Chapter 20

"We should be getting back to the castle." Lupin suggested as he stood up from the grass where he had been lying.

"You go ahead; I think I'll stay here for a while." Harry replied as he folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the sky.

"You shouldn't stay out here all night. You'll catch cold."

"Warming charms." Harry stated as he waved a faintly glowing hand.

"Oh, right." Lupin fumbled, considering just turning around and walking away. But then he remembered that there were several years worth of the boys stored up tears staining his robes and he tried again, trying to remember that the boy was in the end just that: a boy, despite some of the things that he had done.

"You'll be the talk of the school if someone finds you sleeping out here in the morning."

"Let them talk."

Lupin sighed.

"You'll have to explain what happened to Dumbledore."

"Like I won't have to anyway."

"Harry." Lupin stated warningly.

"Alright," Harry conceded as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I'll be up to the castle in a few minutes. I think I left something in the grass when I was running from the Dementors. Go ahead without me and I'll be right behind you."

"Alright. I'll wait for you up at the entrance to let you back in. Although I suppose since you got out the Hogwarts wards seem to favor you even though they shouldn't."

"They favor me, eh?" Harry murmured as he stood up from the grass.

"Well, if I told you that you were stronger than thousand year old wards I worry that your ego will grow so huge it may crush you." Lupin admitted.

"I don't have an ego."

"Oh? Right then." Lupin said as he raised his eyebrows and shrugged, smiling a little. "Well, I'll meet you up at the castle. If you aren't there in fifteen minutes I'm going to notify you as missing to the headmaster and have every professor and all the upper year students searching for you within the hour." Lupin threatened as he began up towards the castle.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind." Harry muttered as he headed in the opposite direction from Pettigrew's body, only turning back after Lupin disappeared behind the wall of the castle.

Harry made his way back to where he left Pettigrew's body and removed the disillusionment charm.

What should I do with you? Might as well get you back to the rat you are, Harry thought as he waved his hand over the body and then reached down to pick up the rat corpse that remained afterwards. He then shrunk the rat down and conjured a small box, sticking the rat in the box and sticking the box in his pocket. Satisfied for the moment he made his way back up to the castle to meet Lupin, who was standing in the courtyard of the school with his hands in his pockets.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked as he turned towards the school and walked with Harry up to the door.

"Yeah, I've got it." Harry said as he watched Lupin wave his wand over the castle door, causing it the spring to life as the complicated locking mechanism began to turn and the door slowly opened.

"Well, I should really get to bed. It's been a long day." Harry said as he stepped through the door and began the long trek across the castle to the dungeons.

"Yeah, alright Harry. We can deal with this in the morning." Lupin called after him.

"Yeah, sure, the morning." Harry muttered, hoping that maybe he could somehow figure out a way to make mornings cease of exist over the course of the night. He really didn't want to make a report to Dumbledore, his parents, and the rest of the Order over his most recent adventure. He was so tired of reporting to the Order.

A few minutes later Harry closed the door of the common room behind him and sighed. It was well after midnight and he had class tomorrow among the other things he had to deal with and he wanted to try and get a bit of rest before it all, since trying to outlaw mornings would only prove to be a waste of the night.

"Where the hell were you?" A voice called out from across the room. Harry looked over to see Malfoy sitting on a sofa in the otherwise deserted common room.

"Are we really going to do this again?" Harry said tiredly as he walked over to the entrance to the boy's dorms.

"Potter, wait." Malfoy demanded more than pleaded.

"Malfoy, I'm tired. I have things that I'll need to deal with tomorrow and I don't have the time or the patience to deal with you right now."

"Why won't you talk to me anymore? We were supposed to be allies, but the Weasley's know you better than I do." Draco whined and Harry closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of him nose. Merlin, I'm turning into Snape.

"Our alliance works off of a series of exchanges. What have you given me recently, besides a few pathetic and incredibly low insults, that would be worthy of me telling you anything?" Harry asked as he leaned up against the doorframe of the dormitory, running a hand tiredly through his hair.

"I told you about my father and Severus talking." Draco tried.

"I already knew Snape and your father gossiped about me. And your gossip wasn't even particularly interesting. And you got me to admit that I know Occulumency and Legilimency in response to that anyway. You'll need something else to cash in."

"But-Isn't there something I can do for you?"

"Sure, Malfoy." Harry sighed as he quickly cast a silencing charm around them. Although the common room was empty and everyone probably fell asleep hours ago, he couldn't be too careful. "But if you do something for me in exchange for information instead of giving me information in exchange for information, you're no longer my ally. You'd be below me. You'd be a servant, a follower, the first of my own personal kind of Death Eaters." Harry walked across the room to where Draco sat and stood before him, causing Draco to rise from the couch instinctively as to not be belittled.

