Long A/N, including update info at the bottom. Major character deaths.

Warning: Very, very brief mention (no graphic description) of sexual assault.

Chapter XXVI

Sam hung up the phone after getting the answering machine for the fourth time. He'd been supposed to meet Norm for coffee after work, but his friend had never showed. 'Diane should be home from work now, why aren't they answering?' He considered the possibly embarrassing consequences of showing up unannounced, finally deciding to suck it up and just head over. He grabbed an umbrella and hurried out the door, hailing a cab outside his apartment.

From the moment his black top pulled up outside his friend's flat, he knew something was horribly wrong. A series of Blues and Twos were parked out front, their emergency lights flashing insistently. Sam stepped out of the cab on rubbery legs, stumbling towards the entrance. A cop eyed him in the lobby, speaking quietly into his shoulder-mounted radio as Sam pressed the button to take the elevator to Norm and Diane's floor.

He stepped out of the elevator, feeling a harried anxiety and a numbing fear all at once. He could see from here, their door was open, police walking in and out. A paramedic sat, squatting on his balls of his feet, smoking a cigarette and staring into the apartment. There were voices, questioning him, coppers approaching and trying to hold him still, but Sam fought on. He had to see, had to know.

"Bert, you tosser, give me a hand here!"

Sam flung elbows and bulled his way forward, reaching the entrance to the apartment and looking inside before letting out a guttural sob and turning away. It didn't matter, the image was burned into his mind, no matter how he wished he could erase it.

Norman, perched midway up the wall, disemboweled. His entrails lying in a pool of blood on the ground below him.

Diane, naked on the dining room table, mutilated almost beyond recognition.

Blood streaked on the walls, the homey and lived in apartment filled with horror and death.

"No... no, no no no..." Tears blurred his vision, as the voices around him gained comprehension, like a radio finally tuning to the correct station.

"... need to see some I.D.. Sir. Sir!"

Sam took a gasping breath, crying too hard to respond. One of the constables restraining him passed his wallet to the man questioning him.

"Samuel Chambers. Lives in Surrey. What's this, a government badge? You work with the Ministry of Defense, son?"

"Wh-what happened?"

"How are you related to the occupants of this flat, Mr. Chambers?"

Sam coughed, wiping his nose, but let his tears fall freely. "Norm was my best friend. My oldest friend. Who did this?"

"Near as we can tell, it is some kind of ritualistic murder. We suspect there's some sort of cult operating in Surrey – another family was murdered during Christmas in a bizarre fashion. We suspect it was a considerable number of people, at least ten. No neighbors noticed them enter or exit at either scene. Here, they must have used some kind of unknown adhesive on Mr. Peters, Crime Scene Unit can't figure out how to get him down. They may need to cut him out of his shirt."

"Diane, was she-, did they-?"

The grizzled police sergeant didn't respond, instead putting a supportive hand on Sam's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, son, I really am. Now, we understand they recently took over guardianship of a troubled youth," he checked his notes, "a Harry James Potter. Where can we find him?"

"He's at school, a boarding school."

"Right, well, he has connections to both crimes in Surrey. We'll need to bring him in fo-"

"Harry had nothing to do with this! He loved Norm and Diane, they were his parents!"

The sergeant let Sam finish his outburst. He'd been at this too long, the reaction was expected. "Be that as it may, it's a mighty big coincidence. All we want is to ask a few questions."

Sam braced one arm against the wall, pulling himself off the floor. "It couldn't have been Harry. His school is in Scotland, some very exclusive private school his birth parents arranged for before their death."

"I see." He scribbled that down in his notepad. "Well, we'll confirm that. In the meantime, I'll need some contact information for you. We'll want to come by tomorrow and interview you, find out if there have been any threats, any incidents that the victims had that might provide a clue."

"Okay." Sam rattled off his office and home phone numbers.

"Don't worry, Mr. Chambers, we'll get these sons of bitches. I promise you that."

Sam stared into the bloodshot eyes of the police sergeant. 'No, you won't,' he thought, 'but I will.'

He was released by the police, and he hurried down the stairs, not willing to wait for the elevator. Rushing outside, he saw the cabbie that had brought him arguing with a police officer.

"That's the guy! Skipped out on 'is fare, 'e did!"

"Sir, you need to provide payment." The police constable looked immensely irritated from dealing with the driver.

"Right, here." Pulling out his wallet, Sam passed a handful of notes to the cabbie. "Wait, don't go anywhere. I need you to take me to Charing Cross Road."

He needed to get to Diagon Alley. He needed Harry Potter.

Harry and Gilderoy quietly walked into the second floor bathroom, shoes silenced by Lockhart. Harry immediately began looking around, checking the position of the stalls in relation to the door, trying to recreate the scene that the Carrow twins had described.

"What are we looking for, Harry? Where's the entrance?"

"Give me a second, I'm looking."

"My, aren't you two handsome. What did I do to deserve such high visibility guests?" A spectral girl, perhaps two or three years older than Harry, floated through one of the stall doors.

"Are you Myrtle?"

She giggled, completing a small spin in place. "You did come to see me! I can't say I'm surprised, there were several boys quite interested when I was alive, don't you know."

Lockhart snorted, a wide grin on his face as he took in the homely spirit. "I don't doubt that, my dear. However, young Harry and I are here on business, I'm afraid."

"Oh? You too, then? I must say, my bathroom hasn't seen so much traffic in decades!"

"Have you seen anyone come in here and open a secret passage, Myrtle?"

"Are you talking about the girl? I don't stick around when she comes in. Something about her, it.. it isn't right. It reminds me of something from my corporeal days." She rubbed her arms together as though warding off a chill. "I won't have anything to do with this!"

The ghost vanished through the stall door she'd emerged from, and seconds later a flushing sound could be heard. "Oh, damn it all. Watch out, Lockhart, stand over by the stalls." Harry pictured the king cobra from the London Zoo.

"~ Open passage. ~"

There was a rumbling sound, as one of the sinks whirred in sudden motion, forming a tunnel leading downward into darkness.

"P-p-parseltongue!"

Harry looked over his shoulder, jumping backwards as he saw Lockhart with his wand pointed directly at him. "Whoa, settle down Professor! It's the Chamber of Secrets, this is the only way to get inside." He held his hands out at his sides at shoulder-height, in as nonthreatening a manner as he could. "Lower your wand, we're on the same side."

"It was you, all along, wasn't it?" The wand was trembling now. "You're the Heir of Slytherin! Of course, the otherworldly powers, the parseltongue abilities, worming your way into the public grace. It all makes sense!"

"Gilderoy, listen to me. You know me. I live with muggles for Merlin's sake! Voldemort killed my parents! Just calm down."

"Of course, sorry Harry. Was just quite a shock you know." Lockhart lowered his wand. "Well, you know what they say – youth before beauty."

"Ri-" Before Harry could even finish turning away from Lockhart, the man's wand snapped back up and a flash resounded, along with the incantation "Obliviate!"

Harry, reacting on instinct brought one of his hands forward to block the spell, trying to visualize a conjuration and transfiguration. He succeeded in partially transfiguring his palm to iron, slapping the spell into the stone floor.

Both of the bathroom's occupants stared, open-mouthed at the scorch mark on the ground. Before Lockhart could cast again, though, Harry reached out his other hand and pushed, propelling Lockhart through two bathroom stalls. He marched over to his moaning Defense Professor, grabbing his wand from the ground next to him.

"You absolute idiot! What were you thinking? If that spell had connected, you would have doomed Ginny!"

Lockhart coughed, trying to force air into his battered body. "She's already dead, you fool."

"Well, you're going to find out. Get up."

"I'm not going down there."

"Yes, you are." Harry's eyes glowed menacingly.

