As always, I'm only playing with JK Rowling's toys.

All credit goes to JK Rowling, her publisher and all the other people involved in bringing her work to life. It has been put to me that the correct term for an Earl is my Lord. I am well aware of this and I do intend to alter the title from Earl to Duke. I am also aware that the first aid procedures today are very different to the procedures in 1994 when this story was set... That being said, I am also aware of there being errors that are still showing up even after they have been fixed. Specifically the time and date of when Minerva was supposed to collect Harry and Hermione; I fixed this and saved it and I'm my preview I can read the changes but in the story it still shows the original. Sorry guys Not my fault.

#

Pansy was in shock, Cho was stunned and Luna was, well Luna. As the dust settled on the events of the morning, the fabric of the school had changed. While Harry would never actually throw his weight around, everyone knew that he was the new power in the school. Not only did he shut down the youngest Weasley's but the way he handled Dumbledore was nothing short of earth-shattering.

Between the morning classes, no one dared to even look Harry's way, not out of fear but simply because they didn't know how to react. Harry carried on, as usual, walking with Hermione and chatting with Neville. At a quarter to eleven, Professor McGonagall entered the charms class and interrupted the lesson.

'Excuse me, Professor; I have to escort Mr Potter and Ms Granger to the headmaster's office.'

'Of course, now for next lesson Mr Potter and Ms Granger I would like from you both one foot on the differences between a wizards oath and a life debt, including the significant outcomes if the terms of each are not met.' said the diminutive charms master.

'That's a bit pointless sir, they'll both be away before lunch.' laughed Seamus.

'That really is very funny Mr Finnegan' said McGonagall with a slight chuckle 'what's more amusing is that you have just lost your house twenty-five points. You will also serve a two-week detention with Professor Sprout tending to the Venomous Tentacula.'

'What! That's not fair, so it's not!' protested Seamus.

'Unfortunately for you, Mr Finnegan, it also stands. Let this be a lesson to all of you about starting silly rumours' Minerva glowered at the class before shepherding Harry and Hermione along the corridor.

#

'I'll write to mum; she'll be able to sort it out. Maybe she can get Harry to call the life debt off, or she can persuade Dumbledore to make him change it' said Ron.

Ginny just sat on the couch in the common room sobbing. Nothing he said would make any difference.

'It's useless, Ron; a life debt is old magic. Harry was literally dying just before he destroyed that book; if Fawkes had been a few seconds later, he would have died. That makes this all the more significant, seriously Ron, do you even know anything?' Ginny sat up and wiped her eyes before she started to glow.

'Gin, stop what you're thinking right now. You're glowing, and that can't be good' exclaimed Ron.

'See what I mean?' she asked her brother 'In word, thought or deed he said. I can't think, say or do anything against either of them.'

Ron sat in silence as Ginny rushed up to her dorm. Ever the chess player, Ron pondered his next move. 'You might not be able to do anything, but I sure as hell can.'

#

'Wormtail!' barked a small raspy voice from the depths of the chair in the corner, almost instantly the trembling mess of a wizard rushed to the chair and flopped to one knee before the tiny occupant.

'Yes, my master?' asked the wizard

'Has there been any news?'

'Master, the artefact is...is under constant watch at the grand atrium of the ministry. D...director Bones has stationed a twenty-four-hour guard to watch it. I managed to...to slip the boys' name in during the change of the g...guard. Everything for the first stage is ready, master' muttered Wormtail.

'Very good. Tell me has our spy reported anything?'

'O...only that Potter and the Weasley boy have fallen out and the wedge between the boy and Dumbledore has grown. Potter no longer t...trusts him.' as Peter informed his lord, the small, deformed relic grinned maniacally 'these are glad tidings, my stuttering friend. Please see to it that these divisions grow. He must be made vulnerable and lonely for the ritual to work.' said the relic.

'Yes, my m...master.' Peter bowed his head before being dismissed.

#

'Harry, what are you saying?' asked Hermione, the shock evident in her voice.

'During the second year, my aunt started going to a yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday. Eventually, she got quite good at it, and the instructor suggested that she might consider learning to teach a class. She qualified in January this year, so during the summer I found one of her meditation books and thought it might be helpful with the nightmares I've been having since the Chamber.'

Harry took a breath, 'Mia, do you remember the nightmare I had at the beginning of the term? I mentioned that I had been practising meditation; what I didn't mention was that I got very proficient at it. During one of the sessions, I delved deep into myself and found Voldemort. Every memory; every spell, names of every follower, and the location of each of his soul fragments. I wrote to Director Ragnok as one was stored there, this was what the meeting was about Albus.' Harry took his head in his hands and sighed.

'Why could you not have come to me first your grace? We could have solved this issue together.' asked the Headmaster.

'I asked you at the end of the first year why Voldemort was after me. I was very close to sending you an owl, but I remembered that you knew about everything and you didn't tell me a damn thing. Why should I have trusted you with this?' demanded Harry.

'There had been rumours for years that a dark lord had been trying to do the impossible and become immortal. At first, it was dismissed as heresy and conjecture, but when certain witches and wizards within arcane groups of magic started to vanish, speculation grew.' Dumbledore looked down at the desk in front of him.

