DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion.

PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER: "Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them. A masterly retreat is in itself a victory." – Norman Vincent Peale

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STORY BUNNY NOTE: This story idea came about due to comments I had with The Mad Mad Reviewer after I reviewed his story in regard to his story Something Wicked This Way Comes (5501817) where he makes some very good points about Snape and McGonagall. This led to the fact that Harry is supposed to be a Christ like figure yet he is being asked to save people who turn on him at the drop of a hat or if he dares to deviate from the script given to him almost from Day One by Dumbledore after his parents are murdered. For those who have read my one-shot, A Different Path, many parts of this chapter will seem familiar to include the chapter title.

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CHAPTER ONE - A DIFFERENT PATH

HEADMASTER'S OFFICE, HOWARTS, SCOTLAND – MAY 2nd 1998 – EVENING

Harry couldn't believe it. After all this time, he had survived only to have to die at the proper time. He wished he could hate the Headmaster but he was too numb to care. Harry sat in Dumbledore's chair and was silent for a moment trying to process it all.

It was bad enough there were more death's on his conscience. Remus had come through with Teddy with the news that Tonks and Andromeda had been killed by a strike led by Bellatrix LeStrange herself. Remus had showed up in time only to take his son from his mortally wounded mother and escape. Even in the face of the werewolf's grief, Harry had been hard pressed not to want to shout at him that perhaps had he been there, his wife and mother-in-law might still be alive. Worse was how Remus had just dumped Teddy off to the first witch at hand (that being Luna) and stated he was going to avenge Tonks' death before tramping off to coordinate the defense of the castle.

Harry remembered the look he and Luna shared. It was obvious to both of them that Remus didn't expect or even desire to survive the coming battle.

What was worse was almost to a witch and wizard, those showing up to help were all just out of Hogwarts. The final battle against Voldemort was going to be mostly fought by students, teachers and to cap it off, Harry was expected to defeat Voldemort. Only now he knew that defeating Voldemort was never something Dumbledore had planned for Harry to accomplish.

Harry looked at the sleeping portraits, Dumbledore's in particular as well as the new portrait of Snape, and pondered the future. If he was to die just to allow someone else a shot at taking out Voldemort, how would he or she deal with the expectations of Magical Britain after the deed was done? Would they expect their Hero to go off and die for them against some future Dark Lord while the sat back and did nothing?

After all that had been done for him, Sirius had died simply trying to save his godson. It was obvious to Harry now that Sirius had, in a way, gone to his death gladly. How different from all the witches and wizards sitting on their arse today while their own children prepared to face off against the biggest threat since Grindelwald. All waiting for the Chosen One to pull a rabbit out of a hat (or maybe the Sword of Gryffindor again) and somehow defeat the Dark Lord.

Finally with a sigh he got up. There was only one thing to do, the only thing he could do. It seemed he never really had many choices in his life and now he knew why. Harry finally saw why Dumbledore was always so insistent he try to have a 'normal' life or let Harry get away with so much: he knew Harry's life was going to be a short one. Perhaps this was the way the Old Man dealt with the guilt of what he was doing for his previous Greater Good.

Harry gritted his teeth. Funny how the Greater Good seem to always be shouldered by the Tiny Few. Given all that had happened to him in the magical world, Harry had to wonder if they were worth it.

Of course he knew he had to try. His own saving-people-thing demanded it. Harry had to wonder if this was a innate Potter trait or was it something carefully nurtured so his own moral compass would point him towards his eventual date with death?

He left the Headmaster's office and right as he stepped off the rotating staircase it occurred to him he should put on his invisibility cloak. The last thing he wanted to deal with was seeing Ron or Hermione. Especially Hermione! He didn't want to burden them with any more guilt than he knew his martyrdom was going to cause. He threw the cloak over himself and opened the door…

…to find Luna Lovegood staring right at him as Teddy wriggled in her arms.

"You can take that off, Harry. I know it is you," she said in a soft but determined voice.

Harry paused while he tried to figure out how she knew to be waiting for him at this moment.

Luna frowned and reached out and pulled the invisibility cloak off him. She looked at it with wonder in her eyes, "To think I am actually holding one of the Deathly Hallows!"

Harry blinked at this before it hit him if Xenophilius knew about the Hallows then of course his daughter would as well. "Luna, I need that. I need to go…"

"…go to your death? Yes I know that is what you think you need to do. However you need another perspective on things. If there is one thing which the Headmaster never allowed you to do was actually think about things. Thus you simply reacted, just as he needed you to do. Come along with me." Luna said as she carefully used the cloak to further bundle Teddy's swaddling and started the staircase moving back up towards the Headmaster's office.

