Writer's note

Given the nature of the Covid Lockdown relaxation on the rules, I am able to focus my energy on Harry's side of the story. This means taking a small detour that will leave a blank space for now. Part 8 of year four will pick up eight months after Harry fell into the ocean. The reason for this is because I am already working on a spin off of Tales of the past which was meant to interlink with Tales of the past via the introduction of Edward Cullen and his family. The undertaking is a bit big while I'm working. So, I plan to write and finish Harry's side of the story and then focus on the spin off once year seven is completed. The spin off will shed light on what Harry did after he fell into the water, but for now it's about finishing his story. So, take a breather, sit back, relax and welcome our hero back to Hogwarts where he belongs. Year 5 will quickly follow once these last three parts of year four have been posted.

Enjoy.

Part 8

Home Sweet Hogwarts

Draco slammed helplessly against the floor of the great hall. He rolled a few feet and then stopped, slumping back weak and out of breath at Hermione's feet. Scattered across the room, on the tables, the chairs, on the raised platform where the teachers would eat lay bodies of Ministry officials and members of the Order of the Phoenix each of whom were unconscious or fatally wounded. The hall itself was in disarray. The enchanted ceiling was an endless black without a sky. The large oak doors blown to bits, stone and glass scattered the floors and the emblems of the four houses that hung over the tables were burning. Outside, fighting could be heard and there wasn't a tell that would suggest Sirius and Severus were winning that battle with the aid of those willing to fight. Dumbledore had been forced high into the castle by Kendra who led the team of Grey cloaks that were eager to kill the headmaster, leaving the others to fend for themselves against the attackers.

Neville stepped forward with his entourage that consisted of 4 vampires, all red eyed, all black cloaks and all of them watching Hermione with hunger on their faces and burning throats eager for blood. Hermione had knelt down to check on Draco. When she was happy that he was still breathing but wounded and unconscious, she stood up to face the danger.

Hermione herself was injured, a small gash on her cheek, her school robes burned and ripped and an ache in her hand from punching Angela in the face when she'd made the decision not to kill the one who was now so devoted to Neville that she was willing to kill Hermione for him. Her wand was clutched tightly in her right hand and she felt her heart thumping heavily in her chest. Neville stopped and gazed upon her with disgust and hatred. For Hermione, the look was ugly, it didn't belong on Neville's face. All year since her return to Hogwarts with Draco, he had warned her about how much Neville had changed. She trusted that she couldn't rely on her friendship with Neville anymore, but it didn't make it any easier to accept that the sweet boy she knew was now gone.

"Neville," Hermione said. Her voice was tender, but it took great effort to remain so calm. She had witnessed him, and his followers enter Hogwarts, strike down students, teachers, Aurors and friends without blinking hesitation. She accepted that he was dangerous but the hope that she could reach him had not left her, "Neville, stop this, it's not you. This," She gestured to the destruction, "Cannot be you."

"You've always been so misguided," He told her. Neville couldn't quite meet her eyes. He could only stare at her for a few seconds before looking away as if something pained him. Hermione could see the cracks in his façade, she could see the torment within him. And yet, he continued, "All that talent, brain, power and you waste it thinking you know better than anyone else. You never once saw what was right in front of you, blinded by the traitor,"

"Harry," Said Hermione. It pained her to say the name and yet it gave her the strength to hold her ground. Harry hadn't been seen in 8 months and there wasn't a single shred of evidence to suggest that he was still alive. However, his name was the light in the dark for Hermione whenever she felt lost and she would use it now as a weapon, "His name, is Harry Potter and he is your best friend. He protected you, helped you, he only ever wanted you to be…"

"HE WAS MY CURSE!" Hermione recoiled from the instant rage that Neville spat at her. His eyes widened, his teeth gritted, and he looked mad, cracked and damaged, "HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUT ME IN THE SHADOWS! HE WAS THE ONE WHO FEARED MY POWER! HE WAS THE ONE WHO RISKED MY LIFE FOR HIS OWN GAIN! TO BE THE HERO HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AND NEVER CARED WHAT I WANTED! HE IS THE ONE WHO TOOK YOU FROM ME!"

Hermione didn't know what to say. She was logical enough to see the broken, damaged mind of a jealous coward who sought out power and betrayed his friends. Whatever Neville had become, she knew words alone would not be enough to make him see sense. She braced herself to show him exactly why all his efforts would be for nothing.

"I was never yours to be taken from in the first place, Neville." She told him. Hermione's voice was dangerous now, when she took a step forward, Neville and his vampires took a step back as well, keeping the distance between them, "How could I ever want to belong to a coward like you. My power, my knowledge, my talent, it will only ever belong to one person. And he isn't a pathetic child like you!"

"SHUT UP!" Screamed Neville, clutching the sides of his head and covering his ears.

