A/N Decided to keep updating this for now, and I also updated my other story. There is a cliché later in this chapter involving a ring, but don't worry its only there as a very minor part of the story much later on. Hope you enjoy reading and review to let me know what you think!

It'd been two weeks since my first foray into the alley on my own. Since then I had been back four or five times to look around or just get away from my relatives. They didn't seem to mind this arrangement at all though, since it meant I spent a lot less time in their life. I had received a reply from Neville last week that contained a schedule for the classes we were going to be attending. They wouldn't start until the week after my birthday, but I had purchased a few books related to the culture and history of the Wizarding world so I wouldn't be completely lost when they began.

Since I had begun doing my exercise routine and now I was eating a normal amount of food I had begun to put some healthy weight on. The nutrition potions I had been taking were working better than I could have ever hoped for. No longer could I see all of my ribs when I looked in the mirror. I still had a long way to go until I would be fully fixed from the malnutrition, but so far I was happy with the results.

I walked to my trunk fridge and grabbed the bag of apple crisps off the top of it. They were my favorite snack food that I had found in the grocery store so far. They were much healthier than the oily potato crisps that Dudley was so fond of, but didn't sacrifice any of the flavor. Thinking about the grocery store made me remember the girl I had met there.

I had stopped in to the store on two other occasions since my first purchase. Meg had been there the last time and I had managed to talk to her for a little while more by saying I needed her help in locating some items. Her shift had been just about over when I had gotten there so surprising myself I had asked her to go out for dinner with me. She had blushed that pretty shade of red I was becoming accustomed to seeing on her cheeks whenever I was around and said she would like that, but didn't have anything to wear.

I didn't want to lose out on my opportunity though and I had insisted that if the only thing stopping her from going was clothes that I would buy her something to change into to. I knew I had the money for it and wasn't worried about one outfit breaking my vault after all.

My proclamation had caused her to stammer and try and turn me down, but I was insistent. After a minute or two of her weak protests she had given in and agreed to let me buy her something to wear. I had paid for my groceries and then waited patiently outside while the last fifteen minutes of her shift came to an end.

I'd amused myself by watching the different witches and wizards that came and went into the grocery store. It was comical to observe people when they thought no one else was looking at them. The things they would do were often hilarious, but also disgusting in some of the cases.

Meg had come out of the store a few minutes past the hour. Deciding to try out something I had read about in my book of Wizarding culture and decorum I approached her and offered my arm. She had laughed and called me old-fashioned, but looped her hand through it none the less. Surprisingly no one even looked in our direction as I escorted her to Madame Malkins to pick out something to wear. It seemed that the book had been right about this being very common place in magical society.

It had taken Meg only fifteen minutes to pick out a soft blue summer dress to wear. The dress was very simple, but it suited her well. And the way it clung to her now very noticeable curves made my heart skip a beat or two. I did my best not to eye her like a piece of meat, but I knew I failed somewhat because of the giggling that had ensued when she had caught me staring at her backside.

We made light conversation over a nice meal at one of the restaurants in the alley and the night went surprisingly smooth. If I was honest it had to have been one of the most normal moments of my life. No one was trying to kill me, no nefarious plot, not even a blonde ponce to mock me. It had just been two normal teenagers out on a date and having a good time. Afterwards we went and split a sundae at the ice cream parlor.

We had been mostly silent while we sat and ate at the ice cream parlor, until I noticed that she had a little bit of the chocolate fudge still at the corner of her mouth. Now the Harry Potter before he died for the second time would have just told her and then felt bad for pointing it out or something. Instead the reborn Harry Potter leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth.

When I pulled back she had this gob-smacked expression on her face. Deciding to have a little more fun I had shrugged and then told her I was just helping her get the little bit of chocolate she had on her face. She blushed hard and dropped her eyes to her lap, but I caught her sneaking glances up at me shyly for the rest of the time.

After that I escorted her to the Leaky Cauldron so that she could floo home. She thanked me for the clothes and the date. I wasn't sure how we were supposed to say goodbye now, so I went for what I deemed to be the best option and I leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. It wasn't deep or anything, more of just a friendly peck. She said good bye one more time and then disappeared into the swirling green flames as she called out her address.

It was weird, but somehow I knew that both us could tell nothing was going to come of our date. We weren't going to wind up in a relationship or falling in love, but I enjoyed the company and the sense of normalcy it gave to my life. For Meg, I think she just liked being treated as a normal person. I imagined that being a squib in a world full of people using magic wasn't easy. Especially with the way part of the population would treat you as a second class citizen.

As I sat looking through the bars on my window I felt my thoughts wander to the only other girl I'd ever been somewhat involved with. I hadn't tried to contact Daphne and she had made no effort to keep in touch. It hurt more than I would have liked to admit, but I figured that was only normal when the very first girl you have sex with wants nothing to do with you after.

I was shaken from my morose thoughts when I noticed a bird in the distance and it seemed to be on a beeline towards me. I strained my eyes attempting to get a better look, cursing my horrible glasses the whole time. That was something else I was going to have to look into the next time I went to the alley. There had to be a way to correct my eyesight or at the very least somewhere that I could get better glasses.

After another minute the owl was perched on the sill outside of my window. I reached a hand through when it offered up its leg which had an envelope tied to it. Carefully so that I wouldn't drop it I untied the string holding the envelope in place and pulled it back through the bars. The owl didn't wait for me to give it any further orders and took off as soon as my hand was all the way back in.

I flipped the envelope over and was only slightly surprised to find the seal of Gringotts on it. With only the slightest bit of trepidation I cracked the seal and opened the envelope. I didn't know why, but I was afraid of what was going to be in the letter. The goblins had done a thorough investigation of my accounts, but what if they had found things I didn't want to know.