"Think about this, Harry. It's not too late. We can spin this. Let's say we caught the Heir in the act, and after an epic battle drove him away. Unfortunately, our dastardly opponent resealed the Chamber with Miss Weasley inside before he left, mortally woun-"

"Shut up! Is there anything real about you? How did you ever last on your adventures..." Harry paused, running through Lockhart's spell choice just now and the encounter with the deranged witch last fall. "You didn't do any of it, did you?"

"Now, Harry, you have to understand-"

"Stand up, Gilderoy."

"Harry, give me my wand." Lockhart held his hand out, like a parent disciplining a child.

"Get. Up."

"My wand, Harry."

Harry looked at the wand and laughed. He gave it a wave, the thin piece of wood exploding in his hand. "Whoops. Now stand up. You're going down first, or I'm throwing you in. I can't guarantee I'll be gentle, though."

Lockhart stood up, brushing his robes off, and limped over to the still open tunnel. He looked in with distaste, glancing back to Harry once more, then sighed and jumped in. His screams echoed all the way down.

Harry followed him, examining the tube closely. There appeared to be a slimy substance coating it, most of which Lockhart's robes had apparently absorbed on his slide down. The tunnel itself was large, easily big enough for Harry to stand up in, and not so steep that he couldn't walk. Nevertheless, he jumped in and slid down after his professor.

Above him, the entrance swung shut.

McGonagall walked the halls, leaving the dungeons after checking personally that all students were accounted for. An unfair bias, perhaps, but she needed to see for herself that no Slytherins were missing from the dorms. She made her way towards the Hufflepuff quarters, pausing as Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy Professor, came running up.

"Aurora, do you have news?"

"Harry Potter is missing from Ravenclaw Tower. None of his classmates know where he is, though Miss Lovegood did recommend that I look for him, um, the next time my bladder is full."

McGonagall sighed. "We've already checked the girl's lavatory. There's no sign of anyone. Did you have someone check Lockhart's quarters?"

"I just came from there. It looks like he was packing his things," at this, the two women shared an exasperated look. "but this was sitting on his desk." She handed McGonagall an envelope addressed to Susan. The Headmistress opened it, removing half a piece of parchment that read:

Susan,

I'm sorry. I have to try and stop the Heir. Only one of us will come back - I hope I can ask your forgiveness in person.

Harry

"That foolish boy! Come, we need to find Miss Bones." The two professors stepped into the Hufflepuff Common Room, looking at the crowd of students camping out, their anxious, worried faces watching them.

"Susan Bones?"

The crimson-haired Second Year stood, raising her hand.

"Please come here, Miss Bones." The girl, accompanied by her Head of House, walked up to McGonagall, who cast a privacy charm around them as she approached. "This was found in Professor Lockhart's classroom, we were hoping you could explain it."

Susan instantly recognized Harry's untidy scrawl, grabbing the envelope from the Headmistress and reading the letter's brief contents.

"NO!" The letter dropped to the floor and Susan took off running towards the entrance, quickly jerked to a halt by the strong arms of Professor Sinistra. "Let go of me! He can't do it, I have to stop him!"

"What are you talking about, Susan?"

"He promised me," the girl said bitterly. "He promised he wouldn't try to find the Heir."

"What did Harry know? Does he know who is behind the attacks?"

Susan jerked her arms out of Sinistra's grasp. "If he did, he didn't tell me. All I know is that he and Neville suspected the Chamber was located in a girl's bathroom."

"I guess we need to talk to Mr. Longbottom, then."

"I'm coming, too."

"Miss Bones..." Professor Sprout began.

"It's all right, Pomona. Come along then, Miss Bones. Let's hope we can unravel this mystery before it's too late."

Harry popped out of the tunnel onto a pile of bones. Giving a token attempt at brushing the grime and dust off his robes, he looked around, quickly identifying Lockhart standing to the side.

"Come on, Gilderoy."

"What am I supposed to do without a wand?"

"Distract them with your smile. Let's move."

Lockhart apparently appreciated this newly assertive Harry, as he let out a light chuckle and stepped forward, walking towards a set of immense stone doors. There were multiple serpents embossed in the stone.

"Had a change of heart, then, Lockhart?"

"If I'm going to die, I can at least do so in style." Falling into his standard pose he gave to the Prophet's photographers, he stood in front of the doors and turned back towards Harry. "How do I look?"

"Who cares? Get out of the way." Harry glanced around Lockhart's obstructing figure, focusing on the snakes and hissing out "~Open doors.~"

"What luck! It survived my tumble." Lockhart had pulled out the compact mirror that he'd used weeks ago to admire his fake glasses, checking over his appearance as the doors behind him began to open.

The mirror in his hand suddenly shattered, the sound clearly audible over the doors opening, and Lockhart began to fall forward, stiff as a board. Harry, his eyes following his professor's fall, instinctively threw his hands out and a silvery swirl of fire burst into existence on the other side of the door.

Through the flames, Harry was able to make out an enormous snake waiting just inside the door, its body the width of a large oak tree, its length spanning more than 60 feet. His flames did nothing to the thick scales of the serpent, though its open eyes had bubbled and melted, leaving blackened, hollowed out sockets.

The snake twisted and turned in agony, hissing threateningly as Harry's flames sputtered out. Over the sound of the enormous beast, he heard a male voice shouting commands in parseltongue.

"~Kill him! You can still smell him, don't allow him to interrupt me!~"

Harry ran past the writhing snake, entering a room that was at least double the size of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch. As he ran, he took stock of the numerous snake statues, as well as the gigantic stone figure of a man dressed in a strange style of robes. There was a young girl lying on the ground next to an open book, a misty white light traveling between her and its pages. Next to the book stood a boy, perhaps seventeen or eighteen years of age, clutching a wand in his hand.

Harry flung one arm out as he ran, a stone spike rising out of the ground, passing directly through the older boy, to no effect. Harry gaped, seeing the spike sticking out of both ends of the boy but doing no damage at all. He'd stopped running in his surprise, noticing too late the giant snake rearing up to strike at him. Desperately conjuring a thick wall of granite in front of him, he dove to the side as the snake darted directly through the wall, ripping past it as though it were tissue paper and not a solid mass of stone.

The older boy laughed heartily. "A basilisk has the most spell resistant skin of any magical creature. They're more durable than dragons! You thought a wall would protect you?" He continued to laugh, while Harry ran behind a column.

'What the hell do I do now?' He didn't get time to come up with an answer, as the column exploded from a lash by the monster's tail. Harry, pelted by stone and debris, felt as though a trolley car had smashed into him as the basilisk sent him flying across the Chamber.

Harry groggily got to his knees, ears ringing incessantly. The gigantic serpent coiled, preparing to strike again. Knowing that there was no way he'd be able to run fast enough to dodge the next strike, Harry placed both palms flat on the ground, emerald trails of light drifting from his glowing eyes. The basilisk darted forward again, mouth wide open, four enormous fangs clearly visible.

A granite wall, eighteen inches thick, rose out of the ground more than 12 feet in front of Harry, followed in succession by six more walls closer and closer to Harry. The first two walls crumbled as easily as his previous attempt, the third dulling the basilisk's momentum, the fourth, fifth and sixth walls cracking and breaking apart much slower, and finally the seventh holding firm despite a thunderous crunching sound. Harry, breathing deeply, jumped to his feet and scurried away, cradling one of his arms with the other.

The basilisk recovered from its face-first trip through his walls, it's tongue darting out, searching for his scent. Harry cast a wide area effect silencing charm, the entire Chamber immediately falling quiet.

All, that is, except the boy. "I'm impressed, but there's no escape. If my basilisk doesn't kill you, I will myself in a few more minutes. Give up."

'Is this guy immune to magic? Is he a ghost of some kind?'

Harry ignored the taunts, choosing instead to animate the stone statue, which encircled the basilisk's tail in a bear hug, preventing the serpent from charging towards him. The snake began to smash the statue against the stone floor, frantically attempting to free itself.

