Difference

HP/Multi- Greyback, Snape, OC (he's a good one, I promise)

POST OOTP

NOTE: Because so many people got upset with one part, I took it out. I get it. I had meant to take that out before I posted b/c I thought it messed things up too. Sorry I forgot. :P

Anyhoo, like the other stories in this collection, it is unedited, NOT complete, but there will be notes at the end should anyone wish to adopt this story. I've been working on it for over two years now, off and on, and I'm kinda stuck on where to go next. Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Harry swayed where he stood, head buzzing. He could magic swirling all around him- his hair and cloak moved with an unseen wind. He could feel his extremities tingling, and his vision swim. And then he saw Voldemort- collapsing onto the ground before him, slowly disintegrating before their very eyes. The worst part of it all...he was laughing.

Harry sank to his knees before the dust that once was Voldemort, barely registering all of the Ministry employees staring at him with wide eyes. Dumbledore swiftly approached, studying the pile of ashes, looking shocked.

"Voldemort is dead!" He announced, and a rush of people and voices started all at once. Harry did not pay attention to this. He could only think of the last words that Voldemort, that Tom Riddle had said to him.

"I give you everything. My magic, my abilities, my title. I surrender, Potter. I hope...you have a better time of uniting the wizarding world than I did." Had been whispered in his head that brief moment that the two of them had shared the same body. Then the man laughed, mentioning something about the Fates, and then Harry could feel him no more.

Harry reached for Voldemort's wand, not trying to think of what that dust used to be as he touched it. As he grasped it in his clammy hand, Dumbledore grasped his shoulder. "Harry...my boy...we should get you to the hospital wing." The old man said gently. "I...I am so very proud of you, my boy."

Harry held the man's wand to his chest, feeling strange as he held it against his own- the brother wands sang together, vibrating with power, and Harry had a horrible feeling that Voldemort had done what he'd said. He could feel a strange new power running through his body, and he was terrified.

x-x-x

In the following week, there were celebrations all around the wizarding world. Harry stayed mostly in the dorm room, ignoring the piles of fanmail and letters that began to form at the foot of his bed. When he was not in the dorm room, he was visiting Ron and Hermione. His two friends had their fair share of fanmail themselves. Ron was reveling in the attention, while Hermione was more worried about Harry, and how he was feeling after Sirius' death.

Yes...while Harry was grieving over Sirius, at the same time, his thoughts were more preoccupied with what Voldemort had said. It was true- he felt stronger, more powerful. Was it possible that Voldemort had given him his powers?

His scar was fading. It was nearly gone, after a couple of days. No one had mentioned it, and Harry didn't care to bring it up. Everyone was so happy- many were glad that Voldemort was gone before the war could ever really start- the Ministry was infinitely glad that everyone seemed not to notice how it was their doing that Voldemort had gotten such power to begin with.

Harry remained in quiet reflection until the end of term, lost in his own thoughts, quietly making plans. Ron was not happy that Harry had decided to stay with the Dursleys that summer. Harry got the impression that Dumbledore was somewhat approving of the mood- whatever. He wasn't that happy with the Headmaster at the moment. Harry had been prophecized from birth to face off Voldemort, yet Dumbledore had done nothing to help him train.

It also puzzled Harry about what Voldemort had said. Had the man really been trying to unite the wizarding world?

x-x-x

Harry was at Privet Drive soon enough, and as soon as he entered the house, he spoke to the Dursleys firmly. "I'm not going to be here much during the day. I will only sleep here at night. I don't want to bother you, so please don't bother me." He handed some money to Uncle Vernon. "I did some work at school last year to earn that money- that should be enough to cover my expenses for this summer. Yes?"

"...Er...yes. Go to your room!" The man growled, still staring greedily at the wad of cash in his hands.

Harry happily brought his things up to his room, humming as he locked the door behind him. "Well, Hedwig, this summer is going to be much better than the last."

x-x-x

A few days later, armed with some notes in his pocket, his invisibility cloak, and both of his wands (Voldemort's wand was now his, by right of conquest, according to the Daily Prophet), he headed off to Diagon Alley by way of muggle bus. He was very, very glad he'd had the foresight to borrow a bit of muggle money from Hermione before term had ended. After explaining to her that he was going to pay off the Dursleys to leave him alone, to say that she was unhappy was an understatement.

But she understood his need for peace and quiet- the wizarding world was anything but that at the moment. She was going to be spending all summer with her parents too, having a quiet summer at home, for once. They both needed it, after the past year.

While the muggle bus took longer than the Knight Bus did, he was glad for the privacy. It allowed him to think about what he needed to do that day. In the past couple days that he'd spent in his room, he realised that he stood to possibly inherit something from Sirius. He wasn't sure what it could be, but he wanted to check in with Gringott's. It seemed so callous, but he wanted to make sure the Ministry wasn't going to take off with the money or whatever he had.

Sirius' innocence had been quietly announced in the papers, but it had been ignored in favor of the huge headlines about Voldemort's death and the arrest of his followers that had been there that night. Those who had previously escaped Azkaban had all been Kissed, and the others would have to go to trial, with veritaserum, this time.

Bellatrix Lestrange was still on the run. Harry had the feeling she wouldn't be showing her face anytime soon...but then again, she was mad, so who knew what she would do. He was aware that Voldemort had other followers that had not been there that night, but it was very likely that they all went their separate ways after his death.

He arrived to Diagon Alley, hiding under his invisibility cloak to get through the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. Pictures of himself were posted all over the place- it was a bit surreal. There were lots of people out and about, and...he stopped short as he saw a bright purple building. He grinned, seeing the WWW insignia there. The twin's shop! There was a sign outside, saying that there was a huge sale, to celebrate 'You-No-Poo's' Death. Harry laughed quietly at this, and promised himself he would visit the twins after he finished at Gringott's.

He approached the bank, taking off his cloak. The Goblins on the steps eyed him warily as he passed. Harry gave them an uneasy smile. He'd never really felt all that comfortable around Goblins, and he could even feel his magic reacting- it felt restless.

He went inside the lobby, and approached a familiar looking teller. "Hi. I'd like to speak to-"

"Key please." The goblin said brusquely, not even looking up from counting his mountain of coins.

"I...I don't have it with me-"

The Goblin looked up, clearly irritated. "Well then, human, you-" He cut himself off as he recognized Harry. Harry gave him a sheepish smile. "Mr. Potter." The Goblin greeted.

"Hi. I'd like to meet with someone, please, about my accounts. I have a few questions."

"Very well." He motioned, and another Goblin came forward, and the two spoke briefly in Gobbledegook. They kept glancing at Harry, and he sort of got the impression they thought something was a bit funny. Harry stayed put, and the other Goblin spoke up.

"Follow me." The Goblin said curtly. He led Harry to an antechamber, which was filled with desks and Goblins. The Goblin led him to a desk, and with a tap of his hand to the desk, curtains sprung up around them. Harry could feel a faint hum of magic around them- he guessed it was for their privacy.

The Goblin sat down. "Well, Mr. Potter? What is it? We do not have time to fool around."

Harry cleared his throat, procuring his list. "My Godfather, he passed away recently. I...I was led to believe that I may inherit something from him-"

"Yes. We sent out the letters two days after his death. Did you not get it?"

Harry shook his head mutely. He'd gotten a lot of letters lately- perhaps he'd missed it?

"Very well. Yes, you stand to inherit, Mr. Potter. I will get you the paperwork, as well as the ledgers. The other inheritors have already been contacted. Your situation is different." There was another tap to the desk, and some papers shot abruptly out of a drawer.

"You'll be inheriting the title, which also means you will eventually sit in the Black seat on the Wizengamot, in addition to gaining the majority of the Black Estate holdings. Sign here, here, and here."

Harry quickly signed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. As the Goblin put the paperwork away, Harry suddenly wanted to curse himself. He hadn't read it! Damn it.

"Here." The Goblin handed him a thick ledger. "Read that in your own time. I haven't time for that here. We have our own copy." He said briskly, watching Harry begin to open the book. "Now that you have the Black title, you now are able to sign for the Potter title-"

Another tap, and more paperwork. Harry swallowed as it was shoved in his hands. He tried to read it, but he could feel that the Goblin was anxious to hurry up. Were they always in such a rush? He signed it anyways, and as he did, he glanced at the Goblin's nameplate on the desk.

"Ragnock, thank you for your...er assistance. I was...unaware of any of this until now. Is there anything else I need to sign for while I'm here? I don't want to waste any more of your time."

The Goblin's expression shifted, and he narrowed his eyes. He looked as though he was studying Harry quite intently.

"Yes." Another tap, and more paperwork came out of the drawer, and boy, did it look dusty and old. "The Selwyn Estate. By right of Conquest."

"By right of..." Harry stammered, hand shaking as he glanced through the paperwork- he signed it, feeling rather overloaded with information.

"You will also inherit these properties from various 'Donations' to the Boy Who Lived." The Goblin sneered at this, more paperwork showing up in his hands.

"Here are the Black and Selwyn ledgers-" Both large and dusty, even bigger than the Potter Ledger- Harry grunted under the weight. Had he really just inherited Voldemort's stuff? And what was all this other stuff? This was just...too much.

"And sign here- this gives us the authorization to combine all of your Estates and Vaults."

With an exasperated sigh, Harry signed the papers, and with a snap of the Goblin's fingers, all of the big ledgers vanished, and combined into one huge tome. Harry gave a Look to the goblin who sat across from him- he looked quite amused.

"Thank you." Harry said stiffly.

"Any other business, Lord Potter-Black-Selwyn?"

Harry winced. "Please, just Mr. Potter, and yes- I'd like to make a withdrawal. And could we keep this business private? There's some gold in it for you."

Ragnock's smile widened, and he suddenly looked predatory.

x-x-x

Harry headed to the Twin's shop, feeling exhausted. Boy, those Goblins liked to keep people on their toes. No wonder no one liked them. Still, he did think they were kind of funny, in a twisted sort of way. He figured the Goblins didn't like humans either, and that was why they were always in such a rush to finish their business with them. But they certainly knew their stuff!

He went inside the twin's shop, and heard a bell jingle somewhere. The place was rather busy, and full of people. Harry managed to sneak through the crowd, rather startled at how much money these people were forking over at the counter. One of the twins was at the counter, while the other was on the floor, and they seemed to be having quite a good time.

Harry snuck around to one of the back rooms, eyeing some of the gear there. It was rather quiet in this section of the shop- invisible hats and jackets, even a deflector for curses. Huh...cool. There was a room further beyond, with dark purple curtains, and a large sign that said 'Adults Only'. Harry could only guess what was behind those curtains.

"Hello sir- oh! Harry!" George pulled him into a great big hug, making Harry blush and push him away. "How ya doin? Heard you went to the muggles this summer- why on earth would you actually want to be there?"

Harry laughed a bit. "I just wanted some quiet. But I got bored, so I came over to see how you guys were doing."

"We're doing great- just great! Making loads of money. You did a good thing, Harry- people are happy, and when they're happy, they're more willing to part with their galleons!" The boy said with a relish.

Harry laughed a little at this, and George held up a hat. "We got the idea from your cloak. Kind of handy, huh?"

Harry nodded, smiling as he watched the boy show off what it could do. "You guys have got some really great stuff here."

"Well, it's all possible because of you." George said, ruffling up his hair playfully. Harry gave him a glare, trying to straighten it.

"Well...I guess I should head out...you know, before people recognize me..."

"Hey, why don't you go upstairs? We'll be closing up soon, we could all do dinner. How about it?"

Harry was about to say no...but...instead, he found himself nodding. "Alright."

"Just up the stairs there. Don't mind the mess- I'll go tell Freddie the good news!"

Harry went up the narrow stairs, and found himself entering the twins' apartment. It was rather small, and full of boxes full of gear. He sat on the sofa, but only after checking the seat cushions carefully. Who knew what they had up here. He waited about twenty minutes, noting that the twins actually didn't have much food in the apartment, and that there was only one bedroom that they shared. Still, it was their own place, and he kind of admired their gumption. He smiled slightly as he picked up a picture of the Quidditch team from his first year. Merlin, he was so small.

He saw himself standing next to Oliver, who had his arm hooked around Harry's shoulders. The twins were making silly faces, and the girls were giggling at them. Harry sighed. They had been a good team. Harry idly wondered what Oliver was up to. Oliver had been a fifth year when this picture was taken...it was rather startling to think of that. Harry had always looked up to the boy, thought he was so cool...he really was a goofball.

Harry found himself blushing as photo-Oliver flashed him a smile. He put the picture down, whirling around as Fred spoke up.

"Ah! Memories! The good old days!"

Harry rolled his eyes as Fred grabbed him, ruffling his hair. What was up with that?. He pushed Fred away. "So...George mentioned dinner, but it doesn't look like you guys have any food here."

"Well...No. We usually go to Mum's for dinner. We don't have much time for cooking. But...maybe you'd want to go out? How does the Leaky sound?"

Harry made a face. "Too many people. How about take-out curry?"

"Curry? What's that?"

Harry gaped. "What's...Merlin, come on, we have to go now!"

Needless to say, the Twins had a new favorite food by the end of the night- even to the point of seeing if they they could whip up some fire breathing pastilles named after some curry dishes. They went out for dinner, had a few drinks in honor of the Marauders, and had loads of fun. Harry thought Sirius might approve.

x-x-x

Harry finally started to read the letters he was getting from various fans. He usually threw the love-letters away, only keeping a few for laughs. He loved the letters from the little kids- they were funny and cute, and he loved the drawings. He usually replied to those.

He also got letters from politicans- from the UK and beyond. Most of them were painfully boring and polite, offering their congratulations, while others were condescending. Harry made a point to reply to each of them, even if he hated it. He didn't bother to mince words and came out to say what he thought. No, he did not kill Voldemort in honor of his parents. He did not know how it happened. No, it was not true that he was dating Hermione Granger, and Yes, it was true that he'd managed to lead a group of teenagers against Voldemort's inner circle. And...yes, he would like to exchange letters in the future.

Might as well not burn those bridges. Just in case.

The local newspapers were still going on and on about him- girls were now even saying that he'd gone on dates with him, and how he was such a good kisser...others spoke about his fantastic feats of magic...and what was more, even more spoke about all the training he must have gone through to be able to kill Voldemort. He finally had enough.

He wrote Hermione.

Hermione,

How are you doing? How are your parents? Are you having a fun and relaxing summer so far? I'm doing alright myself- here is your money back, with interest. I managed to sneak away to Gringott's one day last week. Shh, don't tell, I kept under the cloak so I wouldn't be mobbed.

Anyways, I am sure you've noticed all the crap that they're printing in the papers. I've thought about it, and I think I'd like to publish an autobiography. You know...set the story straight. And I mean...everything. Including the stuff I never told you guys. Some publishers have made some offers, but I thought you might have an idea of which one would be best to work with. They've sent along contracts too- I've sent copies to you. Let me know what you think. Your opinion is important to me, and I'd be lost without you.

You, Ron, and I went through a lot of crap together these past years, and I hope that you and Ron know how much I appreciated your help. Especially you. You're practically a sister to me, you know? I hope you consider me the same way.

-Harry

It only took a day for him to get a reply- Hedwig was getting quite the work out this summer. She'd never been happier.

Harry,

Of course I consider you like a brother! I'm so touched that you feel the same way. I know we've become quite close over the years, and I hope that our friendship will last for the rest of our lives. Okay, enough with the mushy stuff, I know how it embarrasses you.

Okay, so I looked at the contracts, and did a bit of research, and I think I've determined the best publisher for you to work with. Circlet Press isn't very large, but they are quite reputable. They have published other biographies previously, and their contract was quite good. They are owned by the Nott family, but you won't have a problem with that, do you? Like I said, they are quite reputable in their field, and have many good connections. The sum that they are offering is good, and the percentage of royalties you will receive is quite favorable in comparison to the other publisher's offers.

I would suggest that you write them, and let them know exactly what your aims are for your autobiography. If you would like, I would be happy to edit the manuscript for you before sending it off to them. I am so pleased that you are considering this, Harry! Imagine, you, a published author! Have you started writing it yet? If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask!

Your sister in all but blood,

Hermione

x-x-x

Harry sent off a letter to the publisher that Hermione had recommended. He trusted her opinion, after all. He started thinking about what he would want to include in such a book, and how long he would want it to be. He wanted to write about his experiences with the Dursleys, but he was unsure of how to do it. He was...a little scared, actually. He'd never told his friends exactly what he'd been through with them- Hermione knew more than anyone, but even she didn't know anything.

Harry felt as though people deserved the truth. That they should see he was just a normal person, like any of them. He felt as though he should be honest with them, because he knew that there had certainly been enough people in his life that had told him lies and half-truths.

So he thought about it for a while, and started to familiarize himself with his Estate. The Potter-Black-Selwyn Estate (now combined), was vast, and he found himself to be quite rich- plenty of gold, jewels, and heirlooms. He owned a good amount of investments and properties. The Potters had a fair number of properties within the country, and sound investments in several quidditch teams, a brewery, Florean's, and a small clothing shop. The Blacks owned quite a bit of property within Knockturne Alley, and a few homes abroad. They also owned a small portion of the Daily Prophet, and a company that specialized in growing and selling herbs and plants for potions. The properties in Knockturne were in poor condition, and many of them were abandoned.

The Selwyn Estate didn't have very much money or properties at all, but did have some priceless Heirlooms and a rather vast rare book collection. More importantly, however, the Selwyn Estate included Salazar Slytherin's property, which included one-fourth of the deed to one Hogwarts castle. It was...unnerving. Harry was terrified that someone may find out about this.

He commissioned people under a fake name, to clean up his properties in Knockturne so that they would be habitable. He also had done the same for the small Potter properties that dotted the English countryside. He hoped that after all that vacant property had been made habitable and cleared out, he could rent them out or sell them. He didn't need all that just for him. What furniture that could be salvaged would be sold off in Knockturne and Diagon Alley through his fake name.

It wasn't illegal, what he was doing- he just didn't want people to know what he was up to until it was all completed. He was in the papers enough as it was.

Although, he did decide to put more money into WWW through his real name. The world needed a few more laughs, and he didn't mind anyone knowing it was him.

x-x-x

He did a lot of thinking that summer. Thinking about what he wanted to do with his life, now that Voldemort was gone. To be honest, he really didn't want to be an Auror. He'd only told McGonagall that because he thought that was really the only option for him at that point.

But now that he had thought things over, he...didn't want to work for the Ministry. Sure, he was going to have three seats in the Wizengamot after he finished a Hogwarts, but he certainly didn't want to be at the place day in and day out. Was there a way he could assign Proxies or something? Maybe he could travel. Maybe he could learn more about the wizarding world.

He really didn't need to work- he had plenty of money. But he also knew that if he didn't do anything, he'd be terribly bored. Hence, what he was doing with the properties he owned. He continued to think things out, and quietly make his plans.

He often went out on long walks in Diagon Alley and Knockturne Alley, just studying people, watching how they interacted. Now that Voldemort was dead, were people still going to be continuing with his work? Did the purebloods still hate the muggleborn? Certainly. Did the muggleborn still feel alienated from the rest of wizarding society? Surely, yes.

Strangely enough, Voldemort had united a large group of people together- not just witches and wizards, but Giants, Vampires, Werewolves... Sure, it had been under a banner of hatred and bigotry, but he had done what many wizards hadn't been able to do. Harry reflected on the people he knew personally, the people he interacted with. It was a very small group in comparison. Still, it was quite varied. Muggleborn, halfbloods, purebloods- all Lightsided. One werewolf. Two certain little house elves. Firenze. Could he include the Mermaids in the lake? Could he include Aragog? No, his circle of acquaintances were very small in comparison, and very weak.

He was now very aware of how much his name meant now, how much his words meant to people. From those little kids that wanted to grow up to be just like him, to the elderly witches and wizards that admired his courage when facing off the Dark Lord, telling him about the war that had killed their friends and family members... He was frightened of how much power he had, how much potential he had.

What could he do with it? Could he really unite the wizarding world? Could he really make people stop hating each other? Could he really have them respect other sentient beings like Centaurs and Goblins? It sounded like an Utopian idea, and it would undoubtedly be hard work. But Harry sort of wanted to try.

But he wasn't going to do this blindly. He was going to take his time. Think about his options. He still had two years left of school. He wasn't going to just sit and bide his time, however. No...he was going to study, observe, and plan.

And...maybe he'd find the time to be a normal teenager for once.

x-x-x

Harry received a letter not long before his birthday. It was from Remus. He'd sort of been expecting this for a while now, knowing that the man had been grieving for Sirius just as much as he had, if not more. The letter itself was stained with tears, and the handwriting was shaky.

Dear Cub,

I hope you are doing well. I...am not doing so well, really.

I-we loved Sirius very much, and I know he loved us too. He was so proud of you Cub, and I'm sure he's proud of you now. I don't know if he ever told you, but he gave you whatever is left of the Estate. Go to Gringott's, if you can. If you'd like me to be there, I'd be happy to go with you.

I'm sorry it took me so long to write- I've been so out of it. Moony...he isn't in the best shape right now. Losing another pack member really hit him hard. I am going to go abroad- to France. There's a pack there that need my help, and I've decided to go. I would really, really like to talk with you in person before I leave, if you have the time.

Remus

Harry clutched the letter to his chest, feeling like he was going to cry now too. He let out a long sigh, and penned a reply. He wanted to meet with Remus as soon as possible- there had to be a way to keep him here!

x-x-x

Remus looked in terrible shape, Harry reflected when he saw the man the next afternoon. They met up in the back garden, because Aunt Petunia wouldn't let Remus inside the house. They sat on the bench in silence. Harry could tell Remus hadn't been sleeping well, and his hair was almost entirely silver now. And he had added a few more scars to his collection.

Harry reached over, taking the man's hand, and suddenly Remus was crying, clutching him tightly around the shoulders, sobbing openly. Harry held him while he shook, unable to cry for some reason. Perhaps he couldn't cry anymore- he'd just done it too much these past few weeks.

"Harry...I feel as though I should tell you something." Remus said quietly, pulling away. He looked down, looking a bit ashamed. "Harry...I don't want you to think any different of Sirius...but...he and I were lovers." The man murmured.

Harry stared at Remus, his heart breaking, and now he wanted to cry. Poor Remus- Merlin! He held onto Remus again, trying to keep himself calm. "I am so sorry Remmy." He said sincerely. He pulled away, looking into the man's eyes. "Why didn't you guys tell me? I wouldn't have told."

Remus sighed, turning away. "Well, the wizarding world doesn't exactly accept homosexual relationships. They're a bit old fashioned like that. Sirius and I got together when we were sixteen, after he had a string of crazy girlfriends..." The man laughed softly. "He sort of gave up on women, and I...had sort of been waiting for him. We...I...after Lily and James died, things were obviously over between us." His voice broke at this. "That was why I hurt so much when I thought Sirius had..." He shook his head. "But when you found Sirius..."

Harry smiled. "You still loved him." Harry concluded, knowing what Remus had been trying to say.

Remus nodded. "Things were tough for both of us, but...we did get back together. It...was...almost like old times. And then...with the Order, we couldn't get any privacy...I think that was partly why Sirius was so short with everyone. He hated hiding."

"I can imagine." Harry murmured, small smile fading.

"We...we were so worried about telling you. On one hand, we thought you would be accepting, but...on the other, we knew that muggles weren't very accepting of it either. We weren't' sure how you would react. I'm so sorry we never got to tell you..."

Harry shook his head, interrupting the man. "Look, a blind man could see that you two loved each other. I didn't know the extent of that love, but I could tell that you both cared about each other like crazy. I...I am happy that you two got to have a little more time together..." He sniffled a bit. " And...I do hope that you'll manage to find someone else that will make you happy one day."

"...Well...I don't know about that, but thank you Harry." Remus said softly. "I'm...I'm glad that you accept us."

Harry looked down, toeing his trainer at the wet grass beneath his feet. "So...I do have a few questions? If you don't mind?"

"Sure."

"So...Sirius and Mr. Weasley gave me and Ron the talk last Yule. How come Sirius didn't talk about gay relationships? Don't you guys have to be safe too?" Harry asked timidly.

Remus coughed. "Uh, well, yes. But...Sirius probably thought you guys didn't really need to hear..." He trailed off, seeing Harry's expression. "Do you need to hear about it?"

Harry tilted his head vaguely, giving a slight shrug of his shoulder. He couldn't say it.

"But...didn't you go out with that Cho girl?"

Harry sighed. "One date. And I left her halfway through to do that interview with Hermione and Luna."

Remus looked like he was going to laugh at this. "Oh."

"It was awful. But...I...was just curious, you know? I...I think I've...well, I'm pretty sure I had a couple crushes before, but...I never really...um..."

"It's okay." Remus interrupted, saving Harry from his stammering and blushes, an understanding smile on his face. He sighed, looking away. "Okay...so you might like guys?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"Okay...so...um, if you ever did choose to have a relationship with another man, or a woman, for that matter, you would need to be safe about it. I...should tell you that wizards are able to get pregnant."

Harry's jaw dropped at this. "what!"

Remus chuckled. "It's pretty rare- you have to be rather powerful to do it. But with your luck..."

"Yeah. Okay...so? Spell? Potion?"

"Spell. You only have to apply it once to whoever is on the...recieving end, or both, and it lasts for six hours. Um...just remember to do it, okay? Even if you think it'll be okay, or if you're in a rush...the spell protects you from diseases too."

Harry nodded firmly. Remus gave him an impromptu lesson about how to cast the spell in the back garden. It was quite surreal. A little while later, Remus finally spoke.

"Harry...it's been really good talking with you."

"...Are you really going to leave?" Harry asked. He didn't want to beg him to stay...

"Harry...Every where I go...I think of them, of him. I can't...I can't stay." He reached forward, cupping Harry's cheek. "I'm going to help others like me. To be honest...I don't know if I can hold on for very much longer."

Harry choked at this. "What?" He whispered. "Remus...you can't leave me..."

"Harry...they were my pack. I lost all of them... other people need my help now."

"But...what about..." He wanted to ask, to beg Remus to stay, but he couldn't find the words.

Remus gave him a big hug. "Write me often. I love you very much, cub. I am so, so very proud of you, and I know Sirius and your parents are too. No matter what you do in the future, we will be proud of you."

"Remus...please..." Harry whispered, clutching at the man. He wanted to say... "Please don't leave. I love you too...please don't leave."

"...I can't Harry. I'm going to die. You have a long life ahead of you- I only have a little time left. I need to help those like me before I go. There are so many of us out there that need my help, that need my support. I'm going to do what I can for them. Be brave." A kiss was pressed against his brow, and Harry began to cry quietly, not wanting to let go.

x-x-x

Dear Mr. Potter,

Thank you for considering our publishing firm for your Autobiography! We are very pleased that you accepted our conditions. We are staffed with a full team of editors, and we look forward to working with you. We understand that you have a very busy schedule, but we would like to have a timetable of when we should expect chapters from you, as well as information on long the book will be, and how you want it to be formatted.

We would like to get to work on this straight away, so please send us the first chapter at your earliest convenience. It is a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Potter.

Giles Nott,

Owner of Circlet Press

Harry read and re-read the letter before him. He sat at his desk, hand buried in his hair. It was pouring out, suiting his mood. He really didn't feel like going out that day. Remus had left that day for France, and Harry had the awful feeling he was never going to see him again.

He understood why Remus had done it, of course, but it still hurt.

Now, he was trying to concentrate on other things. His rickety desk was filled with paperwork, letters, and files. Mostly bills from the teams he'd commissioned to clean and repair his properties. Still, now that the war was over, lots of people were looking to buy, so it was a good time to sell. He'd be making money from all of that soon enough.

Instead of picking the usual black or grey to paint his buildings in Knockturne, he'd chosen a brilliant white, and had the rooms inside painted colorfully. There were even flower boxes on the windows, and colorful shades over the ground floor shops. He'd even gave a bit of money to the shop owners to help them update the look of their shops. It was up to them how they wanted to do it, but hopefully they would go with the theme. He hated the drabness of the wizarding world lately- it needed more color, more life.

He searched through his papers to find the first half of his manuscript. He'd rewritten it twice already- the first copy was marked liberally with Hermione's corrections. She had attached a heartfelt letter to it, saying that she'd nearly cried when she'd read about the treatment he'd gone through with the Dursleys, and laughed at some of the funny bits he'd added. The first half of the book had gone up to his second year at Hogwarts. She said it was a very good start, and that it would certainly get people's attention.

He penned a letter and attached the new copy of the manuscript, as well as the photos he wanted, and where he wanted them. In the letter, he wrote about his specifications to formatting. All the photos were to be in black and white, to keep the printing costs down, and that they would be stills, to keep it down further. Even more, he wanted to have the books to be paperbacks, so that they were lighter and easier to carry, and even cheaper to print and transport.

He knew LOTS of people would want to read this book, and figured it would make things better for all of them this way. He also wanted a lot of people to be able to afford to buy the book. He'd seen some of the other biographies in bookshops, and they had always been ridiculously expensive. He didn't want that. He also wrote to expect the other half of the book by October, and that he wanted the book to be finished and published by spring. And to keep whatever was written OUT of the press until after the book was released. No point in giving away spoilers, right? And if he found out that they had omitted any of what he'd written, or had released information, he would break the contract and go to another publisher, making sure to tell everyone what had happened.

x-x-x

Harry was on his last walkabout before term started. It had actually been a fairly quiet summer for him. He'd written a ridiculous amount of letters, to all sorts of people. Kids, politicians, his friends, the DA, even McGonagall and some of the other staff members.

He'd also gotten his OWL results shortly after his birthday. He'd done well in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense, but the others...well, at least he'd passed. He wouldn't be taking Potions, since his grade wouldn't be high enough. He didn't know how to feel about that. It would certainly feel strange not to have a class with Snape.

Harry had gone with Hermione and her parents to get their school supplies. It had been nice, just hanging out, the two of them, with Hermione's parents. They had talked mostly about the book, and Hermione confessed that she had her parents read the manuscript too, 'because it had been so good!' She couldn't help but exclaim. She had said that Harry had been very heartfelt and explained things quite well, and that she couldn't have done it better.

After getting their school supplies, they had all gone out for pizza in the muggle world. Hermione's Father was a bit nervous around Harry, considering how Hermione was always hugging at him and grabbing his arm. But after the two teens both stared after a cute boy that worked in the pizza parlor, Mr. Granger realized he didn't have much to worry about.

It had been rather funny when he'd asked Harry, rather loudly, how come Hermione hadn't mentioned that he was gay in any of her letters. Hermione kind of stared at Harry for a bit and laughed. "Merlin, how come I didn't see it?"

Harry was pleasantly surprised to get acceptance from the Grangers, and he was hopeful that the others would too.

Anyways...back to the present. Harry was doing his last walkabout the day before term started up again. He was actually walking through Knockturne, looking up at his buildings. He was wearing a black coat he'd gotten in the muggle world, as it was a bit rainy out.

He smiled as he saw a contractor posting up a sign in front of one of them. The man turned, and looked at Harry.

"Hey kid- you like?"

Harry approached the man, eyes glinting, sticking his hands in his coat pockets. "I've got a couple more years yet...these look new, almost."

"They pretty much are! I should know, my team rebuilt this beauty all by ourselves! Want to take a look?"

"Well...maybe just a peek?" Harry said with a grin. Might as well, right?

Harry followed the man in, smiling at the empty shop space. "This here is for a shop. Used to be an apothecary, but it got shut down by the Ministry years ago. It was a bitch to get the smell out, but we managed."

Harry smiled, liking the rust colored walls and dark wooden floor- even the built in cupboards had been painted the colorful hue. "Quite the color, eh? The owner told us what colors to paint- a bit too...er...out there for my taste, but I guess some people like it well enough. Lots of people have looked at it already. Follow me up the stairs."

Harry followed the man up the stairs- they'd been refinished, thank god. They went into the first apartment. It was a bit small, but perfect for a couple or a single person. It was unfurnished, of course, but the built in cupboards had temperature regulating charms to preserve food.

"This place is pretty nice, eh? All the cupboards there are spelled to keep food fresh- one of the guys on our team is pretty handy with runes that way... so...you got a couple years left at Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded, looking into the empty bedroom briefly. "Yes. I have money, but no use in me buying a place until I've finished school."

They went back downstairs, even though Harry knew there were two more apartments above this one. "Well, the owner owns more buildings, and he's having us fix them up too, so maybe by the time you finish Hogwarts, you'll get one of these places!" The man motioned to the building once they were outside.

Harry laughed. "Maybe. You guys did a really great job."

The man cocked his head a bit. "You're...Merlin! You're Harry Potter!" He gasped.

Harry blushed, looking away. "Er...yes." He said awkwardly.

The man grabbed his hand, shaking it thoroughly. "It is a pleasure to meet ya, My wife and I are big fans."

"It is nice to meet you too, sir." Harry said sincerely, shaking the man's hand.

The following week, the team would get a bonus in their paychecks, with a note to keep up the good work.

x-x-x

Harry sat in his compartment, watching everyone out on the platform. He was curled up next to the window, his soaked trainers sitting abandoned on the floor in front of him. He knew he'd forgotten something when he'd gone shopping for school supplies- new clothes to wear outside of class. Oh well. It wasn't like the clothes he wore now were too small anyways. He still swam in them, despite having them for several years now. At least he didn't have to roll up the pants legs anymore.

He idly jotted his observations down, about how snooty looking some of the purebloods were, of how all the kids were excited to see their friends again. People were...happier. Definitely. It was good to see so many smiles.

"Hey Harry. Mind if I sit here?" Harry turned to see Neville standing in the compartment doorway, clothes soaked through and clutching Trevor's cage.

"Sure. Get caught in the rain like I did?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Yeah. Glad I'm not the only one."

"Drying charms help." Harry glanced down forlornly at his shoes. "Unfortunately, they don't take to muggle trainers very well. So...how was your summer?"

Neville grinned, sitting across from him. "It was great! I got a new wand, and Gran and I had a 'Talk'...she...uh, said after what happened, she realized that I was growing up and stuff... well, it was kind of mushy and embarrassing. How was your summer? You spent it with the muggles, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but they left me alone. I bribed them." He said with a grin.

Neville smiled at this too- he had a small idea that Harry and the muggles didn't get along too well. Harry continued. "I wrote a lot of letters...mostly to little kids and rabid fangirls-" He waggled his brows at this, which had Neville laughing. "And to some boring politicians...oh, and I started writing a book."

"A book? You?" Neville looked a bit shocked at this.

Harry stuck his tongue out at him. "Look, just because I hate writing homework essays doesn't mean I hate to write...it...it was different." Harry looked out the window. "It's not done yet...I've still got some work to do. You don't think Ron will take the mickey out on me for it, do you?"

"Probably, you know how he is."

"Hey you lot. Budge over." Ron said, entering the compartment, sitting in the place Neville vacated. Harry frowned, watching Ron flop into the seat, and Neville move into the opposite corner from where Harry was sitting. Had Ron really just done that? And Neville let him? Neville acted as though this was completely normal.

Hermione quickly came in, struggling with Crookshank's carrier. "Crookshanks, I know you hate it in there, but please don't move round so much..." She groaned, putting the carrier on the floor. "You're so heavy." There was a hiss inside the carrier. The girl sighed, and straightened her hair, and flicked her wand, drying her hair and clothes.

"Ah! Much better. Ginny?"

The red head came into the compartment, clothes already dry. "I'll set him to rights, Hermione, you and Ron go on to the prefect's compartment."

"Thanks Gin. Harry- oh you're already here!" Hermione hugged him quickly, missing Ginny's and Ron's glares. Harry noticed, however. What was up with them? "Good to see you again. Oh, and here-" She fished out some papers from her bag. "Here's the next bit I edited for you. Look it over, see if you want to add some changes- I made some recommendations, and I thought you should add a bit more-"

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, taking the papers from Hermione's hand. He read a few sentences, and looked at Hermione. "What's all this?"

Harry took the papers from him, frowning. "Something I'm working on. Hermione's editing it for me. You guys should get to your meeting."

Hermione waved goodbye to the others, and Ron followed her silently, frowning. Harry sat back down in his seat, putting the papers in his notebook. Even glancing at it, he could tell Hermione had marked it up quite a bit. Lots of work to do.

"What is that, Harry?" Ginny asked, sitting next to him.

"Harry's writing a book!" Neville exclaimed, claiming his seat from across Harry once more.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Really! Let me see!" She reached for it, but Harry held it back.

"It's not finished." Harry said carefully.

Ginny frowned. "But you let Hermione read it..."

"She's helping me out. Mostly spelling and grammar and stuff. You know how she is. So...how was your summer Ginny?"

"Boring." The girl sighed, pouting. "It would have been a lot better if you'd been around. The twins mentioned that you stopped by their shop a few times. How come you didn't visit?"

"I was busy." Harry said, and he got the feeling he would be saying that a lot. Thankfully, he was saved from further explanation when Luna wandered into the compartment dreamily.

"Luna! How was your trip to Sweden?"

x-x-x

The train ride was fairly uneventful, for once. The Slytherins noticeably didn't come by the compartment. Although, many others came by instead. All of the DA members dropped by, confirming that Harry would continue to hold meetings, and a whole bunch of little firsties came by to stare a bit.

Ron was about to chase them off when Harry motioned for them to come in. Some came into the compartment timidly, several clutching parchments and quills. Oh God. Autographs.

"Mr. Potter...c-can I have your autograph?" One of the girls asked cautiously, holding out her parchment. How was he to say no to that face? He gave in to her puppy eyes, and grabbed the quill and parchment.

He signed his name, smiling, and the other kids started asking their questions, and Harry did his best to answer patiently, or mentioning that the others in the compartment had been there with him too. Ron had been ridiculously pleased to sign autographs too. As they left, Hermione spoke.

"They were too cute!"

"I know, right?" Harry said with a grin, laughing. "I just couldn't say no to them- Merlin, can you imagine what Snape is going to say when he hears? 'Mr. Potter, you've gotten a big head again'." Harry mimicked, his voice gruff and low.

The others laughed at this, and Hermione spoke. "Snape doesn't really sound like that- his voice isn't that gruff! It's like..." She visibly struggled to place it, and Harry found himself mentally trying to compare it... "It's like silk." The girl concluded with a firm nod. Ron began to laugh at this, as did Neville, while Ginny and Luna giggled. Hermione started to blush. "Not that I have a crush on him or anything!" She protested.

Harry pulled her into a loose hug. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time you've gotten a crush on a teacher. Remember Lockhart?" The boy's laughter increased, and Hermione playfully shoved at Harry's arm.

"Don't you start with me, I know you had a crush on you-know-which teacher back in third year-"

Harry's mouth dropped open. "What?" He squeaked.

"Well...I only guessed it recently, but I'm right, aren't I?"

Harry looked away uncomfortably- thankfully, the others had been laughing so much that they hadn't heard Hermione's murmur.

x-x-x

Once in the Great Hall, Harry became aware of everyone staring at him- even more than usual. It...sucked. A lot. Even moving to the Gryffindor table had been weird- like everyone had parted, allowing for him to pass, all looking at him expectantly. It...felt weird and...just plain weird.

And his magic was feeling all wonky again- restless. His hands and feet tingled, and he remembered it had been like this during the last week of term the previous year. He looked up at the Head table, quickly noting the new Professor. He was older, short and squat- this was supposed to be their new Defense Professor? He didn't look like much. Then again, Flitwick was tiny and so...damned cheerful you'd never know that he was a dueling champion.

The first years began to get sorted, and Harry noted that there were less Slytherins this year- one girl even looked like she was about to cry- still, she kept a stiff upper lip. It might have been because of the cold stony silence from the other three tables when the first years had been sorted into Slytherin. Harry came to the uncomfortable realization that these little kids might get the brunt of some people's anger from the war. He glanced around at his fellow Gryffindors, and saw their open anger there.

Whenever a Gryffindor was announced, they completely switch over, cheering and greeting their new Housemate with open arms. Merlin! This was awful! He looked back to the Slytherin table, which was so quiet and...uncomfortable. He hated it. He knew what it was like to be excluded, to be not wanted...how could he be a part of this?

He dropped his gaze to his plate, feeling ashamed of himself and his housemates.

He ate dinner on automatic, feeling as though the food in his mouth tasted like cardboard. He sat in his seat, his good mood long gone. Dumbledore stood to make his announcements, eyes twinkling.

"Now, for the announcements!" The man called out. "I suggest for all of you who are new to the school, or need reminding, that the Forbidden Forest is Forbidden. Also, Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has added a number of things from the banned objects list. You will find the list on his door. I daresay, it has gotten quite long by now- it nearly reaches the floor." He paused for laughter.

"We will also be bringing back an old tradition- the Spring Formal!" There were excited whispers at this, and Harry silently groaned, wanting to bang his head against the table. He just knew girls were already staring at him. "Of course, that's quite a ways from now." The Headmaster added, almost absently. Harry could tell that the man was very enthusiastic about this, but the other teachers weren't so happy.

"Now, I would like for you to introduce an old friend of mine, Mr. Horace Slughorn!" There was half-hearted clapping at this, although Harry noted that the Slytherins were slightly more enthusiastic. "He will be returning to his old post as our Potions Professor!"

Harry blinked. Had he heard that right? Other students were visibly confused at this.

Dumbledore motioned to Snape. "Professor Snape will be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." There was loud clapping at this from the Slytherins, and a smattering of applause from the other tables. Snape stood, glaring at all of them imperiously, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry stared at the man, still feeling quite confused.

Whhhhaaat?

Ron echoed him from his spot next to Harry. "What? He can't do that!" He yelled standing.

Hermione actually blushed, hiding her head in her hands. Harry wanted to do the same. He shrunk down in his seat a bit.

"Actually, Mr. Weasley, I can. Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape called out.

There was some clapping from Slytherin table at this, and Harry looked over to see the firsties whispering to each other, small smiles on their faces. Huh.

x-x-x

That evening, Harry climbed up the stairs to the dorm room, sighing as they arrived. Ron was already grumbling about Hermione nagging him, and Dean and Seamus were teasing Ron about getting them negative points before the term even started- they even said it had to be some sort of record.

Harry started to unpack his things with a few flicks of his wand- he didn't even notice how the others went silent.

"Harry! You just did that silently, with hardly any effort at all!" Neville gasped.

