1Harry Potter and the Shades of Grey

Chapter two

Revelations

Harry stared at Pansy with his mouth open. He knew all of those names, and as far as he knew, they were all firmly in Voldemort's corner. He closed his mouth and shook his head. He looked at the somber girl sitting across from him. "Right." He thought about it for a minute. "Would you care to elaborate on that?" he asked.

Pansy frowned thoughtfully, looking into the distance. "It's a long story, but basically the Dark Lord's forces are split into three groups. The first group are families like the Malfoys, Crabbes and Goyles, all of whom have the Dark Marks. The second group are families and groups of allies that want to be in the first group."

She paused, watching Harry. "The last group are our families, who support the Dark Lord from fear and being too weak to stop the older, more powerful families. We wouldn't be there, except we don't have the numbers or the money to escape." Pansy's eyes burned with anger and embarrassment. "We don't go on the raids or torture people, trying to stay out of the fighting entirely, and since we do, the first two groups force us to serve them in all sorts of ways."

She smirked. "That's why I use the glamour at school and act the way I do. Malfoy hates clingy simpering girls, so I put the act on to make him leave me alone."

Harry nodded. "It seems to have worked. He's been chasing Greengrass recently."

Pansy grinned. "Daphne hates him, but she also enjoys teasing him. Her family has just enough power that he can't force her to serve him."

Harry smiled. "Good for her." He looked at Pansy, thinking about what she had said so far. "None of this explains why you want to ally with me though. I can't free you from Voldemort."

Pansy shivered. "We've been watching the Dark Lord since he returned to his body. It is the considered opinion of the Houses that the Dark Lord."

Harry held up his hand. "Parkinson, I know where you've been, but here and now, he's not a lord. Call him Voldemort, or if you can't do that, call him by his name. He was born Tom Riddle." Harry had a sudden thought and spoke impulsively without thinking about what he was saying first. "Unless you can call him by my name for him. Moldywart is a much better name I think."

Pansy had flinched at the name Voldemort, raised an eyebrow at Riddle's name, and went goggle-eyed at Moldywart. "Potter, you may have a death wish, but I don't. Please don't do that when I'm within hearing."

Harry smiled thinly. "Parkinson, he's a man. A Dark Wizard, yes. An evil and brilliant man, yes. But he's still only a man, born Tom Riddle to the last daughter of Salazar Slytherin and a Muggle father named Tom Riddle. He grew up in an orphanage and he couldn't fool Professor Dumbledore as a student, and now, I know things he doesn't. He's a man who thinks he's immortal. I know better."

Pansy swallowed as Harry spoke and stared at him. She'd never seen Harry like this, fierce and determined. "Right. Just a man. Potter, he kills faster than than most people get annoyed."

Harry nodded. "Yes, he does and that makes him scary. I assume that you want to do something about that, or you would not be here with me."

Pansy nodded. "We had to do something. It is our opinion the the" Pansy hesitated, "Riddle is insane."

Pansy saw Harry's amused look and sighed. "Yes, Potter, we know that all Dark Wizards are insane to you, but to those of us who see shades of grey in the world, he's insane in a very bad way. He's started doing things for illogical reasons and sometimes for no reason at all that we can figure out."

Pansy frowned at Harry's smirk. "It's not a joke, Potter."

Harry was still smiling at the mental image of Peter Pettigrew being tormented for no reason except Moldywart's boredom. "Pardon me if I find the thought of Moldywart randomly killing Death Eaters to be a good thing for me."

Pansy sighed in exasperation as she used her thumb to push the hair out of her eyes. "Are you even listening to me, Potter? Not everyone following him is a Death Eater. Some of us are there because we don't want to die."

Harry frowned at her. "Wrong is wrong, Parkinson, whether you do it to save yourselves or because you enjoy it."

Pansy stared at him for a second and then laughed. "That's rich, coming from you, Potter. How many rules have you broken? You, Granger and Weasley?" She looked around and lowered her voice. "Including an Unforgivable, I understand." She waited for his response to that accusation.

Harry stared at Pansy. "Bellatrix Black has much to answer for," was all he said about it, as he saw Sirius fall through the veil again.

Pansy watched the look in Harry's eye as he thought about Sirius' cousin. She had not really believed that Harry would use an unforgivable on anyone, but he was not denying it. She considered what that meant. Harry might be capable of defeating the Dark Lord after all. For the first time since her father had told her what they were planning, Pansy began to feel some hope that this wild scheme would work.

Harry sat and thought about the proposal for some time. These people were bad, or so he'd thought. And yet, they were coming to him to save them. That they were coming to him in self preservation, not because they thought what Voldemort was doing was wrong worried him, but Professor Dumbledore had given every chance to Draco and Professor Snape.

Harry sighed. He admired Professor Dumbledore and he would follow his example, but not to the extent the Professor had. It had after all, cost him his life. He looked at Pansy, who had been studying him as he thought. "What do you expect from me, and what am I getting in return?"

Harry had no intentions of being fooled. He would make sure that the other people had as much to lose as he did, in case this was a trap.

Pansy had watched as Harry thought about the offer. She had seen the many emotions passing across his face and had been marshalling arguments to further her case when he finally spoke. She blinked, taking a minute to adjust to the thought that she had completed the first part of her mission. "So you will meet with the families?"

Harry nodded and Pansy started writing a note, which she gave to the black owl. She thought, trying to figure out how to get the second part of her mission started. She looked around, and saw the first hints of dawn on the horizon. She watched the owl fly away and turned to Harry. "He'll be back in an hour or so. Until then, can we go to your house and get out of sight?"

Harry frowned. "I'll have to hide you from the Muggles."

Pansy blinked. She'd been given to understand that Harry lived with his Aunt and Uncle, but the tone of his voice was bitter and angry. She frowned. "The Muggles? I thought they were your family."

"Unfortunately, yes," he said quietly, looking at something no one else could see, "but true family is in the heart, and the three of them don't have one heart between them. They have forbidden any of those 'freaks' in their house."

Pansy frowned. "What freaks?"

Harry sighed. "In the considered opinion of the Dursleys, all Wizards and Witches are freaks."

Pansy stared at him, stunned. "But you're a Wizard." Harry just looked at her. Pansy finally got his silent message."I'm sorry, Potter. I should have kept my mouth shut." Pansy frowned. She'd been sent to stay as long as possible with Harry. The families had to use him to break the ties with Voldemort, but they knew next to nothing about him and they wanted that to change.

She frowned. If she was going to have any chance to study Potter and find out exactly what kind of person he was, she had to go with him. She sighed. "Potter, I'm going to show you something, and I really hope you understand why I keep it a secret."

Harry tilted his head, waiting. Pansy closed her eyes and concentrated. Harry jerked as she started to shrink, blurring and disappearing under the table. He had seen enough Animage transformations to recognize it, so he waited until Pansy stuck her head back over the table.

Pansy was a very nice Adder, he decided, as he looked at her. She was a dark brown and black snake, about a meter long and as thick as Harry's arm. Harry didn't know much about snakes, but he'd read a couple of books after finding out that he was a Parselmouth and he could recognize what type of snake she was. What kind of Adder she was, he didn't know, but he did know two things. First, she was most likely poisonous and second, she was showing a great deal of trust in him, revealing an unregistered Animage form.

"You can hide me in your shirt like this," she said in Parseltongue, startling him.

"You're a Parselmouth?" he asked.

The snake shook her head, a strange motion that involved the entire first part of the body. "If an Animage assumes a form that has a language, they can understand that language while they are in their animal form."

Harry nodded. "I can get you to my room like that, and after that you'll have to be quiet until we figure out what we're going to do."

Snake Pansy nodded and moved up on the table. "Until then, may I get in your shirt? It's a bit chilly out here for my current form."

Harry sighed as he opened his shirt. He had a flash of humour as Pansy slid into his shirt. "I can't believe I'm letting a Slytherin wrap her undoubtedly poisonous body around my waist."

