Before Harry knew it McGonagall had knocked at the door of the meeting room to let him know it was dinner time, the last three hours having passed in a blur of history lessons and family tales. Contrary to popular belief amongst the young students, during the last rise of Lord Voldemort there wasn't anything like the guerrilla warfare going on at Hogwarts that he had been lead to believe. There were isolated incidents where students of the two factions had come to curses, but primarily the young purebloods had behaved themselves, especially as under Slughorn there was nothing like the favouritism shown to them by Snape now.

Of course, there wasn't the same level of house rivalry either, or as Grace had termed it Slytherin bullying. This was something that she had made very clear was one of the Marauders, his dad included, worst traits with their pranks. James' anti-Slytherin bias had definitely made him more enemies than friends, including Lily after she befriended the younger Grace in the young Slytherin's 1st year after rescuing her from one of the Marauders pranks.

His mother as prefect quickly became something of a champion for the younger years, locking horns with James and the others whenever she could catch them. In fact, as Grace stated with no small amount of glee, his mother probably accounted for a third of the detentions James was given that year and easily half of his trips to the hospital wing. That was before the death of his parents to a Death Eater attack in Diagon Alley caused him to change personality enough to stop with the vicious pranks against the Slytherins, which also removed one of the major contention points between the two of them. And, after almost a year of work from James, the pair finally went on a date in their seventh year, though with McGonagall's interruption any further tales would have to wait.

So his parents hadn't been the perfect couple that others had lead him to believe, Harry was actually happy with that, it made it that much easier for him to imagine them now and not think that he was not going to be able to live up to the standards everyone who knew his parents compared him to. So after bidding Grace a very fond farewell along with the promise of an Owl about his plans for the summer, as Grace had to get back to the work she had waiting for her at Firebolt, Harry made his way down to dinner with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

Nothing could ruin his day now...

*Line Break*

Ron had tried to ruin it actually, the redhead appearing in the great hall so red in the face that Harry was distinctly reminded of Uncle Vernon. His screaming diatribe (Harry was glad that Hermione and Daphne were working on expanding his vocabulary), aimed at Hermione about Scabbers disappearance and that Crookshanks had obviously eaten him, silenced the entire hall as every person in there watched with emotions ranging from amusement to aggravation.

A sharp reprimand and the loss of thirty house points from Professor Snape seemed to do little to calm the youngest Weasley boy down, that number doubling when he started insulting Harry for taking 'the hell beast's side', though whether he was referring to Crookshanks or Hermione at this point was unclear. Thankfully Ron raised his wand, probably to curse Hermione as 'revenge', meaning that Harry felt no remorse when he utilised the stupefy spell, which he had picked up as one of the spells to use against Black.

Ron had barely time to move his wand towards Harry when the spell hit him and he collapsed bonelessly to the floor. It cost Gryffindor another 30 points for not allowing the teachers to deal with the situation, which Harry actually thought was quite nice of Snape given he had in fact used his wand and a spell, and Ron was levitated up to the Hospital wing by a highly agitated McGonagall.

Ron had been internally suspended after that incident, meaning he missed the Quidditch game or was at least forced to watch it from the castle, but given the outcome Harry couldn't really bring himself to care about the prat. Getting one up on Malfoy and winning the game was definitely a great outcome, and it meant that there was an upside to the fact that when the third year Gryffindors returned to the dorm rooms that evening after the celebrations only to find the place looked like it had been ransacked.

The culprit of the damage was quickly discovered, Sirius Black having been able to enter Gryffindor tower due to Neville's scrawled password notes caused an uproar for the next week, security being tightened even further as everyone tried to work out how he could have entered the grounds or the castle itself. Harry thought that was the wrong question, something he had brought up with Hermione a week later, after the teachers had finally let the third year boys back into their rooms after finding no dark curses left on any of their possessions or the furniture.

