Disclaimer : All characters belong to you-know-who.

AN : Thank you for your support and appreciation.

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Harry's rescue did not come until hours later, in the form of a miffed Madam Pomfrey. He had never been so pleased at being kicked out for trespassing. Even Crookshanks, the traitor, had made his escape long ago. Fortunately for him breakfast timings were extended during weekends and other days that went without classes. Helia and Hermione, even more famished (practicing magic was tiring work) but much less discontent about it, spotted their friends at the Gryffindor table, making their way towards them. Harry edged himself in, seating himself between his detainers. Neville and Ginny watched the newcomer curiously, with a tinge of suspicion.

Helia chose to make the introductions. "Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom... And this is my new cousin, Harry Potter."

Luna saw her friends enter the Great Hall and came over from her own table.

"And I am Luna Lovegood. I love to meet exotic creatures."

"Oh!" What in the flaming expanses of hell?

Ginny asked him, "So you actually are a new student? There were the weirdest rumors in the common room yesterday. Some thought you were from another house and came to spy on us. We have since been preparing ourselves for a prank war against whoever is next. I would be careful if I were you."

Harry smirked, "Thanks for the timely warning. I will pass it on to the rest of my housemates."

Ginny and Neville looked at him and then at Helia in confusion.

"Ignore him," Helia rolled her eyes. "He had hit his head when he was young and had to be home schooled since."

"Oh yeah, that frying pan sure had hurt."

Hermione looked up at that. Helia glared at the passive aggressive snake. She too remembered that well but did he have to keep bringing up the Dursleys in front of her friends?

Neville felt he was missing something but chose to heed Helia's advice. Fortunately there were more pressing topics. "How did Madam Pomfrey let you out so soon Hermione? I mean you looked very pale yesterday, we had thought you had been hit by some dark curse."

Hermione shrugged, "Well, it was a deadly, dark curse... but I got better... Magic!"

A moment later Hermione had an alarming realization; she had already been infected with Harryism.

Beside her, Harry nodded, whispering gravely, "There exists no cure."

"You can hear my thoughts?"

Harry rubbed his abused ear. "No, but I can read your face... And now I can hear nothing."

"How do you three know each other?" Ginny asked with a quizzical expression.

"We met yesterday." Harry replied seriously, "It was love at first sight. They knew at that moment what they had been missing their whole lives. Why do you think I decided to come to Hogwarts?" He was disappointed to see no one took him seriously.

"I didn't know there were other Potters alive. And our houses have been friends for a long time..." Neville pried further.

Harry didn't appreciate the interrogation. He wasn't here to win any fair-weather friends anyway, he had never needed them yet. They might truly be Helia's friends, he got that, but they hadn't really been his. "I think I would know my own family better than you, Mr. Longbottom. I am still in the world of the living, as your can clearly tell you. You do not see me questioning your heritage and yet you openly question mine... Is this what the Longbottom family teaches its heirs these days?"

"Harry," Hermione admonished him, as Neville looked contrite and shocked. "Why can't you be a bit nicer? He didn't mean it that way, I'm sure."

"I can't help it, Hermione, I am just being myself. What do you expect from someone who grew up in isolation, homeschooled away from the company of other kids my age?" He was unjustifiably elbowed for his perfectly valid justification. "Oh god, very well. If you insist... Sorry Neville."

Several owls flew into the Great Hall, distracting everyone as one landed in front of Hermione.

"Oh, the Daily Prophet." Hermione fumbled in her pockets, putting five knuts in its pouch, while Harry untied the newspaper and prepared to read, until Hermione snatched it out of his hand.

"You could have asked nicely, Hermione."

She rolled her eyes. "I am surprised you know the meaning of that word."

"I know a lot of words... Like accio!"

The newspaper shot out of her hands towards Harry, and Helia seized it. "You two carry on, let me read it in the meanwhile."

"Give me back my paper! Why don't you two get your own?"

"If you both would just stop fighting over it, that's what I was trying to do. Let me make a copy of it." Harry reproved.

"But you shouldn't be able to do that." Neville choked.

"And you shouldn't talk while chewing. But there we go."

"No, I mean, you can't create copies of it. It is charmed against that."

