A/N: Many, many months ago, when I was really big into reading and writing HP fanfics I came across a fic called "To Save a Soul: Round Robin Challenge" by fullsailnate. He wrote an intriguing first chapter, at the end of which he laid out a challenge for other authors to write the other chapters, send them to him and the best ones for each chapter was added to his story.

Anyways... I submitted an entry for Chapter 2, which was chosen and used in his fic.

Here is the original of that very same chapter.

Now, a few people judged this chapter as cliche or a bit unoriginal, but every fic has to start somewhere to build up a story.

I encourage the rest of you to check out his fic and to even make submissions of your own to him as it has been quite sometime since he's updated that fic. With a lot of authors colloborating on a single project I can see an epic tale in the making. Anyways, on with the chapter...

Disclaimer: All recognizable belongs to J. K. Rowling, except the plot which belongs to FullSailNate and used with permission in response to his very intriguing and unique challenge.
Chapter Two: Potter Reborn
Harry Potter disapparated outside Hogwarts. While the creature he had once been cared little for any of these people, but to Harry Potter they had meant everything to him. Now they generated a mild interest. While he certainly didn't care for them as much as the "other" Harry once had, he needed them. Dumbledore especially, despite the fact that the old man was a manipulative bastard. The "other" Harry had forgiven him pretty easily, this newer and much more improved version would show the old man he hadn't forgotten.

Silently, he made his way across the grounds and through the currently empty halls of the school. He kept the hood of his newly obtained shroud up, hoping to catch the Order members off guard. As it was, they needed him a lot more than he needed them, after all, he had the key to defeating Voldemort.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when he at long last found himself in front of the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Tell the Headmaster to permit me to see him, I have urgent news on the whereabouts of Harry Potter," said Harry. While the statue did not reply back, it did suddenly open up to admit him after a few short moments. Harry walked up the stairs where he knew the Order of the Phoenix would be waiting for him. He went to knock on the door, when he heard Dumbledore greet him. When he stepped into the room he saw various members of the Order of the Phoenix. His eyes scanned the room for familiar faces.

In his usual place behind his desk was Albus Dumbledore, to his right and slightly behind him was Minerva McGonagall. Even in his "new" form, Harry felt as if she was not one to be trifled with. He also saw Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody looking at him with great suspicion. His eyes, both of them, were trained and narrowed at the Dementor Lord. He also saw Harry's surrogate parents, Arthur and Molly Weasley. Arthur looked somewhat stressed, but Molly seemed to be a nervous wreck. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the pain he'd caused her. He knew her greatest fears and he knew that his old self's abduction did little to relieve those fears. He squashed down the self inflicted guilt from his livelier human side.

Also in attendance were Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin, perhaps the only two who would accept his new changes immediately. After all they were both 'Dark Creatures' now, though Remus was only one once a month, Harry... pretty much 24/7. Tonks was as different as anyone else and was always more receptive of others who were strange or different.

Fred and George were there as well. They and Bill were the only other Weasleys in attendance. Percy had apologized, but it would be a long time before the bridge and Charlie was continuing his work with dragons in Romania. In his opinion, those there were perhaps the most dangerous of all of the members of the Order. Fred and George's reputations as pranksters made it easy for people who underestimate them, at their own folly. Countless Death Eaters had fallen one way or another due to their ingenuity and brilliant inventiveness. Bill, on the other hand, while not an overly skilled duelist, was one of the top curse breakers ever to grace the halls of Gringotts. The amount of knowledge on wards, ancient and current, was staggering.

He saw Hagrid in the far corner. He, like Mrs. Weasley, had taken news of Harry's capture badly. Not far from him was Severus Snape. Perfect. The greasy haired git was the reason for Harry's capture to begin with. He would enjoy watching the Potion's Master suffer. Others in the room he recognized were Emmaline Vance, Hesitia Jones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalaus Diggle, and Mundungus Fletcher.

"I understand you have news about Harry Potter," said Dumbledore, the usual twinkle in his eye was not present. Harry felt the presence of Dumbledore in his mind. This was surprising because he had very limited success in Occulmency before the merging, and yet his mental shields were now like smooth obsidian.

"Don't," he said firmly. This startled many people. He felt Dumbledore's Legilimency probe recede.

"You try our patience," said Snape threateningly. With a wave of his left hand Snape was knocked back into the wall. Everyone, save Dumbledore, drew their wands immediately, Moody actually fired off a strong stunner that was blocked when Harry raised right hand.

"I find your lack of faith... Disturbing..." he replied, he then summoned Moody's wand to his hand. He smirked at the looks of astonishment from everyone in the room. He felt Dumbledore's magic flaring up. Other than that, he saw no reaction from the old man. He knew he was going to have to ponder the new limits of his magic and exactly what his powers were at a later time. Perhaps he could be the bushy haired bookworm to assist him. "Voldemort is more powerful. Not by much, but he is."