The weight of his considerable age seemed to rest heavily on him. All the times that he had made decisions based on supposition and guesswork all lead to this confrontation, and he knew that whatever scorn, mistrust or anger that was coming his way was entirely justified.

'I searched everywhere for the dark lord that was rising. I followed every rumour, every shadow; but each trail fell as cold as the grave. The dark families of the sacred twenty-eight began to rejoice, they believed, as some still do believe, that the second coming of Salazar Slytherin was upon us and the magical people would step boldly into a new age. One without secrecy or genuflection towards the non-magical world, the term "Magic is Might" was bandied about and a new player entered the fray; a certain Lord Voldemort. His particular brand of bigotry was the most appealing and pernicious, and it was at this point I started the Order of the Phoenix.'

Harry interrupted 'The history lesson is all well and good, Headmaster, but it doesn't tell me why I should have trusted you with this information. You have lied to me; you have kept information from me about my family and my position within this world not to mention you are the reason that I was abused and mistreated since I was a little over a year old. Tell me, Albus, what would you have done if the roles were reversed?' asked Harry.

'I think that I would probably have done exactly the same as you have done your grace. You have consistently shown more maturity and poise than anyone would have expected from a fourteen-year-old. I have badly let you down Harry, and while no promise will ever be enough to assure you of how truly sorry I am for all that has befallen you, please know I am sorry.' said Albus.

Harry nodded his acceptance; he knew that Albus was not a bad man, foolish and easily led by his ego but never bad.

'Harry, what is this procedure?' asked Hermione

'Well, it's effectively an exorcism of sorts. I have to be ritualistically cleansed, both body and soul. As I understand it, I have to cleanse my body by purging it by way of a potion and bathing. That is the easy part, where you and Albus come in is the cleansing of my soul. I need you to hold my heart to anchor my soul to keep it from passing over; and what I need you to do Albus, is to anchor my magic. Without both of you, I will not survive the procedure.' said Harry.

Hermione and the Headmaster looked stunned, after a few moments, the realisation of what Harry was asking dawned on her.

'Oh, god!' She exclaimed, her hand shooting to her mouth before she ran from the room.

Harry stood to follow her when Albus said 'Please Harry, let me. I understand your desire to go to her, truly I do, but please give her a little bit of time before you go to her.' the Headmaster got up and followed Hermione.

'Well Harry, you certainly don't do things by half to ye laddie' said Minerva

'You don't know the half of it.' muttered Harry

'Professor, your name is Minerva.' He said

'Yes, it is, how very perceptive of you.'

'You are the one as wise as Athena'

'The Roman goddess of Wisdom is Minerva, and the Greek name is Athena. I assume this is significant in some way?' Minerva asked

'Can we speak in private, in your office ma'am? There are a great many things I need to discuss with you, and the fates have decreed that only you can be the one I speak with.' Said Harry, fixing Minerva with a look that was both pleading and expectant at once.

'I will leave a not for Albus and we can floo there directly from here. This had better be important, Mr Potter or you will be joining Mr Finnegan.' Admonished Minerva.

#

Albus found Hermione sitting on the floor at the foot of the gargoyle, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed.

'Ms Granger, can I be of assistance?' he asked gently

'Why, Headmaster? Why is it always, Harry?' she pleaded, begging for an answer that would make sense of this madness.

'I do not know why he was chosen to bear these burdens, but I can say that with you by his side, he has achieved more at such a young age than even I could have done. You are his talisman, his North Star. For Mr Potter, you are the reason that the sun rises and the world spins.' Albus said softly.

'I'm nothing special Headmaster, I'm just the bookish friend' said Hermione, her old insecurities coming to the fore.

'You are everything special to Harry. When you were petrified, I saw how devastated he was at losing you, I watched him sneak into the infirmary to spend time with you before and after class and most nights. I may be a foolish old man, my dear, but I can see how much he loves you. it is as clear as the crooked nose on my rather wrinkly face.' Albus conjured a hanky and handed it to Hermione.

'I will excuse you both from lessons for the rest of the day, and I would imagine that you are both feeling a little fragile at the moment.'

#

'Ok Mr Potter, you have my undivided attention.' said the Transfiguration Professor.

'Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, visited me while I was in the hospital wing. She told me to seek you out. In almost a hundred years I will enter the ancient Minoan palace complex of Phaistos looking for an old hidden cave. When I find it, I will ask the god of time to remove me from existence because I want to save her from getting hurt. Unfortunately, he can't, so he instead offers to send me back in time to make changes. I am one hundred and thirteen years old. I served as an elite battle mage for forty years, achieving the rank of Sentinel. My Animagus form is that of a Shadow Panther, and I need your help.' Harry sat down once he had stopped talking.

Minerva sat in silence, looking at Harry over the tops of her glasses. She could see the look of fear and uncertainty on his face; it appeared that he thought everything he was saying was genuine. After some more time had elapsed, she stood up and walked to the desk at the far end of her office and pulled out a bottle and two glasses.

'If what you are telling me is true, Harry, then I would expect some proof.' She said

Harry nodded in understanding, Minerva poured a dram into each of glasses and turned round to find an enormous and very real Shadow panther sitting in the chair that was occupied by Harry not moments ago.

'Sweet lady Morgana!' she exclaimed as she dropped both glasses.