Harry could only stare as Luna was carried up the stairs. A part of him was still trying to come to grips with how she knew what he was going to do. Another part was noticing how pert her bum was in the Muggle jeans she was wearing. How had he never noticed this at Shell Cottage?

Harry hurried up after her only to find Luna humming to herself as she examined the silvery instruments Dumbledore must have repaired after Harry's explosion after Sirius' death. She gently bounced Teddy in her arms as if trying to rock him asleep.

"Luna, I…" Harry began.

"No, be silent Harry," Luna said in a surprisingly decisive voice. "I am not about to let the man I love march off to his death because of Dumbledore's insipid plan. You cannot be the hero you were destined to be if you follow the flawed path that Albus Dumbledore put you on. More to the point, just because Fate has marked you to fight Voldemort does not mean you have to do it on anything but your own terms."

Luna turned and blinked at Harry in the owlish fashion of hers, "Few of us in your orbit have had the luxury of being in our right minds and I think you should know more of what has been going on. Right now you need to think about what is best for you for a moment before you throw your life away."

Harry blinked at this in surprise. He gawped at her as again one half of his brain tried to figure out how she knew so much while the other spun around in circles over the fact she loved him.

Luna, mindful of Teddy, carefully leaned in and kissed him. "Yes, Harry I love you and I do believe if it was not for some so called 'help' from a well meaning Molly Weasley, you might have returned those feelings last year. I have loved you since my Fifth Year and we were on such a good path together until Yule last year when I think Molly must have upped the dosage."

Harry shook his head in confusion, "Dosage? What are you talking about Luna?"

Luna looked cross as if she had expected better of him but then her faced softened, "I am sorry Harry. I forget you have been molded to accept things and not be suspicious of anything which is not Slytherin. Albus Dumbledore kept his plans so close to himself that people like Mrs. Weasley never knew what fate he had planned for you. So she has been trying to help her two youngest in life. Did you never wonder where your feelings for Ginevra were coming from? Other than D.A. meetings and Quidditch this year, you hardly ever saw her. One would have thought if there was a witch in your life you might fall for that it would be Hermione."

"Well…I…" Harry's voice trailed off. He and Hermione did have a tight relationship. One he had often heard whispered was like two married people. Yet things had been strained a bit between the two. Ever since the summer of their Fifth Year starting when they were at Grimmauld Place.

Harry's eyes narrowed. At Grimmauld Place with the Weasleys. Now that he thought of it, Mrs. Weasley had often made little comments regarding Hermione and Ron as if to put a bug in his ear regarding her. Hadn't she also joked about 'helping' her relationship with Arthur out with potions?

Come to think of it, his feeling for Hermione had been stronger and stronger after Ron had left. In fact, when Harry thought about it, Hermione seemed to reciprocate and it was beginning to be like old times between them and he had barely given Ginny a thought until Ron came back.

Harry looked up to see Luna patiently waiting for him to sort things out, "How?" He finally asked.

Luna smiled, "Where is your watch, Harry?"

"My watch?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry, your watch. The one you got for your seventeenth birthday. The one given to you by Molly Weasley." Luna said patiently.

Harry unconsciously looked at his left wrist. "It was smashed in the fight when we were ambushed in London after the wedding. I left it at Grimmauld Place. I never got around to asking if Kreacher could fix it."

Luna smiled, "And a good thing that you did. I am almost positive it had a charm on it to help the feelings you had for Ginevra strong even though you were no longer being dosed with Mrs. Weasley's potions. The same could be said for the necklace she gave Hermione before the wedding."

Harry remembered how touched Hermione had been when she had been given the necklace to wear with her wedding clothes. Yaxley had ripped it off in his attempt to keep a hold of Hermione in their flight from the Ministry.

"So…with these items gone, we started to get back to normal?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded, "Until Ronald returned. I am sure he has something on him which makes him attractive to Hermione. Even though the effects are weakening, she has been under the potion and compulsion for a long time. It will take a while to fully disappear without spell work to hasten the process."

Harry's eyes grew wide, "That kiss…"

"…was her going back to being under the Weasley spell. Hermione has never struck me as the type of a witch who would develop such a strong, romantic relationship in school. In fact from comments she made during D.A. meetings, it was her intent to not even thing of getting serious until her Uni years," Luna replied.

