Of Time and Space

by Dragon eye21

Something strange happened when Harry received his first Hogwarts letter and he is no longer the controllable little boy he would have been. Can he turn his advantage into a definitive end of the war with Voldemort and change the wizarding world for the better?

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter universe save for my OC's

A/N: OK! So I've got a lot of fabulous reviews for the stories I've posted recently. The only one with any real controversy is Submission, which I completely expected as I was not exactly sure of that one myself. I will leave that one up for a few more days to see if there are any stragglers out there who might have more input for me before I decide to do anything with it. In the mean time, I will be posting the rest of the chapters I have completed for my other works as those have all received good reviews and everyone seems to like them. For all who follow my other stories and are desperate for an update, do not fear. Revenge and The Fourth Rider should have a new chapter in a few weeks or so. It is merely difficult for me to find time to write now that I'm working as a cashier. I'm usually so dead after work that I come home and collapse lol. These other stories I have been poking and prodding for several months and that is why I have a number of chapters to post.

Happy Readings to you all and please review! I love your guys' reviews. They often make my day :-)

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CHAPTER TWO

Severus Snape sat within the confines of his quarters staring into the fireplace with a glass of brandy dangling from his finger tips and contemplated over the day's, or rather evenings, events. The biggest thing that kept popping into his brain was that Potter was now one of his snakes. It was a fact that he quite simply just could not wrap his mind around. What was worse was the fact that the boy was quite possibly the most severe case of abuse he had ever seen and that was saying something. He did not even have to have the boy take off his shirt for him to know that there were scars all over it. The spell had told him as such, along with several other disturbing things, least of which was the damage done to the boy's ability to grow. Thankfully, whomever was treating the boy seemed to have some brains as the damage was healing... slowly.

Severus sighed heavily. To say that he had not been expecting this was a rather large understatement. Along with the rest of the school, Severus had stared in complete dumbfounded shock when the sorting hat had called out his house instead of the expected Gryffindor. It had put him in a foul mood for the rest of the evening (which had not been helped by the incident with the Headmaster inexplicably slamming his head on the table) and he had been fully prepared to put the brat in his place the first opportunity he got, thinking that the boy had grown up spoiled rotten. He had not been prepared for the results of his scans.

Severus had made sure that the boy was to be the last one for his annual start of term checkup for his first years so he did not take out his anger on the other children. When the boy had first walked into his office he had held back his first instinct to snap at the boy to get into the room and sit down. Something about the boy had seemed... off. Clinging to the shadows the way he had, Severus had noted the assessing look the boy had given his office and the slight, almost imperceptible nod of approval he had given to the arrangement and color scheme. As if he knew and understood exactly why Severus had chosen to design the room the way it was. Then he had seen the way the boy's face had morphed into a seemingly childish expression from the almost adult look he had before, as if Potter was trying to act younger than he actually was.

When his spell reported to him its findings, Severus had nearly blown a gasket and had to literally bite down on his tongue to keep from lashing out, knowing that it would likely only terrify the child. He had also been prepared to march from the office then and there and demand from Dumbledore that he send the Aurors after those horrible muggles that had abused Potter so badly. The knowledge that Dumbledore would not believe him and do everything in his power to keep him silent was the only thing that had kept him rooted in place.

Then there was the fact that Potter appeared to be taking everything in stride, showing a remarkable indication that he was well on his way to being healed, mentally that is, from his abuse. He talked about it easily, answering Severus' questions about a healer and speaking of the internal damage as if he had already come to terms with the situation. Most children his age don't even really understand what had happened to them, let alone act the way Potter had. It was confusing and had dredged up a headache that pounded between Severus' eyeballs and refused to leave.

Deciding to keep an eye on the boy as much as possible, Severus downed the rest of his drink and went to bed.

–Scene Break–

Harry sat in his room, enjoying the silence and relaxing sensations of his room on a chair he had transfigured out of a spare pencil he had. He was drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate he had obtained from the elves that had just a little extra kick from a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka that he had brought with him from the muggle world. Harry knew he really should not be drinking, his body was only eleven after all, but after the stress of the evening he needed a little extra something to help him calm down. After finishing his 'exam' with Severus, Harry had gone straight to his room, not feeling up to socializing any more. Draco had wanted to talk and question him about what he had been doing for an entire hour in his room before Severus came down to the dorms but Harry had refused and went to his room. The blond had attempted to follow only to find the door sealed shut and would not budge.

Hedwig let out an absent hoot in her sleep and Harry looked fondly over to where she sat on her perch sound asleep with her head under her wing. The snowy owl had barely left Harry's side since he got her from the store and he was content to let it stay that way, though she would have to go elsewhere during classes as he doubted his professors would allow her in their classrooms. Sighing heavily, Harry turned from his feathered familiar and went back to staring into the flames of his fireplace, allowing his thoughts to wander wherever they may.

He was concerned. When Severus had learned of his abuse he had acted very differently from what Harry had expected of the man. Then again, in the previous time line, no one knew of his abuse. It would make sense that once Severus discovered it he would act differently from what Harry remembered of the man. His concern though, lay with what the man was going to do with the information he now had. Harry did not want an inquiry done into his relatives since it would raise far too many questions and suspicions between their behavior and the advanced wards on the house.

"So many problems, so little time." Harry grumbled before draining the last of his drink and getting up from his chair. He went over to his desk and quickly jotted down all the potions he was taking before he stripped down to his underwear and slipped under his nice warm comforters and quickly fell asleep, allowing the wards of his room to relax back into their more passive state.

The next morning resulted in a near heart attack situation for both Harry and Draco. The blond had walked into Harry's room after a few unanswered knocks. Since they were keyed to intent, the wards on Harry's room had allowed the other boy entrance but the wards on Harry's bed were another matter. The second Draco's foot crossed the three foot mark Harry shot straight up and fired off a stunner in Draco's general direction. Luckily, Draco had good reflexes of his own and managed to hit the ground, ducking the stunner just as it sailed past his head. Harry sat there on the bed for several minutes, still half asleep but waking up fast and Draco did not dare to move lest he incur another spell from the obviously startled boy.

"Who's there?" Harry finally demanded, his voice allowing for no disobedience. He was quite obviously still half asleep as he had yet to recognize the fact that he was at Hogwarts but that did not detract from his obvious control of the situation. Absently he glanced at the clock and noted that it was five in the morning, meaning he had got only about five hours of sleep, having gone to bed at midnight.

"Draco," the blond replied in a sheepish and obviously startled voice. Slowly, his head poked its way above the edge of Harry's bed.

"Draco?" Harry questioned and then seemed to come fully awake, finally lowering his wand. "For Christ's sake Draco! What the hell are you doing in my room at five in the morning!?"

"I knocked but you didn't answer." Draco defended himself. He stood up fully and brushed imaginary dust off his robes while straightening them up at the same time. "And it's time to get up."

"First of all," Harry said as he threw aside the covers and went over to his wardrobe, not caring one whit about his lack of dress. "Just because I don't answer does not give you license to just waltz right in. Second, classes don't start for another three and a half hours. Third I had an alarm set to wake me up with enough time to shower and eat breakfast."

"How was I supposed to know you had an alarm?" Draco questioned in a slightly angry tone, miffed that he was being chastised by someone his own age.

"You ask." Harry said plainly as he gathered up a set of his school robes, everything he needed to shower, and walked from the room.

"I probably would have if hadn't said you didn't know any magic." Draco retorted as he followed the irate brunette from the room and into the bathroom, stopping around the corner from the shower stalls to give the other boy some privacy.

"I never said I did not know any magic." Harry said calmly, not the least perturbed about having a conversation with another person while he was taking a shower, having done it many times in the past... well, his past anyways. "I said I did not know about magic until I received my Hogwarts letter, which does not mean that I did not learn any spells in between the time I received my letter and now. I understand you were trying to be nice and helpful and I appreciate that but I'm very jumpy in the morning when I'm not expecting visitors."

"I noticed," Draco groused as he rubbed his sore chest from where he had hit the ground hard in his dodging of Harry's spell. "What spell did you fire at me anyways?"

"Just a stunner," Harry said casually as he walked back around the corner with his pants on but nothing else.

Draco watched with a frown on his face as he watched Harry walk over to one of the mirrors, wipe it down with a towel and began grooming himself. The blond had no clue as to what Harry was doing when he stuck a weird stick with bristles on it into his mouth and started moving it back and forth but his attention was mostly focused on the other boy's back. He had never seen so many scars on one person before, let alone on such a small area. What was worse that several of the scars were faded, indicating that they were years old. Some of the scars looked to be lashes while others looked like burns. Big burns too. Like someone had taken a red hot frying pan and held it to the boys back for several minutes. Draco's blood boiled but he kept his mouth shut. He knew Severus' medical exam would have picked them up and he would have words with his godfather later.

"You know," Harry said as he rinsed out his mouth and spread something on his hands. Draco had no idea what it was but it was a mild gel. Harry had learned that if he used just a small amount it would tame his hair. He ran his hands through his hair on the side of his head and his birds nest quickly tamed and looked far more styled and pleasing. "It's rather rude to stare at someone when they're in the bathroom."

"I wasn't staring." Draco denied even as his cheeks flared red in embarrassment and he quickly looked away. "I'm going to go wait in the common room."