If it was revealed that someone had been stealing from my vaults or something like that I didn't know what I would do. This was supposed to only be about my changed status, but I wasn't naïve enough to think the Goblins would just leave it at that. Gathering up all my courage I freed the parchment from the envelope and began to read.

Dear Lord Potter,

As was requested at our meeting earlier this month an investigation had been launched on your accounts and the change of status regarding them. I am pleased to inform you that through the hard work and dedication of our Goblins here at Gringotts we were able to discover the reason behind this anomaly in a relatively short time.

However, due to the exact reason it is prudent that we meet in person to discuss any further actions. I would not risk the safety of you and yours by writing such sensitive information down. At your earliest convenience please stop by our branch in Diagon Alley and request to meet with me. I will be awaiting you anxiously.

May Your Gold Continue to Grow

The Honorable Iron Tooth

Senior Accounts Manager

I put the letter down and let out a sigh of relief that nothing had been stated in the letter. It wouldn't do any good for someone to intercept the owl and find out more about my life. I had enough people after me to warrant the slight bit of paranoia I was displaying. At least that was what I kept telling myself.

I glanced back at the old alarm clock in the corner of the room and was surprised to find it was already three in the afternoon. If I left now I could probably make it to the alley and back before eight o clock. The Dursleys had gone out for the day and so I was supposed to stay locked in my room, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt me.

I shoved the letter into my pocket and then grabbed my wand off the top of my trunk. I unlocked the door to my room and raced down the stairs and out the front door. I paused only long enough to re-lock it and then I was jogging to the park. It took me less time to reach it than my first few trips as I was slowly building up endurance thanks to my constant training. I could now maintain my jogging pace much longer. One short, bumpy ride on the Knight Bus later and I found myself stepping off in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

It was only as I entered that I remembered I had forgotten to change my appearance or obscure my face. I did my best to brush my hair in the way of my scar, but overall I knew I was still very recognizable. Despite the heat I drew up my cloak around my neck and the bottom of my face as I made my way through the crowded pub. It seemed everyone was getting off work for the day and was now stopping in for a drink or two. Thankfully I made it unnoticed to the wall leading to Diagon Alley.

I wasted no time as I stepped through the hole and set off at a brisk pace for Gringotts. Luck really was on my side today I decided as I managed to draw minimal attention to myself. Once inside I let the cloak fall back down onto my shoulders and made a beeline for the closest available teller. As I stepped up to the window the Goblin looked up at me and his eyes widened.

"Lord Potter it seems you are most anxious to have your meeting. Please follow me and I will take you to Iron Tooth's office."

I was amazed at the quality of respect and service I was receiving from creatures known to be rude and not very friendly. Still lost in my thoughts about why they would suddenly treat me better I didn't notice right away that I was standing in front of Iron Tooth's door.

A clearing of the throat from the goblin teller who had escorted me brought me back to the present and I had the decency to look sheepish about getting caught daydreaming. I thanked the Goblin for escorting me and decided to give him five galleons. I wasn't sure what possessed me to do it, but for some reason it just felt right. After all I doubted very many wizards ever tipped goblins for their services, so this might be a good way to create a rapport with at least one of the creatures.

The teller bowed low and then excused himself back to his desk as I knocked on the door. I didn't have to wait long for the gruff "enter" from the other side. I twisted the knob and gently pushed the door open. I tipped my head in acknowledgement to the two guards on either side of the door and then proceeded up to Iron Tooth's desk. We exchanged greetings and then he told me to take a seat as this meeting was going to take a while.

I found my earlier nervousness returning as I made myself comfortable. Once I was ready I took a deep breath and then waited patiently for Iron Tooth to begin.

He finished organizing some papers on his desk and then looked up at me. A toothy grin broke out across his face which did nothing to relieve the nervousness I felt.

"Let me be the first congratulate you on being the new Lord Potter. It has come sooner than we here at Gringotts were expecting, but this just allows us, me specifically, more chances to grow your wealth."

"Thank you Iron Tooth, and I appreciate your continued loyalty to my accounts and I know they are in good hands. However I still don't know the reason that I am now Lord Potter."

I did my best to keep my irritation and impatience out of my voice but it was eating away at me that I didn't know what was going on.

"Ah yes, let us get down to the heart of the matter. You are now Lord Potter, a fully recognized adult by the Ministry of Magic. This has come about for a simple reason really. You cannot be an heir of an Ancient and Noble house when you yourself have an heir on the way."

As I processed the words that Iron Tooth had said I found myself choking on my own saliva. I was coughing and sputtering as I pounded on my chest to try and get some air back in my body. When I finally got myself under control I was hoping Iron Tooth would say he was just joking, but he still wore that same toothy grin.

"I have an heir on the way? How is that possible?" I had been talking to myself, thinking of the only girl I had ever done that with but Iron Tooth must have thought I was talking to him.

"Well you see Lord Potter, I'm not sure I'm qualified for this but oh well. When a young wizard and witch love each other or at the very least drink too much sometimes they will get together and decide to…"

"STOP! Oh dear Merlin. I was being rhetorical Iron Tooth; I know how children are made. It's just that I've only ever done that with one person and I can't believe that on my first try I go and bollocks it up."

A sound that I assumed was a goblin's form of chuckling came from Iron Tooth and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow waiting for him to elaborate on what was so funny. "Well Lord Potter, I'm no expert on this subject. However if you were able to create an heir on your first try I don't think you messed it up, in fact I would say you did it correctly."

I didn't know that goblins had a sense of humor, granted it was at my expense, but it through me for a loop and I found myself unable to decide if I wanted to throttle Iron Tooth or just shake my head. Eventually I settled on the latter option and waited for the account manager to get himself under control before we continued.

