I forgot to update a few chapters, this is the last one that's already on A03-

October brought some changes to Harry and Dracos routine at the school. They had been working on their homework in the common room when the sounds of footsteps caught Harrys attention.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Blaise asked, behind him were the rest of the Slytherin first years all looking as if they wanted to be anywhere else.

"Go ahead," Harry said gesturing to the table that they were at.

Nothing was said for the next few minutes as everyone got settled and pulled out their work. Harry watched in amusement as they started their work and kept their eyes firmly on their work and far away from Harry.

"I'm not going to bite," Harry said breaking the silence, a few of them jumped but he noticed Nott and Greengrass stayed firm.

Draco let out a laugh and moved his done homework to the side to dry out, "I told you. He's not going to do anything unless he has to."

Harry nodded as he finished his potions essay, "I had to do that for my safety. I promise I'm not a homicidal maniac."

"Right, then you can you help me with my Defense homework because I have no idea where to go with it. Quirrell is useless," Blaise said shifting his seat closer.

"Of course," Harry said bringing Zabinis work to him, "But I have practice in a hour so I need to leave then."

After several days of this the rest of the students slowly started relaxing around Harry as well. The general aura of the common room, which had been tense since the first night, relaxed as well.

Quidditch practice was another change in their routine. While Harry practiced Draco would wait in the stands with whoever decided to accompany him. Harry thought it was unnecessary but didn't say anything as he knew it made Draco feel better. It helped Harry as well, surrounded by people they had lost they still sometimes found themselves missing the people they had grown up to be.

Training with the Slytherin team wasn't much different then it had been in Gryffindor. Marcus Flint, a burley sixth year who was team captain, worked them just as hard if not harder then Wood with with less speeches.

Harry found practice to be bitter sweet. He half expeceted wood to step out of the changing room, speech already started and side stepping whatever prank the twins had set up. The easy camaraderie that the team had, that made even the hardest practices fun.

It wasn't the same for the Slytherin team. Other then the keeper and one of the chasers who were part of the group that attacked him, Harry got along pretty well with the team. But them being older students, didn't have much in common with him and while they were more relaxed there was still an air of fear when he was around them. The first practice he participated in was rough. They didn't want him on the team and saw him as an inconvenience, a first year that had been forced onto the team. When the placement had first been announced the entire team gathered in Snapes office to try and get him removed. Harry didn't blame them of course, they didn't know anything about his flying ability and the cup was important. The first part of practice was all for Harry to show he deserved and belonged on the team. He flew with confidence and ability, catching snitch after snitch showing off his "natural" ability. When the team informed Snape about Harrys capabilities he started coming out and watching them practice. A smug look on his face as his eyes followed Harry in the sky.

Harry didn't care for any of that. All he cared about was being in the air again and playing Quidditch again. While he did miss his old team Harry was now with the Slytherins and he wouldn't allow memories to change that fact that he was going to play to win and catch the snitch.

Along with practicing for Quidditch he and Draco spent time trying to figure out what to do with Quirrell if he attempted to curse him on his broom during that first game.

They were sitting with their backs against the headboard of Harrys bed and he told Draco the complete story of what happen during the game.

"So Professor Snape was trying to counter curse?" Draco asked after Harry finished the story of his first match. They were sitting on Harrys bed with their backs against the headboard notes in their laps.

"Yeah. Didn't find out until later though, we thought it was him. Hermione caught him on fire," Harry said with a grin. It was one of his favorite memories of Hermione, and one of the only ones he didn't allow to be tainted with betrayal.

"We should let her do it again. Maybe it will get her in trouble this time, knock her off her damn pedestal," Draco mumbled.

He wasn't wrong, Harry thought, Hermione was even more annoying this time around. She didn't bother Harry much, other then a few questions here and there. And her insistence that she knew better in almost every they shared.

The same couldn't be said for Ron who made it his mission in school to try and hang out with Harry at every chance he had. Managing to make rude comments about Harrys house and "death eater" friends at every opportunity. Harry let them be, until they started disrupting his day he didn't see it as a large problem.

"So what should we do?" Harry asked.

"Tell Professor Snape, if he is already expecting it we have an advantage."

Later that night Harry and Draco made their way to Snapes office and knocked, waiting for the sharp "Enter."

Snape placed his quill down when he saw them, motioning for them to sit, "What can I do for you?"

"Professor Quirrell is going to curse my broom during the first Quidditch match. We thought you could help with that," Harry stated as he got comfortable.

Snape raised his eyebrown, "And exactly how do you know this?"

Well shit.

