A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Harry Potter.

I have no beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.

-I got sick. It sucks sitting in bed with a high fever, imagining what you want to happen, trying to type it out, and then coming back a few days later to find no complete thoughts. It was riddled with fragments and I had next to no conjunctions! Terrible! I am still sick but I think I got this to where it should be.

-This chapter has something I have been waiting for since the beginning!


"Harry!"

Harry had to stop and consider. Was someone shouting his name or was he just imagining it? He had imagined many things in his life, so it wouldn't surprise him.

"HARRY!"

No, it wasn't him. He turned around, finding Rigel Lestrange running toward him, looking frantic and not at all well put together like he usually was. The boy was practically on the verge of tears.

"Harry, the Dark Lord's snake is in the Great Hall and she… well, I don't know. But she doesn't look happy and no one can find out what she wants but you! She keeps hissing at people and spinning in circles!"

What the hell? "Does anyone know how Nagini got to the school?" he asked, deciding to follow the younger teen instead of making his way toward the stables. The Runespoor could wait a moment or two.

"No. She was in there when I came in for breakfast, and there were only a few people who had gotten there before me. She had sat in the middle of the main aisle for several moments, but then began to slither up and down the sides of the room, until the hissing began. She doesn't seem happy."

"She can't be lost. She's been here dozens of times," Harry murmured. Voldemort tended to bring her along whenever he wanted to give her some good exercise in a relatively safe environment. She should know her way around by now. It couldn't be fear of unknown territory, because this was her master's territory and anything belonging to her master would in extension belong to her as well.

The Great Hall was a mess. The only person who looked unaffected by the pandemonium was Snape, who was seated at the Head Table, sipping his tea like he did every morning. McGonagall was watching the students with worried eyes, and Slughorn had his head in his hands. The other professors seemed ready to jump in at a moment's notice, and a majority of the students had huddled against different walls.

Harry slipped in through a group of first years, who had retreated toward the door to keep themselves as far away from the great snake as possible. Their terrified eyes lightened considerably when they say him.

Nagini was coiled around herself and indeed, she was displeased. She hissed insults at anyone who came within ten feet of her, causing the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables to be shoved apart so neither were near her space.

§Nagini!§ he called out, capturing the serpent's attention for himself.

Narrowed golden eyes turned to face him, and widened upon seeing him. She burst into action, slithering on over almost too fast for him to keep track of. No wonder her kind were considered some of the most dangerous XXXX predators around.

§Harry! Harry! My foolish Master has gone to inspire fear in the hearts of other two-leggers, so when his white follower came to the manor in search of him, I slipped into his robes and came along when he left. He came here. I decided to find you, but you were not here.§

Harry laughed a bit. Voldemort had left her behind so she decided that she would take matters into her own scales and find entertainment elsewhere. Whoever she had come with, must not have known that she had hitched a ride.

§Do you do this often?§

§Yes. The white one screams beautifully.§

Harry snorted. Whoever the 'white one' was, he felt bad for them.

With Nagini wrapped around his shoulders, Harry turned for the door. He didn't even bother to offer and explanation to the students and simply went back to what he was planning to do that morning. Bathe a Runespoor.

§Where are we going, Harry?§

§Hogwarts has a Runespoor. Every few days, I come by the stables to feed and bathe them. Sometimes I like to take them with me as I go to the other creatures or animals. They don't get to roam free like you do.§

§Why?§ asked Nagini, sounding concerned and unhappy.

§Because your master doesn't trust them. They are a XXXX creature and are considered to be very dangerous.§

Nagini gave the serpent equivalent of a snort. §I too am within the XXXX classification of your Ministry and he lets me wander around just fine. In the warm months, when the children are not here, he lets the Serpent King out of his home below the lake.§

The Dark Lord let the Basilisk just roam free when nobody was around? And if he was so okay with Nagini being able to meander about, why was he so against the Runespoor? That wasn't fair!

