OK, here we go, Chapter Four.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE! When will you guys get it through your THICK SKULLS! You better not be Crabbe and Goyle, ya know!

Chapter 4: The Secret's Out

Harry got up wearily from the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. "Son of a bitch," he gasped as he tried to regain his breath. His throat felt scratchy and sore, as if he'd been screaming. He had a huge headache from the mental battle that had ended mere seconds before. On top of that, his lightning scar was throbbing in pain.

Harry froze. Wait, my scar? Isn't that my link to Voldemort? The pieces fell into place in front of Harry. Voldemort used Legilimency against me using the link as a conduit instead of eye contact. Shit. At least I kept him out.

:I wouldn't be too sure of that, Harry,: Quetz said slowly. :I'm seeing evidence of a secondary probe that took advantage of your preoccupation with the first and went to your sensory perception. I think he knows where you are.:

"Damn it!" Harry yelled aloud. "If he knows where I am, then he knows that I have to be a Parselmouth, and that Sanaath is no longer under his control!" I've got to strengthen my Occlumency shields even more…

:You have an additional disadvantage,: Quetz reported. :Based on what just happened, I'd say your scar acts as a secret backdoor into your head, partially bypassing your shields.:

… This sucks.

:Agreed.:

Harry began walking back to the stairs up to the castle even as he began dutifully reinforcing his shields. I wonder why Voldemort decided to use Legilimency now? He must be getting stronger, thanks to Wormtail. Harry clenched his fists at the thought of that traitor. But why now? It hit me just as I came out of the portal. Coincidence? I think not!

Could Voldemort know about Terra? Harry kept walking as he turned the thought over in his head. No, I don't think he does… he didn't get past my memory defenses. The most he could know about is the portal, but he doesn't know how to make it, and I've changed the password to the Chamber. The portal is safe, and I'm sure I didn't give him the knowledge on how to make it.

Harry sighed. But that still beggars the question of how did Voldemort know the instant I arrived back on this world. I think it has something to do with the link… perhaps he sensed the change of when I was available and when I wasn't? But shouldn't my Occlumency block that?

:No, your Occlumency acts as a huge, thick wall: visible, but hard to penetrate. You'd have to make your mind invisible, but that wouldn't help; Voldemort's link to you goes beyond it.: Quetz explained.

Harry rubbed his temples wearily even as he continued restoring his shields to what they had been. Just when I think I've got a leg up, it gets torn down… Fate, why do you hate me?

Not long later, Harry was eating dinner halfheartedly, working on his already intense Occlumency shields, focusing especially hard on the part of his mind hosting his scar link. Noting the look on determination and concentration on Harry's face, Ginny walked over to him. "What's up, Harry? It's been a while since we've talked."

"Sorry Ginny," Harry apologized sincerely. "Guess I've been a bit busy lately. How's life treating you?"

"Not too bad at all," Ginny said with a smile. "Classes are actually pretty good now that we've got a good DADA teacher."

"I know!" Harry agreed. "It's nice to have a competent DADA teacher for once. I mean, my first year, you weren't here for, but Quirrel was all a-st-st-stutter-ering. I could hardly make out what he said!"

Ginny looked entirely disbelieving, leading Harry to reenact a typical class with Quirrel. She was laughing rather hard at the end of Harry's impersonation. "And last year, we had Lockhart!" Ginny managed to get out. "Who would you say was worse?"

"Lockhart, definitely," Harry said instantly. "At least Quirrel knew what he was talking about. Lockhart was a fraud."

"Fair point," Ginny admitted. "So, what's on your mind? You looked pretty serious a minute ago."

Harry's smile turned into a solemn frown. Deciding to switch to Parseltongue so no one else could understand in the Great Hall – after all, rumors were notoriously quick to spread, making it almost impossible to keep a secret – he sighed. "Ginny, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to say, ok?"

"Sure," Ginny agreed.

:Are you really going to tell her? I don't believe that's wise, considering her lack of Occlumency shielding,: Quetz remarked.

I won't tell her everything! Harry retorted. Just a little, not enough to make Dumbledore suspect anything if he reads her mind. Besides, it's also an opportunity to imply false things for the fool. Remind me to have Fred and George teach her Occlumency later though, k? "Remember Sirius Black? He was sent to Azkaban for betraying my parents, and killing Peter Pettigrew along with twelve Muggles with a single curse. Thing is, he was framed!"

"What?" Ginny gasped.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said knowingly. "It turns out that Peter Pettigrew is a Rat Animagus. He cut off his own finger and transformed that day after casting the curse that killed the Muggles, and he was the Secret Keeper for my parents, not Sirius."

"How did you find out?" Ginny asked in wonder. She believed Harry for two very good reasons. Firstly, he had never lied to her. Secondly, he had demanded absolute secrecy on this, and this story was just too crazy to make up.

"Believe it or not, Fred and George held the key. See, they have in their possession a very special map that details where everyone is in Hogwarts at any given moment. They let me borrow it on occasion. Now, guess who I saw on the map in our first week back."

"Peter Pettigrew!"

"You won't like the answer," Harry warned.

"Where?"

"He was Scabbers."

"NO WAY!" Ginny yelled, accidentally switching to English, making several people in the Great Hall glance in her way.

"It's true, I'm afraid," Harry said softly.

Ginny looked at Harry piercingly. "That was a while ago, right? 'In our first week back' you said. It's mid-October now."

Harry chuckled. "Perceptive. See, Pettigrew was a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's followers. And as you may have noticed, for the last two years, Voldemort's been in the school in one form or another trying to resurrect himself. In my first year, the Sorcerer's Stone incident, where Voldemort almost got the Elixir of Life. Last year, the Chamber of Secrets incident, where had I not destroyed the diary, he would have finished absorbing your life force and been brought back. Now that he has a loyal Death Eater aiding him… I can't help but wonder if he'll succeed in being brought back the next time he tries. I'm worried."

Now Ginny's face reflected Harry's worry. "Looking at it like that, I see what you mean. Well, don't worry too much. Dumbledore's here, Tom wouldn't dare attack when he's here to protect us. After all, Dumbledore was the only one Tom was ever afraid of."

"Perhaps," Harry conceded. He did have to admit Dumbledore was very powerful, and undoubtedly one of the few who could stand up to Voldemort. Having never faced Voldemort in his prime, Harry was uncertain of how he would hold up against the evil wizard. True, he had his junctions and physical fitness, but Voldemort had Dark Rituals to balance that. His Terran spells were powerful, true, but most of them were easily avoidable simply by dodging, and there were counters for the rest amongst wizarding magic. Plus, he still didn't know everything about wizarding magic. For all he knew, wizarding magic had even more powerful spells than Ultima, Holy and Flare, even when cast through a wand.

