoned it." Harry held out his hand for it to appear again. "It's the Sword of Gryffindor, or Excalibur, whatever you call it, I used it to kill the basilisk. Now it's mine."

"Excalibur?" Sirius shook his head before letting out a shaky laugh. "You are the right kind of dangerous we need. Once Voldermort is handled we can move on to the real threat."

"Dumbledore." Harry gripped the sword tightly.

22.

Harry was a little lost now that he was back at Hogwarts. He didn't know what to do now, without an escaped madman terrorizing the school or Malfoy getting sliced up by Buckbeak. He found his classes to be too easy. Sirius still bought him the Firebolt, which he thought a nice piece of luck. The only real change was getting space from Ron and Hermione. It was easier than he expected. Ron got jealous about the Firebolt, so he stormed off and Hermione was so focused on her doubled schedule that she hardly knew what day it was.

Logically, he knew that he should reach out to make other friends. He found it hard to relate with his classmates. At thirteen their worries were about dating, quidditch, and gossip. Harry did notice that he caught quite a few interested looks from girls, but that felt wrong. Mentally, he was in his thirties. There was the option of dating older students. Again, it was a bit hard to connect. Sixth and Seventh years were the youngest he was willing to go.

Instead, he just focused on learning. And Quidditch. He had forgotten how much he loved the game. Without the Dementors the Gryffindor team went undefeated. When he wasn't in the library he was on the field. He even managed to slip his way in the air when the other Houses were practicing. They weren't happy about it at first, but then he started teaching all of the Seekers how to improve their game. They didn't stand a chance against him, but it made for some amazing games between the other houses.

In a way that was way too fast and somehow excruciatingly slow, the year came to an end. Harry found himself waiting in line to get on the Express. He had made it to the early rush, just after breakfast. There was still a couple of hours before departure. A good portion of the students were in a last-minute panic of packing. This put Harry among the group that were actually prepared to go which gave them the first pick at open cabins.

He was halfway down the first cabin when he found Luna. She was sitting cross-legged on a seat reading. Harry knocked on the door before sliding it open.

"Hello, Mister Potter." Luna smiled up at him.

"Miss Lovegood." Harry returned the smile. "May I join you?"

"Of course." She scooted over on the seat and patted the spot beside her.

Harry slid his trunk onto the basket above before taking the offered spot.

"How was your year?" Harry asked.

Luna thought for a moment. "Different."

"Oh?" Harry asked.

"I can't say how, but what happened this year wasn't what happened this year." Luna swung her legs over his lap, using the wall as a backrest. "No ripped paintings, the dementors were scared of you, and no one thought to cuddle Mrs. Norris."

"Does she like cuddles?" Harry asked.

"She likes to be scratched behind her left ear, not her right." Luna nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry noticed she was barefoot. "Where are your shoes?"

"In my trunk." Luna replied. "The year was not this year because of you."

Harry nodded. "Yes. Are you alright with that?"

"Yes." She went back to reading. "This year was definitely better than this other year."

Harry leaned his head back. "Can I tell you something that I should have told you before?"

"Before this year or before you were you now?" Luna asked, she titled the book just enough to see him.

"Something I should have told you last time." Harry met her eyes.

"I'm not that Luna." She shrugged. "I can still listen, but she won't hear you."

"I know." Harry started to rub her feet absently. "I missed you."

"I'm sure I missed you too." Luna wiggled a bit higher, so her feet were on his lap. "Luna understood, just like I understand."

"How much do you know about where I come from?" Harry asked.

Luna scrunched up her face in thought. "It's gone now. When you came back here the there was no more."

Harry closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "That hurts. Should it hurt? There were so many lies."

"Sometimes I see Luna who didn't lose her mother." Luna patted his leg with her foot. "She's not me, but she is Luna. That Harry was you, but the Harry you are now is also him. That's not something I can answer."

"Thank you, Miss Lovegood." Harry found his voice coming out a bit rough.

"You are welcome, Mister Potter." Luna tipped the book back up. "You'll get the map soon."

"I had completely forgotten about it." Harry laughed.

The words had barely left his mouth before the door to the cabin opened. Fred and George popped their heads in.

"Luna." One said. "Harry." The other said at the same time. "You two know each other?" Their voices mingled as one.

"Of course." Harry scoffed.

"Harry fixed my clothes and gives excellent foot rubs." Luna didn't looked up from her book.

The twins stood in the doorway for a moment. They looked at each other, sharing a silent conversation.

"May we join you?" Fred asked. "For a moment that is." George continued. "There is a matter we would like to discuss with you Harry." Fred finished.

"Moony and the map." Luna tapped Harry's leg with her foot. Harry replied by tickling her toes. Luna dropped the book and glared at him. "Mister Potter."

"Don't tickle Luna." George clicked his tongue. "We learned that the hard way, right Fred?" Fred shook his head.

"You're Fred, he's George." Harry pointed to each twin. "Miss Lovegood, stop poking me with your feet and I won't tickle you."

"Deal." Luna's expression dropped back to her normal dreamy setting. "I've lost my place."

"What are you reading?" Harry asked.

"Stephen Kings' North-Eastern American Creature Study." Luna replied nonchalantly.

"Please promise me you aren't going there this summer." Harry said.

"Of course not." Luna shook her head. "We went last year."

Harry shook his head. He turned his attention to the twins. "Moony and the map?"

"Right." They said in unison. "You were right." Fred sat down across from them. "Lupin was Moony." George sat down as well, copying Luna's position, putting his feet on his brothers lap. "His name is Wolf Wolf, not Moon Moon." Fred corrected. "Bit sloppy of you, mate." George pointed his foot at Harry accusingly.

"My translation was wrong, but the answer was the same." Harry shrugged. "A map?"

"You already know about it." George returned his foot to his twins lap. "You said so last year." Fred added. "We solemnly swear we are up to no good." They said at the same time.

Harry smiled broadly. "I couldn't help myself."

"Tell us what you know and the map is yours." Fred pulled the parchment from George's pocket.

"Again." Luna added.

The twins looked to Luna. "What?"

"That map will be his, again." Luna repeated.

"That's our Luna." George said. "Always knows more than she does." Fred gave her a proud look.

"She's not 'your' Luna." Harry arced an eyebrow at them.

"Oh?" Fred asked. "Is she your Luna?" George motioned to her feet.

"If she would have me." Harry turned toward Luna.

"You're a bit old for me, Mister Potter." She giggled.

"You." Harry squeezed her foot. "Are worth the wait."

"I think we walked in on something here, Forge." Fred said. "Agreed, Ged." George looked from the duo to his twin. "Little Luna has enchanted poor Potter."

Harry laughed and shook his head. "You want to know what I know. Lupin is Moony, Sirius Black is Padfoot, my father was Prongs, and Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew."

"The Marauders." The two said in a hushed tone saved for words of praise.

23.

"Hey there." An all too familiar voice said from nearby.

Harry's head snapped up, finding the source immediately. Death sat lounging across from him. It looked like they were still in the cabin, but he couldn't feel the train moving.

"How?" Harry groaned. "Did I spontaneous acquire a peanut allergy? Did I sleepwalk off the train? Did someone strangle me with my tie? How?"

"Easy there." Death chuckled. "You're not dead. I just wanted to talk."

"Oh." Harry blushed. "So… how's your day?"

"Great!" She smiled brightly. "Thanks for asking. It's usually 'I'm too young' or 'not like this'. No one ever asks how I'm doing."

"That's disconcerting." Harry sighed.

"It's a thankless job." She shrugged her shoulders.

