Harry's Thoughts.

Hi! I'm Lucida Anseris. I took over this story from Aerodactyl Fire, because she's got a lot going on in her life right now, and wanted Pure to be finished. It's a shame she couldn't finish it, but hey, things happen. But, it will be different. Please, try to look at it with an open mind. ;)

Summary; "The Triwizard Tournament may be over, but Harry has only just begun. On hearing a single conversation, the paths of Fate have been altered. But, for better or worse? "

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It was Midnight. All was black, and rain was drenching the village of Hogsmede.

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry lay silent and dark.

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In the darkness, many lay in despair.

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The Triwizard Tournament may be over.

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But it had come at a price.

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The price of an innocents life.

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Cedric Diggory was Dead.

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So many had been touched by the cold hand of his death.

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But, in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, not everyone lay in their beds in despair.

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One was out of bed.

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He crept through the corridors.

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His name was Harold James Potter.

Harry crept through the halls of Hogwarts under his invisibility cloak. It was the week after the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and the death of Cedric Diggory. And Harry was growing slightly tired about being mercilessly questioned about Cedric's death, and his own feelings.

Harry, contrary to popular opinion, and the Hogwarts rumour mill, was not traumatised, having chronic nightmares, or suicidal. In fact, he did not blame himself at all for the death of Cedric. While disgusted at his death, he only truly felt a bit in awe of the power of the darkness.

Voldemort did not scare Harry. He was fourteen now, not a little eleven year old who had only known about magic for nine months.

Harry hated how the public had labelled him "the boy who lived". It was a massive sign, saying that while he had lived, so many others- including his parents- had died. Not only that, but many believed that Harry was scared of Voldemort for some unfathomable reason. Why, he had no idea; he was one of about ten people in Britain who would even call him Voldemort.

While Harry was thinking, he wandered past the remote classroom that had once housed the Mirror of Erised. He would have carried on his way, had he not heard muted voices coming from the other side of the thick oak door.

Interested in what could possibly be important enough to hold a meeting at Midnight in the East Wing, Harry cast a scrying spell on the door, and to his surprise and slight confusion. he saw Hermione, Ron and Ginny sitting there- with the Headmaster!

What the hell? What are they doing here? I know I left Ron in bed when I left the Tower, so they can't be looking for me...

Harry instantly stopped his wandering around the castle, and stayed silent and hidden behind the door, listening and watching their conversation.

"Well, my dear children, what have you unearthed about our dear Mr. Potter since our last meeting?" Asked Professor Dumbledore.

Hermione answered first.

" He is not showing any signs of emotional trauma, and is coping rather well. He isn't telling us what happened though. He's holding it all in, the silly little boy" Hermione said in an indifferent tone, while she flicked her bushy brown hair in a bossy kind of manner.

In response to Hermione's answer, Dumbledore frowned, and replied " Harry is in serious danger of a meltdown at present, so we must persuade him to let us in, to confide in us. It is absolutely vital that he puts his trust in us, as, after all, by dear children, it is for the greater good of the Magical World, is it not?"

And, to Harry's shock and fury, all three teenagers nodded back, in a knowing way!

What is going on? Aren't they my friends? My only friends? The friends who said they'd stand with me through anything? How can this be happening?

Were they ever my friends though? Were they only manipulating me for 'the greater good'? Am I only a weapon to them?

Well, if they think that, they can find a new one. I'm not being screwed over by them.

When his three puppets had stopped nodding at him, the aged Headmaster carried on speaking.

"This Summer, it would be best if you didn't send Harry any letters. This is to deflate his head after winning the Tournament. We cannot have him getting too confident. Sending him to be isolated with the muggles will do this nicely.

"Yeah, have you seen how he strutted around this week? He was acting as if he owned Hogwarts, it was sickening" Ron ranted, turning a puce that even Uncle Vernon would be proud of.

But, then Hermione joined the conversation,

"How can Harry actually think that that Muggle is his Aunt? They don't look anything like each other! And, if he'd use his brain for once, he'd realise that living with Muggles wasn't safe in the slightest, especially those that threat him like a house elf!"

What? Wasn't Mum a Muggle Born? That's what everyone says, even Hagrid, and he couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag.

