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Stars
Chapter 6: The Pendulum Clock
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Summary: What if Harry wasn't taken in by Petunia? What if, instead, he was taken in by another wizard who moved into number four after Petunia forced her family to move to avoid taking in the freak? Neutral!Harry
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own character.
A/N: A guest asked what the significance of the Southern Cross is in my third chapter.
I want to say more, but I feel like I would be giving a good part of what's coming to come. So I'll say this: The Southern Cross is the contrast of The Northern Cross. "The Northern Cross" is part of a bigger constellation.
Also, I'm sorry to say I don't speak Spanish. Sorry to the one reviewer! But thank you for the kind words (according to what Google translate told me).
And this is to the one moron who commented that my chapter one wasn't on Harry. I laugh in your face. The first chapter in Goblet of Fire wasn't devoted to Harry. Or the first chapter of Sorcerer's Stone and the first chapter of Deathly Hallows. Or the first two chapters in Half Blood Prince. The first chapter is supposed to set up background which is exactly what I was doing. So boo-hoo to you, go read someone else's fanfiction.
Thanks to Cauchy for the feedback. I'll try to live up to your expectations.
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The club impacted the wards solidly but then there was a flash of light and a roar of pain from the troll. Harry opened his eyes, wincing a little as he held the trunk with shaky hands. He really needed to meditate after this, but at least the troll hadn't smashed Draco's head in like it was jelly.
Harry held fast as the troll gave furious grunts and roars, smashing the surrounding stone, but unable to break the wards that were shimmering in place. Harry turned to the stunned students.
"DO SOMETHING!" he screamed desperately.
"Wh…what?!" Draco squeaked, his voice unusually high.
"ANYTHING!" Harry said, flinching as the blow from the troll shook the barrier. The barrier held, but Harry wasn't sure how much longer he could hold it off.
The Slytherins were too shocked or terrified to move. Harry looked at them and turned back to the troll just in time for the troll's club to impact the barrier again. Harry felt something inside him shatter and he was thrown back violently, his head smacking into the stone walls hard. Black spots danced in his vision and Harry felt something wet trickle down his face as he collapsed. He could hear Draco's scream, but couldn't really tell where it was coming from.
The troll gave a satisfied roar looking ready to attack again, but at that moment, the teachers ran in. Harry could dimly hear McGonagall's voice before he passed out.
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Draco looked stunned at his ex-friend as he was thrown back by the troll's attack. There was an audible crack and Draco looked on in horror as Harry passed out, blood pouring out of his head and staining the deep green carpet. Draco could almost imagine the brain matter peeking through his friend's head.
He couldn't help it. He screamed. Loudly. He rushed over to his friend's side, glancing at the unscathed trunk, before trying to wake him.
"Harry! Harry!" Draco could feel tears come to his eyes, partly from anger at the teachers for taking so long, and partly from his own useless terror when his friend had tried to defend him from the troll. Harry had asked for help and Draco had just froze up.
Theo and Blaise both ran to Harry too, trying to roll him over. Harry had blood staining his face and his eyes were closed, obviously unconscious.
Draco stormed to the door in tears, looking at the Professors. They had driven the troll away, but several Professors, including Snape, had ended up staying to try and calm the students.
"PROFESSOR SNAPE! HELP!" Draco bellowed, tears leaking out against his will. Draco knew it was irrational to cry, but he couldn't help it. If only he was faster… If only he was stronger… if only…
Snape jerked up and transfigured a broken table in the common room into a ladder. He climbed up the ladder and stalked in the dorms.
"What is it, Draco?" Snape asked, his voice calm, despite the chaos.
"Harry… He…!" Draco choked up. Most of the older students had pushed their way next to Harry so they could try to stifle the bleeding, but they needed a healer, fast. Snape was unable to see Harry because of them.
"Hurry, Professor!" the Head Boy said, his face ashen, but his wand out. He ushered the other students aside so Snape could get a clear view.
Snape took one look at the child and his blood ran cold. He noted the amount of blood surrounding the boy's body and the very obvious head wound that the students were still trying to clog. He rushed over and picked the boy up, not even bothering with the ladder and jumping down to the common room and flooing to the Hospital Wing.