"You're weak and alone. You could never match up to him." She taunted, stepping forward again, "Every time we were alone we would laugh over how sad it was that you wanted me."

"STOP IT!"

"We knew of course, we always knew how badly you wanted to be Harry, to be with me!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"We would laugh and joke and just when we knew you were listening; he'd kiss me, and I would feel stronger than any woman that ever lived. A pathetic worm like you could never have what he has!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green blast of glowing power fired from the end of Neville's wand tip. Hermione braced herself to dodge it, to use Neville's angry, distracted state as a means to stop him. The vampires held their ground, disappointed under the assumption that they would not get to taste Hermione's blood. The blast of energy soared forward, it got closer and closer then just as she was about to move…a bright light filled the hall. It blinded all and drowned out the green of the killing curse. Hermione felt the hand on her waist, and she was pulled out of the way. The world spun, Hermione twirled and when she stopped she found herself dizzy but not falling over. When the light cleared there was a cry of rage as the killing curse exploded and destroyed Dumbledore's chair. A dull quiet filled the room, Hermione's vision cleared, and she looked up at the face of the boy who held her.

"If I ever gave you the impression that I thought I owned you," Harry told her. His smile was light, playful and his eyes green and loving as ever when they looked at Hermione, "Then I can only apologise."

Staring for a moment only, Hermione examined every inch of Harry's face. All the joy, happiness, ecstasy and peace she knew she would feel when she saw him again was present. On the other hand, the casual smile on his face would suggest that he had come from a place that wasn't overly stressful for him.

"8 months?" She questioned him, raising her brow.

"Seriously? You want to have this conversation now?" He replied. With a certain level of reluctance, he released her from his arms and turned to face Neville, who, looked to Harry as something that could only be described as, pissed off. Harry chose to ignore this and walked over to Draco, kneeling to check him.

"8 months and you don't look like you've had that tough of a time," Said Hermione. Her tone was just as casual as Harry's and ignoring Neville who was glaring furiously at them both, "Unless you've got a really good story to cover everything from your disappearance, the lack of contact and why you're wearing muggle clothing that looks really expensive."

"You like them?" He asked her. Harry stood once he was happy that Draco was alive and did a small turn to show off his outfit. He was dressed in a white shirt, blue jeans and shoes that fit him perfectly. The black coat he wore was leather and his hair was freshly cut in a short style that showed off how much he'd matured physically in a year.

"You look very handsome," Hermione conceded, "But where did you get them?" She demanded.

"My stylist," He shrugged, acting all cool, "She seemed to think I should look my best for you, she's keen to meet you,"

"Who is?" Hermione asked, confused by this mystery woman, "Erica?"

"Is outside helping the others. The one who wants to meet you is upstairs helping Dumbledore," Harry answered. He stepped towards Hermione, reached up to stroke the blood off her cheek and leaned in close, "I missed you, I love you and I only took so long because if I hadn't, Voldemort would have gained a weapon that would have destroyed all of us."

"Well, when you put it like that," She whispered. Hermione moved in closer and pressed her lips to his cheek, "But that doesn't mean you get out of making up for the lost time,"

"I'll start right now," Harry promised her.

"He has vampires," Hermione warned him, indicating the blood thirsty four who now watching Harry intently.

"Which is illegal!" Harry said I a loud voice, turning his full attention on Neville, "Making friends with vampires, bringing them into a school, do you know how dangerous and terrible that is? Not to mention breaking international magic and supernatural law. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"You…" Neville attempted to say.

"One second," Harry held up his finger to cut off Neville and glanced at Hermione, "you know that thing I do where I have to fight by myself to prove a point?"

"Ugh, fine," Hermione sighed, taking a step towards Draco and putting herself between him and everyone else, "But you owe me a Christmas and Birthday present,"

"Well, you still owe me two sickles after we made that bet about who was likely to become evil and betray us," Countered Harry, "Shame on you for suspecting the one who has a love of sequin robes,"

"I never expected any of our friends to betray us!"

"Well, you should have known better, you're the smart one," Harry grinned. He pressed his lips to Hermione's forehead, whispered, "Won't be long," Then faced Neville, giving him his complete attention, "Right, you were about to say?" He prompted.

"You're alive," Said Neville, his voice cold and empty.

"Nice of you to notice," Replied Harry, "Although, I'm surprised you were worried about me,"

"I was hoping you were dead!"

"Once again I disappoint you." Harry chuckled, which surprised Hermione and Neville. He stepped forward and just as he did when Hermione approached him, Neville stepped backwards, "A shame, considering how proud I am of you these days. I've really been impressed by your work."

"I don't need your praise!" Spat Neville.