Harrys head snapped to Draco, how the hell did they not think of this? How did DRACO not think of this! Harry was putting this directly onto Draco, he was the "planner" and the "stratigic" one.

Draco hummed lightly, "Harry don't let him leave."

With a flex of his magic Harry locked Severus in place using his mark.

"How did you not think of this?" he asked throwing up a silencing spell around him and Draco.

"Well," Draco didn't meet his eyes, "I did, but I thought he could help us."

Harry frowned, Draco did this on purpose, "Oh."

Draco must have heard something in his voice because his eyes snapped to him and he spoke in a rush, "I should have said something before coming here but I just thought this would be better."

"Right," Harrys voice was curt, he was hurt and angry that Draco did this. Harry thought Draco had understood how he felt about being left out of things, of being forced into situations that where he had no control, "You trust him to help us?"

"Yes," Draco said, his eyes searching Harrys face, "Harry-"

Dracos mouth snapped shut as the spell around them dropped and Harry turned to Snape.

"Draco trusts that you can help us. So we are going to tell you a story, its not a nice story but it will defiantly intrigue you. The vow of silence I placed on your mark will cover this as well, if you try and tell or betray us you will die. Simple?"

Snape looked to be fighting with himself before he gave a short nod.

Harry didn't look once at Draco as he told Snape his story, only pausing for Draco to tell his part. It took half an hour and Snape didn't interupt once, just listened face his face paleing.

"So thats how we know," Harry finished.

"Time-travel is a better alternative then what I thought was happening," Snape admitted, "I have a staff meeting in 10 minutes so we will have to finish this conversation later. I should have some ideas by then."

Harry nodded and excepted the dismissal. Without looking at Draco he got out of his chair and left the room using every shortcut he knew to get to the Room of Requirement. Walking by three times he entered the door into a cozy room that reminded him of the Gryffindor common room.

The room was small with high ceilings, a large fireplace took up one side of the room, a sofa with fluffy chairs on either side, a table in the middle. Kicking his shoes off he curled up into one of the chairs, hugging his knees to himself, and stared into the flames.

Draco had given him so many speeches about how they were in this together, how they couldn't make big choices without the other if they wanted to make this work. Even the smallest choice could cause everything to fall apart around them and land them in a dungeon deep inside of the Department of Ministrys.

But there he was, keeping something like this a secret and forcing Harrys hand. Harry didn't think it was a bad idea, having the right person on their side could help with so many things. The handful of people Harry would consider Snape was at the top of the list, he had been a spy for years and was a master of Occlumency. Even if he was able to get around the control Harry had on his mark, which Harry was sure he could, he trusted him enough to not tell his secrets but also keep them safe.

The problem was that Draco went behind his back to do it. Since finding each other things had been relatively peaceful. The only fights they had came from the differences in their personalities. Draco was a colder person then him, he didn't care about the bullies in school or if others were hurt in his way. He knew he where he belonged at all times and had no problem doing what he needed to get it. Harry wasn't like that, he didn't care about much other then preventing what happen but he didn't want his path to be paved with the bodies of people he pushed down to get there. Well mostly, sometimes in the dark of night he thought it didn't matter as long as he reached his potential but he pushed those thoughts away and ignored them. Harry knew he would have no problems doing what he needed to get things done, but only when he needed to.

Those aside they got along well and fell easily back into their friendship they had previously. Sometimes late at night while they laid in bed they would talk about the past and what they wanted for the future. They made plans on how they were going to take over Slytherin house at the right time, how they would be fighting for top of the class every year. Things were going well.

Then Draco went and did this!

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair, nothing would be solved until they talked about it. Sitting in here by himself was only making him more irritated at the situation and at Draco.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind a door appeared to the outside and Draco pushed his way into the room quickly, the door leaving as soon it was shut. Crossing the room quickly Draco fit himself into the chair next to Harry and grabbed his hands as if to stop him from leaving again.

"I'm sorry," Draco said quietly, his eyes were slightly red and his lip was red from where he had been bitting it as he paced outside the door, willing it to open.

"Why did you do it," Harry asked just as quiet.

"I didn't want to fight about it. We needed someone else and I didn't know who else we could have trusted. And well…I wanted to be able to talk to him about anything I needed. I know it's selfish but Uncle Severus had been a second father to me for as long as I could remember, sometimes more then my own father was. I didn't want to take the chance that you would say no."

Harry sighed and rested his head against the back of the chair, "You should have just said something Draco. I wouldn't have fought you on it, it is a good idea and he would have been my first choice."

"Again, I'm sorry."

