Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter characters.

A/N: Well here it is folks- the answer to how and why Harry became... The Weapon. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Seven: Leaving the Nest, or… Falling Out!

Harry had practically become a non-entity after the occasion of his rejection, and Ginny Weasley was in an obvious state of distress as well. Hermione had appointed herself the failed couple's to be,' personal counselor', though realistically she was only Ginny's. Harry, for his part, had proven even more elusive than previously and Ron was being of absolutely no help as he still didn't want Harry, (or anybody else for that matter), dating his baby sister, at least that's what he told Hermione.

Ron had been let off the hook by Harry, again. He'd stupidly beaten up his best mate for a variety of reasons, the least of which was the fact that Harry fancied his baby sister. Mostly, he'd beaten Harry out of jealousy. The compromising situation he'd found Harry and Ginny in had only added fuel to the fire, but mostly, it had provided Ron an excuse to take out his anger and frustration at Harry's expense. Harry was the embodiment of everything Ron had ever wanted for himself.

Harry was, or had been, enormously popular; a talented quidditch player and gifted magically. Generous, brave,.. a stalwart friend and hero. Lastly, and by no means least, Harry was rich. That was something that no Weasley had ever been able to lay claim to; wealth.

Put it all together and Harry Potter was the very thing that Ron had desired for himself when he looked into the Mirror of Erised: Riches, fame and talent.

Ron had already been pissed that Harry had left his quidditch team in the lurch by not resuming his role as seeker; a role that Harry had been born to play. Ron had been forced to place Ginny in Harry's vacant role, but in so doing, he lost a superb chaser, for an only average seeker. Couple Ron's personal feelings with the strife Harry's inadvertently caused his quidditch team and add the fact that Harry was given a free pass to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, whilst the rest of his classmates were required to attend every last class,.. and it was no wonder he'd blown up. At least,… that was how Ron viewed things.

He'd already been angry with his best mate. Seeing Harry in a compromising position with Ginny had just naturally put him over the edge. Once he's started hitting Harry,... he just couldn't stop. If he'd be honest with himself, he hadn't wanted to stop either. He'd taken out months, if not years, of anger, disappointment and resentment in just a few short minutes. When he'd finished, when Ron had finally gotten control over his rage, he had been sickened by what he'd done to his best friend.

Afterward, when he'd calmed down enough to return to his senses, Ron had wanted to apologize to his friend. He needed to apologize, but he was too ashamed to even face Harry, let alone apologize. Given enough time, Harry had let him off the hook again.

Now, Hermione wanted him to stir things up again by sandbagging Harry into one of her "interventions". Ron was having none of it.


February Thirteenth

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I want to be with Harry. I always have, I've just been lying to myself and hiding from my feelings. Besides, you have Ron now, just like you always wanted. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, everything we've shared, but it's time I stood on my own and take what I want out of life, and what I want is Harry." Ginny pleaded determinedly.

"Oh, Ginny, I understand, really I do. I'm grateful for the time we shared and I'm no longer reluctant to let things go, but, there are things about Harry that you don't know and may not understand." Hermione began emphatically. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, luv.

"Harry would never hurt me." Ginny responded incredulously.

"I know he wouldn't,.. not intentionally anyway, but.." Hermione began to argue before Ginny cut her off.

"Please,.. don't say anymore, Hermione. Let's just enjoy this last bit of time we have together while we can, alright?"

Hermione nodded reluctantly and gathered Ginny in a loving embrace.

Harry was at the end of his tether. Tomorrow was Valentine's day and not only was he without a date,( not that he had been interested in anyone but Ginny), but, now Dumbledore expected him to spend the whole evening training.

Sod that! I'm going to the dance and I don't care who's arm Ginny's on, but I'm cutting in. Harry's thoughts seethed within his head as he made his way to the Room of Requirement to burn off his pent up frustration.

It was an hour before his D.A. class began, but he was looking to blowing off some steam on the dueling mannequins before he set up for this evening's class. If he didn't bleed off some of his frustration soon, he was sure he's go off his nut.

One more thing... I swear just one more thing and I'll blow! He thought with an angry snarl of mounting frustration.

Harry paced back and forth in front of the empty wall, but his thoughts were so disjointed that it took several tries before he was able to concentrate well enough to get the door for the Room of Requirement to appear. Harry threw open the door and trudged irritably into the room, only to find...

