A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back! Hopefully everyone is feeling well and keeping safe with this virus still out there. I myself am feeling fine at the moment and I hope to remain so.

As always I appreciate the love you have shown me. Whether it be reviews, favorites, follows, or even just given my story a gander. You have no idea how much it means to me. We finally hit 1,000 follows and I am pumped!

I have received a review asking why I added Hermione to the pairing. My response is that I didn't and I won't. I hope no one else thought that Hermione would be added. She is simply going to be a good friend/sister figure to Harry.

Also this delay was not due to writer's block. I have been deemed an essential worker and have been working 50+ hour weeks between my two jobs. I've been waking up, going to work and going to sleep on repeat and any free time that I get I obviously use differently.

Hopefully my last one here; I got a review recommending that I add different point of views for different characters and their opinions toward Harry. I liked that idea so I think I will do that every now and then. Anyway, thanks for bearing through my notes and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Also I'm trying to go back and edit some mistakes I've seen in the story but I actually don't know how to update the old chapter with an updated one without potentially messing up the format of the story. If someone knows how do that easily, and could help me out that would be fantastic.

—

Chapter 11

Minerva McGonagall sat at the Head Table of the Great Hall as the Sorting Feast began. As had become a commonplace the last few years, the Sorting she had presided over moments before had seemed incredibly small. As the Head of Gryffindor House, she had only gained four new students in Colin Creevey, Demelza Robins, Romilda Vane and Ginevra Weasley. It certainly wasn't the first time she thought about how the war with You-Know-Who decimated much of Magical Britain's population and it was prevalent in the declining population of Hogwarts.

To remove herself from such negative thoughts, the stern Transfiguration Mistress surveyed the vast hall and observed the students who stood out to her the most. There was of course, the most famous student in the school in Daniel Potter sitting with the youngest Weasley boy. Seeing those two brought a pang of regret to her chest as she remembered the previous term and its disastrous ending. She recalled how her two young Lions had approached her with concerns about the Philosopher's Stone and instead of taking them seriously, she had dismissed them and had inadvertently sent them to the forbidden corridor alone. Had it not been for Daniel's older brother, those two boys could have wound up dead.

Minerva McGonagall vowed then and there to ensure the safety of every student of Hogwarts, Dumbledore be damned.

Her gaze landed on the aforementioned hero of that night. Hadrian Potter was a complete joy to have in class and was well on his way to becoming a truly outstanding Wizard. The young man was easily the most talented student she had ever had the privilege of teaching and had always surpassed his peers in her classroom. As such, she had taken it upon herself to assign him considerably more difficult tasks, and he always exceeded her expectations by completing them flawlessly. If the Hogwarts rumor mill was to be believed, Filius had taken to also giving Mr. Potter advanced Charm work.

Oh how she wished he was in Gryffindor.

—

Unbeknownst to Minerva McGonagall, her longtime colleague of Filius Flitwick, had been doing the same thing as her. The Charms Master alternated between taking bites of the delicious Hogwarts feast and observing various students of the Great Hall. Like Minerva, his thoughts trailed to his prized Ravenclaw. Now Filius was no fool. After spending four years as Hadrian Potter's Head of House and another month over the Summer dueling him, he was well aware of the potential the Potter-Black Heir possessed. The former Dueling Champion noted that Harry used an incredible spell repertoire ranging from schoolyard jinxes to borderline Dark curses and had power levels that put Filius' own to shame. The only reason Filius was able to defeat Harry in their mock duels, was because of his speed and experience, and they both knew that.

Unlike the Headmaster, Professor Flitwick had no reservations about the elder Potter's rise to power. Having known him since he was eleven, he was confident in the young man's character. He of course knew of the vindictive streak that Harry possessed, as was evidenced by the mysterious appearances of several of the more bigoted senior students in the Hospital Wing over the years, and he did nothing about it. His reluctance was based solely on his own experience with bigotry. Though he never announced his lineage publicly, despite it being heavily debated, Filius was in fact half-Goblin and the Pureblood Supremacy of Magical Britain treated him harshly because of it. In fact, he was certain that had he not been a renowned duelist, he would have been driven from the country or worse. He was hopeful that young Harry would make their world a better place.