Harry snickered as the other boy made a quick escape. The blond was too easy to tease at this point in time, when war had not hardened them all. Harry was actually beginning to think he might enjoy himself without the war hanging over his head. That was, if the rest of the world decided to piss off and leave him alone (which he seriously doubted). Clearing his thoughts with a slight mental shake, Harry made sure his hair had dried before throwing on his shirt and school uniform. Making a quick trip back to his room, Harry slipped on some socks and his shoes, grabbed the list of potions he had made for Severus, and went out into the common room. He did not stop for Draco and quickly left the dorms for the Great Hall. If he was going to be up this early, he was damn well going to have a strong cup of tea along with a good breakfast.

"I still don't understand what possessed you to get up this early." Harry nearly snarled. He was always cranky before he had his morning tea. It had become a slight running joke among him, Hermione, and their allies that he was worse than Voldemort if he didn't have his morning tea. "Even the sun isn't up all the way yet."

"Slytherins always do things before everyone else," Draco said, a hint of recitation and pride in his voice. Harry rolled his eyes. He had heard that before. Several times.

"There's a difference between doing something before everyone else and getting up ungodly early when it is entirely unnecessary." Harry retorted with a snort after taking several draws on his black tea. Some of the tension drained from his shoulders and face. "Haven't you ever just slept in before."

"Slept in?" Draco echoed in mild disbelief, glancing up from his own tea to stare incredulously at Harry. Food had yet to appear on the table, it was early after all and the hall was entirely empty save for them. "My father would have my head if I ever attempted to sleep past six or even five."

"Mmmm," Harry said as rapped the table twice, eliciting a start from Draco as a small selection of food appeared in front of them. The blond stared at him suspiciously before hesitantly loading a plate with food. "He would."

The casual agreement caused Draco to once again pause and stare at the other boy in confused speculation. Unbeknownst to the blond, Harry had first had experience on just what Lucius Malfoy was like as a human being. He had been captured quite a few times by Voldemort's minions and had been subjected to several rounds of torture (among other things) and Lucius had been present one time. The torture at his hand had been especially brutal, leaving Harry weak, bloody, and near death. Thankfully, after his first capture and subsequent escape, Harry had worked out an effective system in which to alert his allies and escape.

"You don't even know my father." Draco pointed out, carefully watching Harry's movements for signs or hints. There weren't any. Harry's movements were lithe and smooth as he fixed his plate, giving nothing away. "How would you know what his reaction would be?"

"I was being sarcastic Draco." Harry said as he drained the last of his tea and poured himself a glass of milk. "And I've read a few stories in the Prophet about your father, though I make a habit of taking what that rag reports with half a ton of salt and about four shots of tequila. Otherwise the paper is complete rubbish."

"What's tequila?" Draco questioned in confusion, forgoing most of what Harry had said in lieu of the strange word Harry had used that he had never heard of before.

"It's a type of alcohol." Harry said, almost dismissively as he dug into his ham, cheese, and tomato omelet, hash browns and fresh fruit. "And before you say it, no I have not had any I was merely being facetious." Harry heard an audible click as the blond snapped his mouth shut, it having been open to make a disparaging comment about Harry drinking alcohol so young.

"You're very strange." Draco finally admired after a long silence, in which students finally started filtering into the hall at a very slow rate.

"Oh, you have no idea." Harry said with a knowing smirk as he looked up and scanned the crowd. Spotting someone, Harry said, "Excuse me." and quickly trotted off to the other side of the hall. "Morning Hermione." He greeted the bushy haired girl as she sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Oh, hi Harry," Hermione said, slightly startled by the other boy's presence as he sat down right next to her. "How was your first night?"

"It was pretty good," Harry said as he stole piece of toast off the table and lathered it in butter and jelly. He had finished his meal seconds before Hermione had walked into the hall but he had not had a chance for toast. "Professor Snape came into the dorms an hour or so after we picked our rooms and settled in. Gave us a long speech about what it was like to be in Slytherin and what to expect from the other houses. Apparently we're not well liked for some reason. He also told us that he'd be spending about two hours every other evening in the common room to help us with anything we need. Quite nice really." Harry deliberately left out the part about the medical exam. There was no reason she needed to know about that. "Yours?"

"It was alright." Hermione said with a thoughtful frown on her face. "I wonder though, why our head of house did not do something similar. You'd think she'd want to make it known that she's there to help her students."

"I dunno," Harry shrugged. He had wondered the same himself many times in the past. "Maybe she assumes that her students already know that she's there and feels no need to state the fact to her younger students. Did anything interesting happen last night? First days of school are usually pretty boring but I've never been to a boarding school before." He did his best to sound nonchalant and succeeded quiet well but his real purpose in asking the question was to, obviously, gather information. He wanted to know the dynamics of the shifts taking place. With him not in Gryffindor, he was not close enough to the epicenter of the usually volatile house.

"Actually, there was." Hermione said with a deep frown on her face, pausing with a spoon full of porridge half way to her mouth. "A boy, I think his name is Ron Weasley, started throwing a fit for some reason and all because you had been sorted into Slytherin. He started going on about how you were going dark or something. It got to the point where a Prefect had to step in and threaten to take him to Professor McGonagall so she could assign a detention and send out a letter to his mum."

"What nonsense," Harry retorted with a snort and shake of his head. "I'm only eleven and was raised by muggles for the past ten years. How in the world would I be going 'dark'?"

"I'm not even sure I know what he meant by that. 'Going dark.' Does he mean turning bad or something?" Hermione questioned in confusion, conveniently overlooking the fact that Harry was supposed to be about as knowledgeable as she was about the wizarding world.

"Pretty much," Harry said with a shrug as he poured a glass of orange juice to go with his toast. "There's a stereotype about Slytherin House that basically says every witch and wizard that goes into the house will turn evil and start terrorizing the world, killing and maiming just about everyone and everything in sight."

"Oh what rubbish!" Hermione said looking scandalized. "There must have been thousands of students in Slytherin over the years and there have only been a handful of Dark Lords over the years, only two of which were actually in Slytherin."

"And just what history text have you been reading?" Harry inquired with a raised eyebrow. He knew for a fact that Hogwarts A History had no such details in its pages. You could only find such things in one of the more advanced history texts that detailed the darker side of wizarding history, texts that weren't on the Hogwarts curriculum.

"My mom and I both wanted to know more about the magical world," Hermione defended herself to Harry's shocked and disbelieving look. "So when we bought my supplies she allowed me to get a few other books on the history of the magical world."

"Oh so I was right. You do like books." Harry teased with an amused smile on his face. Hermione blushed even as she scowled and swatted Harry on the shoulder. He broke down in giggles that caused several people in the hall to look his way.

"What is that snake doing at our table?" Weasley's voice sounded, causing Harry to freeze and his face turned into a blank, stone mask. Hermione marveled at the lightning change in her friends face and how his eyes seemed to burn with the fire from a thousand furnaces.

"Visiting with my friend," Harry said in a surprisingly neutral voice that was directly contradiction to the tension Hermione could feel coming off the small frame. Hermione also noted the fact that his eyes were glued on the table in front of him as opposed to looking at the boy he was speaking with. "Much as I surmise you would do with yours."

"No you're not!" Weasley practically shouted, gaining the attention of the entire hall, which happened to be almost everyone by that time. "You're just trying to corrupt her, turn her into one of your minions! Go away!"

"I thank you not to tell me who my friends are or are not." Hermione said an edge of anger creeping into her voice, causing Weasley to look at her. Something akin to concern seemed to flash through his eyes.

"He's already snared you Hermione but it's not too late." Weasley said in what he probably thought was a concerned tone but was really more along the lines of condescending and arrogant. "You can fight it. It's all about will. You just have to fight the spell he has you under." Harry was impressed in spite of himself. He did not think that the fool knew about such complex spells like compulsion spells at this point in time.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall's voice sounded behind Weasley, drawing everyone's attention and causing the redhead to spin around alarmingly fast.

"Apparently Weasley seems to think I have my friend Hermione under some sort of spell." Harry explained before Weasley could so much as blink let alone open his mouth. "Even though I have been raised by muggles for the past ten years and know absolutely no spells aside from what I have read in my text books."

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall sounded highly exasperated as she stared down at the now slightly nervous looking Gryffindor. "If you do not gain control over both your imagination and your tongue you will be serving detention with Professor Snape every night for the next month. Now, go sit down before I dock points and start Gryffindor off in the negative this year." The cowed redhead quickly scampered off under the angry glares of his housemates. "Mr. Potter. I suggest you return to your own table lest you miss Professor Snape handing out the time tables for your classes." Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw that Severus was indeed heading towards Slytherin table with a handful of papers.

"Thank you Professor." Harry said as he stood up. "See you later Hermione." Without appearing as if he was running, Harry quickly made his way back across the hall and sat back down in his spot next to Draco, who had a slightly aghast look on his face, along with several other members of his house. "What?" He questioned pointedly with a raised eyebrow, a look that was daring anyone to speak out against his proclaimed friendship with a Gryffindor.

"Nothing," Draco said with an almost unnoticeable hitch to his voice that Harry was certain only he had noticed. Harry had delivered that look to him once before, on the train ride and to be frank it scared Draco worse than some of the looks he had received from his parents. Even his mother's, which had been particularly potent. "I'm just surprised McGonagall took your side is all. She's rather notorious for favoring her own house in such squabbles."