With that bit of breathing room, Harry, looked around the enormous room, searching for a new strategy. He conjured pikes and broadswords, only for them to bounce off of the snake's armored scales. His fire was ineffective. Magic resistant hide meant he couldn't try to hold it in place or use his push. The only damage he'd managed to do was against the soft tissue of its eyes.

'C'mon, Harry, think!'

The last remains of the statue broke apart, freeing the basilisk, which accelerated towards him, mouth open wide just as before. Harry looked into the gaping maw, fangs longer than his arm glistening with venom, and suddenly had an idea.

With the snake having to charge across most of the Chamber to get to him, Harry took a slow, steady breath, pulling on his magic. A circle of the stone floor in front of him liquefied, crumbling quickly into a quicksand-like substance. His eyes lit up like verdant spotlights, and suddenly a serpent, perhaps half the diameter of the basilisk, formed out of the sand in front of him solidified, coiling just as he had seen the Slytherin's monster do, before leaping to meet the basilisk's charge.

The real snake, sensing an incoming enemy opened its maw further, preparing bite through what ever approached. The head of Harry's stone serpent fearlessly flew straight into the widespread jaw of the basilisk.

Just as the monster's mouth began to close around the neck of his stone serpent, the glow in Harry's eyes intensified and the head of his creation lengthened, his transfiguration altering its composition to iron and its shape to a pointed spear tip. The basilisk's fangs snapped through the stone serpents neck, but it was too late. The iron spear tip, propelled by the momentum of his stone serpent's leap, lengthened and penetrated directly through the roof of the basilisk's mouth, straight into its brain. It was dead before it hit the ground.

Unfortunately for Harry, the momentum of the enormous beast carried its corpse directly toward him, crashing into the ground and sliding right into him. He was carried into the wall, where his back slammed into the stone. Harry weakly crawled out from the armored scales of the dead snake, determinedly making his way towards the older boy and the unconscious girl.

"You... you killed my basilisk. You son of a bitch! Crucio!"

Harry's nerves lit up in brutalizing pain, and he writhed in agony on the stone floor. He couldn't say exactly how long it went on, but when the spell finally cut out, his throat was raw and he could taste blood in his mouth. The older boy, looking more solid than when Harry had entered the Chamber, was pacing back and forth, seemingly unable to come closer.

"I'm going to make you beg for death. You have no idea who it is you're messing with."

"S-so tell m-me, then." He thought back to the action thrillers that Norm loved to watch. 'Get the bad guy to monologue!'

A cruel smile made its way onto the boy's face, and he gave an elegant bow in Harry's direction, still close to fifty feet away. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, pleased to meet you. You're a more worthy opponent than I expected to meet in this sorry excuse for a school."

"N-never heard of ya." Harry spat a mouthful of blood onto the stone floor, resuming his crawl forward.

"No, I imagine you wouldn't know that name. I wonder though, what you think of this one?" Sweeping his wand forward, the boy traced, in a neat and orderly script that appeared in flames before him, the words Tom Marvolo Riddle. A flourishing twirl of the wand, and the flaming letters rearranged to spell out I am Lord Voldemort.

"Voldemort? You look b-barely older than I am."

"I am a shade of the boy who grew to become Lord Voldemort. From the ashes of Tom Riddle sprang the greatest sorcerer in history of Great Britain!"

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed, a rough, croaking laugh that enraged Tom Riddle. "Crucio!" The shade cried out.

The curse impacted the stone floor, while Harry rolled to his right, finally getting his legs under him and standing on unsteady feet. Tom Riddle still had not moved towards him. 'Is he tethered somehow to that book? Could that be the answer?'

"Crucio! Crucio!" Harry conjured a simple iron disk, that he levitated in place, intercepting each Unforgivable before it reached him. He focused hard on the book, a tightly confined flame roaring into existence, surrounding the object.

Tom turned, looking anxiously at the book for a moment, before the flames cleared and it remained, pristine and untouched on the ground. "It will take more than that. Only the strongest magics are capable of damaging my artifact. By the looks of you, I doubt you have the capacity to do so."

A stone spike rose out of the floor, sending the black covered book flying upward, but again did no visible damage.

"Crucio! Confringo! Crucio!" The spells splashed into a sandstone wall that Harry summoned and just as quickly dispelled. "Try all you like, by the time you make it over here, the girl's soul will be mine. Then it will simply be a matter of killing you and walking out of here in my new body."

"The girl's soul...?" Harry muttered in confusion. "You-, you're stealing her life energy?"

"That's a rather elementary description, but generally speaking, yes. With every passing moment, more of her life force strengthens me and hastens my return." While he was talking, Tom transfigured a stone snake to rise out of the ground and attack Harry.

Quickly summoning a set of jagged spiked jaws to grab onto Tom's snake and drag it into a newly formed pile of quicksand, Harry said nothing in response. He knew what he had to do. He knew how to stop Tom Riddle, how to stop Lord Voldemort's rebirth.

Harry's eyes welled up with tears as he turned his gaze, green eyes hidden behind cracked lenses, from the black book on the floor towards the girl lying on the ground nearby. The pain from his injuries was nothing compared to the sudden weight on his conscience.

Swatting away a Piercing Curse with a newly conjured iron shield, Harry spoke so softly that Tom Riddle lowered his wand in order to hear his words.

"I'm so, so sorry."

An enormous stone spike rose out of the ground, straight through Ginny Weasley's heart. The white light that flowed from the girl towards the book abruptly cut off.

"NOOOO!"

Susan paced nervously in the Headmistress' office. Amelia Bones stood next to McGonagall and Flitwick, looking over a set of blueprints that an enterprising muggleborn had made of Hogwarts several decades ago. Molly and Arthur Weasley sat, huddled together in another corner of the office, fat tears sliding down the Weasley matriarch's cheeks.

"Susan, please, sit down." Professor Sprout conjured a seat next to the one that she was seated on.

"I, I can't! Harry could be fighting for his life right now, with no one but that idiot to back him up!"

"They're doing everything they can to find a solution. We have to be patient."

"Patient?" Susan gave a bitter laugh. "It's been almost four hours since Harry disappeared. My patience ran out long-" A sudden thunderous reverberation shook the office, and everyone turned towards McGonagall, who had her eyes closed, taking in information from the wards.

"The guardian at the base of the stairs has been destroyed." She whispered. The wands of every witch and wizard pointed towards the door, while unsteady footsteps could be heard ascending the stairs. Complete silence reigned in the office, everyone practically holding their breath as they waited for the stranger to arrive.

Two light taps sounded against the bottom of the door.

"No, Susan, don't!" Amelia cried, but it was too late. Susan had rushed forward, jerking the door to the office open, falling backwards immediately after as Harry Potter and a young girl, both coated in blood, dirt, and grime, fell forward on top of her and into the office.

"Ginny!" "Susan!" Two separate shouts sounded, as all of the adults charged towards the students. Susan, trapped beneath the weight of the two other kids, noticed despondently that no one called out Harry's name.

It was very obvious that Ginny Weasley was dead. The hole in her chest was the size of a dinner plate. Harry looked horrible, violently trembling, one arm limp against his side, unable to even sit straight, his breath short and wheezing.

McGonagall snapped into action and zoomed back towards her fireplace, tossing a handful of Floo powder into the flames and calling for Madam Pomfrey. The Hogwarts healer stepped through the fire moments later, hurriedly running towards the two students, wand already in motion.

Molly Weasley clung to Ginny, embracing the girl and weeping uncontrollably. Arthur stood just behind her, hands on her shoulders, quietly crying as he stared at his youngest child's body.

Susan disentangled herself from beneath the bodies, cradling Harry, removing the cracked and broken glasses from his face. "Is he okay?"