Plus, there's the whole Horcrux thing going on, Harry mused. I mean, with at least one more Horcrux out there, Voldemort cannot be completely killed, which is just irritating.

:Agreed.:

"Harry? Earth to Harry?"

Harry blinked and shook his head. "Sorry, got lost in thought. Professor Dumbledore may be the only one Voldemort feared, but what about when Dumbledore is away? I mean, he's part of the Wizengamot, and let's face it, Dumbledore's getting old. Is he as powerful as he used to be? If Voldemort resurrects himself, could Dumbledore go toe to toe with him?"

Ginny looked simultaneously frightened and indignant at Harry's words. "Dumbledore's the most powerful wizard in the world!"

"That may be true now, but what about in ten, fifteen years? As I said, Dumbledore's getting old. Not even he can defy death. Unless, of course, he has a Sorcerer's Stone… come to think of it, he did work with Nicholas Flamel in Alchemy in creating the Sorcerer's Stone… maybe he knows how to make it?" Harry wondered aloud. "Anyway, what happens if Voldemort is brought back, more powerful than ever before, with his Death Eaters?"

Ginny stood up. "What do you mean by that?! Dumbledore will protect us! He always has before!"

"Like when you were taken to the Chamber?" Harry retorted, lapsing into English in his frustration. Ginny froze. "Or how about when I faced off against Voldemort for the Sorcerer's Stone while Dumbledore was at the Ministry? Or how about in the last war, when Sirius Black went to prison for twelve years without a trial, because Dumbledore testified that he was indeed the Secret Keeper?! Dumbledore is not omniscient, and neither is he all-powerful. He is an old man, a powerful one, but still an old man. What I'm saying is that Dumbledore will not always be there for us! If Voldemort comes back – no, when he does, we have to be prepared!"

With that, Harry got up from the table, leaving the remains of his dinner… and a stunned Ginny. Harry's departure also signaled the hushed whispering to begin at all tables. Ginny turned to look at Dumbledore, slowly realizing that Harry had a point, it was a foolish idea to put all one's faith in a single person, especially when the person was old and likely to die of old age soon.

Dumbledore took the opportunity to use Legilimency on Ginny, his eyes twinkling reassuringly even as he felt his anger rise, reading Ginny's memories. So, Potter doubts me. He is wise to believe that Voldemort will eventually rise again, now that he has a loyal follower with nothing left to lose, but Potter should see me as a powerful grandfather figure, capable of protecting him! I suppose, though, that it can't be helped. He has handled everything without me so far. I must prove to him that I am his figure of guidance, someone he can turn to, so he will never suspect my betrayal. Hmm…perhaps a show of faith… He finished his meal quickly, before getting up and exiting calmly.

Meanwhile, Harry stormed all the way up to the Astronomy Tower, sending a few couples – one of which was doing much more than simply snogging – running by the look in his eyes. He was angry, that much was clear. Why do they insist on trusting that conniving old man?! Harry raged.

:Because Dumbledore saved them from Grindelwald, and led the fight against Voldemort before he was defeated by your one-year-old self,: Quetz reminded Harry calmly. :He holds much fame and power, not unlike yourself.:

But why won't anyone THINK for themselves? Harry asked, frustrated. I mean, everyone against Voldemort is of the mind that Dumbledore will save them from anything!

:Remember, Harry, that Dumbledore is a common household name for all of these children. They were raised believing that you and Dumbledore are the epitome of goodness. Recall how Ginny Weasley was brought up with you as a bedtime story?: Harry blushed just remembering it. :Precisely. I imagine Dumbledore was much the same way. Think, how would you have been, if Dumbledore had saved you from the Dursleys?:

Harry sighed. He could see Quetzalcoatl's point. He was about to leave, but then took notice of the excellent view the Astronomy Tower gave him. It was quiet too, so Harry took the opportunity to sit down and relax. Meditating, he slowly reached out with his magical sense. It had been quite some time since he'd practiced it. He was soon very glad he'd chosen to practice then, as Dumbledore was coming up the stairs. Quickly retracting his sense, he copied and edited the appropriate memories, preparing for the inevitable Legilimency from Dumbledore.

"Hello, Harry."

"Professor," Harry replied, opening his eyes. As expected, Dumbledore locked eyes with him and Harry could feel him quickly scanning through the recent memories.

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling brightly as he smiled down at Harry. "I was wondering, Harry, if you would be interested in learning to be an Animagus? Your father was a stag Animagus, if I recall correctly."

Harry's eyes widened; he didn't need to pretend the shock. He did, however, have to manufacture the awe and respect he needed in order to stay in character. "Professor, I'd love to become an Animagus!"

Excellent, Dumbledore thought. The perfect way to bring him closer to me, plus I can take advantage of his Animagus form when I steal his magic, and have two forms!

Meanwhile, Harry was having a lightning-quick conversation with Quetz. How's the core doing? Can it take a second Animagus form yet?

A very brief, tense moment later, :No, it cannot.:

Shit! And I can't let him know about my Storm Phoenix Animagus form! What do I do? An idea struck him then. "But sir, from what I know, don't I have to be very powerful to have a form?" Harry asked, thinking as he went. "I would need to be really good at Transfiguration, right?"

"Among other things," Dumbledore agreed. "The Animagus transformation is perhaps the epitome of Transfiguration abilities."

"Then shouldn't I wait a while, maybe until my fourth or fifth year?" Harry asked innocently. "I mean, I'm only in third year now. Surely I'm not powerful enough to handle an Animagus form?"

"On the contrary," Dumbledore said confidently, "I'm sure you're powerful enough."

"What about the Animagus Revealer Potion?" Harry pointed out. "That's very advanced Potion-making, and I'm not confident enough to brew it yet."

Dumbledore looked at Harry curiously. "How did you know about the Potion?"

"In my first year, Professor McGonagall told me how to become an Animagus after she mentioned my father having the potential," Harry explained.

"I see. In any case, we can have Professor Snape oversee your brewing," Dumbledore said magnanimously. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Harry's mind raced as he tried to come up with something to counter Dumbledore… to no avail. Sighing inwardly, he smiled up at Dumbledore. "Alright. When do I get started?"

"I shall talk to Professor Snape. He shall inform you of when to begin brewing."

That night, Harry met up with his friends, along with Remus and Snape, in Harry's training room. Remus and Snape had worked together to put up some wards to ensure privacy, so as not to be intruded upon. "We have a problem," Harry began immediately, Metamorphing into his adult form. "Dumbledore wants me to become an Animagus."

"WHAT?" came the resounding chorus from everyone but Snape.

Harry nodded grimly. "Normally, I'd be all for it. There is one problem, however. Quetz has informed me that my magical core cannot handle another Animagus form yet, due to the fact that I haven't mastered my current form, the Storm Phoenix."

"But why would Dumbledore…" Fred began.

"…want to give you more power?" George finished.