—

Harry flopped down heavily with a sigh on one of the more comfortable sofas in the Ravenclaw Common Room. While he was quite happy at being made Prefect, as it would help considerably after Hogwarts, he was not looking forward to the duties that came along with it. Alongside fellow fifth year Prefect Alexandra Bay, whom he had almost no interaction with prior to that evening, he had led the first years up to Ravenclaw Tower and had helped them settle in. One of the first years, a wide-eyed girl with a dreamy smile named Luna Lovegood had quickly deduced the riddle set forth by the knocker, and Harry made a note to keep an eye on the girl to see if she was as clever as she seemed.

"Harry!" A voice called out to him from the dormitory stairs. Years of being screamed at had Harry quickly on his feet, and just in time as a brown haired bullet slammed into his midsection. With the progress he'd made over the last seven years, he quickly tampered down his initial reaction of 'fight' as he realized that his assailant was in fact Hermione Granger. A soft smile made its way to his lips as he embraced his young friend.

"Hello Hermione," Harry greeted. "Have a good summer?"

"You know I did! We only wrote to each other weekly," Hermione chided. "But Paris was beautiful! And the Magical District looked so much more modern than Diagon Alley! And the bookshops were unlike anything I've ever seen before! And-"

"Hermione!" Harry interrupted with a chuckle. "Slow down before you pass out."

The second year harrumphed as one of her closest friends teased her. Ever since they first met on the train ride to Hogwarts last year, Hermione Granger knew that Harry Potter was someone she wanted to be friends with. Luckily for her, in her opinion, he and his friends were quick to accept her. She enjoyed the Weasley Twins' sense of humor, Cedric Diggory's loyalty and sense of fair play, Tonks' bubbly personality and of course she found Harry to be an exceptional human being. She wasn't ashamed to say that she had had a minor crush on the older boy at first, as most of the female population of the school did, but she had quickly grown out of it. The more time she spent with Harry, the more she could see he was smitten with his best friend and Tonks seemed to share those feelings, if the constant glances she snuck at him was any indication. Because of that, she began to see Harry as a brother-like figure and a mentor. Over the Summer break, she had gained two more friends, though tentative, but she felt the need to let Harry know. Her demeanor went from playful to nervous almost instantly and of course, Harry noticed immediately.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Harry asked concernedly.

"Well nothing's wrong exactly," she began uncertainly. "I just feel the need to tell you that Daniel and Ronald both wrote to me this Summer."

"Oh?" Harry responded a little dangerously. Hermione knew how livid Harry had been with his brother and the youngest Weasley boy, and was quick to reassure him.

"It was nothing bad I promise!" She declared. "They actually wrote really nice apologies and seemed appropriately remorseful. I wrote back and after that, we traded letters throughout the rest of the Summer and I guess we're somewhat friends now."

Harry took a moment and processed this information. While it seemed as if Hermione had forgiven Daniel and Ronald for their part in last year's Halloween incident, he himself still got furious when he thought about it. He knew that Hermione did not have many friends growing up, and he held her friendship in high esteem so he figured he would have to have a talk with his brother and make sure the young man didn't do anything to mess it up.

"As long as you're happy with that, then I can't complain Hermione," Harry responded diplomatically. "Just be careful. It seems that wherever my brother goes, trouble isn't too far behind and I'd hate to see any of you get hurt."

That brought a bright smile to Hermione's face as she quickly embraced Harry before bidding him goodnight and making her way to the girl's dorms.

Harry sighed and flopped back down on the couch. Between the almost incident with the flying Ford Anglia and Hermione now being friends with Daniel and Ronald, this year was shaping up to be truly unique.

—

Harry's estimation of Gilderoy Lockhart proved to be right already as he left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom in a huff. His first Defense class had been an absolute sham as the esteemed Professor had them take a quiz that focused solely on the man himself rather than have anything to do with DADA. If Harry had any doubts about the man, they were soon squashed as they had gone from the ludicrous quiz, to a re-enactment of his exploits in Gaddling with Ghouls. The man gave no actual lesson in defending oneself against the screeching creature. Prior to the performance, Lockhart had asked for volunteers, ignoring most of the excited and hopeful females in the class and looked Harry in the eyes. Harry's cold glare showed a clear refusal, and the man quickly averted his eyes and selected a different student.

After the disastrous class, Harry remembered that he had History of Magic next. He smiled and quickly made his way to the seventh floor, more specifically, the Room of Requirement. He knew that the ghostly Professor Binns lectured straight out of the ancient textbook and hadn't attended a single History class since his first four years ago, instead using the time to progress in his own training.