§Well maybe you can help convince him that they are perfectly fine. Though to be honest, they caught him after a private moment with himself, and he didn't know that I could understand what they were saying about his bodily fluids, so maybe it's just embarrassment.§

§I tease him about indulging in himself all the time! He's just being sensitive.§

Harry couldn't help but snort once again.


Harry never thought that he would be taken to task by a serpent. However, when the Runespoor noticed that he was talking to Nagini, all hell broke loose.

He was given a very harsh reprimand and told that it was rude of him not to tell them that he could understand and speak with them. That he gravely insulted them by keeping such an important thing to himself. And Nagini joined in, expressing her disappointment because the life of a snake was boring and being able to speak with anyone ever, was great.

If Harry wanted regain their favour, he would have to fetch them their desired meals, while they came along. Because obviously they would not agree to be left behind any longer.

Also, he was pretty certain that Nagini had adopted the Runespoor, if her occasional nuzzling to either head was any indication. And if she indeed had adopted the creature, he couldn't wait to see Voldemort's reaction to that! He couldn't deny the being if his own familiar took a shining to them!

So Harry found himself walking around with Nagini wrapped around his torso and shoulders, and the Runespoor tightly clinging to his left arm.

The students sent horrified glances his way, while still managing to look interested and amazed.

The first order of business was to fetch a large green apple from the kitchens. Luna liked green apples. He never questioned why a snake wanted to eat fruit, he simply just got her the food she desired most. It was why he named that head Luna, because his friend Luna loved green apples also.

§I shall have words with my master whenever he remembers that I exist," Nagini hissed lowly.

Harry wondered what Voldemort did to offend his own snake.


Harry smirked when Voldemort appeared out of nowhere to take back his familiar. The man had refused to make eye contact with Harry the entire time!

And what was better, was how Nagini began reprimanding him for 'unnecessary discriminatiin against serpents'.

It was definitely a good day now.


N.E.W.T.s were everywhere! Within in a week's time, the examiners would be all over the school.

The exams were in a particular order thankfully, and Harry's personal classes would come a week later.

Transfiguration, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, Charms, and Divination, for the first week. Study of Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, and Defence were up for the second week.

Now, while the N.E.W.T. students were studying for the final exams of all final exams, the O.W.L. students were also studying for their examinations.

This was not the time of year for games and playing around. This was one of the most important times in their academic careers.

Most families would be incredibly embarrassed if their children did not attain the proper grades for their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, meaning that passing with at least an Acceptable in everything was the most important mission of anyone's life if they weren't planning ahead for their futures yet.

Harry wasn't overly worried, it was just that he had particular standards that he had set for himself and he did not like it when he didn't meet them. Of course it was rare that he would not get an Outstanding grade in anything, but even those who were the best in their particular fields managed to mess up from time to time. Being that it was entirely possible for him to make a mistake on these very important exams. And yes he could actually go to the Ministry and take them later on if he felt that they weren't good enough, but that also cost money.

To take the exam at school it was actually given free of charge because over one hundred other students were being examined at once. It was free. However the Ministry was not required to give you the exam for a second time, meaning that you would have to pay a lot of money in order to get the particular examiner's free time to give you the exam.

Harry didn't like to spend money when he didn't have to. So passing all of his classes with Outstanding grades was the most important thing at present. He could only hope that Voldemort held off on whenever the Final Task was. Harry had enough on his plate at the moment.

He had to be thankful. Harry's careful planning at the beginning of the school year had allowed him to find the time needed to keep up with all of the studying, all of his friends, the stupid tournament, and all of the extra duties he had imposed upon himself from earlier years. Honestly, he was becoming a master at multi-tasking.

Hermione was scatterbrained and losing her sanity.

Ever since she had used an Unforgivable Curse for the first time, she had changed. Even after getting Bellatrix as a teacher and becoming the woman's apprentice, she still remained different. Where once there was a girl who surrounded herself with books and only books and occasionally a friend or two, now there was a young woman who had certainly been affected by the Dark Magic she had used and was drowning in Dark Arts this and Dark Arts that.