"I'm not certain," Harry confessed.

"The answer can be found in Dumbledore's ultimate motives," Blaise said calmly. "Recall how Dumbledore wishes Harry to be his ultimate weapon? He requires some kind of hold on Harry, preferably emotional. He wishes Harry to be dependant on Dumbledore, to rely on him."

"Oh! And for Dumbledore to train Harry personally in the Animagus transformation would give Dumbledore the hold he needs," Hermione realized.

"So what?" Theo asked. All heads turned towards him. "Well, the Animagus Revealer Potion takes two months to brew, right? That gives Harry two months to master his form. Plenty of time. Then he can get his second form, without even having to go behind Dumbledore's back! And we already know Dumbledore is not to be trusted. So, really, what's the problem?"

Harry sighed. "Normally, I'd agree. However, the problem is that my Animagus form is magical, one of the most magical creatures there are. I've been trying for months now to figure out how to use the Storm Phoenix abilities – storm-calling, healing tears and travel by lightning, plus the song to invoke good memories in Light-oriented people, and bad ones in evil ones. Admittedly, I haven't practiced recently, instead researching the Horcruxes, but even so, how am I supposed to master those in two months?"

"Perhaps another Phoenix can help you," Daphne said thoughtfully.

"Who? Fawkes?" Harry asked in a disbelieving tone. Suddenly, Fawkes appeared in front of Harry in a flash of fire. There was a moment of silence, as everyone present was dumbfounded. "Um… hello, Fawkes," Harry greeted cautiously. "Did the Headmaster send you?" Fawkes shook his regal head no. "Did you come because I said your name?" Fawkes let out an affirmative trill.

Remus's eyes widened. "Fawkes… did something happen between you and the Headmaster?" Fawkes looked at Remus and bowed his head sadly.

"What?" Hermione asked. "How did you know, Professor?"

"I read up on Phoenixes a long time ago, and I recently reviewed them," Remus said casually. "They normally only answer to another's call if their current companion asks them to, or if the other is a powerful good wizard or witch in need of assistance. But, if a Phoenix's companion starts to lose his or her morals, or begins acting in a way that shames the Phoenix, then the bond between them weakens. If the companion continues acting in that way, the bond will grow so weak, that the Phoenix will look for a new companion."

:This is an opportunity that may never come again.:

I know. But still, it feels wrong to take advantage of a being so miserable. Well, I suppose Fawkes won't be telling Dumbledore anything, so it's ok for me to transform. Harry smiled at Fawkes, and transformed into Bolt, the Storm Phoenix, amidst the gasps of his friends, and the startled look from the Phoenix.

"Hello, Fawkes."

"You, you are a Storm Phoenix Animagus?" Fawkes asked in shock, his voice sounding somehow old yet strong. "When did this happen?"

"Last year, actually," Harry admitted.

Unexpectedly, Fawkes began to laugh, though to everyone but Harry it sounded like mirthful song. "You are a true Slytherin indeed, to be able to deceive Albus for so long."

"Why thank you," Harry said. "So, what happened between you and Dumbledore?"

Fawkes's head drooped. "He has been acting less and less like the person I joined so many years ago, especially towards you, Harry Potter."

"I gathered," Harry drawled. "He seems to want me to be his weapon against Voldemort, where I depend almost completely on him."

"It does appear that way," Fawkes agreed. "He has Obliviated you twice in the hopes of achieving that particular goal." Fawkes glanced over at Snape. "You do realize that Severus Snape is bound by an Unbreakable Vow to Dumbledore?"

"Yes, but he helps me whenever he can," Harry assured the Phoenix. "Right now we're searching out what might be Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"You know about the Horcruxes already?!" Fawkes squawked – an immensely amusing event for Snape, who chuckled under his breath until the Phoenix glared at him. "Which ones do you know of?"

"We know we've destroyed one already – Tom Riddle's diary. I destroyed it in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry explained. "We think Slytherin's ring and locket are two more."

"You are correct in that. Albus confided in me about his discoveries about the Horcruxes each time he found some evidence," Fawkes informed Harry. "In addition to those, Hufflepuff's goblet and Riddle's snake familiar are also likely to be Horcruxes."

Harry did a quick mental calculation. "Ring, locket, goblet, snake, diary, and Voldemort himself… that's six out of seven. We're missing one."

"Yes," Fawkes agreed. "Unfortunately, if Albus had any idea on the last, he did not tell me. In any case, we must work on the ones we know of."

"Wait, we?" Harry asked.

"Well, you all and I, of course!" Fawkes chirped cheerfully.

Harry hesitated. "Fawkes, not that we don't want you to come or anything… but won't Dumbledore get suspicious if you're not around anymore?"

Fawkes's feathers visibly drooped. "I had not considered that."

"Fawkes, the best way you can help right now is to make sure that Dumbledore doesn't suspect us," Harry said sternly, before recalling Daphne's idea. "Though… as much as I hate to admit it… I could use some help mastering the abilities of my Storm Phoenix form." Harry really didn't like admitting he needed help on accomplishing something that others could accomplish alone. He'd read up on Merlin, and he'd accomplished a phoenix AND a salamander on his own. Harry wanted to be the best, to surpass everyone, without sacrificing his humanity. That way he could always protect his loved ones.

Fawkes perked up. "I would be happy to help! But, why do you need it? I am certain that given time you could master them on your own."

"That's just it. I don't HAVE time," Harry explained. "Dumbledore's cornered me into becoming an Animagus, and he doesn't know about this form. I need to be ready for a second form in two months."

"Oh dear, that is a problem," Fawkes said understandingly. "Well, whenever you have some time, fly on up to Albus's office, and I will teach you what I know."

"Thank you." Fawkes flashed out. With that, Harry returned to his natural human form, where he was promptly pelted by questions left and right, enough to give Harry the beginnings of a headache.

"Enough!" He shouted, morphing into his seventeen-year-old form. There was instant silence. "Now, one at a time."

"You could communicate with Fawkes in your Animagus form?" Remus asked instantly. Harry nodded.

"Did you ask for help on getting your powers down?" Hermione asked.

Harry made a noise in his throat showing mild irritation. "Yes…"

Snape, perhaps, had a more important question. "What, exactly, is going on? Is Fawkes searching for a new companion, and if so, has he chosen?"

"Yes, Fawkes is looking for a new companion, no he has not chosen for the sake of keeping us out of suspicion, and keeping Dumbledore arrogant enough to make mistakes," Harry related.

"Did he say anything else?" Theo asked.

"Yes, he confirmed our suspicions on Slytherin's ring and locket. They are indeed Horcruxes. Dumbledore's known for quite some time now, apparently, but even he doesn't know for certain all of them. In addition to the ring and locket, Hufflepuff's goblet is almost certainly a Horcrux as well. Dumbledore suspects Voldemort's snake familiar to also be a Horcrux."