"You'd have to admit that you are in fact, less than me, not the other way around. You have to decide whether you want to be your father or if you want to be Voldemort, and you have to decide right now." Harry leaned forwards forcing Draco to falter a little bit in his stature. "Because I'm not going play games with you anymore. If you want to still be a child then that fine, that's what you are. But if you decide that you're willing to give up all of this foolishness for something greater, whether that is my image of greater or your own, then you're going to decide right now. Make your choice." Harry hissed conclusively in Draco's ear before he turned away from the blond and making for the stairs.

"Wait!" Draco called and Harry turned back to stare expectantly at Draco. "I'll follow you then." Draco said, staring at the ground.

"What?" Harry could not recall a time in his life when he was more surprised than he was right then.

"I will follow you, my Lord." Draco said, finally looking up at Harry.

"Really?" Harry choked at the use of the title.

"I'm never going to be a dark lord myself. But being the first follower of perhaps the most powerful wizard to live in a very long time, that would bring me more power than I could have ever hoped at achieve in a lifetime on my own. I mean, right now I'm on the fast track to become the joke of Voldemorts inner circle. I'd be there because of nepotism, but I'm not as strong as my father." Draco admitted, before quickly backtracking. "Not that I'm not as powerful, of course, just I'm just not really into groveling at feet of Voldemort."

"So you choose to grovel at my feet instead?" Harry asked skeptically.

"That the point. You'd never ask me to grovel. It's why you originally accepted me as an ally even though we've both always known that you are more powerful than me. You respect people in a way the Dark Lord doesn't. You hate the games that he loves to play." Harry looked at the blond surprise, before his look became pensive. This was not something he had expected to happen tonight.

"I'm not ready to lead anyone." Harry admitted finally. Draco smirked at this haughtily.

"Well of course. Your thirteen years old for Christ's sake. But you demanded that I stated whether I intend to follow you or oppose you. So I made my choice. Really, you are entirely to fascinating for me to waste both of our efforts in some sort of childish feud that would result if I decided differently. But even if you aren't going to start raising an army, I want to know what the hell it is your doing in the mean time."

"Fine, just never refer to me as your Lord again."Harry stated as Malfoy looked rather relieved. "If I sent something to your manor addressed to Voldemort, do you think it would get to him?" Harry asked, very much ready to change the topic.

"Probably, but it depends on what it is. I mean, even coming from you a letter that you sent would have to say something interesting enough that my father would not worry about being crucio'd for wasting Voldemorts time in delivering it." Malfoy stated, cocking his head in curiosity at the sudden change in direction of the conversation.

"Do you think that the body of one of his Death Eaters will be enough?" Harry asked bluntly.

"What the hell are you planning on doing, Potter?"

"Already done, Malfoy." Harry smiled devilishly.

"Really?" Draco couldn't help but gasp. "What have you done?"

Harry removed the box from his pocket and enlarged the box and unshrunk the rat's corpse before opening the box and showing it to Draco.

"That isn't?" Draco stopped and gasped again. "My father hinted that he was here, but he wasn't supposed draw attention to himself. Is he really dead?" Harry nodded.

"Well he scurried right through a conversation I was having earlier, nearly scared Ginny Weasley half to death. He was hardly coy."

"What are you doing talking to that Weaselette?" Draco snarled.

"You think you'd have a little more faith in me, Malfoy, being my most loyal follower and all." Harry snapped sardonically.

Draco glared back in response.

"It's my job to make sure your spending your time with the right kind of people, being your political advisor and all."

"Political advisor? I don't remember giving you that title." Harry drawled, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, it's my job isn't it? Always has been. Keeping you from making any hot headed stupid decisions? You've always been so reluctant to tell me things that you've managed to screw up more times than I can count, but might as well try to change that once and for all."

Harry sent a stinging hex at the blond out of spite before responding, while Draco whimpered and rubbed his shoulder where the hex had hit.

"I seem to be doing just fine. Now, will you help me sent off the rat or what?"

"Tell me why you were talking to Weasley first."Draco demanded. Harry scoffed and grinned knowingly.

"Oh, she was just disillusioned into thinking that I was in love with her. Quickly got her off the idea though." Harry said nonchalantly.

"Then what was with you fear of her being dead?"

"None of your business." Harry muttered and watched as Draco's face scrunched up in frustration.

"And then we went on to discuss these ridiculous rumors that are apparently going around in which it's believed that you are in love with me and that we go around snogging in closets." Draco's usually perfect pale skin reddened and Harry cocked his head at the other boy. "That's ridiculous, isn't it?" Draco sputtered for a second before composing himself.

