Hello readers! Sorry for the delay. Thank you reviewers for your wonderful comments. It really made my day. Hope this chapter impresses you. I am planning different approach. It will be Political battles more this year. Pairings would be revealed in this chapter...

/* ...Text... */ Taken from the book and modified as per my needs.

Disclaimer : Everything belongs to JKR...She is the goddess & I minion.

Harry Potter was currently sitting in the study room of Potter manor and laughing quite loudly, while looking at the latest edition of Daily Prophet. It read:

Is Lord Malfoy cheating with ministry official?

Yesterday the editor of Daily Prophet received rather controversial photographs of Lord Lucius Malfoy. He was found in rather intimate position with senior Undersecretary of Minister, Dolores Umbridge, in an inn named 'Enamor' in Diagon Alley. This inn is a rather costly inn for high class people where privacy is guaranteed. The photographs attached show how they were caught in the act. The details of the messenger are unknown.

Surprisingly after seeing this article Minister of Magic left his office rather distraught. Why is minister upset? Is it because ministry is disgraced or rather because of the female individual caught during the act?

Harry during his trail found out using Legilimency on Umbridge that she was the one who sent the Dementors after him. She was also being appointed as DADA professor this year and was planning on making his life Malfoy was the one who convinced Fudge to hold a full trail. He was planning on disgracing both of them together.

Harry spoke to Winky and Dobby and asked them to discreetly collect hairs of Malfoy and Umbridge. He and Fleur took the Polyjuice potion, morphing to Malfoy and Umbridge. They made out in the forms of Malfoy and Umbridge while Daphne took the photographs.

Fleur said "This Umbridge woman tastes like toad."

Harry chuckled and said "Man Malfoys do overcompensate their shortcomings with boasting. I mean they are small and when I say small really really small."

Fleur looked towards Daphne shyly and said "Not everyone is as well endowed as Harry, we are very lucky. What do you say?"

Daphne looked at Fleur and said "Yes he has an image to uphold, otherwise how can he satisfy both of us."

-Flashback with Fleur-

Fleur offered herself to Harry after he rescued her sister. She took over her sister's life debt as she was under-aged and offered herself as compensation.

Fleur said "Harry I offer myself to you. You can do as you please. My sister being under-aged had transferred her debt to me."

Harry looked into Fleur's eyes and said "I will not take you as compensation. If anything offer me your hand in friendship. There may come a day when I would be in trouble, and then I would visit you and may need your hospitality, till then consider me a friend."

Fleur's eyes widened comically, she had never known a man to refuse a Veela. Her father even after being married for 20 years to her mother still couldn't refuse her.

Fleur questioned Harry with wide eyes, "We are considered creatures. Why would you want friendship with me? Many would kill their mothers to spend a night with me." Fleur didn't say this pride but with shame and disgust. Don't get her wrong she loved Veela heritage but didn't like problems which were associated with them.

Harry scoffed "As if I care for that. I see a beautiful girl who wears a mask to ward off unwanted attention. I would personally wash your mouth if you refer yourself as a creature again. You are a teenage girl Fleur."

Fleur's eyes were shining with tears when she rushed over to Harry and hugged him tightly. She said while sobbing lightly "I am sorry Harry for treating you badly during the Halloween. I was very distraught for being away from my family and I wanted to prove myself that I am not dumb but I am intelligent. I want people to say she is brilliant girl than to she is a beautiful girl. When I saw you there I saw my chances to win the tournament pale drastically. I mean how can I compare to the Boy-Who-Lived? "

"I became very insecure and spoke like the red head guy from Gryffindor."

Harry using his hand lifted Fleur's face while holding her chin. He looked into her eyes and said "You have seen how I have been treated this year. You and I are not much different, both receive unwanted attention, both were at the receiving ends of scorn of friends and other wizards/witches. "

Fleur nodded at Harry. Harry continued to speak "Fleur I think we should hide about our friendship. Don't think I am ashamed of our friendship. You have to face more trouble if you are publicly associated with me."

Fleur tighten her hold on Harry. She suddenly pushed Harry towards the wall and before he could realize what was happening he felt Fleur's lips on his. His hands automatically went to her waist. He could feel Fleur's breast rubbing on his chest. They thoroughly explored each other's mouths that day.

Harry and Fleur met regularly in abandoned classrooms. Only Daphne knew about Fleur. He didn't even tell Lisa about Fleur because he was afraid Lisa might think he left her for Fleur.

Harry told about him being together with Fleur and Daphne to Lisa during their train ride. The wonderful news was that she took the news pleasantly. Lisa is a very mature girl and she knew her relationship with Harry would not work. She hoped atleast they would be good friends and Harry happily agreed to it.