With the use of several secret passageways, Harry made it to the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy in no time and quickly asked for a room suitable to his needs. The heavy wooden door slowly formed in the previously stone wall and making sure no one was around, hastily made his way into the Room. The heavy rocks that littered the room confirmed that the Room had given him exactly what he wanted.

Since he was a small boy in the cupboard under the stairs and despite the bindings on his Magic, he had been able to make things float around with extreme concentration. Over the years, with his Magical maturation and the releasing of the binds that almost made him a Squib, his control had been perfected. He remembered the first day he had met Nym and how had made her fly around the room, much to her delight and after that, he had worked hard to increase the the weight he was able to lift.

Years ago, he had the privilege of being introduced to the legendary Star Wars movies and could not help but compare his Wandless abilities to that of the Force. And why shouldn't they be similar? He had seen Luke Summon his lightsaber in the Wampa's cave in Empire Strikes Back and had quickly strode to accomplish the same. His rigorous self-study did not go unrewarded. In the years since then, he had realized that his connection to Magic was very similar to the fictional Force. At times, he felt as if he could manipulate the very molecules of the air without a wand.

He proceeded to solidify that feeling as with nary a thought, he raised his hands and every object in the room rose. He felt like a puppet master, and the heavy props were his to command. He seamlessly maneuvered the rocks in concentric circles throughout the air, and proceeded with his usual exercises. He had the stones line themselves across the room from him and one at a time, Summoned them to him as hard as he could. One by one the rocks came hurtling towards him and he stopped them mere seconds before they would have turned him into pulp. One after another, the stones were stopped and brushed off to the side where they landed with a heavy thud. As the last rock hung in the air in front of him, he squeezed his outstretched hand and focused his intent on crushing it.

And crush it he did, as small bits of rock and dust were all that remained of the previously large rock. With his first attempt at destructive Wandless Magic a resounding success, an exhausted Harry decided to call it a day and he could not wait to further test his destructive capabilities another day.

—

The first weekend of the term arrived quickly much to delight of the majority of the castle. Harry had already noticed the increase of coursework his year had received. With it being their O.W.L year, all of the Professors seemed to agree that the best way to prepare the students was to assign them as much homework as possible. While the content of the work posed no problem to Harry, he found the assignments to be rather time consuming and annoying. Though Nym had completed her O. the year before, and had done marvelously earning nine of them, the sixth year had already shown a fair bit of stress, if her dark blue hair was any indication and Harry prided himself on reading her like a book. And so Harry resolved to help Nym relieve some stress.

And so they found themselves, once again in the Room of Requirement, only this time Nym was breathing heavily as she focused her Magic to the task at hand. After years of rigorous attempts, she was finally at the final stage of completing the Animagus Transformation. As a full fledged Metamorphmagus, Tonks had always been able to transform her body into almost anything she wished but she had found that trying to change into an animal, one that resonated with her inner self to be beyond difficult. Sure she could give herself a pig snout or a duck's beak for a nose, but changing her entire body into a fox had proved to be almost impossible for her. Until now.

"Remember Nym, when you complete the change, and you will do it, you need to take control of the fox," Harry instructed calmly. "When you fully transform, the instincts of the fox will try and take over so you'll have to be stronger than it."

"Right, got it," she replied with a determined nod. The look of complete faith on Harry's face warmed her heart and she knew then, that if he believed her capable, than damnit she was.

She settled into a meditative state and quickly chased the sensation she now associated with the Animagus Transformation. She quickly found it and delved into her Magic, focussing on changing her body and becoming the fox. Her body shifted slowly, as her body compressed into itself. Red/orange fur sprouted over her body and where Nymphadora Tonks sat minutes before, sat a beautiful Red Fox. Harry sat transfixed as he stared at Nym's form in awe. He noticed that she seemed uncomfortable and quickly realized that she was fighting the instincts of the animal.

"Fight it Nym," he said reassuringly. "You're stronger than it. You're fierce and powerful and I know you've got this."

Seconds passed as the shocked fox seemed to calm down and turned to Harry. Recognition flitted in her eyes as the fox gave Harry a rather human-like smile. As he saw the grin Harry knew she had done it. He closed his eyes and focused as the room around them changed into vast forest. Nym seemed to get the idea quickly and immediately took of running. A second later, a giant wolf was on her tail.

While they would have loved to run for hours, Harry knew that because it was her first complete transformation, Nym would be exhausted afterwards. After a half-hour or so, Harry turned back and changed the room back to their original configuration, only this time a comfortable couch was front and center. Nym was not far behind as she slowly changed back and nearly staggered as she flopped on the couch.