Daphne frowned. "Wait, that's rather stupid. Even the most magical snakes are mortal. Why would he place a piece of his soul with something that would eventually die?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Perhaps I can answer that," he said slowly. "See, a familiar is bonded to a wizard's magic. As long as he lives, or in Voldemort's case, exists, the familiar will also live, provided that the familiar is not hurt mortally. So, by placing part of his soul in his snake familiar, he ensures that his magic will last forever…"

"Which means that the snake will also live forever, which means so will he…" Hermione breathed. "Brilliant!"

"Wait, does it work the other way as well?" Harry asked suddenly. "If Dumbledore were to suddenly change his ways enough for Fawkes to rebuild the bond, would Dumbledore live forever?"

Remus shook his head. "No, that type of magic, while similar to the familiar bond, is different. The Phoenix Companion bond doesn't allow the companion to live forever."

Harry swallowed hard. "What about me? I'm a Storm Phoenix Animagus, does that mean that I… will live forever?"

"Only if you stay in the Storm Phoenix form forever," Remus said firmly.

Harry sighed in relief, confusing almost everyone in the room. "Why would you not want immortality, Potter?" Snape asked in a neutral tone.

"I don't like the idea that I'll outlast all my friends and never get to see them again in the afterlife," Harry said with a shrug. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Harry cleared his throat. "We know the identity to most of his Horcruxes, we need to start working out their locations! Remus, if we manage to find one, can we use it as a compass to the others?"

"Sadly, no. I'd imagine the Horcruxes are in immensely difficult places to get into, with tight wards to keep such a thing from happening, even if it were possible."

Harry expected as much, but still growled low in this throat. There went that idea. "Then the only thing we can do is find out about Voldemort's past, who he was as Tom Riddle. He probably left the Horcruxes in places that hold some sort of significance to him."

"Why? Wouldn't it be smarter to put pieces of your soul in a place no one would ever suspect, even if they did know you?" Hermione pointed out.

Blaise fielded the question before Harry could answer. "Voldemort is using the artifacts of at least two Founders as his Horcruxes. He would want them as a trophy to his power, and he would place them in a location of significance so as to symbolize his power. It would indeed be smarter to use a location completely unrelated to you, but Voldemort is prideful and, if I am to guess correctly, believes that no one knows of his Horcruxes. He thinks himself safe."

"Not necessarily," Snape said silkily. "Recall this; Peter Pettigrew was Ronald Weasley's rat. Weasley went with Potter down into the Chamber of Secrets last year, and Pettigrew almost certainly knows that the diary was destroyed. He may have reported it to the Dark Lord."

"But Voldemort doesn't have a body," Theo pointed out. "And unless he's a complete idiot, he won't trust Pettigrew with the location of all of the Horcruxes. So they'll stay where they are until Voldemort gets a new body, if he gets a new body."

"There's something else we have to consider," Remus said suddenly. "We know that Voldemort entrusted his diary to his right-hand Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. How do we know he didn't entrust other Horcruxes to some of the races that allied with him in the first war? For all we know, Slytherin's locket is guarded by the dementors somewhere in Azkaban!"

"The Dark Lord felt that pureblood wizards are superior to all other races. He would not give part of his own soul to a race he would eventually betray; it gives them too large a bargaining chip," Snape countered the werewolf smoothly.

"Maybe so, but Professor Lupin does raise an interesting point," Harry agreed unexpectedly. "What if Voldemort had had one of his followers store a Horcrux in a Gringotts Vault? The goblins would fight tooth and nail to keep their reputation intact by keeping that vault secure, without knowing they held part of Voldemort's soul."

Snape again shook his head in the negative. "That is not in the Dark Lord's style. He thought himself near-infallible. He would almost certainly create his own protections for his Horcruxes, especially since it is possible to break into Gringotts, as he did only two years ago."

"So, again, we need to find out more about his identity as Tom Riddle, and where it would be likely to hide his Horcruxes," Daphne concluded.

"We'd love to help," Fred began.

"But we can't. OWL year and all that," George explained.

"We may not act like it…"

"… but we do understand that we need to study."

"But we do have…"

"… one thing to say."

They took a breath together. "Harry, we bequeath the Marauder's Map to you."

"What? Why?" Harry asked, astonished. "You still have the rest of the year!"

"Maybe so," George admitted.

"But we haven't finished…"

"… our Animagus forms yet."

"You can use it to its full potential," Fred and George said together. Fred pulled out the blank parchment and passed it to Harry, who took it slowly.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem, Harry," the twins replied in stereo.

"We'll still help where we can," Fred added.

"Just keep in mind that we still need to study, practice Quidditch, and maintain our reputations as pranksters supreme," George finished.

Harry nodded and turned to the group as a whole. "Now, back to business. Professors Snape and Lupin, do you know anything significant about Tom Marvolo Riddle?"

Snape shook his head. "No. The Dark Lord never spoke of his past at all."

"There's a trophy to a Mr. T. M. Riddle in the Trophy Room, but I'd imagine that it's for framing Hagrid for the Chamber of Secrets the last time it opened," Remus said neutrally.

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Wait, we can talk to Hagrid! He was in school at the same time as Riddle, so he'd surely know something!"

Harry smirked. Already we have a lead. "Good idea, Hermione. Shall we go visit then?"

"Not yet," Blaise warned suddenly.

"What, why not?" Theo asked, surprised at Blaise's dark tone.

"It's been too long since Harry's encounter with Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets. He can no longer convincingly claim to simply be curious about Riddle," Blaise explained.

"Ah, we have to wait for another encounter with Voldemort or one of his minions first," Daphne realized.

"Not necessarily," Remus cut in. "Not if you stage it correctly. If you get Hagrid to introduce the topic, then you can justify a newfound interest in Voldemort's youth."

"That'll be very tricky," Harry mused. "With Dumbledore reading Hagrid's mind, it'd have to fool HIM into thinking that Hagrid brought up the topic. Especially since we're Slytherins, known for our cunning. Except for Hermione, the twins and Professor Lupin of course."

Snape sneered. "Fool Dumbledore into thinking you didn't manipulate Hagrid? An impossible job. Dumbledore uses Legilimency regularly on all the staff, but most especially on Hagrid as he is, generally speaking, the one with the most useful information from his frequent trips to Hogsmeade."

"So Dumbledore would know Hagrid's mind inside and out," Harry concluded. "Too risky to go to Hagrid, then. Any other ideas?"

"Let's summarize what we do know about Riddle," Fred suggested.

"And see what comes out," George finished.

Hermione cleared her throat. "His full name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, which is an anagram of his name. He is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Parents unknown. Six suspected Horcruxes made, one known to be destroyed." She paused. "I don't know anything else about him," she confessed.