"As if, Potter. You wouldn't be so lucky." He spat out arrogantly and he reclined back in his seat.

"Oh, I'm sure." Harry rolled his eyes and quickly looked the memories of this conversation into the back of his mind, not wanting them to ever resurface.

"Well, if you're satisfied Malfoy, I'd really like to try to get some sleep. We can deal with the rat in the morning." Harry stated, not waiting for a response as he made his way up to the dorms, Draco padding silently behind him. Like a dog. My dog. My stubborn little puppy that needs some training. Oh, Merlin, what have I gotten myself into?

To Whom It May Concern,

I do not appreciate the pathetic attempts to bring chaos to Hogwarts. Hogwarts is one of the finest institutions of Wizarding education in the world, despite its headmaster, and any attempts to destroy it are foolish. There are very few ways in which one would be able to successfully kill enough muggleborns to truly impact that light in a way which would not simply increase spite and their dedication to defeating the Dark Lord.

In my although amateur, but increasingly experienced opinion, as far as Hogwarts is concerned the only way to weaken the light through it would be to take it entirely. However, this would leave purebloods and any other only slightly tainted students that the Dark Lord would be willing to have mercy on, at a severe disadvantage as you would probably have to nearly destroy the castle and kill off many of the finest teachers in Britain in the process. It would be vain to think that anyone within the ranks of the Dark Lord's followers could as effectively educate students to the standards at which they are being educated right now, besides any already currently employed, even despite the schools lack of dark arts curriculum. Anyway, I have found that like I'm sure many of the children of the Dark Lords followers also hopefully have, that Dark Arts can be learned effectively through outside and independent study, and that issue is therefore hardly pressing.

Until you can come up with a plot to effectively weaken the light, not just anger them into a less idiotically thought out counter attack, I'd recommend keeping far away from Hogwarts. By not taking this advice, one would risk complete collapse of the Wizarding world as we know it and drive it to be more similar to some sort of third world muggle country where most of any subjects of this pathetic excuse for a kingdom would be magically literate imbeciles, only increasing in incompetence as time goes on.

It has always been my understanding that the Dark Lord wished to create an empire of strong magic, magic not tinted by the blood of muggles. However, without careful thought to the organization of this empire, with careful consideration of the damage that may be done to acquire it, will be worth nothing if in some pathetic fit of frustration Hogwarts and the Ministry for that matter end up virtually destroyed along with the many great texts and Wizarding technologies and all of the people who know and understand their contents also eliminated in the crossfire.

Now, maybe I make too many assumptions, but I have seen no actions from Lord Voldemort within my lifetime that are worthy of any greater respect. Sending a pathetic excuse for a rat wandering the castle desperately searching for any way to piss off Dumbledore or looking for any sort of way into Hogwarts is pathetic and will only result in the things that I have already mentioned. Even killing Dumbledore is impractical at this point. He, although still very powerful, doesn't appear to be the only one killing the pathetic excuse for a wizard that it appears that the once great and terrible Lord Voldemort has been reduced to.

I find it incredibly problematic that Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters have been reduced to a level of incompetence that they can be repeatedly thwarted, even killed, by a third year Hogwarts student. I'd recommend the aforementioned party get their act together or surrender, because his Merlin-be-damned war has been going on for much too long, and I, for one, am tired of it. The Dark Lords clear desperation shows that he is too. But the war is not to be won on poorly thought out and hurried plays. Best of Luck.

You-Better-Know-Who

P.S. I have attached a gift, I hope it sends the message that I intend it to.

"Potter, you will stay behind after class." A deep voice commanded from the front of the potions classroom amid the hurried crinkling of parchment being stuffed into bags.

A few days had passed since the night at the Shrieking shack and Harry had hoped that the situation had resolved itself. He had finals to worry about and he was tired of wasting his time giving reports to Dumbledore, sending off corpses of Death Eaters to Voldemort, and convincing Draco that there were some things that it was best if he did not know. He hoped that whatever Snape was holding him behind would be scolding him for using for much rat tail in that day potion and not questioning him about the fate of a certain rat animagus.

"It appears that you just don't know when to quit." Snape hissed after the rest of the class had cleared out, as he dragged Harry by the collar up to the small office that connected to the classroom.

Harry pulled himself away from the professor as he was pulled through the office doorframe. Of course at that moment, Snape had decided to let go, so Harry ended up flinging himself across the room and crashing into a bookshelf. He worked to straighten himself up, trying to regain some dignity, but before he could do so Snape was bearing down on him.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He hissed.