"Now as I was saying before we got sidetracked. You are the Lord Potter now because you have an heir on the way. According to these papers here the woman carrying your child is one Daphne Greengrass. You have no choice but to accept the child as your heir, but you can decide if you want to recognize Miss Greengrass as a member of the Ancient and Noble house of Potter."

I was confused and not afraid to voice my questions out loud. "What do you mean by recognize her as a member of my house? Are you talking about marriage? Because merlin knows I am way too young to be considering getting married. Hell I'm not even dating the girl; the last time we saw each other she said she wanted nothing to do with me and that I should never contact her."

Iron Tooth began making notes on his paper work and I waited patiently as he scribbled away on the parchment in front of him. "Very well, I'm going to send this letter to Miss Greengrass right now and request she join us momentarily so that we may discuss this issue. In the meantime I will do my best to answer your questions. No just because you recognize her as a member of your house does not mean you will have to marry her. You would be taking her on as a ward of the house. However this would make you responsible for her living conditions, food, clothes, and other basic needs."

I didn't have any more questions that could be answered until Daphne arrived so I sat back and tried to work over all the details of what I already knew in my head. I don't know how long I sat there, but finally I heard a knock at the door and nearly gave myself whiplash as I snapped my neck in the direction of the door.

I heard Iron Tooth call out enter from behind me, but I didn't dare move my eyes from the door. This would be the first time I had seen Daphne since our altercation on the train and I was hoping it would go better. However I also wasn't considering the circumstances that we were meeting under. To my surprise though she didn't look at all angry. In fact if anything she looked the happiest I had ever seen her. Granted she still wore a cold smirk, but in her eyes I could see a little light that made them soften immensely.

I rose from my seat as she approached and once she was close enough I brought her hand to my lips and kissed the backside of it. "Miss Greengrass it's always a pleasure being in your company, please take my seat." Silently thanking whatever god was out there that Tom Riddle had been a ladies man and not gay I pulled the chair forward a little as she moved around me to sit.

"Thank you Harry, or do you prefer Lord Potter now?" There was a teasing tone in her voice as she spoke and I got the distinct impression she was mocking me, but I kept myself under control.

I stood behind Daphne and rested my hands on the top of the chair careful not to accidentally pull her hair. We both stared at Iron Tooth waiting for him to proceed with this meeting.

"Good now that you are both here we can begin making arrangements for this situation we find ourselves in. Miss Greengrass are you aware that you are currently carrying the heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter?"

I had expected her to be shocked and deny it being true, or even angry at me. What I didn't expect was the one answer she gave.

"Yes Honorable Iron Tooth. I became aware of this only a day or so ago myself, but I was delighted by the news. I had hoped the fertility potion I used would work when Lord Potter and I made love and it seems my wish was granted."

My world slowed to a halt at the words fertility potion. Daphne had wanted to get pregnant? Not only had she wanted to get pregnant, but she had wanted me to get her pregnant. That left me with only one question. "Why?"

Daphne didn't even bother to turn and look at me when she answered. "It's simple Harry. In fact I told you already why I did it. Remember our discussion about what was going to happen to me? Well it was all true, but my reasoning for sleeping with you was slightly altered. Your family is one of the oldest there is, and on top of that it is one of the wealthiest. I knew that if I had your heir that I could provide my family with a way out of this war that is coming."

I honestly didn't know what to feel, but I couldn't help but think I was still missing something. How was her having my heir going to help her family? In fact all that would do would put her family in more danger now. Hiding any emotion I was feeling at the moment I spoke up. "How does this help your family? It's only going to put them in danger when the news of this comes out to the public."

I saw Iron Tooth lean back in his chair and smirk a little harder than normal as he silently observed the conversation Daphne and I were having and I couldn't help but want to knock him off that chair for putting me in my current position.

"Yes my family would be in danger when this eventually comes out, but thankfully they will be hidden away far out of reach of anyone who would wish them harm. That's where you come in. I'm going to play on your Gryffindor chivalry here Harry. You knocked me up and now as a result my whole family is in danger. It's only right of you to allow them to move into your family home and then have protections put on it so that no one can reach them."

I was angry as I listened to what Daphne was telling me. She had used me after all. There had never been anything between the two of us. It was simply all a clever plan of hers to get herself and her family out of the war. I couldn't believe I had let this happen.

"What if I was to say no to your request Daphne? Did you ever account for that happening?" I let some of my anger seep into my words in hopes of covering up the lack of conviction in my statements.

I didn't even need to look at her face to know that she was smirking at me. "No I didn't because it was a nonfactor. If you did say no, which you wouldn't then if something were to happen to me or anyone in my family it would be your entire fault. You would have to live knowing that you could have prevented the death of someone, but chose not to. Is that really what you want hanging over you?"

I knew she was right; my attitude had changed thanks to the merging of the souls in my body, but there was no way I could leave an entire family to die. That would make me no better than the people I was going to fight against. Resigned to my fate I let out a sigh. "Fine, I'll take care of your family. However there is one condition on which I do this. I want an oath from you."

I noticed Iron Tooth lean forward in his seat and suddenly look a lot more interested in the events unfolding in front of him. I imagined it wasn't often that he had such a strange case in his office.

For the first time Daphne turned her head to look up at me. "What kind of oath do you want Potter? I'm not going to become a slave to you or something." She sneered at me as if thinking I was going to ask for some perverse deal, but it was really the exact opposite.

Now it was my turn to smirk at her. "Don't worry Daphne it's nothing like what you are thinking. In fact all I want you to do is make a witch's oath that you will not become sexually involved with anyone until you have consulted with me about it. I wouldn't want to tarnish the name of my house after all by letting you run around doing whoever."