Pomfrey took in the information from her diagnostic charms. "I don't think he'll have a permanent limp. That shoulder has been repaired too many times, though; not sure he'll still have a full range of motion. Oh, Merlin. Severe internal trauma; something hit him so hard his insides are half pulp. Minerva, we'll need your Floo." A swish and a flick and the mediwitch had Harry levitating behind her, heading to the fireplace.

"Poppy, he needs to stay conscious. We must have answers." Madam Pomfrey gave no acknowledgment to McGonagall's words, nor did her stride hesitate in the slightest. The fireplace flared, taking the two of them, and Susan to the Hospital Wing.

Harry groaned, jerking back and forth on the hospital bed as Madam Pomfrey repaired his damaged ribs and organs without the benefit of a sedative. Susan squeezed his hand, powerless to do anything to alleviate his pain, but unwilling to leave his side. The fireplace in the corner of the infirmary flared, admitting McGonagall and Amelia Bones.

"Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter." Harry gave no indication he heard or comprehended that the older witches were trying to get his attention. Susan shot them both a furious look, while Madam Pomfrey merely grit her teeth and continued healing him. "Harry! Pay attention!"

His head swung towards the two. "Good, that's it Harry. We need to know what happened. Who is the Heir of Slytherin? Where is Professor Lockhart?"

Harry pulled his trembling hand out of Susan's grip, motioning towards the filthy, bloody robes that Madam Pomfrey had removed as soon as she got him onto the bed. Susan passed the robes to her aunt, taking Harry's hand back in her own after she did so.

"Looks like a quill, some owl treats, remains of a wand – we'll need to log that, Minerva – and, and what is this? Sweet Circe, you can feel the malevolence radiating off of this thing." Amelia held a slim black book between her thumb and forefinger, sheer evil pouring out of it like steam from boiling water.

Swallowing a potion that Pomfrey poured down his throat, Harry gagged. "It produced a shade of Voldemort. Said it would use Ginny to regain his body."

McGonagall stared open-mouthed at Harry, then looked more closely at the book. Amelia whipped out her wand and conjured a wooden box, dropping the book inside it and sealing the lid. "How did Ginny die, Harry?"

He abruptly tensed, then started seizing on the bed. "Gods be damned, if you don't get out of my Hospital Wing I swear by all that is magical we'll be trading spells!" Pomfrey shouted, summoning a potion that she emptied into Harry's mouth, rubbing his throat until he relaxed enough to swallow. Within moments, he drifted into unconsciousness.

Amelia and Minerva stepped away from the hospital bed and made their way back to the fireplace, Amelia to take the book to the Department of Mysteries, Minerva to return to her office to console the Weasleys. Susan looked cautiously at Madam Pomfrey, who didn't look or speak to her. Breathing a sigh of relief, Susan settled into her chair, eyes on the unconscious Ravenclaw.

After perhaps a half hour, Madam Pomfrey sat down on the bed next to Harry, wiping sweat from her brow. "Okay, that's enough for tonight. He's been stabilized, and I'm too exhausted to continue without some rest."

"Is it all right if I stay?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "I think he could use a friend when he wakes up. Victims of Cruciatus exposure are notoriously resistant to pain dulling medications. I'll leave some Dreamless Sleep on the nightstand for you to give him if necessary."

The two sat quietly, watching Harry breathe. "He's grown so much since the first time I met him." Susan looked at Madam Pomfrey, waiting for the healer to continue. "He was nine years old when Dumbledore brought him here via portkey. Nothing but skin and bones, clad in rags. If it weren't against my oaths, I might have joined that mob that killed his relatives." Susan gasped, and Pomfrey finally looked away from Harry to glance over at the Hufflepuff. "If you'd seen what they did to him, you wouldn't look so surprised. The Prophet reporting it is one thing, but seeing it with your own eyes is something completely different."

Honestly, Susan hadn't read beyond the first article detailing Harry's life at the Dursleys. She couldn't take knowing how horrible his life had been. Pomfrey continued, "And since then it's been one thing after another. Every time he walks out of the door of the Hospital Wing I'm terrified that I won't be able to put him back together the next time he's carried back in." The aged mediwitch ran a hand through her gray hair. "Well, I need to rest. Knock loudly on my office door if there is an emergency, give him the potion if he is in discomfort when he awakens."

"Madam Pomfrey?" The healer paused, halfway outside the privacy curtains. "Thank you. For being the only adult here that cared more about Harry than about getting answers." With no response beyond a small upward turn of her lips, Poppy walked away towards her quarters.

The silence of the Hospital Wing alerted Susan to an insistent tapping at the window. Seeing an eagle owl with an Owl Express logo, the letter it was carrying marked 'URGENT', Susan opened the window to allow it entrance, quickly untying the letter from its leg and allowing it to fly back out into the warm June air. Noting that it was addressed to Harry, she set the letter on the nightstand next to his potion, returning to her silent vigil next to the wounded boy.

Susan jerked up in her seat at the sound of low moaning coming from the bed next to her. Harry tossed and turned, crying out and yelling at various moments, consumed by nightmares. Remembering Madam Pomfrey's concern over his shoulder, and seeing him moving it as he flailed about on the bed, Susan leapt out of her seat and straddled him, holding him down to try and keep him from injuring himself further.

"Harry," she said, softly. "Wake up, you're having a nightmare. Please, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open as he drifted into consciousness. "Susan?"

"Yep. You know, most girls prefer seeing boys outside of the hospital now and again, Harry."

He didn't react in any way to her attempted joke. In fact, Harry refused to meet her eyes, turning away and looking to the side. Somewhat disappointed, Susan climbed off him and returned to her seat. "How are you feeling?"

"Hurts."

"Madam Pomfrey warned me you'd say that. She left some Dreamless Sleep Potion, if you'd like me to give it to you." Harry looked longingly at the potion vial on the night stand, barely able to make out the distinctive checkered colored envelope next to it.

"What's that?"

"Oh, an Owl Express came for you last night. It's marked urgent."

"Can I see it?" Susan handed him the envelope, taking in his squinted eyes and frustrated sigh. She lit her wand with a Lighting Charm, which didn't help him much. "Where are my glasses?"

"They were, well, I don't think they were salvageable, honestly."

"Oh. Susan-"

"Would you like me to read it to you?"

"Please."

Susan hummed softly as she opened up the Express envelope and quietly began to read aloud. "Dear Harry, I don't know how to begin a letter like this, so I will just come right out and say it, Norm and Diane were..." She trailed off, nervously glancing at Harry, and setting the letter aside. A whispered 'Nox' sounded a moment later, hiding the tears that were welling in her eyes.

Harry lay stock still in the bed. "Norm and Diane were what." It wasn't a question. A heavy weight settled on his chest, a warning of what that letter contained, but he had to hear it anyway. "Norm and Diane were what, Susan."

She took a shaky breath. "I don't think you need to read that right now, Harry."

"Susan. Finish the letter." His voice was distant, almost like he were speaking from across the room. He felt something inside of him creaking, groaning, twisting into an unrecognizable shape. "Su-" he choked on his words, cleared his throat, and tried again. "Susan. Norm and Diane were what."

"Lumos." She picked up the letter, and began to read it aloud.

Dear Harry,

I don't know how to begin a letter like this, so I will just come right out and say it. Norm and Diane were killed earlier this evening, or this afternoon. I'm not sure which, honestly. They did not die easily; they were made to suffer in the worst ways you could imagine. It was wizards that did it, Harry. Somehow, they found the flat. I'm in London, and saw the aftermath of what was done to them. We need to meet, as soon as possible. Keep me informed of any relevant happenings of what's going on in your side of things.

Sam

"Harry," she began, "I'm so sor-"

"Just stop. Don't say it." Susan increased the power to her Lighting Charm, taking in his downcast eyes and hunched posture. Harry always projected such energy, such power, that it was easy to see him as larger than life. At this moment though, he seemed a shell of his normal self. He looked... hollow. Like the ineffable essence that made him Harry had just been ripped out of him.