It was bad.
Snape almost collapsed when Poppy said that Harry had lost severe amounts of blood, suffered a concussion, and had broken three ribs, his skull, and four vertebrae in that single impact.
After collecting the potions that Poppy needed to put the boy back together, Snape exited the Hospital Wing to see Dumbledore with the other teachers, waiting. He rubbed his head with his fingers, not really wanting to discuss this.
"How is he, Severus?" Minerva asked immediately, in tears.
"Bad. Poppy mentioned that the boy may be in a permanent coma," Snape said, shaking his head. "He suffered severe magical exhaustion. It was bad enough where his body preferred shutting everything down to keep his vital organs running."
"That is… unfortunate…" Dumbledore said, his eyes grave.
"I have to go to his guardian," Snape said, shaking his head. "And inform him. He may want to come and see him or take him home."
Dumbledore nodded and Flitwick whimpered a little.
"Poor child. Doing such a heroic thing and…" Flitwick sniffed, shaking his head.
"He should have waited until the Professors arrived!" Snape said, his temper flaring.
"He tried…" Dumbledore said. "According to his dorm mates, he stayed in the room, but the troll broke through and would have killed all of the students had Harry not leapt forward to defend his house."
There was a silence and Snape let out a sigh. Minerva stepped forward.
"I'll come with you," she said, looking at Snape in the eye.
"As will I," Dumbledore said, his head bowed a little. He could have never guessed this would happen.
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When Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall arrived at Privet Drive, they noticed that Rowan had the blinds open. They could see tea on the table and cookies. Rowan glanced up, noticed them, and then opened the door wordlessly. McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore filed in silently.
"So… I felt my son's distress. Care to tell me what happened?" Rowan asked, without as much as a hello. He gestured to the seats laid out around the table and folded his hands together. "It woke me up." He glanced at the clock on the wall which said that it was two in the morning.
It took an hour for them to retell the story. Rowan, to Snape's surprise, was completely silent the whole time, though his eyes were blazing by the end of it. Snape felt a sense of respect for the man who, despite everything, heard them out before demanding things.
"So…" Rowan said calmly. "A troll entered the castle, and Albus irresponsibly…" He glared at the old man, Albus meeting his eyes, sadly. "Sent my son back to the dungeons where his common room is, despite the danger that the troll could get in."
"The common rooms are warded heavily, you see," Snape defended, bristling a little. "No troll should have been able to break in!"
"When were those wards last checked?" Rowan asked, turning his dark glare on Snape. Snape resisted the urge to flinch and bowed his head. Rowan sneered. "I thought so. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that someone had let the troll in and it did significant damage to my son and probably traumatized hundreds of others."
"I understand you're upset," Minerva tried, "But how can you assume that someone let the troll in? Our staff would never-"
"Spare me," Rowan hissed at her. "A thousand year old castle that holds children would have wards against a troll. The goblins at Gringotts told me that Hogwarts is very well protected, as it is a school. An insider helped, no doubt about that." He wordlessly poured tea for them and served it. "There is an insider traitor. Find them." He stood up and closed his eyes, walking to the window. The street was deserted at this hour, but Rowan didn't seem to be looking at that. "All of you are just lucky that my wards were able to hold against a troll's repeated attack. I want to see my son."
Snape looked like he was going to say something nasty, but McGonagall elbowed him. Snape shut his mouth and Dumbledore nodded understandingly.
"I understand," he said gravely. "Harry seems to have suffered severe magical exhaustion and may be in a permanent coma."
"He won't be," Rowan said, seemingly confident about that. "I expect the walls of the Slytherin Dorms to be cushioned. I also expect a full investigation on this matter." He glared at Dumbledore, but the old man was unfazed. "Albus, have I made myself clear?"
"Quite," Dumbledore said, dipping his head. Rowan nodded and looked at the three.
"Now, how would I get to Hogwarts?"
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The Slytherin students were, understandably, still very shaken with the whole ordeal. Draco tossed and turned the whole night, but it seemed like every time he closed his eyes, the image of the bloodied Potter flashed before his eyes. He sat up eventually in the early morning hours.
