Rays of orange and red light bathed over the London skyline as dusk was setting on the city. It had been years since he'd seen this view, years since he'd even been in a place as sterile, almost otherworldly, as his current room at St Mungo's. The bed felt soft under his hands, and the general air just felt… alive. It was nearly suffocating.

He could hear them behind the closed door. The mediwizard - a quiet older man with short black hair and a voice sullen by years of giving bad news to patient's families - was talking to her. Explaining.

"Thirty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue. His entire lower back is covered with keraunographic marks, the back of his upper legs covered in third-degree burns. Diagnosis shows he's had at the very least thirty broken bones and fifteen different fractions over the past seven years."

"Oh, my God." The woman breathed out.

"He hasn't said a word since he came into my care, and our friends from Germany said the same thing." There was a tired sigh.

"Can I go in?" She asked, a hint of fear laced in her tone. "Can I see him?"

"Of course."

Harry stilled his shoulders, keeping his focus on the city below him as the door creaked open. He heard every step she took, could almost see exactly where she was standing, how her face looked.

"Harry…"

He closed his eyes, letting out a low breath, before he turned and smiled softly as he saw her. A slight greyness to her light-brown hair and a couple more wrinkles than he remembered, but otherwise she looked exactly the same.

"You finally look like a grandmother for a change." He said softly.

Andromeda half-laughed, half-sobbed before closing the gap and pulling him for a tight hug. "When you see the little monster I had to raise, you'll understand why."

The words felt like a poison in his system, but he smiled nonetheless and hugged her back. "How's Teddy."

"Waiting for you at home."

The mediwizard was hesitant to discharge him, and unfortunately Andromeda agreed with him. They wanted him to stay a few more nights at St Mungo's. Wanted to make sure everything was okay with him before he was released. But he'd been away from Teddy for far too long, and he didn't return to Britain to sit by in a hospital room for the rest of his life.

"Doctor Killian," he echoed calmly. "I am perfectly fine. It's been seven years since I've slept in my own bed, I'd rather not wait another night."

"Harry… are you sure? I know why you-"

"Andromeda. Perfectly fine."

It took nearly half an hour of needless insisting, but, eventually, he managed to make them relent. It wasn't long before they left the hospital and Andromeda apparated them both to her new house.

No longer living in the small cottage he had last seen, Andromeda had moved to a family house in Vesper's Valley, a magical village located in the outskirts of Wiltshire. Larger than the Dursley's old house and closer to the Tudor style of architecture, it had a vast garden filled with magical flora that would make Neville gush and encircled by a wooden gate.

The inside was similar to the old cottage, though with noticeably more space and more toys lying around the room than he remembered previously. And before he or Andromeda could say anything, there was a rush of feet rushing down the stairs before he landed on the floor. And in a single moment, all his doubts about his return were squashed by the yellow-haired, freckled boy in front of him.

"Grandma," Teddy said as ran towards Andromeda, passing him without a second glance, before he hugged her tightly. "You're back."

"I'm home, and I brought someone." She disentangled Teddy from her before nodding upwards towards him. "That's Harry Potter. He's… he's your Godfather."

"My Godfather?" The boy scrunched up his eyebrows.

Removing the knife from his heart, Harry knelt. "Hey kiddo. I missed you so much."

"Missed me?"

"Your Godfather lived with us for a while, he took care of you when you were a baby."

"He did?"

"Yeah, buddy." He smiled, ignoring the tear leaving his eye. "I… I was away. But I'm here now."

"Oh… cool! You wanna go play with me? I have these cool new action figures that my grandma got me!"

"Yeah… of course. Go up to your room, I'll be right up."

Teddy cheered before he sprinted away, and Andromeda laughed lightly beside him. "Welcome home, Harry."

"Yeah…" Harry swallowed as a pit began forming in his stomach. "Home."