"Oh, well I'm sure things probably would have been different if the hot headed prick had been able to speak." Harry said as he took his time table and simultaneously handing Severus his list of potions. The man hadn't missed a beat, taking the slip with as much discretion as Harry had handed it to him and moved on down the table. "Not to mention I had the backing of another of her students and she had heard most of the drivel the fool had spouted."

"Mr. Potter." Severus said a few minutes later when Harry had started in on another cup of tea and was listening to the idle chatter around him. Draco had fallen into his own quiet state next to Harry, quietly observing the dark haired youth and searching out minute facts and details. "As you have almost a full hour before your first class and have finished breakfast already, please accompany me. The Headmaster wishes to see you."

"Oh good. I want to see him too." Harry said, startling most of the students around him along with Severus. Everyone eyed the boy as if he had grown a second head.

Severus stared after the son of his childhood rival as the boy got out of his seat and made towards the entrance hall, pausing at the doorway and turning to look at Severus. Realizing that he had been staring and that the boy was waiting for him, Severus snapped out of his thoughts and glided across the hall. The boy had continued before Severus had fully caught up and this merely caused the Potion Master's eyes to narrow in suspicion.

How does the boy know where he's going? Severus thought to himself as he fought, actually fought to keep up with the fast paced youth who appeared to know more short cuts than he did. It is almost as if he has lived in the castle for years. Something is very off with the boy. A slight coughing sound drew Severus out of his thoughts and he found himself staring at the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. Potter was waiting patiently by his side and was looking between him and the statue. Realizing the boy did not know the password, Severus leaned forward and quietly whispered 'cherry toffee' the words burning his tongue.

Potter moved the moment the statue did and stepped forward onto the moving staircase and rode it up, appearing nothing more than a calm, collected Slytherin about to cow someone into doing what they wanted. Curious, Severus quickly stepped up behind the boy and into the staircase. As they rode the staircase, Severus noted how Potter seemed entirely unconcerned with the staircase. Most of the time when a first year was brought up here, which was rare, they always marveled at the magnificence and the magic of the moving stairs. Potter almost appeared bored.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Severus opened the door. He was about to announce that he had brought the boy to see Dumbledore as requested but his mouth snapped shut as Potter stalked into the room as if he owned the place, his robes billowing about him much in the same manner that his own did. He knew that to be impossible since he had tailor made a spell to get his robes to do that. Fascinated, Severus watched as the boy stalked right up to the Headmaster's desk and stared at the startled old man.

"I expect him released in twenty-four hours." Harry stated as he pulled something out of his robes and placed it in front of Dumbledore, who had grown very pale when he saw what exactly the boy had laid before him. "And I expect everything else in their will executed by the end of the week. If Sirius is not freed by this time tomorrow, I will be going straight to the Ministry to have you arrested on several different charges the worst of which is child endangerment. Knowing child endangerment. Your clock is ticking." Harry spun on his heel and stalked out of the room. Halfway there, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "For the record Albus, that is one of several copies they had printed and that are in my possession."

If it were possible, Dumbledore grew even paler as he watched the boy walk from his office. Severus, in a state of shock as well, stared at the retreating form of Potter, who quickly disappeared down the moving staircase. As everything that had just happened processed through his stunned brain, Severus turned from the now empty hallway to stare at Dumbledore, who was still sitting in his chair, denial at the situation evident on his face.

"Knowing child endangerment?" Severus repeated Potter's words. The slight flinch the Headmaster gave was answer enough. Severus scowled and left the Headmaster to clean up his own mess.

–Scene Break–

"So what did the Headmaster want?" Draco asked as he met up with Harry outside the transfiguration classroom and started filing in, picking seats near the middle front.

"No idea," Harry said as he paused in pulling out his text, parchment, quill and ink. He shrugged and then continued with what he had been doing. "I suppose I should have asked."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, confused at the boy's seemingly fractured statement. He was quickly becoming used to the fact that the other boy was going to be about as sensible as mud. It was not something he was happy about but he could at least learn to work with it.

"Well I didn't really give him a chance to speak." Harry explained as he meticulously arranged things on the desk in front of him, his side anyways. He and Draco were sitting at the same desk.

"What did you do?" Draco said in an almost awed voice. He listened in amazement as Harry recited the story. It was tailored, obviously so, but it was still astounding to learn that an eleven year old first year student had browbeaten the most prestigious Headmaster of the age. He would have commented beyond a wide eyed stare but McGonagall had come in right on the end of Harry's tale and started the lesson.

All throughout the lesson McGonagall was giving, which consisted of an hour long lecture and then half an hour of a practical attempt (which only Hermione and Harry had accomplished), Draco was silently contemplating the ever growing enigma sitting next to him. Like the rest of the wizarding world Draco had grown up with stories of the Boy-Who-Lived, though they were much different from some of the stories everyone else told. His father, being the Death Eater that he was, spun a much different tale of the boy. He had made it sound like the Dark Lord was the hero, the wizard that would lead the Wizarding World into a bright new era that was free of the horrid muggle influence, and painted Harry Potter as the evil one who had destroyed all that.

When he was just a boy, Draco had been enraptured by the tales, fascinated by the fact that he was related to a man that had served someone who tried to better their world. Then his mother had intervened. Narcissa had never approved of the Dark Lord or Lucius' service to the maniac and did not want her son falling into that same trap. So, she had taken Draco aside one day when Lucius had been away at the Ministry and told him the truth of the matter. She told him a very different version of events that had haunted Draco's dreams for weeks.

At first, he had protested, throwing a fit and not believing that his father could have committed such horrendous acts but when his mother had shown him the list of casualties, several news articles, and a few history text the blond could no longer deny the truth. All the evidence had been before him and entirely irrefutable.

"Our world, all the wizards and witches," his mother had said in a sad and pain filled voice. "All of them, even those that served the Dark Lord, all suffered at his hand. He did not just slaughter muggles during his reign, nor even mudbloods. Dozens upon dozens of purebloods fell to his wand simply because they did not share his beliefs. They had not opposed him, either directly or indirectly, but they died all the same simply because they refused to serve him. That is not a man to be proud of Draco. That is a man to fear. Don't let your father's lies taint your ears."

It had been painful to accept but in the end, Draco had no choice but to agree with his mother. As such, he had come to Hogwarts, expecting to see the Boy-Who-Live, expecting someone that had been just as spoiled as he was with just as much expensive stuff. What he had found was not expected and highly conflicting. He had not noticed during their first meeting on the train but saw it later while the boy had been sitting under the Sorting Hat. Harry was dangerously thin. So much so that if you looked closely you could see his spin at the base of his neck. He appeared to have several weeks of solid food in his system but that was beside the point.

As if to contradict that fact, Harry carried himself with expert precision. He did not make a move that was unnecessary or inexact. His quill moved across his parchment as he took notes in a flowing, slanted, elegant script and at such speed that Draco had to wonder how anything human could move at such speeds and not make a mess of both their writing and their surroundings. Then there was the way the other boy ate. Well balanced meals with almost no sweets or unhealthy food. It was as if the boy was a fifty year old man who had just received some bad information from his healer.

To top it off, the way the boy acted was a contradiction in itself. It was like Harry had multiple personalities and you never knew what you were going to get from one second to the next. There were times when Harry seemed to be carefree and childish, just like every other eleven year old in the school, and there were others, like with what happened with Weasley that morning, when he seemed beyond his years, as if he was old, gray, and had seen and experienced horrors that other people could only scarcely imagine. Things that no one, no child or adult, ever wanted to see.

"Are you coming Draco?" Harry asked suddenly, yanking the blond from his deep thoughts. "Or are you going to sit there all day trying to figure me out?"

"How do you do that?" Draco demanded as he stood up and followed Harry from the room. Transfiguration had evidently ended some minutes ago and they were the last two to leave. "How do you seem to pinpoint exactly what other people are thinking and turn it against them?"

"Long standing habit of mine," Harry said with a smirk as he led the way down to the dungeons where their first potions class was taking place. "Keeps people off guard and gets a little more honesty out of someone."

"I guess the hat new what it was doing." A new voice sounded, one that had quite obviously been eavesdropping. Harry didn't have to turn around to see who it was, having recognized the voice from his first time around. "You really do belong in Slytherin don't you Potter?"

"I should say so Zabini," Harry said with a smirk as he glanced over his shoulder at the dark Italian boy. "Few people are as cunning as that and aren't put into the snake house."

"That's insulting!" Another voice said. This one Harry recognized as Pansy Parkinson. "No one is as cunning as a Slytherin."

"Oh you would be surprised at what people can do when they really put themselves into a project." Harry countered, grinning slightly at the thought of some of the things he had pulled as a Gryffindor. He could not state it out right to other people but he still found it amusing. "They can be quite resourceful and tricky."

Pansy sniffed disdainfully. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Hopefully you won't. Harry thought silently. If I have my way, no one will. Unbidden memories of the previous time line flashed through his mind. Memories of strategy meetings, of war councils, all of which contained people trying to plot the best way to take down the other side. People, some much younger than seventeen, all bickering about methods of how to get into an enemy encampment. There had only been a few Slytherins in the room, Severus and Draco namely, but almost everyone else had been from a different house, though by that time people had stopped caring about things like that.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class." Severus said as he came striding into the room with his robes billowing about him. Harry smirked. The Potions Master had taught him that spell one day when Harry had bitched one too many times about his robes constantly getting in his way when he walked or was in the midst of battle. It was specially designed to prevent the robes from hindering the wearer's movements.

