A/N: Hello Everybody, I'll make this quick. Firstly POV situation is the same. Secondly I'm trying to find a good word length to do on average and it's been fluctuating. Now I want to thank everybody who has reviewed, I appreciate your feedback. Thank you to anyone who has favorited or followed and thank you to any who has taken time out of their day to read it and continue to. Merry Christmas to those of you that celebrate. This chapter is my present to you. Thank you, and now without further ado, onto the story!

Harry's POV/3rd Person

To say I didn't expect questions was an understatement. I knew I would get them and I was prepared but man there were a lot of them. Firstly Dumbledore has invited me up to his office. I'm not sure whether this'll be interesting or torture. I guess I'll have to find out. The not said to go as soon as I was done eating, which leads me to now. I approached the gargoyle and said the password that was on the paper. Walking up the stairs and knocking. I heard a quick enter and then I was in. I went and took a seat right in front of his desk.

"Hello Professor, what can I do for you?" Oh the irony.

"Harry, explain." Gonna have to elaborate old man.

"Explain what? I'm afraid I don't understand." Oh it was not hard to tell I was pissing him off and it was fun.

"Harry, what happened to you? Explain that. Your glasses are gone, your hair is short, and your scar is gone. Explain, now." Ah let's see how well you do being denied an explanation.

"It's Mister Potter, Professor. Also I don't think I have to explain anything to you. What I do and how I look is my business. Not yours. So I suggest you stay out of it Professor." Your move, Dumbledore.

"Harry my bo-"

"I am NOT your boy. I am Mister Potter, I suggest you address me as such." That technically wasn't true as I am Lord Potter but let's keep that a secret until wizmagot.

"Very well, Mister Potter. I'll have you know that what you do is my business. It is my job to keep you safe that is why you were forbidden to leave your relatives house. Now tell me why did you disobey me?" Because you're an old manipulative arse.

"I'll have you know that what I do is NOT your business. It isn't your job to keep me safe. I can do that on my own. I don't have to listen to you when I'm not in school, so get used to it." Let's see if you can dig your own grave.

"It is my business as I am you magical guardian you will do what I say and you will not disobey me. You are incapable of taking care of yourself when you are so reckless and stricken with grief." Bad move Dumbledore.

"I suggest you have a chat with Gringotts because you'll find that you are no longer my guardian. Your also find that I am an adult and do not need to listen to you. As for me being reckless and incapable, you'll find that I changed more than just physically this summer. I will not be pushed around and you do so at your own peril. I am my own person and remember this, I am not on your side. I do not support the light side nor the dark side. I support my side, the grey. This has been your warning, push me around again and I will not hesitate to retaliate. Your move Dumbledore." And with that I spun around and left the office. Your playing my game now Dumbledore, let's see how you like it.

As soon as I got back to Gryffindor tower, and through the portrait I was bombarded by questions. Then I heard it. Through all the questions was a yell. Ron.

"WHAT? YOU THINK YOUR SO GREAT POTTER? GETTING ALL OF THE ATTENTION, HUH? YOU THINK YOU LOOK GOOD, DON'T YA?"

"Actually Weasley, I know I look good. Everybody here knows I look good. Did you see the response I got from the great hall? They think I'm great looking. So yeah, I do think I'm great and I know I look good. Does that answer your questions?" And here was a**hole me, always the entertainer. Maybe a bit of the smarta** was there to.

"WOW! YOU ARE SO SELF-CENTERED. I DON'T KNOW HOW I PUT UP WITH YOU." Really? Cause the same can be said for you.

"Really Ron? Just because I say I know I look good means I'm self centered? Maybe to see the real definition you should look in the mirror and tell me what you see. How about a raise of hands of who thinks I look great?" Instantly all of the female hands rose except a few firsties. Then some of the male hands rose until almost all of the hands second year and above were up. I was going to make a comment when Ron burst.

"SERIOUSLY YOU TOO HERMIONE?! HOW COULD YOU?" I looked behind me to see Hermione's hand lowering with everybody else's.