The Burrow shined like a beacon in a sea of darkness. Every single room inside was fully lit up, making it impossible for him to not spot it as he apparated onto the grounds outside. Loud voices muffled by the walls spilled outside and once again, Harry closed his eyes and squared his shoulders.

The reunion with Andromeda and Teddy had been harder than he had anticipated. Seeing them again, how much Teddy had grown and how Andromeda had changed, it ate at him from the inside. He should have never left for that trip. Should have returned to the hundred chances he had over the years. What was harder was him telling Andromeda he wasn't moving in with them at the house. She had questioned him about it for another hour and all but begged him to stay, but he had to stand his ground. Stubborn as he was, he grew weary of it and hated the sad look on her face when she finally relented.

"I'll be here every day." He assured. "Every single morning and afternoon, I'll be here."

It was necessary. He didn't belong there… not anymore. That wasn't the life he was meant to lead. And if he was going to go through his mission, he couldn't do it with them. Couldn't bring that darkness back into their lives. But as hard as it might be to keep Andromeda at arm's length, it was a whole other level of complication with them.

He knocked on the door lightly and waited. Easing his face and calming himself right before the door opened with Mrs Weasley behind it.

"Oh, Harry!" She cried out before pulling him in for a hug. "I… You… I… I'm so happy you're okay."

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," he said, pulling back slightly. "May I come in?"

"Of course, of course," she all but pulled him inside and shut the door. And before he could say or do anything, he was nearly thrown back as a small figure with a large mass of long curly hair threw herself at him and clutched at him like a lifeline.

"Oh, Harry. You're okay. You're here! I couldn't believe it when I heard it. Minister Shacklebolt told us all before it even got to the papers. I… We… you know… but you're here! Are you okay? You… you look okay. More than okay. But-"

"Merlin, Hermione, let him breath." A voice hidden behind the mass of hair chuckled, and for a mere moment, Harry felt like a kid, stuck in Grimmauld Place once more.

"I missed you too, Hermione," he whispered, giving the top of her head a kiss and squeezing her slightly.

"Oh," she said, reluctantly disentangling from him with a blush covering the rest of her face.

"What'd I tell you?" His best friend, looking slightly more chubby than he remembered, asked with a grin. "Russia is not fun over the winter."

"Ron Weasley." Harry laughed as the two hugged.

"I missed you."

"Harry?" A soft, familiar voice whispered, and he felt his breath being sucked out of him when he saw her.

Long, red hair with perfect brown eyes and a smile that had seen him through his hardest nights. Harry couldn't help but stare. "Hi."

The rest of the Weasleys joined them for dinner. Mister Weasley sat at the head of the table, his red hair was almost completely gone now - though he was now sporting a full beard - and his face looked more weathered and tired than it used to. Mrs Weasley sat to his right, followed by Percy and his new wife - a half-blood witch named Eryn - and George, who sat beside Angelina. On Mister Weasley's left sat Ron, followed by Ginny, himself, and then Hermione.

He had forgotten just how good Mrs Weasley could cook. Having not had a meal as good as this one in over half a decade, he dug in ferociously. The table was filled with meandering conversations, small talk about unimportant things, and the occasional comments from Ron to catch him up on everything that had happened when he was gone.

"Luna went off to God knows where to search for Storcats - no, Snorlacks?"

"Snorkacks." Ginny said irritably.

"Those things, whatever." Ron waved her off. "What else… oh! Nev got married, finally put the ring on Susan after four years of dating. Shack's still Minister. Err… ah! The Canons won the championship last week!"

"Now I know you're lying," Harry deadpanned.

"Ugh, fine! But they reached the quarters. It's the closest they've got in decades."

"Still doesn't make them the winners," Harry took a sip of the wine in front of him.

"I think Harry would like to know more about what you've been up to than how far your favourite Quidditch team made it last season, son," Mr Weasley said genially.

"Same thing as always," Ron shrugged. "I'm a simple man. Harry knows that.

"Does he know you've been recently appointed Auror Sergeant by Chief Auror Robards himself?" Hermione asked with pride clear in her eyes.