"What's up?" Harry settled back into the cushion.

"You had a busy year." She smiled at him. "You killed a dementor, destroyed all but one horcrux, and managed not to die."

Harry laughed. "Once the first two were done it was the hardest part was staying awake in class."

"You could just test out of Hogwarts." Death offered.

"That would bring too much attention from Dumbledore." Harry shook his head. "He wants to control me. Proving Sirius was innocent and claiming my titles is suspicious enough already."

"You're going to have to fight him sooner or later." She countered.

"I'm more powerful than I was, but I'm not where I can defeat him." Harry sighed. "Plus, he's got the Elder Wand."

"No, he doesn't." Death shook her head.

"I've seen him with it." Harry spoke slowly.

"You've seen him with a wand made of elder wood." Death clarified. "You collected all three, you hold the title 'Master of Death'. They belong to you. Just like your sword, call them and they will appear."

"And Dumbledore suddenly finds himself without a wand." Harry arced an eyebrow.

"The wand he has now is powerful, it is made of elder wood, but it is not the Elder Wand." Death explained. "Just like that stone you destroyed. It was a powerful magical item, but it was not the Resurrection Stone."

Harry let the information settle. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No." Death said cheerily. "I wanted to let you know that since you've changed the time-line I've had a pleasantly slow year. That's how I've been able to visit you now."

"There have to be hundred of people dying every day." Harry scrunched up his brow. "Just from natural causes, not even considering random accidents."

"I'm not the only Death." She explained. "We're an entire pantheon unto ourselves, though we do have connections to others."

"That makes sense." Harry said slowly. "Glad I could help, I guess."

"It was a nice break in the pace." Death stood up and stretched.

Harry couldn't help but admire her taut body. Damn teenage hormones. He met her eyes to see her grinning. She shook her head.

"Caught you looking."

Harry blushed.

"I'll see you around." Death stepped over to the door. She looked over her shoulder and blew him a kiss.

Harry startled awake. Luna had already adjusted in her seat to prepare for his movement. The twins had left shortly after giving him the map but there was someone else in the cabin with them. An older girl, she was dressed in stylish robes that weren't from the school, which meant she lived in the wizarding side of the world rather than the muggle. Her face looked familiar, but his half-awake brain was having trouble placing her. He took in her full appearance.

She was slender, athletic, and her robe was cut to accentuate her form. Her skin had a sun-kissed tone to it that meant she spent a lot of time outdoors. The only magical types that did that were quidditch players. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a tight braid.

"Harry Potter." The girl purred. "Last year I was discarded to the reserves when Malfoy bought the team brooms. I didn't expect any better this time. And yet." She paused, her eyes traveling over him slowly. "Not only am I playing in every game, but Harry Potter decides to give the other houses extra lessons. Thanks to you, and Malfoy disappearing, I played my best year. I got an offer from the Kestrels."

His brain finally came up to speed. Alyn Lind, seventh year seeker for Slytherin.

"That's fantastic." Harry smiled at her.

"I would love to thank you." She leaned forward, running her tongue her lips. "If we were alone."

"I don't mind." Luna scooted over to free Harry from her legs.

Harry looked to Luna then to the Alyn. She smiled and it sent a shock straight through Harry right to his groin. His dick was happy to answer the call. Alyn dropped to her knees, a flick of her wrist unbuckled his belt and opened his pants. Grabbing the front of his boxers, she pulled them down, and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. A couple of strokes and he was painfully hard.

"Nice broomstick." She cooed.

Harry trembled as she leaned forward, placing a brief kiss on the tip of his cock. He groaned, forcing himself not to grab her head. Her tongue circled around the sensitive tip. He felt his hips buck as she took him into her mouth. Harry ran a hand through her hair, pushing gently, feeding more of his cock into the wet heat of her mouth. Her shiny, pink lips slid around his thickness as he fought to push deeper. He could feel his end quickly approaching.

"Going to cum." He grunted.

Alyn pulled his cock out of her mouth and before to stroke his spit-soaked shaft. She looked into his eyes as her hand moved hard and fast. Harry moaned as he reached his peak. Long streaks of cum burst forth. Alyn tried to move out of the way. The first shot was so powerful it landed in her hair, the next traced a line across her cheek. She giggled as she watched several more shots launch from his pulsing cock, this time pointed away from her.

She smiled as she looked at puddle of cum on the floor. "Thanks for warning me."

Harry nodded, panting and unable to speak. Alyn slowed her strokes, milking the last bit of cum out of him. She drew her wand. A flick of her wrist and the mess was cleaned up. She tucked him back into his pants, taking the time to use her hands rather than magic. Alyn stood, adjusting her robes before leaving.

"It's bigger than I thought." Luna said.

Harry jumped, practically forgetting she was there. "Thanks?"

"Nice looking too." Luna went back to reading her book.

Harry chuckled. This train ride was definitely better than last time.

24.

Harry got off the train and froze. It felt like something heavy had hit his chest. His vision began to cloud up. There waiting for him he found Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley, all dressed nicely and looking around excitedly. Next to them stood Remus and Sirius. Vernon was talking quite animatedly with Remus who seemed to be rather involved in the conversation as well. Petunia and Sirius were talking in whispers, causing Petunia to giggle every so often. Dudley, on the other hand, simply gawked at everything.

His cousin was the first one to see him. Dudley nodded, and walked over to him, trying to look cool while also clearly excited to see him.

"Mate." Dudley pulled him into a quick hug. "This magic stuff is brilliant." He leaned closer. "And the birds that go to your school. Are you sure I can't came with you?"

Harry laughed. "Trust me, D. You don't want to. This is the first year that no one has tried to kill me."

Dudley's face went hard. "You need some muscle, you let me know."

Harry cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. This was the cousin he could have had for years. The family he could have had. It took everything he had not to take the train back to Hogwarts and kill Dumbledore. Only the hard truth that he wasn't powerful enough yet stopped him. A quick sneak attack might work, but the old man was crafty enough to have something prepared for that.

"Harry!" Petunia called. She waved him over. "Sirius and I were catching up. It's been years." She paused. "Where is Rook?"

"Uh." Harry looked to Sirius.

Helpfully, his godfather shrugged.

"He stayed at Hogwarts." Harry said slowly. "Decided that he liked the forest nearby. I think he found a lady friend."

Vernon clapped his hands. "Haha! The chair is mine!"

"Please, dear." Petunia shook her head. "You were moping around for days after they left. And don't tell me it was just Harry you were missing. I saw you sitting on the couch when you thought I wasn't looking."

Vernon blustered and blushed. "He was a good dog." He finally muttered.

Harry sent a sly grin to Sirius.

"We were discussing where you were you going stay this summer." Sirius chimed in.

"What did you come up with?" Harry asked.

"My place still needs some finishing touches." Sirius said. "The glass case worked great, by the way."

"Yes, thank you." Remus shook his head. "The headaches."

"How about you spend the summer with your aunt and uncle, we can pick you up for the World Cup, and next year you can stay with me?" Sirius said.

"World Cup?" Harry asked.

"You caught that, eh?" Sirius smiled broadly. "I've got some tickets to the World Cup. I'm not missing it this year. You, me, and the mongrel here. Box seats."

"That sounds wicked." Harry said. He shot a guilty look to Dudley.

"No worries." Dudley waved the look away. "Tried to make heads or tails of the game for the last hour. No clue how that works. What's the point of the rings if the gold one ends the game?"

Harry laughed.

"Harry." Fred spoke cautiously. "Are you alright there?" George asked.

The twins had moved up to flank him, a step behind to either side ready to step in if needed.