Harry thought about this before nodding, "Given how many heads she turned after the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum, I know she had offers and she turned them all down throughout our Fifth Year."

Luna nodded in return, "And yet last year she not only fell for Ronald, a wizard who has constantly belittled her, but actually cheated to help him onto your Quidditch Team. These are not actions of the Hermione you know now is it?" Luna asked.

Harry shook his head, "No, you're right. So you're saying all through last year Molly was spiking those cakes and biscuits she was always sending us? Is this why I never thought about how odd Hermione was acting?"

Luna's face darkened, "In part, yes I think this is so. However I do know there were other charms at work. Charms put there by the Headmaster. I think he did not like how independent Hermione had become and the doubts she vocalized quite strongly after the fight at the Department of Mysteries. Prior to that she had been content to be the Headmaster's pawn."

"What are you talking about Luna?" Harry asked.

"I am saying that until the end of your 5th Year, Hermione has been reporting on you to the Headmaster. Oh she did not think of it as spying! After I happened to observe Hermione giving a quick report to the Headmaster during a late night prefect patrol, I asked her about it. She told me she was simply helping the Headmaster keep track of you because she was worried about you. Professor Dumbledore had convinced her, for the Greater Good, how you needed to be watched given how important you were."

Harry felt like his heart was caught in a vice, "I can't believe she was spying on me!"

Luna reached out and squeezed Harry's hand, "It bothered her from time to time. Did you really think she was given the Time Turner your 2nd Year simply so she could take more classes? It was a bribe or at least a favor which made her feel ingratiated towards the Headmaster. I am sure the Headmaster played upon her feelings for you to manipulate her into things. It was only after our fight together in the Ministry did she fully begin to question the Headmaster's motives."

"And that's when you think the Headmaster did some charms on her?" Harry asked.

A flitter of disgust washed over Luna's face, "Not just on her, Harry. I believe Ron, Ginevra, Neville probably had charms done on them. I know for a fact they were done on me."

Harry shot a quick look up at Dumbledore's sleeping portrait before looking back at Luan, "How do you know this?"

Luna shrugged although her face had gone pale, "Bellatrix LeStrange like to torment me and she never passed up an excuse to talk about the charms she found on my from the Headmaster. Some going back years and years. I expect if my father was still alive, I am betting he has had them on him as well. It might explain some of his odder behavior."

Harry frowned, "I don't understand."

Luna looked sad, "My father used to write quite often about some of the odder aspects of what happened towards the end of the war. He asked questions when no one else wanted to anything else but celebrate the end of the war. I believe after awhile the Headmaster felt he needed to silence my father's line of questions. I know my own charms made me spacey. If anything, my torment during my time at Malfoy Manor stripped those away from me. It feels like every minute my mind clears more and more."

Harry just stared at her. Only the slight snores coming from the portraits coupled with the occasional hiss from some of the silvery instruments broke the silence. Finally Harry shook his head, "He had this all planned out, didn't he? It's why he gave Ron the Deilluminator; he knew Ron would flake out but the Headmaster needed Ron in place."

Luna avoided Harry's eyes, "I believe much of your life has been one long line of lessons to put you on the path you were willing to walk to the end before I stopped you. You have been conditioned by your relatives to think everything is your fault. Every bit of family has been taken from you except the family, the Weasleys, that Dumbledore wanted you to have. You can depend on no one. If you think about it, from stories I have heard from Hermione, your own House Head has continually let you down. Why should you not go to your death? Dumbledore has made it so you have nothing and no one to live for while priming you to want to give others the future you feel unworthy of."

Luna finally looked back at Harry, "Given how both the Prewitts and Weasleys have been Purebloods for generations, I would wager Molly Weasley was made to potion Ronald and Hermione together on orders from Dumbledore." Luna looked at Harry with a look of sadness, "Regardless of her spying on you, Hermione felt she was doing right by you. If the fullness of the Headmaster's schemes were revealed to her, she would not let you go to your death as he planned. She would try to find another way which is why I believe she was made to fall for Ron."

Harry stood there and if he wasn't so stunned, he knew he'd be gaping at the lithe blonde. Her words seem to be breaking open doors in his memory to years of things which had bothered him yet he had always let slide. His resentment against McGonagall for never being there for him, the incessant carping from Snape, being thrown into the Weasley family again and again. Molly Weasley acting like she owned Grimmauld Place to the point of ordering Sirius around.