Hermione's addiction wasn't gone. She simply had managed to temper it under Bellatrix's stern teaching. Harry did not want to in any way know what kind of things Bellatrix had put her through in order to help her out of her addictive state. He knew he wouldn't like any of it, which was why he did not want to know.

Harry was all for the use of Dark Magic so long as it was done in manageable quantities, and under the instruction of a Dark Arts practitioner who had a mastery.

However, Bellatrix was rubbing off on Hermione in more ways than one. Hermione cackled the other day! She opened her mouth and laughed loudly. Her wild curls flying everywhere as her head snapped back and that loud noise erupted from her throat.

She had actually looked like Bellatrix did. Just for that split second. Honestly, he wondered if she was becoming a mini-Bellatrix, or maybe Bellatrix II.

Either way, because she had gotten so caught up in the tournament and Bellatrix's teachings, she had put off a lot of studying. Despite the fact that she had an eidetic memory to aid her in studying, she was still going through obsessive moods of studying. Crying one minute and screaming herself hoarse the next.

He didn't know what to do.

The first time that had happened, back when they were eleven and studying for their end of the year exams, he'd made the mistake of saying something along the lines of it being her time-of-the-month. It in fact, wasn't. And Hermione dedicated a generous amount of time in correcting his very foolish assumption, leaving him dangling upside down above the Great Hall for several hours in the process.

Any time after that, he simply chalked it up to nerves and performance anxiety. He also never learned how to help her, so he started avoiding her in order to avoid the guilty feeling he got when he couldn't help her.

Harry found that sitting with Luna and Rigel was calming. Luna was very knowledgeable in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. She had ignored Divination because the professor for the class was a fraud who 'couldn't even read tea leaves correctly'. Luna appreciated the other two classes more.

So she tested Harry on his Ancient Runes knowledge while Rigel tested him on his Care of Magical Creatures knowledge and his Healing knowledge.

Harry was scheduled to take the exam for his Healing Mastery on the first of June, leaving him more time to study for that. Though he wasn't as worried because he'd been working extra hard that year, learning various methods for Healing the same ailment.

"You'll do fine," Luna told him positively.

"Really?"

She nodded.

Rigel cast them a confused look. He didn't know that Luna was a Seer.

"Don't worry, Rigel," said Luna with a smile, "the twins will be coming to visit your this weekend at Hogsmeade."

The boy flushed and looked back to the book he was reading. Luna snickered and Harry shook his head.

So that was why Bellatrix had decided to do business with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.


"I can't help it!"

"Yes you can, you just don't want to."

Draco Malfoy glared at his littlest cousin. Rigel was seated on his bed, swamped beneath the black and green silken sheets.

Draco may or may not have kidnapped him from the Great Hall that morning and brought him into the Slytherin Dorms in order to talk.

Rigel was close to Potter, who was close to Granger, and this was where it stemmed from.

"I hang out with Harry, Dray. He's awesome and he teaches me new things almost every time we're around each other. Granger has been awol this year, and I wasn't very comfortable around her in the former years. I don't know much about her."

The blond threw himself on Blaise's bed. This wasn't fair!

"Just admit that you like her and then go ask her out."

"I don't know where she is," the Slytherin huffed. "And what if she doesn't like me? We don't talk or anything. In fact, the last time I even spoke to her was in fifth year and that was because of Potter. She has no reason to want to talk to me of all people!"

Rigel snorted. "This is a day unlike any other. Draco Malfoy is scared to ask a girl out to Hogsmeade."

"Shut up!" the blond hissed, throwing Blaise's pillow at his cousin's head. Rigel simply tilted his head to the side and it sailed past, hitting the wall instead.

"The worst she can say is 'no', Dray."

"She could easily say other things while saying 'no'!"

"True. So why don't you ask Harry? He knows her best."

"But he's Potter!" the blond whinged. "And I'll owe him another favour!"

"Yeah, and he's really nice. I think he's worried about her, and maybe you'd be good for her. You know Dark Magic really well, and you also have been trained by my mum, so in those terms, you could be the help she needs."

That was true. She was doing pretty well, but could use some more guidance.

