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Chapter 36: Full Circle

Garion sat on a window ledge looking out over the Labyrinth. A faint breeze stirred as he looked towards his favorite places in the Labyrinth, causing him to smile.

Time had finally come full circle. For him, Harry Potter's life was just a painful memory of heartbreak and betrayal, which he gladly left behind. Garion Williams, however, was going to embrace his new life with all his strength and determination.

The Labyrinth, as well as the cottage by the theatre, was now his home. No more Dursleys, or Dumbledore. In fact, no more Hogwarts. He really didn't need his OWLS or NEWTS. He didn't need them as he was never going to be a part of the Wizarding World ever again.

Thanks to Father and his goblins, all of his Potter assets were doing well, so Garion didn't have to work a day in his life. Again, thanks to Jareth, Garion's future was set as he was a fully trained Bard, soon to be a Master of his art. A Bard the likes of which hadn't been seen since the days of Taliesen.

If Dumbledore hadn't interfered, Harry Potter would have never had the chance to develop the 'power the dark lord knows not.' However, he had interfered, thereby stunting Harry's growth in every respect – all because of a prophecy.

As for the bit of darkness that was embedded within Harry's scar - well his Father wasn't able to do anything until 'the 'thirteen hours' were up. It would've messed the time line way too much. That little problem was soon to be remedied.

No. Now that the time-lines were merged and Harry Potter was just a memory, the bit of dark shadow that was a piece of Tom Riddle's soul could be taken care of. Goblin and Fae magic was so different from Wizarding magic and in many ways more powerful.

A hand brushed his shoulder startling Garion to look up into the mismatched eyes of his adopted father, Jareth, the Goblin King. "It's too bad no one but us remembers how it would've been," Garion said, wistfully, returning to gaze out at the Labyrinth.

Jareth gave a slight smirk as he sat beside him. "What is it you want, my son?"

"To stay here with you and mother, but that isn't to be, is it? Do I really have to go back?"

Jareth gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Garion sighed. "I'll need to go to Gringotts and check out my accounts, since Sirius is going to continue to play dead. Except for Remus and me, there isn't much keeping him in the Wizarding World."

Jareth snorted as he conjured a crystal to roll around in his hand. "Unfortunately."

"Then there's the ritual to get rid of the soul bit. I'm sure by now your goblins've retrieved the rest of the soul receptacles. Dumbledore's such a fool for allowing things to get this bad. Why didn't he find them all himself after the diary came to light? But then, he's always liked playing with other people's lives."

Jareth smirked, running the crystal through his fingers. "My goblins have all of them except for the snake. The scab keeps that repulsive thing by his side."

Garion continued with a nod, ticking off the things he still needed to do. "I also need to get in touch with Professor Snape. If my joint memories are correct, he bears Bard potential, and may be the key for me to return to Hogwarts without being under the headmaster's control."

"How so?"

Garion smiled up at his father and in his best Marlon Brando voice, said, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

0o0o0o0

Dumbledore stared at the unmoving object resting on his desk, willing it to do something, anything to show that it still worked. It just sat there, broken.

The object was a crystal within its heart was a single strand of hair and one drop of blood. It was referred to affectionately as a "Mother's Heart" stone. Mothers made them when their children were babies. It allowed the mother to always know if their precious off-spring were happy, angry, sad or in danger. This heart stone belonged to Harry Potter, made for him by his mother. Lily Potter had made this one after she learned of the prophesy.

Albus had appropriated it from the ruins of Godric's Hollow that fateful night when he had realized what it was. He had felt no guilt when he took the crystal nor did he feel any when he modified it to hold the blood wards around Privet Drive. After all, it was to protect Harry, all for the greater good.

Members of the Order of the Phoenix slowly trickled into his office. Since the death of Sirius, Grimmauld Place was abandoned. No one knew who the new Black heir was. Many thought the title would go to Draco Malfoy.

Reflecting on the life and death of Sirius Black, Albus felt no remorse. Putting Sirius in Azkaban had served the greater good and his purposes at the time. He had believed, like everyone else, that the young Black heir had been the Potter's secret keeper. He had no way of knowing that James and Sirius had switched the role over to Peter Pettigrew. As much as Albus wished it were true, and had fooled everyone into believing, he just didn't know everything.

When Sirius had escaped and the truth came out, Albus should've taken the initiative and got the lad a trial, but that would've undone everything he was trying to achieve in the war. Sirius Black would've taken Harry Potter from his relatives, destroying the blood wards that protected the boy. He would've filled the lad's mind with wild tales and equally wild ideas. No, it had been better to keep the two apart.