She sat quietly, reaching out for his hand, but he jerked it away the moment her fingers grazed his. "I think you should take your potion, Harry." She handed it to him, and he took it from her, throwing the vial against the wall where it shattered, the potion bubbling and dissolving into the stone as the preservation charm on the vial cut out.

"I'd like to be alone, Susan."

"Harry, that's not a good idea-"

"Susan. Please leave."

She took a deep breath. "No." His chest was practically vibrating, the emotion he was holding back rising like a tidal wave nearing the shore. "I know a little something about losing someone you love, in case you've forgotten. You shouldn't be alone right now."

"Get out!" His eyes were a glowing a vivid green, their light overshadowing her Lighting Charm.

"I'm not leaving, Harry!"

Harry extended both arms straight out along his sides, the veins bulging, muscles flexing. Susan could hear the pops from his damaged shoulder as he fully extended it, and she took several involuntary steps back as his mouth opened and a wordless scream of rage erupted from his throat. His aura was visible, a green glow that surrounded him like the corona of a star.

"Leave me alone!" His voice wasn't quite human, warped by the arcane energies pouring out of him. The other beds in the infirmary began to slide away from him, and she could see out the window a flaring of turquoise, where his green aura was colliding with the blue of the wards.

"Harry," Susan's voice was barely a whisper, "you won't ever be alone again, just don't shut me out. Please."

Winds buffeted Susan's form, but she put one arm over her face and began to walk towards him, slowly. It was like trying to walk through a hurricane. The door to Madam Pomfrey's office opened and the mediwitch emerged, but just as quickly an invisible force shoved her back inside and the door slammed shut. The fireplace flared green, signifying an open Floo connection, but almost immediately was extinguished completely.

Susan had reached her original position next to Harry's bed, but she came even closer, climbing onto the bed with him and cradling his head with both her arms. His jaw clicked shut, the rushing wind ceased, the objects that had been floating from his overflowing power falling inert to the ground.

His aura vanished. Harry blinked, and when he reopened his eyes, they were his normal bright green eyes, filled with tears. "They, they were the only people that loved me." He squeezed Susan so tightly that the air rushed out of her lungs, but she held on, the two of them clinging to each other with every ounce of strength in their bodies. They were still in that position when, several minutes later, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey found them.

June 3, 1993

Albus Dumbledore sat across from his former mentor, sipping a cup of English Breakfast and discussing the latest trends in the field of enchanting when an owl arrived with his Daily Prophet. Not wanting to appear rude, he set it aside, only for Perenelle to step away from the table, loudly proclaiming, "You might as well see what's going on in Britain, there's no way you'll be able to focus until you do."

Dumbledore grinned. Nicholas and Perenelle were probably the only two people on the planet that could make him feel like a schoolboy. He flipped the paper over, glancing at the headlines, eyes bulging at what he saw.

"Al? What's-"

"Fawkes!" The phoenix burst into existence above Dumbledore's shoulder, latching and vanishing immediately in another fiery burst.

"-wrong? Well. Wasn't that something? Pass me the paper, won't you Pear?"

His wife of several centuries lifted the copy of the Prophet off the floor, looking over what spurred Dumbledore into such frantic action. The front page headlines read:

Harry, Hero of Hogwarts, Vanquishes Heir of Slytherin

Ginevra Weasley, First Year Gryffindor, Dead at 11

Heroic Harry Needs a Home: Find out how you can apply for guardianship today!

"Hm." Nicholas took a bite of a fruit pastry. "I'll never understand why the Brits insist on such childish alliteration in their media."

"Indeed." Perenelle allowed a flawless French accent to seep into her voice. "'Zey lack ze elegance and grayce ov ze Romantic tongues." The two laughed, and went back to enjoying their breakfast during a lovely sunny day on the French Riviera.

Fawkes dropped Dumbledore off at the gates of Hogwarts, and he swiftly cast an announcing charm, followed by several more in quick succession. It felt like ages before the gates began to open, revealing Minerva McGonagall's haggard visage.

"Albus," She said gravely. "I've been expecting you."

The Prophet, despite their explosive headlines, was rather vague on the actual information contained in the stories themselves. For the students reading the paper, no one knew the circumstances that Ginny came to have her heart carved out of her chest; no one knew exactly who or what the Heir of Slytherin was.

That Harry was in need of new legal guardians was interesting, but there was no mention of what had happened to his muggle family beyond a single sentence that noted 'the muggles he'd resided with were no longer available to offer him a home,' a neutral statement if ever there was one.

And so it was with a mixed reception that the collected students ate their meals. Having been forced to take dinner in their Common Rooms due to the lockdown, there was relief at the normalcy of being in the Great Hall once more, not to mention the news, however lacking it may be in detail, that the Heir of Slytherin was no more.

"Looks like Potter pulled it off again. He's got more lives than a cat."

"Shut up, Malfoy, or so help me I'll rip your tongue out of your mouth with my bare hands."

"Easy there, Daphne, but surely even you can't help but notice whenever something goes wrong in this castle, Potter always seems to be in the center of it all."

Daphne furiously slammed the Prophet onto the table, knocking over her goblet of pumpkin juice. "In case you didn't notice, Malfoy, Harry defeated the person that killed two daughters of ancient pureblood lines. You should be raising a toast in his name."

Surprisingly, Draco went silent and turned back to his meal, offering no further comment. Tracey, across from Daphne, raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Can't believe that worked."

"I'm going to the infirmary."

"Monthlies giving you trouble?"

Daphne clenched her teeth. "I don't see Harry here, do you? He's almost certainly in the Hospital Wing."

"Oh, right. Hang on, let me finish and I'll come along."

"No, that's fine, I think I need to speak with Harry al-"

A Silencing Charm hushed the conversation in the Great Hall, as Headmistress McGonagall entered and walked purposely to the Head Table. "Attention, students. Given the compounding tragedies that we've endured this year, Hogwarts will be closing effective immediately. The carriages will depart for Hogsmeade Station at 8 p.m., after dinner. You will arrive in London just before breakfast, allowing your parents or guardians to pick you up before they leave for work, should that be an issue of concern."

She paused, wand outstretched to cancel the Silencing Charm, deciding to continue. "I'm sure many of you have seen today's paper. Yesterday evening, Harry Potter and Professor Lockhart ventured into the Chamber of Secrets and confronted the Heir of Slytherin. Your classmate, Ginevra Weasley, was held hostage there. Mr. Potter was the only one to return alive. Please be considerate in your words and actions today. There will be plenty of questions over the coming months, but I will not be taking any today. You are dismissed to the Owlery should you choose, or you may finish breakfast. That is all." A wave of her wand canceled the charm, and the Headmistress walked out of the Great Hall as expressly as she'd entered.

Tracey swallowed her bite. "Wow. Okay, I'm done now, let's get going to the Owlery."

"After I go to the Hospital Wing, Tracey."

"Daphne! Take a look around, there won't be an owl to be found if we don't get moving now. Besides, look around – Longbottom and Lovegood are both here, at breakfast. If he were in the Hospital Wing, don't you think they'd be there with him?"

The Second Year Slytherin hesitated, then reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled along by her roommate. "Fine, the Owlery, then we check the infirmary."

Dumbledore sat in silence, watching as Madam Pomfrey manipulated Harry's shoulder, attempting to repair the latest damage to the battered joint, Harry occasionally letting out a grunt of pain. In a reverse from the night before, Harry was seated in the chair, while Susan lay in the bed, covered with a thin blanket.

"I don't suppose yo-"

Harry made a 'shh' gesture with his good arm, looking meaningfully at Susan. Dumbledore bounced his leg in nervous anticipation, but did not say anything else. Around twenty minutes passed before Madam Pomfrey patted Harry's good shoulder, helping him into a a set of clean robes before conjuring a sling for his injured arm. She waved her wand, casting a one-way silencing ward over the sleeping Hufflepuff, turning back to Harry once she'd done so.