"Auror Sergeant, huh?" Harry smiled. "Congratulations, mate."

"Oh, it's nothing," Ron said, slightly flushed. "I'm sure you would've made it to Inspector by now if… you know."

Ginny suddenly turned to Harry. "What was it like there?"

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley berated her, but made no other move to change the topic.

Harry took another sip of his glass before he smiled at her. "Boring."

"Ginny's a lawyer now," Hermione nearly squeaked.

"You gave up Quidditch?"

"I still play it… just not professionally. Honestly, it was all very draining, as I'm sure you remember. It wasn't a few months after… you know… that I quit the team."

"And lawyer…?"

"She likes to argue," George grinned.

"She likes to win arguments." Ginny said smugly. "Now I do so for a living."

"Draining, it is," Angelina agreed with Ginny. "A couple of years and I might quit the team, too."

"Don't worry, honey. I can get you a job, no problem."

"I'm pretty sure you meant to say; Don't worry, sweet wife, I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of."

"Nah, I don't think I did," he grinned and they both shared a laugh.

"What about you, George?" Harry asked. "How's the shop doing?"

"Everything's going perfect, actually." He smiled. "Sales are better than ever, and I finally managed to convince this one to quit his boring Ministry job and use his big brain for something productive."

"I'd hardly say that enabling children to prank other children is productive," Percy said primly. "However, it does present a bigger challenge than what Mister Edgecombe was making me do at the Ministry."

"That and it pays much better," George winked.

"I thought you wanted to climb your way up the Ministry ladder, Percy." Harry said. "What happened?"

"Well… after Crouch, then Umbridge, and then Thicknesse… that type of track record leaves a mark people don't forget. Even after nine years since the war ended."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Percy smiled. "I was an arsehole. Looking back, I may have deserved some of it."

"Some of it?"

"Shut up, Ron."

"That only leaves Hermione," Mister Weasley said, and she blushed slightly.

"It's just boring stuff, I'm sure that Harry will find it boring. Besides, it's not like I can say much yet."

"Oh, super secret work?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "You wouldn't happen to be an Unspeakable now, would you?"

"Nothing of the sort," she laughed. "Kingsley opened a new Department a couple of years after you… went missing. Department of Muggle and Magical Relations. There are various new offices in it, including Arthur's office," she nodded towards Mister Weasley. "Anyway, Kingsley went insane for a second there and decided to make me the director of the department. I've been working on something with the heads of offices in the department, the directors of the other departments, and Kingsley himself for about a year now. But as I said…"

"No inside scoops."

"I'm afraid not."

"Don't worry," Harry smiled, though he felt the pit in his stomach appear again. "I'm sure I can imagine what you're up to."

"Tomorrow morning," Ron said cheerfully. "I'll take you around London, see what's changed in Diagon Alley and what Hermione and I have done to Grimmauld. After that, it's straight into the office. I'm sure Head Auror Robards will be more than happy to see you."

"I'm not going back to the DMLE." He said with a quiet sureness to his voice.

"You… what? Really?"

"God, no."

"Do you have any idea what you want to do, Harry?" Mrs Weasley asked. "Any plans now that you're back in the country.

"Yes, actually," he said calmly. "I'm opening a nightclub."

"You're opening a nightclub?" George asked. "Awesome!"

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Hermione asked, and he could see Mrs Weasley agreed.

"Well, it'll take time and effort-"

"And money."

"And money, yes, thank you, Ron. But… I've been thinking about it for a while and… well, from what I know, those are kind of popular. Especially if I would be the owner. So, it would be a good way to earn my living without working a full-time job at the Ministry."

"I… well…" Mrs Weasley stuttered.

"If that's what you want, then we'll all support you, Harry," Mister Weasley said pointedly.

"Thank you, Mister Weasley."

