Shattering the Mirror

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Magical beings have what is called a 'magical core' by wizards and witches. This is the basis of their ability to channel magic as spells, each wizards core is established by the time they reach puberty, that is accepted fact. However right now Harry Potter's was expanding, his body was overloading as it tried to contain his expanding core, conventional magical knowledge dictated that his core would explode unleashing a storm of raw magical energy but instead it tore away the powerful bindings placed on him since infancy allowing it to course through his system aiding his healing, renewing his energy and finally even as it faded it activated a dormant gene. A gene carried by both magical and non-magical humans, the X gene.

Chapter 2

Harry Potter was lying on the floor as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. He could hear voices and even without his glasses he could see black-clad figures standing around him, he tried to focus but before he could do anything a very familiar voice spoke up.

"It would appear that you have re-joined us, haven't you Harry?" hissed Voldemort.

Harry lay still, gathering his strength. He didn't know the source of his healing, but he was feeling physically better than he had for days. Considering Voldemort's madness he knew that without a doubt that without a wand he would be killed. With the slow return of something approaching full, conscious awareness he began to think about escape. Regardless of how hopeless his situation he refused to go to his fate quietly. Slowly, feigning weakness he raised himself up onto his knees and then pushed himself to his feet. If all else failed and he was going to die it would be on his feet.

"Harry, Harry, Harry you were brave I will give you that, but now it's over. Your allies have left you to your fate, were you to give me your loyalty you could still survive, in my service you could be powerful Harry." Voldemort's voice was low and sibilant.

"You must be delusional Tom if you thought for one minute that I would join you."

"Still the little hero eh, well young Mister Potter I believe that it is time for you to die, gather around and say farewell to the boy-who-lived, Avada Kedavra."

Harry threw himself to the side, moving with inhuman speed as the killing curse flew past him to strike a Death Eater standing behind him. He felt energy coursing through him, lending him speed and renewing his strength. Another spell flashed toward him and he simply turned slightly to let it pass, knowing that he needed to escape, to be free he needed to be gone from this place, ducking under another slow moving killing curse he wondered at how the world slowed down.

Lord Voldemort was stunned as he watched Harry Potter moving with inhuman speed as he ducked under a killing curse and yet another Death Eater was struck by a wayward curse. He raised his wand to kill the boy just as Potter sped past a fallen Death Eater and disappeared up the passageway almost too quickly for the eye to follow. Screaming for his Death Eaters to follow the boy Voldemort began casting a spell designed to seal and ward the entrance to his lair. His anger would know no bounds once he found out that he had only managed to seal his servants in.

Finding himself outside was a shock, seeing two guards moving toward him even more so. Harry rushed the first so quickly that the Death Eater didn't even see him before he was past him. The second saw a blur and began to raise his wand before Harry crashed into him knocking him backwards. Harry sped on not looking back. He, therefore, failed to see the first guard moving to where the second lay against the wall with his head at an impossible angle.

oOoOoOoOo

Harry slowly climbed the fence of the muggle house he had come across. He was exhausted and cold, hours spent running naked through a freezing forest had slowly sapped his strength. Now that he had slowed down he found that his limbs were shaking. He needed food, water and most importantly to be warm.

The house was dusty and ill kept and it appeared to be unoccupied. With a grimace and a silent apology to the owner, he smashed the glass panel set in the door. It was simple to unlock it after that and a few moments later saw him inside.

After ransacking the house, he found a wardrobe filled with moth-eaten clothing. Donning the ill-fitting and smelly clothes would keep him warm enough even if he didn't dare risk a fire. As he huddled under the dusty single bed he began to think that he just might escape. He was starving and thirsty but soon was lulled by the warmth and by his exhaustion and drifted off to sleep

oOoOoOoOo

"Potter is here somewhere, search…."

"Nothing, Shack perhaps if we were…."

Harry came awake to the sound of familiar voices outside the house. Crawling slowly he made his way to the wall and slowly raised his head to peek out the dirty windows. Standing outside were Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"….listen Arthur the boy must be found and returned to Voldemort, he must die so that the prophecy can be fulfilled. That moron Snape couldn't even get a simple bloody job done right."

"But Potter is…well he is just a boy Shack as well you know." replied Arthur.

"You think I'm happy with this? I'm a bloody Auror, no Albus is right it must be done so that all wizard kind can be free of…." Kingsley's voice faded away as he moved away from the window.

Harry slumped to the floor speechless, his insides cold. Dumbledore had betrayed him. The Order of the phoenix had betrayed him. It couldn't be he must have been mistaken. A part of him wanted to call out to the two men to demand an answer, but he didn't. Even in his exhausted, injured state questions were beginning to appear in his mind.

Why hadn't Dumbledore rescued him? How had the wards protecting his house failed? He could feel the tears in his one working eye and so he wiped them away, deep within himself he felt something break, no not break change, Fear began to change to anger.

"So I am the sacrificial goat?" whispered Harry, "well fuck that."

oOoOoOoOo

Milnthorpe - Northern England

Dawn saw Harry Potter moving slowly through the town of Milnthorpe in Northern England. He had left the small house he had hidden in during the early hours of the morning. He then began making his way toward the single light he could see in the distance. He had seen car headlights and had soon found a small town.