"You need to keep your arm immobile for the next two weeks, at least. You will also likely have enduring stiffness in your leg for an equal amount of time, but the limp is temporary. Harry, I cannot stress enough the importance in you taking better care of yourself."

"It's not as though I set out to get hurt, Madam Pomfrey."

"Harry," the healer's tone was dead serious. "just as multiple reparo charms eventually weaken the structure of an object to the point that it disintegrates, so too do multiple regenerative treatments weaken your body. You're not quite thirteen years old, and you've had severe organ damage more than three times already. Do you understand the consequences if you don't take better care of yourself?"

In truth, Harry wasn't much in the mood for self-preservation. He gave a short nod to the mediwitch, turning dulled green eyes on his former Headmaster. "Why are you here, Dumbledore?"

"Just like everyone else, I've arrived seeking answers. I had hoped you'd be willing to share a memory of what took place inside the Chamber?"

The memory of his stone spike jutting out of Ginny's chest, gore and viscera dripping from it's razor sharp point flashed before Harry's eyes, and he firmly shook his head 'no'.

"I suspected that would be your response. Well, then shall we depart? I believe there will be quite a crowd waiting for us."

Harry rose from his chair, nearly stumbling to the floor before Dumbledore caught his healthy arm, keeping the young Ravenclaw upright. Nodding his thanks, Harry balanced himself before holding out his hand, conjuring a walking stick to lean on.

"Your control has improved a great deal, Harry."

"I had a large incentive to get better, Dumbledore."

The two set out, leaving Madam Pomfrey and Susan in the Hospital Wing, making the slow march towards the Headmistress' office.

"I'd like to express my condolences for the loss of your family."

Harry didn't respond, but Dumbledore saw his grip tighten around his walking stick. "I'm sure you are uninterested in the Prophet's take on the situation, but I hope you'll accept my good intentions in alerting you that a story ran today about your lack of a guardian."

"So what?"

"Harry, you demonstrated a strong understanding of your fame this year. Tell me, what do you think is going to happen after the newspaper announced that the Ministry would be seeking to place you in a new home?"

The tapping of his walking stick abruptly stopped. "I'm going to be awarded to a new family? Like a prize at a carnival?"

Seeing no need to sugar coat the situation, Dumbledore responded with a simple "Yes."

Harry resumed his slow pace. "I thought you were my magical guardian. Can't you just say that you're taking care of me?"

"Is that what you'd want, Harry?"

"No."

Despite the gravity of their discussion, Dumbledore chuckled at the blunt response. "I thought not. This situation is a bit convoluted, I'm afraid. I was able to obtain your magical guardianship because you'd been placed with muggles. That will not be an option this time, I'm afraid, meaning that your custody and magical guardianship will transfer to the family that the Ministry selects."

"The same Ministry that has spent the better part of this year bowing to and praising the ugliest parts of anti-muggle bigotry?"

"Indeed, the very same."

There was a weak glimmer of light in Harry's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. "Okay."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I must say, I expected a stronger reaction from you."

Harry didn't reply, apparently done with the conversation, so Dumbledore got to the point as quickly as possible. "As there has yet to be a decision on where to place you, I'll be leaving you in the care of my brother while I work to ensure that you don't end up in an... undesirable situation."

"No! I need to go back to London!"

"Harry, I'm afraid that's impossible. No responsible adult could allow a twelve-year old to wander London alone without proper supervision."

"But, my things at home..."

"Can be replaced, I assure you. And I am genuinely sorry for the reasons this is so, but that's not your home any longer, Harry."

Harry's face tightened, his lips pressing into a firm line as a renewed wave of despair washed over him. He thought of the picture in his room in London of him and Diane from his First Year, him clad in his finest robes, a bright smile on both of their faces. 'They're trying to take away even the memories of my family,' an angry, spiteful voice suggested. He released a deep breath, shoving his emotions away.

Dumbledore looked several times between Harry and the stone gargoyle that had been ripped out of the wall, disappointment evident on his face. "That gargoyle had been there for nearly a thousand years, Harry." The Ravenclaw shrugged nonchalantly as he carefully climbed the steps.

Their walk ended as the two stepped into the crowded office. Headmistress McGonagall, Lucius Malfoy, Cornelius Fudge, Amelia Bones, Arthur Weasley, Professors Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick, Lord Abbott, Lord Doge, Lord Nott, two men dressed completely in black with dark cowls covering their faces, and, strangely enough, Thaddeus Perrault were all in attendance.

"Mr. Perrault? What are you doing here?"

"You're my client, Mr. Potter, don't tell me you've forgotten. I'm here as your representative. With Gilderoy gone, control over the publishing rights to your name fall to my company. Judging by the people in this office, I can tell this is going to be big."

"Minerva, with your permission, I'd be happy to cast an expansion charm." The Headmistress nodded, and Dumbledore waved his wand in an intricate pattern, doubling the square footage of the office. Everyone inside breathed a little easier.

"Thank you, Chief Warlock. You all have been invited here today to witness the debriefing of the sole survivor of the Chamber of Secrets incident, which occurred yesterday evening. I'll allow Madam Bones of the DMLE to conduct the official questioning. There will be no veritaserum employed. This is strictly a fact-finding mission. Are we clear?"

"And why, when we have such means available to us, are we to take the word of twelve-year old child who's proven to be a glory hound?" The sibilant tones of Severus Snape easily cut through the hushed expectation.

"Snape, get out." McGonagall snapped. "You were invited as a courtesy, per your position as Head of Slytherin House, but this is too important to deal with you shooting jabs at Mr. Potter the whole time."

The odious man opened his mouth to object, but took in the cautioning stares of both Malfoy and Dumbledore, choosing instead to leave without a word.

"Now, I'll turn things over to Madam Bones."

Amelia took a seat at in a chair on one side of a small table. The gentle clack of Harry's walking stick was the only sound in the room as he slowly made his way to the seat opposite of her.

"Harry, I'd like you to go over what happened first in your own words, and once you're finished I'll ask you some questions about what you told us. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Very well." She set up the a dicta-quill, ensuring it was properly inked and that there was an adequate parchment roll. "You may begin."

Harry told his story, initially beginning with McGonagall's announcement of the security lockdown. He'd barely spoken for thirty seconds before the Headmistress interrupted him.

"Harry, if you would, I'd like you to briefly cover the events of your night in the Forbidden Forest, that led you to suspect the location of the Chamber's entrance."

There were frustrated groans from some of those in attendance, but Madam Bones quelled them with a short glare. Harry quickly ran through his conversation with Aragog, noting that Neville had participated fully and reported their findings to McGonagall.

"An acromantula colony next to a school? Dumbledore, what exactly were you doing for the last forty years?"

"Mr. Malfoy, you're here at the request of Minister Fudge, but any more interruptions and I'll have you removed." The blonde man bowed his head in apparent apology, settling back into his conjured chair next to Fudge. "Okay, Harry, let's move on to the day of the incident in the Chamber."

Harry described hearing the school would close, and paused. He glanced at Perrault, glossing over the conversation he had with Lockhart, and their confrontation in the bathroom. "Professor Lockhart and I entered the Chamber-"

"How did you activate the entrance? Ministry specialists were unable to locate the entrance that you claim to have used."

Harry hesitated, looking at McGonagall, then Dumbledore. "The entrance only activates with a command spoken by a parselmouth. I have that ability." The room exploded in shouts and cries of outrage.

Madam Bones let the outcry continue, truth be told, she was rather stunned herself. "Can you demonstrate this ability?"

"I'll need someone to conjure a snake." Amelia did so, summoning a small garter snake.

"~Hello.~"

"~A speaker?~"

"~Yes, thank you for talking with me.~" Harry leaned back. "You can Vanish the snake if you like."