Harry didn't reply. If there was a way to prevent something, then there was a way to overcome that. Like having the elder wand... He made two copies of the paper, passing one to either of his friend, while he kept the original just for the sake of it.

"See Hermione, you were bickering for no reason. As Neville can verify, this obviously can't be an authentic paper. You should sue the Daily Prophet for swindling you."

Helia snorted, "This isn't exactly how they are swindling us. By the way, I tried that in fourth year. Apparently you can't sue the media in magical Britain... You might be able to challenge it to an honor duel though... That would be interesting – the great Harry Potter vs one thin, measly sheaf of paper."

"Well..." Harry pondered the problem, "We could always go for more permanent solutions then... Like burn its offices..."

"I am in!" Luna piped up.

Even Harry was taken aback by her dreamy enthusiasm. For a moment he had to wonder if they had been talking about planning a nice little trip to wonderland.

"Her father owns the Quibbler." Helia informed him.

"Oh!" That made a bit more sense. "Good initiative, Luna, keep it up. It is up to the media to keep the errant elements of society in control, if they happen to be your competitors, so much the better... Name the date and time and we can have a nice extra-warm summer night."

Luna beamed at him.

"But oh, look, I am on the front page, let's see what it says... We might not have to torch them yet."

There was an image of him standing alongside Helia, wands in their hands as he fought Voldemort and Helia shielded, with Voldemort half hidden behind the mist.

The headline read...

'You-know-who returns, The Chosen One saves the day again, with friends '

~Thomas Walter

"This reporter happened to be in the Ministry yesterday, our very center of governance, when it was found to have been invaded by a resurrected You-know-who and a force of his death eaters. It brings into question the supposed security our Department of Magical Law Enforcement provides us, if they cannot even keep the ministry itself safe. But the still greater issue is not that, my dear readers, for you read that headline right. The dark lord you-know-who, who had supposedly been killed a decade ago, is now back. We may have thought that chapter closed, but we still vividly remember the terror he had unleashed on our country along with his loyal followers. One wonders then, how did the ministry allow dark rituals to be carried out, and the dark lord's subsequent return right under their noses. The girl-who-lived had warned of this a year ago and yet our government did absolutely nothing to check her claims. They went so far as to provide our respectable reporters fabricated information, which we now know to be false, causing us question our saviors, and sole torchbearers of the light, Albus Dumbledore and Helia Potter. We, the Daily Prophet, sincerely apologize to them, but wonder if Helia Potter's recent allegations on the Fudge administration are well founded.

Was Cornelius Fudge being deliberate in subverting our peace in favor of you-know-who's return to power. We do not say this lightly, dear readers, for we have reasonable evidence indicating Fudge's ulterior affairs. In recent years he has been seen in close proximity and under the heavy influence of the acquitted death eater Lucius Malfoy. It thus came as a complete shock to us when we discovered yesterday's attack on the ministry was led by none other than the Lord Malfoy. He was acting in collusion with the recently escaped death eaters, his comrades, which erases any doubts as to his real allegiance. This reporter interviewed an auror, who under the condition of anonymity informed us that no traces of the imperius curse were found on Lucius Malfoy, falsifying the pretext of his exoneration in the last war. One must ask then how many prominent members of our society have evaded justice on similar falsehoods and whether the Bagnold administration was also culpable in the said crimes.

We do not yet know the motive for yesterday's invasion, but they would have certainly succeeded if not for the Helia Potter, and five of her friends, who somehow discovered the intentions of her nemesis and took it upon herself to obstruct the death eaters. And that is not all, the girl-who-lived once again faced you-know-who along side a friend and successfully managed to drive him away. Her companion refused to identify himself citing his lack of trust in the Fudge administration, but through diligent pursuit we have discovered that he is called Harry Potter. That is right dear readers, the candle of the Potters still glows brightly in the form of our beloved girl-who-lived and her newly discovered cousin, Harry Potter. In the last war the Potters were a major force proudly standing against the dark lord, and their legacy still continues. The Potter family has once again dealt a major blow against the dark. As the defeater of the dark lord Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, grows old, we wonder if the Potter cousins will take his place as the new leaders of light. The clouds may darken on the horizon but do not lose faith dear readers, the light shall be victorious once again."

"Well..." Helia mused, "That wasn't too bad... I didn't expect an actual apology from them, however briefly worded..."

