Book One

Meeting Dumbledore

The long walk all the way up to the Headmaster's office was even worse than Harry had anticipated. Not that he'd anticipated this at all. He'd never been caught before. There was always a way out, and he always found it.

Ron kept shooting death glares at Hermione the entire way. He could guess what was going through his head. One of the first things he told Harry about Slytherin was that there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin. Harry didn't believe it, but Ron probably did, and he probably felt very betrayed.

In one night, a Slytherin had given them a warning, while a Gryffindor had betrayed them to Snape.

Harry felt betrayed too. Even though he didn't invite her in on his plans. No, it was Snape that read his mind, and then told Hermione so she could spy on him. Didn't she remember their first potions class? Snape had mocked her too. It was for her and Lydia and all of Gryffindor that he was striking back at Snape…

Except that Snape had told her when he was defending her from bullies, and while Harry was being indecisive.

Now Harry felt like he'd betrayed himself.

The four of them stopped in front of a stone gargoyle. Snape muttered something.

"I'm afraid you'll have to speak up Severus." The Gargoyle said. "I'm an old bit of granite, and Filch forgot to polish my ears this week."

"You know perfectly well that Filch would never do such a thing." Snape hissed. "You know who I am, now open up."

"How can I be sure you're Snape?" The Gargoyle asked.

Snape sighed, and muttered something again.

"Louder."

"Jellie Babies." Snape said loudly.

The gargoyle's smile widened, and the section of wall it was standing in front of peeled away to reveal a winding staircase.

The walked up the staircase, and stopped in front of a thick oak door with a golden Ankh on it. Snape knocked, and the door opened. Dumbledore's office was lined with cabinets. Some had old looking books in them, others were filled with exotic silver instruments. On one shelf, the Sorting Hat rested next to a strange looking helmet. Behind his desk, a large flame red bird sat behind Dumbledore.

This was the first time Harry had seen Dumbledore outside of the great hall. From far off, he looked like a rather majestic wizard, with long robes, a pointy hat, and a long white beard. From close up, his robes were an off-putting pattern of stripes and spots in garish blue, purple, and orange. His pointy hat looked a lot more like a night cap than an actual wizard hat. And there were bits and pieces of… things stuck in Dumbledore's beard.

To Harry's relief, grandpa Mad-eye was there too, wearing some very official looking black robes. His relief turned to dread as his eye swiveled towards him, and Harry thought to ask himself why he was here.

Does Dumbledore already know?

"Headmaster." Snape strode in. "I have evidence here, that…"

He stopped as Hermione and Ron tripped and fell to the floor.

"You tripped me!" Ron yelled, as he tried and failed to get up.

"I did not." Hermione said sternly. She tugged at her legs experimentally. "It would appear that some form of magic is preventing our shoes from coming into the office."

"Oh dear." Dumbledore raised his wand, and the tips of their shoelaces exploded rather spectacularly, and they were able to get up. "It appears you were caught in my anti-shoelace tip wards."

"Why do you have wards up against Aglets?" Hermione asked.

"Don't say their names." The Headmaster said gravely. "Their true purpose… is sinister."

One of the many mechanical devices produced an ominous bolt of lightning at this statement.

"Moving on to lighter subjects." Dumbledore turned back to Snape with a twinkle in his eye. "My dear Professor Snape. May I assume that Ms. Granger has finally come up with evidence of Mr. Potter's scheming?"

"Correct as usual." Snape drawled. "Will you be sending Alastor away?"

"I think I might want to stay for this." Mad-eye's eye roamed across the group.

"Surely you trust Dumbledore's deductive abilities Alastor? Even if I could, I will not coerce him into believing falsehoods concerning my Slytherins."

"I trust you as far as I could spit you severus." He grinned.

"That gives me a mile of leeway." Snape drawled. "Ms. Granger, would you please present the evidence you found, before Alastor unhinges his jaw?"

Hermione eyed Mad-eye warily – Harry had to tell himself that his grandpa could handle himself – and presented the scroll to Dumbledore. Dumbledore read it with a raised eyebrow. "What's that supposed to be?" Mad-eye asked.

"It is a full and complete schedule for every house and age group." Dumbledore said. "Snape has accused Mr. Potter of using such a schedule to create 'chance encounters' with Slytherin students and provoking them to fight, just before a teacher walks by." He looked at Harry and Ron over his half-moon glasses. "Snape does not make such accusations lightly. Is this true?"

"I… yes, it's true."

"But he was only doing it 'cause Snape is a greasy #$%!" Ron blurted out.

"Language Weasly!" Hermione and Snape yelled at the same moment.

"Teacher's pet." He muttered.