"Fred. George." Harry turned to the twins. "This is my aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley. The vagabond there is Sirius Black, my godfather, and you know Professor Lupin."

"Remus." The werewolf said with a nod. "A professor no more."

"You're okay with this?" George whispered. "They had bars on the windows, mate." Fred matched the tone.

"It's a long story." Harry turned and gave them a smile. "Thanks for looking out, but it's no problem at all." He looked over to his aunt and uncle. "Would I be able to invite Fred and George over this summer?"

"Of course." Petunia smiled broadly. Her smile took a dastardly turn. "We'd love to hear any stories you have of Harry through the years."

"We have those." The twins said in unison.

"On second thought." Harry turned back to the twins. "Nope. Not happening."

"We aren't hooked up to the Floo." Petunia said. "I don't trust it with all this Voldermort business."

Her face went hard after she spoke. Vernon put an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Not the time to talk of such things." Vernon turned a concerned look to the twins. "Send an owl and we'll get something arranged." He looked to Harry. "I'm going to take Petunia out for some air. Dudley knows where we parked."

"Fred! George!" Molly Weasley yelled from a distance that didn’t require such volume. "There you are! Oh, Harry dear, how are you?" Molly looked over at Sirius with a small touch of unease.

"Fine." Harry turned to look at Dudley. "Where did they park?"

Dudley looked at him funny. He shrugged. "I'll show you."

Sirius and Remus fell in beside them as they walked.

"Don't like her much, pup?" Sirius chuckled.

"She's overbearing, loud, and treats everyone like a child." Harry had to push down the anger that was building inside. "I wouldn't be surprised if she slipped Arthur a potion before they got married."

"That's not an accusation to say lightly." Remus shot Harry a worried look.

"Have you seen the man?" Harry shook his head. "He's a kind, caring, and curious. He's a completely different man when she's not around."

"He wouldn't be the find man beaten down by a woman." Sirius sighed. "Molly was quite the looker back in her day."

"That's not something I ever needed to know." Harry shuddered.

"It's true." Remus' voice had a touch of humor to it. "She was a year or two ahead of us, but I do remember how nicely her sweater fit."

"How she managed to get her skirt so short without getting in trouble I will never know." Sirius said in a dreamy manner.

"I should have gotten you neutered over the summer." Harry grumbled.

Remus howled with laughter.

"That's not funny, pup." Sirius glared at him. "It's bad enough that your uncle was in talks to have be stud a few litters."

"Like that wouldn't be the first-" Remus was stopped by a stinging hex to his foot. "What?"

"Finish that sentence and the summer of our sixth year will be next." Sirius tried to look angry at Remus.

"You wouldn't dare." Remus stared right back.

"So, there we were, fresh off the Express when Moony here gets an idea." Sirius started.

"Me?" Remus practically yelled. "It was you and Prongs!"

The two men broke down into a hushed argument. Harry looked over to Dudley. His cousin shrugged.

"Why would my dad want send him out to stud?" Dudley asked after a moment.

Harry found himself smiling again. This was already a better summer than the last time.

25.

The first thing that Harry noticed about the house was how clean it was. Not just the dusting and vacuuming, but all the extra junk had been removed. Ugly furniture, except for Vernons chair, had been replaced by better quality items that looked like they were made in the last couple of years rather than a decade ago. The second thing he noticed was that they had redecorated his room. Unlike in the past, when that meant locking his school supplies away, they had added it to the décor around the house. A Gryffindor banner hung on the back of the door and a few of the pictures from his album were now nicely framed and placed around the room. Not only that, but he saw a few new pictures as well. Photos of Lily growing up were added not only to his room, but to the hallway as well.

Harry felt that same punch in his chest. A large lump formed in his throat. Tears clouded his vision.

"Do you like it?" Petunia stared at him with an expectant, nervous look in her eyes.

Harry couldn't speak. He nodded as tears began to stream down his face. Petunia wrapped him in a tight hug. She kissed the top of his head.

"We have so many years to make up." She whispered. "So many years."

Harry looked up at the sound of Vernon clearing his throat. The man had red puffy eyes and was dabbing them with a handkerchief.

"Sorry." He smiled at them. "I didn't mean to startle you. These blasted allergies just snuck up on me."

"I know something that will help." Harry untangled from his aunt and pulled Vernon into a hug.

"Nope." Vernon managed to croak out. "Just getting worse. I think I need to lie down."

Harry nodded. He wiped his own tears as he looked over at Dudley. His cousin shook his head.

"I'm just made of sterner stuff." Dudley puffed out his chest.

Harry patted him on the shoulder. Dudley practically yanked Harry off his feet, pulling him into a hug. His cousin began to cry the loudest of all.

"Blasted allergies." Dudley managed to say. "Dad had the right idea. Need to lie down."

"Of course." Harry cleared his throat, trying to get the lump to leave. "Allergies are horrible this time of the year."

Petunia watched her son hurry up the stairs. She sighed. "The Dursley men have always had strong..." She smiled. "Allergies. It's good to see Vernon acting like himself again."

"Are you going to be okay with me living with Sirius?" Harry asked.

Petunia took a deep breath. "It will be an adjustment, but yes. He needs you as much as you need him."

"I'll make sure you're protected." Harry said firmly. "I'll add more protections and wards before I leave. It would be a good idea to put some on your car as well. Maybe craft you some personal charms too."

"That's for another day." Petunia beamed at him. "Get settled in your room and we'll figure out what to do for dinner. Vernon's doctor wasn't happy."

"It looked like he had lost some weight." Harry nodded.

Petunia nodded. "We have started taking walks around the neighborhood each night. Unfortunately, we've had to adjust our diets some."

Harry winced. He could remember the summer of half-melon lunches and soggy salad dinners.

"Nothing too drastic." Petunia chuckled. "Less red meat, more greens, and one glass of wine at dinner."

"Thank Merlin." Harry sighed. "I didn't want to have to sneak out to get good food."

"Harry James Potter." Petunia tried to sound stern but compared to her old voice it was laughable. "Are you implying that I am a bad cook?"

"Of course not." Harry laughed. "I'm sure that whatever you cook would feed the garden quite nicely."

"Such cheek." She pursed her lips at him. "I was going to take it easy on you." An evil look crossed her face. "How was your year? Any girls we should know about? Is it time to have the talk about the birds and the bees? I don't think Vernon is up for it, so I'll have to. You see, when a man and a woman-"

"Nope." Harry plugged his ears. "Not happening."

He tried to escape up the stairs, but his aunt followed right behind. Petunia cackled with glee. A shiver ran up his spine. Bellatrix Lestrange's laugh had nothing on Petunia.

"I give, I give." Harry turned on his aunt.

Petunia smiled triumphantly. The expression on her face softened.

"Did you have a good year?" She asked.

"Yes, actually." Harry nodded. "No one tried to kill me, I'm doing great in all my classes, and I was able to sneak onto the quidditch field every other day."

"You stayed out of trouble?" She pressed.

"Trouble usually finds me." Harry sighed and shook his head. "Yes, no trouble this year. I spent a good portion of my time in the library."

"That's wonderful." Petunia said. "Any girls?"

"I thought that session of torture was over." Harry groaned.

"That was pestering." Petunia corrected. "This is sincere curiosity."

"How can I say no to that?" Harry sighed. "No. No girls. I kept to myself this year. It was nice not being the center of attention."

Petunia scrunched up her brow as she looked at him. "Why would you be the center of attention?"

"I'm something of a celebrity in the Magical World." Harry explained.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why?" She asked.

Harry closed his eyes. "The night my parents were killed, Voldermort tried to kill me too."

