Title: Easier than Falling Asleep

Category: Books » Harry Potter

Author: JacobApples

Language: English, Rating: Rated: T

Genre: General

Published: 03-14-18, Updated: 06-11-19

Chapters: 32, Words: 108,495

Chapter 1: Quicker and Easier than Falling Asleep

Dyslexia: I have a Language Disability, meaning there will be grammatical and spelling errors that I will miss on my own. Please do not berate me for it. I am always looking for a beta.

Summary: Harry is struck with the killing curse and wakes up the day of the last task. This story will be the Order of The Phoenix if Harry were a bit wiser.

Disclaimer: JKR owns her work and her ideas. I am grateful that she allows us, writers, to play in her world. I use many direct quotes in the first few chapters to slow myself down and to contrast when my version truly changes events. (You can skim those sections but I am keeping them in place because of the minor changes that I slip in which will end up tipping the scales ;)

Chapter 1: Easier and Faster Than Falling Asleep

Dumbledore's betrayal was almost nothing. Of course there had been a bigger plan: Harry had simply been too foolish to see it, he realized that now. He had never questioned his own assumption that Dumbledore wanted him alive. Now he saw that his life span had always been determined by how long it took to eliminate all the Horcruxes. Dumbledore had passed the job of destroying them to him, and obediently he had continued to chip away at the bonds tying not only Voldemort, but himself, to life! How neat, how elegant, not to waste any more lives, but to give the dangerous task to the boy who had already been marked for slaughter, and whose death would not be a calamity, but another blow against Voldemort.

And Dumbledore had known that Harry would not duck out, that he would keep going to the end, even though it was his end, because he had taken the trouble to get to know him, hadn't he? Dumbledore knew, as Voldemort knew, that Harry would not let anyone else die for him now that he had discovered it was in his power to stop it. The images of Fred, Lupin, and Tonks lying dead in the Great Hall forced their way back into his mind's eye, and for a moment he could hardly breathe. Death was impatient…

James was exactly the same height as Harry. He was wearing the clothes in which he had died, and his hair was untidy and ruffled, and his glasses were a little lopsided, like Mr. Weasley's.

Sirius was tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had seen him in life. He loped with an easy grace, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

Lily's smile was widest of all. She pushed her long hair back as she drew closer to him, and her green eyes, so like his, searched his face hungrily, as though she would never be able to look at him enough.

"You've been so brave."

He could not speak. His eyes feasted on her, and he thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough.

"You are nearly there," said James. "Very close. We are... so proud of you."

"Does it hurt?" The childish question had fallen from Harry's lips before he could stop it.

"Dying? Not at all," said Sirius. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

..."Harry Potter," he said very softly. His voice might have been part of the spitting fire. "The Boy Who Lived."

Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear.

He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone. (JKR Deathly Hallows).

Harry woke with a start, his scar hurting so badly he rolled out of bed screaming. Death really shouldn't hurt this much. That or Sirius was git for lying to him.

When the pain subsided he untangled himself from his covers and staggered to his feet.

Something was wrong. No, scratch that, a lot of things were wrong. He was in Gryffindor Tower, and apparently, he had just woken up. He found his glasses on the nightstand. The rest of the beds were empty. Was he shorter? Harry went to the bathroom and the sight of himself in the mirror frightened him and it wasn't because his scar was oozing blood, it was because the face in the mirror was three years younger than it should have been.

And he was short.

Harry frowned and grabbed a towel wetting it in the sink to wash the blood away. What kind of whacko dream was this? Washing the wound hurt but the cold water also soothed the aching in his forehead.

"Harry?" a voice called from the hall.

"In here!" Harry shouted back. He kept his gaze on the mirror, he watched the scar close up and magically heal over into the faintest of white lines. The lightning bolt was still visible but only if you were looking hard for it. This dream just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Mr. Potter?" It was Professor McGonagall.

Harry left the bloody towel in the sink and went out to her.

"You need to get dressed, Mr. Potter," she said when she saw him.

Harry blinked at her, "Why?"

"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.

Harry frowned, "Excuse me?"

"The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."

What was this? Was he fourteen again? This dream was rapidly becoming too realistic to be just a dream. Was this the afterlife? Some cosmic game so he would have to live through Cedric dying again? If that was the case reliving Sirius's death would have been worse. Or maybe it would get worse?

Or was this some sort of soul time travel? Was such a thing even possible?

"Come, Mr. Potter or you'll be late, you have already missed breakfast as it is."

Harry threw on his robes and joined his Head of House in the common room, mutely following behind. As they walked the halls Harry admired their intact, non-ruble quality.

They came into a room before the Great Hall and it was like walking into his own memory in a pensive.

Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his father's hooked nose. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle, was holding her mother's hand.

She waved at Harry, who waved back. Then he saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.

"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as he smiled broadly and walked over to them.

"Thought we'd come and watch you. Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"You all right?" said Bill, grinning at Harry and shaking his hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."

Fleur Delacour, Harry noticed, was eyeing Bill with great interest over her mother's shoulder. Harry could tell she had no objection whatsoever to long hair or earrings with fangs on them.

Harry was at lost as to what to say. Cedric was alive. Was Fred?

"It's great being back here," said Bill, looking around the chamber (Violet, the Fat Lady's friend, winked at him from her frame). "Haven't seen this place for five years.

Is that picture of the mad knight still around? Sir Cadogan?"

Harry nodded.

"And the Fat Lady?" said Bill.

"She was here in my time," said Mrs. Weasley. "She gave me such a telling off one night when I got back to the dormitory at four in the morning -"

"What were you doing out of your dormitory at four in the morning?" said Bill, surveying his mother with amazement.

Mrs. Weasley grinned, her eyes twinkling.

"Your father and I had been for a nighttime stroll," she said. "He got caught by Apollyon Pringle - he was the caretaker in those days - your father's still got the marks."

"Fancy giving us a tour, Harry?" said Bill.

"Yeah, sure," said Harry, and they made their way back toward the door into the Great Hall. As they passed Amos Diggory, he looked around.

"There you are, are you?" he said, looking Harry up and down.

"Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"

"What?" said Harry.

"Ignore him," said Cedric in a low voice to Harry, frowning after his father. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament - you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."

"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" said Amos Diggory, loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. "Still, you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"

"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"

Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry, but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away.

Harry had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with Bill and Mrs. Weasley, showing them the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. Mrs. Weasley was intrigued by the Whomping Willow, which had been planted after she had left school, and reminisced at length about the gamekeeper before Hagrid, a man called Ogg.

Harry walked through this dream. Smiling, chatting, treating it like he was from the same timeline as this memory, that there was nothing bad happening in this dream. Like he hadn't just died and woken up nearly four years in the past on the day that the Dark Lord came back to power. Like Albus Dumbledore hadn't set him up to die.

They returned to the castle for lunch.

"Mum - Bill!" said Ron, looking stunned, as he joined the Gryffindor table. "What're you doing here?"

"Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. How was your exam?"

"Oh . . . okay," said Ron. "Couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few. It's all right," he said, helping himself to a Cornish pasty, while Mrs. Weasley looked stern, "they're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard."

Fred, George, and Ginny came to sit next to them too, and Harry was having such a good time he felt almost as though he were back at the Burrow…

"Hello, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley, much more stiffly than usual.

"Hello," said Hermione, her smile faltering at the cold expression on Mrs. Weasley's face.

Harry looked between them, then said, "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because Hermione's not my girlfriend."

"Oh!" said Mrs. Weasley "No - of course I didn't!"

But she became considerably warmer toward Hermione after that.

Harry, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley whiled away the afternoon with a long walk around the castle, and then returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking.

Madame Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Harry thought her eyes looked red.

Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her, There were more courses than usual, but Harry, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."

Harry got up. The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding him; the Weasleys and Hermione all wished him good luck, and he headed off out of the Great Hall with Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor.

"Feeling all right. Harry?" Bagman asked as they went down the stone steps onto the grounds. "Confident?"

"I think we are all going to die," Harry said tonelessly. After all, this dream was fast approaching its nightmare like quality. He hoped he would wake up soon.

Bagman laughed, thinking Harry was joking.

They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"

The champions nodded.

Harry didn't nod he just willed himself awake. It didn't work.

"Off you go, then-" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.

"Good luck. Harry," Hagrid whispered, and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Harry could just make out Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione applauding Fleur politely, halfway up the stands. He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him.

"So ... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

And it all happened as it had before. Harry didn't talk as much but in the end, it was just him and Cedric standing before the cup.

"You should take it," Cedric said.

Harry shrugged, "It's a trap."

Cedric frowned, "What do you mean, it's a trap?"

"Whoever takes that cup is going to die."

Cedric glared at Harry, "That isn't funny."

"The cup is a trap and Professor Moody is a fraud," Harry said. He sighed and reached out to the cup, "But I'm dead already, so what does it matter?"

"Harry-" Cedric started but he was too late to stop Harry or to join him.

As Harry felt the pull on his navel he really hoped he was still dreaming.

Cedric shot red sparks up into the sky and started yelling for help.

It took ten minutes for help to arrive but they were no more help than Cedric had been. False Moody received the dementor's kiss and the real Moody was saved. But no one had the faintest idea as to where Harry Potter had gone.

Harry landed with a thud on the ground. He hated portkeys, what had possessed him to grab the damned cup? He needed to stop treating this like a dream because clearly pain was a real factor. And, apparently, events could be altered.

For instance, there was no spare.

Harry threw a reducto into the gloom, incinerating a tombstone.

Someone yelped and Riddle's voice yelled, "Subdue him, you fool!"

But Harry had thrown up a shield charm that reflected Wormtail's spell. Harry started throwing hexes and charms, one after another without a word and without relent.

Screw dying, he wanted to live and he was never going to walk to his death again, Greater Good or no.

Wormtail was a poor duelist.

"Do not run!" Voldemort instructed.

But Wormtail was losing. Three years, three painful, miserable years learning to fight to survive, barely scraping by in school thanks to the war, thanks to running away from Death Eaters and Aurors. Hell, his education had been put aside so he could rob banks. Harry was fresh from the battlefield, where as Wormtail- Wormtail was lowlier than the worms that ate the dirt.

With a pop, Wormtail apparated away. Leaving someone behind in the grass.

Harry levitated a tombstone and repeatedly smashed it onto Nagini -who had come at him, fangs exposed.

"You know," Harry said, wand pointed at the corpse of the last Horcrux, "I don't hate snakes. I just hate Voldemort's snakes, you are all creepy and twisted."

Nagini didn't respond, as she was well and truly dead.

Harry supposed he should go back to the cup, back to Hogwarts. He hesitated, no part of him wanted to go back to Hogwarts, to Dumbledore, to the students or to the media. But he would have to because this wasn't a dream. Somehow dying had brought him back in time. 1995 was not a good year for him.

Harry went to Riddle Senior's tomb and accioed all the bones. Morbid? Absolutely. But Voldemort had needed his father's bones to come back to his body. Pointing his wand at the bones, they shattered into dust and disappeared in a gust of wind.

Harry walked out of the cemetery and followed a vaguely familiar path that led further away from the town and Riddle Manor. After an hour of walking, Harry found the Gaunt Shack or the ruin of it that Dumbledore had shown him in the pensive.

He found the ring and transfigured a piece of wood into a porcelain ball just large enough to hold the ring. He scooped up the ring in the makeshift container, transfiguring it shut and pocketing the nullified poisoned -as long as he didn't touch it with his skin, ring in his robe pocket, checking he had no holes in that pocket first.

Harry had done a lot of thinking on his walk and did a lot more thinking on his way back to the graveyard.

Number One: If you are given a second chance to live, don't waste it.

Number Two: Snape is more trustworthy than Dumbledore and either McGonagall or Flitwick is more trustworthy than Snape. So he had best pick someone who he is going to tell the whole story to carefully and make sure that Dumbledore doesn't try to get control over Harry again.

Number Three: Horcruxes. Taking into account his bleeding head pain this morning, he was going to wager that had been the death of that Horcrux. The diary was finished, the ring was his, and Nagini was dead which only left the Cup, still in Gringotts, the Diadem, back at Hogwarts, the Locket, still at Grimmauld Place, and of course, Voldemort in his infant alien form.

Number Four: Hedwig, Sirius, Fred, Cedric, Lupin, Nymphadora, and countless others were still alive and Harry wanted them to stay that way.

"So who to trust?" Harry asked himself as he stood before the cup lying inertly on the ground. It was dark out but his eyes had long since adjusted to the moonlit night. "Who do I trust?"

Not Dumbledore.

It wasn't a voice in his head, it was his gut reaction to having trusted and loved a man who had set him up to die.

"So who do I trust who isn't with Albus Dumbledore?" Harry asked out loud. Not Snape, not McGonagall, not even Sirius.

Who then?

But the thought had occurred to him already. Filius Flitwick. He wasn't a part of the order but he was a good man, a Dueling Champion, and Head of Ravenclaw House. Harry could use a little wisdom at this point in his life.

Of course, this all could still be a dream. Merlin, let it all be a dream.

"Harry!" Hermione was the first to get to him. She was sobbing. Mrs. Weasley was close behind.

Harry told them over and over again that he was alright.

"What happened?" "What happened?" It was all anyone could ask him once they realized he was, in fact, okay.

"Graveyard, Voldemort, Pettigrew, they both got away," Harry summarized.

"You are an idiot!" Cedric yelled. "You knew it was a trap, why on earth did you grab it?"

Harry looked at Cedric dead on, "Because if one of us had to die I'd rather it be me."

There was only truth on Harry's face and no one who heard his words thought he was joking.

After that between McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley, Harry made it back to the castle without an interception, and he was directed to the hospital wing to be checked over by Madame Pomfrey.

Poppy shooed away everyone even the Headmaster.

"Can I stay here until the end of the term?" Harry asked.

Poppy -who was more than accustomed to Harry as her tenant, was taken aback by this question. Never had Harry ever asked to stay longer. She nodded. There was less than a week anyhow and she would be relieved to keep an eye on him.

His next question was more unsettling than the first. "Could you look at my scar, please? It was bleeding this morning?"