With speed I wasn't expecting Daphne was out of her chair and only inches from me. I felt a wand jab me in my stomach, but I wasn't fazed by it. Instead it caused me to smirk that much more. "Go ahead and curse me Daphne, and then our deal will be no good. I think I'm being very reasonable right now all things considered. You used me and played with my emotions, and even had the nerve to try and turn me against my actual friends. I don't know how I could have been so stupid, but I plan on correcting the mistakes I made."

We stood there for at least five minutes, probably longer. Then I felt the wand drop from my stomach and saw her deflate in front of me. The fire and anger left her eyes and now there was just a resolute sadness to them. I was cheering in my head at the small victory over her, but was cut short when I felt her hands wrap around my back and then her lips were on mine. I didn't even have time to kiss her back before she pulled away.

"I may have used you Harry, but that doesn't mean there was nothing between us that night. I admit I tricked you. I even went as far as to use a compulsion charm on you to make sure you would wind up in that room with me. But you need to look at this from my perspective. If you were in my position and had a chance to keep your family from a war where hundreds are going to die, wouldn't you do anything to give them that chance? I'll make your oath now though."

I wanted desperately to believe what she was telling me, but there was a part of my mind that kept telling me she had lied once already. I shook my head to clear the fog that had settled in when she had kissed me. "I can't trust you Daphne. I want to, but you lied to me and used me. Make the oath now and then I will have Iron Tooth start the preparations for you and your family. Aside from the day that my heir is born I don't want to have any contact with you."

I could of sworn I saw her eyes start to mist up at my last statement, but it was gone so fast and her eyes were hard once again that I couldn't tell. She raised her wand and then began to speak. "I, Daphne Greengrass, swear on my life and magic to not engage in any sexual or physical relations until I have consulted with Lord Potter and gained his approval first. So mote it be. Do you Lord Potter accept this oath I have made?"

I held my wand in a similar fashion to Daphne and then spoke my part. "I, Lord Harry James Potter, accept your oath. So mote it be."

There was a bright flash of blue and a line of gray momentarily connected our two wands before fading away and leaving us standing there staring at each other.

I turned to Iron Tooth and addressed him for the first time since Daphne had arrived. "Thank you Honorable Iron Tooth for not only calling this meeting, but also bearing witness to our oath." All I received was a nod in recognition before Iron Tooth was once again furiously scribbling notes on his paper. From the spot next to me I heard Daphne begin to speak.

"I will be returning home now. When should I tell my family to expect to be moving? I wish to give them ample time to pack."

I had no idea how long it would take to make my family home livable so I looked to Iron Tooth. "Well with any luck the goblins could have the Potter family home repaired within two weeks' time. Gringotts will send a letter two days before the completion of the wards so that your family will have a warning. If there are no more questions from you Ms. Greengrass then I bid you a farewell."

I could tell Daphne was being dismissed and apparently she could as well for she turned on her heel and left the room, but as she walked by me she let her hand fall down and for the shortest of moments it fell into mine. Then it was gone and once again I found myself staring at Iron Tooth. I waited for the sound of the door clicking shut behind us to begin talking.

"Well this has been a hell of a day. Alright Iron Tooth, what do I have to do to start getting my family home ready for them? Also now that I know why I have access to my family vault I want to accept the full lordship so that I may visit it."

The goblin pushed across a few sheets of paper to me and I picked up a quill that was laid on top of them. I did a quick scan of the papers to make sure there was nothing in them that we hadn't talked about already, but found that everything was in order. The repairs and warding of my family home weren't going to cost as much as I had initially assumed which I was grateful for.

I quickly signed that paper and then handed it to Iron Tooth as I began looking over the next one. It was short and simple stating that I would be taking full ownership of my vaults and claiming the lordship left to me. I signed that one and was surprised when I suddenly felt warmth on my ring finger. I looked down to see a silver ring set with rubies in it now there.

"Ah that is your family ring Lord Potter. By claiming full lordship you are required to wear it. This is actually useful to you though as all of the Ancient and Noble houses have certain protections on their rings. I am not sure how much you are aware of about the old times, but it used to be fairly common for members of families to poison each other. So the ring will heat slightly if it detects a foreign substance in food or drinks near you. I believe there is also a modified confounding charm on the ring as well. It will make it harder for people to read your thoughts by simply scrambling them. It's not a fail-safe method and can be beaten by experienced users of the mind arts, but it's better than nothing."

I listened in awe as Iron Tooth described what the ring could do for me. I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about when he mentioned mind arts, but I figured I could find that out on my own at some point so I didn't bother to ask. I knew it was getting late and I still had to beat the Dursleys home or I was going to be screwed.

I handed him the second sheet of paper I had signed and then looked at the last one before me. It was the form saying that I accepted Daphne Greengrass as a ward of House Potter. I hesitated only for a second before signing across the bottom of that one and pushing it across the desk to Iron Tooth.

I watched as he gave the documents a quick look over and then nodded his head in satisfaction. "Very well Lord Potter everything is all set and our business is concluded. Can you find your own way out or would you like for me to summon an escort?"

I politely turned down the escort and then gave the proper leaving greeting before turning and making my way out of the office. I made it into the main lobby of the bank when I heard my name being called out from behind. "Lord Potter wait a moment please, I forgot something."

I looked around hoping no one had heard the goblin call out my name and was relieved when it seemed like everyone was too caught up in their own business to notice one wizard. I turned to address Iron Tooth as he approached.

"Yes Iron Tooth what was it you forgot to tell me?" I had spotted the time and knew I had to be home in less than thirty minutes so my patience was about to wear thin.