"Please don't say anymore, Hermione. Let's just enjoy this last bit of time we have together, while we can, alright?"

Harry stood gob smacked as he watched Hermione embrace Ginny,.. and then.. kiss her. It wasn't just a friend's kiss it was a,.. a what? A lover's kiss..?

Harry had stumbled, thankfully unnoticed, from the Room of Requirement. His thoughts were a whirl of emotions that threatened to drag him under for the final time.

Awe for 'crying out loud'. I know I'm thick, but come-on? No wonder Ginny wasn't interested and just sat there looking at Hermione the whole time I was waiting for her to answer my invitation. Hermione could have told me how things were? Why'd she let me get my hopes up? Why'd she let me go and make a fool out of myself by asking a girl out who wasn't interested in men in the first place? Why's Hermione going out with Ron?

"Why is it always just one more damn thing?" Harry growled under his breath as he trudged dejectedly back to Gryffindor tower.

Harry made his way thru the common room, oblivious to the startled looks from his peers as he passed by. It wasn't just that his fellow Gryffindors were surprised to see Harry at this time of the day, if they saw him at all, but, it was the terrible countenance of emotions that encompassed his face as he stormed thru the common room; pain, loneliness, betrayal; these were the thoughts that were so plainly evident on Harry Potter's face as he walked thru Gryffindor tower. These were all disheartening, in and of themselves, but there was something more there? Some other emotion was chiseled into Harry Potter's features; something that had his friend's cringing back in fear. It was,.. fury.

Pulses of pure magic came off him in waves as Harry swept thru the hallways with grim determination toward Gryffindor tower. The very air crackled with static electricity. The tiles of the floor charred beneath his footsteps. The ceiling plaster cracked and rained chips down in his passing. Portraits fled their frames in fear for the lives they no longer held in reality.

Colin Creavey watched Harry pass by in wide eyed terror, grateful that his distant friend hadn't spared him a moment's notice as he passed by only meters away. As soon as Harry was out of sight he grabbed his brother, Dennis, and told him to, "Get Professor McGonagal, now!"

Colin turned his attention to a cowering pair of fourth years and commanded, "You two, one of you get Hermione Granger, the other find Ron Weasley and get them here- NOW."

One of the two trembled indecisively and stammered out, "W-What s-should we t-tell them?"

"Tell them something's wrong with Harry. Tell them it's an emergency and we need them here!" Colin barked and the two fourth years fled from the room. They were eager to help, but mostly,.. they were anxious to get as far away from Harry Potter as possible.

Moments later, Harry came down from the dormitory sands school robes. He was wearing black jeans and a dark green shirt shown from beneath the pitch black dragon hide jacket with matching boots he'd worn on the first day of the term . Unlike that day, he no longer needed to mask his appearance with a glamour charm. He now glowed with health and vitality,... dangerously so.

He moved with a single-minded purpose toward the portrait hole. The air crackled with energy at his passing.

"Er.. Harry?" Colin called out tentatively. In truth, he harbored no feeble illusions of being able to diffuse whatever situation that Harry was on a collision course with.

Harry paused only briefly and turned woodenly toward his younger friend. It seemed to take him a moment to focus before responding hollowly, "Take care of yourself, Colin."

That said, Harry swept out the portrait hole without a backward glance.

Colin, for his part, made no further attempts to waylay Harry's passing. He'd seen the look in Harry's eyes and it shook him to his very soul.

Minerva McGonagal was not a person given to panic, but the way young Dennis Creavey burst into her office stammering, "C-Come quickly p-professor,.. please? It's Harry, mam,.. s-something's wrong."

She'd not bothered to question the frightened young man further for the sound of his voice and the wild look in his eyes as he begged her to come, had lent wings to her aging and calloused feet. Besides, she knew, knew in her heart that her worst fears had been realized. Harry Potter had finally snapped under the strain. What had been the final straw she couldn't guess and at this point and didn't care. She only hoped that the situation could be diffused before any permanent harm was done. Her mind reeled with the possibilities of what someone of the magnitude of Harry's abilities was capable of if pushed to the breaking point.

She feared that she was about to find out.