Harry glanced around, file folder in hand. All of his clothes were putting themselves away, folding themselves, his books lining themselves up on his dresser. Did he even know that spell? "Er...yeah, I guess so."

"Cor, you really are powerful." Dean murmured appreciatively.

Harry blushed, turning to his bed. "It's nothing." He muttered. He flopped onto his bed, and opened his file, and grabbed a quill as it passed by him. He started to go over the manuscript Hermione had brought him, trying his best to ignore the other's stares.

x-x-x

The following morning, Harry headed to breakfast with Hermione. He'd gotten tired of trying to get Ron up after three tries, and just went on without him. The two were talking quietly about the first couple pages of the manuscript Harry had looked over the previous night before going to bed.

The two sat down at the table, and Harry noted how quiet it was, Hermione laughed a little. "It's still early. Usually I'm having to get you and Ron up around this time."

"Oh." Harry murmured, glancing around. Sure enough, there were only a couple of Gryffindors at the table. Most of the Ravenclaws and Slytherins were already there, and half of the Hufflepuffs sat at their table. It was so...quiet.

Hedwig arrived with a large stack of letters, and Harry smiled, giving her a bit of bacon. Hermione raised a brow. "That's a lot of letters."

"Oh, that's kind of normal. It used to be a lot more." Harry said absently. "That's why I've been getting up earlier- it takes me about an hour now to get through it all."

"What is it?" Hermione asked, pouring herself some juice.

"Oh, well, some stuff about some properties I own..." Harry hedged. "And...you know, letters."

"From fans?" Hermione said with a grin.

"Okay, yes, but not like that- all the rabid fan-girl letters are getting thrown out by Hedwig now, right girl?" He said, petting her affectionately. Hedwig hooted proudly at this, and Hermione stifled a giggle. "No, mostly the letters are from little kids...oh! I got a letter from Remus!" Harry read it, smiling sadly. "He's doing okay- the pack over in France are treating him really well. I'm...I'm happy for him."

Hermione looked at Harry worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Harry looked down, putting the letter into his cloak pocket. "Remus...when he came to say goodbye to me...he...really meant Goodbye. He...thinks he might not make it long. Since...you know."

"Oh." Hermione whispered, realizing what Harry meant. "That's awful."

"They were his pack." Harry shook it off, and began to go through the other letters. He smiled a bit, showing off some of the drawings he'd been given. Hermione laughed a bit too.

Hermione began to eat breakfast, and Harry put his letters away to look at later- he didn't want Ron and the others seeing them for some reason. He ate his breakfast slowly, thinking about things. He watched the other students talking at their tables, noting that some of them said quiet prayers when they started to eat. A sudden thought occurred to him.

"Hermione?'

"Hmm?" The girl asked, cutting into some eggs.

"Are wizards...religious? I mean, I've never really seen or heard anything before, but..."

"Oh- you saw a few of them pray just now? Yeah...some of the more...um, traditional families do that." She leant in, eyes lighting up. "It's quite interesting. I've done some research on it. In the past two centuries or so, with more and more muggleborn coming in, the wizarding world has become quite secular. However, it didn't always used to be that way. Many of the old wizarding families prayed to their own Gods and Goddesses."

"Oh...wow...like...the Greeks and the Romans?"

"Yes, and the Celts, the Vikings, and many, many more. It really depends on where the familiy is originated from, and what their Patron God or Goddess may be. I don't know exactly for sure who they could be, as that information isn't published in the books that I've read, but from what I understand, it's sort of kept...private."

"I guess I get that." Harry murmured, fork pushing his own eggs about. He'd never really been allowed to go to Church, growing up. The Durselys wouldn't allow it the few times they went a year. Harry believed in heaven...or at least, that the dead were watching over him, like his Parents and Sirius, but...everything else? He was kind of clueless about.

This was a part of wizarding culture he didn't know anything about. He wasn't exactly sure how to ask around about it either. Hmm.

The others began arriving to breakfast in short order, and Harry noticed that many of the Ravenclaw and Slytherins had left by then, and the other Hufflepuffs began arriving. And it was so loud! He almost wanted to leave too.

McGonagall came by with the schedules, and stopped short as she saw Harry and Ron. "You two, why haven't you signed up for potions?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a look. "Our grades weren't high enough, Ma'am." Harry said, feeling a bit confused.

"Well, they are now. I suggest you two talk to Professor Slughorn about what you can do about your supplies until you can order them." And then she gave them their schedules.

Ron groaned. "Ugh...this year is going to be awful. I thought I was finished with potions. Well...it could be worse." He then quipped, grinning. "At least we know someone won't die."

Harry's smile faded, suddenly thinking of Remus. He sighed, and stood. "I'm going to get my things." As he walked off, he could hear Hermione chastising Ron.

x-x-x

Harry walked into the first Transfiguration lesson of the year, walking behind Hermione and Ron. He hoped that the class went better than yesterday's Charm class. He'd accidentally put too much power into his spell, making his feather ricochet across the room, slamming itself into the ceiling. Thankfully, Flitwick talked him how to cast the levitation spell silently again, and Harry had calmed down a bit.

Even Herbology had been weird- all the plants were all purry at him like they did when Neville handled them sometimes. It was strange. Thankfully, no one else had noticed this. Had his magic really gotten that much stronger?

Harry sat down in between Ron and Hermione at their bench near the front, and McGonagall stood in front of the class. She looked the same as ever, pretty much- possibly a few more gray hairs. She looked at all of them sternly.

"Welcome to your sixth year Transfiguration class!" The woman barked. Harry mentally sighed. She was gearing up for the same speech all the other teachers so far had said. "You may have noticed, but this year, your classes have combined to include all four houses. Know why?"

"Because the ones who aren't here are idiots?" Malfoy joked in the back of the room, making a few people twitter.

McGonagall gave him a hard look. "No, Mr. Malfoy." She looked to the class at large. "All of you are here because you all made a grade of Exceed Expectations or higher. I expect all of you to do your very best in this course. Your NEWTS are very important, even more so than your OWLS. Now, For the next two years, we are going to delve into more advanced magics, such as Conjuration, The Animagus spell, and much much more." There were murmurs at this, and Harry perked up. If he was an animagus like his Dad and Godfather- why hadn't he tried to figure out how to do it before? He found himself grinning broadly at the thought of possibly being a stag like his Dad, or maybe even a Lion or a Bear-

"But for now, I would like for all of you to try a transfiguration spell silently."

There were groans at this. This had happened in charms too. Everyone had struggled a great deal with this...well, not everyone. Harry took out his wand as the matchsticks were handed out. He looked warily at the thing, feeling a bit nervous. This could really hurt somebody if he didn't do this right.

"I want this room to be completely silent!" The woman barked out, and everyone got to work.

Harry fixed his eyes upon his matchstick, and drew his wand. He bit his lip, trying to keep calm. Okay. He could do this. He flicked his wand at the matchstick, mentally casting the spell, and the desk he sat at suddenly turned into a very, very large needle! It was larger than a sword, even.

Harry, Ron and Hermione backed off from their bench, while the rest of their classmates murmured and laughed. Harry was flushing under their gazes, feeling humiliated.

"It wasn't me!" Ron cried, holding up his matchstick. Hermione looked to Harry worriedly, and McGonagall came over. With a quick flick of her own wand, their desk went back to normal.

McGonagall gave a Look to the three of them, and her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Harry. "Keep practicing. Mr. Potter, come with me."

Harry sighed, following the woman to the front of the classroom. The Professor silently raised a spell to keep their conversation quiet.

"What was that, Mr. Potter?"

Harry cringed. "I'm sorry- I don't know what happened! My spell was off in Charms yesterday too..."

McGonagall cut him off. "I am aware. Filius warned me."

Harry cringed again- Flitwick had warned her? He was bad enough that she needed to warned now?

McGonagall sighed. "It seems like to me that you're having control issues. Perhaps it is your wand? Is there anything odd happening when you cast magic? What about outside of class?"

Harry glanced at his wand. "Well...I...my magic feels stronger, I guess. When...when I don't think about it, I can cast spells just fine...actually, better than fine. When I unpacked my things the first night here, I just sort of flicked my wand, and all of it unpacked itself, even with the folding socks thing...I um...did it silently, and...I don't know any spells like that..." He trailed off awkwardly, seeing the expression on her face.

"I see. Well, you have a free period after this, and I have a small break. We'll talk about this more after class. In the meantime...why don't you just try visualizing the spell, repeating it in your mind. Keep your wand away from your hands."

"Yes Ma'am."

The woman flicked her wand, and the silencing spell vanished, and Harry went back to his seat. Hermione and Ron glanced at him curiously, and he shook his head. He picked up his matchstick carefully, and put his wand aside. He looked at it for a very long time, visualizing it turning into a needle. Perspiration gathered on his brow as he concentrated. This was a control issue. He had to get this sorted out before he seriously hurt someone.

He narrowed his eyes, and suddenly jolted as the bell rang. Everyone started to pick up their things, and Harry groaned. He hadn't gotten anything done.

"I've got to stay after." Harry muttered to Ron, and the two of them went on without him. Harry followed McGonagall to her office, carrying the basket of matchsticks with him. As they walked, McGonagall spoke.

"You are a very powerful wizard, Mr. Potter, with a potential to do great things." Harry sighed at this, and the woman turned, just as she opened her door. She raised her brow. "You don't believe me?'

Harry went inside, and she followed him. "Ma'am...you saw what happened today." He grumbled, setting the basket of matchsticks on her desk, and sat down.

"Yes. I did." She said with a smile, eyes glinting. "Here- have a biscuit." She handed the tin to Harry brusquely. Harry took one, and gave the tin back to her. She sat behind her desk, steeping her fingers together.

"The thing is, Mr. Potter, you have done things that no one your age has ever done before. You've defeated a Troll at the age of eleven, a BASILISK at the age of twelve, and over a hundred Dementors at the age of thirteen, not to mention the Tasks that you faced in your fourth year. Need I mention last year Mr. Potter?"

Harry rolled his eyes at this.

"I suppose I do. Mr. Potter, you taught a group of thirty students." He furrowed his brow at this, thinking she would have mentioned the Ministry Battle. She smiled, seeing she had his attention. "Yes. You taught a group of thirty students. The youngest only being a second year, the eldest members being in Seventh, while you yourself were only a Fifth year. What's more, you taught them all the same spells."

"So? Anyone could have-"

"Mr. Potter, perhaps I should show you something." She pulled out a paper from her desk with a small smile. "I really shouldn't show you this, but perhaps you need some proof." She slowly slid the paper across, and he leant forward.

"Test Scores?"

"Yes. Now, this is just from the Gryffindors, but I can assure you, Filius and Pomona had similar results."

Harry's eyes scanned down the list, and it didn't take long for him to notice the pattern. "Okay...so, yeah they had higher scores."

"Not just in Defense, Harry, but in all of their classes. It is such an anomaly that we had to reconfigure our scores, and when we learnt of who was in your Defense group, we understood."

"But...I only taught them Defense..."

"Which includes Charms and Transfiguration spells, Hexes, Curses, Information about poisons and toxins from plants and potions, and dangerous magical beasts."

Harry stammered. "I...well..."

"And your own scores raised too!" The woman went on, smiling. "All of you had an increased enthusiasm for your classes, Harry, and it was because of you. For you to be able to give that to your students, you must be a very good teacher."

Harry blushed, looking down at his knees. She put the paper away. "Harry, you are talented. You can do it, I know you can. Now, turn those matches into needles."

"All of them?"

"Don't think about it. Just do it." The woman said firmly.

Harry motioned towards the basket halfheartedly, and with a glance, all of the matchsticks turned into needles. At the same time. Harry's jaw dropped, and his hand shook. "I did it!" He gasped, standing up to look into the basket.

"You did it wandlessly." McGonagall said with a smug smile. Harry did a double take, feeling a little faint. "I will let Filius know about your control issues. During class, you will attempt your assignments wandlessly and silently. If you feel...nervous about letting others know about this, you can keep your wand close at hand, but make sure you have complete control over the spell should you attempt to cast it with your wand."

"...How am I able to do this?"

"How is a boy able to defeat the Dark Lord?" McGonagall asked back. She stood from her desk, and went to her bookshelves. "I'd like for you to read a book. It's about people who have been known to cast wandless magic, whether it be with Healing, or Charms, or...well, you'll see. There's a lot you can do with this ability, Harry, your only limitation is you."

He took the book from her with a quiet thank you. As he turned to leave, she spoke up. "Harry...will you be continuing the DA this year?"

Harry gave a slight nod, and the woman's smile widened. "Very well, then. Oh- and perhaps you should make it an open group? I believe Severus was rather put out with some of his Slytherins' marks last term."

x-x-x

Harry was NOT looking forward to Defense with Snape. It was usually one of his favorite classes, but he had a feeling that Snape was going to make it hard on him. Hermione stuck close to his side as they entered the class, with Ron and Neville following closely behind.

Everyone was quiet, taking in the changes around the room. It was dark, very dimly lit- the large windows had been closed, making the room look quite different than it usually did. Harry suddenly missed Remus, remembering what the classroom had looked like, when he had taught. The Slytherins and Ravenclaws were already sitting down- Susan looked to be the only Hufflepuff there.

He then noticed the pictures upon the walls- they appeared to be of people in pain and with strange body parts- what the hell? What kind of person has that sort of stuff up on their walls? The rumors about Snape being a sadist must be true.

He sighed, and sat off to the side with Ron and Hermione. Neville sat just in front of them. Susan approached shyly, smiling at the group. "Mind if I sit with you guys? I'm the only 'Puff here, so..."

"Sure, Susan." Hermione said with a smile.

Susan sat with Neville, and just as she put her things down, Snape arrived, slamming the door behind him, making Susan jump. Harry watched Snape walk briskly to the front of the room, robes billowing behind him. Harry swallowed as the man whipped around, crossing his arms over his chest, a smirk upon his lips.

"Welcome to the Defense Against the Dark Arts." He murmured. Harry mentally screamed. 'Oh my God! Hermione was right!' He fought hard to keep his embarrassment at bay, trying to pay attention as the man spoke.

"The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible" He whispered, and everyone could hear every syllable, every sound from the man's lips. Harry stared, transfixed, unknowingly leaning forward in his seat.

"Your defenses," said Snape, a little louder, regaining Harry's attention, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures" - he indicated a few of them as he swept past - "give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse" - he waved a hand toward a witch who was clearly shrieking in agony - "feel the Dementor's Kiss" - a wizard lying huddled and blank-eyed, slumped against a wall - "or provoke the aggression of the Inferius" - a bloody mass upon ground.

It was grotesque, but it was true. Harry shuddered as he looked at the woman who was in pain- he knew what that felt like.

"Potter!" Snape suddenly barked. Harry jumped in his seat, blinking.

"Sir?"

"Stand up. Come here."

Harry did as he was told, approaching the Professor. "Mr. Potter, how would you defend yourself against the Cruciatus Curse? It's been cast on you, correct? What did you do?"

Harry blinked. What did he do? "Well, to be honest sir, the first time it was used on me, it happened so suddenly, that I couldn't do anything. I just fell down to the ground. I couldn't move- I couldn't even breathe. All I could feel was this horrible pain, all of my nerves felt as though they were on fire" Harry said, trying to keep his voice steady. He then looked to the students, who were watching him with horrified looks on their faces. Neville was shaking, looking rather haunted. They needed to know this, he couldn't lie. Not about this. His voice grew stronger. "All I could think about was making it stop. But I couldn't even grab my wand, I was shaking so badly." He paused.

"What I could have done, if I had prepared, was somehow block the line of fire with a stone or something so that it wouldn't have hit me in the first place. Or dodged out of the way."

Snape was silent, as though he was trying to figure out how to refute that statement. "...But you didn't."

"No. I didn't. Like I said, I didn't have time. I was unprepared. But..." He added, seeing the man start to sneer. "Those aren't good excuses. Next time, those things could cost me my life."

"Hopefully...there will never be a next time. But...with your luck, Potter, there just might be. Go back to your seat."

Harry sat down, feeling strange. His hands and feet were tingling again, and there was that buzzing around his head- why did he have this sudden urge to dance, or run, or...do something besides just sit at that desk? He didn't notice how Snape was watching him with narrowed eyes.

x-x-x

Harry hummed a Weird Sisters' song as he worked on DA posters. Surrounding him were more posters. Colin, Dennis, and Hermione were helping him. The Creevey brothers were terribly excited about getting involved in helping put the posters up. Ron was at Quidditch practice.

He was mad at Harry. It wasn't that unusual these days. Harry had spoken to Katie, who was Captain this year. He decided to step down from Quidditch. He thought that with all the other things he needed to do, he just didn't have time. For another thing, he'd been officially banned. Dumbledore had, of course, taken it back, but Harry thought of it as favoritism, and decided to not get involved in that mess. So he resigned.

Katie Bell understood- after all, she had her NEWTS to worry about, but she was the most senior member on the team, besides Harry. Ron was angry, saying that Harry was just 'giving up', until Hermione pointed out that Harry other obligations now. Ron got even more angrier at this, and stormed off. That conversation had been several days before hand, and Ron still wasn't talking to them. Ginny was taking his place officially as seeker, and honestly, she was kind of excited about getting the position.

Harry...honestly didn't mind. Yeah, he was upset, but...Hermione had been right. He had other things he needed to do, things he actually wanted to do. Yeah, he loved to fly, but Quidditch? Eh, he wasn't going to make a career out of it.

He held up the poster he'd been working on, smiling.

"Are you sure about this, Harry? Some people aren't going to like it." Hermione said, and by the way she said it, she really meant Ron.

"Yeah. But...it's too late now. We burned the contract, remember?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes...that's true."

Dennis piped up. "And now more people will get to see you teach, Harry!" He said brightly, looking excited.

Harry smiled nervously. "Well...if there's too many people that show up, I might need some help." He pointed out.

Hermione glanced to the Creevey brothers, who suddenly raised their arms excitedly. "Me! Me! Pick me!" Dennis cried.

Neville and Luna helped them put posters up in the corridors, and they ran into Susan and Hannah, who offered to post a few up in the Hufflepuff common room. The first meeting would be held on the third week of classes, on Wednesday night, which Harry knew was free of any Quidditch practices. And it was open to all students, from first years to Seventh years. He just hoped people showed up.

x-x-x

The following day, Harry was walking to the Great Hall with Neville and Hermione when Snape called his name from behind them.

"Potter!"

Harry turned, and Neville squeaked, dragging Hermione off with him to the Great Hall. Harry sighed, seeing one of their posters in the man's hand.

"Yes sir?"

"What is the meaning of this?" The man shoved the poster in Harry's face.

Harry blinked. "It's a poster for the Defense Association, Sir."

Snape scowled at him. "Do you think I'm an incompetent teacher like that Umbridge woman?" He snarled.

"...No." Harry said cautiously. Actually, Snape had been a pretty good teacher. "Actually, you've been pretty good. It's just...with all the different teachers we've had these past few years, it's been hard for some people to catch up. I figured that the DA could help them out. Sort of like a supplementary study group."

Snape cross his arms over his chest, after dropping the paper at his feet. "I want to sit in on one of these meetings. The poster says that the group is open to ALL students. Are my Slytherins included?"

"Yes."

"Then why are there no posters in the Slytherin Common room?" The man queried, a smirk upon his lips.

Harry suddenly smiled, and opened his bag. He took out several posters. "Well, we didn't know any Slytherins that were willing to put posters in there for us. Perhaps you would like to?"

Snape took the posters with a frown on his face. "...I...will. But if I find out that you are incompetent, like I'm sure you are, I will discourage all of my Slytherins from going."

"Okay." Harry said, trying to keep from smiling. Teasing Snape was kind of fun, for some odd reason. "Anything else sir?" He asked cheerfully.

"Yes. Five points from Gryffindor for littering the hallways." He motioned vaguely to the crumpled up poster on the floor. And then he left.

x-x-x

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have reviewed the first half of your manuscript. It was quite good, very moving, as many in our publishing house agreed. A few were even moved to tears! That is no small feat, Mr. Potter, as our team reads quite a few manuscripts without a tear shed. We do question the validity of some of the statements, however, but you are allowed some...artistic license. There are some small changes that we have made- we have sent you our copy with the corrections. Please approve the corrections, and send it back.

Sincerely,

Giles Nott

Harry grit his teeth in anger, flipping through the manuscript. Seriously? Had they seriously cut out most of the information about the Dursleys? Harry was sitting in the library late one evening, catching up on his post and his homework. Hermione was off getting one of the books they would need for their homework, and Ron was slacking off and playing chess in the common room.

"Hey Harry- I found the book..." Hermione trailed off, seeing his expression. A boy was walking with her, and Harry remembered his name after a moment. Theodore Nott. Slytherin. He didn't hang out much with Malfoy- he was tall and thin, with curly black hair, rectangular glasses, and a pointy nose. From what he could remember, Nott didn't speak up much in class, and was rather bookish.

"Oh, Harry, you know Theodore, right?"

"Yes..."

"Well, His Uncle is the one that owns that publishing company, and..."

Harry smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, tapping the manuscript. "Just got the first half of my manuscript back."

Nott sighed heavily. "Uncle took out those parts, didn't he?" He drawled.

"Those?" Hermione asked, looking between the two boys.

"Dursleys." Was all Harry had to say, and Hermione sank down in her seat, frowning.

"Mind if I sit?" Nott asked formally, motioning to the chair next to her.

Harry gave a shrug, and Nott sat down. He sat stiffly, his back straight, and he looked straight into Harry's eyes as though he could see right through him. "So...it's true, then."

Harry averted his eyes. Now that Nott sat so close to him, it was hard to ignore the boy's magic. Like many of the other Slytherins, it was tinged with a sort of darkness to it, but it wasn't quite unpleasant either.

"Look Potter, I won't be giving you sympathy. But an accusation like that is very serious. Have you thought about the repercussions?"

"Repercussions?" Hermione asked.

Nott sighed. "Potter was raised by muggles." He paused. "Potter was abused by said muggles." Another pause. "That will give people reason to distrust and hate muggles more than they already do. They will also wonder if you dislike muggles as well. From what I understand, the muggles in your book are not written about favorably."

Hermione and Harry took in this information, and Harry sagged in his seat. "Oh." He said quietly. "But...it's true. It was all true."

"If you really want to include those parts, why don't you include speculation about why the muggles would act the way they did?"

"...I think that would just make things worse." Harry said quietly. He sighed roughly, burying his face in his hands. "Hermione? What do you think?"

"...I don't know. I mean, there are plenty of muggles out there that are good people, my parents included. Just like there are good wizards and bad wizards, there are good muggles and bad muggles."

"No better way to put it. Potter, put that in. Tell people that you don't advocate violence against muggles. You..don't, right?"

"No!" Harry said, looking at Nott with narrowed eyes. "I'm not like...Him."

"I didn't say you were." Nott said smoothly, his glassy blue eyes shining like strange mirrors.

Harry added a few lines, attempting to fix a few things. He could feel Nott and Hermione watching him struggle. "This is so hard." Harry whispered. "It was hard enough writing about it...I feel like I'm justifying what they did."

"Harry..." Hermione said, reaching across the table to take his hand. "I know it's hard. But you'll be okay. You need to get this off your chest. You need to tell people the truth."

Harry pulled away from her hand, looking at Nott, suddenly remembering that the boy was there. "So...how'd you get your hands on my manuscript?"

Nott just smiled. "I was wondering when you would ask. I work for my Uncle during the holidays. I was a member of the team that went over your manuscript. It helped that I was actually here at the school for some of the things you described...still...there's a lot of things there that even I didn't know about. And that's saying something."

Hermione chimed in. "Theodore's actually rather brilliant- we're in our Runes and Arithmicancy classes together. We've worked on projects together before...you don't mind?" She asked, sounding timid.

"Of course not. You're allowed your own friends." Harry murmured, marking a few things on the page, not looking up.

"...You are too, you know." Hermione pointed out carefully.

Harry glanced up, and Hermione was looking a bit teary-eyed. What? What did he do now? "What?"

"Well...it's just...in your book...you just sounded so lonely growing up. I mean...you have me and Ron...well...me, and the DA..."

"You and I both know the DA is different."

Hermione backtracked. "But still, maybe you should make an effort to make new friends!"

Nott cleared his throat. "Actually, I would like to speak to you about the DA, Potter."

"Yes?"

"Professor Snape posted one of your posters in our common room. He said that if we wanted to come and watch you make a fool of yourself, we were welcome to it. After...reading what I did, and seeing the OWL standings, I have reason to believe that you might actually be somewhat competent."

"Er...Thank you?"

"What I am trying to get at is that I will be attending the meeting."

"Oh. That's great. And the others will be there to watch me make a fool of myself, then?"

"Most likely."

"Fanastic." Harry deadpanned.

x-x-x

Harry sat in Dumbledore's office, feeling kind of awkward. He'd gotten a note from Colin, who'd gotten it from a second year, who'd gotten it from Dumbledore. Why the Headmaster did had to do something like that, Harry didn't know. It seemed like everyone knew he had a meeting with the Headmaster because of it, however. He watched the Headmaster prepare the tea, wondering what this was all about.

"Minerva's been telling me about how you are doing in your classes. She said you had some control issues?"

"I got it sorted out." Harry said, watching the man put lots and lots of sugar into his tea.

"Sugar? Lemon?"

"Uh...just black, please."

The Headmaster handed the tea over, and Harry held it in his hands. This was the first time the Headmaster had offered tea, rather than the usual lemon drop. Harry knew the Headmaster didn't do anything without a good reason, so he was suspicious about this. The Headmaster leant back into his chair, grabbing a biscuit from the tray. "Ah, this is nice." The two sat there for a few moments, and Harry got a bit antsy.

"Now..." Dumbledore began, eyes twinkling. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here."

Harry nodded at this.

"Well, I was once in your shoes. Unsure of what to do with my life- the possibilities were endless, especially after... It was so long ago, but I can still remember what it felt like." The man smiled, taking a sip of his tea. "I see that you've started up the DA again."

Harry nodded again. "Yes. We'll be having our first meeting soon."

"Yes, I saw the posters. I'm very glad you're including all of the students- perhaps that will encourage everyone to get along better." The man took another sip of his tea, and Harry did the same, unsure of what to do or say. The Headmaster always got him flustered for some reason, and made him feel awkward.

"I've noticed that you have kept quite busy with your post. I know how it is- I spend much of my time going through my post every day." Dumbledore smiled, motioning vaguely to the numerous papers on his desk. "And while I do so love writing my acquaintances, there is nothing that can beat a good conversation in person..." He trailed off. "I see you and Miss Granger have become even closer...are you two dating?"

Harry blinked, and started to laugh. "No sir. We're just friends. She's practically a sister to me."

"Oh...hmm. I suppose Minerva owes me a Galleon, then." The man winked at Harry playfully. He offered Harry the plate of biscuits. "Biscuit?"

Harry turned it down, and the Headmaster put the plate down. "I hear that you've been exchanging letters regularly with some rather important Ministry officials, here and abroad. How is that going for you?"

"...Uh...it's okay. Boring, but I want to be polite, you know?"

"Hmm. Yes." Dumbledore sighed, and drew out his wand. Several books slowly withdrew out of the shelves, hovering through the air. "You see, Harry, I feel that many will look to you in the future as a leader, perhaps even becoming the Minister of Magic, or maybe even working in the ICW." He caught the books deftly in his hands, and set them down on the table.

"Honestly, I think you could go my route, and become a very good teacher. But...that is for you to decide. I know it must feel daunting, everyone's expectations and hopes to be pinned on you..." The Headmaster tapped the several books he had brought over. "Perhaps these will help. These books contain some of our most basic laws and tenements of the International Magical world, and another is on Etiquette in a formal setting, which includes greetings in quite a few languages."

"Sir...what is all this for?"

Dumbledore just smiled, looking out the window. "Well, Harry, before long, you will be leaving Hogwarts and going out into the world. I would like for you to be prepared for what is to come." He turned back to look at Harry. "Just remember, life is about balance, and that it is always shifting and changing, adjusting to maintain that balance. With Voldemort gone, I fear that another Dark Lord will arise. Maybe not here, maybe not now, but elsewhere in the world, it could possibly be years from now, long after I am gone. Many will look to you for support, for guidance, in times of trouble."

He handed Harry the books. "Feel free to keep the books. I daresay, I have far too many. If you would like to borrow any more in my collection, feel free to drop by. Gregory, my Gargoyle, will allow you to enter here at any time."

Harry was rather startled by this news. "...Thank you sir."

"It is no problem Harry. No problem at all." The old man sighed, eyes looking distant. "Just remember Harry, keep your friends close. Living a life alone isn't really living at all."

x-x-x

Harry laid in bed late one evening, wanking behind some heavy silencing spells. It had been a while- once term had started, he really hadn't had time alone to do such a thing.

His hand traveled up his chest slowly, nails scratching lightly at his skin. He bit his lip, pinching his skin in places, his other hand keeping it's agonizing pace on his length. The hand on his chest slid down, pressing down firmly against his thigh, scratching up his skin there.

He hissed, hips wriggling at the sensation, arching his back a bit. "Yessss..." He groaned. It stung a bit, but it felt so good. It was strange to know how much pain got him off- he'd discovered this several years before hand. He actually liked pressing into whatever bruises he happened to have while he wanked- sometimes that deep ache inside him would set him off...

He reached further down, digits circling his hole. He was already lubed up- his finger slid in easily. He was well practiced at this. Harry was very, very aware that if he was ever in a relationship with a man, he would want to bottom. He felt too good to be ashamed of this fact- he really couldn't imagine himself taking charge during sex. He'd tried imagining it the other way around, but it really hadn't worked. One day, he hoped, to find someone he could trust enough to do that with.

He gasped as his slid his finger in and out of himself, opening his legs further. "Yes...fuck..." He gasped, his other hand quickening on his cock. He was close. He arched up, panting, sweat on his brow. "Fuck me..." He panted.

He was desperate for something harder, something bigger inside him, some more...pain- he slapped the inside of his thigh, making him groan. His hand returned to his cock, quickly fisting himself to completion. That stingy, burning pain felt good, but it wasn't quite enough... no, never enough.

x-x-x

Harry arrived to the Room of Requirement fairly early, wanting to prepare the room. This would be a mostly information meeting, and cover the disarming spell for their new arrivals.

He had asked for a bigger room for the meeting, and the room was a bit bigger than the previous year.

"Dobby?" The elf popped up.

"Harry Potter Sir!" The elf exclaimed, clutching his feet. Harry smiled as he watched the house elf jump around gleefully, singing and dancing his name.

"What would the Great Mister Harry Potter sir like for me to do for him Great Mister Harry Potter sir?"

Harry blinked. "Uh... Just call me Harry, remember Dobby? Just Harry?"

"Yes Just Harry sir!"

Harry sighed, shaking his head. "Okay, I'd like for you and the other elves to prepare some snacks for tonight- nothing heavy, just some fruit, veggies, and water?"

"Yes Just Harry sir!"

Harry sighed as Dobby popped away. He started arranging the floor pillows on the floor, making sure the disperse the colors as much as possible. He nodded to himself, and Dobby appeared with a huge fruit and Veggie tray with a few pitchers of water and cups. How was he able to carry all that?

"Thank you Dobby."

"You is being welcome Just Harry greatest wizard sir!" Dobby bowed low enough for his nose to touch the floor, and he popped away. Harry shook the buzzing feeling away, and continued his preparations. He pulled a few books out from a shelf, pausing as he heard the door open. Snape entered the room, stopping short at the scene.

"This looks more like a party than a classroom, Mr. Potter."

Harry motioned to a black leather chair that suddenly appeared in the room. "You can sit there, sir. We're just going over some information, first, then we'll get to the actual lesson."

Snape sat down in the chair, frowning. "My Slytherins are waiting just outside."

"Oh? Which ones? I know Nott said he would come, but-"

"All of them."

Harry blinked, turning to the man in shock. "All?"

Snape smirked. "What? You don't think you can teach them?"

Harry put his hands on his hips. "I think I can- I'm just rather surprised that all of them showed up..." He put the stack of books on the desk next to him. "Then again...your Slytherins tend to stick up for each other, don't they?" Harry murmured idly.

"They have to, if no one else will." Snape said placidly, making Harry internally flinch. Oh, that man! He knew just what to say to make Harry riled up.

Harry went to the door, and opened it. "All of you may come in." He called out, and left the door open, and headed back to the desk. He kept his back to them as the room provided a blackboard and some chalk.

He turned slightly. "Oh, I'd like for all of you to sit on the green cushions, please."
Some more appeared in the room, and Harry realized that the room was going to need to be a bit bigger. It slowly shifted wider and longer. God, this was going to be a nightmare of organization. However...after his speech tonight, he'd see who would stay for the next meeting.

He turned, leaning against the desk, watching everyone settle into place. Many of the older students lined up against the wall while the younger students sat on the cushions. Okay, he could get behind that. Harry glanced at Snape, who was watching his students carefully. Oh yeah, they were definitely going to be on their good behavior while he was around.

Harry smiled at some of the younger students near the front, getting a tentative smile from one of the first years. "What's your name?"

"Shelby. Shelby Graham."

"Well, Shelby, would you like to assist me today?" Harry asked.

The girl nodded, looking hesitant.

"Okay, when everyone comes in, I'd like for you to hand out these papers for me."

The girl nodded, and stood, looking at the stack of papers. She glanced every so often at Harry, looking a bit nervous. 'Is it true that you can cast a patronus?" She whispered.

Harry gave her a mute nod, and she grinned. "Wicked."

Harry hid a smile at this, and he watched some of the other students file in. Mostly Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs at this point. "Ravenclaws, please sit on the blue cushions, Hufflepuffs, please sit on the yellow."

They began to sit, noticing how thoroughly mixed the crowd was becoming, and how much they were outnumbered by the Slytherins. It was a little intimidating.

Then the Gryffindors arrived, and Harry felt suddenly ashamed of what happened. At first, things were alright. Hermione and Neville were herding the younger students in. "Gryffindors, red cushions please!" Harry called out. The younger kids began to sit, following the Slytherin's example. Harry could tell that the entire Gryffindor house was in attendance.

And then Ron had to open his big mouth.

"Harry- what the hell is going on here?" He yelled, as soon as he saw the Slytherins.

Harry gave him a Fierce look, and a few people nearby shivered. "Ron, sit down, and be quiet." Harry said firmly. "If you looked at the posters, you'd see that this meeting is open to EVERYONE."

Ron looked around the room, and saw all the people staring at him. And then he saw Malfoy smirking at him. Ron scowled at the blonde, and huffed, trying to find a place to sit on the floor. He saw Shelby's seat, right in front, and he made a beeline for it.

"Ron, that seat is taken. You'll have to sit on a red cushion if you're going to sit somewhere-"

"Harry-"

"Ron." Harry said firmly, and Ron slinked off, standing next to Ginny, Neville, and Hermione by the other older Gyrffindors in the back.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Harry asked, looking at the crowd.

The door opened again, revealing Luna, wandering in dreamily. Harry sighed. Her feet were bare, and she was missing her cloak. The others began to giggle at her, and the Ravenclaws exchanged whispers, looking at her pointedly. Luna ignored all of this.

"Hullo Harry." She said with a dreamy smile, sitting on the bare floor by the first years in a lotus position.

Harry turned to Shelby, who was looking might nervous. "Shelby, can you hand the papers out now, please?"

The girl nodded, and started to do just that. Harry spoke, watching the others get their papers.

"I've prepared a Syllabus of what I would like to cover this year. Some of these things I covered last year, but I know there's a lot of new people here today-"

"A Patronus, Potter? Are you serious?" Parkinson said, looking at the list, clearly doubting him.

Harry held up his hand when it looked like people were about to argue with her. Harry looked to Luna. "Luna, could you cast your patronus for us, please?"

Luna smiled, and took out her wand from behind her ear, standing up. "I would be delighted to, Harry. Expecto Patronum!" The girl cried, and her rabbit patronus took shape, bounding around the room, hopping over people's heads and laps. Many of the students gasped, and many of the younger girls cried out in delight, reaching for the whispy figure. It bounced into Luna's arms, and it faded away. Many of the students who had been giggling at her before were now looking at the blonde in entirely new eyes. That would show them!

"Thank you, Luna. Now, that was the last spell we were able to cover before we had to cancel our classes last year. It is a very useful spell against Dementors- it is the only known way to repel them. Now, it is a very advanced charm, and many adult wizards are unable to cast it. However, I believe that if you have just the right memory, and you believe in yourself enough, you might just be able to do it!"

The younger students were immediately captured by his enthusiasm. Unknown to Harry, McGonagall snuck around the large crowd, sneaking in to stand by Snape. The man glanced her way briefly. He sighed at the woman's proud smile. The two teachers watched as Potter cast his own patronus silently, making everyone stare in awe.

"I was only a third year when I started to learn how to cast this spell. It took me over sixth months to learn, but I managed it. It took a lot less time for the others to learn. If you can't find a happy enough memory, make one up. It worked for me." Harry clapped, vanishing his patronus, making many jump. "Now, all of you who are sitting, I'd like for you to get into groups of four with the people nearest to you, no matter who they are. Older students, I'd like for you to do the same."

He waved a hand, and the floor shifted, and people stood. Instead of a wooden floor, it was suddenly a soft mat. "Now, because we have such a big group, I'd like to have a few assistants- volunteers?"

At first, nobody raised their hands, but suddenly, people began to raise their hands, the first and second years being the most enthusiastic. Harry laughed.

"Okay, okay, this is what we're going to do. First years, for thirty minutes, I'd like for all of you to assist the older students, and second years, I'd like for all of you to assist the other students for the following thirty minutes."

He motioned for everyone to get into their spots, with a space down the middle. "Now, we're are going to do disarming spells."

There were many groans of outrage at this from the older students, and Harry shut them up with holding a hand. "Believe me, it's saved my life more than once. You'd be surprised how many wizards can't cast this spell properly. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the spell, it is Expelliarmus, and you point directly at the object you are trying to take from your opponent. Many think it only works with wands, but it works with other things too. Today, you will be taking cushions. Less likely of having headache later, I think." He muttered, and some of the students giggled a bit.

"Now, this will get a little crazy, which is why I'm having the first years assist- they will retrieve the pillows for you. Once you have the spell down, I would like for you to show the first year that is assisting you in how to cast the spell." He noted all the worried looks that were being traded. "Don't worry, I know you can do it."

And so it began. Like Harry expected, it was chaos.

"FREEZE!" He cried out, and everyone froze in place. He pointed suddenly to the left. "You, Belby, why are you disarming the wrong person?"

"Uh..."

Harry pointed around the room. "I see at least eight others doing the same. None of you are taking this seriously. If you were in a duel right now, you all would be dead." There were flinches at this. "Just because the war is over does not mean you have an excuse for not learning this spell. Now...let's try this again!"

And it began again.

The first years were running back and forth, picking up and retrieving pillows, very determined to assist. Many of the students looked as though they were trying very hard, so as to prove that they were serious. Some of the older students, like some of the Slytherins, looked tempted to fool around, but one look from Snape had them on their best behavior.

Then Harry saw Ron grab a pillow and hit Malfoy on the back of the head with it. It escalated so quickly and so fast that he had to yank Ron off of Malfoy to keep them from getting bloodied up too badly. Harry kept his hands fisted in their shirts tightly. The sixth and seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors all had their wands drawn, pointing at each other. Well...except for Hermione, who had her wand on Ron. Boy, did she look pissed. Harry's hands tingled, the hairs on the back of his neck was raised. His magic was feeling restless again, and he silently reminded himself to keep calm.

"Ron...go sit in the corner." Harry hissed, shoving Ron by the black board. Ron looked mighty angry for one moment- he felt it before he saw it. Harry's head turned slightly with the movement of Ron's slap. It stung his cheek, and it hurt, but he'd been hurt far worse.

Harry turned his head slowly, looking Ron in the eye. The room was dead silent.

"Why are you siding with them?" Ron asked, raising his voice. "How could you?"

"I'm not siding with anyone. Go to the corner. I will talk to you later." Harry said, and Ron backed off, and sat at the desk by the blackboard. Harry turned to everyone else. "Get back to work!" He yelled, and everyone hurried to do just that, not wanting to face his ire. He turned to look at Malfoy, whose shirt he was still grabbing.

He let go of it, and Malfoy gave him a cool look, straightening his shirt, acting completely casual, as if he didn't have a bloody nose.

"Guess you'll want to get that looked at." Harry murmured.

"Control your Weasel, Potter." Malfoy hissed, but he did not look angry. Just a bit ruffled. If anything, his eyes were a bit calculating.

"I've got enough shit going on, Malfoy- I can't babysit Ron while looking after everyone else. If you're not going to go to the infirmary, patch yourself up and help the others. I can see you've got the spell down." He said dismissively, and walked off.

He assisted some of the younger students for a while, resolutely ignoring Ron, who he could feel glaring at him. Ron was probably pissed, but he didn't want to have a yelling match in front of everyone.

It was a lot of people, Harry realized, as the evening wore on. Too many, all at once. It was crazy. He'd have to split the group up, if everyone was going to stay.

"Okay, okay- Take a rest, everyone. You earned it." He had a second year hand out the pitchers of water and cups, while another student handed out the tray. "Make sure to drink water, have some fruit. I know some of you might be dehydrated, or a little lightheaded- you just need a bit of water and raise your blood sugar."

"Blood sugar? What's that?" Someone asked.

Harry sighed. "It's...well, it's a molecule. Basically, whatever you eat breaks down inside your body, and gives you energy to run, to exercise. We've been working up quite a sweat here, and I'm sure all of you are tired- all that food you ate at dinner probably has already burned out by now."

Some looked quite confused at this concept, while the muggleborn and the muggle-raised looked somewhat familiar with it. Hermione looked as though she was about to explain it further, but Harry cut that dissertation off. "So, how do you guys feel? Did you enjoy the lesson?"

There were plenty of yeses in the crowd, although Harry noted some of the older students were silent at this.

"Okay, so, if I decided to split you guys up between a class for the younger years, and a class for the older years, do you think that would be better?"

A fourth year raised her hand. "If...say we were in the younger year's class, could we possibly work our way up to the older student's class?'

Harry grinned. "I don't see why not...I think that's a good goal to work towards. Now...I know things were a bit crazy today, but I think it's just because there are so many of us." He sat on the edge of his desk, trying to get his heart rate down.