"Yes," Harry replied, "Though I wonder what would happen to the reporter. This may not actually lead anywhere, but it sure will ruffle a lot of feathers."

"You are too cynical, Harry." Hermione told him, "But there are other related articles waiting to be read..."

'Young dragon set loose in the Ministry Atrium, attacks you-know-who, aurors'

"In the commotion of yesterday's attack, a small dragon of unknown classification was let loose in the Ministry. We have not yet confirmed the culprit, though some witnesses claim it was conjured by one of the Ministry Six, Harry Potter. I consulted the opinion of experts on this, and was informed that such claims are entirely 'preposterous'. One can not conjure nor transfigure any actual magical creatures manifesting true magical properties, as the dragon reportedly exhibited by being able to fly and breathe fire. If such were possible, I am told, it would be similar to conjuring real potions and magical objects, which we all know to be impossible under the laws of transfiguration. Its origins aside, it lived up to the fearsome and legendary nature well known of dragons. In a rare stroke of good luck, the final blow to the dark lord in yesterday's battle wasn't delivered by any aurors or even the Potters, but the young dragonling itself. It allegedly managed to partially burn you-know-who, while resisting even the most powerful dark lord's curses. Thereafter it situated itself on a statue in the Ministry fountain, refusing to be coaxed away. When an auror team tried to use force, four of them were injured by its hot flaming breath. After much effort, and further devastation, it was captured to be released in its expected natural habitat. "

Hermione gaped at him speculatively, "So you are breaking the rules of transfiguration too, Harry? Good. Another thing on our list... Though now I feel like burning all those books..." She glowered at him. "And I love my books... Why don't you just write your own damn book for us, Potter?!"

"Nah, too much effort. And I bet mine would be the first one you burn..." Harry considered her request. "Though I too am surprised by it. I didn't actually expect it to be a pyromaniac... I thought I trained my dragons better..."

"Oh god!" She looked up towards the supposed location of heaven. "I thank thee for this small mercy... If you had actually taught it, it would have behaved a lot more worse... I am positive it would have roasted the incumbent Minister and attempted to take over the ministry. "

Harry remained quiet as they saw a thoughtful look appear on his face.

"Stop giving him ideas, Hermione!" Helia admonished Hermione, whose face twisted in horror and shame.

"And Harry, you will not train dragons or any other magical creatures. In fact, stay away from Hedwig too... unless of course you need to send or receive letters."

"Do you see the irony of this situation?" Harry laughed, continuing in a low voice for only his two friends to hear. "Here I have taken under my tutelage two of the most dangerous creatures in existence, to train them into being more deadly and unstoppable, and they are the ones concerned about me corrupting some poor, random animal."

Helia and Hermione looked at each other over him, unsure how to react to that, both slightly alarmed at his declaration... their expressions morphing into sheepish, guilty upturn of their lips at their mutual unwillingness to discontinue the tutoring in spite of it. They instead chose to turn to less ominous thoughts, focusing on the newspaper once again, noticing all this while they had been reading from the same paper, their own copies having long been appropriated by their neighbors.

'Fudge sacked, Scrimgeour elected interim Minister'

"In an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot yesterday evening, the erstwhile Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was removed from the post. This came as a direct consequence to yesterday's shocking turn of events. Out of the 49 Wizengamot votes, excluding Fudge's own but including the absentees, 35 voted in favour of his dismissal from office, a rather surprisingly high number considering all the three major factions, the self proclaimed light, the neutrals, and the conservatives, were largely in concordance with this decision. In his place Rufus Scrimgeour was elected as the interim Minister of Magic by 29 out of 49 votes, the conservatives heavily resisted this move of electing the accomplished senior auror to the post. The next Wizengamot meeting at the beginning of the next month will confirm or dissolve this decision, depending on which candidates stand up for the upcoming election, and the support they are able to procure from the Wizengamot members. Most of the public lauded Scrimgeour's appointment as a good decision, while the Interim Minister expressed his gratitude for the trust people have shown to him, and his positivism that his administration will bring about much needed changes to deal with newly risen threat."

"It doesn't indicate anywhere if they are charging Fudge with anything. How can he get away with this, especially seeing Malfoy was caught red-handed?" Helia commented.