She did and what she found scared her. "Possession," she breathed.

"What was that, Madame Pomfrey?" he asked her.

"This- this residue was of another magical lifeforce, like a leach trying to eat its way into -not just your mind, but your soul."

"Is it gone?"

"You don't sound surprised."

"Please, just tell me?"

"Yes, it's gone and whatever damage it caused it should begin to heal naturally now. How did you get it off?" she asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Harry tried.

She didn't bite, she chided "Mr. Potter."

"The Killing Curse," Harry answered shortly.

"You aimed a Killing Curse at your scar?" she asked, deeply concerned.

"No, I had a dream Voldemort did it, I woke up in pain with my head bleeding."

Poppy frowned and pulled a vial out of her apron, "Dreamless Sleep, drink it and try not to worry about anything."

"I don't want to talk to Dumbledore," Harry blurted out.

"I will see what I can do, but rest, Mr. Potter."

He did as he was told, glad for the respite.

Dumbledore manoeuvred his way into seeing Harry, Harry glared at Pomfrey who gave him an apologetic look before going to her office.

Harry gave the old wizard with his sparkling eyes one glance before glueing his eyes to his own hand -strangely scarless hands.

This man, this pillar in his life that had set him up to fall. Falling. It was Harry's last memory of this man alive, Albus falling off the tower because he made, made Snape kill him.

"Harry, look at me," Albus said gently.

"Leave me alone," Harry muttered back.

"How did you know the cup was a trap?"

"Because it was the last thing we did for tasks and there had to be some goal, some reason for putting my name in the goblet."

"Logical," Albus said.

Logic? When had logic ever been the major player in Harry's life?

"I went to the graveyard," the Headmaster ventured, "it looked as if there had been a battle there. I found a rather dead snake."

"Wormtail got away with Voldemort," Harry said without raising his head.

"He's back?"

Harry shook his head, "Only in the way that he's never really been gone."

Albus sighed, "That's good."

Harry frowned.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

What's wrong is, is that you want me dead, Harry thought. But maybe that wasn't fair. Albus wanted Voldemort dead, Harry was just a means to an end.

"Harry-"

"Can you leave, please?" he asked. "I'm tired."

"Of course, if you told me everything important I can go."

Harry looked up then, making direct eye contact, his mental wards as solid as they had ever been. Maybe without a slice of another person's soul attached to his mind, he could be good at this mind magic. "You know everything important, Sir."

It was the same tone Harry used with Snape and Albus looked floored.

"Harry, you know I would never cause you harm, don't you?"

Harry's gaze grew angry and distant, "Never directly." Only by your inaction.

"I will let you get rest if you think of anything, tell me."

Harry laid back done with the conversation and turned his back on the old man.

Harry spent his last day at Hogwarts destroying Horcruxes. He went down to the Chamber of Secrets first, with the Ring and stabbed it right through the porcelain container. The ring screamed and the black smoke died. He picked up the stone with a bit of ripped robe and chucked it into the Slytherin statue's maw where the snake had crawled out from.

Harry wrapped the fang in a bit of leather and took his broom back up the passage that he had cleared. Harry went right to the Room of Requirement, found and destroyed diadem.

Harry looked at the pieces of the crown and wrapped them up in a satchel.

How was Harry supposed to get into Gringotts again? Bellatrix Lestrange was still in prison so the first insane way they had done it wouldn't work.

He looked around the room for inspiration and it was the room itself that gave him an idea.

"Dobby?" Harry called.

Dobby appeared with his typical greeting.

"Dobby," Harry started, "Do you know how to break into Gringotts?"

The elf blinked. "What does Harry Potter need?"

"I need the Hufflepuff Cup from Bellatrix Lestrange's vault."

Dobby shuttered but snapped his fingers and the cup appeared in front of them, the sound of metal ringing as it hit the ground.

Harry gaped, "It can't be that easy."

"If Harry Potter, Sir, had asked Dobby to get him money from any vault but his own Dobby couldn't have done it. But this is a Hogwarts object and belongs to the school."

As Dobby was speaking Harry pulled the Basilisk fang and struck the cup. It screamed and the cup was left with a huge dent and black mark on it but it was soulless.

"Harry Potter, Sir, that was Dark Magic," he informed him.

"Yep, and there is one more."

"Where, Sir?" Dobby asked ready for the challenge.

"Grimmauld Place, Slytherin's Locket," Harry said.

Dobby snapped his fingers, but the locket did not appear alone.

A snarling elf came attached to the locket, an elf who was out for blood.

"Wait, Kreacher!" Harry called, "Kreacher wait, we are trying to destroy it as Master Regulus asked you to!"

Kreacher paused in trying to strangle Dobby, and slowly turned to Harry.

"What do you know about Master Regulus?"

"Sirius Black is my godfather and that locket needs to be opened by a Parselmouth and destroyed with something that can destroy the darkest of magic."

Kreacher let go of Dobby, who coughed and gave the other elf a dark look.

Harry motioned for the elf to lay the locket on the floor, which Kreacher did reluctantly.

"Open," Harry hissed.

Harry who was feeling a bit stab happy, stabbed it the moment the gears sprung open.

More screaming black smoke and it was over. The dairy, the snake, the ring, the diadem, the cup, the locket, and himself were all taken care of.

Harry picked up the locket that was mostly undamaged and told it to close. He handed it to Kreacher, "Thank you, Kreacher."

The dirty elf looked at him in awe, "You're welcome, Master Potter." Before popping away.

"Do you need anything else, Harry Potter, Sir?" Dobby asked.

"No, Dobby, thank you."

"Dobby needs to go back to preparing the feast but you can call Dobby whenever you need him."

Harry nodded and Dobby popped out as well.

Walking the halls, Harry tried not to remember what they had been reduced to. But it was hard. Harry found his way to Flitwick's office and knocked on his doorframe.

"Come in," said the man's merry voice. "Oh, Mr. Potter, come right in."

Harry approached his desk, shutting the door behind him. Harry was pleased to see that there were no portraits in Flitwick's office.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Potter? I hope this isn't about homework or tests. You have been excused from such things for the year."

"Professor," Harry started, "I need to talk to someone who isn't a member of the Order of the Phoenix -who I can trust."

Flitwick sat back in his chair, "You mean Dumbledore's order?"

"Yes."

Flitwick frowned, "Why wouldn't you go to Dumbledore himself?"

"Because I am done getting struck with the Killing Curses by a crazy psychopath."

Flitwick blinked, "Explain."

And Harry did. Starting with the prophecy, and Snape's part, and Quirrell, the Chamber of Secrets, Sirius, Wormtail, the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort coming back, the Horcruxes, Dumbledore's death, the school being overrun by Death Eaters, the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry's death, and Harry waking up the day of the final task and him re-hunting the Horcruxes.

Harry must have talked for hours and when he was done, Flitwick summoned him a glass of water. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes as Harry drank deeply from the glass.

"Albus is- I can't believe this," Flitwick said finally.

"What am I supposed to do?" Harry asked.

"What are you supposed to do?" Flitwick repeated outrage, "Nothing, nothing you shouldn't have been responsible for any of this. It is us, the adults who should have to do somethin-"

"I am seventeen," Harry interrupted.

Flitwick sighed, "Perhaps, but you are in the body of your fourteen-year-old self."

"A war is coming. I can't sit back and do nothing, I will not wait and let what happened the first time around happen again."

"I will not let that happen either. I will be keeping an eye on Mr. Malfoy, Narcissa was one of my favourite students along with your mother. I will not allow either of you to come to ruin. And Severus is too close to this."

"But what do I do?" Harry asked again.

"You destroyed all the Horcruxes?"

Harry brought out the remains of Ravenclaw's Diadem and the cup, "All of them."

"May I?" Flitwick asked reaching out for it.

"I am not sure if it is safe to touch but I know it doesn't have a Horcrux in it anymore. But you can keep it."

Flitwick nodded and pulled open a drawer and slipped the cup and the diadem into by pulling on cloth it was resting on. "I will think on what to tell Minerva, Pomona, and Poppy when the time is right but let me ask you this, Harry, what more can be done at this moment? You've destroyed all that anchors him to this world and you have destroyed the remains of Riddle's father."

"I don't know," Harry said, "But we have to do something, we have to find Wormtail and Voldemort."

Flitwick sighed, "And with a tracker on your wand and the prohibition of underaged magic how do you plan to start? Live in the woods for the rest of your life? On the run? Do you even know where to start looking for him?"

Harry looked out the window, "I can't, it can't all be for nothing, I can't let them all die again."

"You prevented the Dark Lord from coming back into his full power. You destroyed the Horcruxes in one week, that is more than anyone else could have done. And you wouldn't have been able to do that if you hadn't already lived it. So this is what we are going to do. You are going back to the Dursleys for one more summer, you are going to study, you are going to come back to school and work for your own future for whatever it is you want to do. And if Voldemort ever gets close to you again he'll be in for a fight." Flitwick took a breath, "I am going to reach out to my contacts in the ministry. You and I are going to exchange letters over the summer so I know you are safe and mentally dealing with- with all that has happened. I am going to do everything I can to help you and stop him."

"But for now you want me to go home and be a good little boy," Harry said, too tired to put force behind the words.

"Do you want to tell everyone you time traveled? because that comes with its own set of problems."

"No," Harry said shortly. "But I can tell my friends, right?"

"Of course, honestly this is the sort of story that even if you tell it no one is going to want to believe it."

"You can't tell Dumbledore," Harry ordered but it came out as a sort of question.

Flitwick's nostrils flared, "No, no, I don't believe I will be telling Albus much of anything, his intentions were good, his actions are inexcusable."

Harry nodded and stood, "Thanks for listening to me, Professor Flitwick."

"It was my honor, Mr. Potter, feel free contact me about anything, even it seems insignificant or you need someone to talk to about personal matters. You can come to me with anything."

"Thank you," Harry said again before leaving, shutting the door softly behind him.

Harry trudged up the steps to Gryffindor Tower.

"Harry?"

Harry turned to the voice. "Luna?" he asked.

Had they met yet? He couldn't remember. Merlin, but he was tired, he had slept all week but still, he was wary.

"Yes, it's Luna. You look older," she told him. She stood on the steps above him, her white hair glowing, her luggage in her hands.

"I feel ancient," Harry tried to joke, but his voice was dull.

"Feel younger soon," she said with a smile before going on her way.

Harry was smiling the faintest bit as he reached Gryffindor Tower. Everyone was gone. He found his luggage packed at the foot of his bed, Ron or Hermione must have done. He moved slowly as he made his way to Hogsmeade. What did it matter if the train left without him? He had been worse off than that before.

Ron and Hermione cornered him on the train, questioning him. Yet after telling the whole story to Flitwick, Harry was drained. "Wormtail was there and I started throwing spells and I killed Voldemort's snake and Wormtail ran away with Voldemort," he said tonelessly.

"Oh," Hermione said, sitting back in her seat, "Well are you okay? Why did you spend a week in the hospital wing? Why didn't we get to see you?"

"Something happened to my scar," Harry pulled back his bangs. "It was bleeding."

"Mate, you can barely see it now," Ron remarked.

"I know," Harry said.

"What happened to it? What did Madame Pomfrey say?" Hermione pressed.

"It's healing."

They didn't talk much after that. Harry felt bad about not telling them, but he didn't have the words to tell them how he was, how he was feeling. He didn't know himself. He had no explanation for being alive and as he drifted to sleep on the Hogwarts Express he couldn't help thinking that falling asleep was far easier than walking to one's death, far easier than dying.

Maybe he should punch Sirius next time he saw him. His parents shouldn't have been proud of him, they should have been outraged that he had thrown his life away. He should have been outraged, but he was too tired to feel much of anything.

AN: So I wanted to try my luck writing Luna and Harry. Sorry the intro was a bit slow. Let me know what you thought? I post stories so I can read your reactions. If you have critics or questions or problems pm me, please? Thank you for reading!

Chapter 2: Summer Letters

KEYNOTE: Cannon timeline keeps Harry at the Dursleys for a month, I shifted it to more than two months.

AN: Thank you to the reviewers.

Chapter 2: Summer Letters

The most remarkable part of Harry's summer was no pain in his scar. Yet despite the lack of versions of what Voldemort was up to or about the Department of Mysteries Harry had a lot of nightmares about the war. Being stuck at the Dursleys did not help. Harry cooked, cleaned, and studied.

Hedwig, his beautiful, wonderful, best friend ever was his constant company except when Harry sent her to the bookstore. Harry's library was sure to make even Hermione envious now. Harry wrote to Professor McGonagall expressing his desire to drop Divination. He had seen more of the future than had ever desired. She sent an adamite response back with Hedwig, wishing him well and saying that he would have to pick another subject and depending on the subject he might have to take a class with a younger year. She also attached a new list of classes.

Harry had no idea what he should pick and it was that choice that prompted Harry to send his first letter to Professor Flitwick.

Dear Professor Flitwick,

I want to thank you again for listening to me at the end of term. I hope all is well with you. I owled Professor McGonagall about switching out of Divinations. She wrote back saying I needed to pick another topic. I am staying with Care of Magical Creatures but I don't know what else would be worth it. Any suggestions as to what would be useful? I don't have much a preference so whatever you think is best, might you also suggest a good reading selection to catch up in that class?

Warmest Regards,

Harry Potter

A few days later Hedwig returned with another, larger owl, carrying a small stack of books.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I am delighted to hear from you. Arithmancy is probably your best bet for a practical class. Combined with Charms you can begin to learn about wards seeing as you have such a strong inclination for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have sent some reading material that should catch you up on the material of the first year, though as Minerva indicated you will likely still be placed in a class with the fourth years. All the same, I would confirm with her. The Study of Ancient Runes should be your next choice though in that subject's core there is an element of Divinations. Confirm with Minerva that Arithmancy can fit into your schedule and you can begin some of the essay prompts. A short response should be sufficient for each as long as you understand the material. It was one of my best classes when I was your age, feel free to send me any questions. Also, if you find yourself bored we can always exchange discussion about Charms and DADA.