"Now, I've got some rules for all of you. If you decide to come to the classes, you'll have to keep to the rules. If you don't, then you'll get kicked out of the class."

"Even him?" One of the younger Slytherins pointed to Ron, who was glaring at Harry from behind his back. Harry didn't even look back at Ron.

He nodded. "Even him. Everyone is included in that rule. I will not tolerate name calling, bullying, teasing. Everyone has to work together. You saw how things were when people didn't do as they were instructed- it was crazy, right? So to keep every one safe, we just have a few simple rules. People can get hurt easily with the spells we'll be using, and I don't want that."

He stood, and went to the blackboard.

"Now, here are the official rules. If you guys want to add some, just add it to the board if I approve it, okay?" Some looked interested in this- actually having input on the rules.

"No bullying- that includes name-calling and teasing." He wrote this down, and Harry heard some rustling. He glanced over his shoulder to see a few people grabbing some quill and parchment, and begin to write. How strange.

"No fooling around during the lesson. I don't mind you guys joking around before and after the lesson, but I don't want people to get hurt."

He went on to the next rule. "If you want to cover a spell that isn't on the syllabi, just ask. If I don't know the spell, you'll get to teach it to me!"

Quite a few people murmured at this, looking surprised.

"If you feel as though you can cast the spell we are covering during the lesson, feel free to show me before hand. You will be allowed to assist in the lesson, if you like."

"Ask questions. So many people are afraid to ask questions, because they're afraid that it's silly. Don't. How am I supposed to know that you need help if you don't ask?"

Harry turned to the group. "Anything you'd like to add?"

All sorts of things were called out at the same time, and Harry laughed, holding up a hand. "Okay, okay, one at time-"

"No House cloaks and ties!" Someone yelled, and Harry grinned. That was a good one. He wrote it down.

"We take turns!"

And on it went. Soon enough, the blackboard was filled, and Harry was feeling quite happy. He sat down on the edge of the desk again, and He sighed happily, looking at the group. Everyone seemed pretty relaxed and happy.

He held up a few books. "These four books are very, very good reading. If you don't have a copy, I suggest you borrow one, or get one. They sell for pretty cheap at the second hand stores in Diagon, Knockturne, and Hogsmeade. They also have copies of these books in our library too. If you can't find a copy, share." He handed them out for the group to take a look at.

"Now, I'm not telling you all to read these books, but I will tell you that they will help you. I suggest, for the younger years, you guys read Chapters one through eight of the green book. Fourth and Fifth years, I think you'll get a lot out of the Purple book- Chapters ten through eighteen, and Yellow books, Chapters six through fourteen. You older students, the entirety of the Black book. Now, the Black book is mostly theory, and I suggest you only practice those spells with other people around. Things could go wrong if you don't know what you're doing. Okay?"

There were murmurs at this, and Harry watched some of their reactions. He could tell some of the kids were writing down the titles and chapters he'd mentioned. This was soo...surreal.

"I make my lesson plans with those books, so it'll help. Not only that, it'll help with your other classes too. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

A Hufflepuff third year raised her hand, grinning. "Will classes always be this fun?"

Harry laughed a little. "No. It'll be hard work. Be prepared to get some bruises, to get knocked around a bit. If you really want to learn how to duel, how to make the most out your spellwork, it'll be worth the extra effort."

"You really going to stick to those rules, Potter? Or are you going to back out when your friend makes trouble again?" Harry sighed at a seventh year Ravenclaw's question. He could feel Ron's anger bubbling behind him.

"Yes. It wouldn't be fair for me to expect you to follow the rules when I don't. No, I will follow the rules too. Anything else?"

"...Are we to follow the rules outside of class too?"

Harry paused, thinking it over. "Well...some things, like the cloaks and ties...well, that's up to you. But...as far as the bullying thing goes- it would be nice to not have any bullies, but I don't have any say over what you guys do outside of this room. I'm just a student, like you guys. I'm not even a prefect."

There was some laughter at this, and Harry grinned sheepishly. "Anything else?"

Neville spoke up, grinning. "H-Harry, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your classes last year, and I can't wait for us to get started up again this year! I know we all learned a lot last year, and I know that I couldn't have gotten an O on my DADA OWL if it hadn't been for Harry."

"Me too!" Several cried, all at once.

Hermione spoke up, smiling gently at Harry. "I think all of us are in agreement that we would like to continue the classes. So...if we are going to split them up, what are everyone's schedules like?"

x-x-x

Harry watched everyone leave the room, talking and gossiping with each other. Harry watched them go with a smile on his face. He blushed as he saw McGonagall giving him a thumbs up on her way out- when had she come in? Snape just gave him a dismissive Look, and left. Well...he guessed no comments were good comments.

Hermione, Ginny, and Neville hung around, putting pillows and things away while Harry turned to Ron, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ron looked at Harry stonily. "What." He said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ron...how could you do that? You deliberately antagonized me in front of everyone. Do you know how embarrassing that was?" Harry whispered.

"I'm sick of this. You've changed, Harry. Ever since you killed off You-Know-Who, you're different."

Harry froze. "...Different?" Ron couldn't know. He couldn't. He hadn't told anyone what Voldemort had said.

"...You're answering fanmail. You're exchanging letters with little kids, hell, you're even writing politicians. The Harry I knew wouldn't do crap like that. The Harry I used to know would borrow my Daily Prophet just so he could pretend that people cared enough to send him things through the post."

Harry staggered, feeling far more hurt than he ever did when Ron slapped him. "What?"

"...And you dropped quidditch, and you never want to just hang out any more- you're always busy- too good to hang out with the rest of us Harry?" His voice raised, making the others look over.

"I have obligations, Ron. I have things I have to do- I can't just hang out and have fun with you all the time!" Harry said, his voice raising now too. He didn't care if the others heard. "I'm tired of pretending to be someone you want me to be. I'm tired of having to laugh at all your stupid jokes, I'm tired of pretending, Ron! I hate that you tease and bully other people! I hate that you belittle Hermione when you think she isn't listening! I hate that you shove Neville around! I hate that you treat Ginny like a baby, that you call Luna crazy to her face! You don't think she hears that? Don't you think she understands! Do you? You could never understand how that feels, Ron, how it feels for someone to hate you or treat you badly for something you have no control over!"

Harry's hands trembled, and he felt suddenly weak. "Just...get out, Ron. If you can't control yourself, just get out."

"...You're choosing me over Malfoy?"

Harry let out a little hysterical laugh. Ron had completely missed the point. "No." He turned away, running a hand over his face, dislodging his glasses. For some reason, his face was wet. "Malfoy is a prat. But you started it tonight. If you've noticed, the Slytherins backed off this year. Three guesses why. Malfoy hasn't even done anything to us this year. What's your excuse?"

"..." Ron stood up from his chair, frowning. "You know, I think I know why Sirius died."

Harry felt himself pale.

"Why Remus left you."

Harry felt himself turn slowly to Ron, hands shaking.

"They didn't love you. Even the stupid muggles didn't love you. I don't know how anyone could. I bet your parents didn't love you either. No body loves you. Not now, not ever."

Harry sagged against the desk, and Hermione cried out. "Ron! How could you say such a thing?"

She went to Harry's side, helping him stand up. Ron just watched them, his face growing angrier and angrier.

"And you! You always take his side! Harry this, and Harry that! It's always about Harry! You took his side during Fourth year, you took his side this year- you always take his side!"

"That's because you're being a prat! Harry's been a better friend to me than you ever were!" Hermione screamed, wand sparking. She looked furious. "Harry is right! You're mean, and hateful, and you constantly bully other people just so you can feel better about yourself! The only reason you came to save me from that FUCKING TROLL was because HARRY dragged you along-"

She was caught off by a slap to her face. She staggered a bit, and Neville grabbed Ron by the back of his neck, shoving him away. "Get the fuck out." Neville growled. "I don't want to see you near them again."

Ron left, looking a bit nervously at Neville, whose haunches were up, and he was looking mighty dangerous at that moment. It was then that he remembered that Neville had changed too. He couldn't get out of there fast enough.

x-x-x

The following day, everyone was murmuring about the DA lesson, and lots of the younger kids were following Harry around, giggling. Harry tried his best to keep his mood up, but it was halfhearted. Ron was pissed. Harry feared that they would never, ever be able to fix their relationship after this. Hermione was understandably a bit shaken as well- she had had a crush on the boy, after all. Harry had no idea how she could have felt that way, but then again...he knew that it was impossible to control such a thing. He included himself in that.

Now that the DA had been split up into two groups, the meetings would be held on two different nights. Wednesdays for first through the first through fourth years, and Saturdays for the fourth through seventh years. There had been some complaints about having the meetings on Saturday nights, but they really couldn't be held any other days. Too many had argued against Sundays, as many students did their homework that day, and too many had Quidditch Practice during the day on Saturdays.

Then someone pointed out that if they could move the meeting up an hour earlier, they could all have time to socialize together afterwards, like a party. Lots of people liked that idea, so Harry agreed. People could leave anytime they liked, after the meeting was over, so they could either stay for the party, or go on to the dorms.

Harry did notice that many of the first years were a bit more friendly to each other, even outside of their House lines. It was early enough in the year that they still hadn't had strong division lines- he hoped that they would soon forget about all that. They'd just have to wait and see.

x-x-x

Harry got a note from a first year one evening. Another invitation to tea with the Headmaster? They'd met up three weeks in a row, now. They mostly discussed the Ministry, sometimes some of the spells Harry was covering for the DA- most of the time, Dumbledore spoke about Voldemort's past. It was...alarming, to see how many similarities there were between Harry and Tom Riddle.

However, the note was actually an invitation from one Horace Slughorn. Harry sighed. The man completely fawned over him- it was awful. He really wanted to turn the offer down, but he knew Hermione had gotten an invitation earlier that same day, and she wouldn't want to go alone.

Harry resigned himself for going to the party- did he have anything to wear? He went up to the dorm, thinking about his clothes. He didn't have much- maybe he could transfigure something. He went into the dorm, and saw Neville struggling with his tie, frowning at the mirror.

"You going to the party too, Harry?" Neville asked, seeing Harry going through his trunk.

"Yeah. I was thinking about Transfiguring something...I don't really have much to wear."

Neville hummed. "You could borrow something of mine... I mean, it might be a bit big on you..."

"That's alright, I'm used to that. Thanks, Nev." Harry said with a grin, going through the clothes Neville motioned to that was lying on his bed.

Harry put on his own school trousers (he didn't feel comfortable wearing another guy's pants), and paired it with Neville's light blue shirt. He sighed, folding up the sleeves so that they were just up to his elbows, revealing his forearms. He tucked the shirt in, adding a belt.

"You should really wear a vest or something with that- it will look too casual, otherwise." Neville commented, brushing his hair. "Try the black."

Harry pulled the black vest on- he practically swam in it. "Could I just shrink it? Temporarily?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Harry shrank the vest, and the shirt too, for good measure. He put on his school shoes, and attempted to fix his hair. He scowled at his reflection, and suddenly smiled. He ran a hand through his hair, and with the movement, it started to grow and shift so that it laid just a bit flatter, and that it just reached his jawline.

"Woah...did you just really grow your hair? Usually something like that takes a potion."

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. Sometimes stuff like this came so easy to him- then the spells they covered in class was so hard. Why was that? He shrugged it off, and put a black tie on, and eyed his outfit. A cleaning charm to his shoes later, he was all set.

"Ready?" Harry asked Neville, who was adjusting his tie again.

"I hate these stupid things. I can never get it to lie flat."

Harry sighed. "Here, let me." He murmured, turning the boy around. He started to undo the boy's tie, never noticing Neville watching him with wide eyes. He started to tie it back, and he glanced up. He noticed Neville's odd look. "What?"

"...Nothing." Neville said slowly. "Your magic. It's...um...I don't know. It's strong- I can actually feel it! Can't you feel it?"

Harry blushed, pulling away quickly. "Sorry."

"No- it's okay, it just tickles a bit. Do you feel like that all the time?"

"...It just started up recently." Harry hedged.

"Hmm. Well, let's go. Hermione's probably waiting for us."

Harry and Neville walked down the stairs, and many of the girls in the common room stopped what they were doing and stared openly at the two boys. Hermione was standing by the fireplace with Ginny, and they were talking quietly together. They were both in rather nice party dresses.

"Good evening, boys, ready to go?" Hermione asked.

Harry extended his arm to her, and she accepted it with a grin. They missed Ginny's dismayed look. Neville noticed, however, and held out his arm to her. Ginny sighed, and took it, following Harry and Hermione out of the common room.

x-x-x

Harry was actually having fun. He thought he'd be bored to tears, but he was actually talking to the Head of Muggleborn relations, one of the Department Heads he'd been conversing with over the past few months. The spritely elderly man quite liked Harry's ideas for checking in with muggleborn families during the summer holidays, and was thinking about presenting the idea to the Ministry so that it could be included in the budget for the following year.

"Harry!" Horace boomed, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me you were writing a book?"

Harry blushed, seeing several people look over at him. He then noticed a tall, thin man that stood at Slughorn's side, looking at Harry intently.

"Harry, I believe you know Giles Nott?"

Harry smiled tentatively, shaking the man's hand. Slughorn went off to mingle some more, leaving the two of them alone. "A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Nott."

The man smiled oily. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Potter. We received your letter, by the way, with the changes you requested."

Harry's smile grew fixed. "I'm sure you did."

The man cocked his head a bit, studying him intently. "Perhaps you would like to make a statement, in the book, stating that all facts contained within the book are true? Perhaps swearing on your magic?"

Harry smile widened. "I can certainly do that now, if you wish." He said quickly. "I swear on my magic that all of the facts contained within the book I wrote are true."

Nott gave him a long look, and nodded. "Very well then. I will include it on the jacket. We will send you the final manuscript quite soon, before we send it off to the printers. Everything is on schedule, and we should expect it out on the bookshelves at the beginning of March."

"Thank you." Harry said sincerely. He paused. "Do you think we could add a Dedication page?"

Nott blinked. "Of course. If you write it out and send it to the Editing team, we will be happy to include it in the final manuscript...although we would like to have it quite soon."

"I'll send it soon, then."

A woman interrupted their conversation- she was very finely dressed, her hair perfectly coiffed. "Mr. Potter! I'm such a big fan! I'm Celestina Warbeck." The woman giggled as he took her hand, going through the motions. Giles Nott made his escape, making Harry silently groan.

When he finally managed to get away from the woman, he hid behind some curtains with some rum punch. He spotted Nott (their classmate, not the publisher) speaking with Hermione. They actually looked like they were having a good time.

"Well, look who's hiding behind here?"

Harry glanced over to see Zabini hiding behind the curtains with him, smoking. The black boy was leaning against the wall, looking at Harry in a way that made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Zabini." He greeted stiffly.

"Shouldn't you be out mingling with your fans?"

Harry shuddered at this, scooting away from the curtains, leaning against the wall. "No. If one more woman attacks me..."

Zabini laughed, making Harry swallow thickly. Damn, that was a sexy laugh. He averted his eyes, trying to keep his blush at bay. He took a sip of his drink, and promptly started to choke.

Zabini laughed, clapping him on the back. "Careful there, Potter, that rum punch is pretty strong stuff." The boy's hand lingered on the back of his shoulder, seeming to burn through his clothes. Their eyes met, and Harry found himself mentally stuttering, his head a bit buzzy.

Zabini shot him a sultry smile, and took a drag of his cigarette. "You clean up well. New haircut and everything. The clothes are bit last season, but they suit you well."

"...Oh...I...borrowed them." Harry said numbly.

Zabini raised a brow, and Harry took another sip of his drink, but more careful this time. "Well, I don't have a lot of clothes here...stuff that I can wear outside of class, I mean."

The boy looked him over. "Hmm." Harry didn't like the sound of that. Damn it, he really should have gone shopping! Okay, next Hogsmeade weekend, he was buying some new clothes!

Zabini's hand grasped his shoulder, and the boy tilted his head. "You're more built than I thought. Must be all that dueling you do, right?"

Harry's mouth dropped open. Was...Zabini flirting with him? He took a step back, dislodging the boy's hand. "I...I should go!" He squeaked, voice breaking, and he quickly left the curtained area.

x-x-x

Harry smiled, helping Hannah with her wand work. The girl smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Harry, I'm just awful at this..."

"Hey, it's okay. Just keep practicing. Susan?" Her friend looked up from her own work. "Help Hannah out if she needs help again, okay?"

"Got it Harry."

Harry went further down the line, watching Hermione assist some of the fourth years with their summoning charms. He smiled slightly, remembering how she'd helped him with it back in their fourth year. He tugged on one of her curls as he passed. "Good work, Professor Granger." He said playfully.

"You too, Professor Potter!" The girl called after him, and went back to work. Some of the girls she was working with suddenly giggled.

Harry rolled his eyes, and approached the small enclave of Slytherins near the end of the line. After the initial meeting, only a quarter of the Slytherins remained. Harry watched Greengrass and Davis assist a couple of their own Fourth years. Zabini caught his eye, and winked at him. Harry blushed, and looked away quickly.

"Potter." He turned slightly, seeing Malfoy standing there.

"Yes Malfoy?"

"Crabbe is having trouble- mind?"

Harry blinked, and approached Crabbe, who was scowling down at his wand. "Okay, what seems to be the problem?"

Crabbe held up his wand. "This stupid thing won't do the spell."

Harry blinked. "Okay, cast the summoning spell. Let me see what you can do."

Crabbe did just that, and Harry studied him with a practiced eye. "Okay-" Harry held up a hand, and approached the boy. "You've got a couple of problems here." He took out his own wand. "Adjust your grip, just like so..." He watched Crabbe adjust his grip clumsily. "Okay...and point directly at the pillow. Make sure to annunciate clearly- try not to slur the first syllable this time."

Crabbe attempted to cast it again, and the pillow barely twitched. At least it moved, this time.

Harry blinked. "Hold on..." He moved to stand behind Crabbe. Crabbe shifted, looking at him oddly. Harry cleared his throat, putting his hand lightly on the boy's forearm. "Try casting the spell again." Harry asked, and he could feel that slight buzz gathering again, a tickle. Crabbe called out the spell, and suddenly, there was a jolt, making the pillow shoot into Crabbe's chest, making Harry jump back. The pillow had ripped open, and feathers spilled out onto the floor.

The other Slytherins stared at him, and Harry found himself blushing. "Uh...sorry." He looked to Crabbe, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"That...that wasn't me." The boy muttered, looking disbelieving. "That was you! You channeled right through me." He breathed, his eyes wide.

Harry averted his eyes. "Sorry...I...I didn't mean to. I don't know my own strength, sometimes." He said, and walked away briskly, trying to keep calm. The room shifted a bit, and a privacy screen appeared. Harry went behind it, and sat on a chair that appeared. He buried his face in his hands, trying to keep calm. Fuck- what in the hell was that?

"Potter?"

Harry straightened up quickly, hands shaking. Nott stood there, looking at him carefully. "Potter...are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Harry said flatly. He looked away, grasping one hand in the other to keep it from shaking. That buzz was stronger than ever- he was nearly dizzy with power.

Nott cocked his head, and eyed Harry for a moment. He suddenly took a step back, looking a bit shaken. "Potter...your magic..."

"What?" Harry asked.

Nott looked even paler than usual. "Potter, finish off the meeting, now. We need to have a talk."

"Hey, look, you can't tell me what to do-" Harry began, standing up.

Nott took another step back, but kept his gaze determined. "Potter- this is important."

Harry frowned, and came from behind the screen. He glanced at the clock on the wall. There was only ten minutes left. "Alright, we're finishing up early tonight!" He called out, trying to keep calm and cheerful. It was bad, real bad. He could feel his hands getting clammy, his legs were shaking.

"But we have-"

"If you guys want to continue your lesson in your common rooms, go ahead, but I just realized I've got an essay to work on." He tried to smile as the others laughed. The Slytherins were noticeably quiet, all watching him carefully.

The others began to leave, and Harry braced himself against the desk. Hermione approached him. "Harry?"

"Hermione...go escort the others back to the dorms. I- I'll be there soon." He said, holding a hand up, keeping her away.

She frowned, but nodded. "Okay." She turned to the others. "Gryffindors, let's go!" She called out.

The others left, and the Slytherins were the only ones who remained. They all gave him a long look before all the younger students started to file out silently, with the older ones following. Harry sank to his knees, clutching the desk, his vision swimming.

"Potter?" He registered that Greengrass and Nott had remained behind, and that their wands were drawn.

"Just...leave me...it'll pass." Harry groaned, hiding his face in the side of the desk.

"This has happened before?" Greengrass asked, crouching at his side. He could feel her scan him with a few spells- the magic crackled against his skin.

"Dear Morgana! Potter, your magic levels are through the roof, how could you possibly be even conscious right now?" Greengrass asked incredulously.

Harry shook, and the wood of the desk began to crackle and burn under his touch. "Fuck...stay away..." Harry groaned.

"Potter, how long have you been casting dark magic?" Nott asked, in complete seriousness.

"Never!" Harry growled, and suddenly the chair began to smolder. Someone reached for him, and he rolled away, standing up fluidly. Suddenly, target dummies began to appear, and he motioned to them. All six burst into flames in unison, and burnt to ash. More appeared- more to ash.

He groaned, and the mirrors on the walls began to creak and warp dangerously. "Stop it!" He yelled. "I don't want it!" He screamed. He hid his face behind his arms as the mirrors broke, shattering him with glass.

He fell to the floor, his arms a bloody mess. He began to cry. "I don't want it." He cried, panting.

"...Potter?"

Harry rolled onto his back, not caring that the glass dug into his clothes. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling drained, the buzzing slowly abating.

"Potter?"

He sighed. "What?" He asked tiredly.

"What happened?"

"...I don't know. It...happens sometimes, but never so suddenly." Harry whispered.

"You're bleeding. Let me patch you up." Greengrass offered, slowly helping him to sit up.

Nott crouched in front of him, looking completely serious. "Potter...you were giving off dangerous levels of dark magic there. You might have not cast a dark magic spell, but that energy was still there. What in the hell is going on?"

Harry hissed as Greengrass pushed up his sleeve. His arm was littered with shallow cuts.

"If I tell you...you can't tell anyone. You have to swear- swear on your magic."

Greengrass and Nott exchanged a quick look. Greengrass spoke. "Potter...we've all known for a while now that you've changed. But if it makes you feel better, I swear on my magic."

"I swear on my magic." Nott intoned solemnly. "What is going on, Potter?"

Harry sighed, watching Greengrass heal his cuts, one by one. She was taking too long. He shifted, and the cuts suddenly healed themselves, and she glanced up at him in surprise.

"Voldemort transferred everything to me when he died." Harry said quietly.

The other two were understandably silent in shock.

"Not just his power, but his abilities, even his Title. I...don't know everything, but-"

"Are you saying that you're the new Dark Lord?" Greengrass whispered, eyes bright.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "What? No!"

Nott just watched him silently. Harry shook his head, feeling shaken. "No- I'm not!"

"You just said he Transferred everything to you. Do you think that You-Know-Who just called himself the Dark Lord? No- he had to inherit that title." Greengrass said firmly.

Harry blinked in shock. "What?"

"You see, everyone assumes that Bellatrix was his inheritor, since she managed to get away, and she was so close to him. She's even calling herself the Dark Lady now." Greengrass went on to say. "But if you inherited everything, if he actually communicated in some way that you would receive his Title, and his powers, then you are truly the new Dark Lord."

Harry buried his hands in his face. "I don't want it."

Nott hummed. "What's even more interesting is how Dumbledore is obviously preparing you to take his place as the Light's Lord- everyone knows about the two of you meeting up all term. I wonder if this has ever happened before. Daphne? Do you know?"

"...Morgana. After Merlin died, she gained his powers too. Rather rare, but it's not unprecedented."

"Hmm. Interesting."

Harry wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't want it."

"Well, it's not something you can give up, exactly." Nott pointed out. "The only way it will transfer is if you die. You are the new Dark Lord." He suddenly smiled, a frightening smile. He bowed his head to Harry. "Let me be the first to congratulate you, my Lord."

"Fuck off." Harry groused, and he stood, brushing the glass and mirror from his clothing. "I don't want anything to do with it."

He headed for the door.

"It's only going to be harder if you push it away!" Greengrass called after him. "The Magic is only going to be tougher on you! Just accept it!"

Harry slammed the door behind him, feeling terrified and shaken.

x-x-x

Harry went back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Hermione helping a group with their Transfiguration homework. "Hermione, I really, really would like to talk to you." Harry murmured.

Hermione nodded, and said her goodbyes to the others, following Harry up the stairs. Dean and Neville were inside the dorm as they entered. One look from Harry had them leaving. The door locked behind them with a slight gesture from Harry. Harry turned to Hermione, and the girl looked so honestly worried for him- would she hate him?

"Hermione...I..." He buried his hands in his face. "Merlin, I don't know what to do."

"Harry...talk to me. Whatever's bothering you, we'll sort it out...why are you covered in glass? Is-Is that blood? Are you hurt? Did the Slytherins-"

"No." Harry said, interrupting her. "No. I..." He sighed roughly, turning away from her. He started to unbutton his shirt. "I'm okay. No one was hurt. The others left before I lost control."

"Harry...what's going on? I know you've been having trouble lately, but..."

"Hah- trouble!" Harry threw his shirt to the floor, searching through his things for his pajama shirt. "Hermione, I've been able to cast wandless magic since term started. I probably could have done it before then, if I'd thought about it."

"Wandless..."

"Hermione...my magic is strong- too strong. It's getting harder to control. I...I don't know what to do."

She sat on his bed, turning away as he pulled his trousers off, pulling on his pajama pants. "Well, we could go to Dumbledore-"

"No." Harry cut in sharply. He climbed onto his bed, and grabbed his pillow. He hugged it tightly, bowing his head. "He can't know." He whispered. With a flick of her wand, Hermione drew the curtains around them.

"Harry...what's going on?"

Harry turned, and she held him, the two of them leaning back against the pillows. "Hermione...if I tell you something...you have to swear not to tell anyone. I mean it."

Hermione nodded, carding her fingers through his hair. "I swear on my magic, Harry. You're my brother in all but blood, remember?"

Harry closed his eyes, burying his face in her neck. He held her tightly to him, trying not to cry. He couldn't lose her. He'd already lost Ron. If he lost Hermione too, everything would fall apart.

He shifted, putting his head on her shoulder. "When I defeated Voldemort...he spoke to me. Through our Bond. He...his words have never left my mind. He...he said 'I give you everything. My magic, my abilities, my title. I surrender, Potter. I hope...you have a better time of uniting the wizarding world than I did.' And then I felt him withdraw from my mind, and he died...laughing. As though he was taunting me with the challenge."

Hermione's breathing stopped for a moment, and he could tell her mind was going into overdrive. "What does it mean, though?"

"Hermione...after Voldemort died...I...could feel it. His power. He really did transfer it to me. And..." He paused. "At Gringott's, they even gave me his Vault, his Estate. What's more...I think he also transferred his Other title to me."

"You..you don't mean..."

"The others could feel it. That's why the Slytherins were acting strange tonight- that's why I asked you guys to leave. I don't know how they could feel it, I don't know why, but...they did. I tried to send them away- Nott and Greengrass stayed. I...I...let out my anger...Merlin, Hermione, I'm so scared."

"Shh..." Hermione rocked him, holding him close. "It's alright. I'm here. We'll get through this." She whispered soothingly. She sighed. "What did they say? Did they see anything?"

"They...said my magic was out of control, that it was off the charts. I made Greengrass and Nott swear on their magic not to tell. I told them what happened and...they said it wasn't unheard of. Greengrass mentioned Morgana?"

Hermione made a thoughtful noise, and Harry went on. "Anyways...Nott said I was the new Dark Lord...and he thought it was kind of funny, because Dumbledore's apparently been training me to take his place as the Light Lord...you really don't think..."

"Oh Harry..." Hermione sighed. "I know you're oblivious sometimes, but I wish you were more observant. Yes...I think Dumbledore's been training you to take his place. With you...with this new development, I don't know what's going to happen. But...we'll figure this out."

"...I don't want to be Dark. Don't you hate me?"

Hermione was quiet for a long time, playing with Harry's hair. "Harry...I've cast dark magic. Did you know?"

Harry sat up, looking at her with wide eyes. Hermione just gave him a sad, knowing smile. "I have. I started back in fourth year. I...knew a war was coming. I wanted to be prepared. I wanted to make sure you lived...at any cost."

"But...you're a muggleborn..."

"That doesn't mean anything." Hermione said, her eyes narrowing. "Magic is magic. Now..." She sighed, closing her eyes, trying to sort her thoughts out. "I...did notice some changes in you, but I figured it was...a combination of things. Sirius' Death, the possible breaking of the bond between you and Voldemort...but...it does explain a few things." She reached over, pulling him close again. He sighed, letting her play with his hair.

"Harry...ever since you saved my life back in first year, I swore that I would be the best friend I could possibly be to you. That I would always stand by your side, no matter what. Even if I had to give my magic, my life, to you. I believe in you. I believe in what you can do. I...honestly think you have the potential to do what Voldemort, or even Dumbledore could not."

Harry tilted his face up to meet hers. She gave him a fond smile. "I really do think you could unite the wizarding world. And I will be right there beside you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm never wrong, right?"

Harry gave her a shaky smile. "Right."

He put his head back down on her shoulder, and Hermione hummed, continuing to play with his hair. "I really wish you had told me sooner. It must have been hard. But we'll figure out a way to sort it all out. Since Greengrass and Nott already know for sure, and I'm sure the other Slytherins will figure it out sooner or later, we will have help. After all...if they think you are the Dark Lord, you already have their allegiance."

Harry was a bit confused at this, and Hermione could tell. "You see, Harry, there is a reason why the wizarding world is so split. There is the Dark, and the Light. Now, there are some people who are in between, like you, and me, but it's rather unusual. Sometimes Dark or Light magic comes naturally to people. Sometimes they have to work at it. Light sided people naturally feel obligated to assist the Light Lord- Dumbledore, while the Dark naturally wanted to serve Voldemort. Now, there were those who officially stated their neutrality, probably for political reasons, but they most likely had their own private opinions."

"...That explains some things."

"Then there are the non-humans. I know Unicorns are completely Light. Werewolves, Goblins, and Vampires, on the other hand, are Dark. The Centaurs are actually Dark, believe it or not. Elves are Light sided, though there are a rare few that have not been."

"...Hmm."

"It's kind of interesting, if you think about it. Magic strives to create a balance in all things. Perhaps that balance is now going to be reflected within you." Hermione hummed.

"No pressure, right?" Harry muttered.

"Look, no one is expecting you to change the world overnight. We're still at school. Dumbledore's over a hundred and fifty. We've got over a century left to live, at the very least. A lot can happen in that time. We'll figure this out." She paused. "Is...that why you've kept contact with all these politicians?" She asked, sounding rather amused.

Harry gave a little shrug. "Well, I figured that I shouldn't be rude..."

Hermione laughed softly. "Alright. Okay. Now, let's give the Slytherins a few days to react, see what they do. I'll let you borrow a couple of my books. But I honestly think that they will be able to help us more- they grew up in the Dark, Harry, they will know much more about it than we ever could."

x-x-x

The Slytherins didn't do anything. Harry could tell that they were watching him. Even the first years. It seemed as though they were all waiting for him to make the first move. The younger kids all treated him a bit more reverently, but Harry was already used to that from the other three houses. Did that sound horrible?

The older Slytherins, he could tell, were just waiting for him to do something or say something to them, just...waiting. Hermione showed him the few books she had. She'd gotten them from Grimmauld Place, so technically, they were his. She had saved them during the 'Great Purging'.

One was a history book, another was a book on hexes and curses, and one was on Dark ancient runes. Harry didn't know a thing about Runes, so he let her keep that one, and started to read the history book. It...was actually quite interesting. He started reading the book on hexes and curses, but he didn't try them. He was scared.

Hermione showed him a few of the spells she'd managed, once, when they were in private. Harry showed her some of the things he could do wandlessly- she was quite impressed. Still, they both knew to be very, very careful.

Harry decided to get some new clothes during their next Hogsmeade weekend, and Hermione couldn't be happier about it. The two of them had left Gladrag's, both with bags hanging off their arms when they heard a horrified scream.
Then more screams. The two of them dropped the bags just outside the shop, passing by Colin and Ginny.

"Colin, Ginny, get the younger kids inside the shops." Harry ordered, taking out his wand. Hermione took out her wand as well, and they sprinted towards the sounds of screaming.

They motioned for the older students to get the younger students off the street, and into the shops, while others joined Harry and Hermione.

Harry stopped short as he saw a great big hulking man grabbing a girl by the throat. Her legs were kicking in the air, and she looked like she was choking.

Harry then heard laughter. Shrill laughter. Bellatrix Lestrange came around from the shop, eyes full of madness. "Ickle Baby Potter and his pretty little Mudblood!" The woman said, brandishing her wand. "Crucio!" The woman screamed, and both Harry and Hermione dodged out of the way.

Harry dove towards the hufflepuff, grabbing her in a tackle, and rolling to the ground. He shoved her away. "Run!" He yelled. He was grabbed by the back of his jacket roughly, and he was whirled around. The man who'd grabbed the girl looked him straight in the eye.

Harry froze upon seeing the man's amber gold eyes. "Greyback..." He breathed, and he halfheartedly shoved at the man, heart pounding. He seemed to be solid muscle, towering over him. His brown hair was dirty and wild, matted, falling messily about his broad shoulders. He wore a tattered shirt that did nothing to hide his broad, muscled chest. He felt wild, untamed, and his magic- Merlin, that man had power. Greyback just...held on, staring into his eyes, looking quite...puzzled and amused. And then he started to sniff at him.

He heard the unmistakable sounds of dueling in the background, flashes of lights- he pushed at Greyback's shoulder again, and the man was sniffing at his neck. Harry squirmed away, closing his eyes at the sensation. Fuck, he was getting hard! This was NOT happening!

"Fuck..." The man groaned, pulling him close. "Your magic smells so delicious..." Harry shuddered as the man licked his neck. "Hmmm... so tasty and sweet... and oh so deliciously dark..."

"Stop!" Harry growled, hating how his body reacted to that man's growly tone, and to the rough handling of his person.

Greyback dropped him quite suddenly, a feral grin on his face. "As you wish, My Lord." He whispered, eyes glinting. He straightened up, and howled into the sky. Many of those who'd been dueling suddenly stopped, and quickly started to retreat.

Harry managed to get on his feet, heart pounding, seeing Bellatrix locked in battle with Neville and Hermione.

"Neville!" Harry yelled, throwing his wand to the boy instinctively- he didn't know what made him do it, he just did. Neville whirled around, catching the wand with his other hand, and using his own wand, and Harry's wand, Lestrange screamed, curling up on the ground under the power of his hex.

Hermione bound the woman, and Harry approached the two. He glared at the struggling Bellatrix. Neville had both wands trained upon her, eyes suspiciously bright. Harry could tell Neville sincerely wanted to kill her. He understood.

The Aurors arrived, and took the screaming woman away. "I AM THE DARK LADY! YOU SHALL ALL FEAR ME!" She screamed, struggling in the Auror's grasp. "MY MASTER MADE ME HIS HEIR- I AM THE DARK LADY BELLATRIX!"

Suddenly, Harry heard some chuckling directly behind him. "She's delusional."

Harry turned slightly, and saw Nott standing there, wand drawn. He had a cut on his cheek, and a smirk upon his lips. Had he been dueling? What had he missed? Nott looked towards him, and bowed his head slightly, in obvious deference. Harry stiffened, and looked away.

The students started heading towards the carriages, whispering in clumps of twos and threes. Harry grabbed Hermione by the arm. "Anyone hurt?'

"No- just shaken." She frowned, leaning close. "How did you call the werewolves off, Harry?"

Harry gave her a haunted look. "I didn't. Greyback did." He whispered, swallowing thickly. "He figured it out."

Hermione looked at him worriedly, and they started to heard the younger students to the carriages.

x-x-x

Bellatrix was given the Kiss. Neville and Hermione actually got their names in the paper for subduing her, and a bit of the reward money. Harry was noted for chasing off the 'rabid werewolves'. He couldn't feel more like a phony if he tried. He was glad that Neville had gotten credit- quite a few girls were trying to get his attention.

Nott and the other Slytherins had actually been fighting! They had joined the short-lived battle, fighting alongside the rest of the senior DA members. Many speculations abounded in the school, but no one could quite agree why they had done such a thing.

Harry knew why. He knew every time he looked at them.

And Harry got a note late one night, a note that made him shiver and made his stomach lurch every time he read it.

Your scent intoxicates me, my little Lord. Your pale, tasty skin makes me salivate. I wish to see more, taste more of it. You taste like honey, your skin is like the luminous moon, your hair like the darkest night. And your magic! Lady Luna, it was so strong, so heady, it nearly made me want to take you right then and there, where everyone could see.

My Lord, the sound of your erratically beating heart and the feeling of your trembling limbs excites me so- I wish to know what you look like in the throes of ecstasy- I live to serve you in any way. Whether that be tearing the throats out of your enemies, putting Fear into the hearts of ordinary humans, or just fucking you until your pureness is tainted- I could go on and on.

My last Lord hated love and lust and whatever else came with it- I can tell already that you will not be like that. I could smell your arousal, I could tell that your fear made your own lust even stronger. Shall you be the rabbit to my wolf? I love the chase, and I have a feeling you will give me quite an adventure.

My packs await your Orders, my Lord. Whatever you wish of us, is your command.

I can tell you have not accepted your Fate, my little Lord. Give in. Surrender yourself to the Darkness, I will keep you safe in my Den.

Fen

Harry felt horrified that he kept reading the letter and rereading it- he desperately wanted to touch himself as he read it, thinking of what exactly he could do with a man like Fenrir...and he promptly became disgusted with himself. Fenrir was a cold blooded killer, a werewolf, a man who was clearly insane.

Yet...why did the man's words resonate so strongly within him?

x-x-x

Harry and Hermione were in the library when Nott, Zabini, and Greengrass approached, looking strangely solemn.

"Potter, come with us." Nott said stiffly.

Harry sighed. So, the Slytherins were going to have the talk. Hermione stood too, and Greengrass spoke.

"Granger, I'm afraid you'll have to sit out of this one."

Harry spoke up. "Actually, she is aware."

The Slytherins did a double take at Hermione, who just gave them a small smile.

The three of them led the way down to the dungeons, and Nott spoke once they were in a corridor with no portraits.

"You will only be meeting with a small group of us, the ah...more connected of us. Something needs to be done, and soon." He murmured, opening a door. He motioned for the others to go inside.

Harry and Hermione went in, stopping short as they saw the small group of people inside the room. Malfoy was there, as was a seventh year named Smyth, two fifth years, and a lone second year. They all stared at Hermione, and Malfoy spoke first.

"What is Granger doing here?"

Harry spoke firmly. "Hermione is aware of what I am."

They stared at the girl, and Nott motioned for them to sit down- noticeably, Harry sat down at the head of the table, while Hermione sat just to his right. Malfoy sat directly on the other end. There was symbolism here, he just knew it.

"Then you know what this meeting is about?" Malfoy asked. He seemed to be the voice for this group. They all looked at Harry expectantly.

"All of you expect me to become the next Dark Lord." Harry said softly, keeping his eyes upon the table that separated them all.

"You have to tell people, Potter. Since Bellatrix is dead, the Dark are in an uproar, searching like mad to find our Lord- we have stayed quiet about you for as long as we can. We have to speak up soon."

Harry let out a soft sigh, and Hermione spoke timidly. "Dumbledore is training Harry to replace him. If Harry were to come out as the Dark Lord, Dumbledore would not trust Harry any longer, and would most likely try to..." She trailed off, sounding sad. "Most likely try to kill him."

"Are you suggesting we keep quiet until Dumbledore manages to die?" Malfoy asked incredulously. "How long must we wait? The Beasts are getting restless already- that is why the Werewolves joined Bellatrix in the attack. What are we to do?"

Harry just sat there, lost in thought.

"Potter!" Malfoy snapped, standing up. "This cannot go on! If you do not recognize yourself as the Dark Lord, the Dark will be driven into Chaos! Is that what you want?"

Harry closed his eyes. "No." He whispered. He took a deep breath, and stood up. "Sit down, Malfoy...please." He added, as an afterthought. Malfoy sat down slowly, and Harry leant forward on the table, bracing himself. "Look, I know that there has to be a balance. I understand that centuries of tradition are at stake here. I am sorry that I have...made all of you wait so long." Harry paused, and straightened up. He watched all of their gazes upon him- so expectant. He could tell some of them expected him to just tell them to go fuck themselves. He wasn't going to do that.

He looked to Hermione, who reached over to grasp his hand. She gave him a supportive nod.

"I am the Dark Lord." Harry said, feeling a shiver run down his back at the words, as though something was snapping into place deep inside his gut. "As of this moment, I formally recognize this. There are those who already recognize it, like yourselves, and...Greyback." He paused, not wanting to think of the man. "If...you wish to...follow me, you will follow two simple guidelines. First, Keep your silence about this to those in the Light- especially Dumbledore and his Allies. Spread the word amongst the Dark, if you must, but do so safely and quietly."

Harry paused, smiling suddenly. "I aim to become both the Dark Lord and the Light Lord."

There were a few gasps at this. "My Lord, is that impossible?" Someone asked incredulously.

"Our Lord has the habit of doing the impossible, but it won't be unprecedented." Hermione said with a bright smile. Harry didn't even notice the title she'd given him, as his thoughts were on the next rule.

"My second guideline is to not attack those of the Light. Only defend yourselves. If I am to be the Light Lord, you and the Light side will have to get along with one another. I will...enforce this, if I have to. I will not have my people be at war with each other."

This...felt so...surreal. The words stumbled out of his mouth, as though it was...perfectly natural to say them. My people. How strange.

"We will not attack them. We will Defend, only." Malfoy said, sounding a bit put out. "Very well. Will you still allow us to do our magicks?"

Harry gave a muted nod, and sat back down. "Yes." He paused. "Actually...if I am to be the Dark Lord...I suppose I will need to learn some of this myself. Hermione here had managed to collect a few books from the Black library, but we haven't much to work with-"

"Granger? Why would you have books from the Black collection?" Malfoy asked incredulously.