"What did you expect Helia? They only removed Fudge because he wasn't useful any longer to any of them. The dark faction would now hope to get overtly sympathetic candidates to take his place, Fudge was known to seek Dumbledore's advice before having the fallout with him. The supposed light side would obviously want him removed. The neutrals mostly prefer a fresh, malleable candidate... But if they were actually to charge Fudge with anything, a lot of dirty laundry would be aired. You don't think Malfoy was the only one bribing him, do you? That's not how our politics works... Actually this is exactly how the whole ministry runs... On shiny little wheels of golden galleons."

Hermione was also furious, "But this is so... so wrong..."

Harry nodded, "Yes that it is... But this too is an acceptable outcome. Fudge's dismissal clearly indicates to all that there was substance in Helia's accusations against him. And the lack of any investigation reveals the ministry's and the Wizengamot's deep rooted corruption to the whole wizarding public. They are more likely to be sympathetic to you now, seeing their faith in the ministry would be shaken, they would know now they can't depend on the ministry to protect them and their interests, which is the best for their survival in the upcoming war... Or perhaps I am again making the mistake of being too optimistic..."

Hermione and Helia thought over it, it did make an unfortunate amount of sense.

The Longbottom Heir frowned, he didn't like where Harry Potter was going with this... didn't like it at all.

Luna continued eating quietly, happy that she actually had friends and they appeared to be safe now. The Lovegoods were an ancient family; once noble, they had long ago given up their Wizengamot seat due to similar frustrations, and instead taken up more worthwhile, fulfilling pursuits. Like questing for esoteric knowledge... Her family had almost forever been in Ravenclaw, her father a magizoologist, even her mother, a Lovegood only by marriage, had dedicated her life and death to the study of spells...

Ginny scowled, he was being too harsh in his judgement of the ministry. Her father was not like that. The ministry employed her elder brother, her father, even her now departed uncles. Excepting two of her brothers, it had always been the only source of income of her family...

She naturally felt obliged to defend it. "I don't know what your personal issue is with the ministry, Potter, but it isn't so bad... Except for the last year... but even then, Fudge is gone now. Besides, that too was understandable. Helia didn't have any proof to back up her claims of you-know-who's return last year, naturally anyone would think she was lying. It is a bit difficult to believe that someone who was dead, was suddenly alive and Helia had survived again. I mean, even my family only believed it because of Dumbledore..."

Helia glowered at her friend frostily, "Of course it was difficult to accept the truth, wasn't it Ginny..? After all things like truth serums and pensieves are only stuff of fiction. How could the poor, resourceless ministry ever verify my words? There was no possible way at all, magic is so useless... Especially as it was oh so much easier to label me a deranged liar and run active campaigns against me! The ministry is so good, it was so kindly of them to attempt to murder me last year and charge me for defending myself... It must be so much easier to trust dark lords instead and set murderous basilisks upon school kids, am I wrong Ginevra..? I am so sorry Ginny, it was all my fault for not demanding Voldemort for a written document certifying his resurrection, instead of say, trying to escape... can you ever forgive me for being so untrustworthy and stupid, Ginevra?"

Ginny felt anger and tears brimming up. "That's not what I meant, and you know it Helia! Of course I believed you... trust you. I followed you to the ministry yesterday, without even knowing what I was getting into... I was just..."

"You will pay for this, you half blood whore."

Helia turned to regard the newcomer, sneering back at him and his gorillas. "Oh? Malfoy... Once again showing your ferret-face where it is unwanted, now I feel like puking... And what are you going to do, daddy's Draky-poo? Oh I remember now, like always you will go running to daddy dearest and cry all over him... Oops! Your pathetic daddy is now in jail, put in his place by a bunch of kids. Are you of the opinion that you are any better than him, Malfoy, your poor father will be so saddened..."

Draco glared at her, he would put the bitch in her place soon... once he managed to corner her or the mudblood alone. "At least I still have a father, unlike you, Potter. And he is Lord Malfoy, he will be out soon. Begin counting your last miserable days."

Helia scoffed, "I would rather have no parents than such pitiful excuses like yours... Come to think of it, wasn't Lucius under the imperius when you were conceived? That's what I wondered, how could someone like him consciously allow his genes to pass on, or why he didn't just strangle you once you were born. Poor Mr. Malfoy was forced into it, you are an just unwanted blunder of an imperius curse, Draco."