"Very poisonous," she agreed from inside his shirt. "And how do you think I feel about getting so intimate with a Gryffindor?" she said, and Harry could hear the humour in her voice. "Speaking of intimate, there's a shopping bag on the other side of the table. Would you put my clothes in it and bring it along, please?"

Harry froze in the act of getting up from his seat. "Are you naked?" he asked, trying not to blush at the thought.

Pansy sighed. "Potter, how much do you know about the Animage training?"

Harry thought about it. Most of what Harry knew was from third year, when he'd met Sirius, Peter and Professor Lupin. "Not a lot really. It can go very wrong, which is why the Ministry tries to keep track of everyone that tries it. Other than that, only what Professor McGonagall has shown us and she keeps her clothing."

Pansy sighed wistfully. "Professor McGonagall is a master Animage with decades of practice. It will be years before I'm as good as she is." Pansy started talking as Harry put the clothes on the other side of the table in the bag he found there. "The first few Animage transformations are done nude, Potter. After you have the shape down in your skin you can start adding your clothes. So far, I can only add my knickers and wand."

Harry started toward Privet drive, trying not to think about the snake around his waist becoming a girl dressed only in her knickers. As a distraction, he asked, "when did you become an Animage?"

"The summer after fourth year. With an experienced Animage to look after you and lots of work, you can make the first transformation in about three months. I had worked on the theory all through fourth year, and spent four hours a day working on it that summer."

Harry thought about that for a few minutes. "If we come to an agreement, your teacher is going to teach four new Animages."

"Four? You, Ron Weasley and Granger I assume, but who's the last one?"

"Ginny Weasley."

"I thought you broke up with her. Or is this an attempt to get her back?" Pansy knew that the two of them had been dating before the Headmaster's death, but nobody in Slytherin knew what had happened to break them up.

"No, we're over." Harry left it at that. If this was a trap of some kind, the other side didn't need to know that he still had deep feelings for her.

Harry looked around. They were approaching the place where he'd left Fletcher, and Harry wasn't going to leave him there to be found by an early rising Muggle. Fletcher was already gone though and in his place was a pair of people. "Stay quiet. We're got some company."

Harry looked at the two figures waiting for him. Both of them were easily recognized and Harry began thinking. He walked up to the pair, letting his wand slip into his hand. He smiled faintly as the older male wizard with the artificial eye drew his wand and the younger girl with bright blue hair put her hand behind her. Apparently, Tonks still carried her wand in her back pocket.

Harry stopped about four meters from the pair. "Hello, Tonks. Would you mind showing me the face you were wearing when we first met?"

The young woman frowned. "This one I think. I lose track of the faces sometimes."

Harry smiled. "Not this time. That's it, right down to that vivid shade of pink hair." He looked at the other wizard. "Hello, Sir. Where did we go on our first trip together?"

Mad-eye Moody nodded approvingly. "Glad to see you're taking some precautions, lad. We flew to the headquarters of the Order, in Black's home and Tonks here allowed you to meet Mrs. Black." His eye rolled for a few seconds. "Why do you have a poisonous snake around your waist, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I am a Parselmouth and it is a useful skill. My friend can be a scout, spy or a threat, as I choose."

Moody nodded, smiling. "You're growing up, Harry. Or am I not allowed to call you Harry either?"

"You are, but let's get out of sight before continuing this conversation. I have a feeling that it is going to be a long one." Harry started toward No 4. Privet Dr and Tonks walked next to him.

"Wotcher, Harry. How's life treating you?"

Harry looked at her and shrugged. "About normal, actually. Riddle still wants to kill me, the Order wants to control me, and I have to spend the next two months with people who hate me and fear what I am. All in all, it's a normal summer for me."

Tonks smiled sympathetically. "On the bright side, this is the last summer it will be like this."

Harry smiled, a strange fey smile. "Yes it is, and if the Dursley's only knew how much I am anticipating my coming of age, they'd be begging you to make me ten again." Harry's tone made both of the adults look at him.

Tonks frowned. "Harry," she began, only to be cut off.

"I'm not going to do anything, Tonks. I am going to tell them that I have to kill Voldemort. Then I'm going to tell them that after I do, when the Wizards would do anything for me for saving them from him, I'll be back to do things to them that n one else could get away with." Harry smirked at the two Aurors. "Then I'm going to leave, and never return."

Moody chuckled. "Leaving them to wonder when you'll be back and what you're going to do. They'll think of things you never would. Very Slytherin of you, Harry."

Harry grinned as Pansy twitched in his shirt. "I thought so. They're useless bigoted people, but I'm not going to sink to a level they understand."

They reached the house and Mad-Eye looked at it, his wand coming out again. "Someone's jimmied the front door."

Harry was quick to reassure the paranoid Wizard. "I did it when I left. I don't have a key to the door." He looked at the two of them. "Nobody should be awake yet, so let's be quiet when we go inside. As we go upstairs, I'll point out a stair. Step over it because it creaks very badly."

Mad-eye looked at Harry and then at Tonks, who was avoiding their eyes. "Right. I'll cast a silencing spell on it as I go by."

Harry led them inside, pausing to lock the door and then leading the other two upstairs. He pointed the stair out to Moody and heard the muttered spell. At the top of the stairs, he looked back in time to see Tonks trip, catching herself by putting her hands out. Naturally, she put both hands on the creaky stair. Moody sighed as a blushing Tonks joined them at the top of the stairs.

Harry let them into his bedroom and sat on the bed as Moody prowled around the room, casting spells in every direction. Some of them were detection spells and the rest were warding spells, designed to keep any outside Wizard from getting int the room, or hearing what went on inside. When he was finished, Moody looked at the other two. "We can talk now."

He leaned against the wardrobe and looked at Harry. "Let's start with your version of tonight's adventure."

Harry told them about the night, leaving out Pansy and her abilities, simply calling her the 'delegate' and not mentioning any of the Houses by name. He also told them about his encounter with Fletcher. "My choice will stand. I don't like or trust that thief and I don't want him getting his hands on anything else that was Sirius's."

Moody grimaced. "After I heard about your run-in with him, I set some traps around the headquarters. Nothing else has been taken from the house, Harry." Moody frowned, thinking about what Harry had told them, and what he'd left out. "Who are these allies of yours? Can you trust them?"

"Slow up, Sir. I don't have them yet, I've simply agreed to meet with them to discuss terms. I'm not going to say anymore before the meeting, but if this works, I'll pull about a third of Voldemort's support out from under him, just as I begin my final push to destroy him." Harry was watching Moody. As they understood his words, they both reacted in their own way.

Mad-Eye Moody narrowed his eyes, thinking about the consequences of that move. Tonks whistled and then grinned at Harry. "What a lovely way to annoy him." Pansy, who thought Harry was talking too much, moved restlessly in his shirt and Harry saw Moody's eye react. Moody used both eyes to stare at Harry's waist and Harry could almost see him thinking.

Harry reached into his shirt. "Come out and act like a snake. Moody suspects." He put Pansy on the bed where she found a warm spot and curled up. Harry looked at the others. "She was being so quiet I forgot she was there until she woke."

Pansy raised her head and looked at Harry. "Please try and hurry this up, Potter. Breakfast is coming and I still prefer food to mice, even if the mice are more fun to eat."

Harry grinned, picturing Pansy chasing mice. When the other two Wizards looked at him he shrugged. "She's just reminding me that breakfast time is coming."

Mad-Eye pushed the snake aside for more important considerations. "A third, hm? That would hurt him, if you can trust them."

Harry sighed. "I don't have a lot of choice right now. I'll have more options after I talk to them. I have had some indications that they are bargaining in good faith right now though." Moody invited him to continue with a look. "First, they know where I am and there are no Death Eaters trying to break in. They can enter the house, but none of them have. The delegate they sent gave me several bits of information that could be useful, and she has been very open about their motives and reasons."