The room was silent as Madam Bones did so. The Second Year Ravenclaw filled the silence by continuing his story, noting that the Monster of Slytherin was actually a basilisk, and that Lockhart "hadn't made it" through the encounter. He wasn't feeling particularly charitable towards his fraudulent former mentor. He ran through a summary of his fight with the enormous serpent and the shade from the book quickly, claiming that the shade vanished when Ginny died, but leaving out how she actually met her end.

"And Miss Weasley?"

"The Chamber was unstable. There was, um, there were falling rocks after the basilisk knocked out some support columns. A piece of stone went through her chest."

"And you came straight to the Headmistress' office?"

"I walked back up the tunnel. It took a long time since I was carrying-, since Miss Weasley was with me."

"And this shade, that the artifact produced. You're sure that it claimed to be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Yes."

"Albus Dumbledore has volunteered the use of his pensieve, would you consent to a viewing of your memory of the incident?"

"No."

"Why not?" Madam Bones challenged.

"Mr. Potter is under no obligation to provide a memory, given as you know that they are inadmissable in legal proceedings."

"Mr. Perrault," Amelia skewered him with a stare. "This is not a legal proceeding, merely a fact-finding inquiry. Please refrain from interrupting."

"I'm not interrupting, I'm responding to your request as Mr. Potter's sole representative in this room."

"Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick are here."

Perrault snorted. "Right, they've done such a great job so far. Regardless, Mr. Potter and I have a contractual agreement." He made a show of taking a long look around the room. "The Chief Warlock, Minister for Magic, Unspeakables, the Head of the DMLE, and two Lords of the Wizengamot. 'Merely an inquiry' my arse. You're not getting the memory."

McGonagall broke in to the discussion. "Madam Bones? Are there any further questions?"

"Many, but" at this, she glanced over to the black-clad Unspeakables, "nothing more at this moment."

"Very well. Come along, Harry."

Perrault jumped out of his seat before Dumbledore could leave with the young Ravenclaw. "Harry! Owl me, we've got business to discuss!"

Dumbledore and Harry stood outside the Entrance Hall, a light summer breeze brushing against their robes.

"I'll allow you some time to wish your friends off before they board the carriages, Harry, then we'll go to the Hogsmeade."

Harry slowly walked towards the group of students waiting for him. Naturally, Luna was the first to greet him, practically bouncing to his side and embracing him, the tiny First Year's head not even level with his shoulders. Her wide, silvery eyes crinkled slightly as she gave him a smile.

"It's going to be okay, Harry. Just keep walking forward. Will you sit with me on the train in September?"

"Sure, Luna. I'm sorry about Ginny, I know she was your friend."

"I'll remember her fondly, just like she'd want."

"That's... that's good, Luna."

"I'm going to miss our nights together in the forest."

Harry didn't respond, squeezing her just a little harder before she let go, walking away and boarding one of the carriages. Neville was next, offering a firm handshake. "I'll keep an eye on her on the train, Harry. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Nev. You've been a true friend."

"I wrote to my Gran. No one's told me any details, but I can't imagine you're in need of new guardians because of any good reason." Harry's face went still, like his features were carved from stone. "But our families have always been close. I hope you'll be able to come live with us."

"Maybe so." Harry's voice was distant. "Have a good summer."

Hermione held her hands out as though she were going to embrace him, but looked critically at the sling on his arm and thought otherwise. "Harry, I'm really sorry about your parents. I... I'm frightened. Can you tell me the full story of what happened this year? I'm sorry, I don't want to make you relive it, but I know you've been holding stuff back, and I think I might really need to know."

Harry understood what she meant. If his family was attacked, hers was at risk, too. Hermione patted his arm, giving him a sympathetic smile, and walked over to the carriage Luna and Neville were in.

Susan and Daphne were the last two remaining, both looking uncomfortable at saying goodbye in front of the other.

Harry walked up to Daphne. "I really appreciate all your help this last term."

She gave a sheepish nod. "I'm sorry that I avoided you in the fall. There's, um," she glanced quickly in Susan's direction. "there's something that we need to talk about. Something important. Maybe we could meet this summer? Spend a day together? I'll bring Astoria."

He gave her a ghost of a smile. "Perhaps we could find a meadow to picnic in."

Her cheeks flaming, Daphne reached out and pressed a kiss to his cheek before embracing him. "I'll be in touch." She walked away, climbing into a different carriage where Tracey was waiting.

Susan stood, having awkwardly watched his interaction with Daphne. "What will you do this summer, Harry?"

"I don't know yet. What about you?"

She lowered her head, eyes downcast. "Hannah's mum hasn't answered any of my letters. Normally, I spend most of my summer at Abbott Estates, but..." she blinked away a few errant tears. "I'm not sure. Things are just so terrible."

He wrapped his good arm around her, and the Hufflepuff melted into his embrace. Susan continued to speak, her voice muffled by his robes. "I just don't know how I'm going to go on without her. We had all these plans. She wasn't my best friend, she was my sister."

Susan took a shuddering breath, wiping her face with one hand as Harry released her. "I'm sorry, I feel like the only thing I've done is cry all over you for the last two weeks."

"It's okay, really."

"I wish I were as strong as you. Maybe I wouldn't be falling apart if I were."

"You're plenty strong, Susan. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"It's my fault, you know? When she was... when it happened, she was going to the Owlery to send a letter to her parents. The Abbotts were going to the Continent this summer, and her letter was telling them that if they didn't invite me, she wasn't going to go. I found it after she-" Susan swallowed deeply. "If it weren't for me-"

"Susan, stop." This was starting to hit a little too close to home for Harry.

"Right, sorry." She gave a weak laugh. "I must look a frightful mess."

Harry looked at her, really looked for the first time since the morning after Lockhart had dumped her into his bed in the Hospital Wing. Her dark red hair was untied, loose from her usual braid. Her cheeks, flushed from being upset, were the only spots of color in her otherwise pale and drawn pallor. Susan looked like she hadn't had a good meal in awhile, her build almost weak and frail, a stark contrast to the normally vivacious frame that the Hufflepuff had.

He reached out, his fingers brushing some of her hair off her cheek. "I think you look beautiful." Her eyes locked onto his, the breathless moment between the two stretching on. Susan stood on the tips of her toes, 'When had he gotten so much taller than me?' and gently pressed her lips against his.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, still standing near the Entrance Hall doors. Harry stepped back, looking embarrassed, but Susan held him in place with one hand on his robes, leaning her head on his good shoulder.

"Don't forget you're not alone. You have Luna, Neville, Hermione, and me."

"Goodbye, Susan." She hopped into the carriage with the rest of their friends, just as the thestrals began galloping towards Hogsmeade Station.

"Harry." He turned, seeing Dumbledore holding his trunk and Hedwig's cage. "Are you ready?"

He nodded, stepping next to the elderly man and grabbing hold of Fawkes' other leg, vanishing in a ball of flame.

Aberforth slammed the butterbeer down on the bar, snatching the Sickles out of his patron's hand. 'Damn him, treating my business like a daycare.' Glancing over at his brother seated in a booth with his former student, the tavern owner took a deep pull from a bottle of firewhiskey before he furiously began wiping the bar with his trademark filthy rag.

"Hey!" Albus turned his head in surprise at his brother's tone. "Are you going to be here all day? Do-gooders like you are bad for business."

Albus patted Harry's shoulder, and walked over to speak with his brother. "You understand that Harry is very important to our world."

"Says who? The Prophet? I haven't read that rag in years. Still don't see why you decided to turn my bar into a student hostel."

"Harry's family was killed recently. The Ministry will be awarding his custody to a 'suitable' family; I suspect it may not be a quick decision, given his celebrity." Dumbledore was sure of that, in fact. He'd already begun tapping into his network in the Ministry, trying to pull strings. "Have a heart, Abe."

Aberforth leaned over the bar, poking a finger into Albus' chest. "The day you lecture me about-" He took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll give him a room. Don't expect me to spend all day babysitting him, though, I've got a bar to run."