Draco seethed, "We both know he wasn't actually under the imperius. Here, I have even publicly accepted it. But now that the dark lord is back, what are you going to do about it, Potter?"

Helia tilted her head in thought. "Hmm... You know, you might actually be right, Malfoy, your father, your real father, couldn't have been under the imperius... I just had another revelation. There are only two human shaped shits that keep challenging me and losing face again and again... Yes, this explains everything! I know why you so desperately try to emulate Voldemort. You must actually be his bastard child... That slag of your mother must have laid with him... Does she still do that that Draco, is that why you always cry for your father and not her?"

Harry had felt awed by her vitriolic tongue, glad that he wasn't on her bad side. He turned to see Malfoy reach for his wand. But by the time he could aim it, Helia's and Hermione's shields were already raised, and he had been out of his seat, his fist already on a collision course with Draco's fuming face.

There was an audible crunch of broken cartilage as a body hit the ground with a thud, the two raised wands pointing to the two dimwitted bodyguards, only now beginning to react.

Harry shook his hand. "That was satisfying. You both should try that sometime."

Hermione half raised her hand, "I know, I have."

Harry beamed at her, "Great, we can do it again someday... make a date out of it."

Severus Snape watched this newly emerged Potter brat punch his godson, his rage warring with triumph. He finally had the perfect chance to humiliate the boy. Whatever story Dumbledore might be spewing, he knew the truth. He knew that face well, his sworn enemy's, who had taken his Lily from him. This was no doubt Potter's bastard, that he must have sired with some other mudblood probably. He would take even more pleasure afflicting much deserved pain on this second spawn of Potter.

Dumbledore had watched the confrontation silently, choosing not to eavesdrop, though he could have easily done so even from afar, charms were useful like that. These little spats were normal part of teenage years, he wouldn't deny Helia that slight bit of normalcy. Though he wasn't surprised by the conclusion of the dispute, and neither by Severus's springing to action. He frowned imperceptibly, as he watched the potions master march towards his target, an ugly sneer on his livid face. He rather sympathised with Severus's resolution of repentance, how could he not when he had himself been doing that all his life, but Severus's attitude towards the only daughter of Lily Potter didn't insinuate atonement. He didn't like this. It pained him to think of all the hardships Helia had gone through, and all that she would yet have to endure... would have to sacrifice everything... including her life. Of course there was a slim chance that she might yet survive her death, and he truly hoped that it came true. And it could, no chance was scant for those whose lives were ruled by prophecies. He felt sorry for the young girl, but needs of the many came before the needs of one. She had to die for the greater good of the rest of Britain...

He wished he could relieve her of her destiny, spare her any further pain. But he couldn't. Those who messed with destiny brought up worse fates. Voldemort had tried... 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...' Tom had scorned the prophecy by attempting to kill the baby while it was powerless, and had been destroyed for it. He would not repeat the same mistake. There was no other way. Helia had to die to get rid of the Horcrux and one of them had to kill the other. Helia's death would fulfil the prophecy and Voldemort would become mortal. Even if he himself died before that, he was sure that Miss Granger or the evidently capable Harry Potter would avenge their friend's death, and rid the world of the dark lord... But Helia was right, did Severus have to keep making her life harder? The ex-death eater claimed he had to keep up pretenses, but surely there were other ways.

Alas, he couldn't do anything about it. Severus had always refused to relent, and he couldn't lose his only spy. Not everyone could stomach joining the death eaters, and even if they did, unless they were inner circle members, they wouldn't learn anything useful. No, spies were necessary in any war and Severus was his only option. Especially now that the dark lord was out in the open...

But he wondered how this confrontation would turn out. Even in childhood Sirius Black had been a headstrong, rebellious kid, rejecting the Black family views in spite of the inflicted punishment, and the fear of consequences. The Blacks weren't the most scrupulous, such families often killed their own young squib children, Sirius too would have suffered some terrible fate if not for the Potters... But if Harry Potter had indeed been brought up by his godfather, and if had gauged the boy well, then Severus might not find him easy prey. Helia had strict guardians, but if he tried treating this Potter similarly, then it may not end too well, he had seen the boy adeptly face Voldemort without any trace of fear... Then again, Snape had been a death eater and could be outright cruel... Either way, he decided to cast that charm, but resolved not to interfere as long no wands were raised.