Petunia gasped.

"There is a spell, it cannot be blocked by magical shields and kills almost one hundred percent of the time." Harry pointed to the faded scar on his head. "Except it didn't work on me. When he cast it at me, it bounced back and hit him instead. Due to that, I'm the Boy Who Lived. No one considers that I'm famous for the night my parents were killed."

Petunia wrapped him in her arms.

"On top of that." Harry continued. "Someone decided to write a series of books about my life. Grandiose tales about me living in a castle, slaying monsters, and basically being the modern Merlin."

"We need to get you a solicitor." Petunia grumbled.

"I'll get it settled once things have settled with Sirius." Harry squeezed her and then let her go. "His treatment by the Ministry caused a backlash from the public and they've had to go through years of legal history to check for any other miscarriages of justice."

"You certainly live an exciting life." Petunia shook her head. "Let's hope the next few weeks here are simple enough to recover."

"I hope so." Harry took a breath and let it out. "It's been a long day. Did you want to get some take-away?"

Dobby popped in next to them. "No. Harry Potter sir and families be eating the dinner Dobby made." He crossed his arms. "Dobby heard Tuna. Healthy, tasty food. No take-away."

"Tuna?" His aunt looked at the elf.

"Pe-Tuna." Dobby pointed at her.

"Pe-toon-ya." She enunciated.

"Pet-Tuna." Dobby nodded. "Healthy, tasty dinner be ready soon."

"You've created a monster." Harry chuckled.

26.

Strengthening a magical core was similar to working a muscle. It required time, dedication, and effort. The quickest way to do it was to drain every bit of magic out, as safely as possible, then let it refill. The only problem being that there was a fine line between safely draining a magical core and destroying it. Pushing too hard would actually cause it to shatter and kill the wizard or witch in the process.

Along the same principle, but with more control, there was something akin to strength training. The environment also played a part. Using magic in an area full of ambient energy, like Hogwarts or Diagon Alley, was like using lower weight, while doing the same exercises in an area with little to no ambient, Privet Drive for example, was the equivalent of using much heavier weights. The lack of ambient magic meant the magical core had to replenish itself.

The fastest way to drain his magical core would be a quick workout of high-powered spells early in the day. Then, while his core recovered, Harry could turn his focus to his physical training. Keeping his body healthy helped things along as well.

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Not only would this draw a lot of attention, from the muggles in the neighborhood and the DMLE. They might not be able to track wandless magic, but the amount of energy he would need to dispel was significant.

Instead, Harry focused on small, precise wandless magic. Using a cutting spell to peel an apple and then summoning the seeds from the core, writing letters by directing the quill with his magic, and transfiguring random items around the house.

Petunia had found an old box of tin soldiers that they had bought for Dudley years ago. With a bit of concentration, Harry was able to animate the figures. It quickly became a game that took over the wide coffee table in the living room. There three colors, one for Petunia, Dudley, and Vernon. They would instruct Harry how they wanted their troops to do, and then he would move them. The soldiers were limited to blades and arrows, their muskets and cannons worked a little too well. Vernon's chair had a spattering of burn marks now. They had also added a couple of old mugs, a bundled-up sock (much to Dobby's horror), and a stack of coasters to vary up the landscape.

Even with all that, it still wasn't pushing his magic as far as he needed. On a whim, Harry tried to change his hair color. Much to his surprise, it had worked. He wasn't a metamorphmagus like Tonks. She could change effortlessly with a thought. Any changes he made took considerable focus and magical power. This discovery led to a new evening ritual. Harry would spend about an hour in front of the mirror cutting his hair, changing the color, then growing it back out and returning the natural shade. Once exhausted, he would shamble to his bed and pass out.

He didn't trust his skill enough to mess with anything more. Changing his bone structure, even the cartilage, was no easy feat. The skin was even more complicated. He did have success with his fingernails and toenails. Harry could trim, grow, harden, and sharpen them. Having claws at will was something he was going to keep a tight lid on.

Harry could already feel a noticeable change by the end of the second week. Just in time for the twins to visit. Much to Arthur's joy, they took muggle transit to the house. Harry stood out on the front lawn watching as a cab pulled up in front. Arthur stepped out, a bit ruffled but still grinning like a loon, followed by a just as messy Fred and George.

The twins opened the boot of the cab to get their bags. They were only staying for the a few days, but they came prepared. Harry watched them struggle to get their bags out for a moment before coming over to help. The twins were skilled in a great many things, packing things without an expansion charm was not one of them.

"And how much was that?" Arthur leaned back speak to the cabby.

Harry didn't hear the amount, but he did see Arthur hand the cabby a wad of cash. Considering the exchange rate from galleons to pounds, even a couple hundred was pocket change. The cabby quickly hopped out of the car and scrambled to help them unpack.

Arthur turned around to admire the Muggle neighborhood. He gave a wave to Mrs. Figg, which would have been suspicious, except Arthur then waved at every person he saw. The man was having a blast.

"He's been grinning like a loon since we got off the train." George chuckled. "It was the same as one of ours." Fred shook his head. "Better graffiti though." George turned to his twin. "Leagues ahead of the Express." Fred nodded. "Might need to get a telephone machine to call all those numbers." George smiled.

Harry didn't even try to fight the smile that crossed his face. His attention shifted to Arthur as the man began to approach the house. The mans' broad smile began to faulter as he got closer. His foot came down just a bit too fast, causing him to stumble for a step. He stared at his sons, then Harry, and finally down at his hand. His left hand. Arthur's face scrunched up in grief Harry had only seen once before.

"He crossed the wards." Harry muttered.

He slipped between the twins, carefully approaching the man.

"Arthur." Harry spoke softly. "Come inside, so we can talk."

"Harry?" The mans' eyes snapped up to him. They were red, filled with tears.

"It's a lot." Harry continued to move closer, holding his hand out with the palm up. "It was for me too. Come inside, we can talk. It's safe."

Arthur straightened up, there was a strength there that hadn't been before. He nodded. The man grabbed the bags and strode purposefully toward the house.

"What happened?" Fred asked, his voice void of the usual cheer it had.

"Do you two feel any different?" Harry asked.

Fred looked to George, who shook his head. The twins looked back to Harry and shrugged.

"That's a relief." Harry whispered. "Let's talk inside."

Vernon opened the door as Arthur got closer.

"Arthur, I believe?" His uncle held a hand-out. "Haven't been properly introduced, Vernon Dursley."

Arthur shot a questioning look to Harry. The young man nodded. Arthur shook the offered hand. Vernon took in the sight of the man.

"You too, eh?" Vernon sighed. "We'll fix you a cup of tea."

Harry headed inside with the twins a step behind him. Vernon had already led Arthur into the kitchen. Harry closed the front door behind them, then locked it with magic as well as the deadbolt. The twins shared a silent conversation before moving deeper into the house. The trio made it into the kitchen just as Arthur and Vernon were sitting down. Petunia humming to herself, reading a newspaper.

"Pet." Vernon spoke softly. "Could you make a pot of tea?"

Dobby popped into the room. "Dobby is on tea duty today."

Vernon laughed. "Dobby, my good elf, would you make us a pot of tea?"

"Take a seat." Harry offered the stunned twins.

An uneasy silence settled on the room, only broken by the sound of Dobby griping at the electric kettle.

"Last year." Harry started. "I was bitten by a basilisk while rescuing Ginny. The venom killed me for a moment. Instead of dying, it destroyed a horcrux that had latched onto me. Once it was gone, I started to see things, and remember things, that had been kept from me. When I got home, back here, I put wards in place to protect myself and my family. Protection against compulsions, memory charms, and other mental magics." Harry motioned to his aunt and uncle. "You can see how much that has changed things."