Harry bit his lip, thinking about what he wanted to say next. He didn't want to give secrets away, but he couldn't leave the Order out of something like this. "This is something you'll have to tell the Order, but no one else." Harry told them what he'd been told, about Riddle being insane. "That's why they are coming to me. They want to survive and they think I have the best chance to help them do that."

Moody was frowning heavily as he stumped around the small space he had to pace in. "If Voldemort has gotten so bad that his followers are seeing his insanity, we have to do something before he does something drastic."

Moody stopped, staring at Harry as he made a decision. "Harry, I'm going to tell the Order to let you run with your plans. They obviously trust you, not us, so go with your instincts. You can owl me anytime for advice though." He looked around the room and picked up a Muggle pen that was on the desk. He pulled his wand and cast a spell. "Don't lose this, Harry. It is a portkey that will bring you back here and alert me at the same time."

He handed the Port Key to Harry. "Keep it with you. Don't worry about Fletcher, I'll deal with him and for Merlin's sake, try to keep us informed." He nodded at Tonks who said goodbye and disapperated.

Moody turned to Harry and then looked pointedly at Pansy. "Who's the girl? You seem to want to keep it a secret, which I understand, but my eye can see an Animage in their animal shape."

Harry winced. "I was afraid of that. I cannot tell you, Sir. I promised her I would keep her secret, and since they are acting in good faith right now, I cannot break my word to them."

Moody stared at Harry for a minute. "I see. You're right, it wouldn't be a good thing to start breaking your words to allies. Can she understand me?"

"Tell him yes, Potter," Pansy hissed and Moody grinned.

"Never mind, I see she can." He looked at Pansy, who had raised her head and was staring at him. "Since no registered Animage has a snake form, I can understand you not wanting to be exposed. However, I promised Dumbledore I would look after Harry if something happened to him, and leaving Harry with an unregistered Animage who just happens to be poisonous would not be keeping that promise."

Moody stopped and regarded Pansy. "Wait a minute." He started pacing again as the two teenagers stared at him. "Harry said the delegate was female. The Animage is female, probably the same person. Harry also said that the delegate was important to the group, and they would pull a third of Voldemort's followers. Harry would never trust or deal with LaStrange or the Malfoys, so the Death Eaters are out. The ones that want to become Death Eaters would never try to break away in mass like this."

Moody was muttering to himself, as the other two watched. "That leaves two possibilities." Mad-Eye looked at Harry keenly. "Tell me something. Is this girl one you know from Hogwarts?" Harry was unable to keep a flicker of shock from his face. "Never mind, I can see she is."

He turned to Pansy. "I'll keep your secret, Miss Parkinson, as long as you look out for Harry while you're with him. Agreed?"

Pansy stared at him for a second, shocked at the accuracy of his deductions. She nodded. After all, she needed Harry to complete her mission, and she already had orders to help him. "Good," Moody said calmly, "then I'll be off since I see the Muggles are getting up. Harry, I'm going to leave the spells up so you can talk to Miss delegate in private." Moody held out his hand, and Harry took it. "Good luck, Harry. If you can pull this off it will be the biggest blow to Voldemort since the night you got that scar." Moody let go of Harry's hand and disappeared with a low crack.

Harry and Pansy stared at each other. "That man is scary, Potter."

Harry had to agree as he looked at the time. "I've got to go. Will you be alright up here?"

Pansy slithered over to him. "Put me in your shirt again, Potter. I have an urge to see these Muggles of yours."

Harry debated refusing and then sighed. Parkinson would probably just come downstairs on her own if he didn't take her with him. He opened his shirt again and Pansy crawled inside. "Stay quiet," he instructed, "and stay still. They hate Hedwig and I can only imagine how they would react to you. They would probably try to kill you."

"They can try," Pansy hissed as she got comfortable. "I don't think they'd succeed though."

"Boy!" came a bellow from the stairs.

"Coming, Uncle Vernon," Harry said, and started downstairs.

The next hour was typical of Harry's mornings with the Dursleys. Petunia and Vernon berated Harry, complaining about his attitude, hair, the cost of raising him and a dozen other real or imaginary complaints.

Harry ignored it, having heard it all his life as he made breakfast for them. Petunia's breakfast was simple, but Dudley was up to four heaping plates for breakfast, more food than even Ron could eat in a single meal. Uncle Vernon's three plates were not much better, and Harry was cooking for nearly an hour before he could eat.

After the other three were finished eating, Harry was grudgingly allowed a slice of dry toast and one egg while Petunia moaned about the cost of feeding Harry. Harry swallowed his food quickly and claimed a need to brush his teeth before hurrying upstairs.

Safely in his room, he undid his shirt, pulling Pansy out and putting her on the bed. "What is the matter with you? You were nearly squeezing me in half down there."

Pansy transformed, waving her wand at the door. "Those bloody freaking Muggles," she snarled, glaring at the door, "I wouldn't treat a House Elf like that. To do that to a relative is unforgivable!"

She looked at Harry, who had his back to her and was examining the wardrobe door closely. "What is the matter with you, Potter?"

"It might have escaped your notice," he stammered, feeling the heat of his blush, "but you're a bit undressed." Harry had gotten a very good look at Pansy's chest as she changed and Harry was certain that she had quite a nice chest in his limited experience. Of course, they were the first breasts he'd seen in person, rather than in pictures, but still, they were quite nice.

Pansy looked down at herself, confused. "Yes, and?"

"Would you please put some clothes on?" Harry asked, flushing again.

"Potter, it's only skin. You can't be turned on by nudity." Pansy stopped suddenly. Potter had been raised by Muggles, rather uptight and strange ones at that, and his only Wizard friends were the Weasleys, who didn't agree with the customs of many of the older, richer families. A terribly interesting thought came to Pansy suddenly. "Potter, are you a virgin?"

Harry didn't have to answer as the red flush crawling up his neck said everything. "Oh my," Pansy said. She crossed to Harry, and hugged him from behind. "We can rid you of that problem anytime you'd like."

Harry was so surprised that he turned, facing Pansy. "What did you say?"

Pansy smiled and laid her head on his chest. "I said we could fix that anytime you want to." Pansy looked up at Harry and did something many of the girls at Hogwarts had been wanting to do since the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to straighten it out.

Harry was very aware of the warm, half-nude body pressed up against him, and for just a second the thought ran across his mind that he had broken up with Ginny and was free to have another girlfriend.

"Boy! The dishes need doing." Petunia's voice came up the stairs. Pansy snarled wordlessly and pulled away from Harry. "That cow will pay for this, Potter." Pansy was incensed. She'd been raised to believe family was all important, and to hear that thing downstairs treating a relative like this, especially one Pansy needed desperately was making her remember certain things she'd learned from the Death Eaters. If she didn't think Harry would object, that cow would be under the Imperious Curse right now.

She turned to Harry and sighed. Harry was staring at her breasts, fascinated by the way they jiggled when she moved. Pansy grabbed him and turned him toward the door after kissing him quickly. "Go deal with them, Potter. Tonight, we will discuss them and tomorrow."

Harry blinked at her and smiled. "Parkinson, you've offered me an alliance, spent a couple of hours wrapped around my waist and are about to spend the day in my bedroom after kissing me. I think you can use my name."

Pansy grinned at him. "No, I think I'll save that for after we do something important, Potter."

Harry went downstairs, his mind full of Pansy. Her sense of humour, her obvious intelligence and of course, her looks, dressed or undressed. He thought about her offer, torn between his feelings for Ginny and the vision of Pansy's body.

Harry barely noticed the dishes, the dusting, the laundry or the other tasks he did every day as he thought about all the things Pansy had offered him. It was not until Harry was making Dudley's bed that he had another thought, one that disturbed him profoundly. Why was Pansy so casual about sex?