"Why didn't Black simply wait for me to return? Why make it obvious that someone had been in the room when he could just have waited under one of the beds, then when we had all gone to sleep come out and kill me?" He was asking the question again, this time to Daphne after he and Hermione had drawn a blank other than the obvious 'Black is insane' solution.

Rather than answer him straight away, the Slytherin merely quirked her eyebrow at him, leaning back from where she had been checking some of the rune sheets he had created. Whilst Harry was interested in Runes, especially as he was finding more and more interesting arrays in the notes of Slytherin's apprentices and followers, he really did not like the highly theoretical side of the course that Daphne and Hermione were currently taking. For the most part they were only going to start creating arrays next year and Harry found it far simpler for him to simply create the arrays as he went along rather than muddle through the theory first.

"Rather than merely ask me the same question you have already asked Granger." Harry didn't even react to Daphne's statement and obvious if slight resentment at being second choice, he knew that he was predictable when he came to problems like this and who he would ask.

"Take me through what you have reasoned thus far, it will be a good indication of whether I need to add logic lessons to our schedule before the ball." There was an obvious attempt to bait him into reacting at the end of her instruction, but Harry knew better than to bite.

"We all spent the day outside after lunch and the Quidditch match, but we know from Sir Cadogan that Black entered whilst the match itself was on, as Cadogan asked him for the score and Black said it was 10-0. Sir Cadogan then stated that Black left less than half an hour later, muttering to himself something about 'he's not there.'" Start your logic off with the facts you do have, then start to try and build from there towards the most reasonable solution.

That was what Hermione had tried to drill into his head repeatedly since the potions incident in 1st year anyways, and given Daphne's nod it was something she agreed with as well.

"So, given that he is after me, why did Black try and get in during the match? If he was watching it long enough to get the score he probably would have heard my name at least once if not seen me himself, so using his ace to get into the dorm at the one time when he knows I am not there makes little sense to me. Unless, he was trying to get into the dorms when he knew that nobody would be there, which makes a lot of sense if he wanted to kill me and then get away without anyone raising the alarm. But why leave then before I had the chance to come back?" Daphne looked pleased with his thought process, nodding her head approvingly before speaking herself.

"Very good, only two logical flaws that you need to account for before you give up your little thought experiment. Firstly, why assume that Black was actually telling the truth with his claim about the Quidditch score? If you can't remember, ask Lee Jordan or one of the others when the first goal was and how long before the second one. The only reason Black would know the score without watching the entire match would be if he happened to sneak in past the Quidditch pitch as the goal was scored." It made sense, and if he had passed that close by then then the 'how' of his entry to the castle was rapidly narrowed down.

"Okay, and the second point?" This brought a small twinkle to Daphne's eye as she stated with no emotional inflection whatsoever.

"Why do you think he is after you?" The question brought Harry up short and he had to admit that the question did cause several other thoughts he or Hermione had had since the start of the year to do with Black and his actions thus far.

Why only break out this year, as it was very unlikely something had changed to allow Black to escape and in fact it would be easier for him to escape sooner if it indeed was dark magic that had aided his escape. Why attack at Halloween and during a Quidditch match if he was after Harry? And why give up his sure fire way into the common room only to leave again rather than wait for Harry?

The last one could be answered by Black believing sir Cadogan only let him in to trap him in the common room and summon the teachers, or that he would inform the students of his presence, but the others all put a spin on things. But this wasn't for him to solve Harry reminded himself, he had promised various people not to go looking for Sirius Black and carrying on that investigation would definitely count as doing just that.

"Fudge seems to think he is, though that is hardly the most convincing argument I've ever made. Supposedly he was muttering 'he's at hogwarts' just before he escaped, he was the man who betrayed my parents to Voldemort and has even rooted through my room..." It was when he used the word rooted that Harry had an epiphany as to what Black might have been after...

"The map!" How Black knew about it, Harry didn't know or care, but if the criminal had the map or the cloak...