Harry lifted her legs and sat down, pulling them onto his lap. He quickly divested her of her boots and socks and began to gently rub the soles of her feet, earning moans from his...girlfriend? No. The term 'girlfriend' seemed to immature for what they shared. He truly could not wrap his head around the fact that he was in a polyamorous relationship with his two very best friends, the two people his age that knew him best. Both Nymphadora and Fleur were beautiful, fierce and powerful witches and somehow, they had all come together to form a bond that was so incredibly strong, that they came to care for each other intimately. It truly astounded the fifteen year old.

"You were amazing Nym," Harry whispered as he dug his thumbs just a fraction harder.

"That's only because I've had such an attentive teacher," she moaned as she gave into the pleasure.

"Don't sell yourself short Love," Harry gently chided. "You're a remarkable Witch on your own. I just helped you with the final step is all."

Nym didn't say anything and Harry half expected that she had fallen asleep. When he looked over however, he saw that she was looking at him with an intensity he rarely saw from her. She sat up, ignoring the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her and placed a soft kiss on his lips. As she went to lay back down, Nym pulled Harry down with her and nestled up to him.

"That's sweet of you to say Harry," Nym said. "Now lets lay down for a bit. I'm absolutely knackered."

Harry chuckled. "I'll wake you in an hour. You'll get used to the change quickly."

"Mhm, g'night, love you," she mumbled as she snuggled closer.

Harry's gaze snapped towards the girl in his arms. He almost wondered if he had heard her correctly but before he could respond, he heard the adorable light snores coming from Nym as he realized she had already fallen asleep.

—

September 19th came and went and Harry once again found himself sighing as he sat down in the Common Room. It was quite late, as he had just come from his Prefect rounds, but he could not find it in himself to feel tired. He had had a lovely evening prior to his rounds as he and his friends threw an impromptu birthday party for Hermione. It was a rather small gathering consisting of Harry, Nym, Fred and George, Cedric, Daniel, Ronald, and several of the Hermione's study group friends including Daphne Greengrass, Susan Bones, and Parma Patil. The majority of Hermione's gifts were, of course, books, with topics ranging from Wizarding Culture to slightly advanced Jinxes and Hexes. Danny had surprisingly been thoughtful with his gift as he presented Hermione with a personalized stationary set.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the entryway to the Tower opened and admitted the waif-like form of first year Luna Lovegood wearing what seemed to be a thin, yet modest nightgown. The girl's teeth were clearly clattering together as she shivered in the cold September night and she froze mid step as she realized she wasn't alone in the common room.

"Miss Lovegood? Are you alright?" Harry asked as he rose from his seat. As he approached her, he realized she wasn't wearing any shoes either.

"I'm fine Harry Potter," she replied through chattering teeth. "The Wrackspurts must be affecting the knocker as it wouldn't let me in."

"Wrackspurts?" Harry asked bemusedly.

"They're invisible creatures that fly into people's ears and make their brains go all fuzzy," she explained, pausing only to rub her arms. "I suspect they're in league with the Nargles."

"Nargles?" He asked, this time pausing as he wordlessly conjured a thick blanket and wrapped it around the small girl's shoulders. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Oh yes, though they usually infest mistletoe, they can be quite aggressive," she informed him sagely.

Harry stood in silent befuddlement as he experienced the oddity of Luna Lovegood for the first time. He of course, had never heard of Wrackspurts nor Nargles and though he was usually quite modest, he knew that he was one of the more knowledgeable people in Hogwarts. He was not arrogant enough to claim that he knew of every creature in the world, Magical or Mundane, so he did not immediately dismiss the young girl's eccentricities.

He did not know that the lack of rebuke and his general acceptance would endear himself to Luna immediately.

His thoughts about Nargles and Wrackspurts came crashing to a halt as he realized that Luna was still shivering in front of him.

"Miss Lovegood I-" Harry began before he was quickly interrupted.

"Luna," she said happily.

"Luna then," he smiled warmly. "You said that the knocker would not respond to you for some time?"

"That's right!" She chirped.

"Hmmm," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose I should check the knocker, just in case anyone else is wandering the halls."