He thought about that until the chores were finished. He looked at the time and he had about thirty minutes before he had to make lunch for Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon had gone to work and Dudley had left just after breakfast, probably to join the other losers in bullying people at the park.

Harry went upstairs to find Pansy studying a thick tome at his desk. She looked up as he entered. "You've got mail, Potter."

Two owls were waiting for Harry. He took the letters from them, recognizing only the black owl. He gave them both some water and an owl treat. He set the one letter down and opened the one the black owl had brought.

An old fashioned key fell out of the letter when he opened it.

"Mr. Potter,

Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. The key we have sent you is a Port Key that will take you and up to four others close to the Inn in Hogsmeade. We have reservations in dining room three Thursday at 1230. If that is inconvenient for any reason send an alternate time back with the owl If it is acceptable to you, we will see you there.

Cordially,

Mr. Parkinson

PS. Pansy has asked to stay with you until the meeting. If that is acceptable to you, it is acceptable to me.

Mr. Parkinson."

Harry frowned, looking at Pansy. "How did you ask to stay with me? You didn't put it in the note, and you haven't had an owl."

Pansy shrugged. "Not all of the old money families despise Muggles. They can be endlessly inventive, not having magic to do things." She reached into the shopping bag and brought out a cellular phone. "I can't use it in many Wizard places, but anywhere else it's very useful."

Harry grinned. "Would you show me how to use it?" He looked through his desk. Hermione had given him her number once, and Harry was quite certain he still had it somewhere. He finally found it in the back of a drawer and called Hermione, following Pansy's instructions.

"Hello?" Hermione sounded absent and Harry grinned. He could almost see the book she was reading.

"Good morning, Miss. May I offer you a complete set of the writings of Lord Voldemort?"

"What?" came Hermione's voice, no longer absent. "Harry? Is that you? Do you really have something he wrote?"

"Hermione, if you'll stop asking questions, I'll answer a few." Harry interrupted the steady stream of questions.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but we've known each other for nearly seven years, and this is the first time you've called me."

"I know, but something has come up and I really need to talk to you. Can you meet me in Diagon Alley tomorrow around ten?"

Hermione thought for a minute. "Yes, I can do that. We'll meet at the Leaky Cauldron. What's going on, Harry?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow." Harry had a sudden thought, inspired by his dream of last night. "Do you remember the Goblin Rebellion of 1612?"

"Of course. It was headquartered in."

Harry interrupted her again. "Do you remember how it was ended?"

"Yes, one Goblin faction."

"We might be able to do the same thing to Riddle."

There was a moment of silence at the other end of the line. "That's very risky," Hermione said finally, "but if it works." Her voice trailed off as she thought about the possibilities.

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "That's why I want to talk it over with you tomorrow." Harry laughed. "As Ron put it, you're like a textbook with legs, and I need that mind right now."

At the other end of the line, Hermione smiled. "Of course, Harry. I'll be there."

They said their goodbyes and Harry hung up, giving the phone back to Pansy. He thought for a minute and looked at the time. "I wanted to talk to you," he said, "but I have to start lunch for Aunt Petunia. Do you need anything?"

"I'll be fine, Potter. I ordered a meal for two from a place that makes owl deliveries. I'll wait for you."

"Don't bother. After I cook and do the dishes, I have to do the garden and wash the car." Harry was matter of fact about the chores he had to do, but Pansy started fuming again. "Why do you put up with this rot, Harry?"

Harry looked at her. "It's a long story, but I promised Professor Dumbledore that I would stay here until my birthday. After that, I will never return to this house again."

Pansy looked at him for a minute. "Go on then," she said, her voice oddly gentle. "I'll be waiting when you're done with the mice."

Harry smiled and reached out. His hand slowed as she flinched, but he stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand. "Thanks, Parkinson."

Harry went downstairs to start the afternoon chores, thinking hard. Twice now, Pansy had flinched when he reached for her face, and that raised thoughts and questions Harry preferred not to think about.

He made Aunt Petunia's lunch, listening to her instructions with half his attention. His chores hadn't changed in years, but she still told him what she wanted done, as if he'd forget overnight.

Harry did the dishes and went outside. Harry grinned as he looked around. The lawn and garden were perfect. Everything was cut, trimmed, hedged or otherwise taken care of and the only weeds in sight were in the neighbor's yard. Harry smiled again. It was almost like magic. He went around to the front of the house to find the car perfectly clean, inside and out.

He went inside and started up the stairs. "Finish your chores, boy. I won't have any lazy slackers in this house."

"They are finished, Aunt Petunia." Harry smiled at a smirking Pansy, who stood at the top of the stairs, twirling her wand.

"They'd better be. If I find a single thing undone, you'll skip dinner."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry followed Pansy into his room. "You have got to get me that contact at the Ministry," Harry said as he watched he examine several small packages.

"I'll set it up for you tomorrow while you're talking to Granger."

Harry shook his head. "Afterward," he corrected, "I'll need you for information when Hermione starts with her questions."

Pansy stopped with a package in her hand. "Knowing Granger, she's already writing questions for you." She looked at Harry. "How do you put up with someone that knows everything, and wants to tell you about it?"

Harry smiled, thinking back over the years. "By remembering all the times her knowledge saved me, or helped me."

Pansy set the packages up on the desk and waved her wand over them. They expanded to full size dishes with aromatic smells coming from them. "Lunch is served."

Harry was pleasantly surprised by the food. Soft warm bread sticks with a hint of garlic, a creamy broccoli and cheese soup and rack of lamb in a mild mint sauce had dry toast and peanut butter beat by a long way Harry decided.

When Harry was done, Pansy brought out a cherry cheesecake and they nibbled on it as they chatted. By unspoken accord, they kept the lunch talk light, speaking of people and events at school, leaving all the questions they wanted to ask about each other unasked.

Finally, the food was gone and Pansy sighed. "You have questions, I have questions. I'll answer all of yours if you explain to me how you ended up here and why you put up with that abuse."

Harry nodded slowly. "You know about the events of October 31st, 1981. This is what has happened since." He told her about the blood protection, about Professor Dumbledore wanting him to grow up outside of the "Boy Who Lived" fame and about Professor Dumbledore not knowing about the abuse.

He told her about his life growing up, about living in the cupboard under the stair and the things he lived through. Pansy was not Hermione, but neither was she stupid and she asked questions in the right places.

The more she heard, the angrier she got. She had been raised under a number of rules, and the first was "Family First." Your family was your life, and you helped them, period. To hear Harry describe sixteen years of abuse like that made her wish she could cast the killing curse on the Muggles without getting caught.

She stared at Harry when he was done. "How did you put up with it?" she demanded, "I'd have done things to them as soon as I returned from Hogwarts that first year."

"Parkinson," Harry said, "relax. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and sometimes they just happen. If you waste your energy fighting every little wind of fate, you'll have nothing left when you need it." Harry grinned. "Like when Moldywart makes his annual attempt to kill me."

Pansy choked on her Butterbeer. "Potter," she gasped, when she could talk again, "I swear. Will you stop that? If Riddle ever hears you calling him that, it will be a daily attempt on your life."

Harry grinned at her. He'd invented the name on the spur of the moment last night, just to see if he could get a rise out of Pansy, and it seemed to work. "Parkinson, you need to relax. Ron, Hermione and I plan to do something about the annual annoyances this year."

Pansy jerked and sat up straight in her chair. "You know how to kill him? What are you waiting for? Do you need help or what?"

Harry stared at her, holding a debate with himself about how much he was going to tell her. Finally, he started talking quietly. He told her about the Horcruxes and Riddle's experiments with them. "So," he concluded, "As long as he has one of them intact, I am not going to face him. After we're found and destroyed them all, then he can be killed just like anyone else." His face hardened. "I'm hoping that your group can help me with that. I will kill him, but I could use help with the Horcruxes."