But then again, what if she didn't want anyone's help?

He buried his face in the bedding.

"Dray, you know your parents won't exactly be happy by whom you have your sights set on. Many Halfbloods have married into your family, but never a Muggleborn since the very beginning of your line. They might not even agree with your decision."

"Who cares?"

It wasn't his parents who wanted to date Granger, it was him.

"There you go! You don't care about her Blood Status, so if she asks about it, you can truthfully say that you don't care. And perhaps throw in a good reason for why you like her. She's smart, she'll know if you're lying or not."

That didn't make asking any easier!


Harry was laying on his bed, staring up at the top of the fourposter. He'd just finished his very last exam. His heart was pounding and adrenaline was pumping through his veins.

It was over. It was finished. Everything was done! Well, almost everything. He still had his Healing Exams to take, but he had a few days left to put in extra study time for that.

So now he was just relaxing on his bed, waiting for dinner to come so he could go and eat with his friends, who were all ready to just end school.

School was ending.

It was a shocking revelation. For the past fourteen years, he had been stuck in the educational system of Magical Britain. Fourteen years of taking orders and having to raise his hand for permission to do anything. And suddenly he was going to be thrust into a life and world that did not require him to raise his hand in order to use the bathroom, or determine his usefulness on how well he circled the correct answer.

Harry was going to be moving into his own flat. He'd been out to London for more than just the cinema during the Easter hols. He'd also had to see about places within Diagon Alley, so he would be close to his shop.

He'd shopped for buildings, and had two chosen specifically for their interior and how spacious their basements were. Both had rooms that he could turn into bedrooms if he so chose. And technically, he could do as the twins were doing and just live above his own shop.

It all depended on how he felt.

He might change his mind later on.

Heaving himself off the bed, Harry sighed, knowing that he would have to go and pry Hermione from the Library. Because after every exam, she would lock herself inside and obsessively go through books that contained answers to the questions she was sure she had gotten wrong.

But they had to be adults now, so no more crying over spilled milk. Besides, she'd get the highest score like she had every year since joining the magical education system.


He'd done it! Harry James Potter had managed to successfully pass the Examinations for a Healing Mastery!

The A.C.E.S.O.s were probably one of the more challenging Mastery Examinations there were. Named after the Greek goddess Aceso. They weren't written exams, but instead verbal and practical. They was based on timing and knowledge first and foremost.

Acumen, Concentration, and Eradication for Sicknesses Oral.

When faced with real life struggles and patients, Healers would not be able to pause what they were doing to think of an answer. They had to have immediate knowledge at the forefront of their minds. Which was why seven different methods for healing any ailment, was required knowledge in such a Mastery.

Because sometimes the most obvious method - meaning potions - would not be available. The life of the patient was on the line and as Healers and Medi-Magicals, it was their sworn duty to do whatever they could, until the brain ceased functioning.

Harry hadn't been so proud of himself in a long time!

He had a write a letter to tell his parents and godparents!

One half of his dream had been realised. Now all he had to do was wait for his N.E.W.T. results in CoMC, in order to take the Magizoologist Mastery Examinations in July.

Slowly but surely, things were coming along.


τWill you still come to visit us even though you won't be here all the time?τ Nox asked as she rubbed her head against Harry's cheek.

τOf course I will,τ Harry promised. τEspecially since I will be one of the few people Hagrid can come to if something happens to any of the animals or creatures here.τ

Nox nodded and flexed her wing a bit more so that Harry could reach the particular muscle that needed to be massaged carefully.

At once, there was a myriad of screeching and a multitude of stomping hooves. A cold feeling filled Harry from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. And it was like it spread everywhere.

The Thestrals, which had been grazing nearby to keep an eye on he and Nox, kicked their hooves out and started galloping away, toward the opening of the forest. Luxra nudged Nox along without even an explanation, taking her child away with the other Thestrals.

Harry looked around in worry, unsure of why all the Thestrals had suddenly taken wing, fleeing as if the hounds of hell were at their heels. They'd never done that before.

