A/N This plot came to me as I was rereading PoA. I have the first few chapters ready to go and a plan for the rest of the story so update will arrive soon! Please read and review. Disclaimer: not mine.

The door into the Great Hall was open on the right and Harry followed the crowd towards it, eager to join his classmates at the feast. He, Hermione and Ron continued through the entrance hall when he heard a voice.

"Potter. Granger. I want to see you both." The trio looked up to see Minerva McGonagall calling to them over the sea of students. Harry and Hermione fought their way towards her, glancing at each other in confusion.

"I just wanted a quick word with you two in my office, nothing to worry about" she said by way of explanation and gestured for the two of them to follow her. Professor McGonagall strode purposefully down the corridors and held open her door for the two students to precede her through the entrance. Harry looked it around, he was usually only ever summoned to the office of his head of house when he was in some sort of trouble. Harry and Hermione shuffled into seats opposite her desk, Hermione looking as confused as Harry felt. He wracked his brains but couldn't think of anything and glanced at his stern professor nervously.

"You are not in trouble Potter...for once. I dare say that won't last long, however." She sighed. "No. Professor Lupin sent word about your rather eventful train journey..."

McGonagall was interrupted by a soft rap at the door, to which she replied "Come in Poppy!" Madam Pomfrey bustled through the door and Harry turned to glare at his Professor.

"I'm fine." Harry groaned, his face growing red and panic rising inside his chest. The two women ignored him.

"Honestly, setting dementors loose around a school, what is the ministry thinking?" Madam Pomfrey said crossly, pushing back Harry's hair. "Yes, yes he's all clammy. He wont be the first to collapse, Minerva. Awful effect they have on children, especially those who are already delicate."

"I'm not delicate!" Harry bristled.

"Of course you're not" the matron replied, absentmindedly. She attempted to reach down to his wrist to check his pulse but Harry yanked his arm away. He jerked away from her and made to get up, knowing full well that his arms were off limits to the woman unless he wanted to end up in St. Mungo's with Gilderoy Lockhart. She looked at him and said

"Potter, don't make this difficult" in a warning tone.

"I'm FINE. Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate." He said, the panic starting to show in his cracking voice. Madam Pomfrey huffed and looked at Professor McGonagall for backup. The teacher looked at Harry and raised her eyebrows.

"If you refuse to be examined, I will have you spending the entire feast in the hospital wing Potter." McGonagall said, sounding resolutely unimpressed. Harry looked at Hermione and said "I'll see you later" before standing and storming out of the room.

Both staff members called after him through the slammed door but he ignored them, stalking away from the office angrily. Madam Pomfrey packed up her bag and went back to the hospital wing, muttering about students never knowing what was good for them.

"Well, Miss Granger, I had called you here to discuss the arrangements we've made for your class attendance this year but I suppose that will have to wait until tomorrow while I go look for Potter. Do you have any idea what's gotten into him?" She asked, a look of concern striking her features. Hermione's eyebrows crumpled together and shook her head, saying

"I'm not entirely sure, Professor. I know he had a tough time with his relatives this summer...but I suppose that's nothing knew. I mean, what with him blowing up his aunt, he must've been really angry at them about something though."

McGonagall sighed and dismissed Hermione, who headed back towards the Great Hall. After a quick search of Gryffindor tower, the library, the kitchens and the astronomy tower, she realised she was not going to find her pupil alone and started to grow concerned.

McGonagall hurried back towards the Great Hall, where dessert was being served and relayed the information to the Headmaster who looked at her seriously.

"Well, I'm sure he can't have gone far, Minerva." Dumbledore smiled, reassuringly.

"The boy can't be wandering around alone with Sirius Black on the loose, Albus!" She said, her features marred with worry. Dumbledore stood and dismissed the students but gestured to the professors to remain seated. Once all of the students had left for their dormitories, the headmaster sighed and addressed the staff.

"Harry Potter is somewhere in the grounds, given the threat posed by Sirius Black it is imperative that he be found. We will need to search the castle."