Pansy was staring at Harry speculatively. "That's the second time you've mentioned killing him, as if you had to do it."

Harry had not mentioned the prophecy, wanting to hold it back in case something went wrong with the alliance. He didn't want Moldywart knowing it until it was too late for him to do anything about it. Pansy frowned, thinking about the things she'd learned from Harry, and from the talk among the Death Eaters. She started to get an idea. She watched Harry closely as she started talking aloud. "Fifth year, there was something he wanted badly from the Ministry. We tried, but we didn't have any contacts in the Hall of Mysteries."

Pansy thought about that, and then her eyes widened. "There's a prophecy, isn't there? Concerning the Dark Lord and you? That's what he wanted so badly." Pansy frowned. "That was when we decided he was losing his mind. He killed eight or nine people over the next couple of days."

Harry sighed and Pansy looked at him quizzically. "Why doesn't he ever kill the people on my list?" he complained. "Both Malfoys, Peter, Snape, well, not Snape. I want Snape and Bella myself. But there are a few that I would love to hear that he'd killed in a rage."

Pansy smiled that Slytherin smile again. "I know exactly what you mean. I have this list of people that would be perfect as the focus of a funereal," she said wistfully.

They sat there for a minute and then Pansy went back to the first topic. "You obviously know the contents of the prophecy and Riddle doesn't. You seem to think you're going to kill him, but prophecy is never that clear."

Harry smirked at her. "And you said Moody was scary. Keep going, I want to see how close you get."

Pansy sat in silence for a few minutes, putting together everything she knew about prophecies, Voldemort and Harry. "I think, given what I know about you and what I know about prophecies, that it says something along the lines of you kill him or he kills you. It identifies both of you somehow also."

"Ten points to Slytherin, Parkinson." Harry was impressed with her reasoning. "There's a bit more to it, which you will learn after the alliance is concluded, but that's the important bit."

Harry looked at Pansy and passed her a Butterbeer. "Right now, you owe me a life story," Harry looked at the clock on his night stand. "I don't have time," he said, frustrated. "I have to start dinner for them."

Harry stood up and stared at the remains of their lunch. "I wish I knew where to find a House Elf like Dobby."

"Harry Potter called Dobby, Sir?" Harry and Pansy spun, startled at the unexpected voice coming from near the door. Both of them were leading with their wands. "Dobby is sorry!" The House Elf cringed and grabbed the wardrobe. "Dobby scared the great Harry Potter and his friend. Dobby must punish himself."

Harry grabbed Dobby by the arm before the House Elf could smash his fingers in the door of the wardrobe. "Dobby," he said, "it's ok, don't do that. What are you doing here?" Harry was grinning at the House Elf. Second year had been memorable thanks in great part to this House Elf, but since then, he'd almost become a friend, and he was the single most loyal of Harry's supporters.

Dobby looked up at Harry mournfully. "With the great Dumbledore gone, Hogwarts' House Elfs is not liking working with Dobby and Winky. I am hoping Harry Potter hire us."

Harry stared at the House Elf, noting the sideways looks and involuntary flinching whenever he met Harry's eyes. "Dobby, does Winky want hiring, or does she want a more traditional position?" he asked sternly.

Dobby wailed. "She doesn't understand! I try to make her see, but all she wants is a family!"

Pansy was staring at him incredulously. "A liberated House Elf? You mean there really is one?"

Harry smiled. "Dobby, this is Pansy Parkinson. Parkinson, this is Dobby."

Dobby bowed low. "Dobby is most happy to meet any friend of the great Harry Potter."

"Oh, likewise," Pansy assured him, a bit taken back by having been introduced to a House Elf, as if they were equals.

Harry looked at the clock again. "I have to go do some things with the Muggles. Can you and Winky be here about nine to discuss employment?"

Dobby began bouncing up and down. "We can do that. Dobby will be here for Harry Potter." With that, the bouncing House Elf disappeared silently, just as he had at the end of his first meeting with Harry Potter.

Harry turned to Pansy, grinned at her astonished face. "I know he's a bit strange, but I like Dobby, despite the fact that he was a large part of making my second year the hell it was."

Pansy grinned. "Wasn't that the year you started by flying a car into the Weeping Willow?"

Harry flushed. "Dobby caused that, in a round about sort of way. He charmed the entrance at Platform 9 3/4 not to admit me, and since by the time we figured out what was going on, there wasn't anyone else around, we couldn't think of any other way to get to school on time."

Harry frowned at the clock. "I've got to go." He swallowed the rest of his Butterbeer and went downstairs. With his thoughts and the new plans forming in his head, Harry floated through the evening chores without even noticing the Dursleys. He cooked dinner, did the dishes and other chores with an abstracted air that did not go unnoticed.

"Boy," Uncle Vernon called, "come here." He was sitting in the living room. "What's the matter with you? You're not coming down with something, are you?"

Harry blinked, startled out of thoughts of alliances and wars. "No," he said, and then a terrible idea blossomed in his mind. He would later attribute it to spending the day with a Slytherin. "I'm simply wondering how much longer this house is going to be safe."

Harry frowned thoughtfully. "This blood protection is supposed to be unbreakable, but Voldemort is a powerful wizard, and one of the smartest as well. He's had seven years to work on it so far, and sooner or later, it's going to fail or he'll find a way around it." Harry frowned for a minute, thinking about what he'd just said. Finally he shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it either way. As long as he doesn't find it before my birthday this year, I don't care. After my birthday," Harry thought about it some more. "Well, to be honest, since I won't be here, I don't care then either."

Vernon Dudley was frowning as he listened. "Voldenolt? He's that dark wizard you were talking about last year. What's he want here?"

Harry smirked. "Two things," he said cheerfully, "he hates Muggles, kills them every chance he gets. Second, he wants to kill me or recruit me. He's made both offers to me, you know."

Vernon frowned. He vaguely remembered that word. "That great hairy freak from the island called me that. What's a Muggle, boy?"

Harry shrugged. "It's what a Wizard calls a non-magical person. There are three types of humans in the world, Wizards, Squibs and Muggles. Voldemort wants to kill all the Muggles."

Harry studied Vernon as if he was seeing him for the first time. "You know," he said, fighting to hide his amusement as his trap closed, "I never realized how high you have to be on Voldemort's list of people to kill. You're a Muggle, you're related to the only person to ever defeat him, and you have hidden me from him for sixteen year while he searched for me. You have to be on his top five list of people to kill."

Vernon had listened to Harry, growing paler as he did. "This charm thing keeps us from finding us, doesn't it?" he asked weakly.

"Yes," said Harry, "as long as I spend part of each year here, the charm will protect us all." He stopped. "Unless he finds a way around it," he amended his statement.

"Which he hasn't done yet, right?" asked a sweating Vernon.

"Of course not," Harry said, pinching his leg to keep from laughing. "If he had, we'd be waist deep in Dark Wizards and Death Eaters."

Vernon stared at Harry, thinking about what Harry had said. "What happens after your birthday?"

Harry shrugged indifferently. "Since the charm requires that I spend at least part of each year here, sometime next year around my birthday, it's going to fall apart and stop working," Harry said bluntly. "If you three are lucky, Voldemort will be dead or too busy to look for you."

"And if we're not lucky?" Uncle Vernon asked this in the tone of a man expecting to hear about a terminal illness.

Harry shook his head. "Then Voldemort will kill you. Slowly if he has the time, but quickly if he has to." Harry stood up, looking down at Vernon. "For once in your life, Uncle Vernon, you'd better hope that I am better than the freak you have called me for all these years. I am the only thing that stands between you and death by a pain so intense and terrible that I don't have the words to describe it, even after I have experienced it."

Harry walked out, and went upstairs, smiling faintly at the horrified expression that had been the last thing he'd seen on Uncle Vernon's face. In his room, he found Pansy snooping in his desk. She looked up at him irritably. "You have the most boring life, Potter. Don't you ever do anything interesting here? There's nothing here to blackmail you with, not even a men's magazine."