Hermione laughed softly. "Why else do you think?"

"...You're one of us?" Nott asked breathlessly, looking at the girl with new eyes. Harry raised a brow at this.

Hermione nodded firmly, looking completely comfortable with this statement. Harry wished he could feel as comfortable as she looked.

"Lady Maeve, I can't believe it- imagine, a muggleborn, a Dark witch!" One of the seventh years murmured.

Harry cleared his throat. "Furthermore...one more Guideline. No more persecution of muggleborn."

Their gazes grew stony, and Harry explained. "What we should be doing is educating them, rather than alienating them. If they were educated in our ways properly, we could have many more followers."

Everyone looked rather thoughtful at this. "...An astute observation, my Lord." Nott spoke quietly.

"My Lord, have you thought about your plans for the future?" Greengrass asked.

"Yes." Harry said quietly. "I have been making plans...quietly, since I killed Voldemort." There were some flinches at the name. Harry frowned. "Do not fear his name. It means nothing, anymore."

A round of 'Yes, My Lord' went around the table, and Harry sighed. "As Nott knows, I am publishing a book. It will be out on the shelves...worldwide, in march. We haven't started advertising it yet, since I'm still waiting for the final manuscript to be sent to me. Now, because of the book, I will undoubtedly have articles printed about me in the paper. Some good, some bad. It doesn't matter which, because it is all publicity. Now, there will be...ah, quite the debate about my childhood. About how I grew up." Harry hedged. "Some may...use it to further their own agenda. I...would like my thoughts known on this subject quite clearly, so that those of us who are capable can get things prepared."

"...Just say it already." Malfoy muttered.

Harry frowned. "I believe that muggleborn children should have a system of early and often check ups on their living accommodations and their families. If...they are found to be mistreated in any way, they are removed from their homes and placed with a wizarding family."

The others were silent at this.

Nott spoke. "That is a good idea my Lord, but it will not be received well with Dumbledore and his faction. They've always believed in not seperating muggleborn from their family."

"Which is why I'm telling all of you. I will not actually be saying these words myself, but...the Dark will know my true opinion on the matter. I feel as though this is the best solution to prevent muggleborn and muggle-raised children from being abused by their muggle families. Also, this will allow muggleborn to have an earlier start in the wizarding world, allowing them to integrate and immerse themselves in our culture."

There was a pause. "Granger? You're a muggleborn, what are your thoughts on this?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione straightened up in her seat, and spoke primly. "Well, I grew up with very loving, devoted parents. I was an only child, and they hadn't been able to have other children. So...they supported me in whatever I wanted to do, including being a witch. They provided me with the best tools I could have- plenty of books to read, food to eat, and support and love." She sighed. "Unfortunately, other muggleborn and muggle-raised children aren't so fortunate."

"What do they do? They don't burn them at the stake still, do they?" Malfoy asked, eyes wide.

Hermione blinked. "Dear Merlin, no. Well..." She glanced at Harry.

Harry averted his eyes. "Tell me, if you were a squib, how would you have been treated by your family?"

That was all he needed to say, and they understood.

Harry cleared his throat. "Now, spread the word in whatever way you must- I know Dumbledore watches the post carefully, so be careful of what you would say." Malfoy rolled his eyes. "What is it, Malfoy?"

"There are plenty of ways of communicating without resorting to owl post, Potter. We will get the word out safely, don't you worry."

Harry gave him a hard look that had the blonde shrinking back in his seat a little. Harry staightened up. "Now, once the word has been spread, and my guidelines told, I do not want anything else to happen. I do not want any of the Dark to write me. If they must communicate with me, instruct them to communicate through all of you, and you can pass their messages along with me. I...am watched very carefully right now."

"But...we will be more open, after you have become both the Dark and the Light lord? Are you striving for complete balance between them? Will you relax the laws on Dark artifacts and spells?" Smyth asked.

"As far as the laws go, I will look into them and get back to you on that. I am striving for balance, yes. Complete balance. I would like to have both out in the open, their magicks used openly, taught freely."

He could see their gruding approval at his words, and Harry found himself smiling. "Now, can I please ask that you tell the younger students not to be so afraid of me? I am not Voldemort. I will not punish people with the cruciatus, I will not curse them for the smallest infractions. Please remind them that I am a student, just like they are, and that I need to appear to be one to everyone else."

There were nods at this.

x-x-x

Harry was quite grateful for the Yule holidays coming up. Things had been exhausting- not only was he getting more letters from various politicans, and less of the cute letters from kids, Dumbledore was giving him more and more to read.
The manuscript had been sent off to the presses, and advertising was slowly starting to appear in smaller newspapers abroad, so people could reserve copies.

Harry and Hermione had started having small lessons with the Slytherin first years, who were teaching them the basics of Dark magic. It was surreal, but they all were having a good time. The kids enjoyed teaching the teacher, and Harry and Hermione enjoyed learning new spells. Harry could instantly tell the difference of the Dark and Light spells now- it had a certain scent to it, a certain texture that he couldn't quite place.

The DA was coming along well. Everyone was working very hard, invigorated after their 'Battle' in Hogsmeade. They had seen what they were capable of when working together, and only wanted to learn more. Harry started to pick up the student's scents even more now- he could tell which ones were Dark, and which ones had the potential to be Dark. It was quite intriguing. Ginny had great potential, as did Susan. Luna, on the other hand, Harry was completely shocked to find out that she was quite Dark. She hadn't said a word to him, of course, but those little knowing smiles of hers were getting annoying.

He tested himself during classes, and in the Great Hall, seeing who the other Potentials, he called them, could be. There were a fair few in Raveclaw, and some in Hufflepuff, but hardly any in Gryffindor. Harry noted it was much more common to find a Potential the younger you went. There were Dark witches and wizards in both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but Harry didn't know any of them personally. They had not come to the DA. Harry quietly passed the message along to his Dark DA members, so that they could speak to the others in private.

Since Harry had formally recognized his being the Dark Lord, his magic had gotten even stronger, believe it or not. More importantly, his spellwork improved greatly. It only took once or twice for him to learn a new spell, with no control issues. More often than not, he found himself doing magic that he had no words for, sometimes even without a wand. It felt...natural to him, like breathing. No wonder Voldemort had gone mad with power, having this much at his fingertips.

Zabini continued to flirt with Harry, and Harry kept stuttering and stammering. He got the feeling Zabini really enjoyed making Harry so flustered. Hermione and Nott were seen together more often than not, nowadays, and the day before the holidays began, Nott approached Harry.

"Potter." The boy greeted, outside in a corridor. "May we talk?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. What is it?"

They started to walk slowly down the corridor, and Nott looked visibly nervous. "Granger...are you and she...involved?"

Harry blinked. "No. Many people think we are, but no. Why?" He asked, a slow smile spreading on his face.

Nott looked down at the ground, looking quite determined. "May I ask what the nature of your relationship with her is?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Well, we consider each other siblings. In all but blood, as she says."

Nott gave him a Look he didn't quite get, and he smiled. "...May I have your permission to Court Miss Hermione Granger?"

Harry's brows raised. "Ah, well...I know you and Hermione get along quite well, and she talks about you alot...and she does think you're attractive..."

"Really?" Nott interrupted, making Harry smile. Nott was usually so stoic, so composed, but to see him like this was...kind of fun.

"Yeah. Really. I give you the go-ahead. You should probably ask her yourself, though."

"...I-I will. Thank you My- Thank you." Nott gave him a quick bow, and Harry called after him.

"Theo- call me Harry, okay?"

Nott gave him an odd look and nodded, walking off briskly down the corridor.

x-x-x

Cub,

Interesting rumors going around. You are invited to stay a few days with me and the pack here in France. If you can't get here, I understand, but I would really, really like to speak with you. I haven't long, cub, and I want you to be here.

Moony

Harry ran all the way to the Headmaster's office, accidentally interrupting a meeting. The Headmaster and Slughorn stood, and Harry panted, from having run all the way. "Headmaster- Professor- Remus just sent me a letter...he...he doesn't have much time left. I need to go see him."

"Isn't Mr. Lupin in France right now?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I have the pack's location, but...I really, really need to see him as soon as possible. He's-He's..."

"I understand." The Headmaster said gently, eyes sad. He glanced over at Slughorn. "Excuse me, Horace. I just need to make a couple of floo calls. Harry? Why don't you join me?"

Harry accompanied the Headmaster on his floo calls. One was to the ICW, and another was to the French Ministry of Magic. Harry gained clearance to go to the country for a 'family emergency', and he would be leaving that very night. The officials had stuttered and stared at him, falling over themselves to help Harry. It was...strange. Dumbledore had watched all of this with an amused glint in his eye whenever he thought Harry wasn't looking.

He spent the afternoon packing for the next few days, unsure of what would be needed, of how he would be received. Remus knew. He had to know, now. Had he known before?

Harry stepped through the floo that evening to the French Minister of Magic's office. He wore plain black robes, and sturdy shoes. He looked quite plain in comparison to everyone else in the room. The office was filled with diplomats and politicians- there was even a reporter. It was chaos.

The Minister pulled him aside, seeing his expression. "This family emergency, it worries you so- where is it? We can escort you there."

Harry held up the address. "Resere de Chasse du Mercantpur"

"...There is known werewolf activity in that area, Monsier Potter, I do not think it would be safe for you to go there."

Harry looked at the man firmly. "I am aware of that. The man I am visiting is Remus Lupin."

"...The werewolf?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "He was best friends with my Father and Godfather, and he is practically an Uncle to me. He was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a war hero. He was also a Professor at Hogwarts, at one point. I don't care that he is a werewolf- he's dying. I will see him no matter what. It's only up to you if you want to send an escort with me or not."

The Minister glance to the politicans and the press who were off to the side, and Harry could see how he was thinking.

"...Very well, then." The man said slowly. "You will be escorted by our strongest Aurors. They will stay with you at all times, and keep you safe. Understand?"

"...Yes, Minister."

Harry had no intention of having those Aurors on his tail every moment.

x-x-x

Harry was striding though the woods quite determinedly. The five Aurors that accompanied him spoke little English, and they looked terrified. All of their wands were drawn, and Harry could tell that they were aware that this was Werewolf country.

Harry gave them a firm look as they approached their destination. While they hadn't seen anyone, Harry could feel them, watching. "You stay here." Harry ordered. The men looked like they were going to argue, and Harry put his hands on his hips. "You will stay here. I will let the others know that you are my escort, and not to harm you." He waved a hand vaguely at a couple of the trees, transfiguring them into a large tent and lit campfire. They Aurors gasped at this show of magic, and he ignored their stares.

He then turned around, heading towards the clearing he knew the wolves to be gathered in. He saw a few small huts, and a large campfire, and many, many men, women, and children talking to each other. As soon as he entered the clearing, they all looked at him expectantly.

Harry kept his shoulders straight, his chin high, looking braver than he felt. "Take me to him."

They all parted, letting him pass. Harry was led to one of the huts. He saw Remus lying on some blankets, as though he was just resting his eyes. He was wearing a nice brown shirt, better than Harry had ever seen him wear before, and some nice trousers. His pale skin, almost white hair, skinny body and bloodshot eyes told Harry that the man wasn't very well at all. "Harry?" He called out, his voice raspy, and Harry knelt at his side, taking the man's hand.

"I'm here." Harry whispered. Remus' grip was weak, but his hand was warm and comforting.

Remus opened his eyes slowly, a weak smile upon his lips. "Harry...Merlin, I missed you. You-You look good." He coughed, turning his head away.

"You look like crap." Harry said, reaching forward to brush the man's hair away from his face. "There's a lot more people here than I thought there would be."

Remus smiled wanly. "A lot of them are here for me...they started arriving just yesterday- who knew so many werewolves liked me? Even they can feel the end is coming close for me. Harry...the rumors are true, aren't they? That you're the new Dark Lord?"

"Remus...I..."

"It's okay. I...I knew." The man confessed. "I knew when I saw you back in Privet Drive. I could smell it, the change. I...was just too afraid to tell you. I thought...that you should have the Choice. So...you've turned your back on the Light?"

Harry smiled, pressing his lips against the man's sweaty brow. 'No. Not at all. Dumbledore's been meeting with me...I think he's training me to take his place."

There was a faraway look in Remus' eyes, as if he knew what Harry was planning. "...Oh...Cub, I think you'll do a very good job." Remus' breathing was labored. "I know I am happy to know that both the Dark and the Light will be represented by you. You're smart...you'll...go far. Harry...promise me something."

"What is it?' Harry asked, leaning close.

"Let yourself live. I know you. You'll get caught up in things...remember to have fun. Remember to love, to laugh, to let others make their mistakes. Be strong and firm, yet be understanding and kind. I know you can do it, cub. I am so very proud of you, cub...and I love you very much." Remus cupped Harry's cheek.

Harry leant forward, pressing his lips against Remus'. It was soft and gentle, and Harry could feel the man's lifeforce slowly leaving him. "I love you too, Moony." Harry whispered against the man's lips. "So very much." And he kissed Remus once more. Remus' hand slowly slid from his cheek, and Harry pulled away. The man's eyes were closed, and there was a smile on his lips. He was dead.

Harry sat there for a moment, watching him. He stood, arranging his arms on the blankets, and turned away. He walked out of the small hut, and looked at all of the werewolves outside. They all bowed their heads to him in unison, some bowing all the way down. Harry stood there, in awe at the sight, magic pounding in his head, fingertips, all the way to his scalp. There had to be over a hundred werewolves, at least.

He tensed as he felt a familiar tickle, and he saw Greyback approaching him from the side. Greyback gave him a slight bow.

"My Lord." The man said, his eyes never leaving Harry's. Damn.

Harry gazed at the man, and then turned to look at the group at large. "Remus Lupin is dead. He was a very good friend of mine, and of my family's. He was always very kind to me, and he taught me a great deal. Thank you all for being here."

A group of five men, and one woman came forward. They all looked very strong, and with the way that they held themselves, the way that the others looked to them, Harry got the impression that they were very important. Greyback joined this group, stepping forward.

"My Lord." Greyback began. "These men and women are representatives of packs from all over western Europe. Standing with me here are the Alphas from Packs in Poland, Romania, Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, and myself- the UK." He motioned to the others, indicating where they were from. "We also have letters from the Alphas of other Packs from around the globe, in preparation for this meeting." The man motioned to one of the other Alphas, who took out a stack of letters from a small bag. The man bowed as he offered them to Harry.

"Thank you." Harry said quietly, accepting the letters.

"When we started to hear the Rumors, many of us were aware that you had a close relationship with one of my pups, Remus Lupin. Remus Lupin was different than the rest of us, yes, but he did a lot for our people. He educated our young- the muggle way, and with magic. He showed us how to interact with our local governments so we could negotiate land rights. His loss will be felt greatly."

Harry looked down to the letters in his hands, willing himself not to cry.

"My Lord, we are here to offer our services to you, to offer ourselves to your Cause, whatever that may be. What do you wish of us, my Lord?"

Harry sighed, closing his eyes. He thought of Remus, of the man's kind words, and of his wisdom. He thought about how the French Minister had reacted to him visiting the werewolves. He thought about all of the people here that were depending on him, about what exactly they were capable of.

He opened his eyes, and looked up. "I would like for all of you to continue with Remus' legacy. Continue to keep diplomatic relations between yourselves and the humans friendly and open. I will...work with the Governments to change their laws so that you may be able to work again, and so that you will have a place to call home. No one should have to live in constant fear and persecution."

There were a roar of cheers at this, and Harry gave a small smile to the group. "But you must be willing to work, to make sacrifices. If we are to have good relationships with the humans, you must follow their laws until I can change them. Work with them, negotiate with them, if you must, but they are more likely to work with you if they can see you are trying hard to follow their laws. We have a long road ahead of us, but I swear, I will do all that I can to help you."

There were murmurs at this. Harry's gaze caught upon some young looking werewolves near the front- they were all staring at him with stars in their eyes. Harry smiled slightly at them, making all of them grin back excitedly.

Harry looked to the adults. "Again, thank you for being here today. I am only going to be here for a few days, and I have so much to learn about you. I do hope that you would be willing to share your stories with me."

Later in the evening, Harry sat by the campfire, watching the wolves chant and dance around the fire. Dinner had been roasted rabbit and deer. Many of the children were gathered around him, telling him stories. From what he could tell, the majority of the werewolves here were from muggle orgin. There were very few magic users, but everyone agreed that Greyback was the most powerful of them all.

Greyback kept eyeing him hungrily from where he sat. He was actually wearing a heavier shirt this time, even if it was tattered lightly around the hems. Harry did his best to ignore the man during the celebrations. Remus' body was cremated, according to tradition, and would be scattered at the next full moon. Harry could see that tensions were rising among the Alphas, and he stood, approaching the group that were snarling at each other.

"Enough." Harry said, and the all went silent. "No more fighting between you. This is a time of mourning and of celebration. There is no need for fighting." He said firmly. "I will not have it. Not here. Not in front of the pups."

The others went away, suitably chastised, and Harry sighed, feeling a presence behind him. He turned slightly.

Harry gave a long look to Greyback, feeling disgusted with the way the man was looking at him, with the way he himself felt. He felt so...depressed, and some small part of him just kept begging to shag the man and get it done with.

"Greyback." Harry said, his voice flat. "Show me where you are staying."

"Yes, my Lord." Greyback said, smirking at the other alphas that were still standing there. He led Harry away from the clearing, and they walked together through the chilly woods in silence. Thankfully, they did not encounter the Auror escort.

"My pack has found a small number of caves in the area. My den is quite warm, My Lord."

"Fine." Harry said flatly, hair whipping around in the cold wind. He was freezing, and he felt scared about being alone with this man. Yet he knew Greyback would not do anything Harry didn't want him to do. Harry tried to keep up with the werewolf's long strides, but the man walked too quickly for him. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw Harry slowing down.

"Not much farther, my Lord."

"Carry me." Harry ordered quietly, and with a wolfish grin, Greyback turned, and picked him up with ease. Harry rest his head on the werewolf's shoulder, wrapping an arm around his thick neck loosely. They continued up the steep hill in silence. He sighed, glancing up at the silent man. Greyback was still as wild and untamed as ever- he looked wolfish, even in human form. His dark hair was matted even more than last time, dreadlocked in places, falling against his shoulders.

"You miss him, don't you, pup?"

"I do." Harry murmured. "He was the first man I ever truly loved." The grip around him tightened. "You'll...help me forget tonight, won't you?"

"Yes...my Lord." Greyback murmured, his voice husky. "Your scent tells me you are a virgin- are you sure that you wish to do this, my Lord? I feel as though you felt love for Lupin- were you...involved?"

Harry sighed, closing his eyes. "You can love someone without loving their body, Fen. Just as you can lust after someone physically, but feel no true love for them." He felt the man squeeze him just a bit at the shortening of his name.

"You feel that way for me."

"Hmm." Harry hummed, not wanting to admit that he was attracted to Greyback. He certainly didn't love the man- he barely even knew him. But there was definitely a spark of attraction there. He had no idea why. Maybe it was because of his power that swirled around him, maybe it was because he was dangerous. Maybe it was so obvious that he could dominate Harry easily, and that was exactly what Harry needed right now.

"Perhaps that will change in time." Greyback murmured, and they entered the cave. Harry opened his eyes, adjusting to the darkness as they went further and further into the narrow cave.

The packed dirt and leaves gave way to a heavy furs and blankets that Greyback ducked behind. Harry could feel himself getting warmed up already. The man carrying him slowly set him down, allowing him to stand. It was little more than a blanket and fur covered bedding, with leaves on the floor. There were a few trinkets around, but Harry couldn't see them very well in the darkness of the cave.

For just a moment, Harry sighed, adjusting to the small space, before Greyback was pulling his cloak apart and off of him, pressing up against him.

"What do you need, My Lord?" The man asked huskily, going to his knees, undoing the front of Harry's trousers. When Harry said nothing, the man tugged at the trousers insistently, baring his groin to the man. He let out a soft groan as he could feel the man sniffing at his stomach and hips, his large hands sliding up and down the backs of his thighs. One of the hands slid up over his groin. Harry groaned as his cock was cupped in rough fingers- Merlin, that man's hands were huge. He could only imagine the size of his... the man's hand was still, and Harry could tell what he wanted.

"I am not your Lord at this time, Fen. Please...just...do...as you like." He gasped, feeling his trousers yanked down the rest of the way. He was pushed to the bedding, and Greyback rolled him onto his stomach. Harry kicked his trousers off his feet, kicking off his shoes haphazardly. He could heard Greyback yanking off his own trousers behind him- it was probably easy, since they were so tattered anyways.

"Wait!" Harry cried, reaching for his wand frantically. He cast the contraception spell that Remus had taught him so long ago. Fenrir chuckled darkly, yanking his legs apart. Harry breathed out shakily at the movement, feeling the man's warm hands sliding up and down his trembling legs. His nails scraped lightly against his skin, making Harry shudder with desire, fear, and no little bit of lust.

"Worried about what diseases this old wolf will give you, pup?"

Harry groaned as he felt the man grope his bottom, squeezing hard. It hurt, but it felt good. His cock was aching. He shifted his hips against the blankets beneath them, spreading his legs a bit further in invitation. "No. Worried about getting knocked up."

He felt the man's wet digits exploring his hole now. He gasped, legs stiffening at the intrusion. He tightly clasped the blankets beneath him in his fingers. He lowered his head to the floor, groaning, adjusting to the feeling of slowly being filled.

"Oh my...I suppose you would have to worry about that...my little rabbit...you'd look so beautiful with my pups." The man groaned, sliding his fingers in and out of Harry's hole. Fuck, this felt so good...and the way the man spoke! So dirty!

Harry felt the man reach around, and grasp his cock. He wasn't going to last long- this was so overwhelming!

"No babies... I'm still in school, remember?" Harry panted, resting his head against the floor. The blankets and furs underneath them were soft and warm, and smelled like decaying leaves and dried blood.

Not very romantic for his first time. He found he really didn't care. He didn't care that Fenrir was far older than him, or that the man was a murderer- he didn't care that he was going to lose his virginity to a werewolf in a danky old cave.

"Be as rough as you want...fuck me as hard as you can. I don't care it's my first time. I want it to hurt. Can you do that for me?" Harry whispered softly, looking at Fen over his shoulder. The huge wolf of a man stared at him with a strangely gentle gaze.

"As you wish, my little rabbit."

And then he was inside, burying himself all the way into the hilt in one stroke. Harry arched his back, screaming in pain, toes curling. God, that hurt! He sobbed as the man pounded into him from behind. Hands grasped his hips, gripping them tight enough to bruise. Harry was turned over onto his back, and Greyback was upon him, kissing him, his whiskers rough against his own soft cheeks. The man's tongue was in his mouth, filling it up, as though he was trying to devour Harry.

It was so overwhelming, so...much... pain, and Harry found his arms winding around the man's neck, holding on for the ride. He groaned as the man hit a spot, and Fen chuckled against his lips.

"Feel good, little rabbit? Want me to fuck you there?'

"Uh huh..." Harry panted. His cock started to get hard again, his heart beating like mad in his chest. He felt that little buzzy feeling again, and he shook and groaned, his hips quickening of their own volition.

"Beg for it." The man whispered, gripping Harry's hips firmly.

"...Please...fuck me there. In that spot. Make me feel good." Harry panted against the man's mouth.

"As you wish, my little rabbit." Fenrir grunted, and his thrusts renewed, making Harry cry out. The man pulled his shirt apart, making buttons fly- the shirt slid down over his arms. He quickly pulled it off, throwing it haphazardly to the ground next to them. Their bare chests pressed up against each other, and Harry found himself being lifted so that he was straddling Fenrir, and the man was shifting him up and down in his lap.

Harry groaned into the man's shoulder, and felt long nails scratching up and down his back, his bum- fucking hell, this felt good! He could smell fresh blood being spilled- his blood.

"Yes! Fen! Please!" He gasped, arching up a bit. The man grunted, and Harry could feel his cock twitch. "Come inside me! Make me your bitch!"

Fenrir growled low in the back of his throat, pushing Harry down onto the ground again, keeping his cock inside him. He yanked Harry's legs up, and Harry screamed. The cock inside him finally erupted, spilling semen inside his core, filling him up.

"Fuck...yes..." Fenrir groaned, thrusts becoming shallow, his breath labored. "Oh fuck..." He reached down, fisting Harry's cock quickly. "Come for me, bitch!" Harry cried out, toes curling as he came, cum spilling over his stomach in chest, feeling quite delirious.

Harry groaned as the man pulled out, cum spilling out of his hole. Fenrir rolled onto his back, panting. They laid there in the darkness, and Harry smiled, chuckling darkly.

"What is it, my little rabbit?" Fenrir murmured, reaching over to stroke his hair.

"Hmm...that felt good. Don't regret that a bit." Harry said, rollling onto his side, curling up to the man's chest. Fenrir wrapped his arm around Harry with a contented rumble in his chest.

"You might regret it in the morning. You'll be in a mighty bit of pain, pup."

"...That's okay. I'm used to it." Harry said sleepily, breathing in Fenrir's scent deeply. It was comforting. Warm. Dark. Why had he been nervous around the man before?

x-x-x

Harry awoke to the sound of grumbling. He opened his eyes slowly, eyes adjusting to the dim light that filled the cave. He was warm and quite comfortable. A pair of strong arms were wrapped around him possessively. Harry's head was resting on Fenrir's shoulder. He could hear the man breathing, deep asleep. Harry slid his hand down Fenrir's chest, running over the man's marks and scars. He was hot and sweaty, and he felt rather dirty. Cum was still on his thighs, chest, and groin, but he found he didn't really care. The places where he'd been scratched were completely healed- all that was left was dried blood. He ached, but not as much as he thought he would.

He reached over, grabbing his wand, and cast another contraception spell, just in case.

Harry hummed quietly, turning his face into the man's shoulder, pressing a kiss there. A hand came to rest on the back of his head, and Harry tilted up his face to look at Fenrir. The man was studying him intently with his amber eyes.

"How are you feeling, pup?" He asked, his voice rough with sleep.

Harry smiled, shifting against the man's hip, slowly sliding his foot down the man's leg. "Want another go?"

Fenrir's lips quirked. "Just like a rabbit- insatiable. Alright pup, but we've got to be quick about it. We have a lot of things to do today."

Harry nodded, and he felt himself be pulled on top of Fenrir, settling on top of the man's heavy cock.

"You still want it rough?"

Harry gave him a mute nod, smile widening.

After a bit, they were ready, and Harry was slowly sliding down the man's length. Harry let out a soft groan as he adjusted to the intrusion, bracing himself against the man's chest.

"My marks are gone." Fenrir murmured, hands stroking his thighs.

"They healed while we slept."

"...Hmm..."

Harry slowly rocked on the man's cock, biting his lip. Fen's hips jerked suddenly, making Harry gasp, his head hanging low.

"Beautiful, pup." A hand went through his hair, petting him. "So soft, so sweet...my little rabbit. You feel so good..."

Harry groaned, feeling he was close. "Fen...come inside me. Please..." He panted.

"You're not safe, are you?"

Harry just smirked at the man, eyes hooded. He'd cast the spell, of course, but part of him wanted to pretend that he hadn't. It felt kind...of dirty, thinking of Fenrir knocking him up. He barely knew the guy, but boy, he was sure having a lot of fun.

"I cast the spell before you woke...but let's pretend I didn't." Harry said playfully.

"Oh, I like..." Fenrir grunted, his voice husky. His hands groped Harry's bum, and he rolled them over, so he was on top. He kissed Harry hard, hips quickening. "Such a dirty little rabbit...such a tasty little treat...all mine..." The wolf grunted, and Harry arched up at a particularly hard thrust. He cried out, and Fen licked and laved at his neck. Harry suddenly wanted to be bit, but he knew that would not have been a good idea. Not at all.

"Oh yes...I'm close..." Fen grunted, holding onto Harry tight, humping him hard, controlling the boy's movements."I'm going to fill you up, little rabbit...I'm going to knock you up...breed you...make you have my cubs..." The man's breathing quickened, hips slamming against Harry's bum.

The wolf howled as he came inside Harry, loudly, and Harry groaned as he felt the man cum inside him again. Harry had a stupid grin on his face as the man pulled out. He looked down, watching the man stroke his semen covered cock- it was still half hard.

Fenrir was looking at him intently, stroking himself. God- how had that thing fit inside him? Harry watched the man let out the last bit of his cum, spilling it all over Harry's groin and thighs. He had a pleased smile on his face.

"You're mine, little rabbit. No other wolf will eat you now."

Harry let out a little laugh at this.

x-x-x

They arrived back at the camp after getting cleaned up in the nearby river, repairing Harry's ripped clothes on the riverbank. It was surreal, with Harry sitting half naked in the cold, repairing his clothes, while Fen just watched him with a stupid grin.

Harry noticed all of the pleased smiles on all of the adult's faces. Many of them gave a wide berth to him and to Fenrir, who walked just a step behind him. A woman approached, bowing to Harry.

"My Lord, please come with me."

Harry followed the woman, glancing back at Fenrir, who was smirking. They went into a hut, and Harry saw another woman there. There were bandages and vials of potion in the small room, and a bowl of water.

"My Lord, do you need assistance in healing?" The other woman asked, standing up and bowing as he entered the room.

Harry blinked. "No."

"...No?" The women exchanged a look.

"Fenrir has a habit of being...rough. You do not want to get your wounds infected..."

Harry pulled up the back of his shirt, revealing his unmarked skin. The women stared, and Harry turned, tugging his shirt back down. "I'm fine, really. I healed myself."

"...If you are sure..."

The other woman spoke, eyes bright. "We are so very happy that you accept us and our people, My Lord. Fenrir is one of our strongest Alphas! You chose well, my Lord."

Harry's lips quirked. "I think Fen chose me, actually. I really couldn't say no to him."

The women laughed at this, understanding exactly what Harry meant.

Harry spent the rest of the day talking with the alphas and their packs, learning about their culture, and figuring out how to help them. They were so used to dealing with Voldemort, who ordered them to kill for him in exchange for small amounts of food and pitiful land. They were very happy that Harry was so willing to work with them.

He was well aware of the appreciative looks he was getting from the other wolves now- male and female, but he was not drawn to any of them like he was drawn to Fenrir. He didn't know why- maybe because they weren't quite as powerful?

He slept by the fire with the children that night, although Fenrir had insisted that he sleep next to Harry, to 'keep an eye on him'. Harry was glad that the man treated him deferentially in public- he felt as though what he and Fen had shared was...somewhat private. Sure...he might be powerful, but he certainly didn't want that during sex.

He was well aware of this little fact, and had been since he was twelve or thirteen, since his wet dreams had started. He'd always wanted a man that would take control during sex, so that he didn't have to worry, so that he could just let go. Now that he'd experienced it with Fen, he was very glad that he had gotten to do so. He felt...liberated, and much more comfortable with himself now. And it showed. He didn't regret a thing.

x-x-x

Harry watched the various French politicians and the Ministers berate the Aurors for not watching over Harry carefully. There were only a few that were quiet, but Harry had had enough.

"Enough." Harry said, making everyone silent. He stood from the chair he'd been sitting in. "I requested that the Aurors remain outside the camp, for their own safety. Do not blame them for my request. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."

"...Mr. Potter...this is quite irregular. It was not safe for you to be around these...werewolves alone. You could have been killed, or worse, bitten!" The Minister cried, reminding Harry of Hermione back in their first year- but the thought did not make him smile in this context. "And the numbers- there are far larger amount of werewolves than we previously thought within our borders..."

"Actually, they were only here for Remus. Many of the werewolves there admired him and were inspired by his work." Harry cut in. "Many of them have already left the country, and it is extremely likely they won't be back anytime soon. I should let you know that they will be much more...amiable to their local governments from now on."

"...Do you know where they will be?" The Minister asked, everyone else glancing at each other. If what Potter had said was true, were the werewolves really going to stop being such troublemakers? How had Potter done it?

"No. I didn't ask. I wasn't there to question them, Minister. I was there to grieve over a good friend of mine." Harry said, keeping his eye on the man carefully. "I should be going, sir. The Headmaster is expecting me back at the school."

x-x-x

Harry smiled as he saw Hermione enter the Great Hall. She gave him a Look, raising her brow. "What happened to a quiet holiday?" She asked, as she approached him.

Harry just smiled sheepishly, and she hugged him. "I'm sorry about Remus." She murmured.

"It's okay. He...was...happy, I guess. He...was really tired. And...he lived a good life, and...it was time for him to go." Harry said quietly, struggling with finding the right words. He led her out of the Great Hall, and whispered quietly to her.

"I lost my virginity."

She gasped, turning to him with wide eyes. "No!"

Harry made a shushing sound, and wound his arm through hers, and they continued to walk down the corridor. "I did. Please don't tell anyone. I...I don't think they would understand."

"Well? Who was it?" Hermione asked once they were inside an empty classroom. Harry shook his head mutely, raising his hand to the door. It glowed briefly, and Harry spoke.

"It was...ah...Fenrir."

The girl's mouth dropped open. "...Greyback? Fenrir Greyback! Harry- why?"

Harry sat on top of a desk, giving a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. He wanted me, I wanted him. It...was the night after Remus died...and..."

"He took advantage of you." Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest, frowning.

"I used him too. We both knew what we were doing."

"...You were safe, right?" She suddenly asked, looking worried.

"Of course we were."

Hermione sighed, and she sat next to him on the desk, brushing her shoulder against his. "So...how was it?"

Harry smiled softly. "It was...well...it was fun. Merlin, Hermione, that man can fuck."

Hermione's face went red. "Harry!"

"What? It's true. It...hurt, but...I wanted it to. I was nice...to let go. To...pretend that I wasn't this all powerful Lord everyone keeps calling me." Harry let out a little laugh. "He called me his Bitch, and I liked it."

She raised a brow, and gave him a knowing look. "You can never be normal, can you?"

Harry hid his face behind his hands. "I've sort of given up on that."

"So...can you tell me details?" Hermione asked carefully.

Harry glanced at her, waggling his eyebrows. "Yeah. What do you want to hear?"

"Everything!" The girl said with an excited grin. "Was it big? How did you...uh...I'm assuming he was the one who..."

"Yes. He fucked me. It was hard and brutal, and fast...it hurt like hell the first time, but it felt so good...the second time was good too-"

"You did it twice! Merlin, Harry, didn't it hurt?"

Harry blushed. "That was the point, 'Mione. I wanted it to."

Hermione looked down, kicking her legs back and forth underneath the desk. "Huh. I always knew you were a glutton for punishment...it's kind of funny how this is all turning out. Here you are, with all this power, and you secretly want to give it all up. It...sort of makes sense."

"Yeah." Harry said lamely. How was he supposed to answer that? As usual, Hermione figured out everything.

"...So...are you and Greyback going to do it again? How is that going to work if you're here?"

Harry sighed. "Well, I'm not planning on doing it again with him, but it probably will happen. Not anytime soon, but eventually. We're obviously not in a relationship or anything...if we do get together, it'll be more casual, I guess."

"...So...are you going to start dating now?"

Harry tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "Maybe. Zabini has been flirting like mad with me since September. I never know what to say around him."

"Hmm...maybe we can go on a double date! That would be so much fun!"

"Um...no." Harry grinned. "So I guess Nott asked you out, then?"

"Yes. He even told me how he asked you first- he was so sweet." The girl blushed. "He sent me a really nice present over the hols...Daddy started to act all funny when I told him the runes book wasn't from you, but from Theo."

"Theo..." Harry grinned. "I bet he hates that name."

Hermione giggled. "He didn't hate it when I kissed him earlier."

"...Did he really give you a Runes book?"

"Hey! I thought it was a very good gift!"

x-x-x

"So, Mr. Potter, thank you for coming to see us today." Rita Skeeter said sweetly in her swanky new office at Witch Weekly. She looked far better than she had the previous year, at Hogsmeade. Her curls were done, and her clothes looked brand new. She was wearing an hot pink and green suit and hat, clashing violently with her white blonde hair and heavy makeup.

It was the Saturday after term began, and this little interview was the first little bit of publicity for the book coming up. It was the 'big reveal'. Now, there had been small advertisements about the book in the works, but nothing had really been said about it.

Harry was wearing black trousers and jacket, with a dark red button down shirt. His hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck- he was growing it out now. It looked much better with a bit of length to it. Hermione had called him 'Hot', and the other girls had nearly fainted upon seeing him in the common room that morning.

Harry smiled, and saw the camera guy take a picture. "Thank you for having me here, Rita." He said charmingly, crossing one leg over the other.

"My, my, you've grown up quite a bit since I saw you last. At your last interview, you told me about how you saw You-Know-Who return at the end of the Triwizard Tournament- what story will you be telling me this time?"

Harry saw her quill skid across the page quickly. She knew not to add any embellishments to his story, not anything fake, anyways.

"Well, I actually wanted to tell you about a book I have coming out."

"A book! Oh my!" Rita gasped, leaning forward. "I'd heard rumors, but you know how those things are...tell me Harry, what is the book about?"

"It's an autobiography, actually."

The woman blinked, her eyes widening. Harry knew she had been one of the many writers who had offered to write a biography about him. He continued to speak.

"I figured that the best person to tell my story was...well, me. You see, I'm a fairly private person, so many of the details that are written in the book have never been told before- even my friends don't know everything!"

Rita looked absolutely delighted at this, her eyes lighting up. "Oh? And when will this book be coming out?"

"March 3rd. It will be sold internationally, actually. Circlet Press, the publishing company I'm working with, has been very good to me."

Her quill continued to write, and Rita looked as though she was going to start bouncing in her seat any moment.

"Tell us Harry, are there any juicy secrets or confessions that you're just dying to get out?"

Harry laughed. "You'll have to read the book to find out, I'm afraid. I won't be saying a word until then. But every word in that book is absolutely true." He winked at her, and Rita laughed- sincerely this time.

"Oh, alright, but it better be good. Now, we've heard accounts of your various adventures through numerous sources, but I'm very excited to hear about all of them from your very own perspective- tell me, what do your friends think about you doing this?"

"Well, my friend Hermione, Hermione Granger, has been working with me on this project since the very beginning. As usual, I'd be lost without her."

Rita smirked. "Oh? And are you and Miss Granger finally together?"

Harry laughed. "No. Actually, Hermione is dating someone right now, a very nice guy. She and I are just friends- she's practically a sister to me."

"Well, we've heard rumors from all over the country about girls confessing to be your lover, even a few saying that they are having your children- what do you say about that?"

Harry blinked. He'd been aware about the girls saying that they had slept with him, but to go as far as...

"Impossible." Harry said, his voice flattening. "I have never slept with any girl."

Rita's eyes widened. "Oh my!" Her quill was writing rapidly on the pad. "Are you waiting until marriage, Mr. Potter?"

Harry blushed. "Uh...well, I just haven't found the right person yet. Excuse me, I think this topic is rather private, so..."

"Oh! Of course- now, I hear that you've started up a club at your school, the Defense Association. From what I hear, it's extremely popular, students from all four houses are participating in it! What does the group do, exactly, and what is your role in it?"

"I teach Defense." Harry said simply. "Mostly, dueling, though we do stray from time to time about Magical Creatures. We started the group last year, to prepare for the war. People liked it so much that I kept at it this year too. I'm very proud and happy with everyone's progress. Because the group is so big, I have others helping out too. It encourages them more, that way, gets them involved."

"So...are you considering of becoming a teacher once you finish Hogwarts?"

"...Well, I think I might do a bit of traveling, honestly. I've only been out of the UK once, and that was very, very recently."

"Oh yes- you went to France. I heard about that- something about Remus Lupin?"

"Yes...he died." Harry said, his voice quieter. "I went to pay my respects. He...was a very good friend of my parents, and of my Godfather. He was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, fighting against the Dark Lord Voldemort and his Deatheaters."

"Even though he was a werewolf?"

"It's no difference to me. He was a good man, and he taught me a great deal."

Skeeter cocked her head a bit, eyes softening. "You cared for him quite a bit, didn't you? Hmm..." She trailed off."So, how has life been for you since you killed You-Know-Who?"

"Crazy. I've been really busy. I actually had to drop Quidditch. But I've definitely been putting more time into my studies. I've also been putting more time into the DA. After all, even though the war is over, people still need to protect themselves."

"Too true. And how are your friendships faring? I heard a little rumor that you and Ron Weasley had a falling out."

Harry glanced away. "Well...yes. You know how it is, sometimes. People grow up, and grow apart."

"Well, Harry, any advice for the kids out there that want to be just like you when they grow up?" The woman asked, sensing that she should change the subject.

Harry laughed at this. He had a few choice words, but he didn't think it would be appropriate. "Yes. Work hard, do your best, and follow your instincts. Don't worry about what other people think about you- I sometimes have to tell that last one to myself every once in a while." He added with a little laugh.

Skeeter nodded at this, and waved the camera man over. "Now, how about some pictures?"

x-x-x

Everyone could see that Harry had changed somehow over the holidays. As though he was more comfortable with himself. He laughed more, joked around more. He teased Hermione and Theo quite a bit, and sometimes even flirted back with Zabini when he thought no one was looking.

His clothing was slowly improving. Harry thought it might be because he was hanging around with the Slytherins more often- with their cutting comments and dry humor, he understood that he was expected to dress much better now than he did. Outside of classes, it was pretty normal to see Harry wearing nice trousers and shirts, with robes over them.

Even Hermione had changed- she was much more relaxed with herself too. Perhaps Nott had that effect on her. They hadn't come out about their relationship yet, but the two were all smiles whenever they were seen together. Nott was a bit more traditional about things, so they weren't shagging on a table or anything, but they did kiss. A lot. Hermione, surprisingly, wanted more. Harry quickly found out that she had a very dirty mind when she thought about it, and she sometimes asked for more details about Harry's experience with Fen.

The two of them were slowly learning about the culture and history behind Dark Magic. Most of it was taught orally, since if there were any books found, many people would get in trouble. Their teachers were often Slytherins and Ravenclaws of all ages, and loved the fact that they could teach THE Harry Potter and THE brainy Hermione Granger something!