"Your sentiments are appreciated Mr. Weasly, though not your language." Dumbledore said. "Perhaps you would care to enlighten me on the reason behind this behavior Mr. Potter?"

"Who cares what his reasons are?" Snape hissed.

"Surely you have an interest in determining the severity of his offence and the resulting detention?" Dumbledore asked. Snape immediately shut up, and sent a calculating look at the two of them.

Snape seemed to accept that, much to Harry's chagrin. "Well… it started in our first potion's class." Harry explained. "Snape started picking on me. Asking me questions I had no right knowing… I looked them up later, and if it weren't for grandpa Mad-eye, I wouldn't have even known what a bezoar was, much less where to find it. Each question was only one line in the book!"

"Of course." Snape scoffed. "You see Headmaster? He doesn't even pretend to have a noble cause, he's simply lashing out for his wounded pride."

"It wasn't like that!" Harry snapped. "Sure, I was angry, and I thought that after this was over something would have to be done about Snape, but I didn't cause a fuss. But then Lydia stood up for me, and Snape started on her!"

Hermione sniffed. "So as long as Snape was cruel to people who you didn't know you would've been okay with it?"

"I…"

"You traitor!" Ron burst out. "Snape was mean to you too!"

"Mr. Weasly." Dumbledore said gently. Ron stopped cold. Harry wondered if there was magic involved.

"Harry, is do you have anything else to add?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry ground his teeth. "Just… my dad taught me that friendship was the most important thing in the world. Whenever somebody tries to hurt him or bully him, he just sits there and takes it. It doesn't matter to him. As far as he's concerned, they can try and bully him. But if somebody tries to hurt him by bullying his friends, then he gets back at them hard. I just… think he's right. Snape saw that I wasn't going to let him get to me, so he went for Lydia instead."

The room went silent. "Well, if you were trying to send a message, message received." Snap said. "You are a fool."

Harry glared at him.

"May I ask for your point of view Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"I would give it whether you like it or not Headmaster." Snape said. "Originally, my aim was to test the Potter boy with obscure questions."

"You admit it!" Mad-eye growled.

"Yes. I do. Potter's father was always a trouble-maker, a lazy, arrogant, no account… well, others think highly of him I suppose. The point is, I wanted to see if he had any trouble making tendencies, and he did! His second question, where would he find a Bezoar? He answered 'in a store', clearly ignoring the intent of the question."

"All of the questions I asked were, at some point, answered in the book, even if for a single sentence. If he had answered all correctly, I would have been even more suspicious. If he'd revealed he didn't know any of the answers, reacted normally, I would have paid him no mind. But he knew the answer to one question, and didn't say anything, just stared at me angrily."

"But it wasn't because I was suspicious of him being a trouble maker that I took house points from Ms. Deetz. She started with angrily yelling at me, and escalated from there. She was a most unruly student, and some of the wizard-born Gryffindors were agreeing with her. I had to instill order. I was in no way attacking her to get to Harry, I was instilling my students with respect for their teachers."

Harry was blushing now. He wouldn't have regretted anything, not if it was to protect a friend. But if that cause was wiped away…

Snape wasn't finished yet.

"And I find it hypocritical." Snape said. "That you were insulted by my supposed slight to your friend, that you consider striking at people through their acquaintances the worst type of sin… and yet that is exactly what you have done, striking at me through Slytherin."

And now Harry was horrified. Snape was right. He had just… he had just done the very thing he'd deemed unforgivable for so many years. He'd done exactly what he thought only the worst of humanity did.

"Dumbledore, are you using legimancy on Harry?" Mad-eye growled.

Harry's eyes shot up, and met Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes. "Just a trace Alastor, just a trace." He reassured Mad-eye. "Now, I think we have all the facts. Snape, how much points do you estimate Mr. Potter has cost Slytherin?"

"Two hundred and seventy eight." Snape sniffed.

"Very well." Dumbledore said. "Since I believe your students shouldn't get away so easily – they were quite easily provoked into violence after all – only one hundred and thirty nine points shall be awarded to Slytherin, and a further one hundred and thirty nine points be taken away from Gryffindor."

Snape seemed to be angry but resigned. "That covers house points. What of individual points?"

"Hmmm… twenty points for each of the masterminds."

"Too lenient." Snape said. "Only sixty points for masterminding this?"

"It seems fair Severus."

"Sixty?" Ron yelled.

"I do not believe that Ms. Deetz was involved in masterminding this plot." Dumbledore told Snape. Snape looked confused, but didn't argue.

"Headmaster look at the bottom corner there." Mad-eye said, pointing at the parchment.