Harry grinned. "Did you look under the bed?"

Pansy shot him a scornful look. "I found that loose board in less than five minutes. You are such an amateur at hiding things." She smiled. "I did like the hidden compartment in the wardrobe though. It is very well done. Who did it for you?"

Harry stared at her in puzzlement. "What compartment?" he asked.

Pansy turned to stare at him in astonishment. "It has mail addressed to you in it, I thought it was your hideaway from the Muggles." She went to the wardrobe and pointed her wand at the bottom. "Alohomora" she said, and the bottom frame of the wardrobe cracked open, revealing a long thin drawer.

Harry bent down and grabbed one of the stacks of letters. It was addressed to him, and was from Hermione. He opened it and read a few lines. "It's my mail, from second year. Dobby was hiding it from me, trying to keep me from going back to Hogwarts. I never did get it."

He looked at the other letters, older and more faded than the ones addressed to him. He lifted a stack of them out. "Lily Evans," he read quietly, "from Sirinda Hooch." He looked at the rest of the letters in silence. In the very back, he found six bundles tied with red ribbons. "Lily Evans, from James Potter." Those letters had several addresses on them, Hogwarts, some Muggle address he didn't know, and an address in Godric's Hollow. "My mother's letters from school," he said softly. He stared at them all for a minute and replaced them carefully. He closed the drawer and stood up.

He looked at Pansy, who was watching him silently. "I would appreciate it if you would leave those letters alone," he said quietly, but with a hint of steel in his voice that had Pansy's eyes widening. "I want to think about this for a few days."

"I won't open the drawer again, Potter." Pansy was re-evaluating Harry. He could be disturbing at times. She was beginning to understand how he'd survived so many attempts on his life by the Dark Lord. Riddle, Voldemort, whatever, she corrected herself in her mind.

Harry put his mail from second year in his desk and his eye fell on the second letter he'd received this morning. He picked it up and read it. When he was done, he read it again. He stared at it for a minute and sighed. "I am never going to hear your story," he said, as he passed the letter to Pansy.

She frowned at Harry and then started to read the letter while Harry thought.

"To: Mr Harry Potter,

Greetings and Salutations.

My name is Nicholas Sharpstar and I was employed by Albus Dumbledore to deal with your business affairs until you came of age. I did have instructions in case of certain events coming to pass, and Headmaster Dumbledore's death was one of them.

First: I am to inform you that I have possession of a large crate, which will only open for you. It contains things that Albus thought would be useful to you in your endeavors.

Second: While the full Potter and Black estates will have to wait until you have come of age, the vault you hold the key to has been substantially increased. As of this date, you have 96,468 Galleons, 577 Sickles and 617 Knuts in your vault.

In addition to that sum, you may request up to 100,000 Galleons more prior to your birthday. After that of course, you will have access to the full fortunes of all your vaults, as well as the other things that come with your estates.

If possible, I would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience. I will be in my office in Diagon Alley all this week, and most evenings as well. There are some things we need to talk about and some things to do before you come of age.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Sharpstar."

While Pansy was reading the letter, Harry had made a decision and was rooting around in the back of the wardrobe for his Invisibility Cloak.

Pansy finished the letter and looked up to see Harry come out of the wardrobe with half a body. "Yes!" she crowed, "father owes me fifty Galleons." At Harry's puzzled look, she elaborated. "We had a bet on. I said you had to have an Invisibility Cloak or item to get away with some of the things you did, and he thought you had a map of some kind, that showed all the secret ways around Hogwarts."

Harry smirked. "You're both right."

Pansy raised an eyebrow and then frowned. "But I don't get any extra money that way," she complained. She eyed Harry doubtfully. "I don't suppose you'd forget to say anything about it to my father, would you?" she asked hopefully.

Harry shrugged. "Actually, I'd prefer to just pay you fifty Galleons to forget the whole thing. Both of the items lose a lot of value if they're common knowledge."

Pansy looked pointedly at the letter she still held. "I think you could offer more than that," she said, with that Slytherin smile in place again. Harry started to frown at her, until he realized she wasn't serious.

"At least I know what we're doing after we talk to Granger tomorrow. You are not going to the meeting looking like a charity poster child." Pansy waved the letter at Harry. "You are getting some decent clothing."

Harry sighed. "In the meantime," he said patiently, "if you'll change to your other shape, we'll go use a Floo connection."

Pansy was changing, and she slithered into Harry's shirt before speaking. "What Floo? There are no Wizards within a dozen blocks of here." Her voice changed, becoming teasing. "I think you just want my nearly nude body wrapped around you again."

Harry blushed, and didn't say anything until he was outside, hidden under the cloak. "Wizards, no. Witches, no. A Squib, yes."

Pansy hissed. "We never even thought of looking for a Squib. That was Professor Dumbledore's idea, wasn't it? Nobody sees Squibs."

Harry crossed over to Mrs. Figg's house. As he got close, she opened the door, calling for one of her cats. "Get inside, Harry," she muttered between calls. Harry went inside and waited for her.

She closed the door and steeped into the room. "Hello, Harry. Why are you sneaking out this time?" she asked wearily. "It was bad enough having to find Fletcher this morning and get a Wizard to free him."

She smiled at Harry. "Nice trap though. I was impressed, and so was Tonks."

Harry shrugged, blushing. "It was just an idea I got from watching a spider in the cupboard under the stairs."

Mrs Figg snickered. "I always thought Fletcher was a pest. Now, what did you need tonight?"

Harry was still blushing. "I need to borrow your Floo connection to make a call, and then I may need to make a quick trip to Diagon Alley. Professor Dumbledore left some things with a man named Sharpstar."

Mrs. Figg looked at Harry sharply. "Nicholas Sharpstar?" she asked, staring intently at Harry. When he nodded she frowned. "He's a great Solicitor, but he's as mad as Albus was. Be careful with him, Harry. Whatever you do, don't offend him. He's very vindictive if you cross him."

Harry frowned. "Bloody great. Why can't Wizards be calm, polite people?"

Mrs Figg smiled at him. "Where would the fun be in that?" she said. Becoming serious, she pointed at the mantle. "Floo powder is in the blue cannister."

Harry nodded and got a pinch. "Sharpstar's office," he called and stuck his head in the fireplace. He felt a second of disorientation, as if his neck was being stretched to impossible lengths and then he was looking around a very cluttered office. "Mr. Sharpstar?" he called.

"One minute," came a voice from the back of the office, "I'm in the back." A minute later a short cheerful looking man came in view. He was carrying a large book, that he set on a stool before turning towards the fireplace. "Sorry about that, I was looking something up. Now, what can I do for you?"

"My name is Harry Potter," Harry said, "you sent me a letter this morning."

Mr. Sharpstar looked at Harry, his eyes looking for the scar on his forehead. He frowned. "Mr. Potter," he said, "I would like to speak to you, but I would prefer that our first conversation be in person, so that I can identify you."

Harry nodded. "I can understand that," he said. "May I come around right now?" When Mr. Sharpstar nodded, Harry told him he'd be along in a few minutes and broke the Floo connection.

Harry told Mrs. Figg where he was going and got a handful of Floo powder. A few seconds later, he was picking himself up off the floor of Mr. Sharpstar's office. He dusted himself off while Mr. Sharpstar watched.

Harry took a minute to look around the room. It was cluttered with books, more books than Harry had ever seen anywhere except the library at Hogwarts. They covered everything, including the three desks Harry could see. The only other thing Harry noticed were the stools. He could see at least a dozen stools from where he stood, and from the strange shape of some of the book covered masses, he assumed there were more under the books. Bookcases filled to overflowing lined the walls, leaving only the three doors and a single window uncovered.