He had spent two hours huddled in the doorway of St Thomas's parish church trying to keep warm before he discovered a charity bin. Ditching his ill fitting and befouled clothing he rooted through the clothing bin. Finding some reasonable matches he donned the threadbare but warm and well made clothes. He even found a pair of workman's boots that were a reasonable fit, albeit while wearing two pairs of socks. Harry was especially thankful and sent a silent thank you to who ever was listening when he found a folded but recognisable twenty pound note. He needed to eat and he needed to get the hell out of the area so had began to move toward the centre of town.

Milnthorpe was slowly coming to life. People were appearing and it was obvious that several businesses were preparing to open.

Half an hour later and Harry was sitting in a small bakery eating a Cornish pastry and drinking a remarkably good cup of tea. He was feeling a lot more awake and alert even though his injuries were still painful. Alert enough that he couldn't help but begin to worry. He had no wand, about sixteen pound, some second hand clothes and nowhere to go. Harry forced himself to finish his meal and then left the bakery accidently walking in to a young woman knocking her to the ground. As he apologised and gingerly helped her to her feet two things immediately caught his attention the first was the fact that she was quite heavy for her build and the second was the wand holster strapped to her forearm.

Harry was moving even as he let her arm go and dropped her back to the pavement. Sprinting with unnatural speed across the street he ducked under a flash of red light before turning a corner and accelerating so fast he was nearly a blur. His mind racing he considered and then discarded several plans before deciding to get the hell out of Millthorpe. He was still running flat out when he saw several men blocking the road ahead, thinking quickly he cut to his left and ran straight in to stunner.

oOoOoOoOo

Ministry of Magic - The Department of Mysteries

"So what do you think?" asked the Director of the Department of Mysteries.

"I think we can confirm the original diagnosis and mark this one as a positive." The department's healer replied with a sigh, it was such a waste.

"That is unfortunate, but the minister's opinion and his orders are rather clear. Process him and get him to the holding area, I believe he was unarmed when he came in so we can't snap his wand but we can and will begin the paperwork."

"I understand Director but I…may I ask a question Sir?"

"Of course" replied the Director.

"Will there be trouble over this? I mean he…it is the boy-who-lived."

"I suspect there will be Healer Jenkins but we cannot make exceptions these 'things' are a menace to our way of life, perhaps it can be used to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named but it won't be masquerading as a wizard anymore."

Healer Jenkins watched as the Director left the examination room before turning to the naked figure lying on the steel table. It was unofficial Departmental policy to heal anyone being diagnosed and he had done his best but the thing….boy on the table would likely bear quite a few scars, at least he had managed to replace the boy….the creature's eye with a synthetic before the Director had arrived. He quickly signed the paperwork and read the small official form to the prisoner. It didn't matter that it couldn't hear, it had hardly any rights anyway but it was a part of the process.

"Harry James Potter you have been diagnosed as a mutant and therefore are ineligible to continue to act as a wizard in the United Kingdom. Under the Ministry Protection Act, section thirty-two B I hereby declare you a sentient dark creature and as such you are unable to own a wand, practise magic or reside in a wizarding area. The punishment for being in breech of the act is six months in Ministry detention followed by exile. Do you understand these statements?"

He paused for the obligatory minute before signing the paperwork and ticking the box indicating the law had been followed. A few moments passed before two wizards entered and levitated the newly designated dark creature moving him to a newer facility.

oOoOoOo

Mutant Holding Cells – Northern Scotland

Harry Potter had been imprisoned now for nearly six months and it showed. Gone was the teenager he was replaced now by a man. Six months of bland food, and a daily boredom breaking routine of exercise had left him leanly muscled and ironically probably as healthy and fit as he had ever been. For all that he still hated this place with a passion there was one ray of light, he smiled grimly as he remembered back to his arrival.

He had awoken confused and naked in a small room, a nondescript wizard accompanied by eight Aurors had informed him of his situation and advised him to serve his 'punishment' and accept his new status for there was no appeal or other option. He was assigned and had been led to a door less small cell like room where he had found clothing and shoes placed on one of the two bunks. He had sat naked on the stone floor and wept oblivious to what was going on around him until he was greeted by name by his cell mate, Hannah Abbot. She had held him and stroked his back until he composed himself.

The 'facility' was for all intents and purposes a prison. It was however a strange one as no guard or official ever entered the prison except to escort new 'mutants' to their room. Prisoners had free rein of the sealed complex save when Aurors arrived with new mutants and they were herded to their cells, otherwise there were no guards and no rules.

Harry and Hannah had to be alert to protect themselves from some of the more violent inmates. Several weeks after his arrival one man who was covered in a soft red fur had tried to rape Hannah, it had taken three inmates to pull Harry of him. It was an act that had put Harry and Hannah in most peoples don't touch category. It also marked the beginning of their relationship.