Draco climbed down the ladder that Snape had transfigured, looking at the ruined common room. Thanks to Harry, the dorms were largely untouched, but the common room would definitely need to be repaired. To his surprise, Draco noticed that he was not the only person awake. A lot of the boys in the dorm were impatiently waiting, glancing at the clock from time to time, until breakfast.
Draco wouldn't have been surprised if school was canceled today, though there was no official notice. Still, when the clock chimed seven, the students started to file out. To Draco's surprise, they split into two groups. About half of the students went to the Great Hall, while most of the younger students in first and second year walked towards the Hospital Wing.
Draco followed the younger group of students, wondering about Potter's injury. He wondered if this constituted a life debt, as Potter had clearly saved all of them from being squished when he would have been perfectly fine under his wards. But right now, Potter would have to be alive for him to fulfil it.
To Draco's surprise, there was someone in the Hospital Wing that was clearly not a healer, or a teacher. The man had long white hair that was tied up in a ponytail and was wearing muggle clothes. The man turned around at the sound of many students piling in the room and Draco recognized him as the Ward Master, Rowan.
Rowan blinked slowly at the group. Draco noted the slightly red eyes that the older man had, probably due to the lack of sleep, and then Rowan pulled the curtain aside.
Harry was bandaged up, the potions working their magic, his face no longer pained or as pale. The blood was cleaned up and the bandages were white.
"How… How is he?" Theodore asked softly, his voice very quiet. Rowan looked at him calmly, his dark eyes glinting a little, a frown on his young face.
"He'll survive," Rowan said shortly. "He's in no shape to be doing anything for a while. I assume that you are part of the Slytherin House?" He glanced at the green tie and crest on Potter's body before nodding to the students.
"Yes… um… We wanted to… just see if… he was alright," Blaise stammered, unsure what to say. "He did… save us after all."
"Mystery to me why he didn't leave you all to be flattened, but I suppose Harry has always been a bit stubborn on that regard," Rowan said, shrugging. "Perhaps if more people were hurt, the wards in Hogwarts would be updated more often."
Draco shared an uneasy look to Goyle and Crabbe but said nothing. Rowan turned back to Potter and placed a hand on Potter's head, a dim silvery light shining under his hand.
"His magic levels have recovered enough, but I'll be bringing him home," Rowan said, frowning at them. "Only time will tell when he will wake up." He looked back at the group. "Why are you here?"
"Harry saved us," Draco said, his voice shaking only slightly. Rowan glanced at him before nodding.
"He did, didn't he? I suppose you all are here to see to his wellbeing then?" Rowan asked, leaning back in his chair. "Or were you all planning on trying to hex him while he's unconscious?" He gave a meaningful glance to Draco and Draco wavered.
"It's… true that Harry wasn't really liked in Slytherin," Theodore said. "But after yesterday, I think we can say that he will be protected in our House."
Rowan studied him carefully, but then nodded. "I see… I hope then, that you would not tempt him by setting off the wards I placed repeatedly." He stood up and moved to the cabinet, picking up a bottle and then placing it on the bedside table. "If they do not cease their attacks, I will set up more dangerous wards to deter them. Warn your house, would you?"
Draco felt sweat break out on his skin as the older Rowan's dark eyes pierced though their eyes and seemed to peer into his very soul. Goosebumps exploded on his body, his eyes widening and he took a step back. He wasn't the only one though.
Theo jerked and backed away. Blaise inhaled sharply. Some people stumbled into walls and furniture. Rowan's eyes scanned over the entire crowd before a very chilly smile graced his lips.
"I look forward to the good news," he said softly, his voice cold. He turned back to Potter's bed and the curtain slid shut, covering both from view. Draco was so shocked that it took him several minutes to realize that Rowan had not pulled out a wand.
Pansy grabbed Draco's arm, but Draco shook her off. He looked back at the curtain, a little more than unnerved, but wanting to know more about the man. The man who could ward against people, hexes, and trolls… His father had been right; this man was truly an asset to the Dark Lord if they could befriend him.