"Any word on the boy?" came the gravelly voice of a battled-scarred, one-eyed man.

Albus sighed, looking up at the gathered group of loyal followers that made up his order. "Alas, Alastor. The blood wards that surrounded Mr. Potter's home fell last night due to a surge of raw, wild magic. Mr. Potter's room was emptied and his relatives have no memory of Harry, or of what happened."

"And Harry?" came Molly Weasley's voice.

"There is no sign of the lad."

0o0o0o0

The day, itself, was bright and cheery - a big contrast to Severus Snape's current mood.

The potions master fumed as he clutched a parchment in his fist. The day couldn't get any worse. First the Potter brat disappeared. All tracking spells had stopped working and no one could find him. Plus, the brat's snowy owl was also gone, and any other owls sent to him just returned, their mail undeliverable.

The two Gryffindor brats that made up the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio were just as clueless as the brat never answered any of their letters. However according to the headmaster, they were not supposed to write to him anyways.

Second, both his so called masters were disrupting his schedule because of the brat-who-disappeared, and now he was woefully behind in his brewing. Well Poppy would just have to make do.

Now this ridicules summons! Severus Snape huffed as he entered Gringotts. Just what do the goblins want with him? He knew Albus had been trying to get them to read the mutt's will without Potter being in attendance. However, since the dunderhead had recently gone missing, Albus had done a complete about face in the hope the brat would appear at the bank where he, Severus, could collect him!

He was ushered into a conference room where two wizards and a goblin waited.

"Black!" Snape snarled. "I see that death didn't want you either. Too good to die?" He didn't quite recognize the youth standing next to Black, but he had a good idea who he was despite the glamour.

Sirius Black started to say something but the youth by his side jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.

"Not now, Uncle Snuffles," the youth said. "We have more important matters to deal with. It's time to leave boyhood grudges behind."

Snape watched as Black huffed and agreed. He waited as Black turned back to him and said in a contrite voice, "Snape. I have never liked you, but what I did was wrong. Very wrong. I want to apologize and to let you know that I'm not coming back to the Wizarding World. Except for my godson and Moony, there is nothing here for me."

Snape scowled. "And you think that'll make up for what you did?"

Black snorted. "Hardly. Just know that I'm dead to the Wizarding world. I changed my will so that Harry and Samuel Black will inherit most of my fortune. You are also included."

"Speaking of Potter. Just where is the brat?" he glared at the youth who bore little resemblance to the Potter spawn.

Snape surveyed the wild dark haired teen beside Black. True, he had Potter's green eyes and dark hair, but that's where the physical similarities ended. This teen was taller, healthier, with a fencer's build rather than Potter's scrawny under-fed look. He did have Potter's wild hair but it was more coiffed and longer with strands of blue, green and purple throughout. No, this teen held little resemblance to Potter brat.

"Why Professor, I didn't know you cared," said the youth. "I can assure you, Professor, if the Headmaster had not interfered so much in my life, had he followed my parent's will and not his own warped wishes, this is how I would've looked when I first attended Hogwarts."

Snape sneered. "What are you rambling about, Potter?"

"Professor, I want to make a deal with you," Harry said, glancing at Sirius for a moment. "I will tell you everything, if you promise not to tell anyone what we discuss today. This includes both your so-called masters. I will need a wizard's oath to be sure of secrecy."

Sirius shook his head and stood. "I know everything and, believe it or not, I trust you with my godson." Giving a mock salute, Sirius Black walked out.

A flicker of curiosity gleamed momentarily in the potions master's eyes. "Continue."

"I see I haven't convinced you not to tell anyone, sir," Harry sighed as he plopped unceremoniously into a chair, picking up a guitar.

"You haven't said anything worth repeating yet," Severus replied, withdrawing his wand and speaking the oath.

"Alright, sir, how about this? I swear on my magic that I once was Harry James Potter. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been given a new path to walk as well as a new name. I am now something that the world hasn't seen since the days of Taliesen. I am a Bard, trained in the old magicks and this is my true story. So mote be."

Blue light flared as magic sealed his oath.

0o0o0o0

We have not given up on this story. We just had other things crowd us.

Thank you all for being patient with us. We were so overwhelmed by the responses for Poison Pen that we really want a break from Harry Potter. However, we promised to finish this story.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes for Frau. She is doing a lot better, health-wise now.

Until next time. - GF and Frau