"Yes Alastor, I caught it. It is no surprise to me that the Weasley twins had a hand in this." Dumbledore nodded. "Therefore, eighty points will be taken from Gryffindor. And, a further twenty points gained for Ms. Granger's impressive courage."

Snape rounded on Hermione, but seemed to falter at her beaming face. "Very well." The potion's master nodded. "Sixty points."

"But that's more than two hundred –"

"You have cost Slytherin as much." Dumbledore gently reminded him. "I will also be writing to both of your parents." Ron paled. "Now, Alastor, if you could escort your great-grandson and his partner in crime to their dormitories, Severus and I will discuss further punishments, and I think they should be rested for tomorrow."

Mad-eye set his eyes on the two, and Harry wished he could disappear on the spot.

"Come on." He limped his way out the door, and the three of them followed.

"Ms. Granger." Professor Snape said. "I believe it would be safer for you if we floo'd you directly to your common room."

"I'm sorry professor, but what's floo?" Hermione asked.

Snape rolled his eyes. "All the more reason to show you if you don't know." He fixed his steely gaze on the trio. "Well?"

Mad-eye gestured, and Ron and Harry walked along with him.


They walked along in silence for some time. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this Ron." Harry said.

"Nah mate, you didn't drag me into anything." Ron smiled good naturedly. Harry could see the exhaustion in his eyes, but he smiled back anyway.

"And Grandpa, I'm sorry for disappointing you."

"What are you talking about?" Mad-eye asked.

"I hurt other people to get to Snape."

"But you got to him." Mad-eye grinned. "You could see it in his eyes; he was shaken. He's always deserved it."

"But what about the other people?" Harry asked. "They didn't deserve it."

Mad-eye smiled. "You know, you did lose some of my respect back there. But hearing you say that, you've just earned it back again." He may as well have been speaking another language. Harry couldn't understand how somebody could do what he did and be forgiven. "And if I were your dad, I might say something about losing my trust in you, but I never had that to begin with."

Harry's mind was blown.

"Listen, Harry." Mad-eye stopped them. "How old are you?"

"I'm eleven."

"You're eleven years old. And you made a mistake. Wandering the streets of London without support few a few days would put a few years on any kid, and you've always had your grown-up moments. But just because you like to act like a grown-up doesn't mean you are one."

"You made a mistake, and Dumbledore is going to fix it. It'll be embarrassing for a while, but humiliation is just a test of maturity. You can deal with it I'm sure, even if it takes a few months to die down. Never underestimate Hogwarts; crazy things happen here every day of the week. It's what makes it such a great school. A story like this won't even last onto next year's rumor mill."

"The more power you have, your mistakes will be correspondingly huger. But for now, you're just an eleven year old kid. And even if you're the boy who lived, you have your whole life ahead of you. Okay?"

Harry nodded. He felt a lot calmer now. "Thanks grandpa." He nervously opened his arms.

Grandpa touched his wands at several points around his clothes to stop them from attacking anybody who touched him, and he hugged Harry.

Ron looked at the pair of them. "Well, now I know why you're a nutter Harry." Ron said approvingly. "You never said your grandpa was Mad-eye Moody!"

"Adoptive great-grandfather." Mad-eye corrected. "So, Mr. Weasley. I hear you're friends with Harry?"

Ron nodded.

"Good. You know, I trained your dad during the war." He leaned in close. "And I know that if you use your position to hurt Harry, he won't be able to stop me from getting back at you even if he tried."

Ron paled.

"Grandpa." Harry said sternly. "Don't scare Ron."

"Scare a Weasley? You must be joking." Mad-eye grinned.

Ron seemed to be encouraged by that remark. "Hey Harry, do you think your grandpa can teach us occlumency?"

"Why would – ah, you found out about Snape did you?"

They nodded.

"Well, you can get your own dad to teach you occlumency." Mad-eye told Ron. "And I'll be sure to start teaching Harry whenever he comes home. But it seems to me that you'd need something now, and occlumency usually takes years."

"Do you have something in mind?" Harry asked.

Mad-eye nodded. "I might be able to cobble something together that doesn't use occlumency. Innovation, Harry, that's the key. The third rule of magic is; all magic has a counter."

"All magic?" Harry asked.

"Yep. In fact, the Japanese Aurors, the Golden Oni, have developed a unique form of martial art that revolves around casting only counter-spells."

"But dad said that there's no such thing as a counter-spell for Unforgivable curses." Ron said.

"What are unforgivable curses?" Harry asked.

Mad-eye muttered something about them being too young to know, but he smiled and told them anyway. "They're three curses that'll earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban prison." Mad-eye said. "There's the Imperius curse, where a wizard takes control of another wizard's body. That one's easy to throw off though, you don't even need occlumency training."