But the question was how to get Rowan's attention. Rowan didn't seem interested in them. Draco considered trying to hex Potter, but that might set off the man and cause him to throw up wards that would stop them from getting any closer. He might even pull out some powerful forms of magic.
He would have to come back later.
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Draco snuck into the Hospital Wing in the later afternoon when classes were finished. The curtains were still closed, Potter still supposedly in bed with Rowan sitting next to him. Draco was a little hesitant in bringing attention to himself, as Rowan didn't seem happy at him or his house. Draco wondered if Potter had told Rowan about the animosity in their house.
The curtain opened and Rowan stepped out sipping a cup of tea. Potter was sitting up; apparently awake, though still very pale. Rowan paused at the sight of Draco and nodded to him, leaving through the doors and heading out.
"Something you need, Draco?" Harry asked, laying back, sighing deeply. Draco paused and then slowly sat down, looking a little nervous.
"Why did you act like a Gryffindor?" Draco asked.
"Pardon?" Harry replied, looking at Draco blankly.
"Running into trouble like that head on! Are you asking to get killed?! What if you HAD died?! Then who would I share a dorm with?!" Draco was rambling at this point, pointing a shaking finger at Harry. "And another thing! You would have been JUST FINE without needing to protect us! Why would you risk your life like that?! Have you gone mad?! You took that HUGE risk for us! Why are you so… so… Gryffindor?!"
Draco didn't understand. He was used to his father teaching him about hitting people when they were down. He was used to the underhanded tactics and secret planning that came with being associated with the Dark Lord. He was used to listening to his father, aspiring to be him, taking the Dark Mark with pride. Something like friends were only forged if something mutual could be obtained. Harry had nothing to gain from saving him… Unless it was the Life Debt that Draco now owed him.
A dark chill ran down Draco's spine. A Life Debt to Harry Potter. Most people would be thrilled, but Draco knew that nothing good would come out of it. He couldn't tell his father—His father would most likely shun him and lock him in the house so he couldn't pay that life debt back. Draco was bound by his magic to repay him… unless Harry had not intended to save him wholeheartedly.
"Did I truly not gain anything from that? Was risking my life not worth the life debt you owe me?" Harry asked, a smirk crossing his face.
"You… you…" Draco seemed lost for words, his face going pale. "My father is coming tonight. Don't you dare tell him about it! This is between you and me!"
"Now why would I tell him something like that?" Harry asked innocently. Draco's eyes narrowed.
"I'm serious, Potter! This is between you and me," Draco said seriously.
Harry sighed and nodded. "I know that much. Your father would hate it for you to be indebted to the Boy-Who-Lived, wouldn't he? My dad told me as much."
Draco relaxed a little. "Yeah… When did you wake up?"
Harry saw the deliberate change of topic and decided to follow along. "This afternoon. My dad mentioned that I had suffered a magical exhaustion and had entered into a coma. He supplied me with magic and I woke up." He looked at his hands and then back at Draco. "He was right about you though."
"What did he say about me?" Draco asked.
"He said…" Harry paused here, looking at Draco a little. "He said you would make a good business partner. I told him that you were my friend but… He said that you weren't friend material. I asked him why and… he told me that he had learned that your father doesn't make friends. Only allies and acquaintances. You wouldn't understand what being a friend was like."
Harry gave a hollow sort of laugh as he recalled his own response to that.
"What do you know about friends?! You never had any!"
Cygnus' face dropped in shock and his dark eyes widened. Harry remembered the surge of guilt that poured through him like a bucket of ice. He tried to take it back, but his mouth didn't want to cooperate at the moment.
"I…"
Cygnus didn't seem capable of speech so he simply stood up. It took him several tries, but then he responded. "I'll go repair the wards on your trunk."
Then Draco had entered and Cygnus had left. Harry was left feeling like he had said something terrible to the man who sacrificed every bit of his time to raise him.
"I…" And now it was Draco's turn to be lost for words. Harry shook his head.
"You don't have to respond to that. I know what you would say anyway," Harry said dismissively. "I knew my dad was right, I just had hoped he had been wrong." He looked at Draco and Draco flinched back from Harry.