Harry listened with some slight amusement to Severus' well-polished speech. Last time he had been too young, new, and intimidated by everything to really appreciate what the man had been saying but now, after all his experience and years, Harry could only grin. Once they had moved past their grudge, Harry and Severus had sat down and talked at length about the finer mechanics of brewing. Usually, Harry would ask question after question and Severus would patiently and politely explain things, especially after Harry had explained that no matter how hard he read a book he could not understand the working mechanics of potion making.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus practically purred and Harry's grin morphed into one of more vicious amusement. "Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"I-I-I-" Weasley stuttered, completely caught off guard. He stared up at Severus with wide, fearful eyes, like a fly caught in a spider's web.

Don't laugh you ninny! Harry screamed at himself as he bit down hard on his tongue to keep himself from laughing hysterically. The simile his brain had made up was just too amusing when one considered the fact that the Weasley prat was absolutely terrified of spiders.

"Let's try again shall we Mr. Weasley?" Severus said, causing the red head to pale even more. "Where would you find a Bezoar?" Again the boy stuttered and failed to provide an answer. "One last time then, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" By now, Harry was digging his fingernails into his thigh in an attempt to keep himself from laughing. He was also looking off to the side in an effort to keep a straight face. "Five points from Gryffindor for coming to class unprepared." Severus said when the boy failed yet again. "Since you seem to find this all highly entertaining Mr. Potter, perhaps you can regale us with the answers to these questions?"

"The Draught of Living Death, the belly of a goat, and nothing. They're the same plant, also known as aconite." Harry said, proud of himself for managing a straight voice that did not break out into snickers as he continued to entertain the image of Weasley being stuck in a spider web as Aragog approached and started spinning the boy up in his web. It was remarkably helpful to keep himself from hexing the redhead five ways to next Sunday.

"Five points to Slytherin for proper study habits." Severus said as he stared at Harry with a calculating eye. Harry sensed an approaching touch of Legilimency and was about to prepare a rather unsavory greeting for the Professor for daring to touch his mind. Surprisingly, the probe stopped before it even reached Harry's mind and quickly backed off. "Well? Why aren't any of you writing this down?" the sudden snap of his voice got the rest of the class scrambling to obey. Severus stared at Harry for a moment longer before whirling around and waving his wand at the board. "You will brew this potion by the end of class."

Harry, not needing to take notes, took out his cauldron and started setting things up and fetching ingredients, all under the speculative gaze of the potions master. Harry did not mind the scrutiny. He knew he was acting very differently from the way people expected him to be acting and was likely causing more than a few headaches. Honestly he did not much care at the moment. He was not doing anything that would destabilize the flow of time or whatever so he was not going to change the way he acted to please people. By virtue of existing as he was, the time line had already changed so it wasn't like he was hurting anything or anyone by being himself.

"So what was so funny?" Draco questioned when he had finished his own notes and started helping Harry prepare the ingredients needed for the boil cure potion they were making. "I find the torture of hapless Gryffindors amusing as any other Slytherin but I didn't find it that amusing."

"No it wasn't." Harry agreed as he lit a fire under the cauldron and started stirring in the ingredients in the right order. "It was the way he looked. Like a fly caught in a spider's web."

"I still don't understand." Draco said hesitantly.

"Weasley is petrified of spiders." Harry explained quietly. "My mind was entertaining various scenarios that involved him being trapped in a sticky web."

"How on earth do you know what Weasley is afraid of?" Draco asked as he looked up from the cauldron to the other boy in complete shock, though his mouth twitched slightly as he easily followed along Harry's line of imagination.

"Shadows have ears." Was all Harry said, to the blond's complete agitation and confusion.

"You're annoying." Draco said after several attempts to get Harry to elaborate.

"I know." Harry said as he remembered something and looked up. Just in time to.

Neville Longbottom, Nervous Nelly that he was, was about to add the porcupine needles with the flame still going under his cauldron. Not wanting a repeat of history, Harry winked with his right eye and the other boy's cauldron, flame and all, moved out of reach, causing Neville to drop the needles onto the table. Another wink had Neville's book moving over the needles and flapping slightly to get the nervous Gryffindor's attention. A third wink had a specific line of the text highlighted ever so slightly. The other boy paled and quickly turned off the fire before picking up the needles and pouring them into the cauldron.

Unbeknownst to Harry, Severus had witnessed the entire exchange. He had just completed a circuit around the room, inspecting potions and insulting various students about their inability to follow simple directions (this was done mostly to the Gryffindors, the Slytherins he commented quietly to and coached through the process) and had seen the mistake Longbottom had been about to make. He was seconds away from interfering when he stopped in shock as the nervous Gryffindor's stuff had started acting the way they had. Looking wildly, for him, around the room, Severus hunted for the person responsible for the avoided mishap.

He searched the entire conglomerate of Gryffindors, believing that it was one of them that was attempting to spare their house the fury of the dreaded Potions Professor. Seeing no one on that side of the room that was not focusing on their potion, Severus turned and looked towards his snakes. Everyone on that side of the room was either wrapping up their brews or quickly approaching the last steps. Everyone that is, except for Draco and Potter. Their potion was finished with a clean work station, bottled sample, and both were sitting quietly, chatting amiably. Potter, however, kept sliding glances towards the Gryffindor side of the room, as if he were monitoring them for some reason. Severus followed his line of sight twice, each time leading to a different person. The first being none other than Longbottom and the second being Ms. Granger. Granger he understood, he had seen the two socializing that morning at breakfast. Longbottom on the other hand, had no known interaction with Potter.

"By now, your potions should be complete," Severus said several minutes later when it was nearing the end of class, startling most of the students. "Bottle a sample and bring it up to my desk. When you have cleaned your work station you may leave." Severus watched the students rush to obey, several spilling some of their potion in their haste to bottle the liquid so they could leave. "Potter." He called before the boy could sedately walk out the door, being the first one done he had walked up with their sample and was headed straight for the door since his station was already clean. "Remain behind. I wish to have a private word."

"Yes Professor," Harry agree with a slightly put upon sigh. He was hungry but he could wait. Hopefully the conversation would not be too lengthy. Draco attempted to remain behind as well but a stern glare from Severus had him sighing and leaving the room with a promise to save Harry a seat. It seemed to take forever but the rest of the students finally finished up and left the room, leaving him with Severus.

"While I appreciate you sparing me an exploded cauldron I would like to inquire as to how you did what you did." Severus stated, starting off with something slightly innocuous as it was not a primary reason why he had held Harry back.

"What are you talking about sir?" Harry said in a remarkably childish voice as he cocked his head to the side and adopted a very convincing expression of confusion. Severus was tempted to buy it if it were not the amused light dancing in the boy's eyes. "I'm just a first year. I barely managed to follow the directions for the potion. Potions seem very complicated to me."

"While you appear to be an expert liar Potter, I am certain it was you that averted the explosion of Longbottom's cauldron." Severus responded in a neutral voice, though he had a slight glare on his face. To his surprise, the boy seemed wholly unaffected, though he did drop the facade. "However, I will not press for answers at the moment. I will, however, assign you as Longbottom's partner for the year."

"That's fine by me Professor," Harry said with a slight smile on his face and an almost eager look in his eye. "I haven't been introduced to him yet but he seems like a really nice person."

"Be that as it may," Severus continued before Harry could either ask if they were finished. "That is not the only reason I wished to speak to you. I have read over the list of potions you gave me this morning. I approve of them all but there are a few that I have added as I believe your... physician might have missed a few things in his or hers scans."

"And what would that be?" Harry asked as he accepted the small piece of parchment. His straightforward and business like tone seemed to startle the other man for there was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Your ability to grow has been severely hindered," Severus said plainly, figuring the boy could handle the news since he seemed to be handling everything else fairly well. "These potions will help promote bone health and an overall cellular health that will, over time, bring you up to an average height for your age."

"Huh," Harry said in a slightly perplexed tone. "I always thought I was just short."

"No," Severus said in a matter-of-fact tone. He noted and cataloged Harry's choice of wording for later consideration. "There is, in fact, a toxin in your body that has apparently been there for some time and while it is not detrimental to your health, it is causing specific cell damage and is inhibiting your ability to grow properly. The potions I have added will remedy that. I am actually surprised that your caregiver missed something like this."

"I'm not," Harry said offhandedly as continued to examine the potions Severus had added to the list. There weren't many but they were relatively complicated ones and had a fair amount of side effects. "The scan they did was geared towards major issues and while this is a fair sized issue, the other stuff was more concerning, especially since there was so much. It's not surprising that it got lost amongst the mess. I was actually due for another scan when you so kindly provided one."

"Hmmm, yes, well," Severus seemed decidedly flustered and Harry had a hard time of keeping a straight face. It was so rare to catch the man off guard. "These potions will more than likely make you feel as if you have an abundance of energy. I advise that, despite this, you refrain from trying to expend it as it will defeat the purpose of taking them. I have taken the liberty of having a house elf add the potions next to the ones you already have."