However every tie to the Potters had been severed or tainted like Remus. How even the magical world, which had seemed like a fairy tale at first, tasted like ashes in his mouth. Even while he agreed that Hermione had thought she was doing right by him, Harry still felt betrayed by the one friend he thought would never turn on him. Now he had to wonder how much of her steadfastness over the years was truly of her own volition.

Luna continued to rock Teddy, "You see Harry, your whole life has been shaped by the Headmaster to get you to walk into the forest to die at Voldemort's hand. All because one old, arrogant man never trusted anyone with what he knew. So no one could tell him his plan was stupid, reckless and pointless. So here we are. You have two choices, Harry. You can take refuse to walk the path the Headmaster has made for you since you were a child or you can walk out the door and into Death's arms at the hands of Voldemort."

Reality came crashing back down upon Harry. For a moment something like hope had flared in his heart. "Luna, as much as I don't like to find I've been manipulated my whole life, I can't change the fact that I have to die!"

"Of course you do, silly. We all die when it is our time," Luna said. "Even the Nargles cannot keep one from death."

Harry shook his head violently, "No you don't understand…"

Luna cut him off, "Oh I do understand. It has been clear to me since the end of my Third Year what is going on. You think you need to die because your scar is an unintentional horcrux. Is this why you think you need to die?"

"Yes! Voldemort can't die until…wait, how did you know about my scar?" Harry asked.

Luna rolled her eyes which irritated Harry who was in no mood to be lectured. "Harry it is not all Wrackspurts and Humdingers at home. Both my parents were Unspeakables before my father's accident and my mother's death. Because of this, I have access to all manner of ancient tomes used in their line of work. Even with the Headmaster's spells, I still am a Ravenclaw and so I deduced how Voldemort had staved off death after listening to your tale of how he was resurrected. Once I knew about his use of horcruxes, your mental link to him had to mean you had a piece of his soul in you."

"So you know why I have to die!" Harry said forcefully.

"No, Harry. While you will die someday, there is no reason for you to throw your life away now. Tell me Harry, do you seem to think Voldemort cannot be killed till all of his horcruxes are destroyed?"

"Of course! Dumbledore isn't about to make a mistake like that," Harry replied.

"So if you chopped off Voldemort's head, would he be dead?" Luna asked.

Harry shook his head, "He can't die till all his horcruxes are gone so I couldn't cut off his head."

Luna smiled triumphantly, "So you think his horcruxes prevent him from dying or being killed? However you are making the same mistake the Headmaster made. Even Hermione, brilliant as she is and having a Muggle perspective, has made this fundamental mistake. You all seem to think you cannot harm Voldemort till all his horcruxes have been destroyed! The truth is Voldemort's body is, while a sort of magical artifact, just like his old body. Hit him with the Knight Bus, drop a sixteen ton weight on him or shoot him in the head with a Muggle gun and the body will die. Yes, his soul would continue but the body would not. Tell me Harry, what happened to Voldemort when you destroyed Quirrel's body?"

"It…it…well his soul came out and flew through me trying to escape. So you're saying…" Harry stammered.

"I am saying that if you kill Voldemort's body, his soul will be free but it has been free before and in that form it is easier to deal with." Luna explained patiently.

"Right, 'a mere shadow of vapor' is what he said," Harry said as his brain tried to grapple with this.

Luna cocked her head to the side, "Anyone can destroy Voldemort's body and defeat him. Only you can truly vanquish him completely by ridding yourself of the horcrux."

Harry's shoulder's sagged. For a minute it looked like he had a reprieve. "So I still have to die then."

Luna tossed her head dismissively, "Maybe and then again maybe not. Perhaps the Dementor's kiss would suck out the soul fragment first and we could pull it off before it took your soul as well. Perhaps there are other magical rituals which could be used. We might even stop your heart and let you 'die' and then revive you with Muggle means. There are many instances of people being considered dead and still brought back. How long does your heart have to stop before the soul fragment detaches? Plus is the fragment in your head an actual horcrux? Voldemort did not create it via ritual. It may simply be a fragment blasted into you and nothing more. Are you willing to go to your death without attempting to see if Voldemort can be killed if you destroy all of the known horcruxes?"

Harry blinked at this. He hadn't thought about his scar in that way. Just because he might have a piece of Voldemort attached to him didn't mean it would act as an anchor like a real Horcrux might. Had Dumbledore ever tried to test this?

