Prologue:

Harry Potter had always known that he was special, it had been told to him buy innumerable wizards and witches ever since his eleventh birthday. At the same time he had always been taught that he was a worthless nobody, by the Dursley's and by all the children at the muggle school that he attended before receiving that magical letter from Hogwarts. So these two sides of him, the worthless and the special had always fought a bloody battle within him. As large as the battle between light and darkness, good and evil, love and hate; as large as that was the everyday struggle within the heart and mind of Harry Potter, The–Boy–Who–Lived.

Chapter one: The change

He wasn't just The–Boy–Who–Lived anymore, Harry thought to himself as he was pacing slowly back and forward at Kings Cross Station. It was a sunny September morning and it was the day for the yearly journey back to Hogwarts, it was time for him and his friends to start their seventh and final year at the school. Even though none of them had really thought that they would ever return when they left the castle after Professor Dumbledore's funeral that clouded day at the beginning of the summer. None of them had known what the summer would bring them, not Ron or Hermione, not Ginny and definitely not Harry. He had thought that he was either going to defeat Lord Voldemort during that summer, or fall down dead himself. Now when the summer was over, Voldemort was gone. Truly dead this time, nothing remaining of him whatsoever, but Harry had not been the one who did the dirty work. He had not been able to kill, not even when the victim was someone who had made a living hell out of his life. Yes, Harry thought bitterly. Now he was also known as The-Boy-Who-Didn't-Dare.

Fortunately his self-destructive thoughts where interrupted by the loud greetings of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. They came walking towards him, holding hands and wearing big smiles on their faces. He smiled as well, this summer had brought his two best friends closer and they were now officially a couple. Harry was truly happy for them.

How are you holding up mate? Ron asked and gave his shoulder a quick squeeze.

Did you get all your things? Hermione asked and looked down on the trunk at his feet.

Yes, Harry replied. And the Dursley's were really pleased when I told them I wasn't coming back there anymore.

What a shocker, Ron smirked and the trio burst into laughter.

No it wasn't really shocking that Harry's aunt and her family were happy to have him out of the way, they had never been quite eager to have him there in the first place. Hermione smiled and gave him a big hug, and he felt really fortunate to have two so understanding and loving friends as he had, they had stood by him after the downfall of Voldemort. When everyone else seemed to be questioning his status, they had never left his side, and he was forever grateful to them for that.

We better get going then, Ron said after taking a quick look at his watch and the three of them boarded the Hogwarts Express which had just appeared in front of them.

Students rushed all around them, waving good bye to their parents, carrying their trunks into various compartments, and all the physical actions were accompanied by lots of talking and laughing. Everything seemed to be just as it always had, the only problem was, Harry thought as he sat down in their usual compartment, that everything had changed and he knew in his guts that nothing was ever going to be the same again. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, he did not know yet.

As the hills of England flew past their window, Hermione had fallen asleep with her head in Ron's lap and he was sitting there stoking her hair gently with an unreadable expression on his face. None of the two boys said anything, they were just sitting there enjoying the silence, until the door to their compartment suddenly flew open and a boy with incredible blond hair and rare silvery grey eyes looked at them in surprise.

Oh, sorry I thought this one was empty, said Draco Malfoy after a few silent seconds of putting his features from surprised to nearly normal. He quickly turned and moved himself out of the compartment. He left in such a hurry that he forgot to close the door. Harry got up on his feet and walked over to close it, he looked out and saw Malfoy walk into an empty compartment on the other side of the hallway. Harry turned to Ron with a thoughtful expression on his face.

He's changed, Ron said simply. Gotten thinner too, he almost looks…haunted?

Harry nodded and slowly closed the door before seating again.

No wonder though, this summer has been rough on him, Ron let out a sarcastic laugh before continuing. Hey, its been rough on all of us!

The other boy still didn't speak, yes this summer had been rough on all of them and he knew that the events from it had left scars on not only himself but on everyone who endured it. Visible scars obtained by battles, and non-visible ones that showed their dirty little faces during night hours and shattered the sleep of their owners. Dreams haunted them all and something told Harry that Draco's dreams might be worse than his or any of his friends.