"Your the one who is always telling me we need to make big choices together, it doesn't just go one way Draco. Whats done is done and I'm not mad that you wanted him to know I was upset with the way you handled it. Just don't do it again," Harry said.

"I won't. Promise," Draco smiled at him before getting comfortable in the chair and taking a look around and wrinkling his nose.

"It looks like Gryffindor threw up in here."

Harry started to feel restless the closer to Halloween it got. At first he thought he blamed the monotony of being a first year again and relearning everything. But the more he thought about it, the more he focused on the feeling he started thinking it was something else.

Harry and Draco started flying around the pitch taking turns on his broom. Harry had even convinced Draco to go on runs with him around the lake in the mornings in an effort to stop the feeling. But nothing did, it seemed to continually build up in the back of his head as the days past.

Harry had a feeling Halloween was going to provide some of the answers that he wanted. Harry decided he wasn't going to try and stop Quirrell from letting the troll in. If played right he and Draco could use the event to get some negative spotlight onto Dumbledore.

The major downside to this plan was that Quirrell was a completely useless professor. Without the Horcrux in his scare the only headaches Harry had in Defense was from Quirrells stuttering. He often wondered as he dozed in the class why he used it when he didn't need to. It was almost enough for Harry to start considering murder, but that was off the table. Unfortunately.

Much to his and Dracos frustration plans for Quirrell and his companion were at a standstill. The books Harry needed for research were unavailable while he was at school. Locked up in his vault and inside of the Black family library which they needed Sirius for. Harry really thought things would be easier when he came back, how careful he would be.

The castle was alive with excitement by the time Halloween finally arrived and Harry was almost vibrating out of his skin. His magic seemed to want to jump out of his skin causing most of the spells he cast that day to be over powered. His feather in Charms flew to the ceiling and exploded, showing them in poofs.

Harry stared dumbfounded as his classmates laughed.

"Well done Mr. Potter!," Professor flickwicks squeaky voice was barely heard under the laughter, "I would like you to keep practicing with feathers before moving onto something heavier!"

Harry just nodded and lightly elbowed Draco who was shaking with his held laughter, "Its not funny." Harry hissed a smile tugging at his lips.

He spent the rest of the class ignoring Hermiones attempt to correct the Gryffindor on their pronunciation-"It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa"-and trying to master the magic that wanted to come flying out of his wand.

Harry and his friends were leaving charms when he overheard Ron telling Dean how annoying Hermione was and watched as she shouldered by them.

To the bathroom on the first floor.

Draco must have felt his tensing because he dragged him to an abandoned alcove.

"What is it?" Draco asked quietly, as soon as the silencing spells were up.

Harry bit his lip before sighing, "Shes going to a bathroom thats going to be in the direct path of the troll. A part of me wants to let someone know but another part of me doesn't care."

Draco blinked, "Which part is bothering you?"

Harry was quiet for a moment, which part was bothering him? The part of him who had been Hermiones friend and survived so many experiences with her wanted to stop her. Wanted to let a teacher know that he saw her go into the bathroom and not come out and give her a solid chance. On the other hand she turned into a horrible adult, she crusaded for horrible prejudices that he thought they were fighting against. She also ended up getting paid from his vaults for merlin knows what. Maybe her dying early would save him some trouble later on. But didn't he just convince himself earlier that week that he wasn't uncaring about those around him?

"The part that doesn't care," Harry finally answered.

Draco smiled lightly, "Thats just your rediculous Gryffindor sentimentalities. She is not the person you knew Harry, she might never had been. We have more important things to worry about today, like the fact that I can practically feel your magic just standing close to you."

Harry snorted, "You just want her to get killed by a troll."

Draco shrugged, "I wouldn't mind if I never had to hear her voice again. But I'm serious about your magic, its getting stronger."

"I know. I think I'm going to skip the feast tonight, whatever is happening I don't want to happen in front of the entire school."

Harry had Severus tell the headmaster that Harry avoided Halloween because of his parents and stayed in his dorm while the rest of the students went to the feast.

Sitting on his bed and eating some biscuits he kept an eye on the map. Looking past her he watched as Quirrells dot left the castle briefly before coming back with a dot labeled "Troll" leaving it on the first floor. It ambled around for a while making its way to the bathroom where Hermione was still sitting in. Quirrells dot made it to the Greathall where it stopped and soon the students were moving around, being ordered back to their dorms. Harry was looking back to Hermiones dot when he noticed three dots heading her way.

Ron, Dean and Seamus.