Albus looked around the Hogs Head, noting that besides himself and Harry, there were three other people inside. "I can tell."

"I said I'll do as you ask, now leave."

"I'll see you for the solstice?"

Aberforth nodded, and Albus smiled and bid Harry farewell, walking out the door. The sound of him apparating was heard shortly after. Harry, pulling his trunk and an empty owl cage towards the bar, sat down heavily on one of the stools.

"I don't like kids sitting at the bar. People come here to avoid the students."

"Sorry." Harry awkwardly stood up, and Aberforth looked at him closely for the first time since he'd come in.

"Wait a minute, I remember you."

"Hi Abe."

"So. Looks like you didn't take my warnings seriously. You drag those muggles of yours into another wizarding village?"

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously. "You bastard."

Abe barked out a laugh. "Don't you forget it. So, what happened?"

"I don't know yet. Wizards killed my mum and dad." Harry sat back down on a bar stool, still glaring at the old man.

"What about your uncle? They get him, too?"

"No, he's still alive. He's in London right now."

"Well why the hell aren't you with him, instead of here?"

Harry glanced around the mostly empty bar, lowering his voice. "I didn't tell anyone about him. I'm afraid if I do, he'll be attacked also."

Aberforth pursed his legs, pouring himself a drink. He moved to put the bottle back on the shelf, but thought otherwise, pouring a splash into another glass and setting it in front of Harry.

"Somebody goes through what you have, they need a drink." Harry gulped down the swallow Abe had poured him, coughing loudly as the whiskey burned his throat. Abe reached down under the bar and grabbed a handful of ice cubes, dropping them into Harry's glass before pouring a little more whiskey in the glass. "Here, goes down easier cold."

"Thanks, I think."

The owner of the Hogs Head busied himself behind the bar for awhile, running through his normal routines while still shooting resentful looks at Harry now and again. Finally, he walked back over to the boy. "So what are you going to do while you're here?"

"Drink, I guess?"

"No, you won't be doing any more of that. That trunk all of your stuff?"

"It's all I have with me. Your brother wouldn't let me go back and get my things from my parents."

"What? Why not?"

"Said 'things can be replaced.'" Even though he'd only been given what amounted to a few sips, but the whiskey was warming his belly.

"Sounds like something he'd say." Abe finished his own drink. "Well, I may be a bastard, but I'm not as bad as him. You need to go get some stuff, that's all right with me."

Harry's eyes widened. "You're serious?"

"Sure. You might need to give me a few days to find the time, things always are busy once the school lets out."

Harry looked around the bar, silently noting the dearth of customers. "Okay. Well, if you're too busy, my uncle could take me to pack up my things. I'd just need you to give me a way to London and back."

"I don't know..." A fourth patron had entered the bar, and seconds later a fist fight broke out between the new customer and another. "Dammit! This is why I can't have you distractin' me. Hey! Take it out outside, you drunken louts!" Abe grabbed a butterbeer cap off the bar, standing silently with his wand pressed against the cap for several seconds. "Portus. Here. This will take you to an alley next to the Leaky Cauldron. It will reactivate tonight at 10 o'clock sharp, bringing you back to that booth you were sittin' at with Al." Brandishing his wand, the old barman waded into the fistfight.

Harry's eyes gleamed at his good fortune. Double-checking that the owl cage was secured to his trunk, he grabbed the handle, squeezed the bottle cap, and channeled some magic into the portkey. Looking around at the contents of the bins in the alley, he realized he was on the muggle, not magical side of the Leaky. Tossing the bottlecap into a nearby dumpster, Harry hustled out of the alley for the nearest Tube station. Minutes later, he hung up the payphone and hopped onto a train for Surrey.

Harry stood outside the door to his home, looking at the yellow tape that criss-crossed the door. Sam, standing next to him, put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Come on." He unlocked the door, and they slipped through the crime scene tape. Harry looked around the devastated apartment, the signs of violence clearly visible despite the police having removed the worst of the evidence.

Harry walked slowly through the flat, a cold rage fueling his every movement. "Tell me how it happened."

Sam didn't hesitate to do so. Every word was like a dagger through Harry's heart, but Harry listened silently, showing no emotion. They'd died because he couldn't protect them. He didn't deserve to cry. His anger built and built, the lights in the flat flickering. Across the building, residents reported electrical outages. Sam spared no detail, telling him every horrible aspect that the police had discovered, the horrifying scene playing out in Harry's mind.

"Someone needs to pay for this." Sam said, a savage expression on his face. "We owe it to Norm and Diane. But you're the only one who can do it, Harry."

Harry didn't disagree. He owed it to them. If they hadn't met him, if they hadn't loved him, they'd be alive. They'd be married, buying a house, having a real family, instead of taking care of some broken orphan and dying for it. It was his fault. Why didn't he just stay at the Dursley's? Why had he thought someone like him, a murderer that killed innocent people, deserved the love of people like Norm and Diane? He, who had people so desperate to hurt him they'd destroy the only people who'd ever wanted him-

"I'm going to kill them all." He whispered from from his position, squatting near bloodstained carpet. He held out his hand for Sam to help him stand.

Sam nodded, and he took the boy's extended hand, holding it tightly. "We'll do it together."

Harry's eyes, burning with a glowing emerald fire, stared hard into Sam's. "I'll get our revenge. I swear that Norm and Diane will be avenged."

A blinding flash lit up the apartment, vanishing just as quickly as it appeared.

A/N: FINALLY! Funny thing: I actually wrote this and the previous chapter all at once, but I couldn't figure out how I wanted the scene with everyone 'debriefing' Harry to go, so I separated them out. Hoping all of you think this one was as fun to read as it was for me to write. Wanted to shout out SmutleyDo-wrong for the idea about Lockhart's wand - it was a cool scene :) Some quick Q &As here:

- Why did Harry leave Lockhart in the Chamber?

He couldn't carry him, obviously. He also is afraid that the truth about Ginny would come out if others were allowed down there, and if they knew Lockhart was petrified they'd insist on him opening the Chamber.

- What happened with the Diary?

Since Ginny's soul energy or whatever hadn't finished resurrecting DiaryMort, the Horcrux retreated back to the Diary, like how closing Slytherin's locket 'hid' the Horcrux.

- Why'd you kill Norm and Diane?!

They were always going to die. The title of the story is a clue in an "opposite" kind of way. I admit, I really grew to like the characters, though. It was fun writing a 'happy!Harry' childhood story.

- Why didn't Sam spill the beans on magic to the police?

Well, for one, because he'd read so much about MACUSA, he knows there exists some relationship between magical and muggle governments. Another thing, he knows that the police have zero chance of doing anything about magical assailants. The only wizard he trusts right now is Harry.

- Is this now an H/SB story?

No. I have always said, and it is still the truth, that I don't know which will be the 'final' pairing. I only have a vague idea of how the story ends. For now, Susan is the one who's been trying to know him. Daphne's the one who ignored him for a whole term, even though she knew he liked her (she had her reasons, obviously, but Harry doesn't know that). To be completely honest, I love the Harry/Luna dynamic so much that the idea of moving it away from 'big bro/lil sis' towards a more romantic angle in the future is tempting.

- Are you really going to have a 12 (almost 13) year old go on a murder spree?

Not yet... :D

This was my longest chapter, over 12K words. Thanks for the kind reviews, and the not so kind ones. I'm glad that some of you also liked my Lockhart - I'll miss that goddamn phony.

RE: UPDATES - My comprehensive examinations begin next Friday, and will last about 8 or 9 days. Then I have to defend my comps. All of that takes priority over the story (which is why I've been feverishly writing so I could 'start' the real plot of the story before I go).

In other words, the next update probably won't be for 2 weeks, *at least*. Maybe even 3. I don't intend on giving up on this story, so just be patient. See you all later! - Frickles