AN: Hey everyone! I'm back. I live in Orlando and because of the Hurricane I've been without power and just got back my internet today. Lucky you I was still writing eventhough I couldn't post. So here's chapter 10. Chapter 11 should be up soon, I decided to rewrite that one cuz I didn't like it. I'm back in school as of Monday so I probably wont get to update as much as I'd like but definitely on weekends. Thanks for the reviews everyone.

Athenakitty, well you'll see about the school stuff in this chapter and ch. 11 coming up, as for the daily prophet, I don't think he'll sue but he will do something suggestions welcome!

Fission25, you'll see what Ron and Hermione have been up to soon, I cant tell you if they'll all still be friends because I'm not sure just yet. Keep reading!

Shadow phenox, I haven't decided on a pairing yet but I'm not really a big H/G fan so that narrows it down a lot, if you guys push for the H/G I might be swayed but we'll see.

lmill123: yes some stuff in the papers is only known by Harry's friends and Dumbledore but you'll see an explanation about that coming in the next two chapters or so.

R/R everyone!

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After casting the appearance charm on himself Harry followed the shadows of the house quietly heading for the basement. There was something he now knew was here that he had to get back.

Down in the basement Harry quietly went about weaving through the boxes and odds and ends stacked around until he came to a corner where an old dusty and dented box stood seemingly separated from everything else. He stepped closer and saw that it wasn't a box but a trunk, and the initials engraved on it were L. R. E., in other words, Lily Rochelle Evens. He'd seen the trunk only once before when he'd been forced to spend a full day locked in the basement for an 'accident' at school. He hadn't known then what the box was, and had even less of a clue whose initials were on it, now he did.

He placed his palm to the top of the box and released a wandless charm and it shrunk to the size of a cigarette pack. There was definitely no love lost between Harry and his relatives but he knew that for his mother's memory he had one last thing to do. Letting the shadows cover him he reappeared in his Aunt's 'art' room. Something he never quite understood was his aunt's collection of paintings and sketches, he wasn't allowed to go in there ever since he was 4 years old. He had wandered in and saw his aunt sitting on a small couch staring across the room at a painting. Harry couldn't tell what was so special about the painting it was just two little girls.

Harry looked over at the painting still hanging on the far wall. His mother and aunt Petunia side by side, faces smiling. The must have only been about 7 and 5 years old but they looked happy. The others were of an older couple and another of the small family together, the last a beautiful house on a lake. On closer inspection he saw that the initials in the corner were the same. They were his mother's paintings. Four in total lined all along one wall. It was all his mother's work.

For as often as he'd wished and hoped to find out something about his parents it was there all along. His aunt had always locked this room to keep him out. Harry supposed it held memories for her of when her and her sister were happy. It made him angry.

He'd asked dozens of times when he was younger. "Aunt Petunia, what was my mum like?" "Do I look like my mum or my dad?" on and on. He'd finally gotten the message one day when he was 5. His uncle had exploded. "Stop asking about those retched people ! They died, they were freaks just like you and it's a good riddance! You're lucky we took you in be satisfied we do that and don't ask anymore or you will regret it!"

Being young enough to make the foolish mistake he did, Harry asked…"Why."

He was rewarded with a sound slap to the face. "Your mother…! well freaks deserve what they get don't they. We should have cast you out when we found you. We don't owe her anything but be thankful we are the kind hearted people we are, do not speak of those people again in this house boy!"

Harry walked quietly downstairs and into the living room he paused outside the cupboard under the stairs shaking his head. He walked into the kitchen, and was met by shocked faces.

He had suffered at the hands of these people for 16 years. They had belittled him and caused him such mental and emotional pain; he had no clue as to how he was even a semblance of normal, whatever that is. But what he was about to do, he was doing because of the memory of his mother. This was her sister.

"Hello everyone" he spoke in a voice deeper than they remembered a solid and rich tenor that sent a shiver up their spines.

"H-Harry…" Dudley said.

"Boy! What in bloody hell do you think you're doing just waltzing into our home!" Vernon yelled.

Harry turned a cold green gaze to his uncle. One thing he'd learned in his training was that you had an advantage over those who freely showed emotion if you kept yours hidden, it kept them unsettled and you could gain a lot more that way.

" It would be in your best interest to calm yourself now Vernon, we have some things to discuss."

Vernon shot out of his chair, his face an ugly shade of red.

"Get out of my house you freak, we're finally rid of you and we'll keep it that way!" he raised his hand as if to hit Harry.

Harry ignored him and sat in a chair.

"No Vernon, I will not leave until I have said a few things. If you can't keep quiet then I'll just have to make you." Harry replied smoothly using his wand for appearances sake he cast a muting hex on his uncle followed quickly by an immobilizing spell, which brought him back to his seat.

"B-but you're not allowed to…"

"I assure you Petunia, I can do magic. Now we'll continue with this discussion shall we?" he stated.

Dudley was trying to stealthily move away from Harry to run upstairs and hide. Not possible even if he had lost some weight he was still very hard to miss.

Harry cast the same charms on Dudley before turning to Petunia.

"I've only come to let you know what is going on…" Harry began. "I know you could care less what happens to me, in fact given the abuse I've suffered under this roof I'm surprising myself by even bothering to explain but that is the way this works. I discovered some things this summer that led me to take certain actions, mainly my leaving here for the last 3 weeks. You don't need to know about all that but what you need to know is you are in danger."