"So, precious Potter has decided to go for a walk and now it's our job to chase after the insolent boy" drawled Professor Snape.

"Severus, if you would search the dungeons." Dumbledore continued, choosing to ignore Snape's complaints. "Minerva, if you could assist him. Myself, Remus, Flitwick and Pomona can search the main castle. Hagrid, would you check the Quidditch pitch and perhaps the Owlery? Aurora, Septima and Charity could you search a tower each? I will ask the ghosts and house elves to assist, if you find Harry simply send a message to me through them."

And with that, the staff of Hogwarts split up in search of the boy-who-lived.

Oblivious to the concern for his whereabouts, Harry was sat on a rather lumpy and uncomfortable boulder on the far side of the Black Lake. He found himself watching the reflection of the castle ripple across the water in front of him. Despite being back at Hogwarts, Harry still felt miserable and couldn't quite put his finger on why. His stomach churned painfully and he felt himself start to shiver in the cool September air. Harry sighed, knowing he should return to the warmth of the castle. For some reason, he didn't feel quite ready to face everyone yet. Ron would just ask too many questions, Hermione would tell him off for disrespecting a teacher and he didn't even want to think about the number of detentions McGonagall would give him for walking out of her office like that. It was still better than thinking about what a check up in the hospital wing would've shown. Harry leaned back and winced as the wounds on his back twinged. Yes, he was definitely better off without Pomfrey finding out about the marks littered all over his back. Or the bruises on his chest. Or the scars on his arms.

Harry felt tears start to well up in his eyes and swiped them away quickly, chiding himself for being so pathetic. He pushed up his sleeve and pulled out his wand. A simple slicing charm provided the release he so desperately craved. He waited for the bleeding to stop and then pulled his jumper back down over his arm. The temperature had really started to drop now and Harry was certain that he had stayed out past curfew. He cursed himself for passing out on the train in the first place. He was conflicted. He didn't want to go back to the castle and find himself stuck in the hospital wing. He equally didn't want to stay out here and freeze to death. Come to think of it, would that be so bad? To just, not have to wake up tomorrow or face his professors and friends. He decided freezing wouldn't be a particularly pleasant way to die, however, and shook himself from the morbid thoughts that were starting to overtake Harry's mind more and more frequently. He sat for a while longer, unaware of a figure approaching him until it was entirely too late.

"Harry" the person called in a gentle voice. He twisted around quickly, his mouth pursing as the wounds on his back gave him another sharp reminder of his summer holidays. The figure stepped out of the shadows and Harry recognised it as Professor Lupin. He didn't seem angry but concern weighed heavily on the man's features. The man sent a shot of light out of his wand and Harry looked at him, puzzled.

"I'm just letting the staff know that you're okay, you've had a lot of people worried tonight, Harry." He said, sitting down next to him and conjuring a fleecy purple blanket which settled around Harry's shoulders.

"I just needed some space. I think those dementors earlier really shook me up." Harry said quickly, the guilt causing his chest to tighten slightly.

"Yes, they are among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They cause us to relieve our worst memories, spreading depression and despair. They affect some more than others, I'm afraid. You, with such unimaginable horrors in your past, are bound to have a stronger response to them." Lupin spoke out to the water. Harry looked up at the professor.

"How much trouble am I in?" He asked. Lupin cracked a smile.

"Quite a bit I would imagine. Shades of your father if I may add, Harry."

"You knew my Dad?" Harry said, incredulously.

"Oh yes, he was quite the troublemaker. We were friends in school. And your mother too, we were all in the same year. In fact, I...I knew you as a baby, Harry." Lupin said, slightly painfully. Harry stared at him, a small smile creeping on his face.

"Could you...could you tell me about them sometime? I don't know that much about him, my relatives aren't exactly their biggest fans." He said, cautiously. Lupin looked down at him and nodded.

"For now though, Harry, I think I should probably escort you back to your dormitory." He said firmly and moved to stand. Harry followed him reluctantly towards the castle.