"Now that you are a fully recognized wizard, the trace on your wand has been lifted. Therefor you can use magic whenever you please. If you had achieved full emancipation in any other way this wouldn't be so, but because you have an heir the ministry makes an exception because they want the parents to be able to defend the child should the need arise. So you and Miss Greengrass are now capable of using your wands outside of school with no issues. That is all I had to tell you."

That was certainly the best news I had heard all day and I once again exchanged farewells with Iron Tooth before leaving the bank. I moved as fast as I could without running to get through the Leaky Cauldron and to the Knight Bus stop. I was surprised when I wasn't the only one to be using the Knight Bus this time. Normally I boarded and exited alone, but this time a woman in a cloak with her hood up followed me onto the bus.

I shrugged it off and paid Stan the required amount before telling him my destination and then taking a seat close to the front. Thankfully it was only a ten minute ride to Privet Drive and I was soon off the bus and running towards number 4. I had just enough time to notice the female who had boarded at the Leaky Cauldron with me getting off the bus before I was around the corner and heading to the Dursleys.

I thought it was strange since I had never known of any other witches or wizards to live in Privet Drive. I brushed it from my thoughts for the moment though and tried to pick up the pace as I was now racing against the clock to make it back before the Dursleys. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as number 4 came into view. That relief turned to dread and panic though as I saw the lights were on inside the house and the car was parked outside.

I stopped at the corner of the street debating whether it would be easier to say fuck everything and run away or to go inside and face Uncle Vernon. In the end I gave in and started at a slower pace towards number 4. I stopped about halfway across the road though when I noticed that the woman in the cloak I had seen get off the Knight Bus was now trying to get into Mrs. Figg's house. My inner Gryffindor came out and I made my way as quickly and quietly as I could towards the woman. I reached the edge of Mrs. Figg's yard just as the woman got the door unlocked and went inside. I moved forward and ducked down so as to not be spotted through the window in the top of the door. Slowly I twisted the knob and was happy to find the door still unlocked. With my wand held in one hand I used the other to gently push the door open. I didn't want to alert the intruder that I was there so I only opened the door enough to slide inside before closing it again. There was a light on in the kitchen, so I crept stealthily along the hall. I was familiar with the layout of Mrs. Figg's house because the Dursleys used to drop me off at her house when they went out on trips. Her house always smelled funky and she had a lot of cats, which I was hoping I didn't run into.

As I reached the entranceway into the kitchen I could see the woman in the cloak moving at the far side. Her back was to me so I couldn't get a good look at her face, but judging by the trace amounts of gray in her hair it was a fairly older woman. Gathering up the courage that I was famous for, I stepped into the kitchen and leveled my wand at the back of the intruder.

"Turn around slowly and keep your hands raised. If you try anything I swear to merlin you won't like the consequences." My voice didn't waiver once while I threatened the possible death eater and I found that I enjoyed the feeling of having the upper hand for once.

I watched as the woman froze in her movements and slowly raised her hands up above her head. She slowly started to spin around to face me and I nearly dropped my wand in shock when I finally got a look at the face before me. Mrs. Figg looked nearly as shocked as I felt when she saw who it was that had her at wand point.

I almost lowered my wand, but then I had a flashback of the previous year with the impostor Moody. As far as I knew Mrs. Figg was not a witch, so there was no reason for her to be coming from Diagon Alley. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Mrs. Figg?"

Surprise flashed across the face of the impostor Figg. "I am the real Mrs. Figg. Please Harry lower your wand and let me explain. I don't mean you any harm."

I was surprised that Mrs. Figg knew what a wand was and that only strengthened my conviction that this woman was an impostor. "Mrs. Figg is a muggle; she wouldn't know what a wand is and definitely wouldn't be coming from Diagon Alley. You have one more chance to tell me who you are before I take you to Dumbledore."

I don't know why I said Dumbledore, but he seemed the most likely to deal with a death eater problem if that's what this was. Anyway the name Dumbledore got a distinct reaction from the impostor Figg.

"Yes! Dumbledore can sort this all out. He's the one who assigned me here Harry. He told me to come live here so that I could keep an eye on you while you grew up. He was worried about how the muggles might treat you. And I'm not a muggle Harry; I'm just a normal squib."

This time I did let my wand drop to my side. Thankfully it seemed that this really was Mrs. Figg because she didn't make any move to attack me. Dumbledore had left someone here to watch over me? He knew all these years about the abuse I suffered. He knew about the lack of food, the forced labor, the hateful rumors, and he knew about the cupboard.

I could feel my anger rising and the stress of the day was only serving to fuel it more. The air started to crackle around me and the room heated up. Mrs. Figg backed up a few feet but I didn't do anything to stop her. "Why did he never do anything to stop it? Why did he condemn me to a life in hell?"

Mrs. Figg stood petrified in fear of me and remained silent. This pushed me over the edge and I slashed out with my wand. Her kitchen counter was hit with my blasting hex and bits of marble flew around the room. Mrs. Figg flinched and fell backwards. I took a step towards her as I demanded an answer.

"I don't know! Dumbledore just told me to report to him how you were being treated. I don't know why he never stepped in. Please, I begged him to do something when I learned how bad you were being treated. I wanted you out of there so bad, but he just said you had to stay there for your own protection."

I paused in my advance on the woman and took a moment to get my anger under control. I had done so well all day keeping my emotions in check, but it seemed like I was still the rash, stupid Gryffindor I was trying to change. I cast a quick reparo at the counter I had destroyed and watched as it began to rebuild itself.