Professor McGonagal trotted as fast as her aging legs would take her, fearing that it what not be fast enough to catch up with Harry before things spiraled out of control. She rounded the corner of the hallway that led to Gryffindor tower.

"Thank Merlin."

She breathed a sigh of relief when she spied a telltale head of black hair descending the stairs to the Great Hall, just ahead.

Her spirits for a peaceful resolution lifted further when she noted Ron and Ginevra Weasley, along with Hermione Granger, approaching rapidly from the other side of the hallway she was currently on. Though she was the closer to reaching Harry, they're youthful speed would see them arriving first. She could only pray that Hermione Granger's cool head would take the lead in dealing with Harry for Ronald's temper would surely prove a liability.

Whatever vain hopes that McGonagal held were soon dashed by the sounds of arguing that drifted up from the entry hall below. The last person in the world that she would want to have contact with an unstable Harry Potter was, of course, the first person to seek a confrontation with the young man..

"Don't you have a class to teach, er,... Professor Potter?" She could hear Snape's sarcastic drawl echo back up the stair.

"Isn't there a belfry somewhere that you should be hanging in?" Came Harry's caustic reply.

You couldn't blame him really, Snape did dress himself up like a giant bat.

"That will cost Gryffindor twenty points for your cheek, Potter,.. oh, and detention with me every night next week. I've got some particularly filthy cauldron bottoms that require a thorough scrubbing and naturally I thought of you."

"Naturally" Harry spat back before adding. "By any chance is the gunk that's covering the bottom of the cauldrons in question your own formula for what you use as hair gel?"

"You impudent brat!" Snape hissed evilly. "Just like your idiotically arrogant father, this time you've pushed me too far. You're coming with me to see the headmaster, Potter- Now!"

"Why, does Dumbledore believe that I actually have a few more personal liberties that he can remove and still call what I have, a semblance of, a "life"? Thanks, but no. I prefer to retain my breathing privileges as that's the only thing left he could possibly take. Do pass along my regrets, but I really must be going, lots to do you know, but don't let me keep you. I'm sure you have houses to haunt, children to terrorize and personal hygiene to neglect, Snivellus." Harry taunted with Snape's hated school years' moniker.

McGonagal's face was taut as she raced down the stairway, knowing she would never make it in time to prevent disaster. She'd motioned the Weasleys' and Ms. Granger to hang back at the top of the stair. She could tell by their tone of voice alone, that each of the two embittered rivals were baiting the other and things were rapidly coming to a head.

McGonagal reached the landing just as Snape drew his wand with the obvious intention of hexing an, as yet, unarmed Harry Potter. An audible gasp of alarm sounded through the growing crowd of students that had stopped to gawk at the spectacle of the obviously impending confrontation.

"Severus, don't you dare!" McGonagal's command to desist had come a fraction too late, not that it would have mattered.

"Sectum Sempra" Snape bellowed as he brandished his wand in a slashing motion, sending a dozen wickedly edged knives hurtling toward an apparently defenseless, Harry Potter.

Merlin save us! He's using a lethal cutting hex, and on a student! McGonagal thought in shock.

She drew her own wand with the intention of trying to deflect the curse as no shield could withstand that particular hex,.. as Snape well knows.

She knew it would come too late, but she had to try. Before McGonagal could so much as raise her wand, a blast of super heated air sent her sprawling. After a moment's pause to regain her faculties, McGonagal righted herself and saw: Puddles of molten metal pooled at the feet of Harry Potter. The puddles were the sad remnants of the blades Snape had conjured with the intent to seriously wound, perhaps even kill Potter.

"Just like Voldemort…." Harry drawled in a reasonable semblance of the hated potion master's own voice. "….Over eager, over confident and over matched. You've had your turn, now I'll have a go."

Harry shot a blast of water from the palm of his hand that knocked Snape head over heels, but he wasn't finished there. His other hand shot forward and arrested the pirouetting potion's master in mid air. Harry's right fingers curled into a ball and Snape found himself completely encased in a sphere of water. Harry snapped the fingers of his left hand and conjured a large bar of soap that he threw into the sphere of water. The water sphere filled with bubbles, shrouding the hapless potion's professor from view.

Harry began to whistle in a nonchalant fashion to pass the time. He acted as if he was trying to distract himself from some mundane task he was patiently performing. After a few tense moments, the shocked gathering of students and teachers watched Harry clap his hands together and the water sphere ruptured, sending a nearly drowned, sodden and sputtering Snape to the marble floor.