"No, I don't think you would want it but training with Kendra, fighting the Americans, giving Charles Swan a really hard time and doing it well," Harry nodded his head and chuckled, "Even this," He said, looking around the great hall, "You managed to get in here when the Death Eaters couldn't last year,"

"It was easy," Neville told him, "Dumbledore was a fool to think this place was impenetrable with him inside it, he wasn't paying attention to those he couldn't trust. The old fool really thought Ron was able to separate himself from his family. Well, he did just not in the way Dumbledore hoped."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "Letting you in through the secret passageways that led beneath the castle instead through it. Even Dumbledore and Flitwick didn't know they existed." He smiled when the look of shock returned to Neville's face, "Oh, you didn't think Ron was the only member of his family that knew that it was there, did you?"

Neville looked past Harry when Hermione gasped. Through the wall stepped a small girl who was dressed in ripped robes, had a dirty freckled face and whose hair was red like fire. Hermione cautiously and expectedly stepped away when the girl walked over to stand next to her but held her ground and did her best to return the smile that the girl gave her.

"Hello, Hermione!" Ginny said in a cheerful voice, "Don't worry, I'm not insane anymore, well, I am but not in the same way, I don't like Voldemort anymore, I want to help fight evil and stuff, isn't that good?!"

"Erm, Harry…" Hermione said, nervously.

"One long story at a time, my love," Harry told her, keeping eyes fixed on Neville.

"You made friends with the psychotic?"

"Look who's calling someone psychotic," Harry replied. He stepped forward once more, creating more space between Hermione and Neville, "What you've done is appalling but not unforgiveable. In all your desire for power you've managed to achieve all of this without killing anyone. Even if your actions allowed others," Harry glanced at the vampires, who all smirked at him, then back to Neville, "to cause harm as well. It's not too late, surrender and I promise you won't go to Azkaban, you'll remain here in the dungeons under our watch."

"Sorry," Said Neville, smirking at Harry's offer, "But I've got bigger plans than being your pet for the rest of my life,"

"I'm only going to offer this once,"

"And in case you haven't noticed," Said Neville. He spread his arms out to indicate the vampires that all stepped forward, "I'm more powerful than you and I just happen to have…"

"EDWARD!"

Like three separate lightning strikes that appeared as if from nowhere, three golden eyed men dropped down from the ceiling. The largest landed first, with a mighty, "WOOHOO!" he grabbed two of the stunned vampires and threw them over his head. A second man, blonde haired and lean, landed directly on another's shoulders, grabbed his head and ripped it clean off. The last was a bronze haired man, quick, sharp and deadly, striking down the last before he leapt over his large companion's shoulders, killed a second and then three attackers fled from the hall. The bronze haired man stopped for a moment only. He shared a look of deep meaning with Harry, who nodded once before the bronze haired man ran off. This left Neville alone to face his former friends, a fact of which he clearly realised and was now less confident than he had been before.

"Harry…where those…"

"Three friends I met in Albania?" Harry asked, interrupting Hermione's possible and somewhat damning question that would undoubtedly get him arrested if he were ever found out, "That also saved my life and who's existence should remain a secret at all cost while they help Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded, laughing. Her laugh stopping when Ginny let out a loud giggle.

"Then, yes," Said Harry, giving her a quick smile before looking back at Neville.

"You really have been busy," Neville told him, "It won't matter, my army will…"

"Get its arse handed to it," Harry interrupted him, "That noise you're hearing outside isn't a battle, it's Erica leading our Ilvermorny and Beauxbaton allies against your people, you're outnumbered and the Grey Cloaks will either be dead or defeated, given that you nearly killed Sirius in New York, I'd probably guess Erica is happy to destroy anyone remotely responsible for it,"

"Liar!"

And that of course was not true. The battle continued to wage beyond the walls, but it didn't sound as though anyone was losing. It sounded more like there was a side giving up because it was being overwhelmed by a new force. Neville was beginning to shake with fear and rage.

"Let me fill you in on the last 8 months of my life. The short version of course, not the long one. Shall I?"

When Neville did nothing but stand and stare, Harry took that as a sign to talk freely.

"You see, after I was done with you and thinking that I could run to Hermione's rescue and save the day, I was transported half-way across the whole world to Albania of all places." Harry chuckled lightly as if it were a funny story, "There, I found myself surrounded by Death Eaters, one of which killed a friend of mine right in front of me. You remember Cedric, right? Your blunder in trusting the wrong Death Eater caused him his life. Wormtail cast the spell but his death is on you just like the rest."

"He wasn't a loss!" Neville shouted.

"I'm sure Draco would disagree…"

"He did," Hermione interrupted, confirming Harry's words for him.

"Anyway," Harry smiled pleasantly, "I found myself alone, outnumbered and just when I had no means of escape, guess who turns up? Voldemort of all people, strange fact by the way, he is just as terrifying as everyone says he is. A better fact though, I fought him, and I survived, which means he isn't unstoppable, even if he did throw me off a cliff."