"Thank you Professor," Harry said, finally rolling up the parchment and stuffing into a robe pocket. "Was that all Professor? I'm quite hungry."

"You may go." Severus said with a nod and watched as the boy all but vanished from the spot he had been standing in. If the door had not clicked shut behind him and if he had not known such a thing were impossible, Severus would have sworn the boy had Apparated out of the room.

Harry quickly traversed the halls of the dungeon corridors until he managed to reach the main level and then into the Great Hall. Not particularly noticing anything out of the ordinary, Harry made straight for the Slytherin table and started piling food onto his plate. His stomach was protesting painfully and Harry had to end up stuffing a few pieces into his mouth as he loaded just to get it to calm. He noticed that the other Slytherins, particularly Draco, were watching his antics with mild interest or disgust, but Harry did not particularly care. He was famished and while he imitated Weasley fairly well, he at least had enough manners to appear as if he was not using a backhoe to shove food into his mouth.

It was when he half way through with his meal, on his third piece of garlic bread, and fifth glass of water, when Harry finally slowed and managed to notice something was off in the hall. There was a little extra noise in the hall than was usual for this time of day and everyone seemed a little over enthusiastic in their gestures and conversations. Harry attempted to eavesdrop on one conversation but it did not make a lick of sense, bouncing between random topics had always been too painful for him to follow. Noticing the Prophet next to his plate that he had completely missed in his dash for food, Harry quickly unfurled it and looked at the headline, what he presumed to be working everyone up into a frenzy.

"Well," Harry said with a raised eyebrow as his brain finally processed what his eyes were telling him. "That was fast." Harry looked up to the Head Table to see Dumbledore sitting there. The man looked properly chastised and highly hesitant to look in Harry's direction. However, after a few seconds he looked over at Harry and gave a slight nod before returning his attention elsewhere.

The article was about how the Potter's Will had suddenly turned up and while the contents were being kept strictly under lock and key, it had clearly stated who they had used as their Secret Keeper and who was to tend to Harry in the events of their deaths before his majority. It then went on to detail how after the will had been discovered, Sirius had been promptly (and likely rather unceremoniously) dragged from Azkaban and given an impromptu trial with a full dose of Veritaserum. Truths had been revealed, lies uncovered, and realization that they had unlawfully sent an innocent man to prison for ten years without so much as a by your leave.

Naturally, the Ministry had panicked, as it always does, and enthusiastically set things into the over correction column of things. A few signatures later had Sirius Black fully reinstated as a well-respected member of society, his record completely expunged, a generous financial compensation, and was granted full custody of Harry Potter before being given back his wand and set loose on the world once again. Harry had no doubt that Sirius' head was well and truly spinning by now and he could just imagine the man standing outside the Ministry with a stunned expression and blinking rapidly several times.

"I suppose I should send him a note." Harry mused with a thoughtful frown on his face. He had thought fairly far a head in his little plan but one little detail he had neglected to tend to was exactly how he was going to get Sirius to the small flat he had arranged specifically for the ex con in the same building as his own bachelor pad, a few doors down in fact.

"Send who a note Harry?" Draco questioned in a strange voice, one that Harry was beginning to associate with an 'I'm-Thinking-Hard-And-Am-Trying-To-Figure-You-Out ' voice.

"Sirius Black," Harry deadpanned with a small shrug as he pulled out a small note pad he usually kept with him and a muggle pen and started writing down detailed instructions, with a friendly greeting of course and an offer to explain things at Christmas when he would be returning for the Holidays. As if sensing she was going to be needed, Hedwig came flapping into the hall from the dungeons and landed lightly on the table in front of Harry. Smiling, he fed her a bit of bacon and finished his note.

"Why would you be sending a letter to a man you don't even know?" Draco questioned, confused as hell about the entire scenario.

"Draco," Harry said plainly as he rolled up the flimsy paper, tied it with the string that had been holding the Daily Prophet together and then tying it to Hedwig's leg before allowing her to use him as a launch pad. "You really do assume far too much for your own good and infer way beyond the norm when it comes to your daily conversations and interactions."

"And exactly what have I been assuming and inferring?" Draco questioned, a hint of challenge in his voice as he watched Harry finish his meal before grabbing his bag and standing up.

"Most recently that I don't know Sirius." Harry said as he started walking away, forcing Draco out of his seat in order to keep listening. "At the moment I do not have another example and unless you plan on accompanying me into a bathroom stall I suggest you finish your lunch." That froze Draco in his tracks and he watched in stunned amazement mixed with slight amusement as Harry walked out of the hall towards the nearest boy's restroom.

–Scene Break–

Sirius Black was wondering the streets of London a few blocks from the Ministry of Magic in a complete and utter daze. Just a few short hours ago he had been rotting away in a cell in Azkaban, trying desperately to cling to his sanity and what few happy memories the dementors did not rip from his mind. Then, quite suddenly and rather rudely, he was being dragged from his cell, stuffed onto a boat and then portkeyed to the Ministry, the private office of the Minister for Magic to be exact.

A dose of Veritaserum later and faster than you could say 'Bob's your uncle' he was standing on the streets, wand in hand, and a copy of his full pardon. It was all quite disorienting and he did not know whether or not to believe that this was real or some strange hallucination brought on by the dementors and his loss of sanity. Seeking familiar sights, Sirius had wandered off down the streets, flinching slightly at the unexpected loud noises of the occasional car honking or tires screeching.

Eventually, Sirius managed to make his way to the Leaky Cauldron. As it was still early the pub was blissfully silent compared to the constant buzz of the loud metropolis just outside its door. Tom, great man that he was, merely took one look at the disheveled and still dazed man that had walked in and ushered him over to a quiet, dark corner and brought out some tea, which he had mixed with a mild calming draught. Gradually the time started ticking by and bit by bit Sirius began to come to terms and understand the fact that he was well and truly free.

A few hours after noon, right around when one would start to consider it evening as opposed to afternoon, a beautiful snowy white owl came gliding in through the door just as someone entered the pub from Diagon Alley. Surprising what little sense he had managed to gain out of him, the owl alighted upon his table and hooted softly in greeting as it stuck out one of its legs. Sirius merely stared at the bird, not understanding how someone could be writing him so soon after he had been released. The owl appeared to be undemanding and oddly understanding as it simply stood there on one leg staring back at Sirius with kind, golden eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sirius slowly moved forward and untied the small rolled up note from her leg. The owl hooted softly again and started picking at the remains of Sirius biscuits.

Sirius, the unfamiliar yet oddly elegant scrawl started.

First off let me introduce you to my owl, Hedwig. She is a very friendly and highly intelligent owl. Now, down to business. I'm sure you have a lot of questions but for now they will have to wait as I am otherwise engaged. Suffice it to say that I am the one who facilitated your freedom. I had thought of doing this myself but I wanted you freed as soon as possible and I do not have the clout to do such a thing on my own yet. Since this letter will likely find you still in a state of shock, I will keep it brief. I have set up an apartment for you to stay at in muggle London a few blocks from the Leaky Cauldron. Instructions on how to get there are on the reverse side of this paper.

Sirius paused to flip the paper over and saw there were indeed detailed instructions that started at the Leaky Cauldron.

If you have issues Hedwig can help you along as she knows where the place is located. It is fully stocked with everything you need from food to toiletries. I even took the liberty of purchasing you some proper clothing, as I doubt the Ministry will provide such things for you. You may stay there as long as you wish. I have also instructed Hedwig to remain with you should you desire to send me anything. She will only take letters to me though so if you have a desire to send something to someone else you need to find or use a different owl.

I bid you congratulations on your freedom and a quick recovery from the hell of Azkaban.

Sincerely,

HJP

Sirius raised his eyebrows at the initials. He could think of only one person with those initials but it was entirely impossible for it to be Harry of all people that had broken him out of prison. The boy was only eleven and should just be starting Hogwarts and would very likely not remember Sirius at all, except maybe in his dreams. Even if Harry had heard of Sirius, he would likely think that he had betrayed his parents and the boy himself to Voldemort and would likely be completely closed off to the idea of associating with Sirius. As such, Sirius could think of no one who would have those initials and would bother with trying to ensure his freedom.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Sirius gestured towards his shoulder and Hedwig happily flapped up to perch on his thin and boney shoulder. After a quick chat with Tom to come to an agreement about the costs he incurred, Sirius walked from the bar and started following the directions on the piece of paper down the street. Sirius got several strange looks from the crowds of muggles he passed through but he ignored them all in favor of trying to follow the directions on the piece of paper and keeping his mind from wandering too much.

Hedwig, as it turned out, was a godsend. Several times he had ended up missing his turn or not noticing that he was on the street he needed. Each time he received a soft hoot from the owl and a slight shift of her wing to point out where he needed to go or what he needed to notice. Eventually and without wavering too much from his path, Sirius finally managed to find the building he needed and entered. The doorman/security guard that was sitting behind his desk looked up when Sirius walked in, gave a curt nod of greeting, before lowering his head and going back to what appeared to be a book.

Continuing to follow the papers directions, Sirius went over to a cluster of metal doors and pressed the button with the up arrow. Sirius was actually beginning to really appreciate the note's directions. They took into consideration that the reader had no knowledge whatsoever of the muggle world and pointed out little things such as the name of the metal doors, the fact that he actually had to use his finger to press the button instead of just standing there, and the floor he needed. It took Sirius a minute to realize that he needed to press the button on the inside of the lift with the number he needed on it but he was soon rising through the floors of the muggle high rise.