As he said this, he noticed that Luna's eyes had widened and had developed a hint of fear. He ignored her feeble protests as he made his way to the legendary knocker that was the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. A wave of the Elder Wand and a Diagnostic Charm later confirmed that the knocker had been tampered with. Most likely a low level Confundus Charm, a spell that was well beyond the talent of any first year. An upper year had sabotaged a first year, most likely with help from a first year if the lack of clothing on Luna was any indication.

At that realization, Harry's vindictiveness rushed to the forefront of his mind and he promised to himself that these bullies would get a taste of their own medicine.

"Luna, tell me everything."

—

The Black Forest, Albania

Auror Corbin Yaxley was equal parts terrified and excited. It had been a week since he met with Lucius Malfoy and had been all but ordered to travel to Albania to search for whatever was left of the Dark Lord. As a member of the Board of Governors, Lucius was privy as to what had happened earlier in the year with the Dark Lord's possession of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and as a result, a meeting was held. Those gathered were Death Eaters who had escaped prosecution after the defeat of the Dark Lord by either claiming they were under the Imperius Curse, bribing the right people, or in most cases, both.

Yaxley was one of those who had escaped prosecution by claiming to be under the influence of the Imperius. Of course, he hadn't been under any such compulsions and had served Lord Voldemort willingly and enthusiastically and Yaxley had wanted nothing more than to see his Lord rule over the Wizarding World. After the Potter boy had miraculously vanquished the Dark Lord, Yaxley had opted for self-preservation. As one of the Dark Lord's informants inside the Auror Office, he had been clever enough to cover his tracks enough that he was able to maintain his position in the Auror Corps despite the Dark Mark on his forearm.

Yaxley had been wandering for what seemed like hours before he reached his first clue that he was close to his query. A clearing stood before him, nearly bereft of life. The trees that still stood were grey with decay and the lack of wildlife did nothing to ease Yaxley's nerves. With each step he took, the crunching of dead leaves echoed throughout the seemingly desolate area. With another step, the unnaturally loud crunching stopped as Yaxley stepped on something soft. He looked down to see the body of a dead rabbit, and upon lighting his wand with a muttered "Lumos!" he found a truly grisly sight. What looked like hundreds of dead animals littered his surrounding area. Yaxley took a horrified step back as he surveyed the terrible scene but froze as he heard the cold raspy voice that nearly forced him to lose control of his bladder.

"Who dares enter the realm of Lord Voldemort," it called.

Despite finally achieving his objective, his joy mingled with dread as a cloud of the blackest mist imaginable glided into his line of sight. While there was no determined shape to the abomination, two red pinpoints seemed to look into Yaxley's very soul.

"My L-lord," he stammered. "It is I, Corbin Yaxley, you loyal servant!"

"Yaxley," Lord Voldemort rasped. "Why do you return to me after all this time? For over ten years I have been trapped in this form, neither living nor dead and yet, no help came to me. In my brief respite last year with the fool Quirrell, I learned that so many of my 'faithful' followers have prospered since my downfall and no one has come to look for me. So tell me Yaxley, why shouldn't I simply possess you and rip your body asunder?"

Yaxley gulped. It would seem that Lucius and the others underestimated their Master's rage and resentment.

"Master we are all so very sorry," Yaxley said desperately. "That is why I am here! To give you aid! We've all met and we believe we have found a way to bring you back to power!"

Despite his statement, the shade of Lord Voldemort seemed to become even more incensed.

"Do you think that I, Lord Voldemort lack the knowledge that would bring me back to full strength?!" The shade screeched angrily. "I have delved into the deepest and darkest of Magicks Yaxley. I know of rituals and rites that no one has ever dreamed of performing. The one thing I lacked, the one thing that has kept me from rising anew has been my fickle followers. The ones who claim to be loyal, yet have not sought me out."

Yaxley was openly shaking at that point. "My Lord please have mercy! I am here now! Please let me serve you! The others remain loyal as well!"

For what seemed like several long moments but was really less than a minute, the anger emanating from the Shade ebbed away.

"Very well Yaxley," Voldemort whispered. "Find me a creature to possess and I shall return to Britain with you. There we shall begin our plans toward my resurrection. The first step will be to acquire a pregnant woman."

Yaxley shuddered once more.

—

A/N: Again I am SO sorry for the bizarrely late update. Working two jobs throughout the pandemic has taken a toll on me and has obviously taken up a ton of my time.

Whilst doing my jobs, my mind has often wandered and I find myself thinking of plots for other stories that I'm interested in writing. There is a more than likely chance that I will get a start on those to get them out of my head if nothing else.

Hope you all enjoyed!