Yes, Harry said after realising that Ron had stared at his speechless friend for a couple of minutes. But we're all a bit haunted now aren't we?

Ron's face suddenly looked very tired and a few years older than it actually was, it was easy to see that painful memories tormented his mind, he nodded with a big sigh slipping out of him.

True my friend, very true.

The journey continued in the very same manner, Ron and Harry were both too lost in their own thoughts to make conversation and Hermione was sleeping. She awoke just as they were about to wake her up, the train was getting rapidly closer to Hogwarts and they had to change from their muggle clothes into their robes.

Oh, she said as she opened her eyes and stretched her arms slightly. I've slept long haven't I? A certain trace of panic colouring her voice.

Not too long anyway, Harry said and smiled at the disoriented girl in Ron's lap.

You better go change, Ron said and placed a small kiss on his girlfriends forehead.

She blushed a bit, still uncomfortable about showing affection in front of Harry. Despite their horrifying summer together, she still was very prudish.

Hermione left them to go change in another compartment and Harry unpacked his robes in silence, the two boys got dressed and had just closed their trunks as the train stopped. They had once again reached Hogwarts – for the seventh and final time.

Draco Malfoy left the Hogwarts Express feeling tense and tired, his plans to sleep during the train ride had been brutally crushed when he found himself in Harry Potter's compartment. Even later when he got seated in an empty one, he couldn't relax. Ever since he left Hogwarts before the summer holidays he hadn't had a single night of decent sleep. And, he had a feeling that it wasn't going to get any better now that he had returned. During the summer Draco had experienced how his life had been turned upside-down, and he had helped turning it.

He followed his fellow Slytherins into their common room, but this year he was definitely not part of the gang, there were almost no seventh year Slytherins left. The only people remaining from his year group was himself, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. The rest had been caught red handed doing Voldemort's dirty work or had fled the country with their death eater parents after the downfall of the Dark Lord. Some had even been kidnapped or just gone missing. Blaise and Pansy on the other hand had not been drawn into darkness, they had stayed clean and they were Draco's only friends in a new world that scared him even more than the old one had. Because in this one, he had no clue on how he ought to behave to survive.

The Great Hall was louder and more cheerful than Harry remembered it, where ever he turned he saw happy faces on Ravenclaws and Huflepuffs. Even the Slytherins looked like they were enjoying themselves, except for a few of them.

The Slytherins have gotten few, Hermione whispered in his ear, he nodded.

Indeed they had, of the seventh years only three remained; Zabini, Parkinson – and Malfoy. Harry's eyes lingered a bit longer on the pale boy who sat in silence at the Slytherin table, lost in his own thoughts. He felt himself being filled with anger, why did Malfoy do it? He surely hadn't gained anything by it. Or had he? Harry's thoughts were interrupted when Ron shook his shoulder to catch his attention.

Yes? Harry answered vaguely.

Lupin is sitting at the teachers table, Ron said with clear excitement in his voice.

Harry glanced up at the teachers and saw his father's old friend sitting their, Lupin smiled at him when he caught his eye, and Harry faintly smiled back.

Yeah, he said to Ron. He told me that McGonagall had offered him the DADA job, now that Snape's gone.

Ron didn't get a chance to respond to that statement because Professor McGonagall had arose from her chair in front of them all to hold the Headmasters yearly speech.

My dear students, it is a true pleasure for me to greet you to a new year here at Hogwarts School of Wizard and Witchcraft. To all first year students; I hope that your time here will be a pleasant and rewarding one. To the rest of you; I am truly happy to see that so many of you have returned, though we all grief the loss of those who haven't. I especially see that the seventh year class has been reduced, and my heart goes out to those who've lost a friend or a family member. Before the meal I would like you to join me in honouring those who can not be here today.

McGonagall picked up a long list and started to read the names from it.

From Gryffindor, she said and Harry felt his insides crumble, he looked over at Ron whose face had gotten a sickly white colour. Neville Longbottom, McGonagall said.

Harry's heart sank, he now knew that he was going to have to be reminded of each and everyone of his lost friends.