How are you doing? Do you have any friends back home you've been talking to? Is your family aware of what has been happening to you? Are you taking care of yourself?

As always, if you need anything, reach out.

All the Very Best,

Filius

Harry gave the second owl who was a Hogwarts owl a letter for McGonagall to confirm Arithmancy as his choice.

Harry found himself rereading Flitwick's letter dozens of times over. Aside from Hermione and the rare letter from Ron no one had ever sent him such a personal letter. This summer no one was sending him letters. Aside from the one cryptic letter from Sirius who told him to keep his head down this summer.

Harry waited three days before replying to Flitwick. In those three days, Harry had read two out of the three books and four chapters of the first textbook. The ward stuff was a lot more interesting than the basics. But the basics were kinda fun too. It was magical math and like potions Harry didn't necessarily need a wand, he just needed to be magical.

Dear Professor Flitwick,

Thank you for your help. I am really liking the books you sent me and Professor McGonagall confirmed that I have room and the time to take Arithmancy with the fourth year class.

As for your questions. I do not have friends here and the Dursleys do not like to talk about magic or anything related to it so I have told them nothing. The nightmares have been pretty bad but my scar does not hurt. I have been eating enough. I have been exercising a little but mostly I have been reading and completing my summer homework. I plan to force Professor Snape to give me an Outstanding or at least an Exceeds Expectation seeing as I am two years ahead.

Could you give me harder essays for your class when I get back to school? I received an E on my OWLs for your class. I would like to keep moving forward as I never got to do my seventh year.

Also, do you know if Dolores Umbridge will be teaching? I was thinking of starting up a DADA club and I was wondering if you or McGonagall could supervise it?

Thank you for your time.

All the Best,

Harry

It was the longest letter Harry could ever remember sending someone. The most he had opened up to anyone outside of Ron and Hermione on paper. Reading it over, only the line about his OWLs and being two years ahead seemed odd. If anyone else read this they probably think he was crazy. Which was alright, Harry had been called worse.

Writing that letter gave Harry an idea. Harry sent Sirius a letter.

Hi Snuffles,

Hope you are doing well and eating enough. I know things as they are we can't say much through letters but I wanted to ask you about Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration.

What do you think aside from the obvious moon consideration, is the most useful Transfiguration spells? Is it just natural talent that my dad had for the subject or did he study differently than other people?

And for dueling what do you think is most important?

Love,

Harry

It was a sedate letter, an academic letter and Sirius's response was the same, with little hints about anecdotes that he would tell Harry in person.

Harry began loving school in a way he had never before. He exchanged a near endless chain of letters with Sirius and Flitwick about Transfiguration, DADA, Charms, and Arithmancy.

Always before Harry had written people to talk about Voldemort or with Ron letters about Quidditch. But Harry wasn't fifteen, he was eighteen and had sort of survived a war.

Talking to Sirius, not about the straight theory of Transfiguration but the practical uses and about topics and spells that he read about in the book was a lot of fun. Maybe Harry should have been exchanging letters with Remus, but as much as Harry loved his old professor, Sirius seemed to care more. Besides for the more technical stuff he could send a letter to Flitwick. Harry had even gone so far as to send McGonagall a few questions.

Harry had always dumbed himself down, ever since Puntiuna had starved him for getting better grades than Dudley and then to remain friends with Ron, who preferred to do anything but homework. But Quidditch wasn't enough to keep his mind busy trapped in Surry. Harry almost started a half a dozen letters to Hermione who surely would have loved Harry's new interest in his academics but Hermione was sharp and she would know something major had changed in him. Sirius didn't really know Harry well enough for his interest in school to be a red flag. Hiding that he was two years ahead in material from Hermione, however, was going to be a problem.

Of course, he could always confide everything to Ron and Hermione and he wouldn't have to hide anything. Yet there still remained the issue of not being to explain it properly. If he told Sirius one day, his godfather would understand, having a fought in a war himself. Flitwick had been around for two wizarding wars. Ron hadn't lost a single family member nor had Hermione erased her parents' memory of her, they weren't Harry's two best friends who had been tortured, gone into hiding, broke into Gringotts and countless other live alternating, deadly deeds with Harry.

How could he confide in them? What if it hurt them to know the future? What if they started having nightmares like Harry? And perhaps worst of all, what if he told them and they never understood him?

Harry was grateful he didn't forget the date of the Dementor attack. Harry walked to the park, his wand prepared and just like last time he found Dudley and his friends. Harry and Dudley were walking back to the house, Harry partaking in the same teasing as last time, only Dudley didn't have the Cedric comeback as seldom as Harry slept apparently he no longer cried out in his sleep.

"Why do you have your stick out still?" Dudley asked, frowning down at Harry.

Harry still hated being short. Two years from now he would not be the tallest guy around but for right now, he was still short for his age.

"Something is bound to attack me sometime," Harry answered casually. Only this time I'll be ready, Harry thought.

As if on cue the street became colder, the streetlights dimmer, and all the happiness in the world began to fade away as if the saturation of the landscape was being drained by some mighty hand.

The Dementors came streaking and towards them and wordlessly Harry summoned his patronus, his stag charging the dementors before they got close enough to do real damage. Harry pushed Dudley, "Run, Dudi-di-kins!"

They made it back to the house intact.

"What was that?" Dudley asked between panting breaths Harry in the entrance to the house.

"Dementors, jail guards that can suck your soul out of your body."

Dudley gaped at Harry. "Why go to that freak school if you have to deal with stuff like that?"

"Because it is better than living here," Harry answered honestly. "I have people who actually care about in my world."

Dudley didn't have a comeback for that. "I feel awful," he said instead, referring not to Harry's troubles but the depression the Dementors left behind them.

"Chocolate, we need chocolate."

Dudley, not one to question the need for sweets motioned for Harry to stand by the door as he went into the living room to ask Aunt Petunia for a chocolate bar. He came back and Harry was surprised to receive a small slice.

"Thanks," Harry said nibbling on the bit of chocolate.

"DAMNED OWLS!" Uncle Vernon shouted.

Harry sighed and stepped into the living room to go through the chorus of the Ministries talking letters.

"Ha ha," Uncle Vernon crooned, "You've been expelled."

"Not yet," Harry said, as the second and third owl came.

"What's happening?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Harry saved me," Dudley volunteered.

"Saved you from what, son?" Uncle Vernon asked.

"A dementor," he said.

Aunt Petunia shrieked and half fainted onto the couch.

"What!?" Uncle Vernon roared.

"Well it was two Dementors, actually, and I used a charm to fend them off."

"We should have never taken you in!" Uncle Vernon yelled, "Putting our son in danger."

"If I wasn't around then the Dark Lord would be and if he were around then the Dementors would be one of the numerous dangers that you would have no defensive from," Harry said evenly. Uncle Vernon was easier to deal with when they weren't both angry. And last time Dudley had thrown up and been shaking, not chowing down on a chocolate bar.

"I have a gun!"

"And what good is a gun against something you can't even see?" Harry questioned.

"So we should be grateful?" Uncle Vernon.

"As long as you don't starve me or hit me or curse my parents' memory, I don't really care what you are," Harry said before returning to his room.

Harry wrote Flitwick and Sirius a letter and one to Amelia Bones.

Dear Flitwick,

It happened like before. Minus one howler.

All the Best,

Harry

Dear Snuffles,

I'll be good and I promise to stay inside. Dudley gave me chocolate, guess he's not all bad after all.

Love,

Harry

Dear Madam Bones,

So can I sue the government for sending two Dementors after me and my cousin? I don't really want money or anything except for it not to happen again and being able to keep my wand so I can keep saving my own life.

Warm Regards,

Harry Potter

Flitwick's response was clipped and he promised to be at the hearing with Albus, along with McGonagall. Sirius sent back I love ya kid. And Madam Bones wrote back a rather informal letter.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I will not allow anyone in the Ministry to break your wand. I will be digging into who sent the Dementors to muggle Surry. I only regret to say that you must still attend the hearing as the Minister himself requested it. As stupid as the formalities are they must be practiced. However, I implore you not worry, as the Head of Department of Law Enforcement, I can promise you will keep your wand and be able to attend Hogwarts for your Fifth Year. Try not to use any more magic, but do not hesitate to keep yourself safe if the need arises.

Yours Sincerely,

Amelia Bones

P.S. Susan says hi.

Harry smiled at the letter and wrote back:

Dear Madam Bones,

Thank you so much.

Warm Regards,

Harry

P.S. Hi Susan.

When the Order came to pick him out at his home he was packed, his room clean, and Hedwig's empty cage was clean too. Harry had told her to go ahead to Sirius's place.

Harry chatted with Tonks happily and Remus gave Harry a quick hug.

"Thanks, Harry," Remus said.

"Thanks for what," Harry asked as he rolled on his broom closer toward the older wizard. It was good to be flying again. Harry was not going to get kicked off the team this year if he had to play nice with Umbridge he would. Well, at least he wouldn't pick a fight with her.

"Your letters to Sirius, he waits for them every day you know. He spends hours writing and perfecting his responses. I think you're the only thing keeping him sane."

Harry smiled, he knew exactly what Sirius was going through and he was glad to hear that the letters had meant as much to his Godfather as they had to him. "They've been the only thing keeping me sane too."

"A real interest in your studies, not just defense, huh? Sirius came to me for a couple of the questions you asked him," Remus said with a grin.

Harry shrugged, "What else was I supposed to do this summer, mope?"

Remus frowned, opening his mouth to say something but Tonks swept down and challenged Harry to race. Which Harry eagerly agreed to.

By the time Moody let them land they were freezing. But it had been completely worth it to taste the sky again.

Grimmauld Place was almost unrecognizable. It was, dare Harry even think it clean.

Mrs. Weasley greeted them and Harry started to go around her to go see Sirius. Writing to him had been great but Harry could shake the feeling he was exchanging letters with the dead. Until Harry saw Sirius for himself, in the flesh, he couldn't really believe his godfather was alive. His godfather who like his parents had died for him, only Sirius had died because of Harry's mistakes.

"No, Harry," Mrs. Weasley, holding him by the shoulder, "There's an Order-"

Harry shrugged her off, his temper rising, "Like any of you have anything important to say. You talk and you talk but your actions are always too late to ever do anyone any good."

Momentarily stunned by Harry's hostility, he was able to get past her. There was a mixed reaction to Harry's barging in, several people looked annoyed or in Snape's case actively scowling, several more looked indifferent as Harry had said, they didn't truly have that much to discuss, while a handful smiled at him. Harry wondered why the Order had even been gathered, Voldemort had yet to return to power, but then maybe it was a good thing the Order was getting a head start.

Harry saw McGonagall who gave him a warm -if small smile. Harry ignored the Headmaster before the Headmaster had the chance to avert his eyes from Harry's. Sirius stood, his smile radiant, Harry hugged him tightly. Sirius chuckled when Harry nearly squeezed the life out of him and returned the fierce hug with an equal amount of warmth.

"How touching," Snape sneered, "But some of us of more important things to do with our time."

Harry let go of Sirius. Before Sirius could start a fight Harry said in a sincere voice with a huge smile toward the dour wizard, "Sorry, Professor. I'll leave."

Harry grinned at Sirius's shocked expression as he left the room.

Harry ran up the steps. The house elf heads were still in the hall but it was still remarkably clean compared to his first visit here.

Hermione jumped him as soon as he reached the bedroom they were staying in. Harry hugged her back.

"Oh, Harry, you must be so angry at us!" she started, "Ron, Harry's here!"

Harry smiled at his two best friends, internally laughing at the thought of these younger versions snogging. "I'm not mad, Hermione."

"Hey, Harry!" Ron greeted grinning.

"How have you been?" Harry asked them both.

"Fine," Hermione said warily, "You sure you're not mad?"

"Nope, not mad," Harry said. "Ron do you want to kick my butt at a game of wizarding chess?"

Ron's face lit up like it was Christmas, "Yeah, sure mate."

Hermione frowned at them, "Um, Harry, you seem calm about the whole Dementor attack…"

"I sent Hedwig to Madam Bones," Harry said. Hedwig flew down from her perch in the room to cuddle on Harry's shoulder, "And she said there was nothing to worry about. Fudge is out to get me is all."

Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried glance.

"The Head of Magical Law Enforcement owled you back?"

"Of course she did," he said, "Aside from being Harry Potter, Dementor attacks in a muggle suburb is a big enough deal for her to be personally involved in."

"Mate," Ron started slowly, "You sure you're feeling alright?"

"Honestly," Harry assured them, "I'm fine."

"Really," Hermione asked, "Because at the end of last year you didn't talk to us at all and we were prepared for you to be angry and now… now your-"

"I've been exchanging letters with Sirius almost every other day all summer," Harry said. "I know no one was abandoning me."

Fred and George apparated into the room. "Harry!" they said in unison.

"Hi Gred, hi Forge," Harry said.

They held up extendable ears, "You want to listen in to the Order meeting?"

Harry eyed the ears, yeah he would like to know but-

Mrs. Weasley called them down for supper.

Fred and George sighed. Fred said, "Guess we are too late this time."

George pocketed the ears, "We had better hide these before Mum trashes these too."

"Is everything going according to plan then?" Harry asked as they headed down the steps.

They smiled at him. George whispered, "Yeah, we got a space in Diagon Alley."

"What are you whispering about now?" Hermione asked giving the twins a suspicious look.

They only smirked at Hermione before disapparating, Mrs. Weasley yelled at them when they re-appeared downstairs.

Harry got to Sirius's side in record time.

Snape turned his chin up at the happy pair only to almost trip at the elf who appeared in front of him.

The elf bowed low, "Kreacher welcomes, Master Potter."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, "You two have met?"

"Dobby introduced us," Harry supplied.

"I thought the elf was yours, Sirius?" Snape inquired.

"I thought so too," Sirius said, "But Harry can have him. He seems reasonably civil with him."

Kreacher deepened his bow, so that his large ears brushed the floor, "Kreacher would be honored to serve Master Potter."

"Okay," Sirius agreed. A power washed through the room as Kreacher's loyalties shifted.