"Danger!" Petunia screeched being the only one capable of sound besides Harry.

"Yes. The wizard who killed my parents has returned. He has been trying to kill me for the last few years. I'm here because of the protection placed on this house, at Petunia's dawning understanding he continued, the spells cast require my presence for a certain length of time to be fully activated. No matter what ill will there exists between us, fact is you are my mum's sister. I wont just stand by and watch you be tortured or killed if I can help it in any way."

There was silence for a few moments.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"Well I'm going to do a few things, I will be here for a few days yet to make sure you are safe, I'll return next summer for two weeks, which should be sufficient for our purposes. During my time here I only ask you leave me be and I will do the same, be grateful I am not taking my revenge out on you for all you have put me through, out of respect for my mother and father I wont."

"T-that man was here with the rest of those… your kind, looking for you." Petunia said.

Harry was only slightly surprised, he'd hoped to be back before Dumbledore caught on to his disappearance.

"What did he say?"

"H-he well…we're supposed to tell him when you return…" she said.

Harry nodded. "Very well." He let out a quick almost soundless whistle and waited. He took a piece of paper and pen from his charmed pockets and wrote:

Dumbledore,

I have returned to my relatives home for the time being. They informed me that you wished to be notified of my return. I am well. Please let Remus know not to worry, I am fine.

Harry Potter

A moment later a tap at the kitchen window signaled Hedwig's arrival. He gave her a good petting and spoke softly asking her to deliver the letter and then return to him. Harry waved his wand and conjured himself a glass of Grailis and some for his aunt as well though she was hesitant to take it.

"I know you don't want me here but until Voldemort is gone this is the best way I can ensure that you are protected. I've taken my belongings from the basement, and will remain in my room as much as possible, it would be best for us all I'm sure. Let me know if you have any questions, I warn you now Vernon, I am no longer the child I was, I can do you damage in more ways you know so I wouldn't raise a hand to me as you have in the past. My animal friends from my stay before are with me again but they wont harm you if you don't treat them badly." Harry stood up and walked out and upstairs lifting the hexes and spells he'd cast wandlessly.

He had been in his room for half an hour when he heard the telltale sounds of his Aunt's shriek and Dudley trying to hide his massive backside behind the couch.

Harry stood checking the concealment charms he'd placed on himself. He was now dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a muscle shirt. Even with the charm you could tell that he'd grown muscle and was more in shape. His hair was tied back in a long braid that stopped between his shoulder blades. He wore a pair of glasses with no frame.

He walked downstairs and into the living room using the shadows naturally to check for danger.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore, Tonks, Moody…" he stated as he stood in the doorway to the living room.

Albus looked at him briefly before saying, "Harry my boy! It's good to see you have returned safely." Harry's face remained expressionless.

Dysis was carefully wrapped around his arm her color reflecting it's now usual state of a cream or beige color that almost made her disappear into Harry's skin since it so closely matched it, but the sparkle her scales held still made her stand out.

[Magic people, they are curious about you Master] she hissed.

[Yes they want to know what I've been up to no doubt] Harry replied lowly so the others couldn't hear.

"Yes I have returned. I needed to take care of a few things but I'm back now." Harry said.

"Just what were you thinking going off like that Harry!" Tonks asked angrily.

"I found out about something's that I inherited and decided to check it out, I was perfectly safe" Harry explained.

"Where were you exactly Harry?" Albus asked.

Harry regarded him closely. "I told you, I was checking out some of the things I inherited, properties I own and the like, things you felt necessary to keep from me for all these years." Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw the Dursley's interest peak at the thought of Harry having money.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a little less at Harry's statement and Tonks and Moody shared a glance.

"Yes I did not feel you were ready for the responsibility you are after all only 16." Dumbledore said.

"Yes well no worries now, I've rightfully claimed all my assets, why are you here?"

"You ran off boy, what were you expectin'? We're supposed to keep you safe, how can we do that if you run off and don't tell us!" Moody yelled his magical eye spinning.

Careful Harry, don't let your temper get out of control Crystal's voice sounded in his mind.

"Well I'm here now what more do you want?"

"Well Harry I'm sorry to say that we will need to take some extra precautions because of all this."

"Like what?" Harry asked coldly.

"Well you must remain here for the necessary time to ensure your relatives safety here, after that we will bring you to the Burrow, it's the new Order Headquarters."

"Ah yes you do have a new home for the Order, good, well I see no need for me to go to the Burrow, I'll be fine here." Harry said surely.

"What's your problem Harry! We're going to bring you with us and get to the bottom of this we will." Tonks said.

Harry looked at her and smirked. "I'm perfectly fine Tonks, I can stay here just fine."

"Maybe the papers were right! Stupid boy" Moody growled under his breath, no one else heard but Harry.

His eyes narrowed.

"What papers, what are they saying now?" he questioned.

Tonks looked at Dumbledore.

"We're just worried about you Harry, we'll explain more at headquarters no worries." She said her tone changing from angry to falsely reassuring.

"Whatever." Harry replied. "If that's all I'm sure my relatives would be happy you left now." Harry stood up.

"Yes, oh and one more thing Harry, there have been additional wards activated to restrict you from leaving the residence without the knowledge of the Order. I'll be seeing you soon Harry." Dumbledore said disappearing with Tonks and Moody with a pop. Harry stood frozen in place trying to reign in his temper.