Luna kissed Harry, "Harry, my love, there may be ways to trap Voldemort's soul if his body can be killed. Then you can live a long life filled with children and love. Then, in the fullness of time, your death will vanquish Voldemort forever. Do not think the path the Headmaster created for you is the only path. Reject that path and choose life, choose hope, choose love."

"I…I…" Harry stammered. It was too much to take in.

"Harry, look me in the eyes and tell me that you could leave me right now and go to your death. Could you do that knowing what you know now? Luna asked. "More importantly, why are you trying so hard to save those who have done nothing to save themselves? Where are the parents? Where are those sick of Voldemort's reign? Why is it that students are preparing to become soldiers? Your death will do nothing but save those who will not save themselves."

Harry just stated at the pretty blonde as he vainly tried to think of a counter-argument but given his earlier thoughts on just that topic, he wasn't coming up with anything. He looked deep into Luna's cerulean eyes and saw only love reflected back at him. Luna was right; he had been prepared to continue to his grave along a path the Headmaster had laid out for him long ago. To do so now would be an insult to his parent's memories; the people who had died in order that he might live. To continue on Dumbledore's path might be safe and comforting given his death would bring him peace but that would be taking the easy path and not the right path.

No, he would not take the coward's way out. He was Gryffindor.

Harry kissed Luna. "You're right Luna. I can't just throw my life away knowing what I know now. Or you for that matter." Harry kissed the lithe blonde again with a bit more passion. After a bit of careful snogging so as to not wake Teddy, Harry finally got a hold of himself and broke their kiss.

"So now what? I'm hoping you have a plan. Without Hermione I'm sort of rubbish at things which are more involved than me flying by the seat of my pants." Harry said with a wry grin.

Luna face brightened like the dawn coming. "Well I do have a few ideas…"

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GREAT HALL, HOWARTS, SCOTLAND – MAY 2nd 1998 – EVENING

Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall directed Oliver Wood to take a mixed group of 6th and 7th Years to a higher vantage point so they could have a better field of fire if/when the Main Hall was breached. Hermione noted how grim all the students look even as they steadfastly moved into position.

Hermione nervously checked her watch again. Where was Harry? Luna had said she was certain she knew where he went and had gone to go fetch him. That had been almost a half an hour ago and Voldemort's deadline was fast approaching! She was about to set off in the direction Luna had taken when Harry's voice seemed to boom out from the ceiling.

"Hello? Is thing on? Yes? Right! Okay this is Harry Potter with some important information. First off I have no intention of going off to sacrifice myself to Voldemort…"

Hermione couldn't help but grin as the room responded to this in cheers.

"…however I'm not sticking around to fight either." Harry finished.

The cheers abruptly cut off as all around the room people began to look at each other as if to confirm they had just heard what Harry said.

"I know a lot of you are probably a bit confused right now. I understand that. The truth is I have found out my entire life has been a lie. A lie you all fell for because it was told to you by the late Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore. That lie was that I was the Boy-Who-Lived, the so-called Chosen One and I was going to save you all."

Hermione looked at Ron who had let out a strangled, "Bloody Hell!" but before she could admonish him on his language, Harry's booming voice continued. "The truth is a prophecy was made concerning the man born Tom Marvolo Riddle, the one who later styled himself the Dark Lord Voldemort. I may not be able to escape this prophecy but that doesn't mean I'm going to follow the path which has inadvertently trapped you all here with me. You see the Headmaster has this plan and it all lead to today. It was supposed to end with Voldemort killing me and then one of you killing Voldemort. I'm not going to tell you why this is so because I have come to realize that Dumbledore was probably wrong."

Hermione blinked at this. What had Harry learned from Snape's memories? All around her the hall was filled with intense whispering.

"So there are two reasons I've decided that I'm not going to play Dumbledore's reindeer games. The first is I'm not going to allow a battle to be fought involving a school filled with students and only a handful of adults. The second reason is simply because I don't feel most of your parents as well as a good chuck of you listening are worth saving especially the Weasleys."

As one the witches and wizards in the hall blinked in surprise. The only sound was that of Ron yelling, "What?!" For her part Hermione was struck dumb at Harry's words.