"You…you're wrong!" Draco said finally, his mind trying to work the situation to his advantage. It wouldn't do for Harry to know just yet. Rowan was definitely a lot more perceptive than Draco had originally given him credit for.
"I thought he was… But he wasn't," Harry said.
"No! He is wrong! What makes you think he was right?" Draco demanded.
Harry sighed and leaned over, taking a sleep potion. He waved Draco out and said, "Perhaps I'll tell you later." Then he downed it and closed his eyes.
Draco was left feeling like he missed something very important.
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Cygnus looked at the wards and then at the children in the dorm. None of them dared to approach him as he had been fixing the wards, but now that he was finished, one of them walked towards him and extended a hand.
"Theodore Nott. Nice to meet you, Rowan," the boy said, frowning a little, but remaining still.
Cygnus looked the boy over, mentally taking note of his clothes and his posture. Then he extended his own hand and shook the boy's. "Cygnus Rowan."
"I heard that you were a Ward Master," Theodore said. He dropped his hand after Cygnus had let go before looking back at the wards. "The wards you put up are impressive."
"They are active wards. Have you warned your house? I will no longer put up with harassment towards my son and tampering with my wards," Cygnus said. "I care not for who they are or who their family is. If they tamper, they're dead."
"I have warned them," Theodore said, nodding. "I would like to ask you about your wards."
"I have a meeting with the Headmaster. I must go see him. Perhaps another time," Cygnus said, moving out of the dorm. Theodore looked at the wards on the trunk and gave a soft whistle.
"I'd like to see what he's done with the wards," Theodore said softly.
As it turned out, Theodore did get to see what Rowan had done with the wards. Only a minute after Rowan had left, Pansy Parkinson entered the boy's dorms and pointed her wand at the trunk.
"Alohomora!" She cried.
The trunk quivered and then exploded. Pansy was blasted back by the force of her own spell. Theodore snickered cruelly behind his hand, not at all feeling sorry for the girl. The trunk remained untouched.
Theodore knew that Flint and his gang wouldn't try cursing Harry when he slept anymore. Not after what they saw with the trunk and the troll. If a troll couldn't break through it, then there was no way that a student could.
Truthfully, Theodore was starting to respect the older Rowan. He was really quite clever. He had no doubt that if Cygnus Rowan was a Hogwarts student, he would be sorted into Slytherin.
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Harry woke up next in his own bed in number four Privet Drive. He sat up a little, but winced when he found his head pounding and his body not wanting to respond to moving a few inches. He felt a hand press against his shoulders and one against his head and let them push him back down.
"Rest. The potions you took will help in the healing process, but it will take some time before you're completely healed," Rowan's voice came. Harry tried to crack his eyes open, but Rowan placed a hand over his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Harry tried to say, but it came out more of an "mm mmph". Rowan gave a soft laugh and said "Sleep".
Harry couldn't quite understand the words that his dad said, but he felt something tip into his mouth and he knew no more.
Cygnus lowered the vile of pain reliever and looked at Harry, his brow furrowed. He was no expert on head injuries and the witch in the Hospital Wing couldn't very well leave school. It looked like he would have to ask his work buddies for a good healer.
An owl later and Cygnus suddenly had a goblin standing in the middle of his kitchen. He didn't recognize this goblin and the goblin didn't seem to recognize him either. Instead, it simply said, "I was asked by Griphook to come visit the young Mr. Potter-Rowan about his health."
"Ah, Griphook would be the Potter's account manager," Cygnus replied. "Thank you for coming all this way. Would you like something to drink? Mr. Potter-Rowan is currently resting, as he should be."
"Thank you," the goblin said. "But no thank you. I should come to do what I was asked to."
Cygnus didn't fuss as the goblin, simply nodding and leading the goblin up the stairs. Goblins were always like this. Punctual, stiff, and completely inflexible to other's whims. It suited the banking business, but anything outside of it was harder to work with.
It wasn't until the middle of December did Cygnus let Harry return back to school. Since Harry had been gone, Cygnus had brought his homework to him as well as the required reading schedule. On days that Harry felt better, Harry would study and write the essays. Cygnus would fly them to Hogwarts when Harry was done. On says that Harry felt terrible, Cygnus would forgo the work and force Harry to sleep most of the day.