"For a second he almost won. For a second he had beat me and when I dropped right into the ocean, I was long gone from ever trying to stop him from getting back here. That was until someone pulled me out of the water. Someone who I now trust with my life and was able to help me not only recover, but to really be a thorn in Voldemort's side."

"I woke up in France of all places. Basically, the people who found me were on the run from a pack of werewolves who had been sent by Kendra to hunt these people because they were allies to, guess who?"

"Dumbledore…" Neville growled the name.

"Such a small world it is," Harry told him. "Carlisle Cullen and Albus Dumbledore have been friends since Grindelwald tried to gain power, when Carlisle found out who I was, he was determined to get me home until I told him of a plan that Voldemort had to recruit Aro, who is the leader of the most powerful vampire coven in the world, called the Volturi."

"Naturally, vampires aren't supposed to interfere with wizard affairs, it's genuinely illegal and punishable by death not just by the Ministries of the world but by the Volturi themselves. That rule has only ever been given one exception and that was just now to save Hogwarts from the crimes of a few ambitious vampires that serve the Alvery, who will regret ever trying to help you. Another handful of deaths for you to think about."

"I won't mourn the loss of soulless creatures!"

"No, I you won't," Harry sighed, "You see, Voldemort wants nothing to do with you, in fact he sees you as a threat. Don't believe me? Well, I reckon that's not something he would lie about, especially when he showed up in Italy after I stopped his Death Eaters from attempting to recruit Aro. He was angry, swore to kill me but wasn't going to fight me with Cullen family and Aro's 47 strong vampire army ready to attack him if he attempted to hurt me. Aro owes Carlisle many favours and one of them was used to keep me safe. It didn't stop Voldemort having his say though. You see, as much as Voldemort and I are going to try and kill each other one day, we agreed that the big problem right now…is you."

"Like I care what you or he think!"

"Neville, you're my friend, my brother and I love you but what you've become isn't right,"

"You're jealous!"

"No," Harry shook his head, "No, I'll never be jealous of a misguided boy who turned on his friends. That uses a power which does not belong to him. I wish you were possessed by a god, bewitched or even remotely evil but you're none of those things. You're just a jealous coward and I'm sorry but you have to stop this now."

"I will not stop until you're dead!"

Suddenly, the castle began to shake. The room rumbled, broken glass shattered into dust and the battle outside stopped. The ceiling came to life and a clear blue sky and sun shone brightly over them. Neville stumbled backwards to avoid a falling stone brick that smashed against the ground. Harry stepped away from him and closer to Hermione, Ginny and Draco.

"What is this?!" Neville demanded.

"That would be the owner of this school!" Harry called out over the loud rumbling, "You see, I was willing to break the rules to even up this fight and honestly, as much as Carlisle Cullen doesn't like violence, he was willing to forget that to help his old friend. It's over Neville!"

"NO!"

Despite his protests, Neville was forced forward when he tried to run for the door. An invisible force pulled him into the centre of the room and bindings of golden ropes slithered across the ground and surrounded his body, wrapping around him tightly. Harry watched, feeling a mixture of sadness and resentment as he watched Neville attempt to struggle against his bonds.

"This is not how this was supposed to happen!"

"As the authority on life being unfair," Said Harry, "You haven't even begun to realise how much you messed up."

"This isn't over, I will end you, POTTER!"

"Goodbye Neville."

"NO!"

The golden ropes snapped together, and Neville spun on the spot. The last thing Harry saw before Neville was carried away, would be the look of hatred on his best friends face, moments before he disappeared. The moment Neville was gone the rumbling and shaking stopped. Hermione stepped closer and took Harry's hand. Ginny joined them and she looked troubled, as if not knowing what to feel right now. It didn't take long for the others to start appearing, Erica led the crowd, Sirius, Severus, Remus and many others all filed into the great hall, all of them seeing Harry and their eyes wide with interest, happiness and surprise. Through that crowd, Lily, who was closely followed by Hestia, pushed her way through and stumbled forward when she saw Harry standing there. Hermione released his hand when Lily let out a cry of joy, tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran forward. Harry met his mother and the two hugged tightly. A bright light would signal the arrival of Dumbledore, whom Harry would see once he was able to pull away from his mother and look at his Headmaster. They shared a knowing smile and Harry knew he would eventually have to sit down and tell his tale in full. For now, though, there was something else that had to be done first.

"Ugh," A long groan could be heard. Harry and the others all looked at the floor, seeing Draco attempting to sit up. Hermione and Ginny were there before Harry, kneeling over Draco as he looked around, "Where's Neville? Did you stop him? What the hell is she doing here?! Why does my head hurt? And…" When Harry came into Draco's view, there was a moment of silence as Harry smiled at him, that smile being wiped off his face and Harry forced to roll his eyes when Draco shouted, "What took you so damn long?!"