The ding of the lift startled the ex-con just as it had when it arrived on the ground floor. Shaking his head, Sirius left the lift and started down the hallway in the direction indicated on the note and searched for the right apartment number. Throughout all of this, Sirius failed to notice that he did not have a key to get into his destination, something he realized only when he located the door and saw the locks. However, thanks again to the note, Sirius found out that there was a myriad of spells on the door and apartment and that the door would lock and unlock of its own accord and was registered to respond to his touch. So when he gripped the doorknob he heard several clicks and was allowed entry into a wonderful one bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living room, dining room, and sitting area. It really was more like a suite than an apartment but to Sirius it was a palace compared to Azkaban.

Hedwig flew off his shoulder once they were fully inside the apartment and glided towards a perch that had obviously been set up specifically for her. She drank from a water dish that had been attached to the perch and pecked at some of the food before tucking her head under her wing and promptly falling asleep. Figuring the owl had a long flight to get to him; Sirius shrugged and turned his attention towards the kitchen. True to his word, HJP had stuffed the kitchen full to the brim with everything. Pots, pans, skillets, food, food, and more food. Towels, cutlery, chopping blocks, cooking utensils, and dozens of other things that Sirius could not even name. There were obvious expansion charms on the place as he could see no backing to any of the cupboards that had the food in them.

His stomach grumbling greedily, Sirius set about to fix a feast to rival the elves work at Hogwarts.

–Scene Break–

Harry hummed idly to himself as he slowly stirred a simmering cauldron and added a few drops of Acromantula Venom. The potion started to bubble violently but the spells Harry had laid down, spells similar to his warding the room to give off a calming aura, directly around the cauldron, kept the thing from destroying half of Hogwarts. Harry frowned deeply as he considered the reaction of that particular ingredient to the brew. He would need something to settle the potion before it broke down. But what? His collection of potions ingredients was matched only by Severus so he had a wide variety to choose from. The problem was what could he add to the potion that would not completely derail what he was trying to do?

"Anything unicorn is out," Harry mused aloud to himself as he paced around his cauldron while staring into the brew. His hand was making an odd circular motion, as if it were cycling through a machine looking for something. "I doubt any sort of blood will do the trick. For that matter any sort of flesh is probably out of the question. Enter!" He called when there came a knock on his door. Not surprisingly, Draco was the one who poked his head around the door cautiously.

"What are you doing in here Harry?" Draco questioned as he unconsciously used the door as a shield. Ever since he had ended up on the wrong end of Harry's wand by sneaking into his room unannounced at the start of term, Draco had been very cautions when entering Harry's quarters. "Why aren't you headed up to the feast?"

"Brewing obviously," Harry said in answer to the first question as he continued pacing. "And I was planning on heading up in a minute once I settled this solution." That was a bit of a lie. He actually had not noticed that it was dinner time. "Nothing from anything with the name erupt or explode, obviously."

"Harry," Draco said in a frustrated tone that was lost on the other boy. "I like brewing as much as Severus but it's Halloween. Come on up to the feast."

"Moonstone!" Harry crowed delightfully as he rushed to his trunk and plucked a jar from inside and went back to the cauldron. "This should calm it right down." Harry took a pinch of moonstone powder and picked up his stirring spoon again and slowly started to sprinkle the powder over the roiling cauldron as he stirred. Gradually, the brew calmed back down to a very light simmer. Sighing happily, Harry laid his spoon off to the side again and activated the stasis charm part of his wards to keep the potion the way it was until he could tend to it once again. "I'm sorry Draco, what were you saying?"

"It's Halloween Harry," Draco veritably whined. "How can you be brewing when there are so many sweets waiting upstairs?"

"You know," Harry said with a chuckle as he gestured the blond out of his room and followed, leading the way out of the common room and up the stairs towards the Great Hall. "There are times when I swear you are nothing but a two year old."

"I am not!" Draco protested vehemently, then promptly blushed when Harry gave him a look that clearly stated his opinion on the blond's most recent outburst. "So, what are you brewing anyways? Professor Snape didn't assign us any homework that would require us to brew outside of class."

"No, he didn't." Harry agreed with a nod as he sat down at the Slytherin table and started putting together a plate of actual food, ignoring, for the moment, all the sweets. "I was working on my own concoction and the Professor would more than likely have my head if he knew what I've been mixing together."

It was true too. While Harry was not making any specifically Dark potion, his brew was highly dangerous and if it were not for the wards he had set up to control and contain the potion, it would have blown up three times over already. He was attempting to devise a way to destroy the Horcrux without an abundance of effort on his part. The last time around he had been forced to use dangerous spells or even more dangerous objects to destroy the few pieces of Voldemort's soul he had managed to find, all with dangerous after effects that harmed those around him and himself. It had got to the point where Harry had almost started to hope that he would not find any more Horcruxes.

"Which would be...?" Draco asked leadingly as he started in on his own meal.

"Oh a little of this and a little of that." Harry said with a shrug as he glanced up and surveyed the hall briefly. He started to take a bite of his food when he froze with his fork half way to his mouth.

Harry looked up at the hall again and focused his attention on the Gryffindor table. He scanned the table up and down with a careful eye, looking for the well-known head of bushy hair that was often more noticeable than the Weasley's fiery manes. Frowning, Harry locked his eyes onto Ronald Weasley and shamelessly and silently, dug his way into the boy's unguarded mind. He filtered through the various events of the day, hunting for a specific event. He found what he was looking for a short ways into the boy's mind. It was the event in Charms class. Harry had been in the class and while it had gone smoothly, it had not gone the way it had previously. Hermione sat next to Harry, ignoring Weasley, and they both cast the charm successfully before sitting back and calmly chatting with each other.

It was later, when Harry wasn't around, that something had happened. Weasley, arrogant fool that he was, had rounded on Hermione almost the minute Harry was gone and out of sight. He had yelled at her for falling for the Slytherin lies and being so weak. He practically demanded that she break off her friendship with Harry, that he – Harry – was nothing but a lying, backstabbing Slytherin that was going to destroy them all. Hermione, bless her, had stood up to the redhead, defended Harry and told Weasley that he did not even know Harry. The argument had heated up and they both had delved into insults. Finally, when Hermione had insulted the boy's intelligence and commented on how he could not cast a simple levitation spell, Weasley had snapped and slapped her across the face. The only reason the other boy had not been suspended right there was because there had been no one around, student, teacher, or painting.

"Dammit!" Harry snarled dangerously as he pulled a watch out of his pocket and checked the time. "I'll be right back."

Before anyone could protest, Harry rushed from the hall, causing more than one person to stare at him in curiosity, particularly Severus. The astute Potions Master had notice the bushy haired Gryffindor's absence as well but had simply written it off, figuring the girl was either late, in the bathroom, or off lost in her books. When he had returned his stare to his snakes, he saw how Harry had frozen and had looked back up and over towards the lion house. Severus saw how the boy meticulously scanned the table before cursing under his breath and checking his watch. The boy had cursed again before dashing from the hall.

His curiosity peeked, Severus contemplated going after the boy in an attempt to gain a few answers to some of his questions. He had just decided to go after the boy when Quirrell came dashing into the hall, looking as if he had run all the way up from Hogsmeade. His announcement of 'Troll' had incited panic in the entire student population before Dumbledore regained order. Confident that the other teachers would allow no harm to come to his snakes, no matter their beliefs, Severus ducked out the back door and headed for the third floor.

Harry quickly moved through the halls towards the girl's lavatory that he remembered from his first, first year at Hogwarts, wand in his hand and concealed within the folds of his robes. Just as he neared the bathroom, he saw the troll lumber its way down the hall towards his destination. Not wasting any time, Harry fired off an Expulso charm to get the things attention before it could smash through the door to the girl's lavatory. The spell struck the troll in the shoulder with enough force to make it stumble into the wall. It turned to face Harry, just in time to catch Harry's Bombarda full on in the face. The troll wailed briefly as it was slammed into the wall once again and falling unconscious as its head slammed painfully into the stone. Disregarding the unconscious creature, Harry strode forward towards the restroom door.

"Hermione!" Harry called through the door as he knocked loudly. "Hermione, it's Harry. Please come out."

"What was that noise?" Hermione asked as she slipped open the door and looked outside. "And what is THAT!" she screeched when she saw the unconscious troll.

"Troll," Harry said absently as he examined the girl before him. He noticed a sizable and rather prominent red hand print that took up most of the left side of her face. Being careful to keep his face neutral so he did not frighten Hermione, Harry held out his hand for her to take and led her around the stinking troll. "Come on, before it wakes. We have to go see Professor McGonagall."

"Why?" Hermione questioned as she skirted the troll, staring at it in shock and horror.

"Because Weasley crossed a line." Harry said flatly, not letting her hand go when she tried to pull away. "No. He crossed a line and will not be getting away with it. Either you tell her or I will."

"I was going to either way Harry." Hermione said a bit crossly as she pulled on her arm and forced Harry to turn and face her. "I was merely shocked. How did you know what happened? You weren't present when it happened."