"My dear girl, Harry must think that the magic hating muggle is his Aunt, because he has to stay there. Even if he hated them, he would instinctively stay with family, even if they are not exactly ideal. It is our way of making sure he remains in one place, and didn't grow up to be a spoiled brat. Lily did have a sister, but she died when she was five, in a car crash. Lily's real parents died then also, so Lily was soon adopted by a pair of muggles. Lily's parents were squibs of some old family that has long died out. I never looked into it. There is no need to, as the fortune we need is easily covered in the Potter Vaults. We only need to persuade Harry to donate it to the war effort when he turns seventeen."

... My Mum's parents were squibs? Aunt Petunia... isn't my Aunt at all? And Dudley isn't my cousin? They aren't family...

On the bright side though, at least there's no relation to Aunt Marge!

But, he let me starve all Summer with people I have no relation to!

Harry, seeing the traitors get up from their conference, hurried away swiftly. He couldn't risk Dumbledore seeing through his cloak like he had done in that very room three-and-a-half years ago.

Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Dumbledore never would find out he had been there that night.

Harry was furious when he got back to the dorm. He had been lied to all his life- his friends lied about his family, their friendship, and most of all, his heritage. His whole life was a massive lie!

By the time Ron came back, Harry was well in bed, pretending to be asleep so as to avoid the betrayer.

But, sleep did not come to Harry that night.

The next morning, Harry went down to breakfast with Neville. He ignored the three to talk to Neville about various mundane subjects, but Harry soon realised he was being ignored as well. They were sitting in a small huddle, and Harry realised they were talking about him. He was more perceptive than most gave him credit for, after all.

An hour and a half later, he sat on the train in a compartment with all of the forth year boys- minus Ron. Harry looked at the door at one point, and saw Ron standing there, watching them play exploding snap with an odd look on his face. But, he hurried off a moment later when the trolley lady appeared at the end of the corridor. She stared after his retreating back with a puzzled look, but shook her head, and offered her wares to the four boys.

Harry bought chocolate frogs, Droobles Bubble Gum, an Acid pop, pepper imps and Sugar quills in addition to a few Pumpkin Pasties. He needed enough food to see him through till the next day. After all, he wasn't actually going back to the Dursleys, was he!

When they reached Platform Nine and three quarters, Harry didn't leave the compartment with Neville, Seamus and Dean. He took out his cloak, the Marauders Map, the photo album of his parents, his Firebolt, and its servicing kit. He quickly removed all the tracking charms he had detected on them the previous night after hearing the conversation between his 'best friends' and the Headmaster, and shrunk all but the broom. He then put all the shrunken items in his pocket. Then, Harry took a deep, deep breath.

He pulled out his wand, and looked at it sadly. After returning his trunk to the rack, and turning it invisible, he snapped it. It let out a mournful wail, that sounded like Fawkes, and a few red, gold and grey sparks. Harry found the opening to his trunk up in the rack, and put them broken pieces of his wand in it.

Now, he threw his father's cloak over him, and slipped off the train. He walked around the edge of the rapidly thinning crowd slightly nervously, scared of being detected. Thankfully, the red headed mob didn't see him, even though they were waiting for his exit from the train. He also made an effort to stay well away from Hermione.

After he got through the barrier to Kings Cross, Harry found a small alley. He mounted his broom, and flew in the direction of Diagon Alley.

The Leakey Cauldron was full of Alley traffic. Harry found himself stuck behind some old women, who walked ever so slowly while nattering about their grandchildren.

Come on, you hags. If Dumbledore catches me, i'm screwed!

Soon though, Harry was in the Alley. Still avoiding contact with the flood of people in the alley, Harry made his way to the massive marble building that was Gringotts.

I will win this match, Dumbledore!

Harry finally reached the steps leading to the great doors. Hurrying up them, he opened the doors, and then saw the Hall full of goblins. Steeling his strength, he began to walk towards the Goblin at the highest desk...

AN. Thank you for reading. Please review so I can see what you think, because I want people to like this as much as they did with Bethan's -That's Aerodactyl fire, if you don't know. I'm not calling my friend some daft name.

Thank you!

Lucida Anseris.

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:)