-Flashback End-

-Flashback with Daphne-

Harry and Daphne got together during the summer. Daphne had previously confessed her feelings to him during February, just 2 weeks after Harry and Lisa broke-up. She was the first to confess her love to him.

Daphne said "Harry I like you very much. I mean not the BWL persona, I like just Harry - who wants a normal life, who wants to spend time with family and friends, who ruthlessly annihilates the enemies who dare try to harm his friends and family. "

"Harry I like both sides of you equally - The warrior side and the soft side. I said the same to my father. Father asked you to approach him during the summer to speak about the betrothal contract. We are slightly conservative family and even though we marry the person whom we love, we create betrothal contract."

Harry looked at Daphne with loving eyes. She gave her complete support to him expecting not but his friendship in return. After the betrayal of his friends he scanned the minds of other friends to see who are being friends with him for popularity or money. Daphne on the other hand expected only his friendship. He knew she would be extremely loyal. He knew he liked Daphne. What wasn't there to like? She is Intelligent, charming, elegant, beautiful and had, erm, nice body.

Harry looked at Daphne and said "Are you sure Daphne? I may have to take 1 more wife you know. Potter/Peverell line needs 1 wife and 1 for Ravenclaw line."

Daphne replied without thinking "I know Harry and believe me I gave a lot of thought to this. I am willing to share you with 1 more woman. I just want to have a say in whom you choose as second wife. I don't want people who would use us. I just want them to love us both."

Harry had no problem agreeing to this. "Ok Daphne. We will choose our third partner together."

Harry and Daphne didn't kiss as it would interrupt with their Betrothal contract. They can kiss after the contract has been signed and have sex after marriage. Daphne told him her family followed these traditions as they were very conservative in this matter.

When Harry told Daphne he kissed Fleur and the conversation which took place between them, Daphne didn't throw temper tantrum. She went and spoke to Fleur and both of discussed the matters like adults and came to conclusion that they would both share Harry. Daphne would become Mrs. Potter-Peverell and Fleur will gain the title Ravenclaw.

-End Flashback-

Harry that summer went and spoke to Lord Greengrass and finalized the betrothal contract between him and Daphne. The same happened with Mr. Delacour too. He signed another contract between the house Ravenclaw and house Delacour.

-Scene Change-

The Daily Prophet was portraying Harry as delusional kid and having mental problems. He was also being portrayed as attention seeking lair. Harry was visited almost daily by Daphne and Fleur, only 2 people who were allowed into the Potter manor. Also the make out sessions were fun.

Harry taught Occlumency to Daphne and Fleur. They were average occlumens with 3 shields each. But both of their defences were personally designed by Harry, even Dumbledore would have trouble breaking through their minds. It would take him time to get through their shields.

-Scene Change-

Harry visited a goblin jewellery shop and opened a paper and showed it to a goblin and said

"Hello. I would like you to prepare a replica of ring shown in this picture. Also I would require an oath from you that no details of our dealings would be released to any third parties. I am willing to pay additional 1500 Galleons for this."

The Goblin was shocked at such a generous offer. The gold ring even with authentic stone would cost only 400-500 Galleons with 100% profit for him. So additional 1500 Galleons for the ring certainly is a welcome bonus.

"I, Ripclaw of the clan Claw, swear on my life and magic that my dealings with Lord Potter will not be revealed by me. So mote be it."

"So mote be it." A bright light flashed and entered Ripclaw's chest sealing the deal.

"Lord Potter you can collect the ring tomorrow."

"Ripclaw I want you to make the symbol on the stone as authentic as possible. I want the eyes to automatically drawn to the symbol when one watches the ring."

Ripclaw saw the stone and was shocked to see Grindelwald's sign on the stone. He didn't know what Potter had to do with this symbol.

Harry from his memories of Horcruxes took the photograph of ring using muggle camera and pensieve.

He was planning on getting the ring Horcrux next. He already had the Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket, which he collected from Grimmauld place. After getting ring and Ravenclaw's diadem he would deal with all of them together. Only snake and Snakehead would be left. But he still had time to kill Voldemort as he was laying low.

-Next day-

Harry collected the ring after paying for it. He then appeared silently from the thin air to where the Gaunts used to live. He travelled rest of the path by foot. He had to appear nearly ½ mile away from the Gaunt shack.

He felt the presence of powerful wards. But Tom had placed a parcel phrase to deactivate the wards. He was arrogant that no one other than him could speak Parceltongue.

Harry hissed "Deactivate. This is Lord Voldemort, Descendant of Salazar Slytherin, Greatest of Hogwarts four."