Both Harry and Hermione took to Dark Magic easily, and Harry found it quite natural. It didn't seem all that evil, really, it was just another way of doing magic to him. It felt...right. Good. And the spells were so much more powerful and long lasting! He could see how many people were attracted to it. The stories and the histories were rich and varied, and Harry found himself learning quite a bit about the magical world. Learning about what the Dark witches and wizards went through provided him with a different perspective on things.

Ron...on the other hand, was not doing so well. His grades sucked, and no one would talk to him after everyone found out from Neville that he'd slapped Hermione. Even if she was a bossy know-it-all, she was still a girl.

One evening, in late Feburary, a week before the book was to come out, Harry and the DA had one of their parties after the lesson. It was nearing curfew, and the party was slowly coming to an end.

The room had been shifted, so that included sofas and couches, tables filled with trays of food and drink. House elves were starting to clean up, and the various couples that had been snogging together were being slowly pulled apart and sent off to their dorms. Harry was watching all of this from his corner of the room. It was slightly darker than all the rest, and he'd spent most of the party talking to Greengrass about healing.

She wanted to be a Healer once she left Hogwarts, and they were talking about the differences between Dark and Light healing spells, and how some of the Light Healing spells had originated from the Dark. It was sort of interesting. The parties that the DA held weren't the lavish things that Slughorn held. Things were much more relaxed, much more open. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe the rolled up cigarettes that were filled with strange herbs from the greenhouses, maybe it was the fun mix of muggle and magical bands that played on the record player. Everyone, when not dancing or snogging, were often found debating about magic, about spells.

Harry got the feeling in his gut that something was happening here. There hadn't been one fight amongst this group since the parties had begun. Slytherins and Gryffindors who'd been at each other's throats the previous year were now talking and joking around with each other. And in Hermione and Nott's case, they were going out. People were talking more openly about magic, and were slowly experimenting with magic outside their comfort zones.

Once Hermione and Nott came out as a couple at the last party, it seemed to have opened the floodgates for other people to start flirting with those outside their own House.

Harry was happy that everyone was happy, becoming more open about things. They would have to, for his plans to work.

He saw Hermione and Padma chatting nearby, and he stood from his seat, approaching the girls. "Hey, Padma, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Padma gave him an odd look, but nodded. Hermione gave him a Knowing look, and walked off. Harry glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention.

"Padma, my book is coming out next week, and I felt I ought to tell you that you are mentioned."

Padma's eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean, lots of people are mentioned, but I felt that you should know. I...um..." Harry led her a bit further away, behind a privacy screen. The girl was looking a bit nervous now, maybe even hopeful?

"I just wanted to let you know...that...I'm gay." Harry said these last two words quietly. It had been so much easier to tell Hermione.

Padma blinked. "Oh." She looked down at her feet, shaking her head. "Part of me knew. I really didn't want to acknowledge it- I thought it was sort of Silly. You were the Boy Who Lived, after all." She said with a sad smile. "But...I know you're your own person. So...you and Zabini?"

Harry blushed. "No. He...flirts, but he does that with a lot of people, if you haven't noticed. No, I'm not with anyone."

"...So...this is all in the book?"

"Yeah. I would appreciate it if you didn't mention it to anyone. Everyone will find out soon enough when they read it. I thought you should deserve to know...especially after all the crap I put you through that night. I was a terrible date."

Padma smiled. "Hey, I forgave you a long time ago. You were clueless, then." She cocked her head. "I like this new Harry Potter. It's much more you."

"Thanks." Harry said sincerely, slowly relaxing. He hadn't been sure of how she would react. There were a great many Traditionalists that were against homosexuality. At least, openly, anyways.

"...You should probably talk to Cho."

"...Yeah." Harry said quietly.

"If it helps any, she's a lot better now. Roger Davies and her are still going out."

"Yeah...I heard."

x-x-x

"You sent for me, Sir?" Harry asked, coming into the Headmaster's office. He approached Fawkes, petting him a bit. The phoenix crooned at his touch, headbutting his fingers.

"Yes. Would you like some tea?" The Headmaster asked.

After tea had been sorted out, Harry saw a copy of his new book on the man's desk. He had received his own copy just two days before hand. The book was to come out that Friday in all the bookstores, so how had the Headmaster gotten a copy of it early?

"I read your book." The man began, sipping his tea. "It is quite good."

Harry held his teacup in his hands, feeling nervous. "How did you get it? I only got my copy the other day."

The Headmaster only smiled, eyes twinkling. "It was a very good book, my boy. I could tell you put quite a bit of effort into it."

"...Thank you sir." Harry said quietly, hating that the man would not answer him, but resigning himself to never finding out.

"Out of all the autobiographies I've read over the years, I have to say that yours is probably the most honest, most straight forward. Where others would choose to hide information, you get it all out in the open."

"I have nothing to hide, sir." Harry said, feeling like a liar. It was true, there were no lies in that book- not really. The book had ended with Voldemort's death. He had not mentioned about anything that came directly afterwards.

The Headmaster hummed thoughtfully, taking a lemon drop out of his tin, and popping it into his mouth. "I was rather surprised to find out that you were homosexual- I fear others may not take that so well. But...I suppose it's better than keeping it a secret." The man said softly, and Harry furrowed his brow at the man's tone.

Dumbledore's blue eyes looked a bit sad. "I feel as though I have my own confession to make, Harry. I am also homosexual. Not that it really matters..." The man waved it off, smiling. "I am glad that you came out. Perhaps it will make other people feel inspired enough to do the same. People keep secrets far too often, my boy."

Harry lowered his eyes to his cooling tea, trying to adjust to the thought of Dumbledore, of all people, being gay. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

"However, the main reason why I called you here today was to speak to you about your treatment at the Dursleys."

Harry sighed, setting his tea aside. "Look, I just wanted people to know the truth. So many of them believed I was raised in a castle, with servants and given everything I ever wanted. But it wasn't like that at all. I'm...so tired of keeping quiet about them, about what I went through."

"...And I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I...feel as though I had some part in it."

The room was silent at this, and Harry turned away. He did blame Dumbledore, partly, but he knew the blame rested squarely with the Dursleys.

"Hopefully, others will come forward." Harry began quietly. "Not everyone has lived a good life, I know. Perhaps if people spoke out more, we could change things. No kid should have to go through what I went through."

Dumbledore sipped his tea, nodding slowly to himself. "After reading the book, I can see that you've come so far, that you've done so much with your life. As I've said before, my lad, it is our choices that define us. You care about your friends deeply, and I can see that you have changed quite a bit since Voldemort's fall- you are allowing yourself to love and care about others even more. I do hope that you will continue that. Love is what makes us strong, far stronger than any spells or enchantments."

Harry quietly sighed to himself. Dumbledore spoke of love- what sort of love did he know?

"I know what you're thinking my boy, but you do know love. You know familial love from the Weasleys, and from Miss Granger. You know the love of friendship from Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood, perhaps even a few more. You are still quite young- You will find the perfect partner for you, in all due time. Just keep yourself open, and take a chance before it passes you by."

Harry dropped his gaze to his knees, and Dumbledore gave him an intent look.

"Forgive an old man, my boy, I do ramble sometimes. I just wanted you to learn from my mistakes. Well!" The man clapped. "I have a few more books to share with you, if you manage to have the time to read them..."

x-x-x

The very next day, Harry was in Defense class, waving to Hermione and Nott as they went off together, hand in hand. Harry started to pick up his things as the rest of his classmates started to walk out. Many said their goodbyes. Classes had relaxed quite a bit over the term- now that the Gryffindors and Slytherins were no longer fighting and sniping at each other, everyone had a much easier time of things.

Harry bent over to pick up his book, and heard Snape speak up from behind him. "Potter."

Harry whirled around, clutching his book to his chest. "Professor?"

Snape was standing there, arms crossed over his chest as he so often did. He was staring at Harry with narrowed eyes. "You have a free period next, correct?"

"...Yes sir."

"I'd like to speak to you about your lesson plans for the DA."

"...Okay." Harry said, following the man into his office. It looked rather similar to his old office in the dungeons- still, it was a bit strange to see windows there, even if they were partially curtained up.

"Sit." Snape said curtly, and with a flick of his wand, the door locked behind Harry, and Harry could feel wards raising. Fuck.

Harry sat down slowly, dropping his bookbag at his feet. Snape sat across from him, behind his desk. He kept his wand in his hand, Harry noted.

Snape spoke softly. "The DA is coming along rather well. Even the other staff members have spoken about a marked improvement in classes. The students are more quick to assist each other when they have trouble, even if they are not in their House."

Harry smiled at this.

"What are you up to, Potter?"

Harry's smile fell. "What are you talking about?"

Snape leant forward in his chair. "I'm not stupid, Potter, far from it. I know what you are. I've known for some time."

Harry tensed, but did not move from his place. "...Oh?"

"What are your plans?"

"I...well..." Harry began, looking away. "Really, I just want everyone to get along. I don't fancy fighting. I...am encouraging everyone to stand united together, rather than fight each other."

"...And how are you accomplishing this?"

Harry suddenly let out a little laugh. Snape was so serious! Perhaps he was just feeling a little hysterical, too, at being found out by the man. How long would it be until Dumbledore found out?

"The DA." Harry said simply. "I teach, they help each other. I discourage them from bullying and belittling each other. After they see their grades improve, and get to know each other socially, it's really not that hard to keep them happy. All people ever want is to be accepted and have friends."

Snape stared at him for a long time. "I see. And what you teach, in the DA? Any...changes to the curriculum?"

Harry got the feeling the man already knew the answer to his question.

Snape went on. "You see, I caught one of my Hufflepuff fourth years doing a borderline Dark Arts spell with a couple of my Ravenclaws. It was legal, of course, but still borderline Dark. Now, they were unaware of my watching, but what if another staff member had seen them?"

Harry closed his eyes. Some of the things they had taught the others were borderline, yes, but they had been careful to tell everyone not to cast such magic unless it was absolutely necessary.

"It won't happen again, sir." Harry said quietly.

"It best not. You wouldn't want the Headmaster to find out."

Harry glanced up at the man, frowning. "What do you want? You're not going to keep this quiet out of the goodness of your heart, are you?"

Snape smirked a bit. "I think I shall sit on the DA meetings from now on."

Harry silently cursed. "All of them, sir?"

"Yes. Upper and Lower."

"...Will...you interfere?"

"Only if I need to."

Harry sighed. Well...it was better than Snape having him expelled, or telling Dumbledore what he'd found out.

Snape stood, his smirk fading. "I do know what you are hoping, Potter. You're clearly being trained by Dumbledore, to become his protoge, to become the next Light Lord. Everyone knows it. What I would like to know is what you plan to do once you hold both titles."

Harry stood, feeling uncomfortable with the way the man was towering over him. He was still a bit shorter than Snape, but at least it didn't feel so strange.

"I want everyone to be accepted for who they are. If the Dark and Light were united, they wouldn't have to fear each other so much. The Dark could practice their magicks a bit openly, and the Ministry could review its laws about the borderline spells. The Light wouldn't dominate politics so clearly, and magical creatures would have more of a say over their rights to work and live." Harry said firmly, looking the man straight in the eye. He allowed Snape into his barriers, willingly, allowing the man to see that he wasn't lying.

They stood there for a long moment, and Harry suddenly felt...relief. He could feel the man's silent agreement with his plans, and he realised that he'd just gained a powerful ally, rather than a fearsome enemy, like he'd feared. Their eyes were still locked as the man pulled out of his mind. Harry took a slow step back from the Professor, suddenly realising how close they were standing. There was that buzzing feeling again, an itch, and a feeling deep inside his core that he so desperately wanted to tap.

"The others have been teaching you Dark magics." Snape murmured. "I suppose that encourages them in their own studies. A good...idea." The man said reluctantly. "...To be honest, I am rather impressed with how well the group has come along." He paused. "Don't let it get to your head, Potter."

Harry found himself grinning cheekily. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir." It was so strange, seeing Snape this close, and not having the man yell at him. He looked...relaxed, actually. More relaxed than he had in a few years. Was it because the war was over?

Harry suddenly averted his eyes, feeling embarrassed for some reason. His face was flushed, and he clenched his fists. "...I should get going. Hermione and Theo are waiting for me."

"...Theo...as in Theodore Nott. Hmm. He and Granger are dating, correct?"

Harry froze as he picked up his bag. "Yes sir."

"...Interesting. And you and Granger are...?"

"...Like siblings sir." Harry started for the door. "My book is coming out on Friday. Read it if you want to learn all my darkest secrets." He said flippantly, and grabbed the door. He lowered Snape's wards himself, wanting to get out of there.

"I certainly will, Potter. I'm watching you." Snape called after him, his voice dark. Harry's steps quickened as he left, heart racing. He suddenly had the urge to write Fen, and wank. What the hell was wrong with him?

He found an empty classroom, dumped his stuff, and hid underneath one of the desks, and got his writing things out. He quickly began to pen a letter, stroking himself through his trousers as he wrote.

Fen,

Meet me in the Shrieking Shack tonight at midnight. I want to see if I can make an old wolf howl.

Rabbit

x-x-x

Harry was lying on the bed in the shrieking shack, waiting for Fen. He was completely naked. He was lying on his stomach, waiting for the man to arrive. He'd arrived early, making quick work of the small room, repairing the bed and cleaning it up a bit. Instead of a moth eaten blanket full of dust, there was now a dark green comforter, with crisp white sheets.

Harry laid on his stomach, facing the foot of the bed, fiddling with the bit of rope there. He'd wrapped it around his wrists as tight as he could. What was more, he'd transfigured his school tie into a headband with black bunny ears. So...technically, he wasn't completely naked.

He could get out of the ropes easily if he wanted to, but he really didn't want to. Maybe Fen would tighten them up some more. Harry smiled to himself, wriggling against the blankets beneath him. He was hard and aching, and he just wanted to fucked silly.

He stilled as he heard someone enter the shack downstairs.

"Rabbit?" Fen called out. He started up the stairs.

Harry grinned. "In here, Fen." He said, getting up on his knees, his bum sticking up in a clear invitation.

Fen opened the door, stopping short at the sight of Harry. Harry felt his face get red, and he turned his face away.

"Oh fuck..." The man groaned. Before Harry knew it, the man was behind him, groping his bottom, pulling his legs apart.

"Fuck, you look so fucking sexy like that."

"Thought you might like the ears..." Harry murmured, groaning as the man slid a finger inside him.

"Oh, I'm not just talking about the ears, little rabbit, I'm talking about you being tied up..." The man pulled his trousers down. Harry could hear him. He glanced over his shoulder. Fen was still wearing his tattered shirt, and he wore a dusty coat. It was cold out, after all. Harry watched the man's face as Fen entered him. He cried out, biting into the blanket beneath him as the man started to fuck him roughly.

"Such a naughty little rabbit...out after curfew...meeting a mean old wolf when he's supposed to be sleeping in bed..."

Harry twitched as the man slapped his bum, hard. He panted, and felt the man bend over him, nails scratching down his back. "All tied up like a pretty little present...so eager, hmm?"

Harry yelped as the man tugged at him, the ropes tightening around his wrists. He was turned over onto his back, arching up as the man pulled out of him.

Fen looked at him hungrily, licking his lips. "I bet you would taste so yummy, little rabbit..." He bent down, and took Harry's cock into his mouth. Harry froze, mouth dropping open at the sensation. It was warm and wet, and it felt sooo good. Fen kept his hands on Harry's hips, stilling them. Harry was close- too close.

"Fen...I'm coming..." Harry panted, toes curling.

Fen continued to suck his cock, drinking his semen, licking his lips. "Such a good little rabbit.." The man said huskily as he pulled away. "Maybe you'd like a present, Rabbit?"

"Uh huh..." Harry panted, legs trembling from how hard he came. Still, he managed to open them for the man. "Inside, please!"

"Oh no- not yet." Fenrir straddled his chest, shoving Harry's face close to his cock. Harry's mouth opened automatically, the huge cock shoving into his mouth completely in one swift movement.

Harry tugged on his wrists, eyes closing. Fen continued to fuck his mouth, and Harry felt overwhelmed at the sensations, the smells, everything. He was lost in that moment. It felt...right.

Later, as the two were lying together in the bed, the moon quite high in the sky, Fen spoke quietly.

"Why'd you call me here, pup? Just for a shag?"

Harry sighed, running his hand up and down the man's chest. "Maybe?"

Fen pulled him close, chuckling, kissing his brow. "Insatiable little rabbit."

"That's me!" Harry said with a grin, kissing Fen on the lips. They stared at each other for a long moment, and Harry lowered his lips to Fenrir's. Their lips meshed, and they kissed languidly. It was full of heat, but it...was different, somehow. With everything they had done, they hadn't really kissed like this before.

As Harry pulled away, eyes dark and wanting, Fen spoke. "That was quite the kiss, pup. What'd you do that for?"

"...Just wanted to thank you." Harry murmured, feeling suddenly shy. "...I'm sorry...I'm sure you had other plans...you didn't have to come, you know."

"Nonsense. You're My... well, you're rabbit. If you call me, I'll come. It seems like you've got other stuff on your mind, pup. What's going on?"

Harry sighed, sitting up. He straddled Fen's stomach, lying on top of him. Fenrir slowly wrapped his arms around Harry's slim body.

"I wrote a book. Did you know?" Harry said quietly.

"...No. I don't read the papers much."

"...Well, it's coming out on Friday. I'm actually a bit scared. Even more so than when I faced Voldemort." There was silence. Harry loved the fact that Fenrir had never flinched at Voldemort's name. He wasn't like other people.

"What's the book?"

"It's an autobiography. There...are things in there that I'm...nervous about people knowing about."

A hand slid down his back slowly. "Am I in it?"

"...No. The book ends when I kill Voldemort. I didn't include anything that happened afterwards."

"...Hmm. Good idea. I don't think a lot of people would like the idea of me shagging their Savior."

Harry rolled his eyes at this. "I didn't think you cared about what other people thought."

"I don't. I just don't want them coming after me and my pack."

Harry sat up, looking worried. "Do you really think..."

"None of us will tell- the packs would never tell. They are loyal to you, rabbit. As am I."

Harry averted his eyes, and rolled off of Fen. "It doesn't feel right, to have that power over you."

"It's just as well that I drive you crazy with my cock."

Harry let out a small laugh at this, snuggling up to the man. "Yeah, I guess so. Anyways..." He trailed off, smile fading. "I'm more worried about what people will say when they find out about how I grew up."

"...Oh?"

"...The muggles I lived with...they weren't very kind to me."

"...Need me to take care of them?"

"No, Fen." Harry murmured, burying his face into the man's neck. "But thank you for asking." He sighed. "I just...hope that people don't lose respect for me, that's all."

"...Well...if it helps any, I know the packs respect you. I heard a rumor that you talked to the French Minister. Some of the packs there are having a slightly better time of it than the rest of us. You said something, didn't you?"

"...I might have." Harry murmured. "But I don't have any real impact on laws or legislation just yet. I'll have a place on the wizengamot, but that's only here in the UK. Eventually, I'll try to get connections abroad, but it will take some time."

"...I know you can do it, pup." A ran went through his hair. "Anything else bothering you?"

"...I think I have a crush on my teacher." Harry said, blushing. At Fen's expression, he continued. "Not that I would do anything..."

"You're still a pup. Sometimes I forget that." Fen murmured. "You're allowed to be with whoever you want. I fuck around too- this isn't exclusive. If you thought it was, you're mistaken." He paused. "But I can't smell anyone's scent on you..."

"I haven't been with anyone else." Harry paused. "Although there have been some who have certainly tried..." He laughed a little. "But none of my classmates could compare to you, Fen."

"Oh?" Fen rolled over on top of Harry with a grin. "Tell me."

Harry wrapped his arms around the man's neck. "Well...I'm afraid I've been a bit spoiled. You see, your cock is huge, and the way you dominate me so...perfectly just can't compare to anyone else. I'm afraid you're just stuck with me for now."

Fen laughed, low and grumbly, deep in his chest. He began to kiss Harry's neck. "Oh, now that's just terrible." The man murmured huskily, making Harry squirm beneath him. "And this teacher?"

"...Well...he's older...powerful..." Harry groaned, eyes closing as the man sucked at his collarbone. His toes curled. "He makes my magic buzz...he's sort of like you, in that way. Most of the powerful Dark people do that to me, but none as strongly as..."

"...Would he...be receptive to your advances?"

Harry twitched, biting his lip. "Most likely not. He hates me."

"Poor little rabbit...this man would be mad if he didn't want you. Especially if ever saw you like this..." Fen whispered, stroking his cock languidly. "Legs trembling, heart racing. That's what I love about sex. Sex, fear, and pain...it's all the same...pupils dilate, the heart quickens, muscles tighten, and the body reacts in such a way..."

Harry cried out, arching his back. Fen bent over him, licking up his throat. "Delicious." He whispered.

x-x-x

The book came out that Friday, and by Sunday, everyone at Hogwarts seemed to have a copy, and that was all they could talk about in the papers. He walked into the common room one evening to see one of the third years reading aloud from her copy to a large group by the fire. He slipped by them silently, only to see Ginny staring at him.

She looked as though she'd been crying. Hermione and Neville were with her, looking rather sorry for the girl. Harry sighed, and approached Ginny. "Ginny...you okay?" They were standing in the corner of the room, not far from the boy's staircases.

"...I'm...okay. I...wish you could have told us." Ginny whispered.

"I'm sorry. It was just...so hard. I wished a million times I could have told you all, but..."

Ginny hugged him tightly, sniffling. "Harry, you're the bravest, sweetest, and the most generous person I've ever known. I don't care if you were nearly sorted into Slytherin. I don't care about you being gay, I don't care that you felt sorry for Tom...as long as you're happy..." She cried. "Those muggles were just awful to you."

Harry hugged her back, looking to Hermione and Neville. Hermione was smiling at him sadly. Neville...looked as though he was looking at Harry in entirely new eyes. All Harry could see was respect.

"Harry, you're a great guy. You've been through a lot of stuff, and we'll never leave you." Neville said with a smile. "We're friends now."

"Yeah." Harry said, feeling suddenly lighter.

Although everyone's reactions weren't so positive to Harry's book. Some boys had started teasing him about being gay, and he got plenty of hatemail because of that, but the cries supporting Harry were much, much stronger. Harry was shocked to find out how many people supported him, in spite of his homosexuality. Even the girls- they were a bit heartbroken, but they were more upset about his treatment with the muggles than anything.

Some people were calling for the Dursely's arrest- some were even calling for them to be sent to Azkaban, or even be Kissed.

It was strange, and a little frightening, at everyone's reactions. He saw nothing but respect from the DA. More often than not, people were looking at him in a whole other way.

And a new nickname started. 'The One'. Harry didn't know how that began, or who did it, but it did. Both the Light and the Dark were rallying behind him- some openly, some not so openly. All across the globe, Harry got letters of support from muggleborn and muggle-raised, telling him their own stories.

Shockingly, other people started to come out as gay. Some were surprises, others, not so much. Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, came out as a lesbian. Aladair Maddock, from the Montrose Magpies, came out as gay. Even the drummer from the Weird Sisters came out. Harry was shocked to find out that Oliver Wood came out as well!

The Traditionalists didn't like it, of course, because it was likely that the Potter bloodline would die with Harry. Then a healer came out and spoke in Harry's defense, saying it was quite likely, because of Harry's power, that he would be able to have children. It wasn't unheard of.

Of course, then there were those who said 'I always knew' and 'It was obvious'. Harry laughed it off, even when his classmates like Lavender Brown said such things.

The Slytherins were shocked to find out that Harry was nearly one of them. Malfoy received quite the ribbing, as he had been one of the causes that kept Harry from being Sorted there.

Funnily enough, more girls than ever were following Harry around, giggling. Harry explained this phenomena to Hermione, who only laughed. She said. "Even though you're gay, girls still think you are hot."

A few plucky girls even had the courage to ask him out to the Spring Formal, 'just as friends, of course'.

Harry turned them down. Especially after Blaise had the balls to kiss him after a DA meeting.

x-x-x

Harry pulled away from the Slytherin with wide eyes, the whole ROR erupting in whispers. Parkinson whistled at them, making many more giggle.

Harry wiped his mouth, and grabbed Blaise by the wrist. Blaise followed him with a grin, ducking behind the privacy screen. Harry shoved the boy away, eyes narrowing. "What the fuck was that?"

Blaise blinked at him. "What? I thought you liked me. I was tired of waiting, so I made the first move."

Harry frowned. "You can't just kiss me in front of everyone!"

"Look, stop being so uptight. You preach about all of us getting along with each other, you know, and you just sit there and watch while everyone flirts and fools around. Don't you want to join in?"

Harry glanced away, feeling the boy slide his hand up and down his arm. "Blaise...I've got to set an example."

"Look, we're all friends here. We drink together, party, hang out- what's the big deal? Everyone here will keep your secrets, you know that."

"...No, I don't know that. Anyways...I don't mix business with pleasure." Harry said, his voice softening. "Even if we did do something, I certainly don't want a relationship. I'm too busy, I've got too many obligations."

"...We could still fool around." Blaise said with a smirk.

Harry gave him a challenging look. "Tell me, Blaise, if we did that, how long would it take for you to lord it around to the others that you're getting to fuck around with Harry Potter? Hmm? I don't want that. You're not better than anyone else here. You got that? There are lots of people here that want me- what makes you so different?" He asked, even as he was nearing the other boy. His voice was growing hard, and he hated the little flicker of fear and indecision in the usually suave boy's eyes.

"Nothing, my Lord." The boy murmured, lowering his gaze.

Harry's hand trembled as he reached for the lapel on the boy's shirt. He pulled the other boy close. "Don't do that again. You're coming with me to the ball, but don't expect anything from me, got it?"

"Yes." Blaise whispered, suddenly looking hopeful.

"Now go, help the others get the room ready for the party."

Blaise left, and Harry sank into his chair, putting his head in his hands. He hated this. He hated being in charge. Right now, he just wanted to be fucked into the mattress by somebody.

"Problem, Potter?"

Harry sat up abruptly, seeing Snape poking his head around the privacy screen. He didn't know if Snape had read his book or not, but he had noticed the man looking at him differently. Sure, the hate and scorn were still there, but there was definitely something there he couldn't quite place.

"Uh..no sir." Harry stood, tugging on his shirt. "Zabini just...went a little too far, that's all."

Snape gave him a Long look. "You seemed rather angry. We could hear you on the other side."

Harry stiffened at this. God, he was such an idiot! He buried his face in his hands, and Snape approached him, flicking his wand. Silencing spells surrounded them. "They call you My Lord?" Was the man's first query.

"Yes." Harry murmured. "Just the Dark. Until now, the others weren't aware. What were their reactions?"

"Didn't blink twice. I believe some of them thought it was a joke. It's rather frightening to see that some of them accepted it perfectly."

"...Yes...it is a bit scary." Harry confessed quietly, still talking into his hands.

"You wouldn't ask that of me, will you?" Snape sneered.

Harry let out a small laugh, uncovering his face. "You? No way. Never dream of it, sir." He turned away, sighing.

"...Why did you tell him to go to the dance with you?"

"...Figured he was better than my other options. I honestly don't want to go, but I know I'll get nagged into it by Hermione anyways. I hate dancing. People will...expect me to go."

"Funny, with all that power you have, you're still complying with everyone's wishes." Snape said softly.

Harry turned slightly to face the man, a sad smile on his face. "Do you honestly think I want this power, sir?"

x-x-x

Harry stared at his reflection, feeling terribly nervous. He was in the ante-chamber, just outside the Great Hall, looking at a mirror there. The portraits close by oohed and aahed, making him smile a bit.

"You look very nice, Mr. Potter. You really shouldn't be late to the ball!" One of them cried.

Harry gave one last look at the mirror. He'd spent the afternoon after classes ended getting ready for the dance. Most of the boys had gotten ready in less than an hour, but Harry had taken his time. He really wanted to make a good impression.

He had grown out his hair so that it fell halfway down his back. It was braided and pulled back intricately away from his face, his braids like a crown on the top of his head. He wore light grey-blue robes, so light they were almost white. They were a bit tight around his chest and shoulders, the sleeves loosening as they went down, slightly covering his hands. The bottom half of his robes were long and full, trailing behind him on the ground. The material was plain looking, but he still felt very fancy, very overdone- but that was the point.

He was presenting himself as an adult. He was not yet of age, but he had to deal with rather grown up things on a daily basis, what with exchanging letters with politicians, tea with Dumbledore and McGonagall, sharing advice with the younger students, and trying to be a good role model in general.

This was the look he would now present to the public. The long hair was reminiscent of Dumbledore, the full robes were as well. But the colors were austere, very classic. If he was going to be a symbol, this is what people would remember.

He approached the Great Hall doors, taking a deep breath just before he entered the room. The dance floor was busy and full, and students were talking and laughing. Since the ball was open to all students, things were much lighter than they had been for the Yule Ball back in fourth year. People began to spot him, and within moments, the room went quiet.

Perhaps he wasn't aware of what he looked like in that moment. Of all the planning he did, he didn't plan for the moonlight to shine on him as he entered the dim room, making it look as though he was casting an unearthly glow with his pale robes and pale skin. He didn't think about what the effect of his expression, paired with his robes and hair made him look like. Every Dark person within that room wanted to sink to their knees and worship him. And every Light person there wasn't far behind.

Harry ignored their stares, taking measured steps towards Hermione, Luna, Theo, Blaise, and Neville, who were gathered together off to the side. Hermione reacted first, approaching him with a grin.

"Harry! You look fantastic!"

"Thank you Hermione." Harry said warmly. "You look very nice as well." He looked to the others. "All of you do."

Harry had a good time. He danced. A lot. He ended up dancing more with the younger kids and the staff, since everyone his age kept stuttering and blushing at him. It was kind of annoying, really. He did get a kick out of it when Blaise did the same, while they were dancing. Hah, how do you like it now?

Snape, however, avoided looking at him entirely for some reason. That was a little depressing.

Harry left the ball early, slipping out when Hermione gave him the go-ahead. They'd planned this well. Harry would slip out while everyone was at the dance. Then he would spend a weekened with Fen. The man was waiting for him at the Shrieking shack. From there, they would go to the man's camp, wherever that happened to be at the moment.

Harry pulled on a black cloak, making his way to the shack silently. He summoned his overnight bag to him (prepared earlier that day), and climbed the stairs where Fen was waiting for him. The man seemed to freeze as he saw Harry, and took a step towards him, hands reaching for him, eyes full of lust.

"Wait." Harry said, holding up a hand. "Wait until we are at the camp. Then you can chase me through the forest to your heart's content."

Interest sparked in the man's eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise." Harry said with a grin, approaching him. He took the man's arm, and they apparated away.

x-x-x

Harry was running. The forest was alive, full of the sounds of leaves rustling, birds and other various animals. He could hear the pounding of Fen's feet on the ground behind him. Harry had long slipped out of shoes, throwing them aside, wishing to feel the earth below him. His robes whipped about him, dragging over various leaves and branches, the hem getting dirty.

His heart was racing as he ran, and a grin spread on his face. Fen roared after him.

"You can run all you like, rabbit, but I'm still going to catch you!" And then he howled.

Harry ran further, whirling around a tree. He spotted a lake up ahead, and he pelted towards the bank. The waters were calm, glittering in the moonlight. Trees surrounded him for as far as he could see- they were alone. No one would hear him scream. That only got him more excited.

Fen tackled him from behind, howling in delight as he shoved Harry's robes up. Harry's face was in the wet soil, clinging to his face and hair, getting on his robes. He heard a loud rip as his underwear was torn, the man's long fingernails tearing easily into the fabric. Nails scratched at his thighs as his legs were pulled apart. He was mounted, right there. Harry screamed in pain and pleasure, just barely coherent as the man fucked him from behind.

All too soon, Fen was coming, his semen shooting inside of him. Harry cried out weakly, whimpering as the man withdrew. He was rolled onto his front, and he opened his eyes, watching the man stroke himself, straddling Harry's body.

"By Lady Moon, you're fucking beautiful." The man said, his breathing labored.

Harry closed his eyes slowly, shaking his head. No...he wasn't beautiful. He was just...Harry. The man stopped what he was doing instantly, sniffing at his bared abdomen and the tattered remains of his underwear.

Harry watched him, still breathing hard, unable to move. He ached all over, and all he could feel was the stingy burning sensation in his hole, and how Fen's cum was dripping out of him. Fen licked at his abdomen, sniffing and huffing loudly there, stroking his thighs and stomach, licking at the mess they'd made.

"You are, you know. I don't say that to just anyone." The man concluded after several long moments.

"Please...don't say such things." Harry finally murmured.

Fen nodded, kneeling beside Harry. "Yes...you are. Even if you're all covered in my cum, sweat, and dirt, you still looked just as beautiful as you did when I first saw you tonight. You look a right mess, pup. Those fancy robes of yours are all dirtied." He picked Harry up, and carried him to the lake. Harry held on tightly, legs trembling, feeling weak.

He was set down, and Harry barely registered Fen undressing him roughly. "Fen...?" He asked, suddenly meek.

"Hmm."

"...You're crazy."

"No I'm not." The man gave him a wolfish smile. "You're the one that's mad, for wanting to be with me."

Harry averted his eyes, not wanting to admit to this. He felt so...real, so down to earth with Fen. He didn't have to pretend to be anyone special with him.

"I'd take care of you." Fen said, sounding surprisingly gentle. Their eyes met, and Harry gave him a shaky smile. " All you'd have to do is ask, and I'll be there." Fen concluded.

Fen helped him wade into the water. The water was freezing cold- it was late March, after all.

As Fen helped him wash, the man spoke. "Seems like you're still as weak as a newly-turned pup. I suppose I let things get away with us. Feburary and March are...ah...mating season for us. With the chase and the hunt..."

"It's okay." Harry murmured, holding the man close. "We just can't let that happen again." He closed his eyes, putting a hand on top of his stomach. For a moment, thinking about what it would be like, to forget everything else, to just be Fen's, having his pups, being part of a pack. It seemed so much more simpler. Living out in the wild like this...he could get used to it. Fen watched him, sliding a hand up and down his back. Harry pressed up against him, shuddering a bit.

"Harry?"

Harry tilted his face up. That was the first time Fen had called him Harry. Despite the freezing cold water about their thighs, and the cold air around them, and the various scrapes, cuts, and bruises that littered their bodies, Harry couldn't help but feel... alive. He leant up, kissing Fen chastely. The man did not kiss him back, surprised at the movement.

"Let's get to the camp." Fen said smiling at Harry, rubbing his hair.

x-x-x

Saturday morning arrived, and Harry woke with the dawn, when the birds started singing closeby. Harry was lying alone on a bed of old blankets, furs, and leaves. He sat up, wrapping the blankets about himself. Something had changed, last night, after washing up at the lake. They had talked late into the night...well, Harry had talked, and Fen had listened. They hadn't fucked again, but it wasn't needed.

Harry smiled as he saw Fen coming into the Den.

"Hey Pup."

Harry made a face at this. "Come on, Fen, I'm not a pup and you know it."

The man crouched next to him with a grin. "You'll always be a pup to me, I'm afraid. How old do you think I am?"

Harry blinked. "Er...Forty?" He asked shyly.

The man let out a barking laugh. "Hardly. We werewolves age a bit differently than you humans do. Those of us who accept our gift, live for much longer than those who consider it a curse."

"...Like Remus." Harry murmured sadly.

Fen sighed roughly, moving to sit next to him. "Look Pup, Remus was one of the first I ever turned. He was only nine, a muggleborn, though I didn't know it."

Harry blinked. Remus had been a muggleborn? He hadn't known.

Fen nodded. "He was. I usually go for muggles, since they're not soft like the wizards are. I bit him, and he stayed with the pack for a little while, but he ran off not too long afterwards. Guess it wasn't his cup of tea." The man's voice deepened, and he frowned. "Lupin was always...soft-hearted. Too kind for his own good. He and I both knew he wouldn't survive with the packs. So he left, locked up in St. Mungo's until old Dumbledore made him his little pet project."

Harry hadn't known any of this. He leant forward. "He was locked up in St. Mungo's?"

"Yep. Didn't have anywhere else to go, did he?"

Harry leant into the other man, hugging his arm. "Fen...will you tell me how you were turned?" He asked quietly.

Fen sighed. "I figured you would ask that sooner or later. The wizarding and muggle worlds were both at war. My Mother lived out in the country, in Germany, far away from the cities. Unfortunately, she had not counted on Grindenwald's forces-"

"Grindenwald?' Harry asked incredulously. "How old are you, exactly?"

Fenrir gave him a toothy smile. "Do you really want to know?"

Harry leant back, looking at the man admiringly. Fenrir's eyes glinted. The man couldn't look over forty, and the only reason he would look older was because of all the scars and marks he bore on his body.

"Anyways, the war was just about to end, but no one knew it. Grindenwald and Dumbledore seemed to be at the thick of everything, and you always read about them in the books, but you don't read about the other battles." His smile faded. "Grindenwald was quite the Dark Lord. He made all sorts of promises, and used muggle weaponry. He employed werewolves and vampires quite a bit, mostly from muggle backgrounds, so that they would be able to kill in even more ways..."

Harry's eyes widened at this.

"Of course, he usually used these armies on the continent- they never actually reached England. Anyways, Mother was surprised to find a wolf on her land, someone that had abandoned the ranks of Grindenwald. He was older, an Alpha. Mother, being...Mother, nursed him to health. She didn't know that he was a werewolf. They...had a relationship- it was somewhat brief. He left, and she married her fiance, just as the war ended. Unknown to her, she was pregnant with me."

Harry's mouth was dropped open. Fen let out a barking laugh.

"Oh yes, my Mother had me, and my...Father was furious. You see, I didn't look a thing like him, and when she confessed, he wanted to get rid of me. However, my real Father had sensed my presence in the world as soon as I was born...it's a pack thing. When he finally came to England a few years later, searching for me, Mother gave me to him quite willingly."

"...You were born a werewolf?"

Fen gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Somewhat. According to my Father, or my Sire, as he requested I call him, I was rather irritable around full moons, and still had an allergy to silver. I didn't transform completely. Sire bit me when I was six, when I was old enough to really handle the transformations. I did so quite willingly."

"...Merlin..." Harry breathed.

Fen smirked. "There's a reason why I'm so much more powerful than the other werewolves, pup. Most of them entered our world unwillingly, and do not have the bloodlines like I do. Our females aren't able to carry to term, what with our transformations, and most wizards are unable to carry children."

"...But...if a werewolf mated with a human..."

"We could quite possibly create a stronger breed of wolves." Fen concluded. "With myself as proof that it is possible. It's just...most werewolves cannot abide by mating with a non-wolf. I don't know how Lupin did it."

Harry laughed softly. "Sirius...his lover, was a Dog animagus."

Fen blinked, and started to chuckle. "Huh."

"So, what makes me so different? If mating with humans is so intolerable..." Harry trailed off.

"You're different. Special. Your scent...your power...calls to me. It's intoxicating, like a drug. The only thing that turns me on more is having you submit to me, despite all that power." Fen murmured, eyeing him. Upon seeing Harry's expression, the man turned, pinning him back against the blankets. "What, you expected me to say something different?"

Harry leant up, kissing him gently on the lips. Fen stiffened, and Harry pulled away, watching him carefully. "Have you ever...actually been gentle, Fen?"

"Not really. It seems...too mushy for me."

Harry squirmed beneath the man. "Well...we could try. We could go...real slow..." Harry murmured, trailing his finger up and down the man's bare arm. "Teasing...touching...I think that would just be pure torture, don't you?"

The only warning he had was a low growl in the back of the man's throat.

x-x-x

Harry came back to Hogwarts Sunday evening, a dazed smile on his face. The whole weekend had been amazing. He was sore, sporting some colorful marks that Fen had requested he not heal, and he'd been introduced to...a lot of things. However, the highlight of the whole weekend was waking up in the man's arms, however mushy that sounded.

It was nice, feeling...affectionate. He wouldn't say Loved, because he wasn't sure if he loved the man or not. Fen showed him a few hunting and fishing tricks, and it was nice to just...relax and spend some time away from everything.

He wore his robes from the ball, although they were now clean. His long hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and his cloak was hanging off his arm. The limp he sported definitely added to this epic walk of shame. Harry hummed, running his fingers along the stones of the castle, not caring that it was far after curfew, and that Hermione was probably waiting up for him in the common room.

"Where have you been?" Harry jumped at the voice, seeing Snape come out of the shadows. He held his hand to his chest, eyes wide. He then saw the man look at his rumpled robes, the visible marks on his wrists and neck, and he felt...sort of embarrassed, but sort of amused as he saw the man avert his eyes.

"I was out. With a friend. I was alright- no one got hurt, and I got permission."

Harry headed past the man, and winced as the man grabbed his arm. He gave the man a Look. "You did, did you?" Snape sneered.

Harry gave him a cheeky smile. "Okay, maybe I didn't, but the seventh years leave-"

"You're not a seventh year. There's a reason why we have that rule. You aren't legally allowed to apparate yet, and-"

"Look, I'm fine!" Harry hissed. "I made it back in one piece, okay?"

"Then what's with the bruises and the limp? What's with the leaves in your hair and wearing the same robes that you wore two nights ago?"

Harry tugged at his arm, but the man held fast. Harry's heart sped up. "Let me go." He said, his voice firm.

"Tell me, and I will." Snape said, looking completely serious. "I won't tell the Headmaster, but they all noticed you were gone. Even Granger's pitiful excuse that you were training didn't hold."

Harry looked him straight in the eye, and sent images to the man through occulemency. Snape's eyes widened, and he suddenly let go of Harry. His mouth was slightly open, and there was a look in his eye that Harry could now identify. Fuck, He wanted to jump Harry, and Harry would certainly let him. Harry took a step forward, loving how the man's magic seemed to surge and get even stronger when he was aroused. He inhaled deeply, taking in his Scent. Fuck, he was powerful.

"That was what I was doing." Harry breathed against his ear, inches away from the other man. "You understand my need for privacy, then? Why I needed to get away for a little while? I...couldn't exactly do those things with other students, now could I?"

The man's breath hitched, and he visibly swallowed. Harry could see a slight blush on the man's cheeks. He had a perfectly good reason to be...a bit flustered, after the images Harry had sent him. The images had mostly been Harry himself, and an unidentified man- Snape didn't need to know who he was fucking around with, after all.