"Then there's the Curicatus curse. It's a torture curse, and there's no escaping it, as it's cast from the wizard's pure hatred towards the target. However, there is a spell which will induce a temporary insanity, which will forever dull you to any Cruciatus curse." Mad-eye sighed. "The insanity is temporary, but the Golden Oni practice it under controlled conditions, so it lasts up to a week and then they're immunized. If you perform the spell while under the Curciatus, then the insanity lasts much longer, the longest case going up to twenty-one years. We would've lost fewer men in the war if only they'd immunized themselves beforehand. But the spell also makes people… odd. Some people say they notice the symptoms in me, and Dumbledore."

"Blimey." Ron said. "Do you mean to say that the Japanese Aurors are all like Dumbledore?"

"They all have different quirks." Mad-eye shrugged. "They're okay, but don't trust them. As for the last Unforgivable, the killing curse, I used to think it was the exception to the rule, since the only way to not be killed is to not be in its path. But then young Harry here somehow found the counter to it when he was a baby."

"Anyway, Occlumency is usually the only way to block Legimency, but I have a few tentative allies that have some ideas about that. Anything else you think you'll need to be safe here?"

"Hogwarts is the safest place on earth." Ron said.

"And who told you that?" Mad-eye asked.

"My dad."

"And why do you think your dad wanted you to feel calm as he sent you alone into the world."

"… Oh."

"Don't worry Ron." Harry said. "According to Grandpa, nobody and nothing is safe."

Mad-eye nodded. "And the sooner the two of you know that, the better."

"Hey Grandpa." Harry's past trouble already forgotten as he tried to lighten the mood for Ron. "I read that you used to have a pet dragon to sniff through your mail. What happened to it."

Mad-eye stiffened. "Oh, he's still around." He shrugged. "Now, come on. I have to escort you back to your dormitories. You'll want to be well rested for the Halloween celebrations tomorrow. And since I'm there, I may as well trouble Dean for a lock of his hair."

The made their way to Gryffindor tower, and Harry thought of something. "Hey Grandpa, why were you talking to Dumbledore?"

"Oh, we were just discussion Superman." Mad-eye shrugged.

"I read that he was obliviated an' released."

"Oh, yes." Mad-eye grinned. "Do you know, there's a fine line between something human, and inhuman, where you know something's wrong. You can always tell when a human is just a boggart impersonating a human, for example. You can just tell when something's wrong. Superman, he has the exact opposite of the feeling, which is strange for a non human. I don't trust him."

"Constant vigilance." Harry nodded.

"Exactly." Mad-eye said. "Still, there's a counter for everything, even Occlumency. I broke through any training he might have had. And apparently, he really does just do what he does to help people. When I explained to him that Wizard's weren't threatening muggles, he didn't even try to escape."

"It's a shame the Ministry obliviated him then." Harry sighed.

Mad-eye smiled. "Yes. The ministry wanted to make sure they obliviated him thoroughly too. So they let their top retired Auror do it."

Harry stared at his uncle.

He didn't – he wouln't – would he?

"How would you feel if I could arrange a meeting with your favorite celebrity?"

Merlin… he faked Superman's oblivitation!

"I thought you weren't going to tell me any national secrets until I made some myself." Harry said, in awe of his suddenly not-so-nuts grandpa. Ron looked at them strangely, then he realized the double meanings behind Mad-eye's words.

"Well you lot seem to be adept at hiding things, and even if Snape does think to ask your mind a question about me, I'll be sending you something to prevent Legimancy soon enough."

And that was how Harry's night turned from the worst night of his life, to one of the better ones. He was touched by this gesture – no matter how small – of trust from his adopted grandpa.

But even as he tucked himself in for the night, Dean excited and Ron muttering about getting back at Hermione, he made a promise to himself never to attack somebody through their friends again.

He went to sleep with the rotten feeling of a sinking heart, worrying about tomorrow.


Snape and Dumbledore strode through the memory of the fateful first day of potions.

"I know you know who was behind this, without even resorting to legimancy. Why did you let Ms. Deetz off the hook?"

"There were more students involved then just the five." Dumbledore explained. "If I had taken away equal points for each, then Slytherin would be unfairly in the lead, which is just as bad as being unfairly in the back. Besides, I know the Weasleys will not shirk from associating from Harry with this, but it would be nice if Harry could make it through this fiasco with some friends, wouldn't it?"

Snape simply glared at the memory of the boy, as he insolently answered 'in a shop?'

Dumbledore poked his head underneath the desks to see how much gum there was. "Lemon Drop?" He offered.