"I'm sorry for blowing up your counter Mrs. Figg. I lost control of my emotions and I took it out on you. Now though we have a bigger problem." My voice trailed off and was barely above a whisper as I said the last part. "You know that I can do magic outside of the school without getting in trouble. I'm assuming you also saw me at Diagon Alley which is why you had your hood up. These are two things I just can't have you telling Dumbledore."

Mrs. Figg was still sitting on the ground where she had fallen when I blasted the counter. I took a few quick strides until I was standing only a foot or so away from her. Mrs. Figg was already a short woman and so from her seated position I assumed I looked like a giant. I could see the fear in her eyes and wondered just what she thought I was going to do to her. Hell I didn't even know what I was going to do. I wasn't nearly advanced enough to attempt a memory charm, and there was no way I could just kill the woman.

What I needed was an adult who I could trust. Someone who could perform the memory charm and that wouldn't reveal my secrets to Dumbledore. Only one person came to mind and I wasn't even sure I could get in contact with him without Dumbledore finding out. Then I had a stroke of genius.

"Mrs. Figg how do you get in contact with Dumbledore? Do you have a floo system?"

The woman nodded and pointed at her den where I could just spot the corner of a fireplace. I started to walk in the direction of the den, but then turned around and cast an incarcerous on a surprised looking Mrs. Figg.

"Sorry Mrs. Figg. It's nothing personal, but I can't have you trying to run off or something while I make a call. Now sit there and wait until I come back." With my now hostage safely secured I proceeded into the den. It only took me a minute to locate the tin of floo powder in a drawer of an end table. I wasn't sure if my idea would work or not, but I had to at least give it a shot.

I started a small fire and then fed it until the flames began to roar to life. I took a moment to enjoy the warmth that spread through my body before I dropped the floo powder into fire. The flames erupted in an emerald burst and licked the edges of my face, but did not burn me. I cleared my throat and then with no hesitation or stutter said, "Sirius Black."

I waited for a moment and then stuck my head in, I was about to step the rest of the way in when I realized I was looking out into a dimly lit living room. The furniture for the most part was covered in white sheets and a thick layer of dust. The only exceptions seemed to be one three person couch and a large recliner off to the right. Both were of a matching black fabric, trimmed with silver. The couch was complete with blood red pillows and I found myself wondering if they really were dyed in blood. I was confused as to what was going on, until I heard a very familiar voice coming from the hall.

"Sirius!" I yelled out hoping he could hear me.

"Huh? Who's in the bloody fireplace? Oh it's just you Harry. Wait! HARRY!" I couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto my face as my godfather came sprinting across the room to kneel in front of the fire.

"Pup! How did you get access to a floo? Aren't you at the Dursleys? I begged Dumbledore to let me bring you here, but he said you had to stay with them. Are you okay? You didn't run away did you?"

"I'm fine for now Sirius. And I'm actually at Mrs. Figg's house right now. I have a problem here and I need your help. No I didn't run away either. If you come here I can explain everything."

Sirius suddenly became very serious and nodded. "Alright Harry, stand back and I'll come through the fire right now."

I did as Sirius said and backed away from the flames. The next second he came walking out of the fireplace and then the flames died down and turned back to their normal orange selves.

"Alright Harry I'm here. What's this problem you need my help with?"

Instead of answering him right away I gestured for him to follow me which he thankfully did. As we entered the kitchen I heard him gasp from behind me as Mrs. Figg came into view.

"Harry why is Mrs. Figg tied up? What's going on here?"

"Sirius did you know Mrs. Figg was here watching me all these years? Dumbledore left her here to report about the Dursleys treatment of me. He knew all along about how horrible I was treated Sirius! Yet he did nothing. I accidentally let my anger get the best of me and Mrs. Figg saw me do magic and not get a letter from the Ministry. She also saw me at Diagon Alley today. These are things I can't have her telling Dumbledore Sirius." I didn't say the rest, but instead used my eyes to communicate what I was trying to get at.

I watched as my godfather went through an internal debate about whether or not to help me out. "Fine I'll do it, but once it's done you and I are going to have a long chat and you are going to explain what is going on and what you've been up to."

I nodded my head eagerly in agreement and stepped out of the way. I watched with more than a little curiosity as Sirius stunned Mrs. Figg and then pointed his wand at her temple. "Obliviate!"

It was over in a matter of seconds, and I found myself wishing I could learn how to do that. I banished the ropes binding Mrs. Figg which earned me a raised eyebrow from Sirius.

"Alright let's go back to my place so we can have our talk now pup. Mrs. Figg will wake up in a few hours and think she just slipped and hit her head."

I followed Sirius back into the den and almost ran into him when he stopped short.

"Now I'm going to tell you something and I want you to focus on just remember it okay? The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

I did as I was told and concentrated on the address and suddenly it was like a cloud had been lifted in my mind. I'd never been to the place that was mentioned but I had this understanding of where it was. I nodded to let Sirius know it had worked. He dropped a pinch of floo powder into the fire and called out the address. One by one we stepped through and I felt like I might be sick by the time the room stopped spinning. Unsurprisingly I landed on my ass as I came out of the fireplace.

"I swear I'm just not cut out for magical travel unless it's on a broom." I tried some humor but judging from the look I got from Sirius he wasn't in the mood. "Alright so I don't even know where to begin this messed up story."

Sirius walked over and sat down in the reclining chair while gesturing for me to take a seat on the couch. "The beginning is usually a pretty good place to start."

I shook my head and smiled. "Alright, well you know what happened at the tournament; I was pretty shaken up so I just wandered around the school that night. I was trying to find a place to just think and be alone, but instead I walked into a room that was already occupied." I saw Sirius's eyes light up and cut off his train of thought before it began. "No it wasn't occupied how you are thinking. There was one other girl in the room. I later found out her name was Daphne Greengrass."