"Where are the rest of your parents? Why are you all here to fight and be killed by the Dark Lord alone? Where are those who have chafed under Voldemort's rule? Why are you being asked to overthrow the worst wizards since Grindelwald? Where are the adults to take you away to safety? All we have here is those who are preparing you for war while the rest of Magical Britain will wake to either a stunning victory over evil or a tragic massacre. Perhaps a bit of both. I will have no part in this. I am humbled the D.A. members came at our call but where are the adults?"

Hermione found herself looking at Professor McGonagall who looked as if she had swallowed all of Dumbledore's lemon drops. Around her students seem to realize how few adult there were.

"You've been told that only in-bound floo travel is possible, yet why are not the teachers creating escape portkeys? With Snape dead at the hands of Voldemort, she has control of the wards now. All of you could be heading off to safety. Given there is still time before Voldemort's deadline ends, I would hope you all avail yourself to this option. Don't be here when Voldemort shows up."

Suddenly Hermione wasn't the only one looking at McGonagall. Gone was the pinched look on the elderly witches face. Now there was something akin to panic as dozens of students looked at her with betrayed looks.

"Given how often Professors like Deputy Headmistress McGonagall have let me down during my time at Hogwarts, I know exactly how many of you are feeling. Trust me, the Headmaster manipulated me and you even more. Someday, fate willing, the truth will be told. Till then, I advise those of you half-bloods and Muggleborns to leave Britain like I am. You owe this land nothing but contempt given that is all we've ever got in return. For my part, I'm leaving England to plan for a day when I will confront Voldemort on my own terms, terms which will not involve school children being asked to die like soldiers. I'm not sure when that will be so don't hold your breath on Voldemort being cast down any time soon."

The hall erupted in a cacophony of voices all shouting at once. Quite a few were calling Harry a coward. Hermione could only marvel where this was coming from. Only an hour before Harry had been adamant that his conflict with Voldemort would end tonight!

"I won't waste anymore of your time. I'm heading out to delay Voldemort a bit. I strongly suggest you start to evacuate. If you can't get the Professors to help, look to Ron Weasley. He knows a way out into the forest. Not the best escape route but it's something."

Every head in the room seem to turn towards Ron and Hermione just as they had to McGonagall and the other teachers earlier. George, in particular, looked murderous at the idea that there had been a potential escape route they could have taken which might have meant his twin would still be alive. Hermione could feel the sudden menace directed at Ron (and herself to an extent) from all around her.

"I wish you all luck on your escape or acceptance of Voldemort's rule depending on how you choose. Because it is your choice and always has been. Even with the prophecy between Voldemort and myself, every Death Eater or sympathizer dead at your hands would make the world a better place. All you have to do is take responsibility for your lives instead of waiting for a Chosen One to save your bacon. I certainly won't be saving anyone from anything. I'll only return simply to fulfill something which fate demands I do and nothing more. Goodbye."

The hall dissolved into cries for portkeys or questions towards Ron about the escape route Harry had talked about. Hermione was jostled as people began to press in from all sides. Someone hit her hard in the back of the head while a witch hissed, "Were you going to let all of us draw fire while you and Weasley snuck out the back way?"

Hermione turned and pressed her back against Ron so she was facing the angry faces arrayed all around her. Her wand came up and glowed a menacing blue which caused everyone to back off.

As McGonagall called for calm, Hermione wondered if she had survived all this time only to be torn apart by an angry mob of her fellow students. Behind her, Ron was stammering out pleas that he'd lead people to the Chamber of Secrets.

What had happened to Harry while he had been gone? Why had he suddenly abandoned them? Abandoned her?

Hermione furiously tried to answer this question as she worked to keep the unruly, panicked crowd off McGonagall and Ron.

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HIDDEN GROVE, FORBIDDEN FOREST, SCOTLAND – MAY 2nd 1998 – EVENING

"I thought he would come," Voldemort said. The reptilian face had a expression which looked like it couldn't make up its mind whether to be cross or surprised. "I expected him to come."

The assembled Death Eaters watched as the Dark Lord stood, "I was, it seems…mistaken," Voldemort said.

OoOoO

"You weren't" Harry said as he pulled uncovered his head from out from under the invisibility cloak. He then parted it a bit to show his hands were empty.

There was a general outcry from the Death Eaters and as well as a ragged, "No!" from where Hagrid was tied to an enormous tree.

Voldemort, however, merely smirked. "Ah Harry Potter, the gallant Gryffindor to the end. I knew you wouldn't let your friends die."

Harry shook his head while he kept his hands clasp in front of his chest, "Sorry Tom but not only am I not here to die, I'm certainly not here to save anyone. No, I'm just here to conduct a little business, leave a message and then I'll be on my way out of England."