Justin Creevy, Ginny Weasley and Seamus Finnigan. McGonagall made a slow gesture that indicated that she demanded complete silence, but around her people had started crying and sobbing.

Ron had buried his head in Hermione's embrace, Colin Creevy was being patted on the shoulder by an equally upset Dean Thomas. Harry's heart ached tremendously. It's all my fault, he thought. It's all my fault that they're dead! Suddenly he felt as if he was being watched, he turned his head slightly and his green emerald eyes met those silvery grey of Draco Malfoy. All the anger he'd felt for the boy just minutes ago vanished at the look of the tormented Slytherin. His eyes spoke to Harry, they begged for forgiveness, and they made Harry feel even more uncomfortable. Malfoy shouldn't be asking Harry to forgive him, if anything it ought to be the other way around. Harry broke the eye contact and turned once again to the Headmistress. She had picked up the list after the few silent moments, and she looked down at her pupils with great sadness filling her eyes.

From Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; Luna Lovegood and Cho Chang.

Harry could feel the glances of the other Gryffindors during the new moment of silence, but he showed them no emotional reaction. Of course, he felt partly responsible for the death of Luna Lovegood, but Cho Chang ( who wouldn't have been attending Hogwarts this year even if she'd been alive) had nothing to do with him. She had been killed by a death eater while walking down the streets in Muggle London with one of her muggle friends. Harry had no connection to her death, and as for his feelings for the Ravenclaw, they had faded long ago. His crush on her hadn't survived his fifth year at Hogwarts and as she graduated before the summer, he hadn't paid her much thought during the war that followed. McGonagall spoke again:

- As for Slytherin, it upsets me to see that the names on this list don't justify the loss of students that the Slytherin house has experienced.

She didn't explain her words in more detail but all students knew that many Slytherins

had disappeared during the war, and that only a few of them had been found dead.

- From Slytherin; Millicent Bulstrode, Vincent Crabbe, Greg Goyle and…McGonagall

paused for a split second before giving the last name.

Professor Severus Snape, she uttered the name with great caution but could not stop the whispers that spread through the room like a tidal wave. Quiet! She yelled. We shall honor each and everyone in the same respectful manner, each one! People silenced again and Harry let his eyes slide over to the Slytherin table again, Zabini sat and held the Parkinson girl, carefully patting her back. Malfoy sat staring into the wall, looking paler than his usual self.

Harry gulped and felt his heart sink to lower levels than he ever thought possible, when

McGonagall decided to break the silence and speak again.

Finally, she said. Shall I bring you more cheerful news. We have a new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher this year; Professor Remus Lupin! The entire Great Hall broke into cheers at the statement and Lupin smiled one of his biggest smiles.

Thank you, he said before he let McGonagall continue. And, you also have a new Potions teacher since Professor Slughorn has retired, she said smiling at the big crowd which had gotten a lot happier since a few minutes ago. Nymphadora Tonks! This time a sigh of surprise spread through the crowd, until Harry, Hermione and Ron started to cheer hysterically and the rest joined in quickly. This was great, Harry suddenly felt like this might become a good year after all.

One last thing before I let you go on with your meals, McGonagall sighed slightly before

continuing. A new Head of the Slytherin House has been appointed and that person will be Professor Lupin. Everyone stared at the Headmistress, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins equally shocked. Harry shook his head in disbelief, Lupin wasn't a Slytherin he had been a Gryffindor just like Harry's father and Godfather. I am aware, McGonagall said when none of here pupils seemed eager to return to their plates. That professor Lupin is not a true Slytherin, but those are very hard to find these days.

With those words, she sat down at the teacher's table and a great chatting started to once

again fill the Great Hall. People laughed, mumbled, whispered and some still cried. Harry

was still in a state of shock, even though his friends seem to have recovered. Ron was

eating happily, mumbling something about the best god damned food in the world, and

Hermione was discussing something with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Harry took a bite of the chicken pie on his plate. He had been aware of the fact that few old Slytherins had survived the summer, but he had not known that the world now was so short of Slytherins that a Gryffindor had to be the Head of the Slytherin house.