Sirius interjected at this point. "Greengrass? They were on of the neutral families in the first war. They managed to avoid choosing a side thanks to money and some clever politics. Overall they aren't a bad family, but there are some rumors of them using spells labeled as dark magic. Anyway sorry to interrupt please continue on."

I picked up my story. "Anyway so I've got this bottle of fire whiskey and at first I'm just sitting in the corner I was banished to, but then I offer her some and we start drinking together. We wound up finishing the bottle really fast. Since we were both drunk we get to talking about why we are there and suddenly I'm telling her everything about the last task. I don't know why, but it helped me. And she tells me why she is up there. Apparently she found out her father had been receiving a lot of pressure to marry her off to Malfoy. She was worried that with the return of Voldemort she would be forced into a contract."

Sirius winced at that last part. "Ouch forced into a marriage with that stuck-up ponce. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

I nodded. "Neither would I, which is why when she suggested we do something to benefit each other I eventually gave in. This part is a little more embarrassing than the rest. So she says she can help keep my nightmares away if I will take her purity so that she won't be as valuable to Draco. It sounds ridiculous now that I think about it and I should have known something was up, but anyway so we have sex."

Sirius jumped out of his seat this time. "ALRIGHT! Way to go Harry! If Daphne looks anything like her mother Abigail than you bagged a real beauty."

I couldn't help but agree as I recalled the image of Daphne naked under me. "So I thought it was just a one night thing, and it has been. But then today I received a letter from Gringotts saying that I needed to come for an urgent meeting. Apparently my status changed from heir to Lord Potter. So anyway I get to the bank and low and behold Daphne is there waiting for me. We had a meeting with Iron Tooth who oversees the Potter accounts. He explained to us that the reason my status had changed was because Daphne was umm…well…she's pregnant with my heir."

I closed my eyes and waited for the barrage of reprimands about being irresponsible and careless, but nothing ever came. When I finally opened my eyes Sirius was staring at me slack jawed. "You got her pregnant? Harry that's….that's….I don't even know what that is, but I guess congratulations pup. You're going to be a daddy soon! That also explains why you can do magic now, you must fall under that clause the ministry has for teenage parents."

Out of all the reactions I had been expecting from Sirius the mature and understanding, supportive one was not it. "Wait so you're really not mad at me about this? I mean I got this girl pregnant Sirius and I barely know her."

Sirius just shrugged at me. "There's no use in me being mad pup. What's done is done and you can't take it back now. Besides you've got almost nine full months to get to know this girl better, and then who knows maybe you two fall in love after all. So why do you seem so upset about this?"

"I don't know Sirius; I mean this isn't how I wanted my life to go. And then I also found out she planned this whole thing from the beginning. She put a compulsion on me to make sure I would find her that night. She even took a fertility potion to make sure she got pregnant. When I asked her why she said she was doing it so that I would be forced to offer her family protection since by getting her pregnant I had put them in danger."

Sirius smirked at me. "Well seems like you got a real Slytherin on your hands with this Daphne girl then. She manipulated you and I'm assuming you gave her just what she had wanted all along. Looks like the Greengrass family will once again avoid the war thanks to some clever scheming. I can see why you'd be upset now, but think of it this way. You're saving lives and trust me when I say that without you, her family would most likely be dead in weeks once they refused the Malfoy's contract."

I hung my head in defeat. "I know Sirius, but I hate that she lied to me and that I was manipulated into sleeping with her. I just don't know what to do now and so I told her that I didn't want to see her again until it was time for the child to be born."

"I can't help you with that one pup. You two are going to have to work out what you want from this. It's not my choice at all. Anyway I can see why you would want to keep all of this a secret. If Dumbledore had found out about you leaving Privet Drive he would have flipped and probably sent more people to monitor you. Also you are going to want to keep this a secret for as long as possible. After what happened during the last task and Voldemort being reborn we can't be too careful."

I nodded my head in agreement, but then I remembered something. "Sirius what about the book that shows every pureblood's family links? Won't it show that Daphne is having my heir?"

Sirius rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful for a few minutes before he answered me. "You should be good there pup. The book won't update until the kid is actually born, because things could change between now and the due date. I hate to be negative, but Daphne could die or get hurt and have a miscarriage. So for roughly another nine months you can keep this completely secret. She can even cover up any weight gain with a glamour charm if she wants."

That set my nerves at ease to know I would have at least until my child was born before the questions would start. "Sirius can I ask how you would handle this situation? I mean the lying and deceiving part of it. I want to trust her again; she is going to be the mother of my child after all. That's important and she should be around to have a part in our child's life if she wants, but how can I know she won't always have some plot or bigger goal?"

Sirius let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "Honestly if I had gotten myself into your situation I don't know what I would do. However you say you want to trust her which tells me you feel something for this girl. I'm not saying you like her or anything all I'm saying is you feel something. She's gone and dug her way under your skin which is irritating you and until you scratch that itch you're just going to get more and more frustrated. DO you understand what I'm trying to get at?"

I smiled and decided to tease my godfather a little. "So in the midst of the two or three muggle sayings you butchered in that explanation I think I heard something about scratching Daphne. Is that what you were getting at? I'm not sure she's into that Padfoot, but thanks for the advice."

Sirius just stared at me gob smacked. "I can't believe it Harry. From all I've heard about you from Ron and Hermione this is not at all what I expected you to be like after what happened. It's like you're an entirely different person. They said you would brood and blame yourself, but here you are joking around and getting girls pregnant."