There was silence for half a minute while everyone tried to work out anything that could be added. "Well, that was useless," Theo said flatly. "And we can't research him in public or Dumbledore will find out. It's too bad that diary was destroyed, or else we could get some more information directly."

Everyone shared a look of dawning comprehension – except Snape, who had long since perfected the art of looking bored even when having a revelation. "Theo you're a genius!" Daphne exclaimed. "Ginny Weasley wrote in the diary for a while, right? Maybe she'll have information!"

"She's still in the state where she'll tell Dumbledore anything," Harry warned. "We can't ask her."

Everyone was a bit disappointed when Harry pointed that out. "Who said we had to, Potter?" Snape suddenly spoke up with a sneer. "Have you forgotten that I am a Legilimens? I can merely take that information out of her during her next Potions class."

Harry could have smacked himself. "Why didn't I remember that? Wish I could do the same with Hagrid, but as you said, Dumbledore probably knows Hagrid's mind too well to do that without getting caught."

Blaise frowned. "Harry, did you not say you yourself had written in the diary as well? Did Riddle give out any information?"

Harry used his Occlumency skills to quickly review the memory. His eyes widened. "His middle name, Marvolo! That's his maternal grandfather's name."

Remus smiled tightly. "That's good, but we need a last name."

Harry shrugged. "It'll probably be useful for verifying that we have the right family. Well, we have a plan of action now. Professor Snape will use Legilimency on Ginny to recover the information we need. Hermione, how're you holding up with taking all the classes?"

Indeed, between classes, her Animagus search and researching the Founders, Hermione was looking rather pale. She sighed, and suddenly she seemed so exhausted. "I'm fine," she said tiredly.

"No, you are not, Granger," Snape said sternly. "How much have you been using that Time Turner?"

Everyone but Hermione and Remus gasped. "You've been using a Time Turner?" Daphne exclaimed. "Hermione, don't you know how dangerous it is to use one of those for extended periods?!"

This was, unfortunately, a topic that Harry hadn't researched. "What do you mean?"

Remus cleared his throat. "As you all know, a Time Turner has the capability of sending you backwards through time. However, there is a drawback. There cannot be two people with the same, exact, personal magical signature. The Time Turner will indeed send you backwards through time, and then draw on your own magic to create a protective magical field to keep you from being wiped from existence, and from aging, until the other you goes back in time."

"Under normal circumstances," Snape sneered, "the amount of magic taken is small, hardly noticeable. Repeated use, however, will significantly drain the user, as Granger has realized. She needs to rest in bed, without turning back the clock, until her energy levels return to normal."

Harry glanced at Hermione, who appeared to be trying to be outraged, but her exhaustion won out. "How long? And what about my classes?"

"A few days. Perhaps less. All of the professors know about the Time Turner, and they will understand you need the break," Remus assured her gently. "We all know your study habits, so you'll easily be able to catch up."

"If there are no other topics to be discussed, I shall escort Hermione back to Gryffindor Tower," Blaise said neutrally, before glancing around the group, his gaze lingering on Harry for a moment.

"Go." Blaise needed nothing more than that before leading Hermione out. "Right then, I think that's all for tonight. We'll meet again next month, same time. Meeting adjourned," Harry stated firmly.

That night, in bed, Harry thought to himself about the course of the day. Let's see. Go to Terra? Check. Get attacked by Voldemort mentally? Check. Get manipulated by Dumbledore? Check. Get joined by Dumbledore's old Phoenix companion Fawkes? Check. Learn from Fawkes the identities of all but one of the remaining Horcruxes? Check. Make a plan to steal information we need from Ginny's head? Check. Learn that Hermione's been slowly killing herself by using the Time-Turner too much? Check.

:Sounds like an average day in Harry Potter world,: Quetz remarked dryly.

Oh, shut up. Hopefully the world will be less complicated in the morning.

Meanwhile, up in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was contemplating the day's events. "Why did Potter not jump at the chance to become an Animagus?" he murmured aloud. "Anyone would want that, especially with me teaching them personally. Yet, he was polite but almost insistent not to become one. Perhaps he simply doesn't want to his fame to get bigger after registering? Hmm… Even if that were the case, he surely would have told me that. Something is not quite right…"

Dumbledore got up and began pacing. It's almost as though he doesn't trust me. But that's impossible, I deleted all of his old memories, and replaced them with fabricated memories that would almost force him to trust me! "There was no mistake," he uttered fervently, confident in his Legilimency and Memory Charms. "I deleted those memories."

Are you sure? a little voice in the back of his head whispered. After all, he fooled you before…

As much as Dumbledore hated to admit it, the voice was right. Somehow, Potter had deflected Dumbledore's Legilimency onto subjects that did not give him away, and as a result had kept the Headmaster in the dark for a year. It had been only luck that Dumbledore had discovered Potter's frequent trips to Terra. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," Dumbledore uttered softly, thinking the Muggle phrase appropriate. "Perhaps it would be best for me to verify that Potter is indeed as I wish him to be."

A few days passed, and Hermione quickly recovered from the Time Turner overuse. As was his custom, Harry got out of bed, joined his friends in the Great Hall and with them began his morning training. Hermione was working on her strength, endurance and accuracy with her magically modified wooden whip. As his weapon focused entirely on powerful strikes, Blaise practiced with a wooden replica of his double-headed axe. The axe, of course, was applied the weight charm that Harry had taught them. Daphne and Theo still sparred, with Hermione occasionally joining in. Daphne's twin daggers matched well against Theo's twin blades, but when Hermione came to play, it was quite different.

Hermione's whip was a mid to long range weapon, while both Daphne and Theo were specialized for short range. As a result, Daphne and Theo were forced to learn how to avoid the painful cracks of the whip while trying to get close enough to hit Hermione. At the same time, Hermione realized that she couldn't just stay still and strike; she had to keep moving if she wanted to keep her range advantage, which made it more difficult to stay precise with her whip.

Blaise tended to refrain from sparring, as his weapon would seriously injure someone. He was joining in more often, however, and when he did join, Harry was ready with Cure spells. They came in handy, as Blaise would dodge or parry blows and then strike down hard on someone's arm, which more often than not broke it. Blaise had his fair share of pain as well, as everyone else's weapons were rather faster than his. Cure is such a wonderful spell, Harry thought to himself, grateful he could use it now without harming his magical growth. It completely erases all evidence of broken bones and bruises.

Harry, as expected, had the upper hand with all of his experience, and would often take two of his friends on at once so not only would he get better, but they get experience in tag-teaming a foe. Sometimes he would take three, and on rare occasions, all four. He never won when it was four against one, and rarely when it was three on one.

However, today, as they were sparring, Harry had a prickling sensation on the back of his neck. He stiffened and held up his hand, calling a halt to the spar. "Someone's watching us."

"How can you tell?" Theo asked.