The front door was to Harry's right, flanked by the only window he could see, and both opened onto Diagon Alley. Harry studied the view, blessing his long stay in Diagon Alley during his third year. Mr. Sharpstar's office was about four blocks from the entrance to Knockturn Alley he realized, and filed that away for future reference.

To Harry's left were two doors. One appeared to lead to a conference room, as Harry could see a large table and several chairs, none of which had books on them. The other door led into a room that seemed to have even more books than the room Harry was standing in, if the bit of it he could see was any indication.

Harry turned to look at his host. Nicholas Sharpstar was barely two inches taller than Professor Flitwick, and had a smile permanently lifting his lips. He looked like a man under a cheering charm. Mr. Sharpstar was examining Harry just as intently, and finally he lifted his smile higher.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. I am sorry about insisting on a face to face meeting, but Albus was most insistent that I give the crate only to you."

Harry assured him it wasn't a problem. "In fact, I have to apologize for showing up on such short notice," Harry said.

Mr. Sharpstar smiled wryly. "Mr. Potter, currently, you are my biggest client. In just a few weeks, you can continue to use my services or switch to another. I assure you, anytime you need to see me is not going to be inconvenient for me."

Mr. Sharpstar gave Harry a cup of tea and settled behind his desk. "So, to business, Mr. Potter." He pointed his wand at a small box on the top of one of the bookcases and cast the first spell Harry had ever learned. "Wingardium Levosa." The box floated over and landed next to Harry.

It appeared to be a school trunk, the type that Harry had to take his belongings to Hogwarts. This one though, was only fifteen centimeters long and ten centimeters high. "It's been shrunk for easy carry," Mr. Sharpstar informed him, "as well as lightened. If you touch it with your wand and say 'Lemon Drop', it will resume its normal size. I was warned to tell you to make sure you had plenty of room. It's much larger than it appears. I was also told to tell you to be careful with it, and to warn you that there are some irreplaceable items in it."

Harry carefully tucked the box into his robes as Mr. Sharpstar dug through the papers on his desk. He finally passed a parchment to Harry. "This is a list of the current Potter family holdings, along with the current incomes from your properties. I have been running your estate for five years and the income sheets for that time are here."

Harry accepted the papers and looked at them briefly. He sighed and looked at Mr. Sharpstar. "I don't know anything about business yet, so I'll just ask you one question. Since you took over the estate, has it made money?"

"In the last five years, you have seen a twenty-eight percent return on investments and all of the businesses that you have money in have shown you varying returns." He looked at another sheet. "You have investments in fourteen businesses, and controlling interests in six."

Harry nodded. "Then for now, I will leave the estate in your capable hands. I will add one thing. I want you to see about buying the Daily Prophet, or at least a controlling interest. I would prefer to own it outright. The Prophet controls public opinion and I am tired of the midget brains that run it now."

"That's going to be expensive," Harry was warned.

"I know. Try to keep it in reason. If they won't sell for an amount you consider reasonable, don't worry about it. I have a couple of other ideas." Harry had been daydreaming for a couple of years of some of the things he would do if he had the money and power. In just a couple of months he would have the money, and hopefully, the alliance would give him the power he needed.

Harry thought about some of the things he'd wanted to do. First, he had to get his side of the war out to the public without going through the biased Daily Prophet. If he couldn't change the paper, he'd turn the Quibbler into his voice. The problem was making sure that no one knew that he was financing the changes he wanted to make. "Set up a new company. Make sure it has no connection to the Potter or Black estates, and that finding out who owns it is nearly impossible, or impossible if you can."

Harry thought about what to name the new company, and something Pansy had said earlier surfaced in his mind. "Call it the 'Shades of Grey' company. If you get the Daily Prophet, buy it though that company. If not, I will have some other things for it."

Harry caught sight of a clock on the wall. "Is that time correct?" he asked.

Nicholas Sharpstar looked at it. "Reasonably so. I don't pay much attention to it."

Harry stood up. "I've got another appointment in a few minutes. It was nice meeting you, Sir. I look forward to doing business with you."

Mr. Sharpstar stood and held out his hand. "Likewise, Mr. Potter. Please, stop by anytime. In fact, we have a couple more bits of business, but they are not important until you're of age."

Harry sighed and then grinned at his Solicitor. "At this rate, I may have to put off killing Moldywart for year or two to finish all the business."

Mr. Sharpstar choked and stared at Harry. "Did you just call 'Lord Don't Name Me' Moldywart?"

Harry shrugged, He hadn't meant to use the term, but it had slipped out, and Harry was not about to admit he'd simply made an error. "Yes, it's my new nickname for him. I like it."

The older Wizard laughed as Harry disappeared in green flames. He activated a recording spell he used to make notes for himself. "Note to self: First thing tomorrow, update your will. Also prepare to take a long vacation. When Voldemort finds out what Harry is calling him, Diagon Alley is going to explode."

He thought about it some more. "Note to self: Make sure the important papers and books are well protected." He grinned and then laughed. "Moldywart, indeed."

Harry thanked Mrs. Figg for the use of her Floo and walked back to the Dursley's. He was going to be late for his meeting with Dobby and Winky if he didn't hurry. He crept up to the house only to find it dark and silent. "Of all the nights for them to go to bed early," he muttered.

The door opened, and Dobby stepped out. "I feel Harry Potter Sir, but I don't see him," he said, puzzled.

"Dobby," Harry said quietly, hoping not to startle the House Elf, "I'm wearing an Invisibility Cloak. Let's go upstairs quietly."

Dobby nodded and the three of them went upstairs. Once his door was closed Harry took off the Cloak. "Thank you for opening the door," he told Dobby. "Hello, Winky. You're looking better."

Winky ducked her head, hiding her face. "Winky is ashamed that Master Potter saw that, she is. Master Potter will not be wanting Winky."

Harry sat down as Pansy slipped out of his shirt. "Winky," he said, looking at her. "I had Dobby ask you to be so we could talk about you working for me."

Winky's head came up and her eyes were bigger than Dobby's. "Winky is a good House Elf. Not wanting pay or Holidays or anything," she began babbling.

Harry held up his hand. "Winky, are you certain you want a traditional job? I am willing to hire you, just like Dobby."

Winky shook her head so hard that Harry was afraid that it would fly off. "Winky has had enough of freedom," she said firmly. "It is not right for a House Elf to be free. We needs families."

Harry looked at Dobby, who was staring sadly at Winky. Pansy looked at Harry. "Hurry up and hire them, Potter. It's late, and I want some dinner."

Harry ignored her as he looked at Dobby. His voice was low and gentle as he spoke. "Dobby, a wise man once said you cannot free a slave, they must free themselves. All you can do is give them an example to follow."

Pansy watched, and she came to a sudden realization. Harry had introduced her to Dobby as an equal because they were all equal to him. She sighed. Preparing Harry for the families was going to be harder than she thought.

Dobby sighed, watching Winky. "Dobby can work for Harry Potter?"

Harry smiled. "Of course you can, Dobby. Will the same arraignment you had at Hogwarts suit you?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, Dobby will be highest paid House Elf in the world again." Dobby was bouncing up and down in his excitement.

Harry looked at Winky, who was watching him. "Would you like to work for me, Winky?"

"Yes, Master Potter, Winky will work hard for you." Winky waited for Harry.

Harry stared at her. "Winky, I don't know how to bond a House Elf."

Winky promptly handed Harry the clothes she'd been wearing. Where the tea cozy she was wearing by the next time Harry looked at her had come from, he didn't know. "That is all, Master Potter, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Winky will work hard for you, keep whole house very clean."

Harry looked up as he put the grimy clothes down. "Err, Winky, Dobby, there are three Muggles living here. You must not be seen by them, ever."

Dobby frowned as Winky agreed instantly. "Aren't they your Muggles, Harry Potter? Muggles can see us if they belong to a Wizard."