Raising an eye brow he watched as the boys made their way to the bathroom right as the Troll was around the corner. A sharp tug of his magic had Harry jolting up stright and focusing on his core. His magic was a frozen sun burning, bright and cold. Whatever he had been waiting for was about to happen and he didn't know if he was excited or worried.

As the magic filled him he caught sight of the Troll entering the bathroom with the four students. The troll moved forward and Harry felt it again, this time stronger. His magic jolted and vibrated inside of his chest before a wave of power swept through his body leaving a trail of cold in its wake. As he lost consciousness the last thing he saw was Dean Thomas dot disappear off the map.

"Harry! WAKE UP!"

Harry woke with a start and shivered. The room was cold, Dracos breath fogging in the air as he kneeled on the bed next to him a worried look on his face.

"Help me up," Harry whispered reaching out for Draco who grasped his hand and pulled him up into a sitting position.

"What happen?"

Harry shook his head slightly, "Warm up the room first, I need to think."

Harrys felt like his brain was in a fog as he tried to gather his thoughts. He felt great, the restlessness had disappeared, he could no longer feel his magic vibrating under his skin. Focusing on it he frowned, it was different. Stronger with a cold edge that seemed to flow through it like mercury.

"Well?" Draco asked impatiently, after placing warming charms around the room to help the fire burning bright in the fire place.

"I don't actually know," Harry admitted, "I was just sitting here and my magic just got stronger and stronger. Next thing I know I'm passing out and—Shit Dean!"

"Dean?" Draco asked incredulously.

Ignoring him for a moment Harry grabbed the map that had fallen to the side, his eyes scanning for the bathroom. Ron, Hermione and Seamus were no longer in the bathroom, looking quickly he found them in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey. The headmaster was in the bathroom along with all of the heads of house, they were standing around what looked like an empty space. Harry searched the map for Dean Thomas name, his stomach dropping when he couldn't find it.

"Harrry," Draco wined unable to help himself.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Draco you may look like a child but you are 27, don't whine. I had to check something."

"I do not whine!" Draco said affronted, taking a seat next to Harry, "What were you looking for?"

"Dean Thomas, his name disappeared off the map as I was passing out. I can't find it anywhere on the map anymore," Harry said moving the map so Draco could look at it as well.

"What does that mean?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. But I can ask."

"What?"

"Mssrs Moony, Padfoot and Prongs, why would a name disappear off of the map? I solemnly swear I am up to no good"

Dracos jaw dropped as the map cleared and messy hand writing appeared.

Prongs would say it means the person is no longer in Hogwarts, by means of travel…or death.

Moony would like to add it is impossible to appropriate through Hogwarts wards so travel is unlikely.

Harry tapped his wand to the map "Mischief Managed"

"I didn't know it could do that," Draco mumbled lightly touching the parchment with his fingers.

"I discovered it when I was on the run before. It doesn't work for everything but I thought I would try it out," Harry said running a hand through his hair.

"So what does this mean?" Draco questioned looking at Harry.

Harry frowned, "It means Dean Thomas is dead and somehow, I felt it."

"But how? I've never heard of anything like that."

Harry hesitated, he had told Draco about Death but had never fully explained the Hollows. He didn't really think he needed to, he didn't have any of them now and Death didn't mention anything else about them when he was brought back.

"There may be something I haven't told you about," Harry said slowly, swallowing when Draco turned hard eyes to him.

"Start talking."

An hour later the dorm was comfortably warm and the boys were laying on Harrys bed from the candy that was dropped off by a house elf.

"So, your the Master of Death. You have no idea what it means but it may have given you some kind of Keening women," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"Keening women?" Harry questioned

"Also known as a Banshee, they scream when someone close to them is going to die or is dying."

"Oh," Harry paused, "Yeah I guess so."

"Interesting, we will need to look into that at some point. After we gather all of the Hallows."

"What?" Harry sat up and turned to stare at him, "What do you mean after we get the Hallows!"

"Harry," Draco said seriously looking up at him, "Whatever is happening is because of those damn things. Maybe if we get all of them it will help us figure out what's going on. Besides, it would make you even more powerful then you already are and we can use that."

"Fine." Harry huffed falling back onto the bed, "You only like me for my power."

"At least until we're older," Draco said giving Harry one of his real smiles that only Harry had seen.

At least until we're older indeed.

**SPOILERS**

So you may think Harry seems a little wishy washy. Is he dark and jaded? Or is he gray but caring. Right now the answer is both, he's still learning and growing into the person that he will be. His focus growing back up was on getting all the knowledge that he could to be stronger and smarter to fix things, he never really focused on how he would feel being back at Hogwarts. Surrounded by his old teachers and schoolmates, so mans is going through some things.