"You know how you just know someone's staring at you? It's like that, I can sense it."

Hermione suddenly giggled quietly. "Your spider-sense is tingling."

"What?" the other four said together.

"Never mind. It's a Muggle thing. Basically, in comics, there's a superhero that was bitten by a special spider that gave him the abilities of a spider, plus this sense that would alert him to all nearby danger."

"Ah," Harry said. "Then yes, my spider-sense is tingling. Let's get out of here."

They quickly transfigured their wooden weapons back into plain sticks, and hustled back inside, just in time for breakfast. Not long later, Dumbledore also came down, closely followed by Snape. Harry narrowed his eyes. This is odd. Dumbledore is never here this early for breakfast. That's why Professor Snape and the rest of us chose this time to eat. "Dumbledore's up early today," he commented in a lighthearted tone. "I wonder why?"

"Maybe he has to stop by the Ministry today?" Hermione suggested.

"Possible," Blaise agreed.

But Theo shook his head. "The Wizengamot doesn't meet until next month, and we'd all know if there was an emergency session."

Harry, being the paranoid man he was, was instantly suspicious. Was Dumbledore the one who was watching us earlier?

:Possible. Likely, even. But not certain,: Quetz answered. :Be cautious, Harry. If Dumbledore suspects that you've gotten around his Memory Charm a second time, he will stop at nothing to keep you from spilling what you know.:

Harry glanced at Theo, whose eyes held a slightly glazed over look. Recognizing it, Harry knew that Theo was talking to Cerberus, who undoubtedly was telling Theo much the same thing Quetz had told him. Locking eyes with Hermione across the table, Harry used Legilimency to enter the very topmost level of her mind, and projected a message to her. :Hermione, change of plans. We're not visiting Terra until Dumbles is no longer suspicious. All weapons practice is also canceled for the time being. Pass it on to Daphne, I've got Blaise:

Hermione shoved a thought at him, which Harry read. :Understood, Harry.:

Harry repeated the process with Blaise, who merely nodded subtly. Thankfully, the process took only a couple of seconds.

Up at the Headmaster's table, Dumbledore's suspicions were rising. He was watching Potter, and his gaze seemed sharp, too sharp. Could he be using Legilimency? I must know! He frowned. "Severus?"

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"Arrange for Mr. Potter to have an accident in Potions today, and bring him to my office afterwards."

"Yes, sir."

Snape glared at Harry as he often did, but when Harry met his eyes this time, Harry was surprised by a message. :Potter, Dumbledore wishes to see you in his office after Potions today.:

:Alone or no?:

:Alone.:

:Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to be good?:

:Because you are fairly intelligent.:

Harry had schooled his face to look impassive, but internally he was in full-blown panic mode. Quickly finishing his meal, Harry casually said, "Hey guys, I've got something I've got to show you." Thankfully his friends got the hint. Leaving the Great Hall and quickly arriving at their training room, Harry took a deep breath. "We're in deep shit. Dumbledore wants me in his office, alone, after Potions today. Snape told me via Legilimency."

There was a shocked silence. "Well, obviously we can't leave you alone," Hermione stated firmly, receiving nods from everyone else. "Dumbledore can't do anything if there are witnesses who could escape."

"True, but what's keeping him from kicking us out of his office?" Theo pointed out seriously. "He's the Headmaster, and as a result what he says goes amongst the teachers. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't out-duel them all!"

"In addition, if we were to insist, we would confirm Dumbledore's suspicions," Blaise asserted. "We must do what we can, but ultimately it will be down to Harry."

Daphne's eyes narrowed. "Harry's powerful, but he's no match for Dumbledore right now, not without his Terran spells."

Harry nodded. "I'll bring them out if I must, but they're my absolute last resort. Even then, I'm not sure I'd win against Dumbledore."

"Perhaps we're going about this the wrong way," Theo said thoughtfully. "If we can keep Dumbledore occupied with something else, then maybe he'll forget about this for a while."

"The most we could hope for would be a delay," Daphne retorted. "And delays would just slowly confirm anything Dumbledore suspects."

"Not if it's something absolutely monumental," Hermione argued with a sly grin. "Shall we say, Fred and George meet the Marauders size prank?"

Everyone stared at her, slowly grinning. This was the first time Hermione had been the one to suggest a prank. Before, she merely helped with figuring out the finer points and being the alibi. Harry reached into his pack and pulled out the Marauder's Map. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

The map quickly formed, while at the top writing appeared. Mssrs. Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail greet you, Mr. Bolt. What can we do for you?

"We're in a bit of a pickle, guys. We need a huge prank, something big enough to completely derail Dumbledore and put him out of commission for a while," Harry explained.

Mr. Prongs would like to ask why such a prank is needed.

"Dumbledore, at the very least, suspects that I'm no longer under his influence and would like to remedy that," Harry said blandly.

Mr. Moony is sorry to say that there is no prank they know that Dumbledore could not counteract. His power and knowledge of magic is just too great.

"There goes that idea," Harry said in disappointment. "I just keep getting the feeling that I'm missing something. Something important."

"Have you forgotten your Animagus form?" came the whisper from Harry's arm. Seth poked his head out of his tattoo state.

Harry slowly began to grin wickedly as a plan began forming in his head.

In Potions class, Harry was working diligently, seeming to focus entirely on his potion. However, all was not as it seemed. Snape was having a Legilimency conversation with Harry. After the mental connection was made, they no longer needed eye contact to maintain it, allowing them both to keep up appearances.

:What are you going to do, Potter? Potions class is nearly over, and directly afterwards I am to escort you to the Headmaster.:

:You'll see, Professor,: Harry replied, his projected thought just oozing with smugness. The tone was so reminiscent of James Potter right before an impressive prank that Snape almost suffered a flashback.

:Why do I get the feeling that Dumbledore's going to come out of this tearing his beard off?: Snape thought to himself, unwittingly projecting it.

Harry couldn't hide a smirk on his face as he stirred his potion. Soon enough, class was over, and everyone turned in their potions. Hermione's and Harry's were perfect, as usual, with Draco's close behind. Blaise's was on par with Draco's, while Theo and Daphne were struggling a bit, but managed to do a passable job.

"Come with me, Potter," Snape said coolly. :What is your plan, Potter? I must know so I may assist if you require.:

"Yes, Professor." :I require no assistance, but thanks for the offer. Everything's already planned out.: Harry shared a look with his friends, and they all smirked.

Again, Snape was reminded of the Marauders. He smirked as well. Dumbledore's in for it. Oh, I am going to ENJOY this. He silently led Harry to the stone gargoyle that guarded the passage to the Headmaster's Office. "Blood Pop." The gargoyle leapt out of the way, and Harry took the time to prepare himself.

Junctions?

:Done.:

"Seth, are you sure you're going to be fine?"