" Well, well, well, Potter... Fighting like a common muggle? 100 points from Gryffindor and detention till the end of the semester."

Harry turned again to regard the death eater standing behind him, smirking at himself in a predatory way... Perhaps he had gone too easy on Snape the last time, but sadly there had been constraints then. Which no longer existed... "I don't know who you are, sir, but I am not yet a student of Hogwarts. I will have to decline your generous gift."

Snape sneered, "Very well, you can instead serve a month of detention in the next school year. And you will address me as Professor Snape."

"Awfully optimistic of you, isn't it, Mr. Snape? Who knows what might happen in the upcoming months."

Snape stared at the brat, wondering what he was implying. "You are right indeed to be so worried Mr. Potter, you must be so terrified. Do not worry though," He spared a look at the two students sitting either side of him, "Your two friends will serve the detention for you. Potter, Granger, detention with me till the rest of the week... And since you do not have any classes, you can be in my office from 6pm to midnight..."

Harry snorted, while his two friends glared hatefully at the man. "I wonder what you are going to do Mr, Snape... if they fail to appear?"

Snape smirked, "Then they do not have to worry about returning to Hogwarts next year. Of course, since they live with muggles, that would be the end of their short careers as witches. Who knows then what would happen to them, as they exist in obliviousness, entirely helpless and with no memory of this world."

Harry cracked up in laughter while the students witnessing the confrontation wondered if he had lost his marbles. "Sorry for that Mr. Snape, but you tell the funniest jokes..." He met the headmaster's eyes for a long moment, knowing he was listening in, turning his attention back to Snape. "You know as well as I do that Dumbledore would never do such a thing. And especially not to Helia... But one day your own utility, or whatever hold you have over him, will simply be surpassed by the potential losses you could incur him..." He again looked at Dumbledore in the eye. "I wonder what would happen if his powerful political allies, and the general public, were made aware of your treatment of their savior. Will the forfeiture of all his political capital, and the consequent potential defeat in the war, be worth having one pet death eater?"

"Such arrogance, so delusional... You got lucky once and you think you are invincible, Potter? I know who you are Potter, you are nothing but a pathetic bully, Potter, just like your worthless father..." Snape spat.

Harry narrowed his eye at the death eater. "I don't know who you think I am, or how you think you know my father, or whatever wrong he did to you... but I can assure you of one thing Mr. Snape... My father was a much, much better person than I am."

Snape felt his hands itch to cruciate the life out of the arrogant bastard, but controlled it for now. "Are you threatening me Potter?"

Harry's eyes widened in innocence, "No, no professor... I would never threaten anyone. And certainly not a professor like you... So scary... So brave... You, sir, play a dangerous game... You must be the only double agent in existence whose allegiance both sides doubt. And the dark lord doesn't suffer traitors... A very dangerous, deadly game indeed... " Harry turned his back to the death eater to finish the breakfast, further mocking him.

The trio returned to their common room, stuffed from the rather large meal, slumping down on a large sofa. The general mood in the Gryffindor common room was much subdued, as it was in two of the other houses. If they had been planning to prank the new student, or anyone else for that matter, it no longer felt important. They had stubbornly refused to believe the girl-who-lived, but now that it was in the Daily Prophet, how could they repudiate the truest source of all news? Most had been told stories of the last war, and even those that hadn't, succumbed to the contagiousness of the general gloom. There were the younger years, worried for the safety of their families. There were a few seventh years, who had been looking forward to apply for the auror department (after taking external Potions Newts of course), but were now seriously reconsidering their decision, feeling envious of the lower years, who could still enjoy the safety of Hogwarts. Then there were others yet, brave, uncaring Gryffindors, not worried about the storms that may come, confident in their belief that they would be spared.

"I don't believe the audacity of that... that man! He outright threatened us!" Hermione expressed her indignation.

"And he gave us detention... for what exactly? The greasy bat... I am positive that the grease is the secretions of his rotten brain, though I would really like to split open his skull and ascertain the fact." Helia added.

"You don't have to attend... or even tolerate his presence." Harry told them.