Voldemort's eyes became like slits, "You foolish boy! The only place you are going tonight is into your grave!"

"Harry shrugged, "Think what you like, Tom. Can I call you Tom? I mean after all the lessons Dumbledore taught me this year about your early life at the Muggle orphanage and at Hogwarts, it's like we're old school chums. Course I did destroy the horcrux of your 17 year old self so maybe not school chums."

Voldemort hissed in anger while Bellatrix's wand came up with a vile oath. Before she could curse him, Voldemort's waved her off, "So the Old Man thought he could defeat me by telling you secrets? I assure you that nothing you know will help you now. I'll be your end tonight."

Harry shook his head, "I'm sure you think that but as I said I'm really here for two things. First of is to tell you I've already announced to Hogwarts that anyone who didn't want to be killed by your forces need to flee the castle. Hopefully everyone is taking my advice."

Quite a few Death Eaters laughed at this. Rudolphus LeStrange spit at the ground at Harry's feet, "You idiot! No one is leaving the castle! We've locked it down and thrown up additional wards to ensure no one is going anywhere."

Harry smirked, "Yet your boss killed the current Headmaster leaving McGonagall the new Headmaster by default. She has enough control of the wards to allow out-going portkeys and while I didn't take my N.E.W.T.s, I know enough about ward to know there is no portable wards you could have put up which would could block portkeys. So right now, I'm betting the only people left in the castle are the Slytherins."

Silence greeted Harry's words. Almost as one the Death Eaters looked to their lord in shock.

Voldemort, for his part, seemed almost amused, "True, killing Snape now was in retrospect a bit hasty. Yet in the end it changes nothing. I will find those who run and deal with them as I wish. I shall take Hogwarts and I shall mount your head for all to see in the Great Hall. All will know not to challenge me."

Harry laughed. While he knew his life was in terrible danger, the fact he actually had a plan helped keep his wits about him. Thus he could realize how pompous and almost vaudevillian Voldemort sounded, "Going to have to take a rain-check on you parting my head from my shoulders. Maybe in the future you will carry the day but right now I've got other plans which involve me seeing a lot more of the world."

"There is nothing you can do that will prevent your death tonight, whelp!" Bellatrix screeched.

Harry shook his head, "I beg to differ. You see I know two things your Dark Lord doesn't. The first is simply I've recently come into some knowledge one gets from magical nursery tales he didn't get growing up among the Muggles like we did and thus I know all sorts of things are possible when..."

Harry's words were cut off as two Death Eaters near Hagrid screamed. All turned to see skeletal hands coming out of the ground. Wands came up but not before more skeletons, many not human, began to rise up out of the ground to begin to claw at whatever was around them.

With an almost indifferent wave of his hand, Voldemort banished what looked like an acromantula skeleton trying to attack his foot. Most of the other Death Eaters were making short work of the other skeletons as well. "What was the point of this Potter?" Voldemort asked with a sneer.

Harry shrugged, "Just a distraction and a demonstration of one of the Deathly Hallows. You see the other thing I know which you don't is there is another way to win the allegiance of the Elder Wand and that is to be the rightful heir to House Peverell."

Before Voldemort eye's could do more than widen, Harry gestured and the Elder Wand flew from Voldemort's hand into his own. Harry grinned, "Now I have all three and am supposedly the Master of Death. Perhaps it is 'the power he knows not'? Time will tell I guess!" With a twist of the ring Luna had given him, Harry Potter disappeared in the flash of a portkey as several spells lanced through where he had stood just seconds before.

Voldemort quickly pulled out his old wand and cast a detection spell before letting out a curse. Potter had obviously used a House emergency portkey which were devilishly hard to tract if not impossible. Where ever the brat was, Voldemort couldn't follow.

However a evil smile spread on his lips. Potter had said he intended to leave England and Voldemort had sensed he meant it. Let Harry Potter think he had won the day. He would consolidate his hold on England. He was immortal; he could afford to wait and in the fullness of time Potter would come to him and he would be ready in the seat of his own power.

All around him, his Death Eaters were surprised at their lord's sudden laughter.