"What he's hot, I'm a girl I have eyes I can see." Oh why thank you.

"YOUR SUPPOSED TO LIKE ME!"

"Oh bloody hell Ron, I don't like Harry but that doesn't mean he isn't great looking. Also I'm not supposed to like anybody. I like who I like and that's it." Ah I'm definitely gonna have to talk to Hermione soon.

"FINE, SEE IF I CARE!" Sure sounds like you do, just saying. And with that Ron brushed past me and through the portrait hole. No doubt to go see old Dumbles.

After answering a few questions I grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her up to the boys dorm.

"Look Harry, yes you are my best friend and you are good looking but I don't like you that way." Is that what she thought this was?

"Hermione, I know and I don't like you that way either, we just need to talk. I need you to promise that anything I say does not leave this room. Okay?" She looked a little shocked but promised none the less. I picked up my wand and cast silencing and notice me not wards around the bed.

"Okay first off, thank you for the compliment. Secondly I did lie earlier in the summer when you asked about my glasses. As you can see I am not wearing them at all. I went to the alley had my eyes fixed and went to St Mungos to have my scar removed. Now before you say anything I want to show you two memories. One is from a time I looked into Dumbledore's penisive right after the ministry. The other is a memory of my scar being removed. Ready?"

"Yes but Harry you shouldn't have left you-"

"Hermione just watch the memories and you will understand. Legilimens!" I thought of the memories and after she watched them I pulled out of her head. I looked at her face to see tears streaming down her face and her hand covering her mouth. She met my eyes for all of five seconds before she lunged at me. She knocked me over in the hug so now we were both in the laying position with her on top of me hugging.

"Oh my god Harry, I didn't know. I'm so sorry, I didn't trust you, I'm so sorry I told you to listen to Dumbledore. Harry you have to beat him. You can't let him manipulate you." She said into my shoulder while holding me tightly.

"I know Hermione, I know. That's why I'm not on his side anymore. I'm not on the light side."

"Oh no please tell me you didn't join you-know-who?"

"No Hermione I didn't, I joined my own side. I'm the middle side. The grey side, the balance of good and bad. Hermione will you join me and Neville and Luna?"

"They already know and agreed?" Well obviously.

"Yes."

"Yes Harry yes I will join you but just because I don't trust Dumbledore doesn't mean all adults are bad." Now that's the Hermione I know.

"I know Hermione, considering the fact that I'm an adult and I'm not bad." I was being cheeky now.

"Righ- wait what?! Your not an adult?! You not even seventeen!"

"Yes Hermione I am an adult by two ways. One by the ministry when they made me compete in an adult only tournament. Then secondly by Sirius, in his will he left me an order of emancipation. So legally I am an adult. I am also Lord Potter Evans Black Slytherin, but don't tell anybody that. I'm waiting until the next wizmagot to reveal that. I'm going to be making some serious changes and I need your help along with Neville and Luna's. So what do you say?" Please say yes, please.

"While I may not agree with you being an adult, after everything you've been through you kinda were already. I'm not going to let you do this on your own. You're my best friend, I've always helped you and that's not going to stop now." YES WOOHOO.

"Thank you Hermione that means a lot to me. Now what I'm about to ask you may be difficult but I need you to do it. Trust me I know it's hard I had to do it for the last month but I need you to pretend you don't know anything about Dumbledore or the Weasley's. Only around me or Luna or Neville you don't have to act. Look I promise this isn't permanent but we have to act like we have no idea." Trust me I know how difficult it was to act like I still liked them.

"If that's what we have to do. Harry when the time is right we will take them down, right?"

"Of course we will."

The next morning we were given our timetables. We had Potions with the Slytherin first. After breakfast I walked to the dungeons and waited outside for the door to open. Once the door opened and the we walked inside and seat at the tables. I sat with Neville. Professor Slughorn showed us the liquid luck potion. To win it we had to create the best draught of the living death potion. Following the instructions in the book Neville and I worked our way through the potion until time was called. Bottling the potion we walked it up to Slughorn's desk and set it down. After giving him the potion I went and packed up my stuff and left the room. As I was walking down the corridor I was yanked through a door into an empty classroom. It was Greengrass, oh this is gonna be good. After shutting the door after me, she put up silencing and locking charms. Hm this getting interesting.