The wards surrounding the hovel known as Gaunt place dropped temporarily for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes wards would automatically activate again. This time they couldn't be deactivated by Parcel password.

Harry calmly went inside the shack after casting a bubble-head charm. Voldemort had placed a release mechanism, which would activate when the floor board, where the Peverell ring is present, is lifted it would release poisonous gas into the atmosphere. Also anti-magic wards would be raised to prevent someone from casting anything.

Harry dismantled the wards around the foot-board and lifted the box in which the Resurrection stone was present. He opened the box and replaced the Ring with the ring he brought. This ring had high level parcel compulsion and decaying curse. The decaying curse on the ring can be cancelled with an easy finite but if it touches the bare skin, the decaying would start at the point and spread till the internal organs and finally heart is affected.

Harry had plans to make Dumbledore go after the fake ring. Dumbledore wouldn't notice the compulsion and decaying curse because they were casted in parceltongue.

Now Harry had 3 Horcruxes with him – the ring, the locket and the cup. He would have to collected the diadem at Hogwarts and deal with all of the 4 Horcruxes together.

-Scene Change-

Harry spent rest of his time training his powers and learning new deadly spells. But most of the times he worked on his Telepathic and Telekinetic skills. He even practiced cooking with his Telekinetic powers to improve them. His empathic skills were already top notch.

His empathic skills helped him pin point that Umbridge was the woman who had ill intentions towards him and plotting against him. Then he used Legilimency to find out what she did.

Today was September 1st and the start of new schooling year. Daphne was particularly ecstatic about this news. Harry had casted Fidelius charm on Daphne's house with him as the secret keeper.

Harry calmly entered the platform 9 ¾ with Daphne on his hand. The whole platform was suddenly calm to see why the Gryffindor golden boy was consorting with a Slytherin girl. Ignoring whispers Harry calmly strode forward along with Daphne. They both found an empty compartment in the middle. Harry opened the door of the compartment with a mere thought. After entering he closed it similarly.

At 11 A.M sharp, the train departed from the station. After 1 hour Harry and Daphne were joined by Daphne's best friend Tracy Davies. Daphne and Tracy had a row last year because Tracy like others believed Harry to be a lair.

She knocked the compartment door and entered "Lord Potter I would like to apologize to you about last year. I was wrong to assume that you were a lair. Please accept my apology."

Harry after scanning her thoughts found that she was genuinely sorry and missed her friend very much. "Apology accepted Ms. Davies. Kindly join us."

Tracy looked at Daphne to see if she would object. But Daphne gave her barely noticeable nod indicated her to join them. Daphne and Tracy apologized to each other and became friends once again.

After 2 hours they were joined by Luna and Lisa. All 5 of them discussed how to study for OWLs. Luckily for Luna she was still a 4th year.

Harry spoke "I know that Dolores Umbridge will be joining this year as DADA teacher. If my estimate is correct she will try to antagonise whoever associates with me. I would request all of you to keep your heads down."

"Yes Harry" the girls chorused together. Then looked at each other and burst out laughing loudly.

Sometime later Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger came to their compartment and Ron sweetly warned Harry that he was a prefect and would not think twice before giving Harry a detention. The same thing was repeated by Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson.

Harry was beyond pissed at Draco Malfoy "You know Draco, I am the new Lord Black? If I were you I would watch my mouth. I can possibly dissolve your mother's marriage and then may be sell her as prostitute in Knockturn Alley. Believe me it would be in my power to do so without any consequences."

Draco and Pansy were magically raised into the air. Harry calmly strode forward and looked into Draco's eyes and said "The old Harry Potter might have taken shit from you but believe when I say I will destroy you if you even think to fuck with me."

Harry took out his wand and pointed it at Pansy and said "Legilimens"

Harry destroyed Pansy's mental barriers and forcefully looked through her memories giving her a killer headache. Pansy was shocked as she had decent occlumency shields which even her father had trouble getting through. But here Potter destroyed her shields simply in less than 1 second and got through her memories so easily. Harry found a memory of Pansy cheating on Draco with a boy from Durmstrang. Harry replayed the memory many times to show Pansy that he was in perfect control.

As soon as Harry dropped Pansy and Draco, Pansy ran away from the compartment crying leaving a badly shaking Draco behind. Draco too slowly stood up and left.

Harry turned back and went to his seat. All the 4 females were looking at him with awe. Harry calmly spoke again "As you can see I am decent in Defense, with 5-6 years of Practice I would be Dumbledore's equal and may surpass him. I will like to teach you defence. They will protect your life one day. We will weekly meet twice in a place which I would show you later."