"You're not going to make me go to the hospital wing, are you Professor?" Harry asked as they walked. Lupin looked at him slightly suspiciously but shook his head, emitting a sigh of relief from Harry. Once they reached the portrait hole, Lupin gave the password and the Fat Lady swung open to reveal an empty common room. Empty except for one Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They leaped up from their spots by the fire, launching a tirade at him.

"HARRY!"

"Where have you been??"

"We've been worried sick!"

Lupin clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and bid him goodnight, leaving him to his friends inquisition. Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, clearly waiting for a response.

"I just needed some time on my own...I'm really tired, can we talk about this in the morning?" Harry said, feigning a yawn. His friends looked at each other, clearly not wanting to wait until the morning. But before they could even process what he'd said, Harry was already heading up the stairs to bed. The 3 other boys in his dormitory were fast asleep and Neville was snoring softly. He shrugged off his robe and lay down on his bed, shutting his curtains with a flick of his wand before Ron could come up. He didn't bother to remove the rest of his uniform, knowing he wouldn't be getting much sleep.

Harry awoke early the next morning, before the sun had even come up. He rubbed his eyes and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He looked jealously at his friends who were all sleeping soundly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept properly. Harry dressed quickly in a sweater and shorts, slipping his feet into the running trainers he had bought last week in Diagon Alley. He crept out of Gryffindor tower and down towards the entrance hall. The castle was quiet apart from the ghosts floating around who greeted him jovially. He had almost made it out the door to the grounds without bumping into anyone when his least favourite teacher skulked out of the shadows.

"Potter." Snape spat. Harry turned slowly on his heel to face him,

"Sir." He said, glaring towards the potions master.

"What exactly do you think you are you doing?" Snape asked, annunciating each word individually, his voice full of hatred.

"Going for a run." Harry shrugged.

"Ah yes, Prince Potter. Wandering around the grounds as if he owns the place, complete disregard for his safety and leaving us mere servants to chase around after him." Snape seethed. Harry didn't have the energy to find a retort and simply stared at Snape before turning on his heel and walking out the large oak doors. Snape called after him "I did not dismiss you, Potter!" But Harry broke into a sprint and pretended not to hear.

He ran down towards the Quidditch pitch, deciding to deal with the consequences of ignoring Snape later. Once he reached the pitch, he began to run laps around it. His stomach growled angrily as he had not eaten anything since the chocolate on the train last night. He pushed through it and forced his tired legs to keep propelling themselves forward. Once he grew bored of the Quidditch pitch, he did a circuit of the black lake and then ran up the seemingly endless run of steps from the boathouse. His body was exhausted but Harry ignored every bit of discomfort. Once he reached the top he stopped and leant over the railing. He stared down at the steep drop longingly before shaking the dark thoughts from his mind. turning round to look at sunlight creeping across the castle that he called home. What he didn't see was Albus Dumbledore peering out at him through his office window. The headmaster watched the boy with growing concern, he looked thin and exhausted. He kept his eyes on him until the boy moved inside and out of sight.

Harry made his way back up to Gryffindor tower to shower and change. He dressed quickly as he knew the others would be waking up soon and he did not want them to see the marks criss crossing his back. Once in his robes, he decided he should probably eat something and headed to the Great Hall. It was near empty, save for a few Ravenclaws huddled around a pot of tea and some of the Professors. Looking up towards the staff table, he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape whose heads snapped up at his entry. His stomach dropped as he remembered he was likely in a fair bit of trouble. He grabbed a banana from a fruit bowl on the nearest table and walked quickly back through the doors. He half-ran up the marble staircase and headed for the library. He found a sunlight-lit armchair by the window and, grabbing a book on defensive charms, curled up in it to read. He devoured his banana quickly, not realising how hungry he had been.