"Idiot!" Snape hissed. "Now we will have to re-"

"Kreacher, I forbid you from sharing anything you know, have learned, or have heard as well as will hear and learn with anyone by either magical or mundane means outside the Order without my explicit permission," Harry commanded.

Snape's lips tightened but he gave one short nod and left.

Sirius elbowed Harry, "That's better than the command Albus came up with."

Harry grinned.

"Kreacher will be cleaning, Master can call if he needs Kreacher," the elf said before popping away.

"Why does he like you?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, "I must remind him of someone."

Sirius frowned at Harry, "I suppose you are sort of like my little brother, even maybe a more than you are like James. Though Reggie got messed up with Death Eaters."

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Harry said and he wanted to tell him how Regulus had died fighting against Voldemort. But right now wasn't the time or place for that talk.

Sirius shook himself like a dog shaking off water and Harry saw that their letters had helped him recover more of himself. He looked healthier and more cheerful than he had in their original timeline. It was a ray of hope in what Harry was sure would be a difficult year, even knowing the future, Harry's luck was not to be trusted.

AN: I know I am making Harry more academically inclined but remember that he is older than his peers now. My Harry will be powerful, smarter but not invincible, he still has a temper and will still make mistakes. Please, please share your thoughts and reactions with me?

Chapter 3: Slipping Through the Cracks

KEYNOTE: I am treating Harry's scar Horcrux like a tumor, you don't know if it is cancerous or not until you open it up. Hence, Poppy missing it.

AN: There are direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Chapter 3: Slipping Through the Cracks

"Nearly time for bed, I think," said Mrs. Weasley with a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly," said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The atmosphere in the room changed with the rapidity Harry associated with the arrival of Dementors. Where seconds before it had been sleepily relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. A frisson had gone around the table at the mention of Voldemort's name. Lupin, who had been about to take a sip of wine, lowered his goblet slowly, looking wary.

"Has he back into his full power yet?" Harry asked immediately.

"No, Sirius," Mrs. Weasley said, "They're too young."

She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched an its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" asked Sirius. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house over two months. He's got the right to know what's been happen-"

"Hang on!" interrupted George loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" said Fred angrily.

"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and y du haven't told us a single stinking thing!" said George.

'"You're too young, you're not in the Order,"" said Fred, in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's. "Harry's not even of age!"

Well, Harry thought, as far as they knew he wasn't.

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," said Sirius calmly, "that's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand -"

'"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply. The expression on her normally kind face looked dangerous. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

Which is when Harry snapped, "Just tell me if he has regained his power or not I can guess the rest."

"He hasn't regained power but the rumors of him coming back, of him being the one to kidnap you have shifted things," Sirius said.

"Haven't you been reading the papers, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No."

"Well, they've been saying really awful things. Reeta Skeeter heard you tell Dumbledore 'Graveyard, Voldemort, Pettigrew, they both got away,' and now everyone thinks, well that you'r-"

"You're mad," Ron supplied, "Like a lunatic."

"Well not everyone thinks so but according to the papers," Hermione added.

"But some of the Death Eaters and Voldemort's lesser followers have begun to move and so have we, that is the Order and Dumbledore. Even if he isn't at full strength yet he still has resources, beyond Wormtail."

"But what can he do?" Hermione asked. "What does he want if he isn't just trying to come back to life."

"He's after something," Sirius said, "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."

Harry's couldn't keep the look of despair off his face, "It is in the Department of Mysteries, and you shouldn't bother with it. The damage has already been done."

Sirius sat forward, surprise and worry warring on his face, "How can you possibly know what it is?"

The rest of the room was hushed. Even Mrs. Weasley who had been trying to shoo her children out of the room, paused looking at Harry.

"It's nothing. It's why my parents were murdered, but it changes nothing now. You should just let him have it. Voldemort already wants me dead, so it's nothing, completely meaningless," Harry said as he looked at Sirius and remembered this beloved man falling into the Veil. Sirius had died for him, died so Harry could hunt Horcruxes and martyr himself later on.

Harry bolted from the table, from the room, he ran to the bathroom slamming the door behind him as his stomach reprocessed his dinner into the toilet.

Sirius had run after Harry, Arthur stopping Molly from following.

"How could he know what it is?" Molly asked, "We don't even know what it is."

The room's occupants exchanged glances. They were all thinking the same question, What had happened to Harry during the last task?

Sirius stopped just in time to keep his nose from being broken as the door slammed shut in his face. He probably should have knocked but he doubted Harry could hear over him as he retched. Sirius shut the door gently and went to the floor on his knees so he could rub Harry's back.

It was not long until Harry was dry heaving and in tears. "It's my fault their dead."

"No, Harry, no," Sirius said softly but with feeling, "your parents loved you, you were their world. Only your death could have destroyed them."

We are so proud of you, You're so brave.

Harry heaved into the toilet again.

"What's happened, Harry?" Sirius asked. "What's happened to you?"

Harry shook his head and stopped when the motion made the world spin.

"How did you know about the weapon?"

"It's the prophecy," Harry said too quietly.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"It's the prophecy, the one that made my parents going into hiding," Harry said, looking up at Sirius.

Horror and understanding crossed his face, "Who told you? Dumbledore?"

"Voldemort, he showed, he was inside of my head, he showed me-" Harry broke off and grabbed a towel to wipe his sweaty face.

Sirius put a hand on Harry's cheek, "How did he show you?"

"He got inside my head, in my dreams, my nightmares, my scar hurt when he was angry or happy- He used me, he wanted me to get it for him."

Sirius pulled Harry into his arms, rubbing his back. "It's going to be okay, Harry, you're going to be alright."

Harry clung to his godfather, "Just don't die, Sirius, please, just don't die."

Sirius held him tighter, "I am not going to fail you again, Harry, I am not going to leave you again."

But he had, and wounds long pushed aside came tumbling forward. Harry didn't cry, yet Sirius stayed with him in the darkly lit bathroom for hours as Harry tried to work up the will to act 'normal.'

Harry wanted nothing more than to drop out of school and run away with Sirius, run away from Voldemort and the world he had tainted.

A few days later, there was an Order meeting. Harry had ardently refused to talk any more about the incident, even to Sirius.

Dumbledore began with, "Our top priority must be keeping the door to the room in the Dep-"

"Harry says we shouldn't bother with that," Sirius interrupted.

Albus whipped his attention toward Sirius, "What does Harry know of the Department of Mysteries? What did you tell him?"

"Nothing," Tonks jumped in, "he told us what it was, or at least he told Sirius what it was and he said it didn't matter. That it had already done its damage."

"Yes, and we should take Potter at his word about everything, I suppose," Severus said snidely.

"Snape," Sirius said seriously waiting for the other man to make eye contact. "It's the Prophecy."

Severus's sallow face drained of all semblance of color, making him look wraithlike. He wet his lips before asking, "And how would Potter know about the Prophecy?"

"He said the Dark Lord showed him, that he broke into his mind, his dreams, and showed him," Sirius said.

The entire room shifted uneasily.

"But that's impossible, Riddle doesn't know the full Prophecy, how could Harry?" Albus asked.

"More?" Severus asked. He looked like he was going to be sick. "More, of that accursed thing? What more could it possibly say?"

"It isn't relevant-" Albus soothed.

"The hell, it isn't!" Sirius said slamming his fist on the table. "Lily and James told me what you told them but Lily thought you left something out, that your speech was too prepared, too posed when you told them. What did you leave out? The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal. What's missing? What are you asking us to risk our lives for when Harry seems convinced the Prophecy means Voldemort will want him more dead than he already does?"

Albus looked furious, "Those words were not something I would have had you share."

Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Nymphadora, Remus, Kingsley, and Hestia looked horrified at the prophecy.

Minerva was close to tears. "Albus," she said sharply, "Harry cannot be the only way to defeat him. He's lost too much already, how can we ask this of him?"

"You told Lily and James this?" Remus asked. "You told her this when she was still pregnant? No wonder her heart was broken. Why James was so on edge. They weren't just afraid of Voldemort because they were known Order members. He was after Harry, he was specifically after their son." It was not a pleasant realization.

What remained of Severus's heart clenched. The pain he had caused Lily even more than her death, he poisoned her last years alive. For not the first time Severus wished it had been him. Wished Albus had caught him at the door and struck him down. Wished James Potter hadn't saved his life and had let Lupin eat him. Wished anything could have changed that wouldn't have led to Lily suffering and dying.

"If Harry's mind has been infiltrated then he needs to learn to protect himself. Severus, you will teach the boy Occlumency."

Severus nodded numbly.

Minerva's temper was building, "You cannot pit the boy against the Dark Lord."

"At the rate things are going," Kingsley said in his deep voice, "Harry is his own greatest defense. We can't count on being there when he needs help. We should reconsider withholding information from him."

"And then he will tell his friends-" Severus protested.

"Harry's not talking to his friends," Sirius said. "He's barely talking to me. Something has happened to him."

"Something aside from You-Know-Who invading his mind?" Arthur asked.

"Sirius," Albus started, "Harry is still a child."

Sirius frown at him, "If you mean he's human and can make mistakes than I would agree with you, but show me his childhood, explain to me how living with the Dursleys and getting killed almost every year at Hogwarts has somehow added to his immaturity. When I talk with him it isn't a child I am speaking to."

"He isn't James, Sirius, no matter how much he might look like him," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I know that."

"Harry will be told what he needs to be told when the time comes," Albus said.

"And what about what Harry tells us?" Sirius asked. "He's beginning not to trust you old man. He gets agitated any time your name is brought up in conversation. What happens when Harry knows more than us and he chooses to leave you in the dark?"

"That will not happen," Albus said, self-assured. "Harry might be upset with me for the moment but he has always trusted me."

Severus and Sirius exchanged a look. They were two men who tended to despise one another for the other's weaknesses and screw ups, but they were also two men who had been left behind by Albus Dumbledore -though they trusted the elder wizard, in their hearts they knew that Albus wasn't always deserving of that trust.

Harry threw ten gallons into the fountain as he passed. He felt some reluctance handing the wand to the guard.

Harry followed Arthur up to his office then followed him at a run behind Arthur as they rushed to their appointment. Harry was amused that despite the changes he had already made in the time things were much the same.

Just as Flitwick had promised he and Minerva were in the stands behind him.

Albus appeared as his defendant just as he had the first time.

This time, however, Albus caught Harry's eye. Harry smiled a bit before looking up at Madame Bones. She winked at him and Harry had to suppress a grin.

As scary as this dungeon had been the first time around, Harry was now enjoying all of these adults playing house.

Madame Bones was prepared and took control of the courtroom at once. "We are all he today because of certain members of this Ministry having a personal vendetta against Harry James Potter who has been accused of underaged magic. I would like to dismiss this case as I have confirmed that it was under ministry order that two dementors were sent to Little Whinging, Surrey. I do not know yet who dispatched them but I know that Mr. Potter's use of a corporeal patronus to save his own life and soul as well as his cousin's, Dudley Dursley who Mr. Potter lives -is quite reasonable. I do have all the facts correct, don't I, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said.

The room was silent and Albus looked surprised.

"It is just a story," Fudge said. "A made up-"

"I looked into after Mr. Potter sent me a letter asking if he could sue us for sending dementors after him. As I said I have not found who sent them but I can confirm that the records show that they were sent. Is there anyone who doubts my word, my office?"

There was a long silence in which no one dared to go against Madame Bones.

She clapped her hands once, "Settled, Harry J. Potter is cleared of all charges. Thank you, Mr. Potter, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall for your time, you may leave. The rest of you lot will stay to be interviewed about the Dementor incident by my team of Aurors and Minister if you would be so kind as to supervise, seeing as you seemed so concerned about this case. I will be in my office getting real work done."

Harry was grinning as he ran over to Flitwick and McGonagall. "Thanks for coming, Professors," Harry said warmly as they made their way to the door, that several Aurors were coming through.

Albus followed behind them more sedately.

"Hi Mrs. Figg," Harry greeted as they emerged into the hall.

"Hi, Harry," she replied drifting to Albus's side.

"I cannot believe they were going to give you a full criminal hearing, for a minor," Flitwick said.

"It was amusing to see Madame Bones knock Fudge down a notch," McGonagall said falling into step beside Harry.

"You sent Madame Bones a letter, Harry?" Albus asked from behind him.

"Yep," Harry said shortly.

Flitwick shot Albus a distinctively cold look.

"Filius is something the matter?" Albus asked.

"Not at all, this situation itself is simply outrageous," Filius said back.

"You didn't have to come, I was surprised to see you both in the stands. How did you know when the hearing was? It wasn't in the papers."

"Harry gave me the date and Minerva and I chose to come early," Filius said.

"I was not aware the two of you were in correspondence."

"Harry switched electives," Minerva said, "Filius has been ensuring he can at least start with the fourth years in Arithmancy so he isn't two years behind."

Albus blinked, "Which class did you drop, Harry?"

"Divinations," Harry said. "I have no talent for it. Besides Trelawny is more or less the reason my future has always been in the gutter."

"Do not talk about that here," Albus warned.

Harry shrugged and switched topics. "I really do like Arithmancy. The concept of wards is too cool. It reminds me of muggle math."

"Do you miss muggle school?" Filius asked.

"Not in the slightest," Harry said.

Minerva's lips turned up at the corners, "Magic is excellent."

"And friends, and not having guardians who yell at you for getting better grades than their lazy son," Harry said.

Minerva's mouth pinched and she glared at Albus, "I told you those muggles were foul. The worst sort of people."

Harry blinked, "You know the Dursleys?"

"I was there the night Albus insisted you stay with them. I argued against it."

"It was the safest op-"

Harry snorted. They had reached Mr. Weasley who was ready to take him back to Grimmauld Place. Harry turned to meet Albus's gaze, "You only care about my safety when it suits you. Bye Professors, thanks again for being here."

Mr. Weasley waved to the three professors before leading Harry to the exit.

Minerva crossed her arms and glared at Albus.

"What?" he asked.

"He isn't going back there this coming summer."