Finally at 6 P.M train reached the Hogsmeade station from where the 5 friends took carriages pulled by Thestrals to the castle.

This sorting hat gave warnings that all the four houses had to unite to fight against the evil. The general advice was to bury the past rivalries between the houses and extend the hand of friendship.

After the sorting Dumbledore stood up and spoke "I have some announcements but they will have to wait till the feast is completed. Just two words - Tuck in!"

With a wave of Dumbledore's hand food appeared in the plates in front of them.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the Hall was starting to creep upwards again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the Headmaster.

Harry was feeling pleasantly drowsy now. After Dumbledore's speech he would have to drag himself to the warm bed that was waiting for him.

/*

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too."

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door."

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause for both the Professors.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the — "

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, and then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

"Yeah you can be sex buddies with Snape." said Harry in low voice. The students around him snickered.

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little 'hem, hem' and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . ."

Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put t heir heads together, whispering and giggling. Over on the Ravenclaw table Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively.

". . . because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Harry noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her.

"Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."

*/

Harry zoned out of rest of the speech. He was feeling extremely sleepy. All he wanted to was sleep but here the professors were droning on and on and on with the announcements.

Harry was approached by McGonagall and he groaned. She briskly said "Mr. Potter Headmaster would like to speak to you now."

Harry simply grunted in reply. He let his legs drag him to the headmaster's office. After entering the office he found Dumbledore sitting in his office with a damn twinkle in his eyes.

"Good evening Mr. Potter. I hope you are good?"

"Stop the pleasantries Headmaster and ask what you wanted to ask?"

Dumbledore's twinkled lessened and his eyes narrowed. "Can you tell me Mr. Potter where have you been during the summer?"

"Tell me headmaster how is it your concern? As far as I know I am emancipated and my housing doesn't fall under the concern of the headmaster."

Dumbledore tried to use Legilimency, but Harry directed his probe towards to where Voldemort used Cruciatus on Harry and passed the pain to Dumbledore through the link. Dumbledore twitched in his seat and withdrew from Harry's mind.

"Hope you don't do that again Headmaster, next time may be you will experience the killing curse which I was hit when I was 1 ½ years old. It may not kill you but will definitely make you unconscious for 2 days. Then you may suddenly find yourself Portkeyed to Voldemort's hiding location."

"I am sorry Mr. Potter. Last year as you refused to speak to me I have not badgered you. Can you satisfy old man's curiosity and tell we what happened when you touched the cup?"

"You were very adamantly denying that I was delusional last year. What happened now?"

"Mr. Potter I am very sorry as to what I did. Minister was against me revealing anything so I had to do this. After Voldemort reveals himself I will personally apologize to you in public placing the blame on Fudge."

"Very well. When I touched the cup I was Portkeyed to a graveyard. Suddenly my scar felt like it burst open. Then I was stunned by Peter Pettigrew. When I woke up I found myself to be tied to headstone of Tom Riddle Sr.'s grave. Voldemort took my blood for a ritual for his resurrection. After that he called his minions and gave me my wand to fight him. Due to the pain in my scar I couldn't fight properly, he crucioed me couple of times. Then our wand got connected when we both fired curses simultaneously. A Golden Dome was formed around us. Then from Voldemort's wand echoes of people who were killed by him were formed. They told me to break the connection and get to the cup. I did as I was told and finally as you can see I am here."

"Ah! So that is what happened."

"Headmaster please clarify my doubt. If you didn't know the story how did Sirius find out that Voldemort took my blood. Either you doubt your spy or already knew what Voldemort was going to do. I think it is the second case, so can you tell me why didn't you tell me about the ritual before hand so that I could have prepared myself for it?"

"I am sorry Mr. Potter, I had my doubts and you weren't speaking to me last year so how could I tell you? Atleast can you tell me if you received any visions from Voldemort?"

"As a matter of fact I received 1 recently. He was thinking of amputating a prostitute I think."

"Why would he amputate a prostitute? Can you tell me in detail what led you to believe he was planning to do so?"

"Well he was thinking of creating 1 more Whore Crutches. So I thought he would amputate whores/prostitutes and making them crutches. Who knows how his mind works."

"Ah!"

Dumbledore thought maybe he was planning on making his snake a Horcrux and the boy was thinking it to be a Whore-crutch.

"You may leave Mr. Potter. I hope we can work together for the greater good by leaving our differences aside. Good night Mr. Potter."

Harry snickered to himself while leaving. He definitely planned the thoughts about Horcruxes and later he would reveal how to get them.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It has 4.7k+ words. Please read and review. Detentions with Umbridge next chapter and training.