Eventually he stirred at the sound of the first bell and realised he would need to hurry if he wanted to grab his bag and make it to class on time. He realised he didn't actually know what his first class as he had not been present to receive his timetable during breakfast. Luckily, he managed to catch Ron and Hermione as they were heading out from the Great Hall. They headed off to Transfiguration together, Harry faking a smile and laughing along with his friends. Deep down he was dreading seeing McGonagall but he knew he'd have to face the music eventually. During the class, Harry struggled to focus on their task of turning a rabbit into a slipper. His efforts were abysmal, his rabbit simply becoming slightly flattened, but McGonagall seemed to let him off. He thought he might just get away with the events of the yesterday but, just as the lesson was coming to an end, he was called to stay behind. Harry shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot as his peers left the room and waited for McGonagall to begin.

"Would you care to explain last night to me, Potter?" She said sternly. Harry looked at his feet and decided to roll out the same line that he had used on Lupin last night.

"I...it was just the dementors, Professor. They upset me more than I realised... I should've listen to you and Madam Pomfrey, I'm sorry." Harry burst out quickly, his professor didn't seem that convinced so Harry continued, running a hand through his hair "I heard screams, when the dementors came in. Before I passed out, all I could here was a woman...screaming. I think it was the sound of...of Voldemort murdering my mum." Harry's voice cracked on the last word.

At this, McGonagall's face dropped and she placed a hand on Harry's arm, he could've sworn her eyes grew a little watery at his admission.

"Yes, yes of course Potter. We were all just concerned about you, especially given the Sirius Black situation. Should you need to get some fresh air after hours again, I simply ask that you don't go alone." McGonagall said, slightly apologetically. Harry nodded, still looking at the floor.

"Are you certain you don't need to go to the hospital wing?" She asked.

"Yes, Professor." Harry said, slightly too quickly, but his professor seemed satisfied enough and dismissed him. He hurried to Charms and slid into the seat his friends had saved for him. While they were practicing a warming charm, he explained to Hermione and Ron that he was just upset and embarrassed last night about the dementors visit. They seemed happier now that he had opened up to them. The rest of the day carried on without much incident but it was the next day when things began to go downhill.

From the minute Harry entered the damp, dingy potions classroom he knew it was going to be a bad afternoon. Harry knew Snape hated him but this class brought with it an entirely new level of contempt. Snape mercilessly took points and taunted Harry, who had to bite his cheeks to prevent him from talking back. But when Snape sabotaged his potion by casually slipping an extra peppermint leaf into his cauldron, Harry couldn't stay calm any longer. He slammed his knife on the table and glared up at Snape.

"Zero, Potter." Snape tutted. Harry muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" The potions master goaded. "Would you care to share some words of wisdom from the boy-who-lived with the rest of the class?"

"I called you a slimy git, Sir" Harry said sweetly, putting extra effort into the last word. The class shifted around him, trying not the laugh. Hermione drew a sharp intake of breath and grabbed Harry's wrist in warning.

"Detention, Potter." Snape hissed.

"But I was just answering your question, Professor? How can I be punished for stating a fact?"

Snape appeared to implode before him. His eyes were practically bulging out of his skull, his nostrils flaring and his eyes narrowed to slits. Harry didn't care, he felt untouchable. There was nothing Snape could do to him to make Harry's life any worse than it already was. Appearing to collect himself, Snape twisted his mouth and managed to spit out

'30 points from Gryffindor. Get out of my classroom, go straight to the headmasters office and wait for me there."

Harry gathered his textbooks and headed out the door, slamming the door loudly behind him. He was tempted to find a good hiding spot but he knew that this time he definitely couldn't run from his punishment. He started to make his way towards Dumbledore's office but realised once he was outside that he didn't know the password. Somehow, Dumbledore must've known of his presence because, not a moment after he arrived, the gargoyle sprung aside and allowed Harry entrance. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door to the office. He heard a quiet "Enter" in response and opened the door to find Dumbledore leaning on the windowsill, peering out at the lake below. He didn't look up but said "Sit down, Harry" sounding tired. Harry took a seat and waited for the Headmaster to speak.

RR XOXO