"The blo-"

"No," she cut him off, "I will take him in myself if Sirius still isn't cleared. But he isn't going back there."

"Harry didn't make the Dursleys sound too terrible," Flitwick said, gazing after Harry.

"No," Minerva said sadly, "which means it's probably even worse than what little he does complain about them."

Albus ran a hand down his white beard, and it was harder than it should have been to shove down his compassion for the boy. Albus had always admired the boy but now something was changing, something in Harry, in the Order, in the staff, and Albus was not sure he was ready for those changes.

AN: Not trying to bash Albus, but he will need to form a different relationship with Harry. Next chapter we go back to Hogwarts. I think I am going to keep following the plot of the Order of the Phoenix and adapt as my changes take effect. Also I will be adding way more Luna Lovegood. Please let me know what you thought and what you reacted to?

Chapter 4: A Shift in the Paradigm

AN: I am going not trying to Albus bash but people have a right to be upset with him for setting Harry up to face the Dark Lord.

Chapter 4: A Shift in the Paradigm

Harry almost walked into Lucius Malfoy. Harry looked up at the well groomed, proud, blonde pureblood and remembered him unkempt on his knees, remembered him being tortured, remembered him and his wife pleading and fighting for Draco's life.

Lucius Malfoy had such different beliefs from Harry's and yet- and yet Harry felt the hatred he had always had for this man fade. Harry would fight him if he tried to hurt some he cared for but he pitied the wizard too much to work up enough resentment to hate him.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy," Harry greeted cordially.

Both Arthur and Lucius froze in what they were going to say and stared down at the Boy Who Lived.

Lucius Malfoy regained himself first. "Mr. Potter," he said civilly.

"Hope you've been enjoying the summer," Harry said.

Arthur openly gaped at Harry.

"It has been refreshingly sunny," Lucius said automatically. "How as your summer been?" His training more or less demanding he be polite to someone being polite to him, unless they were a mudblood or a blood traitor. Harry Potter was too, too- influential to be rude to if the boy had gone out of his way to being civil.

"I've been reading a lot, trying to catch up on wasted time and all," Harry answered.

Lucius raised a brow. Should he probe? Harry Potter was many things, a liar -despite what the papers said, was not among them. Which means that the Dark Lord was back, even if Lucius personally had had no contact with him. Severus hadn't told him anything other than Dumbledore believed Potter and was searching. "Draco has been studying as well seeing as the OWLs are this year. I must get on with my business here," Lucius said trying to extract himself from this bizarre interaction. "I trust your trial went in your favor?"

Harry nodded, "It did. Have a good day, Mr. Malfoy."

"Good day, Mr. Potter," Lucius said, a thoughtful expression laying claim to his features.

Harry pulled Arthur along to the exit.

When they were out of earshot Arthur demanded, "What was that?"

"Manners?" Harry replied, "I didn't say anything wrong did I?"

Arthur shook his head, "No, but that was Malfoy." He said Malfoy the way Harry said Wormtail.

"If you treat every person who doesn't see the world like you do they will be your enemy," Harry said.

Arthur frowned, "He is our enemy."

"Maybe, be he is also a self centered person and a father. He is not a good person but that does not mean he is incapable of doing good things."

"And what are the chances that man does something good for anyone else?"

Harry shrugged, "When someone makes him choose between his idea of the way the world should be and his family."

Arthur didn't know what to say that. He wanted to say that Malfoy was all evil but then Arthur could see himself doing very bad things to save his family, perhaps Malfoy was capable of making different choices. Arthur shook his head again, "You should not trust that man."

"I don't," Harry said, "But I don't have to go out of my way to be mean to him either."

"You went out of your way to be nice to him," Arthur muttered.

Harry grinned up at Mr. Weasley, "And the looks on your faces was completely worth it."

Arthur laughed as they stepped into the streets of Muggle London.

Sirius and Harry were sitting with Buckbeak in Sirius's mother room as Harry described the trial.

"You really weren't worried?" Sirius asked.

"I haven't been preaching that Voldemort is back, that's Dumbledore's gig. I don't think the public hates me enough that the Ministry could get away with snapping my wand. Fudge needs to be expelled from power, he's a fool," Harry said, resting his chin on his knees.

"He's jealous of Dumbledore and he is weak and insecure. Not a good combination for a leader. Harry, why aren't you hanging out with Ron and Hermione."

Harry shrugged, "I'll be with them all year, I have one night left here."

Sirius smiled, "I'm going to miss you."

Not as much as I've missed you, Harry thought. "How hard is it to become an animagus?"

Grinning said, "Harder yet simpler than you would think. James had an easier time with it than I did. It involves a lot of soul searching or in my case a lot of trusting your own magic. James was able to picture his animal form before his first time. I just jumped into and Pete- Well, James and I practiced transfiguring him into a rat and eventually he figured it out himself."

"Wait, so did you guys pick a rat for his form?" Harry asked.

"No, there is a transfiguration spell that just turns people into an animal, a non-specified animal. Most people don't use it in duals because there is always the chance the person turns into a lion and then your in worse shape than you were with the human, magical or otherwise."

"So why did my dad have an easier time with it than you?"

Sirius put a hand into his curls, pulling gently at his scalp. "James was more comfortable with himself, well, why shouldn't he have been, he was rich, talented, good looking, and had parents who loved him. Your grandparents Harry, they were remarkable people. They took me in when I ran away sixteen. Anyway, James liked who he was, knew he was, sure he was full of himself, and big headed at times but he never had a problem with who he was.

"Me on the other hand. Well did you Remus ever tell you about what I did to Snape?"

Harry shook his head. He knew the story but he'd never heard Sirius tell it.

"Well, we were always picking on Snape. We were bullies really, not the Snivellus didn't give as good as he got but we were usually the ones to start it. It didn't help that the girl James was gone on was Snape's best friend."

"My mum's best friend was Snape?"

"Yep. Lily was, how do I say this Lil's a bit like Hermione. Brilliant, bullheaded and not always the easiest person to like until you really got to know them. She was a lot to take in, but she was unfailing kind. You got that from her. Anyway as we got older I think our pranks got meaner as did Snape. He figured out there was something up with Remus and he kept watching us.

"You have to understand, Harry, that I honestly believed that if Snape found out about Remus being a werewolf he would find a way to get him expelled. So one full moon Snape was skulking around and I goaded him into finding a way to the Shrieking Shack."

"Did you mean to kill him?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius said, his face flushed with shame, "But I was wrong and stupid because I should have acknowledged that Snape could have gotten killed. And well I think I hurt Remus more than anyone there. Had Remus woken up to either having turned someone else or killing Severus…" He took a deep breath, "Frankly, I am surprised Remus ever forgave me. Him and James didn't talk to me for weeks afterwards and I had detention for the rest of the year. By rights I should have been expelled but Albus is very good at giving second chances even to people who probably don't deserve it."

"You're not a bad person," Harry said.

Sirius smiled sadly, "I'm far from perfect. It's why when I became an animagus I wasn't able to see what I would be, because I wasn't willing to look that deep. So I jumped blindly, knowing I was strong enough magically to achieve it. I was a dog and it was great and then I saw my reflection. Figures I would be a Grim. An omen of death."

Harry put a hand on Sirius's shoulder, "I've made mistakes too."

"Not ones that resulted in people dying, Harry," Sirius said.

Harry felt his heart ache and he wanted to tell Sirius that he had gotten him killed but Harry was ready to tell Sirius about the future, a future Harry had every intention of changing. "I killed Professor Quirrell."

Sirius blinked, "What?"

"Quirinus Quirrell, I killed him in my first year."

Sirius looked lost, "Why? How? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Dumbledore hushed it up I think. 'His death was a terrible accident.' But it wasn't, I killed him, and I didn't have to. Had I just kept my nose out of it Dumbledore's Mirror of Erised would have kept it safe."

"Keep what safe?"

"The Philosopher's Stone."

"What was that doing at Hogwarts and why would Quirinus want- He was working for Voldemort?"

"He had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. He wore a turban to class, he was our DADA Professor."

Sirius just stared at Harry for a moment. Finally, he asked, "How did you kill him?"

"I held onto his face."

"That doesn't make any sense, Harry, how does holding onto his face kill a wizard plus a dark lord."

"Whatever my mother did to save me, it kept the Dark Lord from being able to touch me. Touching hurt us both, but it burned Quirrell's face and I held on even when I passed out. It resulted in killing Quirrell. Voldemort got away as a spirit."

"You were eleven?" Sirius asked.

"Yes."

"Merlin, Harry! Why didn't you ask for help?"

"We told McGonagall someone was after the stone. We thought it was Snape but he turned out to be protecting the thing. Hermione figured out how to get by fluffy and the plants. I caught the key and Ron won the chess match, while Hermione got past the potions. I got Voldemort-Quirrell and the stone in the mirror."

"Harry, Quirrell was a fully fledged wizard he could have killed you."

"I killed him first and if I had been smarter I wouldn't have been in that situation."

"Harry-" Sirius was cut off when Mrs. Weasley knocked on the door.

"Come down you two, we are celebrating!" she called.

"Coming, Molly!" Sirius called. Before turning to Harry, "We can finish this conversation later, but before we go down are you disappointed about not being a prefect? You haven't been talking much to your friends as- you don't seem as close is all."

"I am not upset about it, I don't want the responsibility. Especially, since I have to take Occlumency with Snape," Harry couldn't keep the distaste out of his voice. He never wanted another person in his mind, least of all with all secrets he had now. Snape or Dumbledore knowing he was a Harry from the future was nothing but trouble.

"You seem so distant with them. You sent me a lot of letters this summer did you exchange of them with them? I am sure Hermione would talk with you about school work for hours."

"It isn't them, Sirius, it's me. After the last task, after seeing Wormtail and Voldemort again it just sort of hit me. This life isn't a game, I could have died, and if Cedric was with me… This life isn't a fairytale, some adventure, people could get permanently hurt. I am having a hard time keeping my patience with Ron and even Hermione, she's brilliant but she also, she also assumes she knows everything or at least is cable of understanding everything and anything. She thinks you can learn it in a book, and that everyone has the same moral compass. But you can't, there are some things that you just can't understand. Right and wrong isn't so black and white."

Sirius looked at Harry, and was amazed by him. "You're a wiser and a better man, Harry, than I will ever be. Just promise you'll try to have fun this year don't take life so seriously you forget to enjoy what you have."

Harry nodded and gave Sirius a hug before they joined everyone down stairs.

"Sirius?" Harry asked pausing at the open door with the rattling cabinet that housed the bogat. "Can I borrow your wand?"

Sirius looked into the room, "You want to take care of the boget? Didn't I just tell you to have fun?"

"Ridiculous is fun," Harry said innocently.

Sirius rolled his eyes but stood back waving Harry forward, passing him his wand. Harry swished the wand that seemed to purr in his hand, not like it saw him as a master but like a cat momentarily approving of him. The cabinet unlocked and the boget emerged, shifted and it wasn't a Dementor that emerged, but his mother. She was beautiful, fiery hair, shining emerald eyes so similar to his own. She held out her hand, beckoning him forward and what she said sent a chill down to his very soul, "Come to me, son, this dream is ending."

Harry screamed a ridiculous at her, and she shattered into glass shards as if she had been a stained glass window, the shards whirled into a small vortex shrinking into a spot on the floor. The Resurrection Stone rested inertly on the ground and Harry understood what his fear was. He feared his parents wanted him dead, that Sirius wanted him dead, that Harry himself really was dead and this second chance was nothing more than a dream.

He raised Sirius's wand again and almost whispered, "Ridiculous." The stone turned into sand and faded into nothing, defeated.

Harry turned to give Sirius his wand back. Sirius and Snape were standing in the doorway. Snape was staring at the place where Lily had been standing.

"Harry! Sirius! Come down to eat!" Mrs. Weasley called.

Mrs. Black's portrait started shrieking.

Sirius took his wand back and went to go shut up his mother, giving Harry a parting look though didn't pry.

Snape stood frozen to the spot. His onyx eyes finally focusing on Harry, "You're afraid of Lily? You're own mother?"

"No," Harry said, "I'm afraid that by dying for me, she died for nothing, just one more sorrow in a lineage of pain and suffering."

Snape said nothing, could say nothing, only wonder at the boy who -as it would appear, he knew nothing about.

Harry went down the stairs to join the party. He smiled at Ron and Hermione taking his place at the table.

Harry stayed up late that night with Sirius. They avoided anymore emotionally depressing stories and Sirius stuck to stories about Transfiguration and detentions with James and McGonagall.

Harry was able to convince Sirius to stay safe at Grimmauld Place. Even so, their group was almost late getting onto the Hogwarts Express.

Hermione and Ron went up front with the Prefects. Harry watched them go with a feeling of relief. It was agustating to pretend he was normal around them. They both knew knew something had changed in him but he only got funny looks when he started talking about subject. Harry had resorted to keeping his mouth mostly shut around them and only speaking when he had to. Which was a bad sign in and of itself but they seemed to attribute it to his long summer at the Dursleys with only two and half weeks at Grimmauld Place with Sirius.

Harry took Hedwig and his luggage and followed Ginny like he had in his first fifth year train ride.

People looked at him through windows and whispered to each other. Harry ignored them. They met Neville in the hall in front of Luna's compartment. Harry greeted Neville before going into Luna's compartment not waiting for Ginny or Neville.

Luna wouldn't look at him like he was freak, or acting odd, or anything irritating like that.

"Hi, Luna, can we sit with you?"

She looked up from her copy of the Quibbler, her wand behind her ear, her eyes unblinking as she looked into him. The corner of her mouth turned up, "Hi, Harry. You can."

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

Harry sat beside Luna grinning. "How was your summer?" he asked her. Harry didn't know why exactly but it felt like Luna was the Luna from his time. Or maybe it was the fact that Harry knew for a fact that time travel wasn't something she would be overly surprised about or hold against him.

She put down her magazine down and ran a hand down her long blonde curls. "Oh, it was good, quite lovely really," she turned her eyes to Neville, "And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," said Neville hurriedly.