"I am quite sure. In fact, I'm looking forward to watching!"

Snape was about to knock, when Dumbledore's voice suddenly said, "Come in, Severus, Harry."

"Headmaster," Snape greeted.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry acknowledged.

"Ah, Harry. How have you been?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling gently.

Harry shrugged. "I've been doing well. Been struggling a bit lately with Astronomy, but I've got my friends to help with that. How're things going with you, Professor?"

"Alas, as always, paperwork is the bane of my existence," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, indicating a pile on the left side of the desk. "Lemon drop?" he offered.

"No, thank you," Harry declined politely. He could feel Dumbledore's subtle Legilimency probing him, but the false memories he had created seemed to be satisfying him.

"I noticed early this morning that you and your friends were outside, with what looked like weapons," Dumbledore began. "Now, as we do not allow fighting in our school, I must ask what you were doing."

"Practicing our Transfiguration, Professor," Harry explained. "We were practicing shaping the wood we found into various things, with more and more detail. After all, with more concentration we can make our Transfiguration even better, right?"

Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "And I suppose you went outside to use wood that wouldn't be noticed or needed by the school?" Harry nodded. "I've also noticed that you and your friends are more physically fit than the rest of the school."

"We do early morning workouts, sir. Hermione and I come from Muggle families, and we know that physically fit people live much longer than others. Plus, it comes in handy for Quidditch practice," Harry added.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. Perhaps all is well… everything in his thoughts seem to corroborate what he tells me… but still, I must know for certain! "I am glad to hear it, Harry. Now, as you may recall, Voldemort's spirit possessed you last year, and I would like to enter your mind to verify that all of his influence is indeed gone. Aside from your Parselmouth abilities, of course."

Harry had expected something to that extent, and plastered a worried expression on his face, injecting panicked thoughts into his deception. "Could he be turning me into something I'm not?!" he asked with an extremely concerned tone.

"Most likely not, but it's always better to be safe than sorry," Dumbledore replied smoothly. "Now, in order for me to get the best result, I need you to completely relax and open your mind to me."

"Alright, Professor." Harry visibly relaxed, though he kept his hold on his inner Occlumency barriers tight.

"Stay calm and relaxed, Harry, this won't hurt a bit." Legilimens!

Harry felt Dumbledore ease past his "natural" outer walls, and enter the persona he had created to hide his true barriers. He used his Occlumency training to clamp down on his emotions, though he did let some worry seep into the outer persona.

Knowing that he couldn't inspect every single memory, Dumbledore did examine Harry's mind carefully, searching for any trace of Voldemort's influence, and for a single clue that might incriminate Harry. It seems my Memory Charm is holding up well. And there does not appear to be any influence from Tom Riddle, either. Something's missing, however… Dumbledore frowned, trying to think of just what the nagging feeling was trying to tell him. While he was figuring it out, he paused and gazed thoughtfully at Harry's worried face. His green eyes were full of worry, and yet something else. Trust? Dumbledore guessed. It is good that he trusts me, after all, he needs me in order to combat Tom Riddle. I wonder if Riddle has figured out the scar connection yet… wait! That's it, the scar link! It's missing from Harry's mind!

Dumbledore was certain that the scar link should have some sort of representation in Harry's mind. After all, Harry was a Parselmouth, which was not only a magical talent, but one that took its roots in the speech center in the mind. On top of that, Harry had confessed to seeing Voldemort meet Peter Pettigrew in the woods, which merely confirmed the fact that their minds were connected.

Harry felt Dumbledore dive back into his mind with fervor, seeming to look for something. It was rather uncomfortable, but then, Harry felt Dumbledore slam against his internal shields. Eyes widening, Harry gave up the pretense and focused purely on his internal shields. Get OUT! With an almighty shove, Harry pushed Dumbledore out of his mind. Dumbledore was slammed back into his own head, but to his credit, he immediately recovered and drew his wand, standing up. Harry did the same.

When Dumbledore spoke, his voice was no longer calm and pleasant, but cold and hard. His eyes no longer twinkled, and his face was stony. Even his beard appeared stiff. "How did you get around my Memory Charm again?" he demanded.

Harry's face settled similarly to Dumbledore's, emotionless and hard, as his wand appeared in his left hand. "How could you tell that the persona you were going through was fake?" he returned.

"Your scar link was missing,"

Harry could have kicked himself. He had missed something so obvious! But he could berate himself later; he needed to focus on the present. "I see. Then to answer your question, I played on your arrogance and made you think you had deleted my memories, when in truth you had only deleted a copy of my memories. I still had everything behind my core Occlumency. It was so easy to play you."

"Clever," Dumbledore complimented, refusing to rise to the bait. "Now, Potter, surrender yourself to me, and become my instrument to power!"

Harry smirked. "Um, let me think. No! And guess what? You just gave me more than enough evidence to put you in Azkaban!"

"Not if I erase your memories first," Dumbledore countered grimly. He sent a silent stunner towards Harry, who ducked with inhuman speed and rolled backwards, bringing his wand to bear with a growing smirk.

If a wand is an amplifier for magic, let's see what it does to Terran spells! Fire! A larger-than-normal fireball erupted from his wand, aimed directly at Dumbledore, who countered with a silent water spell from his wand.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. He knows silent spells already? I must be more careful. Expelliarmus!

"Protego!" Harry cried out, and the Disarming Charm bounced off at an odd angle, striking right between two portraits of the Headmasters, who were all looking on, cheering on one side or the other. Harry had learned the Shield Charm under Flitwick's supervision, and was very glad he had mastered it now. Note to self: thank Flitwick at next opportunity. Now then, let's try to cool him down a bit. Blizzard! Thunder!

Seeing as how Harry was casting silently, with no wand movements as the spell was already formed, his wand produced a small snowstorm that tried to coalesce and freeze Dumbledore, but the wily Headmaster overpowered a Heating Charm on his clothes, which caused the Blizzard to melt before it could affect him. However, Dumbledore was NOT prepared for the lightning bolt that shot out of Harry's wand next. He almost didn't manage it in time, but Dumbledore transfigured one of the many papers on his desk into a hovering stone wall in front of him, which caught the lightning just in time. The stone wall exploded outwards towards Dumbledore, but the delay was just long enough for him to throw up a shield that deflected the stones around him.

Harry grinned tightly; Dumbledore was on the defense. Quickly running through his mental list of Beginner Terran spells – after all, those were the only ones he could cast without negative effects on his wizarding development – Harry contemplated his options. Silence wouldn't have much of an effect, as he can cast nonverbally. Let's see if I can Blind him! Dodging out of way of an unknown spell, Harry quickly cast another Fire, followed quickly by Blind.

But Dumbledore was too cunning to be caught in such a combination. Instead of putting out the fire as he did last time, he transfigured the stone beneath him to form a dome of stone. The fire burnt out on the stone, merely heating it up somewhat, and the Blind crashed on it without effect.