Harry grimaced. "They're not mine, Dobby. They hate magic and anything to do with it." Harry spread his hands out, indicating the room. "Right now, all you have to take care of is this room."

Winky looked around and Dobby looked appalled. "That is not right! Harry Potter Sir is a great Wizard. You should push the Muggles in here and have the rest of the house."

Pansy sighed, drawing Harry's attention. "While you explain this asylum to them, Potter, I'm going to get some dinner. I rather think I am going to be done first."

Pansy started to change, and Winky was there with her blouse. Harry was of two minds about that. He liked looking at her, but it was also uncomfortable in ways.

Harry introduced Pansy to Winky and Pansy sat down at the desk. She looked at the little boxes and grabbed one. She tapped it with her wand and it grew, becoming a salad.

Winky burst out crying and Dobby began banging his head on the wardrobe. "A guest in Master Potter's house is serving herself!" Winky wailed. "Master Potter will being giving me clothes!"

Harry smirked at Pansy. "You upset them, you calm them down."

Pansy spent the next five minutes assuring the two distraught House Elves that they were not bad Elfs, that harry wouldn't give them clothes and that she wouldn't say anything to Harry. She blinked at that last bit, looking at Harry, who was watching the entire scene with a smile. Finally, Pansy gave the House Elves all the food she'd ordered and promised not to serve herself again.

Harry, still wearing that huge smile, and Pansy were soon sitting down at the desk while the two House Elves bustled around serving them dinner. Harry was watching the Elves with a thoughtful look.

The House Elves had found a tablecloth and two candlesticks, and they had actual dishes and silverware instead of the throwaway utensils that had come with the meals. The food appeared on the table, just as it did at Hogwarts and Harry stared at it while Pansy started serving herself.

"I always thought that was a bit of Hogwarts magic," he said thoughtfully as he took a bread stick and ate it absently. "I wonder just what the limits of their magic are."

Pansy frowned at him, but the question started her thinking about the House Elves. Everyone she knew had one or more House Elves and they were practically invisibile which meant nobody paid them any mind. She started listing all the things she knew the three at Parkinson Manor did and frowned.

Everyone knew they had magic, but Harry, with his Muggle upbringing, was the first person Pansy knew that had asked just how much magic they had. Harry and Pansy shared a look. "I saw Dobby knock Malfoy Sr. on his rear once," Harry said thoughtfully, "and Malfoy didn't want to fight him afterward."

Pansy grinned. "Couldn't happen to a slimier git, in my opinion."

Harry disagreed. "There are two gits ahead of him. Moldywart and Snape."

Pansy looked up and stopped, transfixed by the look in Harry's eyes. There was a cold fire burning deep in his eyes, a fire that did not bode well for Snape the next time they met. Pansy had never seen Harry like this. Of course, she had not faced Voldemort with him, in Harry's first year or anytime since then.

"Harry?" she said softly. The venom in his voice made Pansy believe that he had used an Unforgivable. She vaguely pitied Snape the next time these two met. She thought about that. Honestly, she didn't pity him. She'd spent too long under his thumb.

Pansy had a number of talents, but Potions was not one of them. In fact, the only reason she'd gotten as far as she had in Potions was because Professor Snape favored the Slytherins. It had taken several sessions with him to get her an acceptable grade in Potions, and those memories were nearly as bad as some of the ones she had of the Malfoys.

"I saw Snape kill him," he said quietly, looking at something only he could see. "I saw Snape kill Professor Dumbledore. Snape owes us all a great deal, and one of these days, he's going to pay." Harry was still in his memories and didn't see Pansy staring at him.

He blinked suddenly and looked at Pansy. "In fact, you've given me an idea." The smile that found its way onto his face would have been right at home on any Slytherin's face.

Harry ate absently as he considered this new idea and how to put it into use. Pansy was watching him, and reassessing Harry. This man was not a Gryffindor. He was a Gryffindorish Slytherin and she had better remember that. Somewhere under that Gryffindor honor and bravery was a core of Slytherinism, which could be enhanced with a bit of help. She smiled. That was actually a good thing as she had been dreading making the Harry she'd only heard about see the world in shades of grey. This might not be as hard as she thought.

She looked at Harry, who was smiling at some inner vision. "Knut for your thoughts, Potter."

Harry frowned at her. "Pansy," he said, "a minute ago you called me Harry and the world didn't end. I don't think it will if you say it again, either."

Pansy frowned as she stared at him. She'd been so surprised to see anything dark in Harry that she'd called him that by mistake. She smiled inside as she decided to tease him back. "Well, since I have to call you Harry, I guess we'll just have to sleep together."

Harry stared at her goggle eyed, looking almost like Dobby. Pansy smirked at him. She loved the way Harry blushed. The flush would start around his collarbones and move up from there. The more embarrassed he was, the faster it rose and this blush was setting new records.

Harry took a deep breath and collected himself. "Um, Pansy, about your offer earlier," he stammered, looking mortified.

Pansy smiled at him, but inside she went cold. Harry was just another guy, controlled by his hormones. "Yes, Harry?" she purred.

"You're pretty and all," he said and then finished in a rush. "But we can't. I'm sorry, but I just don't feel that way about you."

Pansy stared at him in surprise, her emotions flip-flopping madly. What did he mean, 'feel that way'? Either you were aroused or you weren't, and she'd had plenty of evidence that he was. She had a minute of doubt. Was something wrong with her? Harry was the first guy to turn her down since she was fifteen, except for Blaise and he was so wrapped up in Daphne that he couldn't see anyone else.

She frowned as she had a sudden idea. "You've dated Chang and Weasley. Do you have a thing for female Quidditch players, or is it a certain red-headed player?"

Harry smiled and Pansy nearly groaned. Potter was in love. That combination of silly happiness and empty head didn't come with anything else. Harry was babbling on about her hair and her flying skill while Pansy thought. This was very bad. If the Death Eaters found out, they had a weapon that would stop Harry dead in his tracks.

Or did they? Harry might be Slytherin enough to accept the risk and act anyway. Pansy sighed. This mission was getting complicated. Her mission here was to learn about Harry and make sure that he was capable of doing the things that needed to be done to help the families. Harry Potter was the families' best chance of getting away from Voldemort with their lives and fortunes intact, but Harry was far more than a brave little Gryffindor to be used.

Ron Weasley would have been easy to manipulate, but Harry was far more than Weasley was. Pansy sighed again. She really needed to consult wiser heads about the whole mission.

She looked at Harry who was daydreaming about the youngest Weasley from the empty headed smile on his face. "Come on, Harry. Let's go to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow."

Harry blinked, and then turned to look at the narrow bed. When he turned back to Pansy, she was a snake. "It won't be too crowded."

Harry picked her up and put her on the bed. "What if I roll over on you?" he worried.

"I'll bite you."

Harry tripped over the chair and stared at Pansy in shock. "Relax, Harry, I was joking."

Harry went into the bathroom and reappeared in a set of pajamas big enough for a small tent. Not more than a four person tent, Pansy thought. She was fairly certain they could have been used as the sheets on the bed fairly easily. She surveyed them distastefully. "Harry, tomorrow we shop. When we get back, you will get rid of every scrap of cloth those slimy gits gave you, understood?"

"Pansy, I do have to have some acceptable Muggle wear. Do you know anything about Muggle fashions?"

"No, but Granger will be there, and I bet she does."

Harry sighed. "Fine, we'll shop." Harry sounded as if he'd agreed to spend the day in Azkaban.

He laid down on the bed and Pansy coiled up close enough to feel his body heat. This wasn't a bad way to sleep, she thought sluggishly as she drifted off to sleep.

Harry worried about rolling over on Pansy for a minute and then relaxed. He couldn't more around too much or he'd have fallen out of this narrow bed long ago. He smiled sleepily at a thought. He never would have believed any prophecy that said the first girl he would sleep with was Pansy Parkinson.