Eventually, everyone finished dinner and dessert, and the two couples begged off from staying any further. Mister and Mrs Weasley left to their room soon after, the age and prevailing ordeal from the war having visibly taken a toll on them over the past seven years. Leaving the four of them to go to the living room and talk quietly.

Just what he had been hoping to avoid.

"How really was it there, Harry?" Hermione asked, concern clear on her face. "Are you okay?"

Harry laughed. "I'm fine. Promise. Like I said, it was more boring than anything."

"Come on, mate, you know you can tell us." Ron said. "I mean… it's us… and Ginny."

Ginny scowled and gave Ron the finger.

"I'm fine," he smiled. "Okay. Perfectly fine. Even more than fine, actually. Nothing happened, those idiots just kept me locked up. Gave me a lot of time to finally exercise properly."

"That's not funny, Harry." Hermione said.

"I mean… he is jacked, Hermione." Ron said appreciatively. "I wasn't going to say anything but…"

"I thought he was supposed to be my boyfriend, not yours." Ginny said with an impish smile.

"Oi!" Ron exclaimed. "The man has a really good physique, don't tell me you weren't drooling all over it at dinner."

Ginny grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

"I'm still here, you guys." Harry said, feeling slightly uncomfortable at where the conversation had gone.

"Besides, is he even still your boyfriend?" Ron said mindlessly before his eyes widened slightly as he noticed the glaring silence.

"I just remembered," Hermione broke the silence as she stood up quickly. "I promised Mrs Weasley I'd wash the dishes."

"I'll help you!"

As they both scurried away, he could see Ginny internally cursing Ron. And she wasn't the only one. He wasn't expecting to have this conversation any time soon. In fact, if he could have avoided it forever, he would have. Unfortunately, Ron threw that chance away right before he dragged his arse out of the room.

"Just… ignore my brother." Ginny said half-heartedly. "You know how he is."

An exit, that's what she was giving him. Harry bit his lip. He had already come up with what he would say during this conversation. He had plans and contingency plans about every possible scenario. And yet, the words didn't seem to want to leave his mouth.

"I'm not saying never." He eventually said, hating the very words he had promised himself he would never say. "Just not right now. I need…"

"Time. To adjust and adapt and all. I get it. It's fine. We don't have to talk about this."

He smiled. "Thanks."

There was no crack, not even a semblance of sound, as he apparated straight into the flat. It was a flat his father had previously used with Sirius, Remus, and Wormtail when they went Muggle for an entire summer. It had also been his safe house a few years back when he returned to Britain for a few weeks with Francesco.

The place was a mess. Exactly as the two of them had left it. Even the murder board they had installed in the living room was still there, though some of the pictures had since fallen off to the ground. Thankfully, they hadn't left any food out, though he doubted the food left in the fridge and pantry would be anything but rotten.

This was going to be his home, at least for the coming months. Unfortunately, his mission had to wait a while. He couldn't very well start right as he returned to the country, especially given how publicized the whole affair was. It would only shine a spotlight at him, one he was hoping to avoid. With a couple of months to start his reconnaissance operations and for him to build and start up the nightclub in another of the Potter properties in London, it would be enough time to pass so that suspicion wouldn't fall on him.

It wasn't going to be enough, though. He was going to need a red-hearing. A patsy.

All in due time, he thought to himself as he made his way across the living room and into the kitchen, ignoring the feeling of broken glass shattering below his feet. The kitchen room had been the epicentre of the fight that had broken out once they had been made, the one that forced them to look for a new safe house in London.

Naturally, that meant it was nearly half destroyed. The walls scorched with burn marks, broken glasses and plates all over the floor, a few knives stuck to the ceiling and floor.

Had it really been four years already?

Kneeling, he easily dislodged one of the knives from the floor and healing the wound it left on the wood with a flick of his wand, before he suddenly stilled. There was no sound, but he could feel it. Could feel her. Harry swallowed the growl that threatened to leave his mouth before, quicker than what was humanly possible, he stood and turned around, launched the knife straight towards her head.