The brushed off the indignant looks many of the others gave him. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head. "That is true. You are significantly powerful yourself to be able sense magic as you do. Your previous display not withstanding. Now, please tell us who you are and what news your bring us."

"You don't recognize my voice?" asked Harry as he pulled back the hood on his black shroud. He was still smirking, as he heard everyone gasp around him. He raised his hands to silence everyone as he heard shouts of his human name from nearly everyone. "I suppose I have gone through a few changes..."

"Harry?" asked Dumbledore hesitantly.

"Yes and no..." The Dementor Lord replied.

"How?" asked Dumbledore.

"What happened to your glasses Harry?" asked Tonks.

"Both answers are somewhat inter-related..." Harry began, "It started when I was captured by the Death Eaters. They took me to their headquarters and had at me for a bit. None of them can really cast a Cruciatus Curse like Voldemort or Bellatrix though."

"Get to the point, Potter!" demanded Moody. Harry merely smirked at the angry retired auror.

"Fine, if you insist," he said in a mock exasperated tone. "After a few hours I was brought before Voldemort. Then I learned the price that he gained the loyalty of the Dementors and my purpose for being captured instead of killed. Fortunately enough for you the Dementors are no longer on his side and my body is now useless to him." Harry waved his hand at the sudden burst of questions thrown his way and silenced everyone in the room. Only Dumbledore was unaffected.

"It's only understandable that we all have questions Harry, you seem to have done much during your captivity," said Dumbledore.

"Then quit interrupting me," he said sternly, waving his hand to unsilence everyone, "The Dementors joined Voldemort because the Dementor Chieftain wanted a tortured, broken soul. Voldemort used me as payment. After my soul was sucked out of my body, he was going to use it for various rituals to enhance his power and life force. However things didn't go as planned." Harry took a deep breath as he saw the frown appear on Dumbledore's face. "When the Dementor Chieftain applied the kiss to me, my soul merged with it. My soul was tortured, but far from broken. The two of us... merged... All that was left was my soulless body and my 'new self'. I could sense Voldemort's power, and what I sensed was troubling. And that's why I have come to you, because I need help in finishing what I started." It was then that everyone noticed the curse scar that Voldemort had inflicted on him 15 years ago had disappeared.

"What was so troubling about Voldemort's power?" asked Remus.

"You felt him in multiple places," said Dumbledore to everyone's surprise, including Harry's.

"You knew?" shouted Harry angrily, his emerald green eyes glowing with raw, untamed power.

"Suspected, since the end of your second year in fact. I used the time that Dolores Umbridge had given me when I was removed as Headmaster to follow up on these suspicions," he told them all calmly.

"The diary?" asked Harry, calming down. Dumbledore nodded. "I felt him in seven different places. So using some of my new found powers I absorbed the last of the magic from my old body, all of which happened to be Voldemort's. My old body is useless to him now."

"H-How did you escape from You Know Who?" asked Arthur Weasley.

"Apparation." Harry raised his hand, "Before you ask, I'm not sure how... I seem to be assimilating the knowledge of all the souls the Dementor Chieftain devoured before mine. I'm far more powerful than I had been before, and far more powerful than Voldemort."

"If you're so much more powerful than the Dark Lord, Potter, why didn't you just kill him then when you had the chance?" asked Snape angrily.

"Because we have to destroy the other five pieces left of his soul before I can defeat him. Power isn't everything, that's why Voldemort still hasn't defeated Dumbledore yet. But it will be more than enough to take care of you." When Harry said this, the temperature of the office dropped several degrees. Everyone shuddered at the sudden drop of heat, but Snape seemed to be more affected than the rest.

"Harry..." Dumbledore.

"No Headmaster, it's because of Snape that I was captured in the first place, though I should be thanking you for that, I wouldn't be what I am now because of your betrayal," Harry said in a cold tone, a humorless smirk on his face.

"You got lucky last time," said Snape with an ugly sneer on his face. "I'll enjoy putting you in your place." Snape drew his wand, a curse on his lips. His arm began to shake as the tip of his wand started to glow with a pinkish light.

"Problems, Snivellus?" asked Harry menacingly, his eyes began to glow again, and Snape's arm began to shake more violently before he dropped his wand and fell to his knees. "Maddening isn't it Snape, having to relive your worst memories over and over again?"

"Harry, I must demand that you stop this at once," scolded Dumbledore.

"No," answered Harry coldly, his eyes never leaving Snape.

"Then you leave me no choice," said Dumbledore drawing his wand. "Stupefy!" Harry made no move to block the stunner and it struck him on the side of the head and dissipated into nothingness.

"As you can see, your power is useless. I am no longer your pawn old man," Harry warned him. By this time Snape was kneeling on the ground, reduced to nearly nothing. He was holding his head and convulsing. Harry raised his hand and Snape was lifted off the ground. "Now, Snivellus... What shall I do with you?"

Snape reached into his robes, "The Dark Lord will make sure you pay... Potter!" he said in a strained voice as he activated a portkey.

"Pity... I wasn't done with him yet..."