"Oh really?" Hermione asked him, "Helia is perhaps protected by the..." She lowered her voice, "prophecy, but what about me? What if Dumbledore actually kicks me out and they bind my memory and magic?"

"Helia," Harry turned to her, "What would you do if that were to happen?"

"Well I... I would strangle Snape with his stinking hair and feed Dumbledore the remains." Helia replied with surprising vehemence.

"Yes, but I meant what you would do to prevent that from happening?"

"I suppose I could leave the country with Hermione. We would manage to find asylum somewhere... I think I have enough money in my vault for that..."

"You see Hermione? Dumbledore can't afford to take such risks. He won't do anything overt to further alienate Helia, not until the prophecy is fulfilled."

Hermione slightly relaxed, but Helia was still incensed. "And what about the points he took away?"

"Look around you Helia, do you think anyone cares about that right now?"

She glanced around, the funeral atmosphere, everyone prattling on in sullen tones. In alternate circumstances, they would have blamed her for the point loss, in spite of their cognizance of Snape's obvious grudge against her.

She saw some young, preteen girl approach her. "You will defeat you-know-who, right? You are the chosen one. You have to save us..."

Another student heard her and scoffed loudly, gathering the attention of everyone. "What a load of bullshit! The 'chosen one' is a lie, just like the 'girl-who-lived'. We thought she had killed you-know-who, but it is obviously untrue, isn't it? The dark lord is still alive, they say he is immortal. Most probably he went away all those years ago to learn more dark arts... Or probably she is in league with him. If she could really defeat the dark lord, why didn't she capture him yesterday?"

Oh wow! And she had thought the people would be nice to her now. But he did raise one valid point... From what she had learnt today, and even observed yesterday, she was certain Harry had purposefully let Voldemort escape. What was he scheming, for she was certain it had been his plan all along. She looked at him, and he merely returned a pointed look, then nodded towards the speaker...

She got his point, at least she thought she did. If this is how they were treating her when they still needed her, she wondered what they would do after she was of no use to them. Probably the same way as the last few years... as far as they knew, she had already killed their dark lord once, and what had it earned her? Scorn and derision... accusations and political attacks... hatred and attempts on her life by the death eaters they had allowed free reign..? Another point of Harry came to her mind... Dumbledore wouldn't let Snape cause serious harm to her or her friends till the prophecy remained, but what after that? He had certainly defended his pet death eater rigorously at every point, how far would he let Snape go if she was no longer needed?

But the question still remained... Where was Harry going with all this, what games was he playing? Whatever it was, at least he seemed to have her best interests in heart, perhaps he would further corrupt her to his ideals, as if it were possible, but at least she and Hermione would emerge powerful and independent.

The second year Hufflepuff saw the dungeon bat appear from nowhere, an ugly, venomous expression on its sinister visage, fists clenched tightly, one gripping his wand, striding towards him with long, furious steps. He sank into the walls of the corridor, desperately hoping to go unnoticed. He worried if they would ever find his body otherwise, Hogwarts was so huge.

Unfortunately his prayers were in vain. "Loitering in corridors, Potter? 200 points from Gryffindor!"

He felt his heartbeats gradually return to normal, his adrenaline levels diminishing with his relief at surviving the encounter. The Hufflepuff felt really sorry for the Gryffindors, hoping for everyone's sake that the vile bat somehow disappeared forever.

Snape strode into his office, slamming the doors shut behind him, barely controlling the urge to crucio someone, anyone. That impudent bastard! He dared to threaten him, him... He would teach the brat his lesson. The dark lord would doubtlessly have his revenge, he would make sure to join in on the fun... Pull out his tongue as he screamed for mercy... Cut him up for potion ingredients... The Potter girl already had her fate sealed, Dumbledore's and Voldemort's plans made certain of that. A pity... He would have liked to play with her before he killed her himself, gouge out the eyes she had stolen from his Lily. At least he could make her life hell in other ways if not death... He noticed his hands were still shanking with rage, he needed a release... He opened the secret cabinet in the back, taking out a hair... Only a handful remained now. The hair he had harvested from his beloved Lily's still warm dead body all those years ago... He took out a vial of Polyjuice potion from another cabinet. Now to find some stupid muggle girl...

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