"...Ah...yes. You'll just...have to tell your friend to wait until term ends." The man said carefully.

Harry smiled, taking a step away. "Of course, sir. Have a good night!" He called after the shocked man. He hurried towards the Gryffindor common room before Snape came to his senses and took points or something.

x-x-x

And term continued on. Harry's little weekend trip did not happen again, although he and Fen often sent messages to each other using school owls and pet names. Instead of just being dirty little letters, they slowly turned into something else. They spoke more often about plans on what Harry would do for the holidays, and what he would do in the near future. They also spoke of networking, and how to help the other packs.

Harry continued to meet with Professor Dumbledore and learn interesting magical theory to him, testing out things that hadn't quite been accomplished before. According to the Headmaster, Harry was making great strides.

He also continued to meet with McGonagall, although most of that time was spent talking about the DA and about teaching techniques. She had been a teacher for nearly thirty years, after all, so she knew all sorts of things. They also talked about Harry's parents, and about how to introduce muggleborn to Hogwarts a bit better.

The DA meetings went on, and Snape continued to watch from his little corner. Harry loved that everyone was experimenting more with their magic, more willing to try things they normally wouldn't, for fear of breaking the 'laws' of Charms or Transfiguration.

Harry felt as though they were on the verge of something new, a breakthrough, and he couldn't wait to find out.

Later on that spring, Harry discovered that Hermione and Theo were having sex. It had been rather awkward to find them going at it before a DA meeting one evening...on his desk. Who knew that the two little bookworms were so kinky?

It had been a little awkward, but not for too long. Harry and Hermione giggled about Theo whenever the boy wasn't around, and Theo came to Harry for advice about Hermione. The boy earnestly cared about her, and Harry couldn't help but feel happy for the couple.

Just after Exams were taken, Harry met up with the Headmaster one more time.

x-x-x

Harry walked into the man's office, grinning as he saw Fawkes. The Phoenix trilled a greeting at him. Harry turned, and spotted Dumbledore by the fireplace, looking at him with twinkling eyes. A man stood next to him. He looked just as old. His pure white beard was braided elaborately, as was his hair. He wore royal purple robes, with gold trim.

"Harry, I'd like for you to meet Kasper Jensen. He is a representative of the International Confederation of Wizards."

Harry approached the man, smiling uncertainly. The ICW? Why was this man here to see him?

He gave a slight bow, and Jensen bowed back. "Mr. Potter." The man greeted in a slightly accented voice. "I am here to present an opprotunity to you, something that hasn't been done for someone in your country since your Headmaster was just a lad like yourself."

Harry glanced at Dumbledore, and the man was smiling at him widely.

Jensen continued. "We would like to invite you to visit us at the ICW this summer. You see, we think you would be a prime candidate to become an ICW Junior Ambassador."

Harry's eyes widened. His mind raced, trying to think of what such a thing would entail. The man smiled, as though he knew what Harry was thinking.

"All you would be doing is learning about how the ICW works, and what we do there. You would stay with us for training, and getting to know the various diplomats and other officials that we have to deal with on a daily basis. You will stay, free of charge, at one of our properties nearby. There is plenty for a young person your age to do. Once you are finished with your visit, you are free to do as you like with the rest of your holidays."

"...Wow."

Dumbledore spoke up. "Harry, this is a very good opportunity for you. I think you will learn quite a bit. I would think that...you would be finished with training by..." He glanced at Jensen.

"It would most likely be three weeks."

"And perhaps you can visit with your relatives..." He trailed off at Harry's dark expression. "Or you can visit your friends, or even travel. You will be coming of age this summer, Harry, and I cannot think of a better way to spend it."

Harry nodded, ever so briefly, making both men smile widely. "Fantastic!" Jensen cried. "I will send for the paperwork, Albus. You'll be accompanying Mr. Potter, yes?"

"...I suppose I could make it up for a bit. Not the entire time of course..."

Harry tuned the men out, turning away. He went to Fawkes, petting the phoenix. This changed his plans for the summer, obviously.

x-x-x

Harry stood at the platform, watching everyone get on the train. This was so surreal. He was going to be staying at Hogwarts for most of the summer. While he quite liked the idea of having access to the entire school, he was afraid that he'd be watched too carefully to get the things he needed to do get done. Hopefully the staff would be too busy doing their own thing to bother with him.

The other staff members said their goodbyes on the platforms, making sure all the students had everything packed and ready to go. Harry was surrounded by well wishers- from seventh years he was quietly hiring out to work at the shops he owned in Knockturne, to the little firsties that weren't so little anymore.

He wore dark blue robes today, and his hair was down again. He knew how the girls liked it when his hair was down. He'd seen more than one mention in Witch Weekly about how long hair for young wizards would soon be 'In'. Whatever. He liked it, and it looked good. He smiled as he saw Hermione and Theo- they were holding hands.

Hermione would be introducing Theo to her parents sometime this summer, and Theo would be introducing Hermione to his Mother. His Father was in Azkaban, of course. They would just have to see how everything went. Harry wished them the best of luck- he knew they would face some challenges in the future.

He smiled as Shelby, one of his favorite little Slytherins, practically threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"You were the best teacher ever! You'll be teaching again next year, right?" She asked excitedly.

Harry knelt, hugging the girl again, smiling. "Of course. And next year, perhaps you can help me teach the new first years?"

Her eyes shone at this, and she nodded quickly. "Of course! I'll practice hard this summer, maybe I can convince my Mum to let me borrow her wand?"

"...Well, we wouldn't want you breaking any rules now." He said with a wink. He leant forward, and whispered in her ear. "Just don't get caught."

The girl waved her goodbyes, and soon enough, the students were leaving. Harry stared at the train as it went, the whole situation surreal. He glanced at the staff members, who were looking rather relieved.

"Well, I guess I should get packing." Flitwick said with a grin. "Pomona, when are you leaving for South America?"

"Next week! I'm terribly excited. I just have to make sure the Greenhouses are all set for the summer, and the elves will have their instructions sorted out...I do hope none of them will get eaten again..."

Harry tuned her out as he watched Dumbledore watch the train run off into the distance. McGonagall was at his side, and the two were silent.

"Another year has passed." The Headmaster said quietly, and began to walk past Harry. He patted him on the shoulder, looking lost in thought. "How many does that make it now?"

"...I believe it's been Eighty five years, Albus." McGonagall murmured.

"Merlin, has it really been that long?"

Harry watched them go, furrowing his brow. Snape spoke up, at his side. "The Headmaster has been teaching here Eighty-Five years. Including his time as a student, that's 92 years. I can't imagine being here for that long. It must be a record."

Harry watched the man shake his head. "Do you think he'll make it to a hundred years?"

Snape made a face. "Knowing him, probably. It seems like he'll live forever."

Harry watched the Headmaster slowly make his way down the platform, arm in arm with McGonagall. Honestly, the man had aged a great deal over the last year, and he hadn't even noticed until now. And with the way the man was teaching him... it was though he was trying to teach Harry as much as possible in a short amount of time.

"Perhaps." Harry murmured, but he got the feeling that the old man would be dead within the year. And honestly, that thought terrified him.

x-x-x

Being at Hogwarts during the summer was...strange. And amazing at the same time. Madam Pince wasn't around to bother him when he was at the library. The majority of the staff members left for their holidays after the first week. Hagrid, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were the only ones that remained behind all the time. Most of the time, Harry didn't see anyone, and he loved having access to the whole castle with no one around.

After the first week, he had most of his summer homework done, and he was getting prepared for his trip to the ICW. He'd gone shopping for some clothing, and had met up with Hermione in the muggle world. She would look after things while he was away.

Harry went to Copenhagen with Dumbledore two weeks before his seventeenth birthday. They took an international portkey from Dumbledore's office to the ICW's lobby. Harry stared up at the Grand Hall. It was quite beautiful.

There was a man and a woman waiting for them, wearing dark blue robes that looked more like suits, and clipboards in their hands.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Mr. Potter- welcome to Copenagen." The man said, bowing slightly to the two of them. The young woman stared at Harry, and Harry lowered his eyes, silently amused at her expression. He was wearing a light grey set of robes, with his hair pulled back into a loose braid. He knew he looked good- he was going to be meeting a lot of people today.

"Headmaster, if you will please come with me? You're needed for a meeting." The man said.

The Headmaster turned to Harry, eyes twinkling. "I shall see you later, Harry. I hope you like the tour. I shall see you later, perhaps for lunch?"

Harry nodded, glancing at the woman, who had yet to speak. The Headmaster and the man went off, and Harry turned to the woman.

She smiled, and reflected she was rather pretty. "Let me show you to your Quarters, first, and I will give you the rest of the tour. I hope the trip wasn't too much, was it?" She motioned for him to follow her.

"No. It was just a portkey." Harry said, watching her levitate his trunk. He still kept hold of Hedwig's cage, however.

"I am Sofia, and I shall be your guide." They passed by a rather large corridor. "Down this corridor are Ambassador's private offices. You will have to go through the proper channels to meet with them privately, but they are rather busy, so it may take some time for them to meet with you."

They walked on, passing a large courtyard at some point. Was that a pool? There were people lounging there, some gathered at the tables, having lunch.

"Many of the Junior Ambassadors meet here for more...casual meetings."

Harry blinked at this. He hadn't thought there would be others, but now that he thought about it, that was rather silly.

"Of course, the Junior Ambassadors often go out together in the evenings. I'm sure you'll get on with them just fine." The young woman assured him.

They went up some stairs, and came to a stop by a room. "Here we are. Your Quarters. Would you like an elf to assist you in unpacking? Or would you like to drop off your things and continue the tour?"

"...I think I would like some time alone, to unpack my things. Thank you, though."

"...Very well then." She gave a slight bow. "Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns." She handed him a card. "That is my floo address, and my name, so that you can send me a memo."

"Thank you." Harry said, and she left. Harry watched her go, and then went inside his room. It was very nice- rather large.

The furniture was ash, with gold trim. The curtains and bedclothes were mostly cream and white, and the wooden floor gleamed brilliantly. There was a collection of colognes and perfumes on the dressing table, and a large dresser to put all of his things in. He set his trunk down. He pulled back the curtains, and put Hedwig's cage on the large windowsill. The window overlooked the pool.

It had to be temperature controlled- the winters had to be harsh here. He opened the windows, letting the breeze in, and opened Hedwig's cage. His owl hopped out, flapping her wings. She looked around the room a bit, getting used to their living space for the next few weeks.

Harry flicked his wand, and his trunk opened, and his things began to unpack themselves. While they did that, he explored the loo that was connected to his bedroom. The large ceramic tub could easily fit three people. There was a double sink, a shower, and plenty of plush towels in the cupboard. He smiled as he looked at the gilded mirror, marble countertops.

These people lived like kings. It was such a big difference between the way they lived and the way Fen and his pack lived. He sighed, leaving the loo, and saw that most of his things had been unpacked, leaving only his books inside his trunk. He raised a brow as he saw a small tray appear on his bedside table, with a vase of brightly colored flowers and a card. He picked up the card.

Welcome to the ICW, Mr. Potter. I am Ettie, the House Elf assigned to the private rooms on this floor. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. It is an honor to serve you.

Harry blinked. "Ettie?"

The elf appeared, curtsying low. She was wearing a cream colored cloth, with the ICW igsignia over her heart. "Master Harry, how may I assist you?"

He'd never seen an elf act in such a way. Her english was concise and clear, and...she wrote- none of the English elves were able to do such a thing.

"I just wanted to meet you." Harry said with a smile. "The card and the flowers were very nice. Thank you."

The elf glanced up at him cautiously- she had light blue eyes, he noticed. He could tell she hadn't been Thanked very often in the past.

"You may go, if you wish. I am sure you are busy."

The elf gave him a small smiled, curtseyed again, and popped away quietly.

He sighed, setting the card down, smiling at the flowers. He went to the window, looking down at the pool below. There were a few people swimming in it, but not many. He could see some people around his age, and just a bit older, hanging around in groups of two and threes, sipping their drinks and talking.

If he'd known there was a pool, he would have gotten a bathing suit. He supposed he would have to go shopping again. He sighed, and took out his wand. He raised some wards, to protect his things, and to let him know if anyone tried to get in.

He left his rooms, and went down the stairs, brushing back a stray lock from his face. He went out into the courtyard, feeling rather overdressed with everyone's swimsuits and casual wear. He noticed people going silent as they saw him, turning towards him as he approached the nearest group.

"You must be Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived." A young woman spoke. She had a slightly accented voice, with pale skin and crimson hair that fell in ringlets. She wore a light green dress with a white cardigan about her shoulders. With her were two men. A blonde, with tanned skin and blue eyes, and a man with olive skin and brown hair.

"Please, just call me Harry. I just arrived not too long ago, so I'm exploring a bit." Harry smiled, extending his hand to her.

She smiled, eyes glinting as she took his hand, shaking it briefly. "You're shorter than I'd thought you be." She said, sounding a bit amused. "Not that that's bad." Her eyes fell over his body, and Harry realized then that the three of them were all slightly taller than him. And they looked like models.

Other people approached, and the girl spoke. "I am Mara Notovski, and these are my friends, Adam West, and Giorgio Luiguizi. We are Junior Ambassadors...I heard that you will become our newest Junior Ambassador, yes?"

Harry nodded.

"Welcome to the ICW." The girl smirked, and started to walk away, leading the two boys with her. "Good luck, darling. You'll need it." She said, and Harry watched her go.

Harry raised a brow. This girl sort of acted like Parkinson before he'd gotten to know her. Stuck up Bitch.

"Stuck up bitch." He jumped at the voice that was saying his exact thoughts. He glanced over to a sandy haired boy. He grinned, and Harry got the feeling that this kid was a bit of a troublemaker. He was tall and skinny, and wore a brightly colored t-shirt, with black trousers.

"I'm Jason, Jason Freeman. I'm the Junior Ambassador for the U.S. Notovski is like that with a lot of people, but especially if you're new around here. Don't worry about it- if she hates you enough, she'll just ignore you like she does me."

Harry smiled at this. "Hi. I'm Harry." He extended his hand, and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Harry. When my Dad told me you were coming here to the ICW, I figured you'd be like...her." He thumbed towards Notovski. "You're dressed all fancy, but I can tell you're not really like that at all. People like to put on a show around here, but...it's all just BS. And those outfits are dreadfully stuffy."

Harry followed him, walking around the pool. "So, how long have you been here at the ICW?"

"About two years now. Not long after I finished up school. Dad wants me to follow in his footsteps." The boy rolled his eyes at this. "Most of the others here are like that too." He leant over a whispered, putting his hands in his pockets. "Some of them might be a bit jealous of you."

"I'm used to it." Harry murmured, glancing towards a small group of boys that they passed.

"The fame thing doesn't really get to us one way or another, as us and our families are all rather well known within our own countries. The money thing too- everyone here is loaded, and from old families." He paused at this. "Maybe that's why me and Dad are still considered 'new' around here. The U.S has only been a member of the ICW for the past century, which is hardly any time in comparison to the rest of the countries here."

Harry smiled at this. He kind of liked this kid- he reminded Harry an awful lot of Sirius. "So...what is there to do for fun around here?"

"Loads! There's lots of clubs around, bars, restaurants, you name it. We all tend to go out together, so security can watch over us, but we still manage to have fun." He motioned to a group that sat in the shade. Most of them were men, and they wore suits. They were drinking and reading newspapers.

"They don't go out much- those are the Juniors that will be taking over their Seats within the next couple of years or so. Most of them already have kids and families and stuff. The rest of us here-" He motioned to the others who were dressed more casually, and stood out in the sun, or sunbathed- "Have a while to wait."

"Hmm." Harry eyed. "What do you guys do here, exactly?"

Jason chuckled at this. "Mostly gossip and have secret rendezvous with the staff members. Officially, we sit in meetings and help our Ambassadors, and learn the ropes. So...what's Dumbledore like? I only ever talked to him once- he's a bit crazy, isn't he?"

"Just a bit." Harry said with a smile, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. "But he's very smart."

"Yeah...kind of figured that. He doesn't stick around here all that often, but I guess he doesn't have the time, what with running the school and all that. Is Hogwarts really a castle?"

Harry grinned. "Yes, it is."

"Wow, that's pretty cool. So...the stories in your book? All true?"

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder, looking down. "Yeah."

"I mean, sorry, but I just had to ask. Seems like you've already lived a pretty exciting life, huh?"

Harry's smile faded a bit. "Oh, well, it's not all that exciting, really."

x-x-x

Dumbledore's meeting ran over, so they did not get to meet up for lunch, but instead they met up for tea in one of the tearooms. The Headmaster introduced him to a lot of people- the Ambassadors, and some of the important staff members. Many were exuberant to see him, while others a bit more distant. He could tell that they were all sizing him up, trying to figure him out. He understood. He was doing the same thing to them.

Harry went to bed early that night, after writing Hermione about his first day at the ICW.

The next morning, he woke at sunrise, as the sun just started to light the room. He shuffled over to the window, watching the sun peek over the tops of buildings. His eyes went down to the courtyard below, and he saw a man by the poolside, alone, doing stretches on a mat. The man was wearing a loose pair of pants and a tank top, and had dark skin, so dark it was nearly black. His hair was long and in heavy braids and dreadlocked, and it looked as though there were bits of color there.

He could feel the man's magic all the way from there. Unbidden, he left his room quietly, pulling on his white cotton dressing robe. He walked quietly down the stairs, and headed out into the courtyard. He could hear the birds singing in the garden outside the pool area, and he stopped, breath hitching in his chest as he watched the man move in the rising sun.

His magic was strong- heady. It pulsed with life and strength, and yet...he was very graceful. He moved slowly, but with purpose. His face was completely calm. And damn, he was built well. The man slowly shifted into a position, and stood for a long moment, exhaling, his back to Harry. His muscles shifted with each movement he made.

Harry could see that the man's long dreadlocks and braids had colored threads wrapped in, colorful beads, a glint of gold. His white top and trousers looked very...striking against his dark skin. The man turned his head slightly, and Harry caught a glimpse of a rather angular profile.

"You must be Harry Potter."

Harry's voice got caught in his throat. The man's voice was low, very low, but smooth, and...gentle, somehow. "Yes." He murmured quietly. "And you are?"

The man turned, and Harry took in the man's face. Hazel eyes that seemed to dance in the sunlight, full lips, and a strong jawline.

"Zuri Asromiamun. I am the Junior Ambassador to Ethiopia."

Harry lowered his eyes to the man, and bowed his head. "Pleased to meet you." He paused. "I saw you...out my window." He motioned vaguely towards it. "I'm sorry if I intruded."

"It is no bother. Usually, no one is awake around here that early."

"...May I ask what you were doing? I had never seen anything so...it looked really interesting."

The man gave him a slight smile.

" It's Yoga."

"...If you want to continue...I can leave. I-"

"No. It's quite alright. I...felt your presence, actually." He gave Harry a piercing look. "You're quite...strong."

Harry lowered his eyes, smiling at this. "In some ways, yes...some have said that."

"Are you hungry? Would you like some breakfast in the garden?"

Harry bit his lip. He was only wearing his dressing robe and a pair of pajama pants- he hadn't even bothered to brush his hair or anything... but...he really did want to talk to this man. "...Okay."

They walked through the gate, and into a small garden that led through a path of trees. "So...how long have you been working here at the ICW?"

"Six years now. And you just arrived yesterday, yes?"

Harry nodded at this. They walked through a grove of trees, and Harry saw a small bench with a table- the trees here were rather thick, so it was still a bit dim there.

As they sat down, Zuri called out. "Ettie." The elf appeared.

"Master Zuri, Master Potter, how can I help you?" The elf asked politely.

"A light breakfast for two, Ettie. Any preferences, Mr. Potter? I'm a vegetarian, myself, so I shan't be having one of those heavy English breakfasts."

Harry laughed a little at this. "I'm not picky- I don't eat much in the mornings."

Zuri turned to the elf. "The usual, please, Ettie. And some tea?"

"Yes." The elf popped away.

The two of them sat down on the bench together. It was slightly curved, and just wide enough for the two of them to have a small space between them.

"How long will you be staying here?" Zuri asked. "I'm sure you can't stay permanently, like some of the others do, since you have to go back to school, yes?"

Harry nodded. "I will only be here for a few weeks. I have other obligations back home."

"Understandable. I am the same. I will be leaving in a few weeks myself. I had hoped to meet you yesterday, but unfortunately, I was in a meeting with my Ambassador most of the day."

Harry lowered his eyes to his lap, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. "You didn't miss much. I made a fool of myself in front of the other Junior Ambassadors, and all of the Senior Ambassadors treated me like a child."

The man chuckled. "I'm sure you'll set them straight by the time you leave."

Harry's eyes flicked up at this, and the man gave him a knowing smile. Harry turned his head away. "So...tell me about yourself. You're...probably not in school anymore, right?" Zuri was older, somewhere in his early twenties, he was sure. Then again, Harry had been wrong before about ages before...

Zuri nodded. "I had private schooling, I finished some time ago. I have many obligations to people back home...some of it, I enjoy, others are dreadfully boring and tedious. Unfortunately, the majority of politicans are like that. I'm sure you understand."

Harry nodded at this. "Yes. England is currently having elections for Minister...several have approached me so that I could help them out to the papers, but I decided to not get involved."

"Good plan."

Their breakfast arrived, and they ate in a comfortable silence. Harry felt himself relaxing for the first time since his arrival. As they were finishing up, Harry spoke hesitantly.

"Would you mind if I watched you in the mornings, sometimes? I'm usually up rather early. I won't be a bother, but I find your practice of yoga, is it?, rather fascinating to watch."

The man chuckled. "I suppose you also like how I look in my exercise clothing?"

Harry blushed at this, covering his face, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm sure that sounded so bad..."

"I'm flattered. Truly. You are welcome to watch, if you like, but you might have more fun if you participated. I can teach you."

Harry grinned. "I think I'd like that."

x-x-x

Later on that day, Harry went out shopping with Jason. One of the security guards was following them around, not being inconspicuous at all. Harry really needed more casual clothing to wear, and some clothes for yoga, and a bathing suit.

As he and Jason were having lunch together while they walked through the Markets, Harry asked the other man about Zuri.

"Zuri? Yeah, he's not around much. He's from Ethiopia. He's like, fourth in line to the throne, or something. The girls are always trying to flirt with him, but he usually only talks to us when he has to. Keeps to himself, mostly. Why?"

Harry gave a slight shrug of his shoulder, picking at the remains of his sandwhich. "I met him this morning. Early. We had breakfast together. He was nice."

Jason's eyes widened. "Oh. Huh. I reckon he hasn't said two words to any of us outside meetings and things- guess he really likes you, then." He paused. "Hey...I heard a rumor...but...are you gay?"

Harry coughed on his soda, and Jason laughed. "Sorry. I know it was in the papers a while back, but...I just had to ask and make sure. You know how those papers are."

Harry sighed. "Yes. I am. It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Nah. My Cousin's gay. She came out last year. The rest of the family threw a fit, but I don't care- she's pretty cool. Of course, if you're trying to hit on me, it won't work."

Harry laughed at this. "Don't worry, you're not my type."

Jason waggled his brows. "Oh? So what is your type then? The dark and silent type, like that Zuri guy?"

Harry blushed hotly. "Jason, I barely know him!"

"Oh come on, all the girls go all a-flutter over him. You'll see. Hey, we should get you some dress-clothes, for your initiation ceremony. Unless you have some already?"

"Oh, I have some. They're robes though...I've noticed the people our age around here tend to wear muggle style, however. Will my robes be okay?"

Jason shrugged. "For something like this, more people will wear robes, but they suit you, you know?"

"Thanks."

x-x-x

The following day, Harry joined Zuri wearing his new comfortable clothes, just before the sun started to rise. He saw the man unrolling his mat on the grass. Harry had gotten one too, but he wasn't sure how to do this sort of thing. He carried his mat in one arm, bare feet silently padding across the wet grass. They were in a different spot, further away from the courtyard.

"Good morning." He greeted.

Zuri smiled. "Good morning. Are you ready for your first lesson?"

"Yes. I've never done this sort of thing before, but I think I'm a fairly fast learner."

"Don't rush yourself- we're in no hurry." Zuri said, unrolling Harry's mat out with practiced ease, right next to him.

"Alright, so, you should do some stretches first, and then we'll start."

Harry nodded at this, and the two began their stretches in silence.

"Now, watch what I do. We're going to go into a sitting position, legs straight out in front of you."

Zuri walked him through several positions, teaching him how to concentrate on his breathing, and on the sounds surrounding them. Harry felt himself relaxing at the sound of the man's voice, the man's magic ebbing and flowing over him, just as his voice did.

They finished as the sun finished rising. He opened his eyes, smiling a bit, and looked over at Zuri, who was smiling over at him.

"Well? How did you like your first lesson?"

"It was great. I can't wait for tomorrow's lesson."

x-x-x

Harry was dreadfully nervous. He was standing outside the entry-way to the ICW meeting chambers, and was about to be formally inducted into the ICW as a Junior Ambassador. He was wearing a dark blue set of robes. His hair was left down, mostly, although there were a few braids in his hair.

"Harry, you have no reason to be nervous." Dumbledore said gently, watching him pace.

"...What if I do something stupid and fall flat on my face or something?"

"You'll do just fine." The Headmaster murmured. He opened the door. "Let's go."

They went into the room, and everyone stood. The meeting chambers was in an amphitheater style. It was lit by numerous candles that were floating above their heads. All of the ICW Ambassadors wore dark purple robes with gold trim, their designated Junior Ambassadors at their side.

He made his vows, the ones he memorized painstakingly these past few days, and went through all the steps. Before he knew it, he was officially a Junior Member of the ICW.

Then everyone had a meet-and-greet, and Harry found himself shaking hands with lots more people. It was rather boring and tedious. He smiled as he saw Zuri approach him with who could only be the Ethiopian Ambassador.

"Mr. Potter. Congratulations." The Ambassador said, shaking hands with him. He was a tiny old man with a gold hoop in his ear, and a crinkly smile. "I am sure you will do just as fine job as Albus did all those years ago. He tells me you're quite the duelist, that you've even invented some of your own spells."

Harry gave a slight nod. "I have invented some spells, yes, but they're not quite finished. I'd like to get them just right before releasing them to the general public."

"Of course, of course! Don't wait too long, I'd love to try them out myself sometime." The man's eyes twinkled. He motioned to Zuri. "This is Zuri Asromiamun, my Junior Ambassador."

"We've met." Zuri said with a small smile, shaking Harry's hand.

"Oh good! Why don't you two boys talk- Albus, hello, how are you?"

The two of them were left alone for a brief moment, sharing an amused smile, knowing that they were both bored out of their minds at this function.

"Harry!" Jason called out, clapping him on the shoulder. Harry tensed at the suddeness of this, automatically putting his hand on his hip, where his holster lay hidden under a glamour charm. He did not notice Zuri seeing him do this.

"Jason...hello."

"Sorry for interrupting you two, but some of us are going out tonight to celebrate- you're the guest of honor, so you have to come, Harry- Zuri, you in?"

Harry gave Zuri a pleading look, and Zuri shook his head, smiling. "Very well, but I won't be staying out at all hours."

"Great! We're all meeting up at the front gates at 10. I don't have to tell you to dress casual, do I?" And then he was off.

Harry glanced around. "Sorry about that." He said softly.

"It is alright. Shall I walk you back to your room?"

Harry glanced at the clock. People were already starting to ignore him, and he was getting bored. "Okay."

They said their goodbyes quickly, and headed out of the meeting Chambers. As they walked alone in the corridor, Zuri spoke.

"I suggest you do not drink anything they give you tonight. They will undoubtedly spike your drink so you will do embarrassing things."

Harry chuckled at this. "I wouldn't be surprised. Believe me, I will take precautions, Zuri." They came to a stop in front of his Quarters. "Thank you for the warning. I will see you soon, right? You won't flake out on me, will you?"

The man shook his head. "No. I'll be there." And then he left.

Harry smiled, and entered his room. He quickly undressed, putting his very nice (and expensive) robes back into his dresser carefully. He pulled on some black trousers, his dragonhide boots, and a dark red long sleeved shirt. He left a few buttons unbuttoned, and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. He put on a black choker, and put some money in his pockets. He had both wizarding money and muggle money, since he didn't know where they were going.

His wand was attached to his arm holster, for easier access...just in case.

He headed out, boots ringing out against the marble floors, his long hair whipping behind him with his movements. His strides quickened as he went down the stairs. He bumped into Notovski and some of her girlfriends on his way out, and they all sort of stared at him.

"Well...hello! Don't you clean up well?" The girl gave him an appreciative look. "Come on, I'm sure the others are waiting."

They headed out by the gates, and Harry saw several large cars with Security waiting for them. Some of the others were already there. Jason was wearing a loud Hawaiian print shirt, waving at him wildly.

"Look at you!" He said, laughing a bit. Harry could tell the others were staring appreciatively at him. Harry scanned the group quickly, and didn't see Zuri.

"Hey...Is...that Zuri?" He heard Notovski speak, her voice odd.

Harry turned a bit, and saw Zuri striding towards them quickly. The man was wearing brown trousers and a jacket, with a light blue button down shirt. Harry swallowed thickly at the sight. Fuck, that man was hot.

"So...I was thinking we could go to Manken." Notovski said, bringing him back.

"Manken? We haven't been there before- is it good?" Someone asked.

"Isn't that the gay bar?" Someone else asked, sounding nervous.

"Well, Harry's gay, aren't you Harry?"

Harry coughed at everyone's open stares. "Yes. I came out a while back. It's not exactly a secret- it was all over the papers."

"...Yes, well, it could be fun!"

Harry sighed. "Well, how about we eat something first?"

"Oh, I know a place close by, it'll be perfect!"

The car had been expanded to fit all of them- sort of like limosuines. There were bottles of alcohol and champagne waiting for them. They all pressured him to drink, even though he repeatedly turned them down.

Harry then spoke quite firmly. "Look, I don't drink. Never have, never will. I actually abhor it. Alcohol makes people do stupid things, if you don't mind me saying. Now, if you lot are going to keep offering me drinks all night, I say just drop me off now, and I'll go back to ICW."

There was a moment of silence at this, and Jason broke it. "Sorry Harry. We'll quit, right guys?"

x-x-x

Dinner had been fun- loud and raucous, and Harry had a good time. It was nearly midnight before they actually made it to the club. The bouncers let them in without even a glance at their IDs- good thing, as Harry was underage.

Some of them went wide eyed at all of the men and women dancing together- most of them had never 'seen' gay people before. They all broke off into little groups, and Harry found himself being dragged to the bar by Jason.

"Look, I'll get you a drink- Virgin, okay?"

Harry snorted at this. "I'll just have water, thank you very much. I don't trust you lot. You're just as bad as my Godfather, you know that?" He ordered some water, and left Jason to order his own drink. He watched the dancers for a bit, hanging out in the corner.

As he watched some men snogged, he found that he was missing Fen. Fen would like this place. It was dirty, sweaty, and lots of good looking men about. Fen probably wouldn't like the music though. Harry kind of liked it- it had a good beat.

"Hello there." A young man said, approaching him. He was rather willowy, with sandy blonde hair, and a cute smile. He was cute, but not Harry's type at all.

"Hi." Harry said politely, keeping his eyes on the crowd around them.

"Would you like to dance?"

"No thanks. Sorry."

"...Alright." The young man went off, and Harry didn't feel bad about turning him down. He wasn't looking for anyone to hook up with- he was here in Copenhagen for business, not pleasure.

He then saw Zuri, and found himself wanting to change his mind. The man was watching him from off to the other side of the dance floor. He was leaning against the wall, drink in hand. Some of the girls were around him, trying to get his attention, but his eyes never strayed from Harry's face.

Harry found himself looking away first, smiling a bit. He sipped a bit of his drink.

"Would you like to dance?" Another man asked, approaching him. Harry looked over, and saw the man was rather tall looking, well built- only just slightly smaller than Fen. If he closed his eyes and pretended, he could pretend that Fen was here with him. He found himself nodding, and he was pulled onto the dance floor.

The man led, keeping his hands in proper places. He was smiling down at Harry with a glint in his eye. "You're very attractive. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Harry smiled. "Sort of. Are you always this forward?"

"Sort of." The man's smile widened. "First time here?"

"How'd you know?"

"Haven't seen you around before, of course."

Harry laughed at this, and he was twirled around smoothly. Harry was tugged back, and the man asked. "Just here on holiday?"

"Yeah, just for a little while. Taking in all the sights."

"English, yes?"

Harry nodded.

"I like your accent. Very...ah posh?"

Harry laughed aloud. "I'm not very posh at all- I just like to pretend. I'm Harry."

"Nicolai."

"Nice to meet you, Nicolai."

"And you as well, Harry. Another twirl, then?"

"Sure, why not?"

They danced for a little while longer, and parted ways. Harry found himself approaching Zuri, who was pulling on his jacket.

"Leaving?"

The man nodded.

"I'll head out with you. It's getting pretty late."

The two of them left, slipping past the Security, taking a taxi back to the ICW building.

"Did you have fun?" Harry asked.

"Hmm...I'm not really into that sort of thing."

"Well then, what do you like to do for fun?" Harry asked with a teasing smile.

Zuri gave him a Look, and Harry's smile widened, and he glanced away, looking out the window.

"I like to watch Plays, go to the Opera. We should go. Have you gone before?"

Harry shook his head. "I've never been to a theatre before. Sounds kind of fun."

"Oh, then we must go. I'll find out what's playing at the Opera House while we're here. There are quite a few theatres here, but that one is one of the best."

"Oh...you don't have to do that-"

"I insist."

Their eyes met, and Harry watched him for a moment. "Why are you doing this? You barely interact with the others...why talk with me?"

"...You're much more interesting than they are."

Harry sighed at this. "Not really..."

"If half the stories are true about you, I beg to differ."

Harry glanced at him again. "You read my book."

"No. Would you like me to?"

"...No. You don't have to." Harry said quietly, looking out the window again, smile gone.

"I'm not just interested in you because of the stories, you know. Your magic...it's different. You are...different."

"I can feel yours too." Harry said quietly. "You must be very powerful."

"I am. I am from a strong bloodline, and I have been trained since birth. You, on the other hand, have not. Your strength comes from your actions, your words, rather than just your innate power. That is what makes you different."

Harry furrowed his brow, looking at the other man. "You barely know me."

"I know of you, Lord."

Harry tensed a bit at this. "Oh?"

"The others speak of you in quiet corners and doorways, in the darkest parts of our world. They know of your kindess, your benevolence, and recognize your potential to finally unify our World."

Harry lowered his eyes to his lap. "Is that why you've been so kind to me?"

"No."

Their eyes met. Zuri moved a bit closer to him. "I can feel your magic, just as you can feel me. It has drawn me in...and I'm fascinated. It's not just because of your power, or your potential, but...just how your magic feels against mine when we are near." He closed his eyes. "Can you feel it now?" He asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Harry closed his eyes, and concentrated. Zuri's magic was pressing up against him, intertwining with his own quite...intimately. He only had ever felt something like this with Fen. While Fen's magic felt wild and untamed, rough around the edges; Zuri was calm, like a warm hug, a gentle touch.

He felt himself leaning in, and a hand touched his shoulder gently. Lips pressed against his own, and Harry fell all over again.

Harry was pulled into a languid kiss, tongues sliding against each other, tasting and exploring each other's mouths. While Fen's kisses had been devouring, Zuri let him explore more. Hands tugged at the front of his shirt, and Harry groaned, pulling away, his mouth bruised.

They were panting as they parted, and Zuri stared down at him, his eyes dark. "I have never kissed another person before, Harry. I have never been interested enough. I am...glad that I waited." And he pulled Harry into another deep kiss.

Harry reciprocated, his hands going into the man's heavy dreadlocks and braids, pressing himself up against a firm chest.

"Hey!" The cabbie cried, and started yelling at them in a foreign language.

The two parted, grinning sheepishly, but their hands remained connected.

x-x-x

Fen-

How are you? How are the packs doing? I've been talking to lots of people here at the ICW, trying to figure out their views on rights for...everyone, really. I've been slowly getting to know the ins and outs of all this political crap.

Oh, and I met someone very interesting! His name is Zuri. I must confess, his magic is so very much like yours, and I am rather attracted to him. He's rather smart, and has taught me quite a bit about how things work around here, and how to network and negotiate with the others.

Would you mind very much if we became friendly? If it bothers you, I will not.

I am missing you quite a bit. Please write back when you can.

Yours forever,

Rabbit

x-x-x

Rabbit,

Fuck who you like. I know how irresistible and insatiable you can be. I am missing you as well, and can't wait to have you back here underneath me where you belong.

Fen

x-x-x

Harry sighed as he read Fen's latest letter. He had a feeling Fen would say just that, but he wanted to make sure before he did anything he regretted with Zuri. They hadn't done anything since That Night, when they had kissed. They had continued to practice Yoga together in the mornings, and have breakfast. Zuri was quite insightful, and well traveled, and Harry was learning a lot from him.

They didn't spend much time together during the day- Harry sat in meeting after boring meeting with various Ambassadors and Representatives, listening in and taking notes about how things were run. Dreadful. But useful.

Dumbledore would be leaving for England just after Harry's birthday, since he had to return to the school, but had promised to stay for his birthday, as he had a very special gift for Harry.

Harry knew his seventeenth birthday was supposed to be special, but honestly, he just wanted something quiet. The papers were building up to his birthday, already taking polls on what he would be getting. Just awful. Harry had written to the papers, putting out a statement, encouraging people to give to their favorite charity, rather than give him gifts.

x-x-x

Harry and Zuri were out in the Markets early one Saturday morning, slipping past Security. They windowshopped and talked about the city- Zuri was usually only there once or twice a year, and didn't spend much time outside the ICW.

While they walked around, Zuri talked about his family. He was second eldest, a Cousin to the prince. While he did recognize that he liked good food and interesting places to go to, he often spent time in the cities of his home country, getting to know the people there. He said he often got into trouble as a child for his curiosity. He had started practicing Dark magic when he was very young, just like the rest of his family, but he did not believe in using it for destructive purposes- only for helping others.

Harry talked about growing up in the muggle world, and about Hogwarts. As they went into a cafe for lunch, the conversation turned to some of the people they had lost.

Zuri had lost his Mother the previous year, the only person in his family that he'd been rather close to.

Harry listened patiently, knowing exactly what the man had gone through.

"My Godfather, Sirius, died at the end of my fifth year- the same night I killed Voldemort."

"You are not afraid to say his name?"

"...No."

Zuri looked approving of this. "Were you and Sirius close?"

Harry sighed, smiling a bit. "As close as we could be...I wish we'd had more time together. Funnily enough, my friends had more time with him than I did. I was actually much closer to Remus."

"Remus?"

"...Remus Lupin." Harry stirred his coffee, looking downward. "I met him before I met Sirius, that same year. He was my Defense teacher. We spent a good amount of time together while he taught me the Patronus spell. He also told me stories about my Father...he was a werewolf." Harry ended quietly. "My Father and their friends had been his pack, and...when Sirius had died...he knew he didn't have long."

"...He was the one you went to France for."

Harry nodded. "Yes. He...held on until I could get there. He...he was the first man I ever truly loved. I respected him and admired him, and I would love to continue his work. He inspired me a great deal."

At Zuri's curious look, Harry explained. "You see, I feel as though there should be Balance. There should be a Balance within ourselves, and within the world. Remus was very kind hearted, very generous. He also happened to be a werewolf- fierce, dangerous, but only a few days a month. Unfortunately, he did not accept that part of himself, and he suffered for it."

"...Interesting. And you theorize that this can carry on to humans as well?"

"It's not a theory. After Voldemort fell, I had trouble with my magic. I had...inherited his powers, his abilities, but I did not accept that part of myself. I refused. My magic started to become unstable, and I was more prone to emotional...problems." Harry took a sip of his drink, looking out the window. "It was awful. I was powerful, too powerful. It was overwhelming, and...exhilarating, to have that much power in my hands." He paused. "It made me realise how Voldemort must have felt. How other men in power must feel. The difference between me...and them, however, is that they chose to grasp that power."

"It was given to you."

Harry nodded firmly. "My magic became unstable enough to the point where it became dangerous, and...I realised I had to accept that part of me. That I had to accept that there was Darkness in me, but I also had to accept that there was Light as well. I strive for Balance, to keep such a thing from happening again."

"How do you do that?"

Harry leant on his hand, looking into Zuri's eyes. "How do you Balance power?"

"Sharing it?"

"...In a way." Harry's lips quirked in a smile. "The idea came to me after I met someone last year. He...was attracted to me. My power. He was fierce, wild. Remus' Sire. We met briefly, once, where he...let me know of his desires. Then we met again at Remus' burial." Harry paused, and he could tell that Zuri was transfixed at his story.

"As I danced around him, avoiding his eyes, trying to spend time with the other packs, I thought about some way to control the situation, and how it would work for both of us. You see, this man is rather well known, and very respected. I did not want to offend him. And then it came to me." He paused again, and sipped some coffee.

"I thought about Voldemort, and how he never seemed to give in to anyone. That he wanted all the power to himself, that he wanted to gain more and more of it. I doubt that he ever even thought of sharing it, or dare say, surrendering to anyone. Well, except for me, when he died. Then I thought of other powerful men. Many are stubborn in their opinions, and won't give in to others very easily. Even Dumbledore is guilty of this, thinking that his ideas are...better than others."

Harry sighed. "So...it came to me that perhaps...I needed to learn what it was like to surrender. To submit to another person."

Zuri's eyes widened at this.

Harry looked down, still smiling, his voice quiet. "Even before I killed Voldemort, my friends and classmates still deferred to me, still followed me as their unnoffical leader. While I was forced to submit quite a bit as a child, it was always unwillingly. It came to me that...if I submitted, surrendered, willingly to another person, that perhaps that could provide me with the Balance I seek."

"How did you do that?" Zuri asked, leaning forward.

Harry glanced coyly at him, resting his chin in his hand. "How do you think?"

The man's eyes darkened. "You...had relations with..."

"Yes. Does it bother you?"

"...But if he was a werewolf...weren't you worried about..."

"Infections? Diseases? Of course. I used a handy little spell, which also kept me conveniently free of the danger of getting knocked up. With the power I have, that is a very real danger."