Hannah had the ability to produce fire and had been deemed a danger so had on arrival been bound with a magical bracelet that blocked her ability. Like Harry she had been stunned and then awoken in the facility a day after she had accidently set fire to an old elm tree in her yard. Her story was bad but she had been horrified by Harry's. At first she hadn't been able to reconcile the headmaster's actions with what she knew of him but gradually as their relationship developed she had begun to see things from his viewpoint. Their transition from acquaintances to friends and then lovers had been satisfying and Harry soon realised that he had found someone he could trust in the loyal, intelligent and beautiful ex-Hufflepuff.

The 'facility' was a dangerous place and Harry and Hannah worked to protect the vulnerable as best they could. Their work stopping the attacks and assaults was assisted by another younger couple known as Tony and Bes. Harry wasn't entirely sure they gave their real names but they were very reliable and safety in numbers was the key to survival. For six months Harry and Hannah had dwelt together serving out their sentence and surviving along with their small circle of trusted fellow inmates.

Now Harry was working through a two week separation. Hannah had finished her sentence and was released (and of course immediately exiled from all places magical). Harry still worked with Tony and Bes but was essentially marking time until the plan he and Hannah had devised went in to play.

Harry and Hannah had meticulously planned out their freedom as both were concerned that Dumbledore or the ministry may still have had plans for him.

On Harry's last day he was removed from his cell, given a two hour lecture on the terms of his exile and escorted to a small railway station where he was begrudgingly given fifty pounds and a railway ticket to London. Not even two minutes after the guard had left a loud popping noise heralded the arrival of one Albus Dumbledore and several members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Harry my Dear boy!" Dumbledore walked forward his eyes twinkling and his hands extended as if to embrace Harry.

"Headmaster what are you doing here? Don't you realise that you could get in to trouble consorting with dark creatures." Harry watched with bitter amusement as Remus Lupin flinched when he had said dark creatures.

"Harry you are no dark creature and it was a mistake for the Ministry to label you as one. Now our times grow short and this place is unsafe, you must come with us to a safe location as we try to unravel the unfortunate events that led to this miscarriage of justice." Dumbledore was really turning on the charm but Harry only smiled faintly and shook his head in the negative.

"I must? I think not headmaster I am no longer a student or even a wizard and you no longer have a say in what I must do and besides I have a date." Harry sounded polite but his expression was anything but happy.

"A date Harry, I believe that would not be appropriate, as I said you must come with us, the prophecy cannot be denied Harry and there is much we must still do if we are to defeat Voldemort."

A whistle sounded and Harry ignored him and continued to glance around before his face broke in to a wide smile "Ah here she comes, well headmaster and assorted minions and bootlickers I'll be saying goodbye now my date has arrived," he gestured toward the train station.

Dumbledore's voice lost its friendly tone, "Mister Potter I insist that you stop this foolery and accompany us to a secure location," his wand was now in his hand as he spoke.

Harry turned to face "What so you can hand me over to Voldemort again? Hmmm let me think, How about fuck you!"

"Language Mister Potter, the Headmaster has your best interests at heart" scolded Minerva McGonagall.

"No Professor he has HIS best interests in mind and I find that my best interests are best served…..elsewhere," on the word elsewhere a ring of flame appeared around Dumbledore and the order members.

Dumbledore waved his wand to extinguish the flames. The look on his face when nothing happened was very satisfying to Harry. He winked at the astonished Headmaster as a figure suddenly appeared next to him.

"Miss Abbot?" exclaimed McGonagall indignantly.

The blond ignored him and hugged Harry whispering something in to his ear before kissing him on the cheek.

"Miss Abbot why are you here?" demanded Dumbledore.

"Oh Hello Headmaster I'm just here to collect Harry and to take him home of course."

"Miss Abbot, you are an exile and your presence here is a breech of your parole I insist that you handover your wand and invisibility cloak and leave the area immediately unless you wish to be arrested," Dumbledore was sure the young woman would be cowed by his authority.

"Thank you Headmaster" responded Harry his voice cold.

"I am looking out for you Harry, obviously I…." began Dumbledore but he was interrupted once more by Harry's raised hand.

"As I was saying Headmaster thank you for clarifying the one thing I wasn't sure I could believe about this situation, your 'compliance' with this bigoted, unjust farce" Harry's face was expressionless as he looked at the Headmaster but his eyes were almost glowing with anger.

"You had better hope we don't meet again Albus Dumbledore" said Hannah as she glared at the Headmaster.

"Enough Harry, you must accompany us to…." began Dumbledore before he was interrupted again.

"Well it has been fun catching up with 'old friends' but we must be off," Harry grabbed Hannah's hand and they both disappeared as a portkey took effect, at the same moment the flames disappeared.

"Quickly Minerva get a trace on the portkey I need a destination" ordered Dumbledore.

"I have it…wait oh um Albus?" McGonagall was almost spluttering in her confusion.

"What is it?" demanded the Headmaster.

Bristling at his tone the Deputy Headmistress glared at her superior "Albus they activated ten different Portkeys I have signatures going everywhere both domestic and international."

oOoOoOo

Authors Acknowledgement: Thank you to my Technical Guru XRaiderV1and my Beta Rhynimy.