But it stopped mid-air, a mere three centimetres away from the hand she had used to stop it. Clouded in the darkness of the room, her face covered by her hand, he could still tell it was her.

"Althea," he growled. "I told you next time I saw you, I would kill you."

The knife clattered on the ground and a lamp beside her turned on, revealing the woman's smile. "Harry Potter. You're a hard man to find."

"Took you longer than expected."

"Two years. I'm well aware." She dusted off one of the armchairs before sitting down on it. "After your… business in Nagoya, many within my organization thought you dead. I never quite bought it myself."

"And now you found me."

"Well, your miraculous return from the dead was hard to miss."

"Are you here to ensure I keep my mouth shut?" He asked, walking towards her. "Or are you here to kidnap me… again."

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you. But you can't blame us. Two years as a ghost, even from us, makes me wonder where you have been all this time. What has Harry Potter done in the past two years that is not return to his home to be with his family."

"I wasn't ready."

"And you are now?"

"No." He said coldly. "But you and I both know that my country needs me. My family needs me."

"On that, I agree." Althea nodded. "Given recent events, as well as the general fallout from the last war… we would have most likely intervened if you hadn't shown up."

"You think you can use me again?"

"No," she shook her head. "But just because you hate me doesn't mean we aren't in the same side. We both want the same thing. And now that I know the world's most dangerous killer is dealing with this issue… it means we no longer have to use any time or assets on it."

"Good. That means you can get out of my country."

"Not just yet." She smiled. " I have a gift for you, before I leave you to your crusade." Slowly, she pulled out her wand and with a wave, a large, black box appeared on the table in front of him. Harry raised an eyebrow at her, opening the box as she spoke. "Six years ago, I taught you how to channel the monster inside of you to do some good in the world. To harness your darkness in a useful manner. And you didn't disappoint. You became my proudest project over the years we worked together. Which is why, even after being gone for two years… I know you won't disappoint."

"Where did you get this?" Harry asked through gritted teeth as he felt the cloth in his hands.

"We recovered its remains beside Habiki's corpse. Of course, we had to fix it up and make a new mask, given how your previous one was mostly destroyed. But in essence, it's still the same uniform you wore all those years ago."

"Get out." He growled. "Now."

"It must be refreshing, after days under surveillance and having to confront people from your past life, to finally be able to drop the act and live without the facade. Without the mask you put on, the one everyone thinks it's you because it's what they want to believe. You hate me for accepting you for who you truly are. I wonder… how will your family react when they figure out who you truly are."

New fic! Hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter!

First of all, no, I'm not abandoning Pray For The Wicked, not even close. I'm still going to do updates of that fic four times a month, and there should be an update for that fic within the next two days.

Now, why does this fic exist? Various reasons. First and foremost, I've just finished re-watching what's pretty much my favourite TV Show of all time… Arrow (though I think it's mostly because of nostalgia and the emotional connection I have with that show since). And as I was watching it, the idea of writing a Harry Potter fic with ideas straight out of that show just kept gnawing at me. Though while inspired by Arrow, THIS IS NOT A CROSSOVER WHATSOVER. I'm merely using the base concept of the show, there will be no aspects from the DC Universe being brought into the Harry Potter Universe.

Second, Pray For The Wicked will be a REALLY long fic, and I want to write shorter fics that will take me less time to finish and allow me to explore a world that's not as dark and gloomy and gritty as the one in that fic.

And thirdy… well, frankly - as I've made no attempt of hiding - I'm a massive Harmony fan. Of the pairing, at least. And since my Harry and Hermione of Pray For The Wicked are, like, really big enemies at the moment, and I'm not entirely sure the pairing will work in that fic, I decided to write another fic to get my Harmony fix without me having to twist Pray For The Wicked inorganically for the pairing to work.

Anyhow, this will be a long fic for most standards (probably around 200k words), but nothing compared to Pray For The Wicked which is probably going to be like 2 Million words.

Thank you all for reading!