"What does that have to do with dad?" George asked.

"Think you know already, George." Fred whispered.

"The potions, compulsions, and memory charms have been removed." Harry gazed at Arthur.

Arthur made to speak but had to clear his throat a few times before the words could come out.

"Boys." The man looked to his sons. "I love you, and your siblings with all my heart. I truly do."

"But not, mom." George whispered.

Arthur shook his head. "How?"

"Not sure." Fred shrugged. "Could be the twin thing." George added. "Can't be compelled." Fred continued. "Mind games just don't work on us." George nodded. "We've tried to tell you before." Fred's voice dropped to a whisper. "You always forget." George matched the tone. "Always." They said in unison.

"Molly?" Harry asked.

The teacup in front of Arthur shattered. A bubble appeared around the explosion, putting the pieces back together.

"Thank you, Dobby." Harry said.

"One sugar for Vernons, cream for Tuna, and coffee for Harry Potter sir." Dobby moved around the table with eases. "Frog and Gourd want tea? Mister Wheezes?"

"No thank you." Arthur managed after a deep breath. "Yes. Molly." The name dripped with venom. "Years upon years. Compulsions, potions, and memory charms." He looked to the twins. "How long would it take me to forget?"

"An hour at most." Fred waved off the cup of tea. "Most of the time quicker." George nodded, holding up two fingers for sugar.

"Anything from Dumbledore?" Harry looked over to Arthur.

The man shook his head. "How long will this… clarity last?"

"If you trust me." Harry said. "I can make sure it stays."

"How?" Arthur met his eyes. "My trust is fragile right now."

"Three ways." Harry said. "The easiest, and messiest, would be a divorce. One test from the goblins and it's done. The second, more complicated, would be to create a magical contract that binds Molly for harming others. You would have to get her to sign it though."

"Nothing that can be done before leaving the protection of the wards." Arthur sighed. "Divorce would destroy our family."

"You said three." Vernon spoke for the first time.

"It requires Arthur to trust me completely." Harry kept his gaze on Arthur. "Swear fealty, as the head of House Weasley, to House Potter. You would be under my protection, regardless of where you are."

"That doesn't sound too drastic." Vernon shrugged.

"It would mean that I would control House Weasley." Harry shifted to look at Vernon. "Any attack, from within or otherwise, would be seen as an attack on House Potter and the magic would react in kind."

"It would kill her." Arthur whispered.

"Almost certainly." Harry nodded.

"Well." Fred grabbed the flask from his father's jacket pocket, poured a good shot into George's teacup, and downed it. "That's some shit." George finished.

"What about the wards you drew around the house?" Petunia asked.

"They wouldn't work long-term." Harry answered. "Two to four weeks, depending."

"And they need blood." Arthur took the flask back and added some to his tea.

"No." Harry shook his head. "They can be done without blood. Ink works just as well. They would just need to be in a place she wouldn't see."

Arthur chuckled. "Anywhere from the neck down then."

"You two don't…" Harry let the words hang.

"Harry." George scoffed. "There are certain things a child doesn't need to know about their parents." Fred shuddered.

Arthur smiled at his sons. "No. Maybe for an anniversary or birthday."

"Alright." Harry rubbed a hand across his face. "I'll draw some runes on you. Don't count on them lasting more than two weeks. Is that enough time?"

Arthur let out a long, tired sigh. "It will have to be."

"Whatever you decide, dad." George smiled at his father. "We are with you." Fred finished. "Ginny too." George added quickly. "Maybe Ron." Fred continued. "Not sure about Percy." George shook his head. "Not sure what went wrong with that one." Fred shook his head as well, their movements syncing up.

"Follow me, Arthur." Harry stood. "We can get this finished and move on to happier things. You're in a Muggle house, surrounded by Muggle things, with actual Muggles to talk to."

Arthur smiled. "That is true."

27.

Harry applied the protection runes to Arthur. Even in such a time, he couldn't help himself. Harry placed the runes on his lower back, effectively given Arthur a magical tramp stamp. He had to force himself not to giggle. Harry would probably never tell anyone about it, and he doubted Arthur knew what one was. This was little prank was just for him.

Arthur stayed for dinner, much to Dobby's delight. They found that Muggle alcohol didn't has as much of a kick to magical folk. Petunia, Arthur, and Vernon nearly finished off a bottle of fine whiskey Vernon had saved for special guests with only Arthur remaining conscious. The man had a pleasant buzz but was far from knock-out drunk. He had taken the Night Bus home, just to be careful.

Fred and George were rather impressed with the coffee table battlefield Harry had arranged. With their help, they created five new armies of twelve troops each from random bits and bobs they found. The twins also transfigured the rarely used loveseat into another table. This one was sculpted to have a landscape all its own complete with a couple of small mountains, a forest, and a river. Fred and George could control their troops, Dobby moved his, and Harry moved his own as well as Dudley's. They still took as a turn-based game. Dobby was the first one out, preferring the tactic of simply charging at whichever enemy was in front of his troops. The elf nearly cackled with glee when he nearly knocked Harry out of the game. His downfall came from neglecting the terrain. Harry's final squad had the high ground. By the end of that skirmish Harry only had three troops left.

Luckily, Dudley was making a rather impressive string of hit-and-run battles with the twins. Naturally, Fred and George teamed up. They had thought Dudley to be easy prey. Unfortunately for them, his cousin had a deep love of military history. He split his twelve troops into pairs, used the forest to spread out their numbers. The twins were so busy focusing on Dudley they didn't realize that Harry had defeated Dobby and was on his way before it was too late. His trio of troopers picked off their soldiers outside of the forest, leaving them fighting a battle on two sides.

Sure, Harry only had three troops, but Dudley had been whittling down their numbers. The twins started out with twenty-four and were now sitting at ten. Dudley had five left, still in the forest, and Harry had three.

Fred and George retreated from the forest. With them each having a turn they were able to leap-frogged through the tree, providing defense to the troops as they moved. Harry used the time to reposition his trio across a stretch of open field, settling in for their final battle. There wasn't enough time to put the river between the approaching soldiers and his or get to a better location. Dudley, continued to harass the fleeing troops, though didn't manage to actually thin their numbers.

The final battle came down to remaining troops from all four armies battling it out on the open ground. Fred and George had the numbers but had to hold off Dudley's commandos and Harry's warriors. The cousins fought valiantly, but in the end, the twins came out victorious.

"Should we clean this up?" Dudley asked.

"It will stay like this for a few more hours." Harry was hit with a wave of exhaustion. He looked at the clock to see that it was nearly four in the morning. "Once it changes back, we can clean it up."

"You know, Harrykins." One of the twins said, Harry was too tired to care which.
"This is an interesting little game you came up with." The other continued.
"Give us a bit of time to work on it and we could take the world by storm."

"Sleep first." Harry yawned. "We can talk after breakfast. Let me show you to your room."

Harry led them upstairs to what had once been his room. Now, it had been cleaned and redecorated as a guest room. The queen size bed had been replaced by two twins for their stay. Harry still had no idea where Dobby slept. The elf swore it was somewhere safe and with enough space. He suspected the attic. As long as the elf was happy, that was what mattered.

"It's been a busy day." One of the twins said. "First you save our family. Then you spoil us with fresh sheets."

For once, the duo didn't finish the others' sentences. The fact that one had passed out the moment he hit the bed probably had something to do with it.