"I–" Harry was cut off as the Professors rounded the corner. "Later." He hissed before turning his attention. "Before you ask we did not know it was in the castle. I left the feast to find Hermione when I heard she had been in a bathroom all afternoon crying." McGonagall snapped her mouth shut on whatever comments she was about to say when she saw the two of them.

"And why was Ms. Granger in the bathroom crying?" McGonagall inquired as Severus and Quirrell moved around the children to tend to the troll. Hermione leveled a glare at Harry for putting her on the spot like that but Harry merely stared back, not repentant in the slightest.

"I got into an argument with Weasley this afternoon after Charms Professor," Hermione said, some slight hesitation in her voice. Clearly she was nervous about telling the story, not to mention the wounds were still rather fresh in her mind, but a reassuring squeeze from Harry gave her the strength to divulge the entire tale. By the end, McGonagall was livid.

"Come with me Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter..." She was no doubt about to tell Harry to return to his common room but Harry leveled a look at her that had the words dying in her mouth. "You may accompany us as long as you behave." Harry's nod had her turning and striding down the hall.

"Mr. Potter," Severus called after a few steps. Harry looked over his shoulder. "You will be escorted back to the common room when you are finished."

"Yes Professor." Harry said before continuing after Hermione and McGonagall.

The three of them strode silently through the halls towards the Headmaster's office. Since Dumbledore was still out dealing with the Troll issue, the office was empty. McGonagall ordered them up and into the office and to wait her return with the Headmaster and Weasley. Harry was slightly annoyed by this as it would give Hermione ample time to grill him, but he went up the stairs nonetheless and entered the silent office and sat down in one of the gaudy chairs the old man kept for company and waited for the inquisition to start.

"I assure you that were we alone, you would have a lot of explaining to do mister." Hermione said, seeming to read Harry's thoughts. "And I expect the truth."

"Thank you for not pressing the matter when there are unwanted ears around." Harry said with a grateful smile. "It is not something that should be widely known. And to be frank I do not have all the facts myself."

"I swear Professor, I didn't have anything to do with a troll getting into the castle." Weasley's voice sounded from behind the thick door. The other boy sounded highly nervous.

"You are not here because of the troll Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore's voice sounded as the door opened to admit the trio. He sounded grave and not the least bit happy. Harry was also pleased to notice that the twinkle that usually shone in the Headmaster's eyes was very nearly nonexistent. "You are here because of an incident that occurred earlier in the day between you and Ms. Granger. Professor McGonagall, if you would please floo Molly."

"Yes, Headmaster." McGonagall said as she strode over to the fireplace and called out The Burrow as she threw in some floo powder.

"What are you doing here Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked in shock when he noticed Harry sitting in a chair, quiet as can be.

"Moral support." Harry answered simply. "Though I've no doubt Hermione can handle herself no matter the situation."

Harry smirked when Hermione huffed and he saw her blushing out of the corner of her eye. It quickly died however as he frowned when he noticed that despite her blush, the hand print was still very prominent. As they waited for McGonagall to finish with the floo call, Harry relaxed his eyesight into the magical spectrum. He had read of a spell some time ago, briefly mind you as he was fighting a war, that was generally used by witches to mark their husbands when they had done something incredibly stupid. It had been mostly used by purebloods, dark aligned purebloods since most everyone else thought the spell barbaric. Harry had no opinion either way, finding the spell entirely unhelpful in the war effort. However, he was not about to allow Hermione go about marked by a spell that Weasley likely had not even realized he used.

Stupid prat. Harry groused when he saw the faint traces of the spell clinging to Hermione's face.

Reaching out with his own magic, Harry gently picked at the base core of the spell, the keystone if you will, until the whole thing collapsed and fell away like water through a net. Satisfied, Harry reigned in his magic and flexed and relaxed his eyes until he could see properly again, just in time for Molly Weasley to come striding through the fireplace and into the office. She had quite obviously been expecting the twins since she came up short when she saw that it was her youngest son sitting nervously in an overstuffed chair.

"Ronald?" She said in shock, staring at her son as if she had never seen the boy before. "What on earth did you do to get sent to the Headmaster's office?"

"I'm afraid he struck Ms. Granger here Molly." Dumbledore said from his place behind his desk. "While scuffles may occur from time to time between students, this is a rather different case."

"I should say it is!" Molly said, already gathering steam and looking like a gathering firestorm. "I did not raise my son to strike anything let alone girls!" She strode up to her son and got right in his face. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees and her next words were quite possibly the most fearful Harry had ever heard come from her mouth as they were spoken in a near whisper. "You tell me just what you were thinking young man."

"I-I-she," Weasley stuttered, at a loss for words for several minutes before finally finding his voice. "She associates with Slytherins!" He had attempted to sound indignant or angry but the fear in his voice made him sound pathetic. "She was trying to say that Potter hadn't betrayed us all and wasn't going dark."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Molly said, her voice rising again as her face contorted into an angry glare.

"If I may," Harry interjected calmly from his place, drawing everyone's gaze. "He appears to think that just because I was sorted into Slytherin that I am now evil incarnate and am well on my way to becoming the next Dark Lord. He even believes that I have Hermione here under some sort of compulsion spell."

"You WHAT?" Molly roared in shock, rounding back on her son. Weasley seemed to shrink into his chair, which didn't last long as Molly reached out and grabbed a hold of his ear with every ounce of unbelieving, righteous fury she had to offer. "I'm assuming he's suspended Albus. You have my full backing to dole out whatever punishment you desire once I'm through with him." Not waiting for a response from anyone, Molly dragged her son by the ear towards the fireplace and flooed home.

"Well," Harry said quietly into the stunned silence that followed the Weasley Matriarch's departure. "That was... quick."

"Aptly put Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said with some amusement in his voice. "Professor McGonagall, why don't you escort Ms. Granger here back to Gryffindor tower. I would like to have a quick word with Mr. Potter in private before he returns to the dungeons." McGonagall nodded and escorted Hermione from the room. A long silence ensued after their departure before Dumbledore spoke up again. "I wished to inform you that your godfather has sent me a request to set up a meeting with you so he might try to explain some things. From his letter, it sounds as if he does not know that you are the one to facilitate his freedom." Dumbledore waited for a response but all he got was a raised eyebrow. "I also wished you to know that the various clauses in your parents will are in the process of being executed."

"Good." Harry said. His voice was calm but it had a slight edge to it that clearly stated he was displeased with the man before him. "It is ten years past the time the will should have been executed. I do hope you know that I will know if their wishes are not carried out exactly as they are stated in the will." Here his eyes narrowed dangerously. "As for the meeting with Sirius, I would more than gladly meet with him, though I will see him soon enough when I head home for the winter holidays."

"You are planning on returning to the Dursley's for Christmas?" Dumbledore questioned in surprise. Harry looked at him as if he were the dumbest person on the planet.

"Do you honestly believe that I will be staying with those cretins now that Sirius has full custody of me?" Harry asked. He continued before the old man could open his mouth. "And don't bother lecturing me about safety or blood wards. I had the wards you placed around their house dismantled... along with the compulsion spell you weaved into the fabric of the wards." The look on Dumbledore's face was priceless and Harry sat there reveling in the wide eyed and slack jawed look of disbelief. "Happy Halloween Headmaster."

With that, Harry stood up and walked from the room, a malicious smile on his face. The halls were quiet and deserted, everyone having been escorted straight to their dorms when the troll's presence had been announced. Harry paused at the end of the hall that ended in the Headmaster's office. He had been negligent. Ever since he had returned to this point in time he had been focused on two things: establishing himself and finding and destroying all the Horcruxes. Given his mental age, it had been a long, long time since Harry had thought of his first year at Hogwarts. As such, he had almost completely forgotten about the Sorcerer's Stone.

Sighing in annoyance, Harry turned left instead of right and headed towards the third floor, casting a disillusionment charm on himself as he went. Pausing once again, Harry thought on something. A disillusionment charm could be seen through but his cloak could only be seen through by specific means. Unfortunately, he did not have his cloak at this point in time. Dumbledore did. Given that it was technically his, Harry decided to give it a try and attempted a summoning charm. At first it didn't seem to work but then he was quite suddenly smacked in the face by a soft and silky object that was at least three times his size.

Two points for proper ownership. Harry thought smugly to himself as he canceled the charm and wrapped the familiar cloak around his frame before continuing on down the hall, casting a muffling charm as he went to dampen the noise of his feet and breathing.

When Harry reached the third floor he paused and listened for a few minutes. He knew that Severus would have scared Quirrell off for the night but it always paid to be cautious in such situations. When he heard nothing but loud breathing, Harry cast a spell to turn a small section of the door invisible. Nothing and no one but Fluffy was inside and the giant Cerberus was sleeping soundly. Smirking, Harry unlocked the door and slipped silently inside. He cast a strong sleeping spell to make sure Fluffy remained sleeping as he moved the paw that was covering the door. He was about to jump down when he paused with a smirk on his face. He waved his wand and three ham bones appeared. A few charms later had the bones large enough to be considered dinosaur bones, each with the words, 'Good Boy' carved into them. Setting the treats aside, Harry jumped down the trap door.

He landed on the Devil's Snare with a slight oomph. The plant almost immediately started to wrap around him but he quickly cast the same light spell Hermione had used to make a hole for himself. Rolling with his sudden drop on the floor beneath, Harry calmly made his way into the next room where the keys were waiting. He ignored the broom in favor of the door. Using his magic sight, Harry examined the spells placed on the door that prevented the use of unlocking charms. Smirking to himself, Harry picked at a few parts of the spell with his magic and the door clicked open at his touch.