Dumbledore smirked behind his dome of stone before silently banishing the individual stones at Harry, who was forced into some creative acrobatics to dodge the high-speed projectiles. He fell to his knees with a cry when one caught him in the shin, breaking the bone in two. Thinking the battle over, Dumbledore lowered his wand.

Bad move, Headmaster. Cure! He waited for Dumbledore to get closer, and then tripped Dumbledore in a spin move, finishing on his feet. His wand was aimed directly at Dumbledore's heart.

Dumbledore was not known as the most powerful wizard in the world for nothing, however, and with a blast of pure magic, blew Harry backwards into the stone wall behind him. In shock and pain, Harry's grip on his wand loosened, and Dumbledore quickly Summoned it. "Give up, Potter."

"I'm not through yet!" An instant later, Harry's gunblade materialized in his hand. Once again surprised by Harry's move, Dumbledore found himself with the blade at his throat. "I'll be taking my wand back, thank you," Harry said pleasantly as his free hand plucked his wand out of Dumbledore's grasp. Then, with a vindictive smirk, Harry also grabbed Dumbledore's wand.

What is he waiting for? He could have killed me before now! That gave Dumbledore an idea. His bright blue eyes bored into Harry's as he spoke. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Yes, I do," Harry replied coolly, feeling Dumbledore in his mind and calmly keeping him at bay. "You keep trying to brainwash me."

"I promise you, it would not be as bad as you think. You would be happy with your friends, and not have to deal with everything alone."

"You seem to think I'm still a child," Harry stated. "I've been making life and death decisions for several years now."

"Ah, but you've been alone the entire time, haven't you?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry froze, but then his eyes hardened. "I had my snake, and my other friend, everywhere I went."

"You know what I mean, Harry. You haven't had someone love you, someone that you could hold and share yourself with," Dumbledore continued, knowing he had hit a sensitive spot. "I can see it, you know. You're very lonely. Just give me my wand back, and I promise you, you'll have someone."

Harry was torn with indecision. His freedom, for someone he could love in the romantic sense. I wouldn't have to worry anymore… I've already finished the permanent portal in the Chamber, so the worlds won't merge… Dumbledore'll probably train me to face Voldemort…

:Harry, what are you doing?! This isn't you! Wake up!:

Harry shook his head, feeling as if he'd just woken up from a dream. What happened?

:Dumbledore was somehow manipulating your emotions, which pushed your thoughts towards following him.:

Crafty old bastard. Any idea how he did it? I mean, my emotions are behind my Occlumency barriers!

:My best guess is that he hitched a ride on the adrenaline rush to your brain to partially bypass your shields.:

Dumbledore frowned, sensing that his partial connection to Harry had broken. Harry's face returned to the coldness of steel. "I should kill you now. But I won't. You're still useful for your reputation, and I fully plan on exposing you when the time is right." With that, Harry snapped Dumbledore's wand and leapt out of the window, which had broken in one of the many rounds of spell fire. Landing nimbly on his feet, Harry ran into the Forbidden Forest.

Dumbledore straightened his robes. "Fawkes!" he called. A moment later, he was rather confused. The Phoenix should have flamed in at his call. Come to think of it, he should have appeared in the battle to help me out. This can only mean one thing… just then, he felt something deep within him break; it was his bond to Fawkes, his Phoenix Companion.

His scream of rage echoed into the Forbidden Forest, where Harry chuckled. It's all going according to plan. Transforming into Bolt, Harry flew towards a clearing where he knew Fawkes was waiting. "Hello, Fawkes."

"Good day, Youngling," Fawkes greeted. "I suppose it is time, then?"

Bolt's head nodded. "I am sorry about Dumbledore."

"It is not your fault," Fawkes said sadly. "I will stay here until you have learned all I can teach you."

"Thank you. Right now, though, I have to proceed with the plan."

Fawkes laughed. "I can just imagine Albus's reaction. Have fun, but remember to come back whenever you can!"

"Will do." With that, Bolt spread his wings and took off once more, this time returning to Hogwarts castle. It was almost time for dinner, which was perfect for the plan. Swooping down and inside where owls would normally enter, Bolt landed just outside of sight, near the shadows, waiting for everyone to come down.

Knowing that he had to mask his appearance – it was likely that someone would connect the dots between black feathers, green eyes and a lightning scar and Harry Potter – Bolt reached into his Metamorphmagus powers. They were slow to work, being an unfamiliar body, but after several seconds, his eyes were an electric blue. After more concentration, Bolt realized he couldn't remove his lightning-scar representation in his feathers. In a burst of genius, however, he had the idea of turning more of his feathers into that same shade of purple, essentially hiding the lightning scar within another pattern. To keep it simple, as the lightning scar feathers were on top of his head, Bolt added enough feathers to make it seem like a slightly elongated X. Then he settled down to wait for dinner.

After twenty minutes of patient waiting, it was time. Bolt almost lazily spread his wings and glided over to the staff table, and landed in front of one of the professors. The entire school fell silent in shock. Each of the professors had a different reaction.

Dumbledore was absolutely gobsmacked; not only had his Phoenix bond broken not even an hour previous, but someone he had not expected at all had just received a Phoenix. Not only that, but a Storm Phoenix, which was even rarer!

McGonagall was shocked into silence. Never in a million years would she have ever thought it possible, but unless someone quite powerful was making an illusion like this, her eyes were telling the truth.

Flitwick fell off his chair and stared at Bolt uncomprehendingly. He had heard about Storm Phoenixes, but never seen one before, and had never expected to see one before he died.

Hagrid looked like his birthday had come early, and he wasn't even the one who had received the gift of the Phoenix bond.

Sinistra was wearing a disbelieving grin. As the Astronomy teacher, her classes were often held up by stormy weather. With a Storm Phoenix around, she thought excitedly, we might be able to control the weather!

Vector was glancing between Bolt and Dumbledore, wondering why Dumbledore looked so shell-shocked. Trelawney was upstairs in her tower as usual, and Binns didn't come to dinners, being a ghost.

But it was Snape that uttered the feelings of everyone in the hall succinctly. Staring at the Storm Phoenix right in front him, he quite incredulously asked, "What the fuck?!"

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Ha! How was THAT?! Fawkes leaves Dumbledore, Snape gets Bolt, and Harry kicks Dumbledore's ass. I've been wanting to do that for WEEKS. Be mindful, though, Dumbledore is still more powerful than Harry, he was merely caught off guard by Harry's gunblade and superspeed. The same trick won't work twice.

Anyway, sorry, but I can't promise the normal update by Thursday. I've got my finals week now, and I have last-minute assignments, and my writing has hit a slow point. I will promise to update as soon as it's done. Sorry.

Read and Review!