"I don't want your candy." Snape said. Even though his face was as composed a mask as ever, Dumbledore could tell he was sulking.

"If you say so." He shrugged, and popped the drop into his beard for later eating. "Although, Poppy once told me that people who have received a shock should try to talk to others about it…"

"I'm not shocked." Snape glared. "He is exactly as arrogant and cruel as his father."

He began to pace, as the memory of his snapped at Hermione to put her hand down. "You should have taken him back to his muggle relatives once you'd found him. Not raised him with some yankee ponce and a crackpot conspiracy theorist."

"I got the impression that Tess was of a rather sound mind." Dumbledore said, confused.

"You know what I mean!" Snape said. "He thinks he can get away with anything. At least with muggles, he would have been taught humility."

"Remind me to show you Minerva or Arabella's memories of the muggles one day." Dumbledore said. "I'm quite glad an alternate solution was provided. I was looking forward to the day when the Hogwarts letters were sent out, so I could plague the Dursleys with letters for a good week, before the official policy of sending a Hogwarts official to a muggle raised wizard. Who do you think would have been more intimidating, Minerva, Hagrid, or you?"

"Please try to be serious." Snape sighed. "The boy is…"

"You seem at a loss for words, Severus." Dumbledore observed somberly. "You know, the muggles have a word for that. It goes like this – Supercalafrajalis–"

"Oh do shut up." Snape drawled. He sighed again. "The boy is just like his father."

"Oh, I don't know." Dumbledore thought.

"You saw that scroll. If he was a few years older, it would have been a map."

"True. But James never quite went to such extremes, especially so early."

"No. The brat's even worse than his father."

"In fact, I'd say that ambition is almost Slytherin."

That stopped Snape in his tracks. A handful of diced roots flew through his head.

"And the way he went about it… very cunning." Dumbledore said. "I remember when Lily got the entire student body in on a plot to…"

"Stop." Severus said.

Dumbledore shrugged. "And what of Ms. Granger? A very brilliant girl, for a muggle born, and a Gryffindor."

Snape frowned, and shot out of the Pensieve. Dumbledore followed him. "I believe we were discussing punishments." Snape said. "I do not believe they should be expelled…"

"I'm pleasantly surprised."

"… However, I believe detentions until Christmas holidays with Filch would teach Potter a lesson."

"Oh, let them have tomorrow night Severus. It's Halloween."

"Do you imagine Moody is not coddling the two of them enough right now? Furthermore, I believe the Weasley twins should be banned from Quidditch, and the younger Weasley should be made to have detentions with me."

"A little harsh Severus." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "However, I will bring it up to McGonagall. If Harry is only serving detentions until Christmas holidays, then certainly the Weasleys should have their ban lifted after that period. Ronald should also be shown lenience; Harry will have it rough because Alastor is doubtless ensuring he is taken care of. However, unless Molly has changed over the years she will send her son a howler tomorrow the likes of which Hogwarts has never seen nor ever will see again."

"Very well." Snape said. "Give him detentions with whomever you see fit." He moved to leave, but stopped at the door.

"Yes old friend." Albus said. "He is very much like his father. But that is not necessarily a bad thing."

Snape left without another word.


A/N: No new characters today, just a reference to the Question. And yes, their true pupose is... SINISTER!

Just so you know, I like to plan these things out ahead of time. I did not suddenly wake up one morning and realize that what Harry was doing was wrong. This is all part of the plan. Likewise, keep an eye out for further clues, such as the Golden Oni or the Aglets. Like Rowling, I'm instilling threads into the story I can follow if I want, but I know that there are some things that will definitely be followed.

The Longbottom story was an idea I came up with. If the Longbottoms are anything likt Neville was in book Seven (and most say that they were even more impressive) why on earth would they go insane from Cruciatus? my version of events is this; Frank realized they were going to torture them until they were dead, so he preformed the anti-cruciatus spell (any ideas for a real name for that spell anyone?) on her, so that maybe while he died, she would at least not feel any pain and maybe live. But, in true form for Longbottom luck, his wife had the same idea and they cast the spell simultaneously. Bellatrix realized she couldn't hurt them any more, so she left. It's much more romantic than the original story, right? And while there's hope for their recovery, I hope it's still a tear jerker.

Stay tuned next week, when you get to see the first really big change for Harry's tale. Halloween. My plan going into this was to ramp up the wizarding world to an almost cosmic extreme, and this'll be the chapter where you realize that unlike other fanfic writers I don't just keep adding powers to Harry but leave Voldemort at the same level.

If you're interested in Dean, be sure to vote for who his father is! Please Read and Review!