"No." Harry tried to say assertively, but failed miserably.

"No?" Snape breathed.

"No." Harry said again, this time with some successful force.

"Do tell me, Potter, you must have some sort of master plan then?"

Harry shrugged.

"I assume my package and the letter that accompanied it caused a bit of a stir?"

"You'll be lucky if you make it through the summer." Snape growled.

"Fine." Harry said with a level of decidedness that caused something to flicker in Snape's eyes.

"Fine?"

"Yeah, fine." With a dramatic swish of his robes, Snape spun away from Harry and took up a spot leaning against his desk to stare at Harry speculatively. "So, what exactly is it that you're planning on cursing?" Harry asked, figuring he might as well ask while he was being detained.

"You little sneak." Snape enunciated as he leaned back towards Harry again.

"Yes, I may have snuck into your quarters to give you a manipulated day dream charm and noticed a book that wasn't quite right and then saw what section you were reading about from under my invisibility cloak before I administered the charm. That information is not new to you. So, what is it then?" Harry folded his arms across his chest and glared at his professor.

"Well, it appears that plans have changed since someone's flaws were ever so bluntly pointed out to him. No one wants to be proven right by an insolent little child. So, I'm not quite sure what you are referring to anymore."

"Ah, brilliant." Harry murmured thoughtfully.

"Brilliant? You've just declared war, Harry Potter. Do you even realize what you've done?"

"Probably not as well as I should. But I am only thirteen after all, professor. If someone wants something more well thought out done, then perhaps an adult should have stepped in instead of leaving a child, as it's so often put, to deal with everything." Harry spat bitterly.

"Indeed, Mr. Potter." Snape conceded, much to Harry's surprise. "But perhaps said child should have realized that he wasn't an adult and made his plays accordingly, so as to not get him killed before he manages to reach adulthood for himself."

"Yes, well. If anyone would like this war to be over before I graduate, something had to be done. And if I'm a casualty in it all, so be it." Harry shrugged.

"You're dismissed." Snape said suddenly, turning with another swish of his robes and moving to take a seat behind his desk.

Harry bowed his head briefly at the professor before he swiftly walked out, his heart pounding in his chest as he went.

Snape was right; he very well could die very soon. And he wasn't exactly as ambivalent to the idea as he had been trying to make it seem.

It did look as if Harry was going to be able to make it to the end of his third year, at the very least. Harry had finished his exams and had decided to let the Weasleys, Neville, and Hermione convince him to come down with them to Hogsmeade for the final weekend of the year.

"I need to stock up on some sugar quills for the summer." Ron announced as they walked out The Three Broomsticks, having just enjoyed a butter beer. Harry groaned internally. He was not the biggest fan of Honeydukes.

"Why don't you guys go on ahead, I think I'll make my way up to the castle." Harry said, offering a wave as he turned away from the group.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Neville called after him.

Harry turned back around, momentarily.

"Yeah, you know I've never really had a sweet tooth." Harry offered a small smile and Neville, although looking worried as usual, shrugged and gave a sharp nod. Harry turned and made his way out of the village and back up towards the castle.

Perhaps Snape was right, and that letter had been a bit too much. Sending the body anonymously probably would have driven the point home. But he didn't want Voldemort to make some sort of desperate plot to maim a few students. That did not accomplish anything and did not make Voldemort look particularly strong.

But, why would Harry want Voldemort to make the smart move? Voldemort could easily make the dumb move, provoke the Order, and bring about a relatively swift, although probably violent, victory for the light. Was this Harry's slightly subconscious admission that he might want Voldemort to win the war?

He didn't really support Voldemorts ideals, but then, he didn't really support the light either. He didn't know what he wanted really, and every move he made, he made because it seemed like it was what should have been done at the time. He had an ultimately goal sort of, but it was vague and didn't really require him to develop detailed master plans.

Before Harry could contemplate his decisions anymore, he pulled from his thoughts by a noise.

He spun around to see a cloaked figure emerging out of the nearby woods, its wand point straight at him. Harry raised his hand quickly and fired off a disarming charm. But before Harry could even tell if his defense hit its target, everything went dark.

A/N: Dun, dun, dun.

Year Three's all done I guess.

Erm, sorry that it's all cliff hanger-y sort of. Be warned that I might take a day or two more than usual to update too, because I've got stuff that needs to be done and I really want to work on my original work a little bit because I miss it and I think I need to really take some time to figure out how I want to write Voldemort to make sure I get him right. Reviews can guilt me into working a bit faster, just fyi, but otherwise, yeah. :)

Up Next: It's about time that a certain character showed up. Lot's of fun stuff next year, but I don't really want to spoil it.