"There now, isn't that better? All nice and clean." Harry chided.

A wave of nervous laughter spread throughout the Hall.

"Do feel free to let me know when it's time for your spring flea bath, wont you?"

Harry chuckled as he turned away, right into the face of a furious, Albus Dumbledore.

The Great Hall went deadly silent in dread anticipation of what was to come. Despite the angry scowl on the headmaster's face, the smile never slipped from Harry's lips.

McGonagal cleared her throat meaningfully and ordered. "All students are to return to their respective dormitories immediately, and remain there until further notice. Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, please escort Professor Snape to the infirmary."

The Great Hall remained silent except for the reluctant shuffle of retreating feet. A stunned Ron and, a too shocked for words, Hermione, shouldered a half drowned Snape between them and reluctantly began to turn away when their charge found his voice.

"I-I told you he was a m-menace, headmaster. Expel the b-brat and be rid of h-him,. once and for all." Snape managed to choke out.

"Typical." Harry turned away from his staring match with the headmaster and strode toward the object of his ire.

Ron and Hermione cringed back slightly as he approached. Whether or not Harry even noticed their trepidation, he showed no sign of it.

He stopped mere inches away and put his face directly into the now, trembling fearfully, potion master's own.

"Strike first. Lose ungraciously, and then whine after. You're a pathetic excuse for a wizard, let alone human being. You were nothing to me before and even less so now. Don't force me to take any future interest in you, Snivellus, for I assure you, it will be for the last time!" Harry bit off warningly, watching as the hated man's eyes went wide in silent terror.

"T-That's enough, Harry." Hermione scolded uncertainly.

Harry's, once beautiful and love filled, green eyes turned cool and flashed dangerously as he shifted his gaze toward the sound of Hermione's voice.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she looked uncertainly into the eyes that no longer held any hint of love for her. For years later, tears would fall as she recalled his next and last chilling words to her.

"Don't presume to think that you can lecture me, Ms. Granger." he began icily.

"You are,.. were everything to me; my friend, my family. I considered you my own sister in all but blood, but even more so in my heart."

Harry's demeanor softened ever so slightly as he continued accusingly. "You could have told me how things stood between you and Ginny."

Hermione's eyes went wide and her jaw worked soundlessly in sudden fretful understanding.

"Why'd you let me think I had any chance at all with her? Was it just to hurt me? Did you enjoy rubbing my face in it? I suppose you and Ginny got a big laugh out of it, huh?"

Hermione sobbed and shook her head in denial, but was in such a state that she was unable to choke out any words to defend her actions.

"Oiy, don't talk to her that way." Ron growled in warning.

Harry shifted his attention away to Ron and snapped out angrily."Either learn to keep your nose out of other people's business or take your head out of your arse, Ron. She's been playing you as much as me."

"What're you talking about? What's he talking about 'Mione?" Ron exasperated nervously, shifting his attention from Harry to Hermione.

"I-It's n-nothing, Ron,... just a misunderstanding." Hermione deflected.

She eyed Harry anxiously. Her eyes pleaded with him not to say more as she begged.

"Harry , you don't understand. Please let me explain,.. please?"

"Not necessary." Harry dismissed blandly. "I may be thicker than most when it comes to girls, but even I can put two and two together when the evidence is right in front of my eyes. It doesn't really matter anymore as I'm leaving anyway."

Hermione and Ron both goggled wordlessly and despite the state he was in, Professor Snape managed a triumphant grimace at Harry's announcement.

"M-Mister Potter? You can't be serious?" McGonagal began aghast. "You've yet to finish you're education. This has been and still very much is,.. your home."

"This is a prison," Harry began to answer flatly, before he thumbed over his shoulder in Dumbledore's direction and added. " and he's my jailor."

"You're quite wrong, Harry." Dumbledore countered. All eyes turned in his direction.

"I'm not a warden as such where you're concerned, but rather a blacksmith. I took a rather useless lump of iron and painstakingly forged it into a fine edged sword. By my own design I created our greatest weapon against Voldemort. You are that weapon, Harry. While I may regret some of the restrictions I've had to place upon you in the course of your training, I assure you that it was only for your own good and the Greater Good of our world."