Zuri nodded slowly at this. Harry leant a bit forward. His voice low, so that no one could hear.

"I lost my virginity to him. I went to him that very night...very willingly, mind you. Part of me did it to...forget about Remus, temporarily. Part of me was desperate to find out what it was like. My...type is very much the powerful, strong, sort of man- I knew this even before I killed Voldemort."

Zuri's breath caught in his throat as Harry slid his other hand across the table, putting his hand lightly on his forearm.

"You see...Fen is powerful, he knows that. But he knows I'm even more powerful than he is. He gets off on the fact that I willingly submit to him. I get off on having someone control me, even if it's just for a little while. Maybe it's instincts, maybe it's just a power exchange. But what I've shared with him was something very intimate, very special. I...wouldn't share it with just anyone."

"...Oh?"

Harry leant forward, kissing the man on the cheek. As Harry pulled away, he could see that Zuri's eyes were closed, and his mouth was dropped open a bit- Harry could feel his magic pulsing, beating against him, just waiting to be let out, released.

The man slowly opened his eyes, and Harry gave him a small smile, settling back into his seat.

"Are you two still...intimate?" Zuri asked softly, his voice husky.

"Sort of. He has his needs, and I can't always be there for him. But he understands I have my needs too. If we were to..." Harry slid his hand against Zuri's slowly, fingers intertwining. "Become intimate, I already have his go-ahead. That is, if you wish to."

Zuri's eyes traveled over Harry's face and hair. "I do not trust easily. I know you do not either, I can tell. If we are to do something like that, I wouldn't want a one night stand. I'd want more than that."

Harry smiled. "Of course. When we eventually part ways, we will part as...very good friends. We could exchange letters, and...perhaps arrange some visits?"

Zuri nodded slowly. "I have had a good time with you, Harry, and I'm finding out something new about you every day. We only have a week and a half left together...so let us make the most of it, yes?"

Harry squeezed the man's hand. "Okay."

x-x-x

Harry sat on a mat in the lotus position. Across from him, Zuri was doing the same. The sun was just rising, and all was silent, except for their breathing. Even though his eyes were closed, Harry could see, feel, even taste Zuri's magic surrounding him. They sat close, knees inches away from one another.

"And...1...2...3..." Zuri murmured, and they opened their eyes.

Harry's eyes adjusted to the light, and he smiled at the young man that sat across from him. Unbidden, they both reached out, their palms touching. Harry smiled as he felt the magic around them getting stronger.

"I wonder why this happens." Harry said quietly. "Why our magic gets stronger when we are near. Why do you think that is?"

Zuri squeezed his hand, eyes warm. "It resonates. Like goes with Like, after all. That is why many of the Dark and many of the Light gather together. At least, that's what I speculate."

"I think the Dark are more susceptible to it." Harry murmured, allowing Zuri to pull him to his feet.

"Perhaps. Or maybe we follow tradition more, so we notice easier. Who knows." Zuri twisted Harry around, so that the man held him from behind. They watched the sun rise together over the top of the building. Harry leant back into Zuri's arms, allowing himself to be held. He sighed, contented. Zuri pressed a tentative kiss against his temple, squeezing him.

Harry closed his eyes at this, a smile on his lips. Zuri was always so gentle. So different than Fen...in so many ways. He wrapped his arms around Zuri's, humming.

"We should get going." Zuri said quietly, sounding as though he really didn't want to leave. "We have a meeting in an hour."

Harry sighed. "Oh...right. Merlin, all these old men do is argue with each other." He murmured, turning in Zuri's arms, and kissed him on the cheek.

x-x-x

Harry was swimming in the pool, doing laps late one afternoon. He was cooling off after some...frustrating meetings. He just wanted to yell at people and tell them to shut up. He had gone poolside to do some reading, but he kept getting bothered by the others, so he opted to swim instead. As he turned for another lap, he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. He kicked hard in the water, finishing his last lap before he came up for air. He wiped his face free of water, seeing Notovski with some members of the press. What were they doing here?

The girl was talking to some of them, showing off her engagement ring (she was engaged to be married to some famous Quidditch player), their cameras going off.

"Oh! Harry!" The girl cried, all smiles, turning to him. A camera flashed in his face. "These reporters came by, they so wanted to meet you- a story on how you'll be celebrating your seventeenth birthday?"

Harry sighed, hoisting himself out of the water, The cameras went off again, and he was fully aware of the oogling at his person. He was wearing a black pair of swim shorts that were rather tight and didn't leave much to the imagination. He brushing his wet hair away from his face, pulling it back, wringing the water out of it.

"Hello. I'd shake your hands, but I'm afraid I'm all wet." He said, smiling at one of the reporters. The woman swooned a bit.

"I am a reporter from Witch Weekly:Paris, and all of our readers want to know what you are doing for your seventeenth birthday, Mr. Potter?"

Harry led the way over to his chair over in the corner, grabbing his towel. As he toweled off his hair, he replied. "Well, I'll be here at the ICW, naturally. I'll be in a few meetings, and I'll have tea with the Headmaster...but other than that, I don't have much planned."

Notovski interrupted, grinning. "Harry, all of us Junior Ambassadors have something planned for you- after all, your seventeenth birthday is very special! We would love to do something for our youngest member!"

"...Thank you Miss Notovski." Harry said politely, hooking his towel over his shoulder.

"So, how do you like Copenhagen so far? How are you getting along with the others here at the ICW?"

"Copenhagen is a great city. I've gotten to shop a bit, explore some of the sites- the food is great. It's a very beautiful. The people here have been good to me, very informative, and have helped me adjust to my new role as a Junior Ambassador."

"How do you like it so far?"

"It's very interesting- I've met lots of different kinds of people, who have all sorts of stories to tell. I also like to hear about their home countries, and about what their people go through. It's all very interesting, like I said. I do hope that when I leave in a few weeks, that I will keep in contact with some of them."

"So, the rumors about the Headmaster training you- are they true?"

Harry laughed lightly, shaking his head. "While the Headmaster and I regularly meet, most of discussions usually stray to magical theory, politics, and history, more than anything. While he has let me borrow books from time to time, he really encourages me to find my own strengths. He's a very good teacher."

"You look very yummy, Mr. Potter- what say you to all those girls out there that had their hearts broken when you came out this past year?"

"Well, there's plenty of good guys, or girls for that matter, out there. I figure...find love and keep it. It doesn't matter where they come from, or what they look like, what gender they are. If they care about you, and you care about them- that's all that matters, right?"

"So, any boyfriends on the horizon?"

Harry blushed. "Ah...no comment. I'd like my private life to stay private, thank you very much."

x-x-x

The evening before Harry's birthday, Zuri managed to get tickets from them to go see The Mikado at a muggle theatre. The two young men attracted a good amount of attention from the other theatre goers. Harry wore a tailored black suit and tie, with a white shirt. Zuri was dressed similarly- they both looked quite smart.

Harry was in awe of the size of the opera house. Since they had gotten tickets late, they sat up high in the balcony, but neither minded. Harry and Zuri watched the Opera unfold on the stage, taken by the music, the performers, and the story.

As the evening was winding to a close, Zuri walked Harry back to his room. Harry glanced at the Grandfather clock as they passed, and he noted it was 11:30. "Just thirty more minutes until my birthday." Harry said quietly, taking the other man by the arm. "...As a kid, I'd often stay up, counting down the minutes."

"Do you still do that?"

Harry nodded, and they came to a stop in front of his door. "Yes. Still do... Would you like to join me?" He asked shyly.

Zuri gave him a fond smile. "...Alright."

He followed Harry into his room. Harry took off his jacket. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some-" Harry was cut off as Zuri grabbed his arm, and yanked him into a kiss. Harry made a noise of surprise, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Zuri hoisted him up by his waist, and carried him to the bed.

x-x-x

The sun was rising, and Harry woke to a gentle touch, stroking his hip. Harry opened his eyes, smiling a bit. Zuri laid by his side, propped up on his elbow. His hand was stroking the curve of his hip, and the man was looking down at him with a small smile.

"Good morning."

Harry leant up a bit, kissing the man on the mouth. "Good morning."

"You're very beautiful while you sleep."

Harry smiled, and laughed a little. "Thank you. Too bad I didn't catch you sleeping...what time is it anyways?"

"Just after dawn. Around 6:30."

Harry moved so that he was straddling Zuri, settling onto the man's groin. "You up for another round?"

Zuri laughed, sliding his hands down Harry's back. "Already? We were up half the night." His hands went to Harry's bum.

"Aw, come on Zuri...please? I'll make it worth your while?" Harry said coyly, kissing his neck.

Zuri rolled them over, pinning Harry's wrists back. Harry grinned at this. For such a gentle man, Zuri was surprisingly forward when he wanted to be. The night before had been amazing- perfect in almost every way. The man had been very attentive, and made sure to pay special attention to his entire body- all the way from massaging his scalp, to sucking playfully on his toes...

While a bit rough in play, there was no aggression, no anger to it- just playfulness and a lightness that Harry found himself liking quite a bit. There was an intensity, yes, but something entirely different than Harry had with Fen.

Zuri started to kiss him, tongue slowly slipping into Harry's mouth. Harry opened himself up to the man above him, reciprocating in the kiss. Zuri's hand went up and down his sides and chest, pinching his nipple, blunt nails sliding down his skin. It was so slow, but so intense- Harry groaned, turning his head as the man kissed and nipped at his skin.

He groaned as Zuri bit into his collarbone. His toes curled. "Yes...please..." He panted. Fen could never do this, for fear of infecting Harry.

The sun shone on them, coming from the window. They undulated together, the bedsheets about their hips. Harry slid his hands into Zuri's hair, tugging at his braids and dreadlocks as they kissed. Zuri bit his lip, and Harry let out a groan, arching up against him. Zuri let go, kissing down Harry's chest.

Harry's hands fisted Zuri's hair as the man laid a path of kisses and bites down his chest, to his groin. "Zuri...fuck!" He cried as the man started to suck him off. He also felt the man begin to prepare him slowly. Harry groaned and panted, trying his damnedest to keep his control. Zuri was soon sliding his fingers in and out of Harry, making Harry gasp, arching up.

"Zuri, please! Inside me!" He cried.

The man's mouth left his cock, and he nipped at Harry's hip, leaving a mark. He sat up, stroking his cock, looking at the man laid out before him.

Harry froze, adjusting to the feel of the man inside him. He hear Zuri whisper things, in his own language. Harry couldn't understand what he was saying, but he did keep repeating one word.

"amarä."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked, just as the man slid further inside him. They kissed languidly, and Zuri smiled.

"Beautiful." They kissed again. "So...very beautiful."

x-x-x

A very happy Harry found himself sitting to tea with Dumbledore in a private room later on that day. Hedwig had arrived with Harry's gifts after his and Zuri's last round of lovemaking (for that is what it felt like). Zuri was happy to meet his owl- he called her amarä too, just like her owner.

Harry sat with Dumbledore, sipping his tea, watching on as the man told a story about a trip he'd taken to New Zealand as a young man. "And there I was, and I saw him. I'd heard about him from many people, but the stories could never quite compare. He took one look at me, and he decided then and there that he would teach me everything he knew. Gustav was a great man."

Albus sighed, looking distant. "Aye, when you're young and have got the whole world to explore, it seems as though anything is possible." His bright blue eyes went to Harry. "Don't you agree, Harry?"

Harry smiled over the edge of his teacup. "I suppose so, sir."

"Hmm." Dumbledore nodded, petting Fawkes idly. The Phoenix sat on his knee, crooning at his touch. "Gustav was a very good friend of mine. I say...we knew each other for...over thirty years before he was killed."

"Killed? Really?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Gellert." He sighed, frowning. "I saw it happen, actually. Gellert...wasn't kind enough to just use the killing curse and be done with it...no, he used other means. He left, not knowing I was there. Gustav...well, I suppose it is time to tell you, my boy." Dumbledore said softly.

"Just as there is a Dark Lord, there is a Light Lord. Now...not many realise this fact, but there is. It happens naturally. If the Light Lord or Dark Lord do not designate an Heir before they pass, Magic herself chooses a worthy recipient. Now, this could happen anywhere in the world, but those...worthy, tend to be drawn close by...near the end, so that the tradition could be carried on."

Harry held his breath, almost knowing what was coming.

"I am the Light Lord. Not many officially recognize me as such, but I am. With that power, I gain influence over other Light Wizards- they are drawn to me, and become Loyal to me and my causes. Many don't even know why, some are. It is...a very serious, and very sacred task. Millions of lives are at stake."

"...Wow." Harry could only murmur.

"My boy...I am getting old. I know...I haven't much more time. Sometimes, I wonder...if I had stayed on this earth just long enough for the old Dark Lord to be vanquished, and to teach my chosen Heir what I know. That is you, my boy."

Harry froze, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Me? But..."

"Please, Harry, do not refuse this opportunity. Out there, somewhere, is a new Dark Lord. He or she may be on the other side of the world, or perhaps even in our very own homeland- but there has to be someone to protect us from the Dark. You, who has so valiantly risen to the challenge when I could not, are the perfect choice."

"But...there are those out there who are so much more powerful than me..." Harry protested halfheartedly.

"Nonsense. You have flourished since Voldemort has passed. It seems as though a great weight has lifted from your shoulders. I truly do believe you are destined for Greatness- and your journey has only just begun."

Dumbledore reached over, taking Harry's hands into his own. Harry stared at their joined hands.

"Harry...I think...no, I know I will pass on in just a few months. You must come to terms with this. The wizarding world needs a strong leader, someone who will be able to fill the void in my wake. Someone that they can rally behind when a new Dark Lord rises- and there will be one. I know it won't be easy...but it can be very fufilling."

"...It's too soon. Much too soon. I...I have so many things I want to do..." Harry heard himself say, lying through his teeth.

"And you can do them, my boy." Dumbledore said gently, eyes twinkling. "Travel the world, see the sights, marvel at its beauty. Make friends far and near. Honor your promises, and help those in need. You are strong Harry, I know you can handle it. I've seen you lead your fellow classmates- I've seen how many have already sworn their alleigance to you- you can see it in their eyes, even in the way they treat you. You've noticed. Haven't you?"

"...Yes." Harry whispered.

Yes...those who had sworn their loyalty to him swore for entirely different reasons.

"Do you accept your role, Harry, to become the new Light Lord upon my passing?"

"...Yes." Harry murmured.

"And do you swear to do all that you can to help those in need?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore sighed, and drew him into a great big hug. Harry buried his face in the man's shoulder, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, my boy." The Headmaster murmured. "I can rest easier now."

The man pulled away, looking suddenly aged. Harry was alarmed to see this. Fawkes cooed, ruffling at the man's beard. He hopped to Harry's knee, headbutting his hand briefly, as if telling him not to worry.

"Are...you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine." The man yawned a bit. "Don't worry. I won't be dying on you yet! There is still much to do!" The man winked, and stood. Fawkes hopped onto Dumbledore's shoulder. "Why don't we go see what all of the other youngsters are up to?"

Dumbledore left the ICW the very next day, to go back to Hogwarts.

Harry noticed almost straight away how differently people treated him now that Dumbledore wasn't there to back him up. Almost dismissive, really. It was annoying, but he could only assume they acted like that because of his age. Whatever.

x-x-x

The night before Harry was to leave for the UK, he and Zuri went out one last time. Instead of going back to the ICW after dinner for their rendevous, they went to a little hotel right on the coast, to get a good view of the ocean.

They made love until the sun rose, and Harry knew it would be quite some time until he ever got to see Zuri again. They both knew that their time together was coming to an end, and they were trying their best to make the most of it.

Harry took an international portkey back to Hogwarts later that very morning, saying his goodbyes to all of the others, especcially Ettie, who had been so very good to him. Jason, of course, offered to exchange letters, and maybe hang out the following summer at the ICW once Harry got out of school.

x-x-x

Harry arrived to the Headmaster's office with a smile, and set his trunk down tiredly. The Headmaster was sitting at his desk, looking at Harry expectantly. Minerva was with him, as was Professor Snape.

"I'm back, everyone!" He said with a grin. "You miss me?"

Dumbledore chuckled at this. "Dobby?" The elf appeared, and hugged Harry's knees ecstatically.

"Master Harry Potter is finally being home! I is so happy!"

Harry chuckled, prying the little guy off of him. "It's nice to see you too, Dobby."

"Dobby, could you please take Harry's things to his room please?"

"Right away, Headmaster sir!" Dobby exlclaimed, and the little elf popped away, Harry's things vanishing with him.

Harry looked around the office with a small smile, sighing in content. It was good to be back home.

"So...did you have fun on your trip, Harry?" Minerva asked, looking a bit strained for some reason.

"Yes. I did. I learned a lot."

"...That's...good."

Harry furrowed his brow, turning to them. "What's going on?"

Snape threw the newspaper he'd been holding onto Dumbledore's desk. Harry's jaw dropped as he saw a picture of himself. "There are more pictures inside. This is one of the tamer ones."

Harry picked up the paper, staring at it. He was with Zuri, in the little hotel room they'd rent out just last night. It looked as though someone had taken pictures of them from the window- the curtains obscured Zuri's face a bit, but Harry was all out there for everyone to see. Thankfully...certain parts were blurred over, but it was clear what they were doing.

Harry watched himself riding Zuri with abandon, head thrown back, his long hair bouncing with each thrust. It was clear that he was enjoying himself. In any other situation, he would have thought the photo beautiful.

"Shit." Harry whispered, his face reddening. He set the paper down, covering his face.

"The reporter claims to have followed you and this young man of yours. I..." The Headmaster cleared his throat. "I've already made some calls- it seems as though the photos and the story have been distributed internationally...I'm sorry."

Harry groaned, turning away from the three Professors, feeling terribly embarrassed. "Oh no, I need to write Zuri straight away!" Harry gasped.

"Feel free to borrow Fawkes, I'm sure he won't mind, will you?" The phoenix chirped happily.

Harry grabbed a quill and parchment, and hurriedly wrote a letter to Zuri.

My Zuri,

I just received notice that there are pictures of us all over the papers. I don't know if you've seen them yet. I am so...so sorry. If you don't ever want to write me or see me ever again, I would completely understand.

Love,

Harry

Fawkes flashed away, letter in his talons. Harry sank to a chair, burying his face in his hands. Damn it! This was going to completely ruin his image! What was he going to do now?

"What am I going to do?" Harry repeated, aloud this time. "Zuri is going to hate me."

"...The Ethiopian Junior Ambassador?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling. "My Harry, you certainly chose well- he's Royalty."

"Argh! Dont remind me, that just makes it even worse." Harry cried, shaking his head.

"If I may?" Minerva spoke up hesitantly. Harry looked up, pushing his hair out of his face. "May I suggest going to the papers yourself before the papers can twist it out of proportion?"

Snape nodded. "That may be the best option, at this point-" He was interrupted by Fawkes flashing back in. He dropped a letter into Harry's outstretched hands.

Amarä,

Do not fret. I do not hate you. We will figure this out, together. May I suggest that we tell the papers what happened, rather than make it some torrid one-night-stand that they're already alluding it could be?

Yours,

Zuri

Harry sighed, folding the letter back. "Zuri agrees. We should go to the papers. Figure this out ourselves...may I be excused?"

"Yes. I'm sure you'll have plenty to do." The Headmaster said, dismissing him. "Make sure you are in the Great Hall in time for dinner."

Harry left the Headmaster's office, and found himself being followed by Snape.

"What happened to the other man?" Snape asked, arching a brow as he moved to walk next to Harry.

Harry looked heavenward. "I'm still with him. He's aware of Zuri."

Snape looked a bit surpirsed at this. "Oh really?"

"Look, it's not like he hasn't fucked around when I'm not there. It's not a big deal." Harry said, his temper short.

They turned into the corridor leading to Gryffindor tower. Harry gave him a Look. "Are you following me?"

"...No. Have you thought about how you are going to present this to the press?"

"No. Not yet. Any suggestions?"

"...I'm assuming that this...whatever it was, between you two was not just a one-time thing?"

Harry nodded at this, coming to a stop in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"And you are planning on maintaining contact with each other? A long distance relationship?"

"...Well, we're going to try." Harry said.

Snape nodded at this, looking thoughtful. "You can make it work. Pin it as a whirlwind romance. To the papers, they think that you lost your virginity to him- tell them that you will strive to continue your relationship, despite the distance and the challenges- they will focus on that. Show that it's just like any other relationship, with it's rewards and challenges, rather than something scandalous."

"...You really think so?"

"...Yes. The witches will eat that up. And it will...put you in a better light than a one night stand would have."

Harry grinned. "Thanks Professor!" He went inside the tower, leaving Snape standing there, arms crossed over his chest. The man stared at the portrait door for a moment, and sighed. He fished his own copy of the newspaper from his pocket, unfolding it.

x-x-x

An Open Letter To the Press

By Harry James Potter

I am sure all of you have been reading all the stories about myself this past week. I am writing now to set it straight. Mr. Zuri Asromiamun and I did not have a drunken one night stand, nor were we complete strangers, like some suggest. I shall be honest with all of you, because I really have nothing to hide. We met on my second day in Copenhagen, at the ICW Headquarters. We met early one morning, noticing each other from afar. Some of you romantics might describe it as love at first sight- since we have only known each other for little over a month, we can only honestly say that there is a healthy amount of attraction between us, and friendship.

He taught me about his country, and spoke to me about his experiences working with the ICW. He is very knowledgeable about his role there, very intelligent, and a very hard worker. He is also a very good conversationalist, and we love to talk about politics and things. We also went shopping, had meals together, and even went to see an Opera. I had never gotten to see the Opera before, so I had fun.

Some people are saying he's much too old for me, as he is 26. Honestly, I don't think that really matters much, considering how old we wizards can get! Of course, we didn't have a physical relationship until AFTER I was of age, so it was all legal.

I am unafraid to admit that what Zuri and I had was very special. We still keep in touch, even if there is a great amount of distance between our countries. I know we will still remain close, no matter what happens. I had hoped that we could keep what happened between us as private, because I feel such intimate things shouldn't be blasted about in the papers. What we shared with each other was very special, expressing how we felt for one another.

I should also point out that I am no longer a child. Especially as I've recently turned seventeen, and legally have changed my status as Lord Potter, ect, ect. Children grow up, make friends, go on dates, find lovers, and eventually have families of their own. I am no different. I am just like all of you. I have friends, I have gone on dates, and will have lovers too. Eventually, when I'm ready, I will have a family as well.

Love should be celebrated. I do agree that people should be upfront about expressing themselves, that they shouldn't keep it a secret. After all, I was in the closet for years, fearing what others would think. But in the time that I've been out, I've come to realize that things have been so much better, that I feel more comfortable with myself. I imagine others who have come out and shared their secrets can empathize with me. I encourage everyone out there to tell those important people that you love them, tell them that you care.

Sincerely,
Harry

x-x-x

Harry sighed, finishing off another letter. He was sitting at his work-table, a stack of paperwork and missives to send out on one side, and fanmail on the other. It seemed like all he'd ever done since getting back from his trip was write! And it wasn't the fun sort of writing either. While he did manage to write Hermione and Fen about what had happened, he was ignoring everyone else's letters. He got quite a bit of fanmail from girls and gay men commenting on how beautiful he was- very flattering, and very embarrassing.

In the week the followed, he received his Hogwarts letter from a twinkling Professor Dumbledore, and with it, came the Head Boy badge. Harry had protested, saying that he hadn't been a prefect. Dumbledore's rebuttal was that James had been Head Boy, and he hadn't been a prefect either. It had been done before- all of the staff members agreed that Harry would be the best choice for Head Boy. Naturally, Harry asked who was Head Girl, and naturally, Dumbledore replied that Hermione was.

As Head Boy and Head Girl, they would each get their own private quarters. Harry was very happy for this, not really wanting to explain disappearances to his dormmates again- especcially this year, as seventh years were allowed to leave campus on the weekends. He got to move into his private quarters early, since he was already at the school. It was on the ground floor, not too far away from the staircases. It was nice- not as nice as his rooms at the ICW were, but still very nice.

On one side of the room, he arranged so that his full sized bed was against the wall in the furthest corner of the room, with his dresser, nightstand, and dressing table. It was partitioned off by a sheer white curtain that he'd conjured, separating the rest of the room.

The front half of the room included the door to the loo, as well as the worktable and loveseat that sat in front of the fireplace. After getting the badge from Dumbledore, the man had said it was up to him to make first years feel welcome, and to assist others in their problems. He would need to talk to them one-on-one about things sometimes. Harry thought it best if his room was arranged in such a way, to keep things a bit separated.

He had a window by his bed, which Hedwig promptly claimed as her own. Naturally, he warded his room as much as possible before actually unpacking things. The room was in fairly neutral colors (browns and greens), but Harry guessed it was because the rooms would be used by students from all four houses. With a few color charms, the bedclothes were white- the quilt transfigured into white and cream- the curtains around the bed had been charmed to match. It contrasted very well to the dark wood of the furniture.

The ugly loveseat had been transfigured into a supple black leather that you could sink into and get comfy- and it even smelled real! Harry also put up some things he'd gotten in Copenhagen- a few souvenirs. He hoped to get a floor rug too, because if he was going to have more than one or two people in this room, they'd need to sit on the floor. Or perhaps cushions. Both, most likely. He often sat on the rug in the mornings to do his yoga.

Harry hoped to get away from Hogwarts for a bit to check up on things. He had briefly left the school the previous week to go to Gringott's to 'formally' register himself as Lord Potter- Black- Selwyn. People didn't notice the Black/Selwyn thing yet. Those papers had been 'stuck' in registry paperwork that the Goblins had hidden for a good price. If people asked where the paperwork was, they'd find it easily, but not if they didn't know about the titles in the first place. Harry didn't want to come forward about his other Seats until the time was right. He wasn't lying...just withholding information.

Fuck...that sounded like a Dumbledore thing to do.

Harry needed to get out of this place. He was already going stir-crazy within the stone walls, under the watchful gaze of the Headmaster who always wanted to have tea with him.

Harry opened another letter, smiling as he read it. All of the properties in Knockturne were completely finished, and the first three were already filled with tenants, and the last two were slowly being filled. Fantastic. Perhaps he should go visit?

With a flick of his wrist, he was standing from his seat, and summoning his cloak to himself.

x-x-x

Harry stood in front of a bakery, munching on his sweets, looking at the street around him. Knockturne had certainly transformed since it had been here last. Not only did his buildings brighten up the place, others were changing too. Plenty of people seemed to be at work, painting and refinishing old buildings, replacing grimy windows... there were Dark artifacts still sold openly, but people just seemed to be...happier.

"Like it?" A young woman asked, holding a clipboard. Harry turned, furrowing his brow. For a second there, he'd forgotten that he'd placed himself under a glamour. No autographing signing today!

"Yes, it all looks very nice. Very different from the last time I was here."

The young woman nodded. "Yes, well, after the war ended, many properties changed hands. With the new owners, came new policies. I think everyone was a bit tired of being afraid all the time, don't you?"

Harry blinked. "I suppose."

She waved it off. "I'm Angelica Redgrave." She said, shaking his hand. "I'm doing a poll. As you can see, Knockturne is going through a burst of rejuvination, of exploration! Many of us feel as though we're on the verge of something great, something brand new! Tell me, what brought you to Knockturne today?"

Harry motioned to the buildings. "I heard that some things were changing around here. Decided I wanted to take a look."

Redgrave nodded, writing down what he said. "What do you think of the shops? Do you think that they accurately reflect some of the changes that are happening around here?"

Harry glanced around at the storefronts. Yes, there were still apothecaries and second-hand shops, but they looked...better. Cleaner. More welcoming.

"I like them. I think they're more welcoming."

The woman grinned, writing his answer.

"And the last question, would you like to sign this proposal for a change in Knockturne Alley's name? We have several popular options..."

"Did the Ministry approve this?" Harry asked, the woman frowned a bit at this, and sighed roughly.

"No. Not yet. Scrimengour...after he won the Minister's Spot, all he's done is arrest people. Mostly from here. We need to tell people that Knockturne isn't a dangerous place anymore, that it's changing!" She said, sounding very enthused. "The more names we have here, the better. What do you say?"

Harry blinked and took the quill from her, and the clipboard. He glanced over the lists, and found himself blushing.

"These...are the proposed names?"

She nodded quickly. "Now, the most popular options are 'Nightshade Alley', 'Vibrant Alley', and 'Potter Alley'." She laughed a little at the last name. "After our Savior, of course. I believe that's the most popular option. Do you think Mr. Potter would come visit us if we changed it to that?"

Harry found himself smiling as he wrote down his name, and wrote down 'Vibrant Alley'. He handed it over, and watched her expression carefully.

"Thank you Mr..." She gasped, eyes widening. Harry winked at her, raising a finger to his lips. He started to walk away before she could call after him, steps quickening. He could hear her pulling people aside, exclaiming about actually meeting THE Harry Potter! Of course, they didn't believe her. After all, Harry Potter would never step foot into Knockturne!

He found himself grinning as he headed into Diagon, intent on talking to certain red headed twins. He hung around, still under his glamour, waiting for a lull. He'd noticed that they had hired an assistant- Verity. She was rather pretty, and a hard worker- she always seemed to have a smile on her face, and pranked the kids back if they tried to get her. No wonder they hired her. Harry watched the young woman at the counter for a bit, jumping as someone poked at his shoulder- hard.

He turned, seeing Fred standing there. "Hey, no oogling our assistant. Unless you're buying merchandise."

Harry laughed at this, lowering his glamour. Fred grinned, taking him by the arm.

"Damn Harry, I can't believe you're here. Aren't you worried you're going to get mobbed?"

"That's what the glamour was for. Hey, you seen Knockturne?"

"Of course, Mate. Verity just got a place there." Fred said, leading Harry to the Back Room. Harry blushed at the merchandise there- at least this part of the shop was pretty empty.

"So...you and Verity?"

Fred waggled his brows. "Me...Verity...and George. Got a problem with it? We decided to take you up on that bit of a advice you gave in that letter of yours to the press."

Harry's brows raised at this. "Wow...the three of you? Does your Mother know? Does Verity?" He asked with a laughing, knowing the twins had a penchant for switching their identities all the time.

"Of course Ver. knows, she's the one getting fucked by both of us, eh?" Fred laughed, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Must say she got might jealous of the buggering you got by that Zuri fellow and wanted to see what it was like."

Harry covered his face, mortified. "Oh my God."

"Oh, come on, it's not a big deal. Now...Mum, on the other hand, would completely flip her lid. So...no, we haven't told her yet."

Harry sighed, uncovering his face. "So...you guys happy, like that?"

"...Yeah." Fred said, smiling a bit. "George and I always did share well. Did we ever tell about the time we both dated Angelina, and she had no idea?"

"...No."

"Well, she didn't. But when she found out, boy she was pissed. Thankfully, she was a good enough friend not to spread it around. Anyways...it's not like we haven't done it before. 'Cept, this time, we're just sharing Verity and she certainly knows it." Fred said with a leering grin. He then motioned to the merchandise on the shelves.

"Since your little letter in the papers, people have been buying up this stuff like crazy- I guess they're all finally realizing that the wizarding world is just a bit old fashioned. They're all fucking like bunnies now."

"...I hope they're being safe about it, at least." Harry murmured, staring at a stack of magazines.

"Of course! We have a full supply of contraceptive potions and the like, and carry pamphlets with the necessarily spells too. We...ah...did qet some requests for...ah...gay stuff, but we obviously don't know anything about that. Want to help us out?"

Harry blinked. "Well...sure. I mean, anything I do won't be connected through me, right?"

"Of course. You could just give us info, or hey, you could write another book, but maybe under a penname? We've got lots of dirty books here, but they all really suck. Maybe you could do better?"

Harry laughed at this. "I'll think about it. So...Verity's living in Knockturne? How's she liking it?"

"...She likes it a lot, actually. She graduated Hogwarts the year before us...she's a muggleborn. She'd been trying to find a place for ages in the wizarding world that was cheap and safe enough for her to live in, but couldn't find anything until a few months back when those places in Knockturne opened up."

"...I'm glad she likes it." Harry said with a small smile.

Fred cocked his head. "...You had something to do with that change...didn't you?"

Harry blinked innocently. "Who? Me?"

"...Damn, I owe George a galleon. I should have known better!"

"Owe me a galleon about what?" George asked, coming into the back room. "Harry! Hey!"

"Hey George."

Fred sighed. "Harry had something to do with Knockturne changing." George laughed at this. Fred shook his head. "Alright, my turn on the floor, then?"

"Yep. Those little monsters are making us filthy rich! Get at 'um Forge!"

"Right-o, Gred!"

Harry looked smugly at George. "I hear congratulations are in order. Verity's pretty."

George didn't bat an eye. "That Zuri bloke wasn't bad looking either."

x-x-x

Harry was having lunch with Hermione and Nott after the three of them got their school supplies together. The pamphlet that they had written together was seen in quite a few muggleborn students hands as they walked around Diagon Alley with their parents. The pamphlet was a shortened version of the book that would be coming out in time for Yule.

Hermione was very happy to see all the kids with the pamphlets. "I'm so happy that McGonagall agreed with our idea!" She squealed, bouncing in her seat.

"Well, of course she would- she knows you're brilliant." Harry quipped with a grin. "So...how does it feel to be Head Girl?"

Hermione glanced down at the Badge pinned on her shirt collar. "...Amazing. Scary. I'm so nervous? What if I'm awful? What if no one listens to me? What if-"

Theo reached over, taking Hermione's hand. "Hermioine...you'll do great. Don't worry about it."

Hermione smiled at this, kissing his cheek. "You're the best boyfriend."

Harry pretended to gag, and spoke up. "So, how was meeting the families this summer?"

Hermione and Theo exchanged a look, and Hermione spoke first. "Well, Mum and Dad were very impressed with Theo. Of course, Dad made a speech and all that, but...they got to know him a bit, and all was well."

Theo spoke up reluctantly. "Her Dad is a bit scary. Threatened to feed me my own Bollocks if I ever hurt her."

"...Ow." Harry winced.

"Yeah. He even showed me his...ah, scalpel?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at this. "He was just trying to scare you."

Theo sighed. "My Mum and Grandmother refused to meet Hermione. So...it didn't go that well at all."

"I'm sorry."

"...It's okay. It's not like I can be disinherited. Father's in prison, Uncle can't have kids, and there are no other heirs. They don't have any other options at this point." The boy said logically.

"...I guess that's good?"

Theo smirked. "Of course it is. So...saw you in the papers."

Hermione elbowed Theo, giving him a pointed look.

Harry laughed a little. "I'm sorry about that. I'm sure you saw more than you wanted to see."

"...Are you and Zuri still writing?" Hermione asked.

"Yep. We've both been a bit busy since coming back to our home countries, but we've managed to write a letter or two. I'll be meeting up with Fen next week." He added.

"...Is it going to be okay?" Hermione looked a bit worried at this.

"Yeah. We talked it out. It's cool."

"Fen? Who's Fen?" Theo asked, blinking.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a look, and Hermione spoke up. "Um...Harry's other lover?"

Theo's jaw dropped. "Wait, what? When did this happen?"

"Last term." Harry said. He cleared his throat, not wanting to get into it. "So...I've been talking to the twins, and they gave me an idea for a book that could be...fun to write."

Hermione gave him a cautious look. "What sort of book? It's not a prank book, is it?"

Harry shook his head, leaning forward. "A sex book."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "A what!"

Harry silently thanked God that they were under silencing spells.

"A sex book...are you serious?" Theo asked. The couple that sat across from him leant forward as well. Harry nodded.

"Yeah. Something like a manual. Safe practices, as well as some fun positions and what not. I did a bit of research, and the only stuff I could really find was clinical sex-ed things, or really, really, out of date romance novels, at least here in the wizarding world. They told me that they're having quite a few coming in to look for that sort of thing in their Back Room. They have short pamphlets and stuff for safety things, but...not much else besides those horrible novels. What do you think?"

"...We would be doing this under a penname, right?"

"Of course." Hary said, rolling his eyes.

"...Let me think about it. We'll do some research. I know there are plenty of books like that in the muggle world. But I'm not giving you a yes or no yet." She added quickly.

Harry nodded. "Well, I'm already making an outline for a gay male book. Important stuff, you know? A lot of people aren't aware that wizards can get pregnant if they're with someone powerful enough...that could cause all sorts of issues."

Hermione's eyes widened at this. "...Wow."

"So...I figure I can add some input into the general book, in addition to putting out the gay male book. Ah...I guess your Uncle's press wouldn't go for this, would they?"

Theo shook his head. "No, certainly not."

Harry nodded to himself. "Well, the twins print their pamphlets through the Lovegood's press for a small fee, but I don't think we'll be able to do that."

"I'll ask around." Theo said. "I know a fair few publishers that are hurting for business right now."

Harry changed the subject. "What do you guys think about Scrimengour winning the election?"

Hermione's face darkened, as did Theo's. Theo spoke up. "He's been arresting quite a few of the Dark. They're not making any trouble, like you asked, but this is going to be a problem soon. These arrests haven't even been in the papers, and from what I hear, some of them don't even have trials."

Harry scowled. "Everyone deserves a trial. Alright, I'll look into it."

Hermoine spoke up. "I've been doing some research into the Ministry legislature, and the only way someone can get sent to Azkaban without a trial is if there is undeniable proof that they did something illegal. But...there has to be a reason why he's keeping all of this a secret, right?"

"...Yeah." Harry murmured thoughtfully.

x-x-x

"Fen!" Harry cried, throwing himself into the man's arms. Fen held him tight, pressing a kiss against his temple. They held each other like that for a long moment. They stood in the shrieking shack, their usual meet up spot.

"I missed you." Harry murmured against his shoulder, inhaling the man's scent deeply.

"Missed you too, rabbit. Those pictures of yours in the papers certainly drove me wild." Fen said, running a hand through his hair.

Harry blushed at this. "Merlin, don't you start too- I've gotten so many letters about those pictures..."

"Hey, I'm just saying you looked hot. When you wrote me about this Zuri fellow, I thought he'd be more...ugly or something. Once I saw the pictures I could see what you saw in him...or you, rather."

Harry tilted is face up at Fen, sticking his tongue out playfully. Fen growled in the back of his throat, kissing Harry thoroughly.

As Fen pulled away, leaving Harry a bit dazed, the man spoke. "Come on, rabbit. We'll be back in time for dinner if we get going now."

Harry grinned, grabbing the bag he'd dropped, hooking it over his shoulder. He attached himself to Fen's arm, and they popped away.

x-x-x

They arrived at a riverbank with a quiet pop, not too far away from the Pack's camp. Harry was looking forward to seeing everyone again. He'd met the Pack briefly before, but Fen had always occupied his time so much that he hadn't spent time with them yet. This week, however, would be different. He would be spending the whole week at the camp, and he couldn't be more excited.

"You'll be sleeping with me, of course, but we'll have to tone it down a bit since we won't be too far away from the others." Fen said gruffly. Harry nodded, following the man towards the camp. Even from the riverbank, he could see the fire and the small tents.

"Will we be staying in a cave again?" Harry asked, glancing around. He didn't see any mountains.

"No. By the fire with the cubs." Fen said, and paused in his walking. "We lost some at the last full moon. Everyone's a bit...out of sorts right now."

Harry gasped. "You lost...how? What happened?"

Fen growled. "Scrimengour. During the full moon, some of our women took some of the cubs off to play, while the rest of us adults messed around- some of us were getting a bit too violent for the cubs to be around us. Unfortunately, Scrimengour's men were looking for us. They slaughtered the cubs and the adults that had been with them while they slept off the next morning. We managed to get away before they came looking for us too."

Harry hugged him tightly. He could tell Fen was affected by the attack, but was trying to keep a stiff upper lip. "I'm so sorry, Fen."

"Well...now that you're here, we can talk about how this is going to be sorted out. Scrimengour has been hunting us down, Rabbit. We can't just let him get away with this."

"You're right." Harry quickly followed Fen to the camp, lost in thought. He smiled to the others as they arrived. The few cubs that were there quickly approached Harry, stars in their eyes.

"Harry! You're back!"

"Of course I am." Harry hugged a few. "I'll be here for the whole week too." He said with a grin. "And I've brought lots of goodies for everyone in this bag of mine."

That evening, after dinner, Harry and Fen went out for a 'walk' for a little while. As soon as they were far enough away from the camp, Fen pounced on Harry, pinning him up against a tree.

Harry groaned into the man's fierce kiss, clinging to him just as tightly. He'd missed this. He'd desperately missed Fen- he hadn't known until that moment how he'd missed the man's strenghth, his power, his magic, his hold over him. Fen tugged at his tattered pants, cock hard and aching.

Fen was tugging on Harry's trousers, while Harry kissed his lover with abandon. "Missed you." He breathed. He'd said it before, but saying it as the man was holding him so tight, undressing him, made it all the more real. "Want you."

Fen growled in the back of his throat, picking up Harry. Harry kicked off his trousers to the ground, wrapping his legs around the man's waist. Fen's cock was sheathed inside him with one brutal thrust, and Harry cried out in pain, and in pleasure. The man thrust in and out of his arse wildly, pinning Harry against the tree. Harry's shirt was ripped open, revealing his chest. Fen kissed and licked at Harry's neck and ear, panting with abandon.

"Fuck, you feel so fucking good, rabbit."

Harry groaned, clutching the man around his shoulders. "I'm close...Fen...fuck, I didn't cast the spell!" He cried, but their hips didn't stop- if anything, Fen's thrusts quickened. "Fen...don't cum inside...I'm not safe..." Harry panted.

Fen pulled Harry away from the tree, still sheathed inside the boy. He lowered Harry to the ground, getting on top of him.

"Hurry up." Fen growled. "Or you'll find yourself knocked up, cub. Can't...control myself much longer."

Harry's shaking hand searched for his wand inside the trousers he'd dropped- Fen's cock inside him felt so good, and it was sooo tempting to just say 'fuck it'. Harry found his wand, and breathlessly cast the spell, making his abdomen glow.

Just as soon as it was cast, Fen started fucking him with abandon, making Harry cry out again. Fen lifted his legs, pushing them up. Harry's hair was becoming entangled with leaves and sticks from the floor of the earth, his shirt and robes becoming dirty and muddy. "Yes! Yes! Fuck me!" Harry howled.