Luckily, given Ron's actions at Christmas Harry had moved all his precious belongings from his dorm to the Chamber. They had cleaned the area in front of Salazar's face before furnishing it with items from the rooms behind it. Extra work than just cleaning the chambers but it meant that Stheno could join them when she wasn't sleeping or eating, which was the polite thing to do in Harry's mind.

Checking the strongbox that he had commandeered, Harry was pleased to see that both the map and his cloak were still there along with his photo album. He quickly closed the strongbox after extracting the map, as Harry heard Daphne approach in his wake, whilst he had pretty much let the secret of the map out now he preferred to keep the few remaining ones he had for as long as he could.

"What is this about a map? And why would Black want such a thing?" Even as Harry muttered the activation phrase, the one thing he had deduced, if Black was in fact not just entirely insane that is, was ringing through his mind...

"Black isn't after me..."

*line break*

Of course, Daphne had been quick to point out his flaw after getting over her initial wonder at the map and how it worked, that Black going after the map relied on him knowing Harry had the map, but Harry was determined to stick with his assumption that Black was after something else and needed the map to get to them. Still, weeks had rolled by without any more news about Black and suddenly Harry had more pressing concerns as he quickly checked his dress robes for the third time.

The ball had nearly snuck up on him, only Daphne's insistence that she help him pick out his dress robes and mask for the event really bringing it to the front of his mind. Given Dumbledore already knew about their friendship, Harry had asked for permission both to attend the ball and also to go to Diagon Alley to get the required items with Daphne, Dumbledore giving him an amused look before giving him permission. This permission came with the condition that Dumbledore accompany them and that both of them would be under glamours during their trip, which Daphne had told him they would be doing anyway so that was fine.

The old wizard had been in fine fettle as he escorted them through the alley, telling them stories of how the place had changed over the last century and some of the more amusing incidents that had happened in the alley including the time that all the animals had escaped from the menagerie and invaded Florean Fortescue's. Dumbledore had also insisted that he pay for the whole thing, calling it his opportunity to make up for 12 years of no presents, the cloak not counting according to Dumbledore as it had been Harry's in the first place.

So here he was in emerald green robes lined with ivory silk and a snake mask that both Dumbledore and Daphne had insisted upon, in line with the Lord Slytherin name that he was going to the party as. Dumbledore was coming as his guardian, given he was underage he wasn't allowed to leave the castle without one and it meant he didn't have to reveal his heritage to anyone else.

The pair of them had met in the Headmaster's office, Harry borrowing one of the adjoining rooms to change and cast the glamours that changed his hair and eye colour along with several other features that would make identifying him more difficult as well as making him seem older, before they traveled by floo to Greengrass manor. It was elegant and obviously meant to impress, the chandeliers and antique furniture making Harry wonder quite how much money the Greengrass family actually had. Given the entrance hall they found themselves in was bigger than the Dursley's entire ground floor, Harry imagined it was rather substantial.

There were a few others in the hall arriving through other fireplaces, the guests quickly dusting themselves off and making their way to the large pair of double doors at the far end of the room where music and the general sounds of many could be heard. Harry had to admit he was tempted to turn around and head back to Hogwarts right now, he was sure Daphne would understand. A chuckle from Dumbledore stopped him and looking up, Harry saw him looking down at him with undisguised amusement.

"It is strange for those like us Lord Slytherin, we will fight monsters and dark wizards more dangerous and terrible than most of these people can every imagine without fear or concern for ourselves. But when faced with a room of strangers to whom your wand is no defence, that is where we face our greatest battles." With that particular nugget of wisdom as well as the admission, either truthful or not, that Dumbledore found these situations as uncomfortable as he did Harry managed to steel his nerves.

Dumbledore was right of course, after the troll, Quirrell, Aragog, Stheno and dementors he really should have nothing to fear. Stepping forwards as confidently as he could manage Harry heard Dumbledore fall in step behind him as they approached the man at the door. Daphne had talked him through what would happen, so Harry merely extended his hand to pass the invitation he had to the man who took one look at the name and was unable to control the flinch as he quickly checked the invitation list and beckoned them inside.