"Not sure I saved your family, mate." Harry whispered. "Felt like I broke it."

"It has been broken for a long time." The still-awake twin said before slipping into bed. "Night, Harry. You're a good friend."

Harry wanted to think his misting vision was due to his need for sleep, but even he didn't believe that. He had potentially shattered the Weasley family, and they thought he was a good friend. Would they think that when their parents split, or worse? In the end, it was up to Arthur.

He wasn't sure how he made it downstairs and into his room. His next conscious thought was the smell of bacon. Harry got out of bed to find that he hadn't changed out of the clothes he had worn yesterday. He slipped on some fresh ones before heading to the kitchen. Fred and George were sitting at the table, looking much more awake than they had a right to be. Dudley was practically asleep in his chair. His aunt and uncle were elsewhere.

"Dobby, could I have you grab a couple of Hangover Potions." Harry yawned. "They are going to need them once they are up and about."

"Dobby did last night." The elf smiled at him.

"You are amazing, Dobby." Harry returned the smile.

"Now, Harrykins." Fred put down his fork before speaking.
"We're saving up to start our own business." George was practically bouncing with energy.
"Our own shop that will blow Zonkos out of the water." Fred was starting to get excited as well.
"We'd like to add in that game of yours as well." George said.

"When did you come up with this?" Harry asked.

"Last night." George answered.
"About the time Dobby started cackling." Fred added.

Dobby let out another cackle. "Dobby almost had you, Harry Potter sir."

"It was over Dobby. I had the high ground." Harry shook his head.

"Harry Potter sir underestimates Dobbys power." The elf rubbed his hands together. "Next time, Dobby will be victorious."

"Dobby." Harry couldn't help but smile. "I am glad you are on my side."

"Of course, Harry Potter sir." Dobby instantly swapped back to his usual self. "Harry Potter sir is a great wizard and Dobby is honored to work."

A brief flash of holding the lifeless elf in his arms hit him. Harry stood from the table. He pulled a very shocked Dobby into a hug. Dobby happily returned the embrace even if he was confused. The elf pulled a sock from his pocket, one that looked suspiciously like one that Harry had lost a week ago. He held it out to Harry to use as a tissue.

Harry laughed. He took the offered sock and dabbed his eyes. The twins and Dudley watched, more than a little confused. His cousin looked to Fred and George, who shrugged.

"Right." George said once Harry returned to the table.
"We could sell it in different variations." Fred pressed on.
"As well as fold out tables that have a variety of terrain." George said.
"Each set would come with two armies included." Fred looked to his twin.
"Twelve each for the standard game." George pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket.
"These are our notes." They said as one.

"Wow." Harry looked down at the long list. "That sounds great. Give me a chance to read it later?"

"Of course." They nodded, moving in sync.

"Now." George leaned in.
"Do we need to Harrykins the wonders of female companionship?" Fred smiled as Harry blushed.
"You're a young wizard, Harrykins." George pressed.
"Caught the eye of more than a few witches." Fred wiggled his eyebrows.
"Wizards too if you swing that way." George grinned.
"But you haven't so much as looked at a bird." Fred sighed dramatically.
"Pushed sweet Hermione away too." George added with equal drama.

"It doesn't feel right." Harry tried to think how to phrase it. "I'm…" He motioned to himself.

"The great and powerful Harry Potter." Fred mock-bellowed.
"The Boy Who Lived." George waved a hand as though introducing Harry to a crowd.

"I hate that title." Harry rubbed a hand over his face.

"There are no birds in the area?" George asked. "Muggle ladies who don't know?" Fred asked.

"You've got the bad boy rep to back you up too." Dudley added. "Girls love trouble." His cousin motioned to the basilisk bite. "And scars."

"Fine." Harry groaned. "I'll look for a muggle woman."

He froze when he realized what he had said. The twins shared a devious glance.

"A woman he says, Fred."
"Not a girl, George."
"Harry likes the older ladies."

"Yes." Harry took a deep breath. "I like older girls. Sixth and seventh years, maybe. A bit older than that."

"Say a professor?" Fred grinned.
"Not dear Minnie." George had the same expression as well.
"He did say older." Fred pointed out.

"A little older." Harry held his head in his hands.

"Want to pursue Astronomy?" George pressed in.
"Or Arithmancy?" Fred didn't let up.
"Maybe runes instead?" George leaned back in his chair.

"You two are worse than Petunia." Harry muttered.

28.

There were certain things in his life that caused instant regret. One of those things was showing Fred and George videogames. While they had been interested in the game Harry had inadvertently created, they were over the moon for the SNES. Harry had planned to take them to the cinema, maybe out for some pizza, and show them around the muggle world. Instead, the twins were hooked. They learned quickly and were trouncing Harry and Dudley in Street Fighter. Only Dobby could defend the honor of Number Four Privet Drive. George and Dobby ignited a fierce rivalry that lasted almost until dawn.

It wasn't until Arthur appeared to get the twins that they finally took a break. Arthur tried to put on a brave face, but it was clear there was something wrong. Harry told himself that he shouldn't feel guilty, that it was Molly who did this to the family. Still, it hurt to see the man in so much pain.

"We'll talk later." Arthur gave Harry a tired smile.

For once Arthur didn't want to go via muggle transportation. Dobby popped them to the Burrow. The elf was gone for a bit longer than expected. When Dobby returned, he looked worried.

"What happened?" Harry asked his friend.

"All the Weasleys are sad." Dobby trudged over to Harry and gave held his arms out for a hug.

Harry bent down and scooped the elf up, holding him tight. Dobby began to sob loudly.

"Misses Weasley isn't going to be Misses Weasley for much longer." Dobby said after a good long cry. "Arthur is sad, Harry's Ron is sad, the little Gin is sad, Frog and Ged tried to be happy for the Weasleys, but it didn't work."

Dobby began to sob once more. Harry winced as the elf used his shirt as a hanky.

"Do you want to take the day off and help around their place?" Harry asked softly.

Dobby nodded.

"That's perfectly fine." Harry rubbed the elf's back. "I'm sure they would like that. Talk to Arthur, ask if there is anything he needs. Let me know if you want to spend longer over there, ok?"

Dobby slipped out of his grip. "Thank you, boss."

The elf disappeared with a small pop.

"Was that Dobby?" Petunia asked stepping into the hallway.

"Yes, he's going to be with the Weasleys for today. Maybe a little longer." Harry explained. "Arthur wasn't in the mood to talk, but I've gathered that he's going with the divorce route."

"That poor man." She sighed. "He's a kind soul."

Harry nodded. "I'm going to give them a couple of days before I check in on them."

"That's a good idea." His aunt gave him a small smile. "It will give us time to get a gift basket together. You said he liked muggle things?"

Harry nodded once more. It was still odd to hear his aunt use words like that so casually. Petunia grabbed the keys from the hallway table.

"I'll be back in a bit." She called over her shoulder.

Harry watched her go. There was something he was missing. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but whatever it was dangled just out of reach. Petunia and Vernon had been in a lot better mood after speaking with Arthur. He hadn't hung around while the trio finished off the whiskey, so he didn't know the details of their conversation. Honestly, he had avoided getting too close. The pain hit a little too close to his previous life and led a train of thought he didn't want to explore.

His old life was still fresh in his mind, but it was disconnected. It was like watching a movie rather than actual memories. He wasn't sure if he it was a coping mechanism to distance himself, or if he was settling into this life. Small moments were starting to fade. His future after Hogwarts was a jumble of potion saturated falsehoods. The years fighting Voldermort followed by chasing down the remaining Death Eaters were the sharpest.