"No you're not," said Ginny sharply. "Neville Longbottom-Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," said Luna in a singsong voice.

Neville turned to Harry, "Guess what I got for my birthday?"

"A plant?" Harry guessed and slipped out his wand. He was not getting slimed on this time around.

Neville dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia," he said proudly.

It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.

"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it… It's got an amazing defensive mechanism. Here, hold Trevor for me... '

He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine, watching what Neville was doing. Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

"Neville, I don't think that is a good idea," Harry started but he was too late.

Harry's shield charm saved Luna and himself, but Ginny and Neville...

"Sosorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before. . . . Didn't realise it would be quite so. . . Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, looking at Ginny who spat out a mouthful onto the floor.

At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.

"Oh . . . hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. 'Um . . . bad time?" It was Cho Chang, the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

"Hi," said Harry. Cho was still pretty but Harry no longer had the slightest interest. He hadn't since dating Ginny. But as pretty and cool as Ginny was Harry couldn't bring himself to see her as more than a friend. He didn't even see her as the same person from sixth and seventh year. It hadn't worked between Harry or Cho or Ginny then and he had no reason to believe or even want it to work now.

"How's Cedric?" Harry asked.

"Don't know, we um broke up," said Cho. "Well … just thought I'd say hello . . . 'bye then."

Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

Ron and Hermione did not turn up for nearly an hour, by which time the food trolley had already gone by.

"I'm starving," said Ron, stowing Pigwidgeon next to Hedwig, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron, still with his eyes closed.

"Draco," Harry said as he flipped through a copy of the Quibbler Luna had given him.

"Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"

Harry pointed to an article about Disney Paris, "I want to try that."

"What?" Ron asked.

Luna looked over and smiled, "It would be fun."

"Performing magic tricks at a muggle amusement park," Harry explained.

"That's illegal," Hermione said.

Harry shrugged, "Not if your not harming anyone or doing stuff that can't be accomplished without magic. Like levitation or sparks or making birds appear. It would be fun to do in front of children who believe and parents who don't and know that it really is real."

Ron looked at Harry, "You want to entertain muggle children?"

"For one afternoon it might be fun."

Luna nodded.

"I can't wait to catch Malfoy and his goons at something. I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," said Ron happily. He lowered his voice to Goyle's low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair. "I . . . must . . . not . . . look . . . like . . . a . . . baboon's . . . backside. "

Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Hedwig to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and Crookshanks to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. Luna laughed so hard her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs, and onto the floor.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backwards and forwards, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.

"Baboon's . . . backside!" she choked, holding her ribs.

Harry grinned at her laughing.

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron as Harry closed the magazine.

"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly, before Harry could answer. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Hermione," Harry said sharply, "Mr. Lovegood is the Editor of the Quibbler."

Just then the compartment door opened for the third time.

Harry chose to do the same thing he had to Mr. Malfoy, "Hello Draco. How are you? I saw your father at the Ministry yesterday, he said you've been studying for the OWL's have you gotten far with the History book yet? I swear the book is more use than Professor Bins."

Draco was floored by this greeting and by Harry's apparently sincere demeanor.

"He isn't the most interesting professor, is he?" Luna asked, "Pity, I thought it would have been fun to learn from a ghost."

"The Bloody Baron would be a good story teller I'd bet," Harry replied to her.

Draco stood frozen in the doorway and Harry had to bite his cheek at the mirror of Lucius's expression he was wearing, and like his father, training kicked in.

"I'm rather good at history. It is the DADA book that is giving me trouble. I don't know what will learn in that class that might be useful for OWL's."

"I was thinking of starting a DADA club this year," Harry said. "So students can practice outside of class."

"Might be fun," Draco said, warily. "We need to go keep checking the train, me being a Prefect and all." He was starting to build up his steam again only to be thoroughly deflated by Harry's next remark.

"Yeah, congratulations, it's a big achievement. See you around."

Draco was at a loss. He could not detect the slightest bit of sarcasm from Harry's tone. He stepped back, shut the door, and walked away with Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville gaped at him.

"I think the Bloody Baron might be too descriptive and then we wouldn't have time to learn all the facts," Luna said, continuing the conversation.

"At least I wouldn't be tempted to doze off in class," Harry quipped.

"I like sketching in his class while I listen. I just take the notes from the book," she said, her large blue eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

"Smart," Harry said.

"Harry?" Ron questioned outraged, "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You were nice to Malfoy."

"Yeah, and he left us alone," Harry said.

Hermione was frowning at him, "Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"About a DADA club?"

Harry shrugged, "It seems like fun and as long we don't have someone like Lockhart running it might be helpful."

They all rode in silence after that. Harry took Hedwig out of her cage and petted her as he watched the world speed by outside the train window.

Hedwig hopped onto his lap so Luna could pet her too.

As everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this; they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Harry and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

"I'll carry that owl, if you like," said Luna to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Neville stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.

"Thank you," said Harry, handing her the cage and hoisting Hedwig's more securely into his arms.

When they reached the carraiges Harry rested Hedwig's cage on his trunk so he could pet the nearest thestral.

They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither-vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Harry looked into the thestrals white eye and smiled. He wondered if dying gave him a closer bound to these animals because the great head rubbed into Harry's touch and made a pleased clicking noise in its throat.

"Where's Pig?" said Ron's voice, right behind Harry.

"Luna has him,' said Harry

Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd. Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks. "Thanks," said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up…"

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry remained behind with Ron.

"Harry," Hermione started, "What are you petting?"

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are," she said. "He's a sweet little owl, isn't he?"

"Er . . . yeah . . . he's all right," said Ron gruffly. "Well, come on then, let's get in. . . . What are you staring at, Harry?'

"Harry, seriously, what are you doing," Hermione asked.

"Just petting the carriage horse?" Harry answered.

Ron looked seriously alarmed now.

"Are you feeling all right, Harry?"

Harry smiled.

"Shall we get in, then?" said Ron uncertainly, looking at Harry as though worried about him.

Luna came to stand with Harry, "I can see them, too."

"They're nicer than you think they would," Harry said, giving the thestral a soft pat on the shoulder.

"You're nicer than I thought you would be," she said. Smiling faintly, she climbed into the musty interior of the carriage after Ron. A bit unsettled, Harry followed her.

Disclaimer: A lot of direct quotes from Order of the Phoenix.

AN: Hope the flow was alright. I was rereading this book and I couldn't leave out or alter much Luna's first real appearance in the books, I did add a lot though. Let me know what you think? If you want more ;)

Chapter 5: Trouble on Purpose

AN: I am slowly writing more to Disorder of the Pheonix. My brain stalled so I switched to this to keep my mind moving. Reviewers help my creative process :D

Chapter 5

They received their time tables and Harry looked at his and slipped right into his bag. Monday was Potions, Arithmancy, and DADA and judging by Ron's groan and his memory Ron had Divinations. Harry hadn't told either Ron or Hermione that he had switched classes, he expected a fight and he expected them both to be hurt.

He sighed.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked up at the head table, Umbridge was watching all the students like a frog gaging the distance of a fly it intended to eat. "Just another miss year for DADA."

"You don't think will learn anything from her?" Hermione asked, almost glaring up at the pink toad.

"Hermione," Harry said, "you've read that book. That bit about counter curses. It would be better to just to skip her class."

"You can't skip class, Harry," she said instantly.

Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry, "You read the book?"

"I skimmed it enough to know it less informative than the Lockhart books."

"It isn't the best of books, but it has some substance," Hermione defended, as she would likely defend any published book.

Harry suddenly didn't feel like eating. He finished what was left on his place and got up to leave.

"Does Harry- does Harry seem off to you?" Ron asked Hermione whose eyes, along with many, many others watched the raven haired boy leave.

Hermione nodded, "He was different after the last task and at Grimmauld Place but the changes were not that noticeable until-"

"Until he started being polite to Malfoy."

"Maybe, it's a good thing, Ron."

"Or maybe there's something wrong with him."

Hermione frowned at her plate, her appetite too, seemed to disappear.

Harry sat in the common room reading a Potions Theory book which he was starting to realize was more like baking than anything else. You had a lot more freedom when you were cooking meals, but if you were making a cake and you left out baking soda the whole thing was ruined. It was with this mindset that Harry read the tips on the proper ways to handle plants and adding certain liquids to potions.

He would force to give Snape to give him an outstanding even if it took destroying reality to get it.

Harry took off his shoes and curled up in the armchair, leaning towards the fire. His body felt cold, he always felt cold now a days. Even in the heavy heat of summer, he couldn't get warm as if his bones were in a cooler.

He noticed in a dim sort of way that people were coming into the room. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Fred touched his shoulder.

"Harry?" Fred asked.

"You alright?" George asked.

"Yeah, you startled me is all," Harry said, closing his book, as he was just rereading it at this point anyway.

"What are you reading?" George asked.

Harry showed them the cover.

Fred laughed, "You trying to get a leg up in potions?"

"I think I want to be good at this subject just so I can spite the old bat."

George grinned, "We have a few books we can lend you that helped us."

"That would be awesome, this book is just tips on how to handle different materials."

The twins looked down at the book in unison, "Is it any good," they asked.

Harry nodded and handed it to them, "You can borrow it if you like, I have already finished it. I was just looking over a couple of the more detailed descriptions."

"Thanks, Harry," George said.

"You're a great friend," Fred said.

"What did you do, Harry?" Ron asked coming up behind them.

"So suspicious, ickle-prefect," Fred said, turning on his younger brother.

"With that tone, it makes it sound like you think we are up to something," George added with a sly smile.

"You two are always up to something," Hermione pointed out.

Harry stood, stretched, and headed up to bed while Ron and Hermione were still bickering with the twins.

Harry's dreams were strange. He stood in front of a mirror and as he stared his scar burst open, blood trailing down his face, building in his eyebrow, sliding down the side of his nose, getting in his one eye. Green eye turned to red and reflection flashed to his older self. One glowing red eye like Voldemort's and other shining emerald like his boggart mother's.

Harry lurched out of bed, panting slightly but no one else was awake. He got dressed and went down to breakfast early. The hall was mostly empty as it was barely six a.m. but among the students at breakfast, Draco Malfoy was one of them sitting alone at the Slytherin table.

Harry thought of the Sorting Hat's warning and remembered how staying divided literally brought down the school.

Screw it, Harry thought, it's not like he is a Death Eater yet. That was next year.

Harry made a beeline for the white haired Slytherin. He sat down at the table and waited for Draco to look up at him.

He did, and his pale eyes widened at Harry Potter's appearance.

"Good morning," Harry said, cheerfully.

"Good mor-" Draco had to stop himself, "Did you get hit in the head or something? This is the Slytherin table."

Harry grinned, "I was almost got sorted into Slytherin but I begged the Sorting Hat not to put me in the same house as you and the man who murdered my parents."

Draco blinked, again he was at a lost on how to handle this more amenable Potter. Draco figured it was some type of ploy to get at him so he asked, "What do you want?"

"What do you think about a DADA club? You said yourself that book was useless."

Draco felt like he was in an alternate universe, "My father said-"

"Your father doesn't work for the Ministry, and news flash Draco, but the Ministry doesn't want us learning magic that can be used against them."

"So what we get a club started and get a professor to teach an extra class?"

"No, I'll teach it. I have a feeling Umbridge isn't going to let us use magic in class," Harry said.

"And I feel like you are mental and Umbridge isn't going to like you teaching her subject outside of class," Draco shot back.

"So we do it in secret," Harry supplied, "I know a place."

"And you think you can teach me anything, that your bette-"

"I am the best student in the school for DADA. It is my subject, you, on the other hand, are the dumbarse who taunted a hippogryph after Hagrid told you they were proud creatures who never forgive insults."

Draco flushed and glared, "Get lost, Potter."

Harry shrugged, "We have DADA today, let me know when you decide you want to pass your OWL's."

He went back to the Gryffindor table, finished a piece of toast and an apple for heading down to the dungeons. He had some extra time to read the twin's potions book they had lent him.

Hermione and Ron got to class just before Snape. The class started brewing their potions. Harry and Draco were the only ones to get it perfect. Hermione's potion was probably a distant third in the class.

Harry smirked as Snape frowned down at his perfectly prepared potion.

Severus looked between Granger's potion and Potter's, Potter's was the better of the two. Which was impossible, Potter was hopeless in this subject unless Granger was cheating for him, however, Granger was far too vain to let Potter achieve a better greater grade than her. Weasley wasn't of any help, his potion was toxic. No, the only student in the class who could have achieved this was Draco, who Severus sometimes tutored in the summers. Draco and Potter would never work together, meaning Potter had somehow gotten better at potions.

Snape turned on Weasley.

"What was that?" Ron asked, spitting mad. Sure, Snape had picked on him before, but he had never been the professor's primary focus, that was either Harry or Neville.

"I am not going to fail his class," Harry said.

"Your potion was better than Hermione's," Ron said.

Hermione's mouth tightened, "I have to get to Ancient Runes."

Harry sighed.

"You knew she would react like that," Ron snapped, "I just don't understand how you could have done better than her in the first place."

"I studied over the summer."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because what else was I supposed to do locked up at the Dursleys, Ron? In case you're not aware you and Hermione are my only friends. How many letters did we exchange? How much did you hear from me? Did you ever stop to think what it's like to have no one to talk to other than an old cat lady across the street who only talks about her cats? The most human interaction I get is my Aunt and Uncle ordering me to do chores and make them food. So, yeah I read books and did my summer homework. Sorry to disappoint you," Harry snapped.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked as Harry turned down a different corridor.

"Arithmancy, and don't worry about telling Trelawny, she must have seen it coming."

Ron stopped and watched his best friend walk alone down the hall into the mass of other students. Harry had changed and Ron wasn't sure he liked the new Harry.

The Arithmancy room was bright large windowed room. The tables were low and square and there were four pillows at each.

Harry smiled when he saw Luna who had spotted him the second he walked into the room.

"Harry," she greeted.

"Harry?" Susan asked, whipping her head around, "Hi, Harry!" she cheered.

"Hi Susan, hi Luna," Harry said, taking his seat between them.