I wonder if anyone even knows such a talent exists. Harry thought idly to himself as he sneaked through the slumbering trolls in the next room before coming to the chessboard. Hmmm. He thought to himself as he contemplated this challenge. He knew it was McGonagall's challenge, she was the only one that would have thought of such a thing. Ooo! He thought with a smile as he remembered a particularly nifty spell he had used during the last few years of the war. It turned him and anything he was wearing into insubstantial smoke.

Humming happily to himself, Harry made his way past the chess pieces and through the door beyond. He rematerialized and canceled the spell once he was in the room with the black fire and Severus' riddle/potion challenge. Harry didn't bother with the potion and merely flicked his wand at the black fire and walked straight through. The mirror chamber beyond was completely empty and rather dark. The Mirror of Erised rested peacefully in the center of the room. Harry wondered briefly if the mirror was sentient since he remembered encountering the mirror in another part of the castle. Shrugging the thought off, Harry stood before the mirror and focused on the desire to gain the stone but not use it. Just like before, his image winked at him before pulling the stone out and replacing it in his pocket.

Harry took the stone out as he turned from the mirror, tossed it joyfully into the air under his cloak and put it back. Veritably skipping, Harry made his way from the room and back up to the main part of the castle, closing the trap door behind him. Harry nearly had a heart attack when he turned and saw Severus and Dumbledore standing in the doorway staring at the sight before them. The trap door had seemed to close of its own accord and Fluffy was still snoozing peacefully, though one of his paws seemed to have moved to pull one of the bones closer to him. Thankful that he had the foresight to summon his cloak, Harry moved silently over to the side of the room.

He felt a Homenum Revelio spell being cast from Dumbledore's wand and he quickly snapped out a ward that would conceal his presence and deflect the spell. Dumbledore frowned when the spell failed to reveal the presence of anyone else in the room and he bent his head to whisper to Severus.

"Peeves maybe?" He asked quietly so as to not wake the sleeping dog. "I warned him to stay away from here but he has a tendency not to listen."

"Or someone was going down instead of up." Severus suggested, just as quietly as Dumbledore. Neither of them realized that the dog was spelled asleep. "We should still check to make sure that the protections are untouched and that the stone is secure." Dumbledore nodded his agreement before cautiously stepping forward and opening the trap door and gesturing Severus down first and following quickly a second later.

"One would so call this unfair." Harry snickered as he moved to the door and slipped out; canceling the sleeping spell he had on Fluffy as he went. "But I think the old man could do with a bit of a fright."

Whistling a merry little tune, Harry made his way back down to the dungeons, turning more than a few portraits as he went, all wondering where the whistling was coming from. When he was safely back within the dungeon corridors, Harry made it to the Slytherin common room door before he slipped his cloak off and ducked inside the door. His entry went smoothly at first but that did not last long. Draco was pacing in agitation in front of the fireplace and looking highly worried for some reason. Then he spotted Harry and the brunet knew the reason.

"Where have you been!?" Draco practically screeched as he stormed over to Harry and got right in his face.

"With the Headmaster." Harry said, half truthfully. He was a little perturbed by Draco's behavior but he managed to keep a straight face. "Getting Weasley suspended and in a heap of trouble with his mother." His diversion worked and Draco's attention was diverted elsewhere.

"How on earth did you manage that?" Zabini questioned from his position on the couch in front of the fireplace. "No one has been suspended from Hogwarts in the past century and that's taking into account the Weasley twins."

"Yes well," Harry said as he meandered over to the fireplace to warm himself up a bit before he left the room. "The Weasley brat crossed a line and I'd be damned if I let him get away with it. And no, I'll not say what exactly he did as it is a private matter."

"Must have been something bad though." Zabini said with a look of disbelief on his face. "Suspension from Hogwarts is no easy feat. Especially for a first year and within the first semester."

"No it isn't easy," Harry agreed as he stepped away from the fireplace. "Well, good night."

Harry walked from the room, not noticing the blond that was following him quietly. He made his way to his room and closed his door behind him before he Apparated out. Normally one would not be able to Apparate within Hogwarts' grounds but the spells and wards he had placed all around his room were able to displace the anti-apparition wards just within his room so he could come and go as he pleased. Harry reappeared at Privet Drive on the modified second floor of his supposed relative's house. He conjured a small chest and placed it on the dresser he had in the room and proceeded to lock the stone within with much the same wards the he had surrounding Helga's cup. He'd return the stone to Nicholas eventually, he just needed to wait until things cooled down from its disappearance. If he returned it now, who knew what would happen. Between an uproar of the Hogwarts staff and Voldemort hiding out in Quirrell's head it was simply not worth it to return the stone now.

Satisfied that the stone was well protected from Voldemort's clutches, Harry returned to Hogwarts, where he once again nearly had a heart attack as he Apparated right next to Draco, nearly in the exact same space.

"Haven't you learned by now that coming into my room unannounced is dangerous?" Harry snipped angrily as he picked himself up off the floor, having fallen down when he leaped away in shock at having been so close to the other boy.

"Haven't you learned that you're breaking practically every law known to magic?" Draco retaliated as he too picked himself up off the floor. "No one is supposed to be able to do what you just did. The wards protecting the castle protect it from anyone Apparating into or out of the grounds. Not even the Dark Lord could breach the wards when he was at the height of his power."

"Your point?" Harry asked grumpily as he started changing into his pajamas, heedless of the blush that was gracing Draco's cheeks. "Did it ever occur to you that Voldemort isn't as powerful as people claim him to be? I mean for god's sake the tales about him practically deifies him and he was nothing more than a narcissistic and sadistic half-blood that had a grudge against the Wizarding World for leaving him in a pitiful muggle orphanage."

"First of all, how do you know all that?" Draco questioned in shock, never having heard such things about the Dark Lord before. "Second of all, my point was that you have done something no one else was capable of doing and I want to know how."

"Two questions, one answer." Harry said as he moved over to his bedside and started fusing with the covers. "I am not the eleven year old Harry Potter. I am the one hundred and sixty year old Harry Potter come back from the future to change the past because the war with Voldemort never ended and raged on until it destroyed almost all of Britain and nearly half the planet." Even though he was dead serious, Harry made a show of twitching his lips, as if he were attempting not to laugh.

"You know if you're not going to tell me you might as well just say so." Draco said with a scowl on his face that he had to have learned from Severus. Clearly upset, the blond left the room, making a show of slamming his door shut behind him.

"Oh Draco," Harry said, with a heavy sigh as he climbed under the covers. "If you only knew."

–Scene Break–

"Severus please, let's try not to panic here." Dumbledore said with forced calm as he and the Potions Master made their way back up to the main castle, having finished checking on the stone and finding it missing. "Panicking will do no one any good. The stone is missing, yes, but we don't know who or what took it. If Voldemort had his hands on the stone we would know almost instantly. He would not waste time in resuming his campaign."

"Even if he does not have it, the fact remains that the blasted thing is missing." Severus snapped as they walked across the chessboard and through the door beyond. "What's even more disturbing is that almost none of the protections we had in place were disturbed. With the exception of that blasted dog, everything we put in place appears to be undisturbed. Perhaps the Dark Lord merely has not had a chance to use it yet. Quirrell is still in the castle. I caught him trying to sneak past Fluffy earlier but maybe he was attempting to sneak away not past. My interference may have simply spooked him enough to delay going to the Dark Lord with the stone."

"Severus do you have any proof that Quirrell is involved?" Dumbledore ask patiently, as if he had heard the 'Quirrell is a Death Eater' bit many times before. "I've told you before, we cannot simply accuse someone of being a Death Eater without proof."

"There certainly was no problem in doing so with Black." Severus growled in annoyance as he and Dumbledore levitated themselves up through the Devil's Snare and back through the trap door.

Dumbledore was about to make some sort of response to that but the both of them froze when they heard an ominous growl from behind them. As one, they turned their heads to see all three of Fluffy's heads gnawing on their own ham bone. Six set of eyes were riveted on the pair of wizards that had come out of the trap door and for a single comical moment, they all just stared at each other. The wizards broke first and bolted for the door with all the speed they could muster. Their movement snapped Fluffy out of his daze and all three bones dropped to the floor as he got up and went after the retreating wizards.

Severus managed to make it to the door first and flung it open. Dumbledore was hot on his heals but he was a second too slow and his leg got caught in the mouth of the dog's right head. Dumbledore reached out and Severus caught the old man's hand. There was another comical moment when Severus engaged in a small bout of tug of war with Dumbledore acting as the rope before he managed to fire off a stinging hex at the dog's nose. Not wasting any time, Severus hauled the Headmaster out of the room and slammed the door shut, making sure it locked securely in place.

"Come, let's get you to Pomfrey." Severus said as he bent down and aided the old man to his feet. Dumbledore looked to be in a right state of shock and complied easily with Severus' notion.

Serves the old man right really. Severus thought darkly to himself as he made his way to the infirmary. Keeping such a beast in a school. The other protections are one thing. They can be controlled to a certain extent but that dog is beyond reasoning. Maybe this will teach him a thing or two about his harebrained ideas.