I knew Sirius was right and I wanted to tell him it was because I was at least a partially different person, but that was one secret I was going to keep to myself. I could already see the headlines about me being the dark lord reincarnated if it was to get out that I had absorbed his soul. Then something from his comment struck me. "When did you talk to Ron and Hermione? I haven't heard from them at all. I know we had a fight at the end of term, but I expected them to at least make an attempt to talk to me."

"They've been staying here Harry. In fact you just missed them. The Weasley's are hosting one last dinner at their house tonight before all of them move here permanently for the duration of the war. It's infinitely safer for them here."

I couldn't believe it. Ron and Hermione were getting to live in the same house as my godfather, while I was forced to live in Dursley hell. I didn't know what Dumbledore was playing at or what his end game was, but before the end of my fifth year I was sure as hell going to find out. Thinking about my friends I once again found myself wondering if I could trust them. I had planned on apologizing after I found out Daphne had manipulated me, but in reality none of that had to do with turning me against my friends. She even told me to not take her advice because the results would be the same. I cut my train of thought off because I didn't want to think about Daphne right now and ruin my good mood.

Unfortunately Sirius and I weren't on the same wavelength though. "Well Harry, we should be getting you back to the Dursleys' before the others return and spot you. Also it would seem that you have some decision making to do about how to handle your new situation. All jokes aside you asked for my opinion and here it is. James chased after Lily for seven years because she wouldn't give him the time of day. Here you have a beautiful girl throwing herself at you, so don't pass up the opportunity to get to know her because of one mistake she made. You can't always judge a person by their one action."

I nodded and stayed silent knowing that Sirius was right and eventually I would have to give Daphne a chance. After all she hadn't done anything to harm me. She did what she did for a noble and selfless reason. It was very Gryffindorish of her actually and I planned on bringing that up the next time I talked to her, whenever that was. It was sure to get a rise out of her and she was very sexy when she got angry, as I had noticed in the bank earlier.

"Alright so how are we getting to Privet Drive? We can't use the floo in case Mrs. Figg is awake."

"Don't worry just hold onto my arm and I'll have us there in a jiffy."

I did as I was told and grabbed a hold of the offered arm. The next second I felt as if my entire body was being squeezed through a tiny pipe and I clung to Sirius's arm desperately. It was over almost as soon as it started and when I unclenched my eyes and they flew open I found myself staring at the door of number four Privet Drive.

It was almost ten o'clock now and I knew I was pretty much dead as soon as I walked through the door. I wanted Sirius to leave before Vernon came outside so I turned to him and hugged my godfather. "Thanks Sirius, for everything. I'm glad that I have someone I can trust. I'll let you know what I decide to do with Daphne."

I waited until he walked to the edge of the property and disappeared with a pop before I slowly and quietly turned the door know to let myself in. I was barely five steps into the house when I heard the footsteps coming from the den. I slid my wand into my hand just in case it became necessary to defend myself.

Vernon was almost entirely purple from rage and looked remarkably like a grape thanks to his current shade and weight. However the thing that attracted my attention the most was the double barreled shotgun clutched tightly in his hands. What I had done to invoke enough rage for him to consider shooting me I didn't know, but I sure as hell wasn't going to just stand there and let it happen.

My wand flashed up before he could register what was going on and I whispered the first spell that came to mind. "Pretificus Totalus." It flew from my wand and hit Vernon square in the chest. With a snap that cut through the air his arms and legs were firmly locked to his side and the shotgun fell with a clang to the floor.

I could see the sheer terror in his eyes as I advanced slowly towards the now defenseless man. Before I reached him Petunia rushed out of the den and stepped in front of her husband. She started shrieking like a banshee at me. "YOU KILLED VERNON! YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND! YOU'RE DONE FOR NOW BOY I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"

She made to move towards the kitchen but another petrifying spell later and she too found herself immobile on the floor next to her husband. I moved past their bodies to peer into the den where I knew Dudley was most likely cowering. Sure enough I wasn't disappointed when I saw the boy's enormous rear end sticking out from behind the recliner. It really was a pitiful attempt, but I suppose when you are as big as that boy hiding places are few and far between.

"Dudley come out into the hall now and I promise I won't curse you. I just want to explain the new rules of the house to you and your lovely parents all at once. I'm not in any mood to repeat myself so this will go much smoother if you're all here and pay good attention."

I smirked as the boy seemed to tense behind the chair, and then slowly stand up and shuffle his way out into the hallway. I took amusement in watching his eyes flick back and forth from my wand to his parents prone forms.

"Don't worry Dudley they aren't dead. I merely petrified them so we could set some ground rules. As we can all see I now have full use of my magic and no letters are being sent to the house. This means that I will now come and go as I please. I won't be doing anymore chores either. I think it's about time Dudley earner his keep around here. I've worked as a slave for my whole life and I'm sick of it. Also just so we're clear here. If you attempt to stop me from leaving or force me to do any chores I'll take much more severe action then this. As is Vernon and Petunia, you'll be able to move again in a few hours. However if you were to ever threaten me or god forbid touch me again; well you might find that the next time I'll do something a little more permanent to you. Blink once if you understand all I have just told you." I waited until I got the required blinks, even from Dudley who could have just spoken verbally but was apparently too scared to. "Very well then I'm glad we had this talk. I'll be going to bed now since I've had such a long day filled with all sorts of news. I'll do you a favor though and get up and make breakfast tomorrow since you've been so agreeable about all this and I really don't mind the cooking all that much."

I gave a little wave of farewell before making my way up the stairs. Thinking ahead I placed an impermeable charm on the door to make it slightly more resilient in case Vernon or Dudley were to have any dumb ideas of killing me in my sleep. Once I was inside I placed a final locking charm on my door and then transfigured my old rag of a blanket into something slightly comfier before stripping down and getting some much needed sleep.