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.

#

Minerva stood and stared at the Shadow Panther with a look of awe on her face.

'Tell me everything, Harry' she said

Harry changed back and said 'She died, Minerva, she died in my arms because of him.'

'Voldemort?'

'No, Ronald Weasley. After the war they got together, I was too much of a coward to tell her how I felt. After a couple of years I finally stumped up the courage to say to her and her being her she gave me a real hard time about it. "what is the point in telling me this now, Harry?" she said then "do you know how long I have wanted you to tell me how you feel? Since the ride on Buckbeak in our third year; you noble, self-sacrificing, loveable idiot!"'

Minerva looked at the young man before her, while he was only fourteen years old, he had had the weight of the world on his shoulders for most of his life and if what she was hearing was right, for many years into the future as well.

'What did Ronald do to her, Harry?' Minerva asked as gently as she could.

'He beat her... he beat her because she wouldn't stop talking to me. Ginny and I divorced about ten years before, he never forgave me, and he ended our friendship. He tried to make her choose, but he didn't have a clue about no-magical communications, he spoke on the phone as often as we could, and once every few months we would meet for lunch.' Harry finally looked up at his head of house and saw the concern in her eyes.

'When he found out that we had kept in contact, he lost it, he attacked her... she never stood a chance. St. Mungo's contacted me as we had each other listed as emergency contacts. During the war I saw things that no one should ever have to see, but to see her lying there broken and barely holding on-' he stopped and closed he eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.

'I sat with her, holding her hand, Hating myself for all the times that I made her sit beside my hospital bed, never knowing if this was going to be the time when my luck finally ran out. Eventually, she spoke to me; "I'm sorry Harry" was the last thing she said before she died. The healers told me that I sat with her for three days before she passed. It was only a couple of minutes later that he arrived. "Good, it's about bloody time" was all he said before I lost it. I beat him so severely that it changed the shape of his face. When I asked him why he said that he took her so I couldn't have her. I choked him, and if the healer hadn't come in when she did, Ronald Weasley would have died that day too.' Spat Harry bitterly.

Minerva listened as Harry told her everything. The Horcruxes; the resurrection of Voldemort, Snape killing Dumbledore, and the Pensive memories that Snape gave him just before he died. The reaction was nothing short of biblical.

'You had to die willingly, at Voldemort's hand? is he out of his mind?' she asked

'Of all the bone-headed, idiotic, ridiculous, and down-right pathetic things to do. Its no wonder you lost your trust in him. I promise you, Harry, as God is my witness, that man will pay for his actions. Mark my words.'

'Minerva, you have to promise me something.' Asked Harry

'Anything, you have my word.'

'For the second task, Hermione cannot be my hostage. I will not have her put in danger if you have to have anyone, please ask them well in advance and make them fully aware of the dangers.' He pleaded Minerva nodded her agreement.

The professor looked at Harry and asked 'So you reached the rank of Sentinel? That is impressive, very impressive indeed.'

'Actually, I reached Arch Sentinel. I decided that I would keep the rack of Sentinel until such a time that an Arch Sentinel was needed. Fortunately, before I came back, the need never arose.' Said, Harry

As I said, you never do things by halves.' Minerva Smiled.

#

Director Bones was going over the testimony, given in secret and under the influence of Veritaserum, of one Sirius Orion Black.

'Damn him! Damn that bloody man!' exclaimed the director, she rubbed her eyes before calling for Shacklebolt and Tonks.

'We have had a very delicate situation land in our laps. Auror Tonks, I need you to be as impartial as possible on this case as it involves the Black family. Normally strict protocol would be followed in cases like this, and you would have a leave of absence; however, in this instance, I don't have that luxury' said Amelia while handing them both a transcript.

Tonks and Shacklebolt took the transcripts and sat across from the director, for the next few minutes they read in silence before long Tonks looked up from the page and looked at her boss in shock.

'Boss, this can't be true, can it?' she asked

Amelia nodded 'Every word, and we have Harry Potter to thank for this.'

Kingsley looked up for the seat 'Harry Potter? How is he involved?'

'He forced Albus to overrule Fudge. Sirius will be given his trial in a few days, and everything will come out in the wash. Now I asked for you both for a specific reason. Mr Potter has brought some alarming revelations to light about the goings-on at Hogwarts, things that have been kept quiet because of the bureaucracy of the school governors, and Fudge's self-serving administration.'

She continued 'The Earl of Monmouth personally asked for you both to be there when the names come out of the goblet of fire. He has some security concerns that I share, given his history at school.'

'Who?' asked both dumbfounded Aurors.

'Harry Potter is the Earl of Monmouth.' Explained Amelia, 'the information that he has provided will go a long way to changing this society for the better.'

'Will the Malfoy faction stand for it?' asked Kingsley

Amelia smiled 'They will be so blindsided by it that they won't have time to react.'

#

It had been a few hours since the revelations in the headmaster's office, and since both Harry and Hermione had permission to miss the rest of the day, they sat alone in the common room. Hermione's eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she had done while Harry looked gravely concerned.

'Will you be alright? After the ritual, I mean' she asked softly. The slight tremor in her voice betrayed how scared she was.

'Yes, a little weak perhaps but I will be fine' he said as he put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

'How can you be so sure, Harry? It's a big deal, you could-' she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

'I had Ragnok research the ritual, and I have every faith that I will be fine.'

'Something could go awry, what if the incantation is said incorrectly or the purgative is not strong enough. I have no time to research the ritual to figure out the ramifications.' Hermione said, her eyes wide with panic.

'Sweetheart, the incantation will be said in the common Goblin dialect, and the purgative is simply a draft made with Senna and a minimal amount of Cascara. Having you involved has decreased the risk factor from sixty per cent to two per cent.' He kissed the top of Hermione's head.

'The only reason that I'm not freaking out is that you will be there. You are the love of my life, and while I might only be fourteen, I know that if I don't spend the rest of my life with you, I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it.' Harry said softly.

'How do you do it?' she asked him.

'Do what?' Harry looked confused

'How do you know exactly what to say to stop me from panicking?'

'Well... I just tell you the truth. Tell me, did you know that you were the first person to be kind to me?' Harry asked

'Is this another ploy to stop me freaking out?'

Harry shook his head and cast his gaze at the floor.

'On the train before first year, you fixed my glasses. You were the first person with no connection to my family to do something nice for me. My heart was yours from that moment since then everything that I have done has been to protect you.'

'What do you mean "to protect me" Harry?' asked Hermione

'When the troll got in, I was worried that you didn't know about it, and when you were attacked something in me broke...and I... that is I erm...' Harry's voice began to get thick with emotion as he spoke.

'Are you alright, Harry? Hermione asked, her brows knitted together in concern for her boyfriend.

Hermione put her hand under his chin and lifted his face gently; the sight of Harry's eyes filled with unshed tears was almost too much for her to take.

'I saw you almost die, and then I saw you petrified, and it almost broke me. Having that dream earlier this year gives me nightmares Mia. I see you die in my arms and I wake up because I can't breathe, it feels like someone is holding me under ice-cold water. I won't let anything like that happen to you ever again.'

Hermione put her arms around Harry and held him, reassuring him that not only was he going to be okay, because of him, she was also going to be okay.