Dear Readers,

After much contemplation and debate, I have decided to go ahead with this presentation of the third installment of my "Harry Gets Even" series. I have agonized over whether or not I wanted to write this story, as it is even more deeply personal to me than the other two stories before this one. If you don't enjoy it, that's okay with me. But it you do, that's okay, too. Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Rae Carson

PS The Harry Gets Even series is as follows:

Harry Gets Even
Harry Gets Charged
Harry Gets Fazed

Ever since his trial that summer, Harry had never been the same. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny often caught him staring off into space. Harry clammed up whenever they asked him about his ordeal in Azkaban and wouldn't say hardly anything. They were really starting to become concerned for his welfare. But Harry had always managed to shake things off before, so this would probably be no different.

"Hey, Harry, you up for going to Diagon Alley with us?" Hermione asked kindly.

"What?" he asked. Harry had been staring off into space again, lost in whatever thoughts held him bound.

"Harry," said Ginny, with concern, putting her hand on his knee, "are you okay?"

Without thinking, Harry pulled away from her and said, very quickly "I'm fine." He didn't want anyone to worry about him and flinched away from any concern they showed. "Yes, I'd like to go to Diagon Alley with you," he replied hastily, staring at the floor.

"Okay, mate," Ron said, "I'll go tell Mum." Then Ron walked away.

"Harry," said Hermione, "you've been awfully quiet the last two weeks," she said quietly.

"You would be too, if you had spent your sixteenth birthday in Azkaban," Harry snapped.

Hermione ignored his ire. "I'm sure I would be, but Ginny and I feel that maybe…if you talked about it…you could feel a bit better."

"Yes. What's bothering you, Harry?" Ginny said.

Harry paused a bit before finally answering. "Everything," he said.

"Everything?" Hermione prodded. "A mistrial was declared for you, because of the new evidence brought to light. And…you're not in Azkaban anymore," she reminded gently.

"I suppose not," Harry mumbled, still staring at the floor, still not wishing to elaborate on what was bothering him. But he knew Hermione wouldn't let him alone until he said something. "I guess…one thing in particular is still bothering me," was the only bit of information he volunteered.

"What is it?" Ginny said, sitting next to Harry on the couch.

Harry put a hand to his mouth in contemplation, before answering, "What if I really am a murderer?"

Hermione and Ginny stared at each other in confusion for a bit before Hermione said, "You're not murderer, Harry. You've proven that over this past year. Voldemort tried to convince you that you were a weapon of some sort, but you're really not. Why ever would you think such a thing about yourself?"

Harry sighed. He hadn't really expected them to understand his concern this time. They rarely, if ever, truly grasped the meaning of his inner turmoil.

"But…Hermione…" Harry said, "I can't remember if I really did put a curse on them before we crashed," and he clenched his fists in frustration. "What if I did?" he looked down at the floor again. "What if I'm—" he gulped, "—evil?"

"Harry," Hermione replied, also sitting down next to him on the couch, "we've been through this before. And I overheard Sirius talking to you many months ago," she said softly. "You're not a bad person. You're a very good person to whom bad things have happened," and she put a hand on his arm.

Being reminded of his godfather who had passed on at the end of last school term caused a lump to form in Harry's throat. But he knew that Hermione meant well. He put his hand on hers and managed to choke out, "Thanks."

Nothing seemed to bring him any real comfort anymore…nothing except the prospect of a relationship with Ginny. She had moved close to him and taken up his other hand and held it as they were speaking. He managed to conjure a smile for her right before Ron walked back into the room with Mrs. Weasley. Harry and Ginny jumped apart at the intrusion.

"Well, it looks like we're going to Diagon Alley," Ron said happily. "Grab your things and we'll go now."

Harry went with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to a very closed-off-looking Diagon Alley. Hagrid had been assigned as security detail for their group. Hardly any patrons lined the streets and Harry and his group stayed clumped together, per Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's instructions. A few other groups of people passed by them, looking just as worried as Mrs. Weasley now looked.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron bumped into Draco Malfoy and his mother at Madam Malkin's robe shop. Wands were drawn; Madam Malkin nearly fainted with worry. Unkind words were exchanged between Narcissa and Harry, until Narcissa finally left the shop.

Everybody made their way to Fred and George's joke shop in Diagon Alley, which was touting their newest and latest product, U-No-Poo, the Constipation Sensation that's Gripping the Nation! They walked inside and busied themselves with the myriad of products upon the shelves. Mrs. Weasley nearly died of shock due the audacity of her sons' mocking of Lord Voldemort.

Before long, Harry caught a glimpse of Draco Malfoy running down the street, without his mother. Harry hadn't found much interest in anything lately, but his mistrust of Draco Malfoy still pounded in his veins.

As Harry had taken his invisibility cloak with him, he took it out of his pocket and whirled it around himself. He told Hermione and Ron to get underneath it with him. Although it was much harder to hide under the thing now that they were so much older and taller, they managed all the same to run down the street behind Malfoy. They followed him to Knockturn Alley.

The three of them watched as he ducked into Borgin and Burke's shop, the only of Knockturn Alley's shops that Harry had ever visited. Ron had some Extendable Ears he shared with Hermione and Harry as they slipped them under the door and listened to Draco's conversation with Mr. Borgin. Malfoy was inquiring about fixing something in the shop.

At first, Borgin, a greasy-looking stooped man, treated Malfoy without much regard as Draco demanded he make the repairs on something and place a hold on another item in his shop. Then…Draco moved in front of a large black cabinet and Harry's view was blocked. But Draco had shown Borgin something, as the man backed away and was now practically bowing and scraping, giving Draco the same respect he would have given Lucius. As Draco spoke with Burke, Burke agreed to fix the cabinet as soon as possible, instead of putting Draco off. In fact, Burke had agreed to everything Draco was saying.

After dashing back to the joke shop, Harry spent the rest of the day contemplating what on earth it was that Draco Malfoy had been up to in Knockturn Alley.