"What do you want Greengrass?"

"I want to know how. How did you best me twice? Nobody has ever bested me. So how could you? I mean it doesn't make any sense. Everybody knows how your 'relationship' with Chang turned out last year and the word wouldn't be good. So how are you suddenly charming and charismatic or good looking for that matter?" Um was that a compliment or an insult?

"Let's just say I changed this past summer. As for the good looking part, well why thank you. How nice of you." You walked right into that one.

"Changed is an understatement. Your not wearing glasses. You don't have your scar and you have short hair." Hm

"Yes yes I do. What do you think of my hair? You like it short?" I said taking a step closer. So far she was the only one to initiate a challenge, maybe it was time to change that.

"Maybe I do, what of it? Maybe I like you without your glasses what of it?" She said while taking a step forward. We were only one or two steps apart at this point.

"Oh there is so much of it. The Ice Queen admits to having feelings, never would've thought."

"Oh I never admitted any feelings. Just that you don't look totally weak and scrawny anymore." She said taking the final step. We were now not even a step away. It wasn't that hard to tell we both were waiting to see who was going to make the first move. Guess it was my turn to start. Let's see what I can come up with. Grabbing her hand I pulled her into me. As soon as she was flush against me I let go of her hand and wrapped my arms around her waist. She wound her arms around my neck tightly.

"Now what are you planning?" What was she trying to do?

"I'm planning to show you I'm more than just the Ice Queen." Ah.

"Really, and why are you planning to do that?" I was truly curious in why she was doing this. From what I knew about her, which wasn't much, she didn't lower her icy exterior for anybody. So why was she doing it for me.

"Because you intrigue me Potter. Nobody's ever bested me the way you have and I want to know how. You challenged me to be someone other than the Ice Queen and I never lose." Ah now I'm starting to get it.

"How about this, you get to know me, I get to know you. The real you, and the real me. That's who we'll be to each other. No Ice Queen and no boy-who-lived. Got it?"

"Hm what about the Gryffindor Golden Boy, will he be there?"

"He died at the end of 5th year and let me promise you, I'm no boy."

"Good to hear, I didn't like him anyway."

"So you like me then?"

"We'll have to see, now won't we?"

"Is that a yes?"

"How about, I think about it and let you know?"

"A'right, let me know." And with that I gave her a quick squeeze around the waist, receiving one in return on my neck. I let her go and took down the wards as I was walking. I finished and walked out of the room with no hesitation. Maybe this could be a good year after all.

The rest of the day flew by. I was able to avoid Ron for the most of it. Well it wasn't that hard considering he was also avoiding me like the plague. I only had core classes with him as I dropped Divination and CoMC this year. For one I didn't really need a old hag predicting my death every other day, and also CoMC was basically useless. I had picked up Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

The next morning while I was eating breakfast an owl land in front of me. I took the letter and gave it a piece of bacon before it flew away. I opened the letter to only see two words. The words Challenge Accepted were written in the middle of the parchment in concise, elegant writing. I automatically knew who it was from. I looked up at the Slytherin table happy that I sat facing them today. Obviously Greengrass planned it that way as well because she was sitting facing the Gryffindor table. She was looking straight me. I nodded and grinned to receive a small smile and a short nod back before she went back to talking to Davis and eating. I glanced around and saw that nobody seemed to notice the exchange. I took another look at the letter before folding it and putting it away and went back to eating. This year was definitely looking up.

But not everybody had missed the exchange. Everybody but one person had missed it. One person that wanted nothing of the sort to occur as they silently began plotting their next move.

A/N: Hey, sorry forgot to mention this before but if you couldn't tell already there will be Dumbledore, Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley bashing. Only them though, the rest of the Weasleys will remain intact. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading.