Author's Note: So the semester's classes are over, I graduated (yay!) and just got back from a month out of the country. And it took me far to long to get my brain to focus back on HP and the gang and get this chapter finished! Good enough reason for me not to have posted for a while? So I doubt you all want to hear me babble and want to know what's gonna happen, so here's the chapter with some apologies about making you all wait so darn long.

"ss.Parseltongue.ss" Just so that you know.

Disclaimer: Not Mine. Talk to Rowling. Just borrowing them a while.

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Last Time

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"So much alike." The blonde gasped out, his eyes intense as they locked onto Harry's own.

Harry watched as the man gasped for breath and was unable to breathe. His silver eyes glazed over and a moment later the tremors ceased. Harry stared hard at the man, his mind and emotions whirling slightly.

Lucius Malfoy was dead, by his own Lord's reluctance to heal him of an injury gained by an enemy.

"No, do not mistake us." Harry whispered to the empty room.

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The Founders' Heir

Chapter Thirty-Seven

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Searching for Peace

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Harry slid the two of them back to Hogwarts, letting the slide go as they approached the main gates to the school grounds rather than force his way through the wards surrounding the castle. He stumbled slightly as he let go of the magic, but regained his balance and control quickly enough. Though, apparently not quick enough to avoid Neville's notice.

"You alright, mate?" the boy asked, his light brown eyes displaying his worry.

Harry nodded, cringing inside at his slip in control.

"Are you sure?" Neville stated.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

Harry paused and looked at the boy next to him. Neville had always been hesitant in pushing people, seemingly not wanting to upset them. Yet the boy was clearly standing his ground on the matter, which threw Harry for a bit of a loop. He hadn't expected a strong stand from Neville.

He probably should have.

"Even you have limits, you know." Neville said, keeping a close eye on him. Harry scowled slightly.

"I'm fine."

"Darion…"

"I said I'm fine." Harry said a bit more sharply than he wanted to. He sighed. "At least I will be. I'm just tired."

Neville watched him for another moment before nodding and turning toward the castle. Harry waited a moment before following the boy. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Harry using the time to pull himself under better control. He did not need to loose control of his magic, especially anywhere near Hogwarts.

Harry and Neville returned to Hogwarts without any further fanfare.

At least until they walked into the Infirmary and Poppy Pomfrey caught sight of them.

"Sit!" she hollered. Harry winced slightly, eyeing the beds lining the walls of the Infirmary with barely contained distaste. He had no desire to spend any amount of time in the Infirmary, wounded or no.

Neville all but sat down were he stood.

Pomfrey bustled around the boy, guiding him to one of the beds and mumbling over him as she began casting spells. Harry watched them for a moment, distantly amused, before scanning the rest of the room.

Percy was laid in one of the far beds, apparently asleep. His brother, Bill sat in the chair next to him, watching him like his own mother would. Harry didn't blame him. He figured it was only a matter of time before the majority of the Weasley clan invaded the medical ward. Luna rested quietly on a bed not far from them, twirling her wand between her fingers and staring out of the windows a bit dreamily.

"Mister Longbottom!" Pomfrey's voice nearly screeched across the chamber. "What in Merlin's name are you doing with THAT?"

Harry had a feeling that he already knew what her problem was. Medi-witches tended to not much like weapons, especially swords, and most especially in their domain. Turning to take in the sight of a slightly nervous Neville and an indignant Pomfrey, Harry sighed. He really wasn't in the mood to play mediator. Neville had a firm grip on Gryffindor's Sword in the face of the Medi-Witch standing over him like some kind of wild thunder cloud. Harry rather thought that the kid was terribly brave for that.

Harry figured he really should do something considering he was the one who gave the sword to the kid in the first place. He really wasn't in the mood.

"Madam Pomfrey." He said, his voice stern and commanding; moreso than he really wanted it to be, but he couldn't bring himself to moderate his tone. The witch paused in her rant, startled, and turned to him in slight surprise.

"Mr. Elddir…"

"As one of a blood line to a Founder and a future Lord of his House, Neville Longbottom has every right to carry the signs of his Houses, including the Sword of Gryffindor." Harry said bluntly.

Harry stared at her a moment longer, knowing that he likely didn't look too terribly nice – or perfectly healthy to her standards – but not really caring. Pomfrey swallowed a bit heavily, looking about ready to protest but then thought better of it. She pursed her lips and turned back to her medical scans, grumbling in aggravation. Neville stared at him in slight surprise before being distracted by the Medi-Witch mumbling over him and her slight of hand attempts to divest him of the sword. Harry took one last look around the room, noticing that his Familiar wasn't present and neither was the Founder in her portrait.

He was through the door when he heard Pomfrey yell his name. He ignored her. He wasn't in a pleasant mood, and he wasn't about to spend any more time in the Infirmary than he had to. Pomfrey had enough patients to distract her for a while, and she would have to play host to a clan of Weasley's before she would have time to hunt him down for a check up.

Harry headed into the bowels of the castle, avoiding the few straggling students that were rushing to make it to their dorms by curfew.

Following the link with his Familiar, he wandered through the halls of the castle, not really paying much attention to his route or surroundings. After an indeterminate amount of time he found himself in a disused maintenance corridor somewhere above the main stairwell of the school.

On one side of the catwalk type hall was the top half of a large stained-glass window overlooking the school grounds. Harry could see the main gates in the distance, and the top edges of the taller buildings of Hogsmeade through the colored glass, silhouetted by the setting sun. Behind him was a rickety iron railing, serving as a haphazard attempt to prevent wandering students from falling into the tall airshaft below.

Harry leaned precariously out over the rail, looking down the many stories of moving stairs and seemingly random doorways that lined the four walls of the shaft. The rail creaked and groaned under his weight, but held firm, no doubt due to generous amounts of magic. He almost felt dizzy at the height and angle of his view. He pulled himself back and settled himself on the floor, slouching against the window. With his back to the large window, he could see the ever-changing play of light on the stone walls and rib-vaulted ceiling of the stair well before him.

It had been his favorite spot during his time with the Founders. It was his place to go and get away from the hustle of the other students and Heirs and be alone with his thoughts. It was his escape.

A large furred form settled next him, though he didn't take his eyes from the light and colors cast on the walls. He knew that it was his Familiar. He rested a hand on Cin's back, feeling soft fur and feathers beneath his fingers. Cin shifted, resting his head on his leg. A soft purr soon sounded around them, though Harry felt it more than he heard it. Harry smiled slightly, his ever shortening temper and bad mood fading and feeling more at peace than he had since he arrived back to his own time.

He let his thoughts wander without really thinking about anything, enjoying the time of silence and the chance to relax. He needed the rest and peace, for both his body and his mind.

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Harry wasn't sure how long he had been secluded at the top of the stairwells, but it had grown dark by the time his brain waked up enough to notice such things. Cin was still purring softly, the subtle vibrations of the cub traveled up through his leg, a comfortable presence.

That's when he noticed another presence. There was no sound, whoever it was stepped quietly and breathed shallow enough that Harry couldn't hear them, but he could still sense their magic.

"Who's there?" Harry asked quietly, not in the mood to wait for the person. Harry heard a shuffle of feet and a sudden exhalation of breath, as if startled.

"Ss, sorry, Darion." A voice stumbled. Harry heard the person shuffle again, and a faint glow of light came around the corner, lighting up the catwalk and throwing shadows over the walls and ceiling around them. A figure closely followed the glow of mage light.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you or anything." The boy said, looking terribly nervous.

"It's not a problem, Neville." Harry said, blinking in the sudden light. "Come sit down, why don't you."

"Ah, sure, thanks." Neville moved out of the doorway and shuffled across the catwalk, eyeing the shaky rail next him with some trepidation. He sat down next to him, seeming a bit nervous about the idea of leaning against the window. Cin lifted his head enough to take in the newcomer before returning to his nap. Harry petted the cub, smiling slightly at the increased volume in the purring that echoed around them.

"Pomfrey actually let you out of her sights?" Harry asked, his voice quiet but still managing to carry his amusement.

"Ah, well sort of." Neville hedged, still eyeing the iron rail.

"Sort of?"

"Well, she didn't say that I could go, but then she didn't exactly say that I couldn't either." Neville said a bit quickly, "And then the Weasley's all came in and she got distracted and I really didn't think that I needed to stay or anything, I mean I wasn't really hurt or anything, and since she was busy I…just left."

Harry turned his head to take in the boy next to him with no little amount of bemusement. Neville seemed to be pondering his last statement with a mixture of shock and disbelief, as if he couldn't quite believe that he left the Infirmary without being shooed away by its matron.

"Congratulations." Harry said with a light chuckle.

"For what?"

"For managing to sneak our from under Pomfrey's nose." Harry said, "She always manages to catch me just as I walk out the door, then I'm forced to run for my life…or at least my sanity."

"Oh."

Harry glanced over at him, still a bit amused by the boy's reactions. Neville seemed to have just realized that he had actually managed some great feat, and in Harry's opinion, he had. The boy was likely just lucky that Helga hadn't been in her portrait to send up an alarm when he walked out the door.

A comfortable silence fell, and Harry let his head rest back on the cool panes of glass behind him. Neville's magelight flickered slightly, like a small flame, casting soft shifting shadows over the walls. Harry didn't know how the boy managed to find him at the top of the castle, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. He was surprisingly grateful for the silent company. Neville had always been a good companion.

"That wasn't exactly apparation, was it?" Neville asked suddenly.

Harry looked away from the mesmerizing shadow-play to the boy next to him, taking a minute to figure out what he was talking about. "No."

"What was it?"

"It's called Sliding," Harry said, letting his eyes drift back to the shadows on the walls, "It's a gift of a Founders' Heir, it allows me to bypass wards and such."

Neville was silent, seemingly satisfied. Harry was only slightly surprised that Neville approached him about the subject. The boy was quiet and seemed insecure and clumsy, but he had a good head. He just didn't broadcast that fact too often. "Then why did we stop at the gates?"

Harry didn't respond right away, slightly uncomfortable with revealing his growing weakness. He had purposefully not gone through the heavy wards surrounding the school. While he could have carried himself through, he was toting Neville as well. Neville, not being an Heir did not have the gift of Sliding. Harry could have brought the boy through the wards into any part of the castle with only a moderate amount of effort, but he had been overdoing his boundaries as it was. If he had forced the both of them through such wards as Hogwarts held, he would have risked loosing control, and he could not take such a risk.

"Because, as you said, even I have limits." He said finally.

Harry could feel Neville's eyes on him, watching and studying, but he feigned nonchalance, debating with himself whether to give him more information. He knew that Neville would not betray him, and would keep anything he said to himself if asked. But it was Harry's own ingrained reluctance to let people in that made him pause. He was unused to confiding in others, especially about his weaknesses.

"My aura," Harry began a bit hesitantly, his eyes flickering over to the boy next to him, "Is extremely deadly, as you now know."

Neville nodded, his attention completely on him.

"It is not exactly benign to me, either." Harry said softly. "It is a direct result of me surviving the Killing Curse from Voldemort when I was a babe. That incident changed my magical make-up, making it deadly when in its raw form, just like the Killing Curse."

"But to you as well?" Neville asked.

Harry looked over at him, seeing the slight horror in the boy's face and eyes. He had a strange feeling of déjà vu, remembering his own face every time he looked in a mirror after he had heard the very thing he was telling Neville.

"Yes." Harry said quietly, turning his eyes back to the shifting shadows.

Neville was silent beside him.

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Author's Note: Oy, see, I'm not dead! This chapter is a little bit shorter than I like, but frankly, I liked ending it there. Heh.

Thank you everyone for your reviews! I really do read them all (no joke) and I love them. They make me keep writing. Awesome.

By the way, in case you don't know, I started posting a series of one-shot type stories titled "The Founders' Four", which detail Harry's time with the Founders and the other Heirs. So far there's nothing too terribly interesting, but I've got all sorts of ideas. If anyone has requests, let me know!