Harry arrived to the falling snow and the smell of Christmas in the air. There was only a week left in school, so Harry had decided that he wanted to make sure he was ready for the new semester. Though there was physically nothing wrong with him by the first week of December, Harry was sure that his dad had kept him back just in case of any latent symptoms.
But thanks to that, Harry had practiced all sorts of spells. He had worked with Cygnus with magic control and warding as well. His headaches and slurred speech had cleared up fairly quickly.
Harry was confident in his ability to cast any spell within his grade level.
He shut his trunk and touched the wards on it carefully. When Cygnus had brought him back home, he had taken his trunk back as well. Now that Harry was back, he needed to reactivate the wards. It was a bit of a pain since he was going to be leaving in a week or so for the holidays, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Harry had enough of the trapping and flying hexes. And apparently, so had his dad.
Draco was quiet through Harry's unpacking, but cornered him in the Common Room.
"Back, are you?" Draco asked, his blue eyes serious.
"Yes. For a week or so," Harry answered.
"Someone signed you up to stay over the holidays," Draco said. "I don't know who."
"Draco, are you trying to actually befriend me? Why would it matter to you where I'm going? For the record, I don't think I'm staying," Harry said, surprised. "To befriend me after you got snapped at... Did you really throw your pride down the drain?"
Draco's mouth opened and closed. "Wh… what?! What are you talking about?"
Harry gave him a blank look and said, "What are you talking about?" Harry wondered if Draco forgot about all of their silent treatments through the months. Or perhaps he forgave him for snapping after he saved his life.
"You told me that I didn't know how to… how to be a friend," Draco snapped, his temper flaring.
"When was this?" Harry asked blankly, having no idea what Draco was referring to.
Draco's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Right after you woke up from the troll! Don't you remember?!" He wondered if this was some sort of nasty joke Harry had thought up of, but then Harry smiled sadly.
"I don't remember anything after that, Draco," Harry said honestly. "It's what head wounds will do to you. I was told I woke up and talked with you and dad, but I can't remember."
Draco's mouth resembled a goldfish. Then he puffed up and said, "Whatever. Let's go to lunch. Did you actually do studying while you were home resting? You're such a Ravenclaw!"
"I didn't want to be left behind," Harry responded defensively, frowning. "Besides, my dad wasn't about to let me lie around…"
"You could have gotten away with it," Draco said, scowling. "Mr. Head-Wound."
"Perhaps. But it wouldn't have been worth it in the end," Harry replied. "I still have to keep up with my training. So tell me what has happened since I left."
Draco went into full detail about what had occurred after Harry had left Hogwarts. Harry listened patiently, asking questions when needed and responding with his own stories about training.
"I've started working with brittle eggs," Harry said, nodding. "I'll have to ask my dad for some. He was still unsure whether he should take me back to Taiwan with my most recent injury. Apparently, it could be dangerous for me on an airplane."
"What in Merlin's pants is an air-o-plane?" Draco asked, frowning. "And why would it be dangerous? Why don't you take a portkey?!"
"Taiwan wards prevent magical travel, at least in most areas," Harry said simply. "I might just spend the holidays here in Hogwarts. Maybe I'll go home and my grandparents will come here to visit."
Draco's eyebrows raised. "You travel like a muggle?"
"Mm," Harry made a dismissive noise, not wanting to talk about the difference between muggles and magicals and debating who was better. "I need to practice with a wand. Apparently, the wards at my house makes wand magic very… unfriendly."
He winced a little, thinking about the large hole in their living room. Cygnus had finally let him go back to school so he could repair it. Harry wondered if Cygnus was going to use the repairing charm that he had read about.
Come to think of it, Harry noted that he had never seen Cygnus use a wand before. He wasn't even sure his dad had owned a wand. And anytime Harry was practicing spells in the house, Cygnus would leave the room. Harry wasn't sure what to think of it, so he simply remained silent. Maybe his dad just didn't like using wands.
Harry sighed a little as Draco dragged him out of the Common Room to lunch.
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A/N: Read and review guys! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!