Harry staggered back a half step. He looked as if he'd been slapped across the face.

Ignoring Harry's reaction and the startled gasps from his deputy Headmistress, Dumbledore dismissed his head girl and boy benignly.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger if you would see Professor Snape to the infirmary? Professor McGonagal, if I may impose upon you to take over my duties for a short period. Mr. Potter, I'll accompany you to my office where we'll discuss an appropriate punishment for your actions this evening. I trust you understand that an attack upon a professor, whether provoked or not, is a serious offence for which the consequences are most..."

"No." Harry intoned hollowly, cutting off the headmaster's lecture.

"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked in genuine surprise. It had probably been decades since someone had even dared question his wisdom and authority in any fashion.

Harry spoke slowly. His voice radiated a cold fury that was frightening in it's implications.

"I..said..no. It is your prerogative to dole out punishment to any student under your authority as you see fit, however, that does not apply to me as I am no longer a student of this school. I am of age and have earned sufficient O.W.L's to be regarded as a fully qualified wizard. It was my intention to leave the premises quietly without incident, and would have done so if that great bat hadn't taken it upon himself to swoop down and attempt to victimize me, yet again, for his own sadistic pleasure. I think he's sufficiently learned this evening to stick with terrorizing frightened children, as adults are obviously way out of his league. Now that this evening's minor distraction has been dealt with, I shall be on my way."

Harry turned on his heal and managed to take only a half step toward the gated entrance to Hogwarts, before Dumbledore's voice gave him pause.

"Quite out of the question. The castle doors are locked and shall remain so until morning. I have not dismissed you from this school, nor do I intend to for the foreseeable future. Now if you've quite finished your juvenile tirade, I expect you in my office within the next five minutes or you shall find the consequences for this evening abysmal behavior most severe. Do I make myself abundantly clear, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore's voice radiated power and his tone held no slight hint of menace. If, however, he had expected to cow Harry into blind submission, he was to be sorely disappointed.

Harry never turned around from where he stood. He never so much as spared a glace in deference for his once beloved mentor,.. nor his formerly cherished friends, who stood rigidly in the background watching the enfolding drama with frightened curiosity.

"What part of no, didn't you understand Dumbledore? Harry's voice echoed in a threatening tone. A golden glow surrounded his body and the air seemed to thicken and crackle with static electricity.

"I.. AM.. LEAVING!" Each word that left his throat boomed through the castle as if it were a clap of thunder.

Ron and Hermione both stumbled backward from the concussion, dropping and falling upon the potion master, as a result. Snape mewled pitifully beneath them as they made no attempts to right themselves, staring dumbly as the tension of the situation continued to build.

McGonagal cringed back in growing dread of what was quickly escalating into a confrontation that could very well have epic proportions.

Merlin's beard,.. an aura shield,.. and a pure golden one at that! Dumbledore blanched as he stumbled back warily away from Harry's glowing form.

What have I wrought? His brain searched desperately for a way to resolve the situation amicably. He'd made a grievous tactical error in assuming that Harry would still blindly succumb to the commands of an authority figure. Snape's folly had proven the truth of that.

You get more flies with honey…? He considered desperately.

"Harry,.. please come to my office where we can discuss this matter more peacefully?" Dumbledore cajoled.

"I am no longer, Harry Potter." Harry spoke with a deadly calm. His body began to tremble, vibrate even. His aura intensified to blinding proportions.

To the untrained eye he appeared to be straining to maintain his powerful shield, but in actuality, he was harnessing his power,. and it was answering his summons.

"Harry is a name that is given to a person, not a thing. A weapon is a thing, not a person. That is what you claimed to have made, Dumbledore,.. a thing,. a weapon. That is what I wish to be called from this moment on: 'THE WEAPON'."

In answer to Harry's unspoken command, his magic flared and filled the entryway with a blinding flash of golden light. The gated castle doors that had stood for millennia were torn asunder and the entire castle shook violently from the concussion. Those that had been standing in the foyer were thrown unceremoniously from their feet, sent sprawling across the flagstone floor.

Minutes passed before, Albus Dumbledore was able to gather his wits and pull his aching, aged frame into a sitting position and consider horrifically, God in heaven! What have I unleashed upon the world?