"Thank Merlin, I am not the only one from our year who switched electives. Of course, I switched last year so I had to do the first class," Susan said.

"I covered the first years work over the summer, Flitwick graded the homework and Professor Vector sent me the tests. I got the okay to only go back the one year," Harry said.

"I got to move forward a year," the Slytherin girl with golden-blonde hair said across from Harry.

"Harry," Susan began, "this is Astoria Greengrass. Astoria this is-"

"Harry Potter, I'm aware," she said coolly.

Harry smiled, "You and your sister sound alike."

She glared at him, "How would you know? you hate Slytherins."

"No, I dislike Draco and his two shadows and sometimes Pansy and Millicent. Your sister is nice though," Harry said.

"My sister isn't nice. She's awesome but she isn't nice."

"Well by nice, I mean she isn't loud and annoying," Harry corrected himself.

"Because that isn't the exact definition of a Gryffindor?" she shot back. "You are the attention hogging Boy Who Lived."

"Hey, I never asked to be famous for surviving my parents getting murdered, I would gladly trade my fame for mother's life," Harry snapped.

"Like you can even remember her," Astoria said not letting go of her advantage.

"I remember her screaming for my life and what it looked like when Voldemort hit her with the killing curse. Trauma sticks with you."

Astoria looked away, her cheeks flushing. "Sorry," she muttered.

"My parents were killed by him too," Susan said softly.

They were all spared further discussion on the topic of dead parents as Professor Vector control of the class.

She was a stern witch and though her class seemed to be a numerical way of predicting the future, her class began to go into wards, in numerical architecture that aligned with the stars, like tombs in Egypt or mosques in the Near East. With Arithmancy numbers and patterns had power.

Hermione was right about it being a far better class than Divinations. The groups of four worked together on a circular diagram on their table. Between the four of them, they did really well.

Professor Vector gave Harry an approving nod, "You'll catch up quickly with this group and your presence evens out the class so now every table as four. Splendid."

As they were leaving class Luna said to him softly, "On the train, your shield charm…"

"It was instinct," Harry said.

"You cast it without speaking a spell," she said.

Harry missed a step.

She smiled at him, "I don't think the others noticed."

They parted ways when they got to the great hall for lunch.

"You dropped Divinations?" Hermione asked as soon as he sat down.

"Didn't Ron tell?" Harry asked pulling a few slices of apple onto his plate.

"Yeah, he said you've been studying all summer," she said.

"I didn't think you would have a problem with that," Harry said without looking at her.

"You hate studying."

Harry looked up at her then, "Like I told Ron, I hate living with the Dursleys and I had nothing better to do with my time."

She opened her mouth to protest, "Hermione, give it a rest. Can't you just be happy or proud or something other than upset I didn't tell you every aspect of my life."

She nearly bit off her tongue, "That's not fair."

"And it's not fair for you to be mad that I did better than you on one potions assignment either."

None of the three of them talked to each other through the rest of lunch.

Harry had started on his Arithmancy homework having transfigured the textbook to look like the DADA book.

Like last time Hermione raised her hand.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows. "And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. -?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Hermione immediately raised her hand too. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge, in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but-"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the "whole point" of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way-"

"What use is that?" said Harry loudly, he couldn't help himself. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a-"

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up, too.

"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr. Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but-"

Professor Umbridge talked over him. "I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed-not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean angrily, "he was the best we ever-"

"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day-"

"No we haven't," Hermione said, "we just-"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand. Professor Umbridge turned away from her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you."

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads."

"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" trilled Professor Umbridge. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and things?"

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practicing them beforehand?" said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough-" Professor Umbridge looked up and met Harry's gaze. He still loathed this woman, Lucius Malfoy was the height of morality compares to her. "There will be no to try the spells before the test, the theory will suffice."

Harry had bit his cheek but he was able to keep his temper. Umbridge had made Harry's life a living hell once and he fully intended to repay the favor. He would not be able to accomplish that here and now.

Eventually, the class settled down, resigned to reading listlessly from the book.

Draco came up to Harry after class as he was walking out with Ron and Hermione.

Draco said two words before disappearing into the crowd, "I'm in."

"I know I keep asking this, but what was that?" Ron asked.

Harry grinned, "Trouble."

AN: Thank you for the reviews! For the longer reviewers, I tend to PM you so be aware of your inboxes. A warm shout out to daithi4377!

Chapter 6: Even the Slytherins

AN: I got surgery on my right arm, typing with my left hand is slow going, sorry for the small chapter.

KEYNOTE: Ancient Runes is just reading an ancient wizard language according to Pottermore though it is in symbols 'Runes' as JKR uses them are just words like ancient Egyptian, the symbols have no power themselves. JKR's Arithmancy is numerology that can predict the future. For my purposes, Arithmancy + Astrology can show the past and future in universal patterns while Arithmancy + Charms can make wards by the structure of patterns. Best examples I can give you are Islamic Mosque ceilings such as Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran or Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran which I strongly suggest you look up because they are beautiful. Students will trace out the mathematical structures and then by using charms to activate them will create wards. Math as beauty :D

Chapter 6: Even the Slytherins

"Come on, Hermione, it is a great idea," Harry implored. It was your brilliant idea, he thought.

"Alright but if we get in trouble…"

"Hermione," Harry moaned, "this is worth the trouble. Besides I am not doing this for myself, I already know everything I can teach you."

The prospect of Harry knowing more than her hit the sore spot that Harry had been digging at in basically every class excluding History of Magic. Harry thought it kinda funny that as a would be seven year, Harry was barely keeping even with Hermione. Yet he was a little sad that she was upset with him, or not so much upset as hurt. Being the best at nearly everything, especially with Ron and Harry was her identity but Harry knew she was more than that.

"We will have to find a way to communicate the time and date in secret. I did look up club rules at Hogwarts and there is nothing against this but if Umbridge gets a whiff of it-"

"She will shut us down," Harry said.

Ron had stayed quiet through the entire Friday afternoon, arms crossed and moping. "I can't believe you invited Malfoy," he muttered darkly.

Harry sighed and looked out the window, the sun was peeking out of the clouds. "Ron, are you planning to try out for Keeper now that Wood graduated?" Harry asked switching topics.

He looked cheeks tinged pink. Ron shifted, "Maybe, I mean do you think it is a good idea? I thought- you know, with the new broom I got- I just thought-"

"Want to go practice?" Harry asked.

Ron perked up then, "Yeah that would be great!" He bolted up the steps to get his broom.

Harry turned to Hermione, "We also need to ensure a way that no snitches."

Hermione nodded. "Where are we going to meet?"

"I know a place in the castle but for the first meeting I think we ought to meet in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

Hermione nodded again, "I'll get the word out. Harry, Ron has a point about the Slytherins, we can't trust them."

Harry stood and gave Hermione a sad smile, "Hermione, what reason have we given them to be trustworthy? You can't be respected if you never show respect."

"And if being the bigger person gets you expelled, then what?"

"Then you and Ron can say I told you so when I am packing up my stuff." Doing the right thing, for the greater good had gotten him killed and sent back in time, what was a little expulsion compared to that?

Ron came stomping down at a run, "Harry, I brought your Firebolt, let's go!"

Harry took his broom from him and they headed to the Quidditch pitch.

There was no more talk about the DADA club as are pelleted the qualify at Ron. Harry remembering how bad Ron's practice had gone did not hold back.

At first, Ron seemed disheartened as Harry scored goal after goal, but then Ron blocked a few then a few more it seemed to boost his confidence. They ended it on a good note.

As they walked back to the castle, the light of dusk seeping being behind the mountains rapidly, Ron asked, "So do think I have a chance at being Keeper?"

"I do, but-"

"But what?" Ron asked nervously.

"But you have to keep your cool. Once you missed one you got so upset you would miss another one," Harry explained. "You have to get a thicker skin, even Wood missed sometimes."

Ron's ears had turned bright red but he nodded, "Yeah, alright."

"We can keep practicing until tryouts," Harry consoled.

Ron gave him a small smile. They had been distant lately but Ron could always count on Quidditch to bring them back together. They were quiet for the rest of the walk back. In the common room, Harry saw Ginny and got an idea.

"Hey, Ginny!" Harry called dragging Ron across the common room.

Ginny looked up from the book she had been reading. She was seated by the fire, the firelight making her hair glow. "Hi Harry, Ron, what's up?"

"Ron is trying out for Keeper this year and since you want to be Chaser I thought it might be fun to practice together," Harry said grinning.

Both Ron and Ginny gaped at him.

"But-how- how did-" Ginny stuttered, "How did you know I wanted to be a chaser?"

Harry didn't realize his mistake until Ron said with a laugh, "Ginny doesn't play Quidditch, Harry, whatever gave you that crazy idea."

Harry saw Ginny's expression and took two quick steps back, holding up his hands, "I thought all the Weasleys but Percy played."

"Well, Ginny doesn't," Ron chuckled.

"Don't talk for me," Ginny snapped.

"Well, you don't," he said.

"Well, yes I do," she said standing, throwing her book the seat behind her. She put her hands on her hips. "I've been going out at night to the shed for years, especially when all of were at school."

Fred and George had heard most of the conversation and had sidled up to them.

"We should have known, Fred," George said.

Fred nodded sagely, "Indeed, George, oh little sister-"

"-was never-"

"-the angel."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked.

"Because you never included me," Ginny shot back.

"Why tell Harry?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

"I didn't!" she exclaimed.

"So how did you-"

"Know?" the twins asked.

"I guessed," Harry said, fighting hard to make it sound like a statement.

"But you said she was trying out for Chaser-"

Harry cut him off, "Chaser and Keeper are the only two options on the team currently. Sorry for starting a family feud or whatever, but I am going to bed." He turned to go up the steps.

Ginny caught his hand, "Thanks, Harry, for including me."

For a moment Harry just stared into her warm eyes, he remembered being in love her, remembered kissing her and his heart as he re-realized that she remembered none of that. That hurt. Cho had been his first crush but Ginny had been his first… and she didn't even remember. He wasn't her ex-boyfriend, he was her never-boyfriend.

He pulled his hand gently from hers, his cheeks a bit flushed, "Anytime, Ginny." He turned and all but ran up the steps. He collapsed on his bed, realizing how hard it was really going to be to keep all these secrets.

"Oooooooohhhh," Moaning Myrtle crooned as her bathroom filled with students on a cloudy Sunday morning.

Everyone from the first DADA was there along with the entire fourth and fifth year Slytherin students, with the addition of Astoria and the exclusion of Crabbe and Goyle. The Gryffindors seemed upset but neither the Hufflepuffs nor the Ravenclaws seemed that bothered, though Harry caught a few of them rolling their eyes at the posturing around the room. Unbeknownst to Ron and Hermione, Harry had cast a muffliato on the door so no one outside could hear.

"Alright," Harry began, everyone fell quiet. "I think we are all here. For the fifth and seventh years, you are here to pass your exams for everyone else I'll assume you are here to learn to defend yourselves. Mostly we are going to work on simple to more complicated spells as everyone likely has a mixed level of skills considering both our ages and our teachers over the years."

Zacharias Smith was a poop again.

Oddly, it was Draco who silenced him, "Oh would you shut up, no one forced you to be here."

Smith crossed his arms, "Who forced you to come?"

"We were invited," Astoria snarled.

"As if Potter would invite the Slytherins to anything. He hates you all."

"I don't hate them," Harry said through gritted teeth, "and I did in fact, invite them."

"Against his better judgment," Ron said under his breath.

Harry shoved him, nearly pushing him into the sink.

Harry turned back to the crowd, "Everyone deserves to learn self defense even the Slytherins."

"But why?" Smith asked.

"Because I was almost sorted into sorted into Slytherin and I would hate to be treated the way people treat them," he said.

The room was dead silent for all of ten seconds before Cho's friend said, "So you have a change of heart and we all have to go along with it? Why are they really here?"

Harry frowned, "I thought it was only Slytherins and Gryffindors that distrusted each other to extremes."

Pansy laughed, "We get along better with the other houses but we don't really fit in with the rest."

Smith spoke again, "So why be here? We all thought you hated Potter."

"We are here because it is important," Daphne Greengrass said, voice glacial. "Everyone knows he's the best at DADA. The Dark Lord, Basilisks, Dementors, dragons, merpeople, and whatever in the world he faced in the last task that caused him to walk around like he's half dead. I want to pass my exams and I am not going to die because I didn't learn the basics in school."

"She's right," Luna said, "Harry's wiser than he looks. He can teach us loads."

Millicent raised her hand.

"Millicent Bulstrode," Harry said, noting that she had grown into her androgynous features since he lasted paid her any attention at some point in the second year.

"Millie," she corrected, "And where was the Chamber of Secrets?"

Harry pointed toward the sink Ron was sitting next to. "The faucet with the snake on it. You just say open in parseltongue and the whole thing turns into a slide that drops you into the pipes. There are a ton of rat bones and that passageway is pretty rugged. This is followed by another door also -parseltongue open, then a bunch of statues of Salazar and huge dead rotting snake. Really unpleasant smell," Harry concluded.

They all stared at him.

"You should have been in Slytherin," Pansy said, eying Harry appraisingly.

He shrugged, "I killed the Basilisk with Godric's sword."

"Slytherin's monster comes out through the girl's bathroom?" Theodore Nott asked, a hint of disgust in his voice.

"That's how I died!" Moaning Myrtle gushed, swirling in the air above them.

The meeting ended after that. Harry told them to meet him on the seventh floor and Hermione ensured everyone signed their names on the list.

No one but Myrtle overheard them.

AN: Chapters will vary in length, please do not complain if a chapter is short. I am following the book pretty closely so this will be a long fic. Please share your thoughts and reactions with me?

P.S. please read KeyNotes.

Chapter 7: Nonverbal

AN: Please read KeyNotes and if you want to comment on my spelling or grammar please PM me?

Chapter 7 - Nonverbal

"Of course, a lot can happen between now and the exam, we've got plenty of time to improve, but the grades we're getting now are a sort of baseline, aren't they? Something we can build on . . . "

They sat down together at the Gryffindor table.