The timeline had already been altered to an extreme extent. Sirius was free, his relatives were actually family, Pettigrew was out of the picture, and there was only one horcrux remaining. The knowledge from his previous life wasn't going to be of use for much longer.

Unfortunately, that meant he was going to need to stop relaxing and get to work. He needed to figure out how to deal with the powerful Death Eaters. The heavy hitters in politics, finance, and battlefield specialties. Harry wanted to believe that Malfoy was out of the picture for good. With Lucius at the helm, they weren't nearly as big of a problem. Narcissa was the one that knew how to make things happen. Removing her reason to swap sides meant that she posed a very real threat. However, Lucius was a slave to his pride. Letting his wife have control was not a move he would ever willingly make.

Harry needed to decide how he was going to handle the situation. Discrediting them, exposing the corruption, and using the legal system would take a long time. They could stall the process, or make it completely disappear. The more violent and depraved of the Death Eaters targeted muggles or muggle-born which meant most of the Purebloods didn't give a rat's ass about it.

Killing them made the most sense. Going in to his fourth year put him on a time crunch. If things stayed close enough to his old life, then Riddle would regain a body at the end of term. Once that happened Harry bet that fighting the Death Eaters would be tricky. Right now, they were unprepared and there was no reason to expect an attack.

He had five days before Sirius would pick him up for the World Cup. Harry needed to get to work.

"Oh boy, here I go killing again." Harry muttered.

29.

The first thing he had to do was find where all the prominent Death Eaters were. Azkaban held some of the worst but breaking in to kill them would require a lot of preparation. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time for that. He also couldn't make too many waves just yet. Going after the Death Eaters that weren't as public was the best course of action.

"I need a wand." Harry muttered.

"You have a wand, boss." Death chimed in.

Harry looked up to see her lounging on his bed nearby. She was showing up a lot more recently. He wasn't sure if it was a good sign, but he didn't mind the company.

"I can't use this wand." Harry twirled his wand along his fingers.

"Not that one." Death shook her head. "This one."

With a flourish she produced the Elder Wand. Harry looked from it to her. He shrugged.

"That works." Harry took it, feeling the sudden rush of bone-deep chill that came with its power. "Thanks."

"No problem." Death winked at him.

"I don't mind the company, but what are you doing here?" Harry placed his wand in his new chest.

"You're about to put some numbers on the board." Death didn't seem offended. "It saves me a trip being close to you."

Harry crossed the room to stand next to her. He held out a hand, reaching out to touch her. There was a slight tingle where his fingers were supposed to make contact, but there wasn't any touching.

"Stop it, that tickles." She slapped at his hands, sending more tingles where her hands passed through his arm.

"I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't hurt you if things get crazy." Harry shook the tingles from his hand as he pulled back.

"Aw, thanks boss." Death smiled brightly at him. "So, who are we going after first?"

"I'm going to pick off the ones that won't be missed first." Harry tapped his chin. "Macnair, would be a good place to start. He's the easiest to find as well. Avery, I think he works at the Ministry. Selwyn, I'm going to make him suffer, just have to find him. Yaxley would be a bit high profile, but he needs to be taken out before he can cause too much damage in the DMLE." He paused. "Greyback too. Just need to be careful not to get bit. Though being a werewolf would be kind of cool."

"Maybe next time." Death said.

"What?" Harry looked to her.

"Nothing." She shrugged. "Go on."

Harry scrunched up his brow, studying her. After a moment he continued. "The Carrow's, they shouldn't bring too much attention. The Nott's too. Crabbe and Goyle should be easy to find."

"That's nine known Death Eaters." Death added. "People will notice."

"Can't be helped." Harry shrugged. "The ones in Azkaban are another matter."

"Really?" Death slipped off the bed and began to explore is room. "They're all in one place, locked in cells. That's like shooting fish in a barrel."

"Not sure how I'd get in, avoid the dementors, and get out without being caught." Harry replied.

"Why?" Death asked. "Just pop in, zap them, and pop out."

"There are wards." Harry shook his head.

"Oh, right." Death practically skipped over to his side. "I didn't give you the full rundown." She wrapped her hands around his arm. This time he actually felt her touch. "You are kind of dead, which is why mental magic won't work on you anymore. More than that, you're kind of death too."

"Kind of death?" Harry tilted his head to the side. "That… what?"

"The Master of Death thing." She rolled her eyes. "Not so much a master, more like a co-worker. Basically, anytime you die you have the option to go back and try again. You're not immortal, you can still die, but once you're bored with that, you can join the ranks of Death."

"Anyone who collects the Hallows can do that?" Harry asked.

"Nope." Death wiggled closer to him. "This is nice. I haven't been able to touch someone in so long." She slipped her arm across his shoulder. "In the dimensions where the Hallows exist there is only one set. Whoever collects all three, or however many there are, it changes, holds them. The items return to Death once the carrier joins the ranks."

"Wow." Harry stumbled over to the bed. "That's… that's a lot to take in."

Death helped him settle. "Yeah. We try to spread the knowledge out. Otherwise, it's overwhelming."

Harry took a couple of long, deep breaths. He focused on his surrounding, trying to ground himself. He could feel the bed he was sitting on, hear Dobby cursing at Mario, smell the slight lemon scent of the cleaner, and see the ceiling above him.

"Okay." Harry sat back up. "Good to know. What does that have to do with wards?"

"They can't hold you." Death shrugged. "Didn't you think altering the wards around the house was a little too easy? They were set by Dumbledore, a guy who knows what he's doing, and you sliced through them like a hot knife through butter."

"You mean I could just apparate into Hogwarts if I wanted?" Harry asked.

"Hogwarts. Azkaban. The girls locker-room." Death counted off the options.

Harry laughed. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Happy to help." She smiled at him. "You ready to bust some heads?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "I think I am. How do I do this then? I've never been to Azkaban how it is now. It changed a lot once it was rebuilt."

"Think of a person rather than a place." Death suggested. "Got one?"

"I've got the perfect one." Harry smiled at her.

Without a sound he disappeared. A moment later he appeared in a grimy cell. The smell of salt water was overpowered by body odor and other things that he didn't want to think about. A woman covered near the bars spun to stare at him.

"Bellatrix." His voice came out flat, completely void of emotion.

"Who are you?" The woman pressed her back against the bars.

Her eyes darted around the cell. Seemingly finding something, she began to shimmy toward her right. Harry let the full force of his magic loose. Bellatrix stared at him in wonder.

"I don't think we've met." She whispered.

Harry shook his head. He stalked across the cell toward her. She tried to push herself away from him, only realizing what she was doing when the bars started to grind into her spine. There were many things Bellatrix had seen but never experienced before. Peace had always eluded her. Love, actual love, not the twisted version her family or even the Dark Lord gave her was something she could hardly comprehend. Fear though, she had plenty of experience with. Bellatrix reveled in fear. There was a glorious warmth that spread through her when she saw that pure, primal emotion staring back at her.

This, though, this was fear like she had never known.

"Not in this life." Harry came to a stop. He held out the Elder Wand, pointing it directly between her eyes. "I don't get the appeal."

"What?" Her voice had a shiver to it.

"This." He waved his free hand between them. "Seeing you so scared, holding all this power over you. I don't understand why you like it so much."

"I'm not scared." Bellatrix screamed.

"That's where you're wrong." The wand disappeared from his hand. "You're terrified. I get that now. You've always been terrified. Poor, broken Bellatrix. Just needs someone to protect her. A great, powerful wizard to keep the fear away." He sighed and shook his head. "How utterly consumed were you once you found out your Dark Lord was gone?"