Harry could hear the muttered conversations between the man and someone he had obviously beckoned over behind him, but his focus was solely on the ballroom he had just walked into. The ballroom was almost twice the size of the Hogwarts great hall, with all of the things that were expected such as a dance floor area above which a string quartet were playing. Looking off to his left Harry could see seating at round tables which would easily accommodate 300 people and then large glass doors and windows that looked out onto what must be the gardens.

He could go for a proper exploration later, but first he had to go look for the hosts so that he could be introduced and get the embarrassing part of the evening out of the way. It didn't take long to spot them, given that there was a sudden tug of wind that pulled over to his right and brought his attention to where the Greengrass family were stood greeting and talking with various guests. Astoria was gazing over at him and obviously restraining herself from coming over and speaking to him straight away, but given the second breeze that caught his robes that patience was not going to last for long.

As he approached, Harry noted that the Greengrass family masks were all the same, white wooden masks that were decorated with forestry schemes in an obvious homage to their own name and their history as Royal gamekeepers. Lord and Lady Greengrass were dressed in matching dark silver robes that shifted with the light and were obviously meant to be attention grabbing, whilst Astoria was wearing a burgundy dress with a little hat that made her seem very much like a little princess out of the stories.

Reaching the group, Harry waited until they had finished greeting another couple and was about to bow and introduce himself when another voice spoke up, Dumbledore striding up next to him.

"My Lord and Lady Greengrass, you are looking splendid this evening." Though the masks masked any facial expressions, Harry could see that both parents eyes were fixed on him as Dumbledore gestured in his direction.

"I apologise for my unannounced arrival, but I felt it necessary to accompany this young man after he received an invite to your ball as a favour to his parents, they are away and asked me to look after him. May I introduce you to Lord Slytherin." Whether Dumbledore meant to or not, he made his introduction loud enough that it wasn't merely the Greengrass' that heard Harry's title but several other groups in the nearby area, the shocked muttering that quickly pervaded the entire ballroom the only thing Harry could hear.

'Bow at the waist to 30 degrees whilst dropping your right foot back slightly. Make your introductions and thank them for inviting you and then move back to a standing position.' Daphne's coaching in his head Harry slid through the motions that he had practiced a hundred times, the mask he was wearing had a voice altering charm attached to it that deepened his voice even as he continued.

"My Lord and Lady Greengrass, it is an honour to have been invited here this evening." Standing Harry saw Lady Greengrass eye his prominently placed Slytherin ring before nudging her husband in a way that was only visible to Harry and Dumbledore. Lord Greengrass spoke up a moment later after pulling off a quick bow of his own.

"Lord Slytherin, I must admit we were surprised when we got your response, it has after all been more than a decade since anyone has claimed the status of Slytherin's heir." The tone made it clear something Harry hadn't considered before now, if the last heir to Slytherin was Voldemort, people were naturally going to assume that he was either his son or related in some other similar way.

All of his coaching went out of the window as Harry very quickly tried to think of how he could get out of this situation without either being branded a new dark lord or revealing his actual identity. He had to admit any third option was looking fairly slim right now...

A/N: It is one of the things I have never seen in a 'Harry becomes Slytherin's heir', which is that people think he is actually Voldemort's son. If it has happened apologies for missing it, but I thought it would be fun.

With Ron still being an immature prat I had the scene of his and Hermione's fight over Scabbers escalate beyond what it was in the books. Then of course, with him internally suspended, there would be no scene with Sirius Black. But that got me thinking, why if you were Sirius Black would you try and go after Pettigrew whilst everyone is in the tower? There is the argument that Ron might have Pettigrew with him during the day but I doubt it given that Pettigrew was able to pull off the whole 'being eaten' thing.

So Black goes to the tower during the quidditch match and has the time and ability to spend time trying to find Pettigrew, but the rat is long gone and Sirius needs to leave before anyone can find him and raise the alarm. I bet I get told it is contrived but I don't particularly care...

Let me know what you think guys :)