Fen's breathing was labored, head bowed. They stared into each other's eyes, and Fen smiled, reaching to rest his hand on Harry's abdomen. Harry felt his cock harden even more, seeing the look in the man's eyes, knowing what his lover was thinking.

"That had been close, rabbit...you really want to be knocked up that badly?" Fen asked teasingly, leaning down to kiss him.

Harry's lips left his lovers briefly, and he panted one word. "Yes..." He whispered. Fen growled again, and thrust into him- hard.

"Such a good little bitch...all mine..." Fen grabbed his neck, holding it tight. Harry gasped, his breathing cut off. Fuck, the man's hands felt good around his throat. His breathing shortened, and he knew he was going to cum soon. They had played these games before- the choking- they never got old. Pretending to get knocked up...always seemed so naughty.

"Yours." Harry rasped. "Make me your bitch, Fen." Harry whispered. "Knock me up. Give me cubs."

Fen's eyes darkened, and his kissed Harry hard, their teeth clacking with the force, his tongue practically fucking Harry's mouth. Harry felt the man's thrusts deepen, and they came, holding onto each other tightly. Harry could feel the man cumming inside him, and he could hear Fen grunt, his thrusts becoming shallow.

"...oh...Fen...it feels so good." Harry groaned, wriggling, feeling the man withdraw, his cum dribbling out of his hole. Fen rolled off of him, sweaty and panting. Harry laid there, staring up at the trees above them, hand coming down to rest on his stomach.

Fen glanced his way, looking amused. "You really would be knocked up if you hadn't cast that spell..."

"Shh...let me pretend for a little while longer." Harry said with a sated smile, wriggling against the leaves and dirt. Harry groaned as he rolled into Fen's side, curling on top of him. "God, that was fucking good."

Fen chuckled, reaching down to run a hand over Harry's hip. The marks there were still bleeding a bit. He brought up his hand, licking his fingers, tasting the other boy's blood. Harry watched him do this with hooded eyes. Normally, with any other person, he would have been squicked out, but with Fen it was different.

"One day, you're going to make a good wife for somebody."

Harry glared at Fen playfully, swatting his arm. "Not you?"

"Oh...you'll certainly be my Bitch. Wife...not so sure about that. Can't get married legally. But...you can still have my cubs." Fen gave him a fond look. "One day...when you're ready."

Harry sighed happily, kissing his lover. "One day."

They laid there in silence for a while, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking, listening to the trees and the birds around them.

"We're going to have to move camp again. We can't get caught." Fen said quietly, breaking the silence a little while later. "I'm not giving up my pack for that asshole."

"I'll talk to him. I've heard a few things about what he's been doing lately. None of it's in the papers- I've even got Hermione looking up legislation. What he did can't be legal."

"The hell it isn't. Those cubs were underage, and never did anything to nobody. Legally, they were only supposed to be registered with the Ministry and taken to custody at St. Mungo's- but I'm not about to do that."

"I know. Living in a hospital is no life for a cub."

Fen sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I've got property...but I can't get in. It was all warded after my Mother died."

Harry blinked, sitting up as well. He started to put his shirt back together, the cuts on his hip healing. "Property? You own it? I thought werewolves couldn't inherit such property."

"Well, there wasn't anybody else to take it." Fen muttered. "And it's just sitting there. While I don't have the deed according to the Ministry, that doesn't keep the Goblins from recognizing it. The thing is, I can't get in the property, and I can't get to Gringott's without being recognized...do you think you could help?"

Harry raised a brow. "How?"

"...I'd sign the Estate over to you. Legally, it's allowed. That way you'll have access to the property and the vaults. I...the pack would appreciate having a place to stay when we're recooperating. We can't afford to lose any more, rabbit."

Harry sighed. "Alright. I'll do it. Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I've gone through every other option. I don't want to leave the country again, and...well, I figure if we have a place to stay during the winter, it might help. If we hid under, say, the Fidelis, we wouldn't ever be found."

"Okay. We'll work out a plan- it might be a bit tricky, and we'll have to pay off the goblins to hide the ministry paperwork under a mountain of other crap, but I think we can manage it."

Fen grinned. "Good rabbit." The man ruffled Harry's hair, making him stick out his tongue. "I knew you were good for something else besides fucking."

Harry laughed at this.

x-x-x

Harry was exhausted after returning from his time with the pack. He'd spent a lot of time talking to the others and trading stories with them. Fen had taken him to where the others had been killed, and Harry collected what evidence he could get. If he was going to accuse Scrimengour of something, might as well have proof of it.

Harry contacted his Estate manager so that they could quietly get Fen's Estate sorted out. Before they knew it, the pack was moving into the old abandoned house, and Harry was erecting new wards. There was plenty of land for them to run on. While the house itself was a bit cramped, it was safe- and that was what was needed. Harry kept the gold- Fen refused to take it, said he didn't need it. Harry knew better, though, and quietly ordered some supplies for the pack, and arranged for it to be sent a little bit at a time after he left.

Harry had seen a new side to Fen that week. He'd been quiet, more doting to the youngest members of the pack. It was almost domestic, really. Harry could really imagine how the man would be with his own kids.

He and Fen had a few private moments together, quick and hurried, and not as private as they would have liked. But Harry could see that the man was treating him differently now.

Harry's lips were still warmed from Fen's needy kisses- their last rendevous in the Shrieking shack still had Harry needy and wanting, and he desperately needed a shower. He snuck into the school using a side-passage, and managed to get cleaned up in his room.

The staff members had been aware of his absence for the last week- he had told them that he had been staying with Hermione and her parents. More lies. As Harry took his shower, he wondered how much longer he would lie about his and Fen's relationship. People wouldn't understand.

Harry decided to have a talk with Scrimengour, however, before he got caught up with goings on at Hogwarts. There was only a few days left until term began. He took his shower and dressed to impress. He wore a cream colored shirt with grey blue trousers and a matching robe, braiding his long hair back.

He apparated to the Ministry, arriving in short order to the Atrium. People parted as he passed the crowds. He smiled and shook hands with those who dared approach him. People whispered in his wake, wondering why THE Harry Potter had graced their precense.

Harry headed to the Minister's office, raising a brow as he approached the Minister's secretary. The young woman looked rather busy with paperwork. He cleared his throat. "Ahem."

The young woman looked up, eyes widening as she saw him. "Mr. Potter!" She gasped.

"Hello. I'd like to meet with the Minister, please. Is he in?"

"Well...yes, but he's in a very important meeting right now..." The woman stammered, looking to the door to her right. Harry followed her gaze, and stepped towards the door.

"I only wanted to talk to him for a moment. I'm sure I won't be a bother-" Harry said sweetly. He opened the door, with the Secretary on his heels.

"Minister, Mr. Potter is here to see you..." She trailed off as the two of them stopped short in the doorway.

Scrimengour and several other men seemed to be straightening out their clothes while a woman was huddled on the couch, her clothes in a dissaray. Harry raised a brow at this.

Scrimengour cleared his throat, looking strained. "Mr. Potter! I didn't know you would be coming by today!"

"Spur of the moment decision." Harry said quietly, eyes falling to the woman. She was grabbing her cloak now, keeping her face hidden by her long blonde hair.

"Yes...well...ah, Jenny, you can go now."

The secretary left hurriedly, closing the door behind her.

The Minister approached Harry, motioning to the three other men with him. "This is Mr. Hart, Mr. Waite, and Mr. Mallory."

Harry smiled at them, but did not offer his hands. He noticed that they wore similar uniforms to Aurors, but there was a different crest on their chests. Scrimengour saw him looking. "Ah, these men are a special division of the Auror forces. Now, I suppose the Headmaster told you that I wanted to see you?"

Harry blinked. "...Ah, no, actually. But...the Headmaster has enough going on at the moment, I'm sure he really shouldn't be playing secretary to me." He looked to the men, wondering if they were the ones who had slaughtered those children. They moved back to their spots by the doors and windows- guards, he supposed.

He looked to the woman who was now pulling up her hood on her cloak.

"And who is this?"

The woman stood, and Harry recognized her as her face was bared. Lady Malfoy. She looked...very troubled. And very much ashamed. What was going on here?

"Mr. Potter, this is Lady Malfoy. We...were having a discussion. Lady Malfoy, I will contact you shortly." The Minister said, dismissing her.

Harry frowned, watching her lower her gaze to him, bowing her head slightly to him. He could feel her magic- it was rich, dark, extremely powerful. What was she doing here? What had those men been doing to her?

"It is nice to meet you, Lady Malfoy. I wish we could have met properly, under better circumstances." Harry said, and took her hand, bringing it up briefly to his mouth. She was scared. Frightened. He let out a pulse of his own magic, as if to calm her. She sighed, a small smile flitting about her lips.

"Perhaps for tea, Lord Potter." The woman said quietly. "I must be going. Have a good afternoon, Minister." She said, and left the room, skirts billowing behind her.

Harry turned to the Minister, watching the man's expression. It was completely blank, but he could practically feel his nervousness. Strangely, the darkness was still within the room, but it was much weaker now that Lady Malfoy had left...Harry's eyes narrowed as he realised something. Something he hadn't expected at all.

Scrimengour was a Dark Magic user.

Oh, he wasn't Dark, exactly- but Harry could tell that the man had practiced Dark magic intermittenly for some time now. Talk about a hypocrite.

Scrimengour moved to sit behind his large desk, bringing out a fancy box. "Cigar?"

Harry blinked. "No. Thank you for the offer." He sat down, watching the man light up a Cigar, and settle into his chair.

Scrimengour was certainly like a lion, with his wild mane of hair and heavy brows- he even moved like one. Graceful, powerfully built. If Harry didn't hate him so much, he would have thought the man attractive. Still, his magic was weak and brittle, and Harry got the feeling it wasn't quite in control. This man lost his temper easily, he read. He would need to be careful.

"So, I wanted to speak to you about a possible cooperation between the two of us- you, the Boy Who Lived, and the Ministry. Your name goes pretty far around here, even internationally. I feel as though we could really make a difference if we worked together."

"Hmm."

"Even if you wouldn't lend me your support during the election, I still respected your neutrality. Now that I'm Minister, I have the power to change legislation and such. From what I understand, you are eligible to take your Wizengamot seat once you have graduated Hogwarts, correct?"

"Seats." Harry corrected. "I have three." Although he controlled many more through the Dark.

"...Oh." Scrimengour blinked. "I thought there was only the one?"

"I inherited the Black Estate with my Godfather's death. I inherited the Selwyn Estate through Right-of-Conquest."

"...I see." Scrimengour puffed his cigar, looking a bit nervous now.

"Of course, until Draco Malfoy becomes Heir, I indirectly control the Malfoy Estate as well. Not that I've done much influencing with them, yet. I figured Narcissa would be smart enough to make her own decisions." Harry's eyes glinted, watching the man pale. "But that is not why I am here."

"...I suppose you want to talk about our Auror Department? I've spoken with Auror Tonks, Shacklebolt, and Moody, and they all agreed that you would be prime Auror Material, should you wish to enter training after finishing up at Hogwarts."

"...I will have to thank them for that. Actually, I have decided to not become an Auror. You see, I lost my taste for fighting after Voldemort died...I've lost far too many people in my life, and I really don't care to lose any more." Harry said, leaning back in his seat.

"...Well, I am sure you would be welcome in any of the Ministry's departments, provided you make the grades and such-"

"Actually, I don't want to be affiliated with the Ministry in any way, with the way it's been working these past few years."

Scrimengour straightened in his seat, frowning. "I know Fudge wasn't the best Minister, but-"

"I'm not just talking about Fudge. What he did compares to child's play to what you are currently doing. Are you intending to start another war?" Harry asked, his voice becoming deadly.

"Another war? What are you talking about-"

"You and your men are specifically targeting werewolves and slaughtering them just after the full moon, when they are at their weakest. From what I understand, the children didn't even have time to wake up. Nine children and three women were killed. Not only were the women murdered, but they were raped as well. What's more, you didn't even bother to hide the bodies, you just left them for the rest of their pack to find."

Scrimengour's jaw dropped. "That's classified information, how-"

Harry stood, leaning forward on the man's desk. "So you admit to it, then?" Harry asked, furious.

"No! You have no proof!"

"Wrong. I do have proof. What I want to know is why you intend to piss off so many people? People are getting thrown into Azkaban without even getting trials, and I know that is definitely illegal-"

"They were Dark witches and wizards- we had proof that they had Dark artifacts on their person, or had recently cast Dark magic. And those children had been werewolves, they needed to be put down-"

"WRONG." Harry growled. Scrimengour's wine bottles and glasses rattled on a nearby shelf. The man shrank back into his seat. There was a fire in Harry's eyes that not many people saw.

"Legally, children who have been infected with lycanthropy are to be taken to St. Mungo's for observation, and then registered. Not killed. They are not monsters- they are children! All of them had been muggles, so they didn't even have magic to defend themselves!"

"They were Greyback's pack, Potter, even you have to know how dangerous that man is-"

"Yes, I am aware. He was Remus Lupin's sire."

At the name, Scrimengour paled a bit, reminded of how close Harry had been to the man.

"Greyback purposefully attacks children, turning them! His pack has grown exponentially in the past twenty years-"

"Tell me, Minister, when was the last time there was a werewolf attack on a person?" Harry asked, smirking.

Scrimengour looked flummoxed at the question. Harry answered it for him. "There has not been one werewolf attack on a person in over a year, almost since Voldemort's death. Not here, not even abroad. Explain that-"

Scrimengour stood, glaring at Harry. "What is the point of this little speech, Mr. Potter? Is it to piss me off and prove how much of a brat you are? I can make your life very hard for you, you know."

Harry laughed at this. "I sincerely doubt it! I can make your life very hard for you, Minister. Should I tell everyone what exactly you've been doing? I'm sure if I did a bit more digging I could find all sorts of skeletons in your closet." Harry paused, giving the man a chilling grin. "Including the little fact that you practice Dark magic yourself!"

Scrimengour's eyes widened. "...I've never...I'm not Dark!"

"I didn't say that. There is a big difference between being Dark and practicing Dark magic. I can practically smell it on you." Harry sneered, his voice low. "You're such a fucking hypocrite! Now get your fucking act together! If you're going to be Minister of Magic, you better get your shit straight! The UK was already a laughing stock with Fudge around, don't make it any worse! If you arrest people, give them a trial! Stop killing defenseless children! If you don't, I'll go to the press with your dirty little secret." Harry hissed, and started to walk out.

"You can't do that..." The man said uncertainly.

"Watch me." Harry murmured, and opened the door. And then loudly, he said. "And if I ever hear that you or your men rape another woman again, I'll personally report you to Moody. I hear he likes to use some pretty nasty curses on rapists." And he slammed the door.

Harry looked to the young secretary who sat nearby, gaping at him. Harry gave her a slight bow of his head, and headed out to the elevators, whistling.

x-x-x

The following day, Harry was in Malfoy Manor, on invitation for tea. Lady Malfoy had written him not long after he'd gotten back from the Ministry. The letter had been rather formal and distant, but he was sure that the woman desperately wanted to meet him. And he certainly wanted to know what had been going on with her.

The reception room was rather fancy and grand looking- as expected, for the Malfoy family. Lady Malfoy stood there, looking resplindent in dusky rose colored robes, her hair pinned up elaborately.

"Lord Potter-Black-Selwyn." She greeted formally, giving a slight cursty and a bow of her head.

Harry's smile widened at her greeting. She had done her research- most people weren't aware of the other titles yet, so she must have looked in all the right places.

"Lady Malfoy." Harry greeted, bowing respectfully to her. "Thank you for inviting me into your home."

The woman gave him an approving look. "Shall we have tea in the garden? The weather is rather good today."

Harry nodded, and the woman led him through the house. Harry saw all of the portraits watching him carefully. The entire house had rich tapestries, marble floors, elborate paintings- it was so ostentacious, it was as nearly as bad as the ICW HQ. They made their way to the gardens, and Harry smiled at the picturesque view. Beautiful flowers, all in bloom, surrounded the patio. There sat tea on a table set for two, undoubtedly prepared by the Malfoy elves. A shade shielded them from the bright sun shining above them, but still allowed them to look around at the garden around them. Was...that a white albino peacock off in the distance?

Harry held out his chair for Lady Malfoy, allowing her to sit first. He sat across from her, and smiled as he looked at the tea set out for the two of them.

"Thank you for coming here today, Lord Potter-Black-Selwyn. There are quite a few things we need to discuss." The woman said airily, but her eyes were all business.

Harry looked at her intently. "Yes...I have a few questions of my own. And please, call me Harry. If that makes you uncomfortable, just stick to Lord Potter, if you like. People are still largely unaware of my other...status'."

She nodded at this, understanding why. "Of course, My Lord."

Harry sighed mentally, but did not say anything. "So...what would you like to speak about?"

Lady Malfoy looked down. "My husband, as you know, was a Deatheater. He was Dark, as am I, as is our son. I am sure you were already aware of this, My Lord."

Harry nodded.

"I am...aware that you have already made great contributions to the Dark. I know who truly owns those buildings in Knockturne, and I know that those rental fees should be much higher for what people are paying you." She said demurely, eyes glittering.

Harry grinned at this. "Just helping in my own way."

"Well, it is working. In addition to this, you've made a significant outreach to the international werewolf population, and have managed to keep a good control over them. Something that even the Dark Lord-ahem, Lord Voldemort or any other Dark Lord haven't been able to do. There are some speculations to how you did this...but the werewolves aren't talking."

Harry started to prepare his tea, listening to her. He knew how it had happened- Fenrir was a big part of that.

"Fenrir Greyback and his pack are...invaluable to their cause."

Lady Malfoy tilted her head a bit. "You meet with them regularly, don't you?"

Harry didn't reply to that, wondering how she'd known. She just smiled.

"Then you probably know of what has been happening since Scrimengour has come into office."

"Yes. The arrests. The killings. Fen's pack..." Harry blushed at her expression. "Greyback's cubs were slaughtered just this past full moon. Didn't have a chance to defend themselves- Scrimengours men killed them while they slept off the full moon, raped the women, and killed them as well. I saw the bodies myself. It was..." Harry lowered his eyes in rememberance. "It was awful. Even when Voldemort was around, I'd never seen anything so terrible."

Lady Malfoy reached over, taking his hand. "I know this is affecting you, My Lord, but...you could do something about it, I know you could."

Harry smiled. "I did. That was why I went to Scrimengour's office yesterday. Let's just say he will be changing his policies very soon."

The woman's eyes brightened. "What did you do, My Lord?" She asked, looking almost gleeful.

"Blackmailed him and threatened him. If he doesn't change his ways, I'm going to the papers about everything." He paused, leaning forward. "The most surprising news I learned was that he is a Dark magic user. Were you aware of this?"

The attractive woman's face twisted in anger. "No." She closed her eyes, turning away. "That awful man...arresting and threatening others for casting the very same magic he does..."

"He's a hypocrite. I figure give him a couple of months. I sort of...had the door open on my way out when I warned him about raping women. Told him I'd report him to Moody. His secretary and a fair few others in the office heard it all. No doubt the news is milling about the Ministry already."

Lady Malfoy was smiling now, eyes glittering with joy. "Thank you, My Lord. That man became a nuisance some time ago, but it was mostly ignored by his superiors because of his favorable arrest rate... with him becoming Minister, he became even more demanding..." She paused, voice faltering. "There are...a few of us whose husbands have been sent to Azkaban, my Lord, that are in no position to argue."

Harry's eyes hardened. "He hurt you."

"And others." She added quickly. "In exchange for not arresting us and taking our children away from us. Our husbands, of course, were arrested, or forced to pay exorbandant amounts of money to his men...those of who would not comply would find themselves chucked into Azkaban."

"Well, Scrimengour will be giving everyone a fair trial. If I have to, I'll get the ICW and Dumbledore involved. Keep gathering evidence against him. I haven't told the Headmaster yet, but I will be if the man doesn't make an announcement soon. He will pay, we just have to time it right. If that means locking him up in Azkaban with serial rapists, so be it."

"Thank you, My Lord." Narcissa said, looking very pleased, and looking forward to what Harry had planned.

"Enough of this...I truly wish we could have met under better circumstances. On to other topics! I understand that you are on the St. Mungo's Board of Trustees?"

x-x-x

Harry stood by the window, watching all the prefects enter the compartment and sit down in their spots. He'd just spent the last half hour helping firsties get settled into their seats on the train, and valiantly ignoring gossip mongers. Now all of the prefects would be getting together for their very first meeting of the year. Hermione, being a prefect previously, knew how these things were run. She would control the meeting, and Harry would speak when she needed him to. For now, he was just watching everyone.

All of the prefects had been in DA meetings previously, so he knew everyone there. He saw Malfoy enter the compartment with Parkinson on his arm. The two boys shared a respectful nod, and Malfoy sat down. Harry was brought back to his 'tea' with Lady Malfoy just a few days earlier. Needless to say, the woman would never have to carry out sexual favors for Scrimengour again to keep herself or her son from getting arrested. Scrimengour's sudden announcement that trials would be available to those he'd recently had arrested were welcome admidst the Dark. The man hadn't done anything for Fen's pack, but Harry was sure the man wouldn't make that mistake again.

Harry wore black trousers and a plum colored button down shirt, his black robes hanging open. He did not wear his Gryffindor robes- he had decided not to wear them this year. He doubted anyone would comment. He was Head Boy now, and he needed to represent all four houses, not just one. Hermione agreed to this thought, and wore plain black robes over her navy blue dress.

"I hope everyone had a good summer?" Harry asked, watching the last few come in. Hermione glanced at her watch, and picked up her clipboard. There were nods and murmurs of a agreement, and Malfoy spoke up with a cheeky grin.

"Not as good as you, eh Potter?"

There was laughter at this, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle as well. He wasn't embarrassed. Not anymore. "Alright guys. Let's get this meeting started. Hermione?"

Hermione grinned, spoke. "Welcome everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts!" She exclaimed, sounding excited. "Now, as you guessed, Harry and I are Head Boy and Head Girl this year-" There was some clapping at this. "Now, we've planned some fun activities for the students this year, so all of us can get together socially outside of classes-" Lots of people perked up at this. "But first, let's go over the Prefect handbook." Their were audible sighs as Hermione took out the book.

Half an hour later, Harry could tell people were getting restless.

"Hermione, I think we're good on the rules. Now, let's talk about how we're going to make the firsties feel welcome this year. If you guys have noticed, we have more than usual, so they're going to be a handful to look after. But if we all work together, we'll work it out. Now, Hermione and I figured that the first years might find maps useful for their first couple of weeks. We put this together, so when all of you meet the firsties tonight and tomorrow, please hand them your copies."

Hermione handed out copies of a map- it looked similar to the Maurader's map, except it didn't show anyone else- it just showed the location of the owner on the map, so that the student could figure out where they were. The map had been Harry's idea, but Hermione had improved upon it.

"Also, we've come up with a schedule for study groups for the lower years." Hermione said, holding out a chart. "Now, these study groups are really for the first years, but everyone is invited. It will mostly be bookwork and things, to help them out on their Essays. We would like for all of you, if you would like, to volunteer at least one of these study group sessions. They will be held in one of the private rooms just outside the library. The chart will be posted on the door, so students will be able to see the schedule. We've arranged it so that it won't conflict with Quidditch practices."

Harry handed the chart out, watching everyone look over the chart, some of them signing up to volunteer.

He spoke up. "Now, for the social stuff- Hermione and I've planned for a couple of parties this term, and a couple more next term. These will include all years. This fall, we've got a Bonfire by the lake planned; a costume party, and a sleepover in the Great Hall-"

"A sleepover? Isn't that a little childish?" Padma interrupted.

Malfoy spoke up, smirking. "Some sleepovers are quite fun." He waggled his eyebrows. Parkinson rolled her eyes at this.

Hermione sighed. "It's not like that...these things will be supervised, after all."

"But...our sort of parties will still continue after the DA meetings, right?" Smith asked, leering at Moon. The two of them had gotten rather hot and heavy last term during the parties.

Hermione blushed. "Yes. They will."

"Good. I've got some of the twin's new stuff I want to try out." Someone muttered as everyone else started whispering excitedly.

Harry resisted the urge to smack somebody. "Just remember, whatever happens at those parties stay at those parties. Keep it safe- if you're pressured to do something you don't want to, tell somebody. I know I wouldn't think any differently of you."

Hermione cleared her throat, looking desperate to change the subject. "Now- Let's talk about Patrols!"

x-x-x

Hermione sat at Harry's side at the Gryffindor table, watching the other first years get Sorted. Harry noted Ron had been glaring at the two of them throughout the meal.

Oh Ron. The red head had pretty much stayed away from them after their fight the previous year, but as Harry feared, his becoming Head Boy would make Ron's jealousy come out again. After all, Ron had wanted to be Head Boy. Harry couldn't feel guilty or anything, hell, he was actually pleased that he'd gotten the job. Was he becoming callous? Perhaps.

He clapped as they welcomed another first year to the table. He glanced up at the staff table, and Hermione saw him looking.

"The Headmaster looks...really tired. Is he okay?" Hermione asked carefully, whispering to him once the clapping died down.

Harry could tell that some of the other students were noticing it too. "He's getting old, Hermione. You know how it is."

The girl looked a bit worried at this, but nodded. Harry's eyes scanned to the other teachers. Snape was watching the first years intently, as if sizing them up. Probably trying to figure out who was the weakest, so as to know who he would make cry first in class. Harry snickered a bit at the thought, and Snape's eyes flicked to him, as if knowing he'd been watching him.

Harry bit his lip, trying to keep from snickering any longer. Snape rose a brow, and Harry smirked openly.

x-x-x

And so classes began. The first week was insanely hectic, and Harry found himself hounded constantly by students. The DA wouldn't be starting up for the following week, but people kept asking about it anyways. Classes were as tough as ever, especcially since the teachers kept lecturing about the importance of the NEWT exams. Harry could tell this was going to be like fifth year, but much worse.

Late on the first Friday evening, Harry was in his quarters, catching up on his homework and penning letters. He'd just finished a letter to Zuri, but hadn't sent it off yet, waiting for the ink to dry. He switched to working on his transfiguration essay- McGonagall said that they would FINALLY be starting the animagus spell soon, but there was a lot of theory work involved. And not everyone would be capable of it, she warned, but Harry really, really wanted to try it anyways.

He sat on the floor in front of the worktable by the fireplace, papers spread all about. He wore his pajama pants and his robe, but was otherwise undressed. Normally, he wouldn't even bother with the robe when he was alone, but students had a tendency to...

He sighed as he heard a knock at his door. He set his quill aside, and stood. He tied the sash on his robe, and headed for the door. He opened it, stopping short as he saw a first year Slytherin looking a bit guilty, clutching his book to her chest. Snape was at her side, looking pissed.

"I found this little miscreant outside your quarters. Miss Warren, get what you came for and go back to the dorms. It is far after curfew."

Oh boy...just great. Harry opened his door a bit further in invitation, and the girl shrank a little. "...I'm sorry, Mr. Potter...maybe I should wait..." She whispered. "...I didn't really come for an autograph, this isn't even my copy."

Harry blinked, and let the two in. "Sorry for all the paperwork- I was working on some assignments. Would you like some tea, er Miss Warren, is it?"

She nodded quickly, still clutching the book to her chest. Harry called for Dobby to get some tea, watching the girl sit down on his sofa. Snape stood by the fireplace, arms crossed over his chest. Harry looked back to the girl. She had mousy brown hair and brown eyes, and was rather pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way.

"So, how can I help you?" Harry asked, and the girl suddenly started to cry.

Harry sat there for a moment. Homesick firsties wasn't a new thing for him- he'd been dealing with them all week. But still, he wasn't sure as to what to do. "Hey...it's alright. Are you homesick?" He asked, voice softer, leaning in a bit.

"No!" She cried, her voice muffled as she hid her face behind the book. Her shoulders were shaking, and she was gripping the book so tightly that her fingers were going white. "I-I-I came here to t-talk about...about you what you went through. With those muggles. I-is it true that they hurt you?" She whispered, tearful dark eyes peeking at him above the edge of the book.

Harry was taken aback by this. He glanced to Snape, who was looking about the room, looking disinterested. Harry knew better, though.

"Yes. They did." Harry said simply, leaning forward, elbows to knees. "Why did you want to know?"

She sniffled. "My Dad...he..."

Harry could feel Snape's attention zoom in on them instantly, and Harry stiffened. "Yes?"

"He hurt me. I-I'm so scared...I-I don't know what to do. I...I didn't know if anyone would believe me...I-I thought...maybe you could help?" She asked, tears falling from her eyes.

Harry glanced to the Professor, who was approaching her side, looking worried. "Miss Warren, as your Head of House, I can help you in a number of ways. We can report this to the Headmaster, and to the Ministery-"

"No! I don't want anyone to know! I-It's so embarrassing!" She cried, hiding her face again. "For the longest time...I...I thought it was okay...what he did. Because I needed to be punished. B-But now I know it's wrong, and..."

Harry and Snape exchanged a dark look, and Harry gently placed a hand over hers, lowering the book. Their gazes met, and Harry gave the girl a small smile. "You are very brave for coming here to talk to us...I know when I was your age...I was too scared to tell anyone."

"...But you're Harry Potter. You don't get scared..." She whispered.

Harry laughed a little. "I get scared all the time." He held her hand, still smiling, although inside he was raging, and worried for her. "Can you tell us what happened?"

It was nearly 4am before the girl stopped crying, and had fallen asleep in Harry's lap. She was curled up against his chest, teartracks on her face. Snape sat next to the two of them, and both men were drained and exhausted.

"Tomorrow-Today is going to suck." Harry murmured, closing his eyes. "Good thing it's Saturday. When do you think we can convince her to go to the hospital wing to get checked out?"

"I'm hoping today." Snape murmured, rubbing his temple absently. "The sooner we get her there, the better. I need to report this. What her Father did was..."

"Yeah." Harry whispered, opening his eyes. "He abused her...and she still loves him, despite all that. I just...can't imagine what that's like."

Snape turned his head a bit, frowning. "But...the muggles?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I never really considered them family. There may have been a point, up until I was about six or seven, that I'd hope to...earn my place with them, but...once I figured out that I would never fit in with them, I just...stopped caring. Stopped trying." Harry's voice broke. "Maybe that's why I want my own family so badly. I...I've always wanted one...it's just...the ones I had never really cared for me. I...used to wonder if something was wrong with me, why people hated me so much..." He sighed roughly.

"But you know better now." Snape said, smirking a bit. "The amount of fanmail you get can certainly assure you that you are...cared for."

Harry rolled his eyes again. "Oh come on, sir, you know those fans don't really get me, don't really know me."

"There are your friends...and your lovers."

They shared a glance, and Harry averted his eyes, blushing a bit. The way that the man had said that word...

"I suppose they care about me...in their own ways." Harry conceded. He thought of Fen and Zuri, and smiled a bit. "Although a bit unconvential, I am happy with having more than one lover. They...are so different from one another, and...what they give me...fufills me in such ways that I couldn't possibly describe." Harry whispered.

"It's just sex." Snape muttered. "I think you're confusing yourself, Potter. Lust and Love are not the same things."

Harry turned to stare at the man, mind reeling from the fact that the man had just said 'sex'. And then the rest of his sentence caught up.

Harry looked away. He slowly shifted the girl off of his lap, lying her down on the sofa. Snape stood as well. Harry summoned a blanket, while Snape took off her shoes. Harry noted this with a smile, covering the girl up. They moved away from her, and Harry looked to the Professor.

"Sir...I am well aware of the differences between Lust and Love." He said heatedly. "If I wanted Lust, I could approach any of my fans, any of the older students here. What I get from Zuri and Fen-"

"Fen?" The man asked abruptly, eyes wide. "Fenrir Greyback?"

Harry cursed, wanting to smack himself. He turned away, and Snape grabbed his upper arm, whipping Harry around, looking worried. "You've been sleeping with a werewolf?" He hissed. "Please tell me you've been safe- they are notoriously loose, and-"

Harry blinked, taking a step back, but the man did not let go of his arm- his grip tightened. "We've been safe!" Harry hissed back. He glanced warningly to the sleeping girl on the sofa. He flicked his wrist, raising a silencing spell around the two of them. "I'm not stupid."

"I think you are! Greyback is a murderer, he bites children on purpose, how could you sleep with him-"

Harry cut him off. "Look, it just started off as fucking around. I wanted what he had to offer. If you knew him, knew his reasons for the kids-"

"Well, I'd certainly like to know!"

Harry scowled, shoving at the man's chest, but Snape held fast, looking determined. Harry suddenly became aware that he was backed up against the wall.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Harry growled, and he instantly knew that was the wrong thing to say. Snape's eyes burned with anger, and before either of them knew it, Snape had grabbed him by the hair with his other hand, yanking at it roughly.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?"

Harry's breath hitched, and his heart hammered in his chest. "I don't have to explain myself to you." He breathed, daringly, suddenly wanting to defy the man. The way that the man's grip on him hurt, it burned, and-

His head was shoved back into the wall roughly, and Snape trapped him, placing his arms on either side of Harry's head. "Just because you are the Dark Lord does NOT mean I respect you. If you think you are above the rules, above getting hurt, above us...lowly mortals, think again. I've known you for a long time, Potter, I know exactly what you are like- unlike other people, I've been in your head." Snape growled, and Harry's eyes were drawn to the man's lips. Their faces were so close... if he just moved...

"That's what I've always liked about you." Harry whispered, eyes closing, a small smile upon his lips. "You aren't afraid, you-" His words were cut off by a hand at his throat, and his eyes opened.

"Aren't you listening to me?" Snape hissed into his ear, lips brushing against his earlobe. "Get the fuck over yourself. You aren't superhuman. You cry, eat, and shit just like the rest of us. You might have power, yes, but you're still a fucking child. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Then tell me." Harry whispered throatily. "Because I would really like to know."

Snape's breathing was hard and rough, his chest pressing against Harry's. Harry fought the urge to arch up against him- the man's power was surging. Harry felt as though Snape was going to lose control any moment, and he couldn't wait!

"People's lives are in your hands. People depend on you. You can't be irresponsible with this, you can't just fuck around- What makes Greyback any different than any other man out there?"

Harry sighed, hand reaching up to rest upon the hand that was around his throat. Snape's hand tightened. "He was unafraid too...like you. He wanted me, even with all the risks. I wanted him, because...I knew he could do what I needed." Their heads turned slightly, and their eyes met. "He was unafraid to hurt me. He was unafraid to take control. He didn't care that I was powerful. He loves hurting me, and I love it when he does. He doesn't hold back, and when he does that, I don't have to either."

Snape was staring at him, mouth slightly open, jaw slack. Harry could tell the man wanted him. But he wanted Snape to make the first move.

"You submit to him. You are a masochist." The man said in realization.

Harry closed his eyes, smiling. "Yes. It...reminds me...that I can't always be in control. It helps me with my balance. The pain reminds me I can still hurt, just like everyone else. I was a masochist far before I became the Dark Lord. That aspect of me has never changed. It's only been amplified."

"And...this Zuri? What can he offer you?"

Harry smiled again. "Control, but in a different way. Zuri is very gentle normally, a pacifist, but when he finally lets go..." The hand about his neck loosened, and flattened upon his chest, pressing over his sternum firmly. "He taught me to...not be so serious...that sex wasn't always about fucking, but...the journey there could be just as tortuous. I fell for him...hard and fast. I fell for Fen too. They...understand. They know that they offer me different things, things that they couldn't offer me just on their own."

Harry looked into Snape's eyes. "There's a reason why I'm not drawn to any of the students...sir. They just don't have that power over me. They would be too...nervous to do such a thing. I'm not interested in having nervous lovers...I want someone who knows what they want, who knows what they are doing. Someone I can trust in all aspects of my life. Someone who isn't afraid."

Snape closed his eyes, shuddering just a bit. "Why are you telling me all this?" He finally whispered.

Harry leant forward a bit, cheek brushing up against the man's. "Why do you think?"

Snape let go of him instantly, taking a step back. Harry still leant against the wall, not trusting himself to stand properly. Snape shook his head, frowning.

"Impossible. It can not happen. It will not happen. I'm not like other men, Potter. You can't just win me over with a bat of an eyelash, of whispered words- if I am to be with someone, I want it to be for a lifetime, not just...a fling."

Harry smiled. "I don't either. Do you honestly believe I'd trust Zuri and Fen to do such things if I didn't want them in my life permanently in some capcity or another?"

"I...must go. This talk is over. You are my student, and whatever this is, is illegal." Snape hissed. He went to the sofa, and silently picked up the sleeping girl. "I'm taking her back to the dorms before everyone wakes." Harry stared at the Professor who so carefully cradled the girl in his arms, feeling...shocked, pleased...and completely turned on.

x-x-x

The next time Harry saw the professor, it was later on that evening. Harry was sitting by the lake, by himself, staring up at the darkening sky. He'd spent most of the day alone, working, but his thoughts had been on what had happened earlier. He'd seen Miss Warren briefly in the Great Hall, and she had given him a small wave of her fingers- he knew Snape had somehow convinced her to go to the hospital wing. He didn't know how, but he did. That was probably the highlight of his day.

"Potter. It's after curfew." Snape announced.

Harry didn't turn around.

"No wonder you're constantly breaking all the rules. You're a glutton for punishment."

Harry let out a little laugh at this, feeling as though he was going to cry. "Hermione says the same thing, sir." He sighed roughly, running a hand over his face. "...I'm sorry, about earlier. I...was out of line. I'm totally fucked up, aren't I?"

"Yes. You are." Snape said, not moving from his place behind Harry.

Harry glanced over his shoulder to see the man staring at the lake before them, arms crossed over his chest. His face was completely blank, but Harry could feel his magic just simmering under the surface.

Harry stood, brushing the leaves from his robes. "Anyways...I'm Head Boy. I'm allowed to be out after curfew now...patrols, remember?"

"Didn't look like you were doing patrols to me." Snape quipped, still staring at the lake. Harry could tell that the man didn't want to look at him.

"Sir..."

"We're not going to talk about this again." Snape interrupted. "You are my student. Even if you are of age, it is still illegal for us to do...anything. Not that I would want to. You're foolish and brash, and you jump into things headfirst without any concern for your safety and the safety of others. You make idiotic decisions, and are far too forward for my tastes. You are frivolous, inane, needy, and too stubborn for your own good. Despite all of your power, despite your burgeouning political clout, despite your...not too horrible looks...I will never want to be with you."

Harry's breath hitched. That hurt.

"Fine." Harry whispered, lowering his eyes. "I understand."

"Good." Snape muttered quietly, gaze never leaving the lake. "We will maintain a professional relationship only. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Harry whispered, his eyes burning. No one had rejected him in such a way before. It hurt so much. It hurt him in a way that he'd never been hurt before. It couldn't compare to any beating, to any cruciatus curse, to...anything. It hurt so much!

They stood there for a long moment. Harry with his head bowed, trying his best to keep from crying in front of the man, fists clenched at his sides.

Everyone was right.

Snape really was a sadist. A tear rolled down his cheek. And then another.

At this realization, Harry looked up cautiously, and saw the man's eyes on his face, his dark eyes following the tears falling down his cheeks.

That burning desire was still there in his eyes, despite what the rest of his body language said. Perhaps what Snape had said was true. Maybe he was needy and stubborn, maybe he was too forward. But that backhanded compliment about his looks...Snape had noticed his looks.

Harry knew Snape didn't say anything he didn't mean...that damned man always spoke in codes, and Harry knew what the man really meant.

Snape wanted him. Harry knew it. And he knew then why the man did not act. He wanted to force Harry into becoming a better person. What came up the most, however, was how the man had said what could happen between them was illegal...as long as Harry was his student.

He would improve himself, he promised. He would be patient, and...hopefully...Snape would want him when Harry was finished with school. Harry knew that this man was certainly worth the wait. If Snape tried to fight him then...well, would Harry give up? He wasn't sure.

Snape had played him, and had hurt him in a way that no one else could ever hope to do...but God, that mind-fuck felt fucking good.

He smiled, slowly bowing his head to the other man, accepting his challenge. He lowered his eyes in submission.

By the time he straightened back up, Snape was walking away, robes billowing behind him.

X-x-x

NOTES:

Yoga by the lake

Harry/solo stuff- poss. using twins' gear?

HPSS talk about meditation and Occulemncy, and actually discuss magical theory together.

Harry meets with Vamps (Sanguini at Slughorn party)

Harry talks with Firsties.

Letter from Zuri

Harry, Fawkes, and Hedwig hang out together

DA meetings/ socials after older group's meetings.

Bonfire party by the lake

Black out party/ Sleepover

Costume Party

HP travels every Sunday somewhere. It doesn't matter where, but someplace other than the castle. Sometimes to see the pack, sometimes to check up on businesses and properties. Sometimes to just talk to people at the Ministry, or someplace private to write.

x-x-x

Letter with Narcissa- Philanthropy efforts, St. Mungo's. HP invited to St. Mungo's Gala for Yule

Zuri and Harry go to the Gala together, they forget to use contraception. HP discovers he is pregnant near the end of Jan- there is a spell to determine who the father is, and its Zuri's. HP keeps a secret from everyone else,

x-x-x

Hermione and Nott are now have sex, as do most of the other seventh years. Especially at the parties following DA meetings. Swingers, galore, experimenting with homosexuality, bisexuality, curiousness. Harry makes out with a fair few, and a bit more (like Luna), but does not go all the way, even if they do see him nude. He feels as though if he gave himself to any of them, that they would expect things, even if they don't expect things from each other.

x-x-x

Lavender gets pregnant- the first of many in the 'Baby Boom' of the wizarding world. Seamus is the Father.

x-x-x

Harry and DD meet more and more often. DD gives Harry books and things all the time, and he starts to get visibly ill

Hogwarts sleepover in the Great Hall when all four Houses are pranked (1st yrs)

x-x-x

DD dies in early spring. Everyone was sort of expecting it, but the whole wizarding world practically comes to see him. Harry knew before anyone else, because he had a dream in the middle of the night. DD tells him that he is transferring all of his abilities, powers, to HP. As he does so, he realises that HP was the Dark Lord all this time. Because they are temp. Bonded, DD sees Harry's plans and thinks him 'quite clever', but to not go in over his head.

x-x-x

McG becomes Headmistress, Flitwick becomes Deputy, because of Seniority.