"You know nothing." She screeched.

The rage boiling inside her spurred her into action. She raced across her cell, ripping the bone-shiv from the piled straw that was her bed. Bellatrix turned, ready to pounce on the intruder only to find him standing directly in front of her.

She was launched off her feet. An unseen force slammed her against the wall. Her vision blurred. The figure in front of her seemed to split into a trio.

"I'm sure in some other life you found that powerful wizard." Harry pointed a finger at her. "Someone to love you, maybe someone that could heal you." He snapped his fingers, sending a blade of pure magic toward her. "But this isn't that story."

Her head dropped to the ground. Harry let the body fall. He turned to see a dementor standing outside the cell. It stared hungrily at where the corpse had fallen.

"Attracted by the fear?" Harry asked.

It turned its attention to him. Frost spread across the floor of the cell, directly toward where he stood. Harry flicked his hand, summoning the Elder Wand as he did.

"Serenitas Ferrum." He spoke.

The spell bisected the dementor. Harry looked down at the wand.

"You certainly pack a punch." He chuckled.

A sense of warmth spread from the wand up his arm.

"Ready to get to work?"

Another rush of warmth. An hour later the population of Death Eaters and Dementors at Azkaban had been drastically reduced. Harry retraced his steps, making sure to transfigure the dementor corpses into something manageable. He would need to take them to Gringotts before they changed back.

"Feel better?" Death asked.

"This wasn't about feeling better." Harry brushed a bit of frost that had accumulated on his sleeve. "I can't deny revenge played a part, but this was pest control." He scanned the empty cells. "Did I make too much of a mess?"

"I've seen worse." Death laughed. "Wizards keep death clean, for the most part. It's the Muggles that come up with the nasty stuff."

"I need a shower." Harry sighed. "What time is it?"

"No clue." Death shrugged.

"Tempus." Harry held up his wand. "Oh, shit."

It was eleven-thirty at night. Petunia was going to be worried sick.

30.

Twenty Death Eaters Found Dead in Azkaban
Dementors Flee
Ministry In Chaos

By Rita Skeeter

Selwyn placed the Daily Prophet on the table in front of him. This was not good for his appetite. It wasn't surprising that the convicted Death Eaters were still a target. Most likely a couple of the guards decided to take revenge. It wasn't like someone killed twenty of them in one night. The deaths were probably discovered because of an inspection or something.

The pureblood couldn't figure out how they had gotten rid of the Dementors. More fanatical surviving Death Eaters had wanted to bust out their captured comrades. The only thing stopping their plans were the Dementors. At least he wouldn't have to listen to their half-baked plans.

Selwyn wasn't a fanatic, or an idiot. He didn't believe that Voldermort was ever coming back. The Dark Lord had a good run. He was the rallying point for the purebloods, the real progress was now. The wounds were fresh enough that as long as their plans weren't overt almost certainly succeed. The 'Light' would hem and haw, but behind the scenes deals would push the agenda through.

"Pert!" He yelled for his house elf.

He waited a moment. The creature didn't appear. He gritted his teeth. The elf was going to pay for this.

"PERT! GET OUT HERE NOW YOU DISGUS-" The words froze in his throat as the door to room opened.

A young man stood in the doorway with a wand pointed at him. Selwyn tried to speak, only to find that he could hardly breath.

"Not very sporting, is it?" Harry lowered his wand, releasing his hold on the Death Eater.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" Selwyn spat the words and pounded on the table.

A flick of his wrist brought his wand into his hand. Selwyn moved smoothly, aiming it at the intruder. A cruel smile crossed his face as a cloud of blood filled the space between them. His expression changed from victorious to confusion as the air cleared. The young man was in one piece without a single drop of blood anywhere.

Selwyn moved to cast another spell. It was then that he realized he wasn't holding his wand. That required a hand to hold it and hands needed arms to attach to a body. He had neither. The table in front of him was covered in crimson.

Harry kept his arm level. He tilted his head to the side, studying the man. Having to constantly hold his magic back had made him a bit sensitive to the natural flow. Right now, the magical energy within Selwyn was leaking out of the wound. It drifted out of him, mingling with the ambient magic in the room.

Reaching out with his own magic, Harry latched onto the thread. He pulled, drawing the magic from Selwyn's body. The man began to scream, his skin lost turned ashen, shrinking. Harry twirled the string of magic closer. Time seemed to freeze as the thread touched the tip of his wand. The slow drift of the magic shifted into a storm, racing along the Elder Wand and into his arm. Harry could feel the new magic mingling with his own. He felt a small surge of power as it settled into place.

The husk that was Selwyn dropped back into the chair.

Harry looked from the drained corpse and the Elder Wand. He had always heard about people dying when their magic was taken away. Harry wondered what that process entailed.

"Death." Harry called.

The girl appeared. She was lounging one a nearby chair at the table.

"These are nice seats." She wiggled in the chair.

"What just happened?" Harry asked.

Death looked over to the husk. "Oh, you absorbed his magic."

"Did the wand do that?" Harry nodded toward the wand.

"Nope." She shook her head. "That was all you."

"Can everyone do that?" Harry spun the wand, it disappeared once it finished the second rotation.

"Yeah." She hopped up from the chair and strolled over to the body. "It's risky though. You have to reach out with your own magic and try to pull it from the other person. The stronger one wins, but you don't know who that is until the connection."

Death held out her hand. A mote of light drifted out from the husk and settled into her palm. She tucked it into her pocket before turning back to him.

"You're a powerhouse." She plopped into another chair. "Finding someone stronger would be rare, but I wouldn't chance it."

Harry nodded.

"Who's next on the list?" Death asked.

"No one for now." Harry sat down with her.

"Oh?" Death leaned forward. "Why not?"

"Voldemort comes back this year." Harry said. "A bunch of his followers are there. There will all be in one place. Hopefully, Nagini will be there too. I destroy the last horcrux and take out a few of them at the same time."

"You're confident you'll be able to take more than one on at a time?" She asked. "Not to mention Tommy Boy?"

"I was able to hold him off and escape last time." Harry leaned forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm stronger and I've got years of experience as an auror."

Death motioned to zip her mouth. "How much trouble were you in?"

"Dobby covered for me." Harry smiled. "I love that little elf."

"Oh?" Death smiled. "What did he say?"

"I had to go to talk to the goblins." Harry shrugged. "It was simple enough to work. Petunia said that I needed to check-in if I was going to be later than ten."

"I would have thought he'd pile up the blankets in your bed to make it look like you were sleeping." Death chuckled.

"He did." Harry shook his head. "It didn't work so well since I had been gone since lunch and Petunia caught him bringing more blankets in from the laundry."

Death gave a happy sigh. "Things are going to start picking up this year."

"Yeah." Harry nodded.

"Are you going to change the tournament?" She asked. "You can take out Crouch before he sets it up."

"Last time I was terrified." Harry thought for a moment. "I'm actually looking forward to it this time. I want to work out the tasks in a different manner. Flying a broom against a dragon was a really bad idea. So was the gillyweed. The only thing that I actually did well in was the maze."

"Are you excited for the world cup?" Death pressed.

"I'm excited to spend time with Sirius when he's not a wanted criminal." Harry countered. "What happened to him last time? I mean, after the veil."

"He died protecting you." Death patted his hand. "To him, there was no greater thing he could do. He passed on to whatever comes next."

"Whatever comes next?" Harry asked.

"I'm Death, not Afterlife." She shrugged. "Come on, let's get out of here before the house elf wakes up."

"Good idea." Harry pushed the chair away from the table.

With a thought he was gone.