"Obviously, I'd have been thrilled if I'd got an 'O'-"

"Hermione," said Ron sharply, "if you want to know what grades we got, ask."

"I don't-I didn't mean-well, if you want to tell me-"

"I got a 'P'," said Ron, ladling soup into his bowl. "Happy?"

"What did you get, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"You don't want to know," Harry said, though he was just barely done it. He was still holding the essay in his hands. He didn't dare look up to the head table, he would not have been able to swallow his smugness.

"Oh it can't be worse than, Ron's," George said.

Fred came around him and snatched Harry's essay out from under the table. He whistled.

"What is it?" Ron asked, "No way he got a T. Harry's been doing so much better in potions."

"Better?" Fred chocked.

George laughed.

"What does T stand for?" Hermione asked.

"Troll," Ron said.

"Oh come on, just show us, it can't be a T. Harry really has been doing well in potions," she said positively.

Fred laughed then, tipping down the parchment so all could see, the small, spindly, tiny 'O' in red ink.

"I'd say Potter's doing a far shot higher than 'well'," Fred said.

"I don't think I've seen anyone outside of a Slytherin or Ravenclaw get an 'O' in anything in his class," George said.

Hermione's face was pained when she said, "Good job, Harry, really, you did great."

"How?" Ron asked.

"What did you think I was doing all weekend?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, all the other homework we had?" Ron suggested.

"I finished that with Hermione when you were out practicing Quidditch with Ginny."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Potter?" he asked only half joking.

"I think he died," Harry said in a joking tone, though he wasn't joking at all.

Something was wrong with Severus's classes. Vastly wrong with his classes. It started with his fifth year class. Potter's abnormally superior brewing skills had continued as they had in the last two weeks -proving to be more than a fluke, but that wasn't the wrongness of the class. His class was quiet in a -dare he think it, peaceful way. Tensions between the Slytherins and Gryffindors were at an all time low. Experimental, Severus decided to hold back on his critics unless someone -Longbottom, was about to put something explosive into their cauldrons. It was one of the most productful, easiest classes to teach.

The same trend would follow throughout the week in his fourth and seventh years as well. The first years to third years as well as the sixth years were still abhorrent amongst the Gryffindors and Slytherins. The Hufflepuffs still cowered and the Ravenclaws were their usual split between studious or twittering.

Ms. Lovegood's skills were remarkably precise as ever.

Severus wasn't the only one to notice the change. The other Heads of House were beginning to whisper. It wasn't so much that the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were getting along so much as they seemed to have called a truce. The younger years seemed to be taking their lead. The problem all the professors seemed to share was that it felt less like a resolution and more like the calm before the storm.

Filius called Harry to stay after class on Thursday.

"How have you been, Harry?" he asked.

Harry sat on the table next to Filius's podium. "I've been fine though I feel like I keep making little slips all over the place."

"Like what?"

"Well, I used wandless magic on the train and just last week I let on that I know Ginny is a chaser, which none of her brothers, not even Ron knew," Harry said, kicking his legs in the air.

"So you still haven't told your friends," Filius stated.

Harry shrugged, "Even if I told them what would it really change? They wouldn't spontaneously be the Ron and Hermione from my future. Oh hey, Ron, you should know that you deserted us when we went camping, and oh Hermione you were tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Also, we robbed Gringotts and rode on a blind dragon together. It was awesome. Then we went back to Hogwarts and we were part of a slaughter."

Filius listened, letting Harry voice the poison festering in his veins. The boy may be eighteen in reality but he was still so young for the trauma he had witnessed and been a part of.

"I don't know what I am doing," Harry said finally.

"Did you know the first time?" Filius asked.

Harry laughed. Smiling, he admitted, "No, in fact, I think I was even angier last time. I treated my friends like crap." His smile faded, "Guess things haven't changed all that much."

"Speaking of change, you wouldn't happen to be involved in the new… peace… between Gryffindor and Slytherin houses would you?"

Harry grinned, "I may have started a club."

Filius hid a smile, "What kind of club?"

"A DADA club where we use magic. I did it the last time too. Except without the Slytherins. I figured this time I would be more inclusive."

"Good," Filius said, "Whatever fault the Slytherins may have, keeping secrets is typically one of their talents if you treat them fairly."

"Ron and Hermione say we shouldn't trust their sense of honor."

Filius shrugged, "If you never give them a chance than you will never know."

"That's what I told them."

"Harry, may I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"I still think you should open up a bit more to Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, however, you should not limit yourself to just two friends. You may find that there are others in this school who are as welcoming of your company and perhaps more mature that may help you feel more connected to this timeline," Filius advised.

Harry thought about opening up to Draco and scrunched his nose.

Filius laughed, "I am not suggesting you go around at random and share your circumstances but there are those you can spend time with whom you could spend agreeable time with."

Harry nodded, "I'll keep an eye out for agreeable people. The DADA should help. Although, my Arithmancy class has been kinda fun. Luna, Susan, and Astoria are pretty fun to be around."

"Perhaps you should offer that the four of you study together outside of class."

"Yeah, and I see them at the DADA club too, so yeah, that sounds good," Harry said. Thinking that the three girls treated him more normally than anyone else outside of the Weasleys and Hermione had in either timeline.

"Harry, what would you have wanted to be had you graduated Hogwarts?" Filius asked, switching topics.

"I wanted to be an Auror."

"Do you still want to be an Auror?"

Harry frowned, "I don't know. I haven't thought much about the future to be honest, not outside Hogwarts. Choosing to die sort of felt like the end all be all choice."

Filius's heart clenched, "What else do you enjoy doing?"

Harry thought for a moment, "Teaching, I really like teaching. But I suppose getting a job at Hogwarts is sort of a limited opportunity."

"Not if you're applying to the DADA position," Filius remarked.

"Yeah but that is only for a year unless I manage to kill Voldy completely."

"So it really is cursed?"

"Yeah, Tom Riddle came back to Hogwarts and offered to teach it but Dumbledore turned him down and demanded he leave the school grounds. This is before he started openly attacking Britain. I think his eyes were red though."

"How did you see that?" Filius asked.

"Dumbledore showed me in his pensive."

Filius sighed, rubbing his nose.

"Lunch period is almost over, Professor," Harry commented looking at his watch.

Filius held up a finger and hopped off his stack of books. He pulled out one towards the bottom. He handed the book to Harry. "Sixth and seventh years can apply for a teaching assistant position. Start going over this book and make lesson plan outlines. Next year, if you like, you can be my assistant. Mostly, I will use you for in class examples and you will help me grade homework. But if you want a career as a teacher it will help. You might have to do a few years as a private tutor but if becoming a professor is what you want there is no reason you can't accomplish that."

"Thank you," Harry said, smiling.

"Keep me updated on your club," Filius said, smiling back.

"I will, bye Professor, have a good day."

"You too, Harry."

When he was gone Filius sighed and his thoughts swirled in worry for the Boy Who Lived.

Minerva was watching Harry closely. She could have sworn he did the last transfiguration spell wordlessly but she was not sure as she had been on the other side of the room. Harry was officially ahead of the rest of the class with or without the factor of wordless magic. He was no prodigigy so much as it seemed like he had learned these spells previously.

His essays were much improved as well, showing not just a reiteration of the text or class notes but actively engaging with the theory. Harry's essays were blessedly shorter compared to that of Hermione's small scripted lengthy papers. An unforseen effect of Harry doing well in class and on homework was he was engaging more the other students. Students would ask him for assistance before asking herself or Hermione. Minerva had never seen Harry so open with others and the other students seemed to be advancing further by taking his lead.

"Mr. Potter," Minerva called.

"Yes, Professor," he said, looking at her questioningly.

"Come to the front of the class please."

Harry got up with a lack of nervousness that made her realize how much change he had gone through over the last year. She placed a rat on her desk, "Vanish it."

Harry frowned at her.

"Silently," she said.

The class was rivitated.

Harry opened his mouth to ask, but she cut him off.

"Say the word in your mind and visualize what you want done."

His focus went to the rat, his eyes narrowing. He raised his wand and with a single flick the rat was gone.

The students were opened mouthed, Hermione's eyes were so wide one could see the white all the way around her irises.

"Fifty points to Gryffindor," Minerva said, cooly.

The Ravenclaws looked at each other, doubtful that any of them were ready to try that.

"Now I don't want anyone to be discouraged. Nonverbal spell work is a measure of focus and mental discipline. Determination is not exactly enough so much as a settled mind. Typically, it is in the sixth year when we encourage or demand that students practice nonverbal spells," Minerva said, "If you feel that you have mastered a spell or wish to challenge yourselves you may try. As Mr. Potter so politely showed us, it is possible even for younger students."

Harry kept his face even as guilt swept over him, he wasn't exactly young. He was afraid to meet Hermione's gaze.

One of the Ravenclaws raised his hand addressing his question to Professor McGonagall, "How was Potter able to do that on just one try?"

"As I have heard, Mr. Potter was able to throw off the Imperius Curse on his first attempt. While he may be an outstanding example it does not mean any of you are incapable of reaching similar heights," she said.

When Harry was able to sit back down at his table neither Ron nor Hermione would talk to him.

It was Neville who leaned over to ask, "How did you do that?"

Harry shrugged, "Practice."

Neville frowned, "Why have you been practicing nonverbal spells?"

Harry thought of the months on the run, hiding, cowering. "I thought it might come in handy." It had saved his life more than once.

Harry stayed after class to talk with Professor McGonagall. Neither Hermione nor Ron waited for him.

"I wish you hadn't asked me to do that," Harry said when the last student had left.

Minerva straightened her papers before giving him a shrewd. "You could have held back, Merlin knows, you have before."

"That's not true, I have always tried," Harry said indignantly.

"Potter, the only magic you have ever put your full focus into before this summer were those spells you felt it necessary to survive with. Defending your life or others' has been your only magical interest -aside from flying, since arriving at this school."

"That's not fair."

"It certainly isn't, not to yourself or to your professors. I will be expecting far more from here on out and as your Head of House, I will insist that your other professors do the same," McGonagall said.

Harry skin drained of color thinking of what Snape would do with that. He hadn't even started Occlumency classes with him yet.

"Harry, I know it may sound daunting now, but in the long run, it will only be for your benefit. You could be great, you know."

Harry laughed, "I don't know why that keeps coming up."

She smiled at the pureness of his laugh. "What keeps coming up?"

"That is exactly what the Sorting Hat said when it wanted to sort me into Slytherin."

McGonagall's eyes widened, "Do you regret your sorting into this house?"

Harry laughed again, "No, of course I don't, Snape would have had me expelled in the first month."

She smiled slightly, "Well, all the same, I am proud to have you in my house and Snape would have been lucky."

"Or retired."

She laughed.

"Professor, I was wondering if I could request a favor?" Harry asked.

She raised a brow.

"Are you going back to Headquarters at any point soon?"

She nodded, "Likely this weekend, why?"

Harry pulled a small bundle of letters out of his bag. "I was wondering if you could give these to Padfoot. I am afraid to send Hedwig."

Minerva took the letters, "Wise. The Ministry has its eye on us."

"Umbridge shouldn't be around people, much less children," Harry said bitterly.

Minerva's lips tightened. "Yes, well, there was no else available."

"Canceling the class would have been better."

"It is a core subject, Mr. Potter."

"Maybe Dumbledore should hire William Weasley to have a look at the school. He is a curse breaker after all," Harry said.

Minerva tilted her head, like a cat trying to get a better look at a shiny object, "Not a bad thought, Mr. Potter. But it is fast approaching dinner and I have noticed you skipping one too many meals of late. Though I am pleased you have been feeding your mind, your body is just as important."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, leaving the Witch to think of an excuse to get Bill Weasley and his friends on the grounds without the Ministry or Dolorus throwing a fit. Though perhaps she should let the curse be for one more year.

"So this whole nonverbal thing wasn't supposed to extend to my two best friends," Harry commented at dinner.

"Says the guy keeping secrets," Ron broke.

He has no idea, Harry thought, aloud he said, "We don't always have to be attached at the hip."

"I am not helping you with your homework anymore," Hermione said.

"Alright," Harry said, "At least you're talking to me again."

"You made it look so easy," she said.

"It isn't!" Harry exclaimed, "It took me forever to figure out how to do it."

"By 'forever' you mean a year ahead of everyone else," she seethed.

Harry throw his hands up, "What do you want from me, Hermione!? I thought you wanted me to do well, I thought you wanted me to try harder at school work."

"I did," she said, "but-"

"But only if you can stay being the best, is that it?"

"No, Harry, wait-I-"

"The thing is Hermione, even if I end being good at things or seemly better that doesn't mean you aren't smart, it doesn't mean you aren't the brightest witch of your age. Someone else's success or failure doesn't define you," Harry said, standing. He felt his stomach rumble and he remembered McGonagall's warning. He really hadn't been eating much lately.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked as Harry seemly walked in the direction of the Slytherins.

"I am going to go sit with Luna, at least she doesn't look at me like I'm a freak," he said.

"Because she is one," Ron shot at him. He paled when he saw the anger -no the rage, on Harry's face.

Without another word, Harry turned his back on Ron and Hermione sitting next to Luna Lovegood.

"Hi, Harry," Cho greeted warmly, ignoring the stunned Gryffindors behind him.

"You can sit with us whenever you like, Potter," Terry Boot said, "We don't mind excellence."

Luna placed a buttered roll on the plate that had appeared before him.

"Thanks," Harry said, taking a bite of the much needed sustenance.

Luna patted the top of his head.

KEYNOTE: My interpretation of arithmancy is non canon. I put a lot of thought into how that branch of magic will work.

AN: I believe Hermione is a badass and I love her. But she does have flaws. She is being more emotional than thinking at the moment, feeling like she's losing her best friend, inadvertently pushing him further away. She will come around. At the moment I a want a realistic reaction to dramatic changes rather than to bash anyone aside from Umbitch. I may literally bash her head in by the end of this fic. Hope you enjoyed and thank you reviewers! Please let me know your thoughts as you read?