XxXxX

THE ROOKERY, OTTERY ST. CATCHPOLE – MAY 2nd 1998 – EVENING

Harry appeared with a pop in front of the ruins of the Rookery. Immediately he could hear pops which he assumed were from Winky and Kreacher as they worked to salvage what they could from the Lovegood ancestral home. Luckily while the main floor was totally crushed, the tower itself had mostly just collapsed down but didn't break up. Given the charms which kept the Burrow up, this didn't surprise Harry. Even so, it weighed heavily upon Harry when he found Hermione's method of escape had killed Xenophilius along with the Death Eaters chasing them.

Luna had been remarkably stoic about it. She had merely said she would have never wanted her life to be traded for his or Hermione's and Ron's. Still, Harry knew the loss of her father would come back to haunt Luna later.

He found her using the reparo spell to help clear the way for the house elves to work. She turned with a beaming smile. "Mission accomplished I take it?" Luna asked.

Harry nodded.

Luna smiled, "Well luckily Daddy's lab and home vault are intact. I already have the jewelry which will act like a temporary aging charm for when we need to rent the lorry and ship passage."

Harry nodded again, "Good. I'm betting if Tom has any agents, they are probably going to think I'll head to France and the Delacours. I doubt anyone will be looking around the docks of Portsmouth." Harry looked around, "Where's Teddy?"

Luna pointed to a tree with a swing attached to a sturdy branch. Harry saw a crib on the swing while it magically swayed slightly, "Teddy has been such a good baby. He is ever so cute when he changes his hair color!"

Harry smiled at this before it turned to a scowl. Harry had to wonder where Remus was now. Not that he had any intention of letting Teddy's father anywhere near his new godson. Harry had felt Remus had shown how unfit he was for raising his own son. Harry would make sure no matter what happened, Teddy wouldn't grow up like he had or Voldemort had for that matter.

Harry looked at Luna, "Can you pick him up some food while I'm renting the lorry?"

Luna laughed, "Do not worry about feeding, Harry. I will be providing Teddy his meals."

Harry blinked at this which caused Luna to laugh again. She motioned to her breasts which Harry realized had easily grown a cup size at least.

"One matrina lactis and I will be more than ready to keep little Teddy fed," Luna explained.

"Nice!" Harry said and couldn't help but admire Luna's new dimensions. He hastily shut off a rather lewd line of thoughts.

"Oh you!" Luna said with a blush. Then her face turned serious, "So now what?"

Harry shrugged as he looked to the west, "I don't know. All I do know is there is a whole lot of life out there that I want to discover. Hopefully the goblins in the Union will be able to help us with our House affairs. Also we can hope neither Bellatrix or Narcissa know of or have any way to find the few Black properties in the Americas. Plus I'm betting there are some Potter properties we can find. If not, we have enough galleons from your father's stash to get by for now. We'll make do."

Luna took Harry's hand, "We will do it together. Remember Harry, the prophecy has no timeline. We have decades ahead of us. Who knows? Perhaps the Dark Lord's actions will cause the other magical nations to intervene. It may be without any followers to resurrect him again, he will be forced to wander aimlessly while you lead a normal, happy life far away from the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived. In the end he may pray for your death simply to release him from a shadowy in-between life."

Harry looked down at Luna before looking eastward with a sigh.

Luna correctly interpreted what Harry was thinking of and gently kissed him on the cheek, "Our friends all have their own destinies. Perhaps theirs will cross ours again. But their fate is their own. Let them take responsibility for their own lives for a change. I think we may yet be surprised."

Harry pursed his lips before nodding thoughtfully as he thought of Neville, "You know Luna, I certainly hope so."

With a pop, Kreacher appear and bowed low, "Masterz Black and Loveygoodz. All is bez ready!"

Harry held out his hand, "So my Lady Lovegood; shall we?"

Luna took his hand, "Yes my Lord Potter-Peverell-Black, let us shall!"

With a laugh the pair apparated off to set in motion the first steps in a long, long journey.

XxXxX

A/N: Where would a fic like this go? Would we see Harry and Luna (with Teddy) journey to Canada and/or America, learn new skills, meet new people and see different magical communities? Or would we jump forward ten or twenty years for when Harry decides it is time to start making contacts back in England and from there we would see how England has fared under Voldemort's rule? Perhaps this might be a lead in to a story mostly told from Hermione's POV as she leads her rag-tag, guerilla force against Voldemort. Will she be happy to see Harry when he finally shows up? Or will she be a bitter, hardened witch who resents Harry even as she didn't take his advice to leave?

Spells
Matrina Lactis: Godmother's milk – A way for a godmother or simply a milk-mother to feed a child.

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