A crack in the distance alerted him to the fact that he was not alone. The teen spun in place until his eyes landed on a figure practically morphing out of the darkness. Tall and slender, with skin so pale he could see the individual purple veins and what looked to be a myriad of silvery scales. Eyes red and slitted. There was no nose, simply slits where a nose should reside, and from what he could see under their cowl, not hair either. Abnormally long fingers clutched a strangely shaped wand, though not in a threatening way, Harry noted.

Ethereal, serpentine, and dangerous, that was what he could tell just from looking at the other being. And Harry's face flushed when he realised that he was paying very close attention to this being's body. Too much attention.

"Wow," he murmured, unable to stop himself. He'd never seen such a being before and he was trying to categorise just where the being fell. Perhaps a Lamia/Hydra mix?

As the being drew nearer, Harry felt shorter with each long stride. Harry was a little above average height for men, and had never really considered himself short before. Now he felt inadequate while standing in front of this being, who towered over him by not only head, neck, and shoulders, but even a good portion of the arm.

As if everything was elongated. Legs, torso, fingers, he even had a neck that was much longer than a human's would be. Swan-like in a sense.

"Hello."

Harry started, not expecting the voice to be so high pitched. Also, it sent shivers up and down his spine. There was just a slight breathiness to it, and it made Harry flush again.

"Uh… wow," was all Harry could only manage once more. He honestly could not form a complete sentence aloud. This had never happened to him before.

"Are you well?" the being asked again, forcing those shivers to return.

Something about this being made Harry's thought-dead sexual interest, spike, which was a first. And of course there was the magic.

Now that the being was practically on top of him, he could feel the roiling magic beneath their skin. Dark and powerful. Swirling in a controlled mass and trickling out to caress Harry's own magic.

That must have been what scared the Thestrals. Despite them being considered Dark Creatures, too much Dark Magic actually made them uncomfortable. This being's magic, no matter how well controlled, had literally chased them away.

"I'm fine," the teen murmured. "Can I help you?" he asked, hoping to be polite.

A thin, almost lipless mouth spread into a smirk. Crimson eyes that were slitted and dangerous, flashed. "Unless you know how to reverse Magical Transmutation, I don't think so."

'Magical Transmutation' was something that happened when a person, no matter their magical affinity, delved too deeply into the Dark Arts on their own. Their entire body would warp on itself as punishment for doing things far too quickly.

"Wait, are you just a wizard, then?"

The being nodded. "I was overzealous in my youth and I did not have the benefit of a tutor. This happened."

In Harry's personal opinion, this being was incredibly lucky. They came out of still relatively humanoid. Though perhaps to others they weren't considered attractive, not that Harry was 'others'. Harry thought the being looked fine as they were.

"I'm Harry," said the brunet, holding out a hand.

Slowly, the being accepted his greeting, closing almost spidery fingers around Harry's much smaller hand. Their skin was cold to the touch, and the veins shown brightly beneath the small scales.

"I'm Tom."

Honestly, Harry expected some grandiose name, but a name such as Tom was very simple. It also made him further believe that this was just a wizard who had gotten in too deep.

"You don't like your form, do you?"

Tom's mouth turned downward. "I'm hideous. I used to be attractive, but I suppose this was my punishment for wishing to be all powerful immediately, and not taking my time."

"How old are you?" Harry asked, not wanting to believe that he was faced with someone too much older than he was.

"Seventy-three."

Damn. "You've been like this for a long time?" asked Harry, trying to calculate the amount of power that would have to go into the reversal process. The longer one remained in their transmutative state, the harder and longer it would be to reverse the process.

"Fifty-one years."

Oh damn!

"Yes. There is no way to reverse it. I have already tried."

Harry personally saw nothing wrong with the man's transmutation, though as he was on the other end, he really didn't know what it was like to go through such a problem.

"Do I not disgust you?"

"Why would you disgust me?"

Tom gestured to his entire body. "I look like a monster out of a Muggle film."

"So?"

Tom looked bewildered. "I am this way because I did horrible Dark Magic, wouldn't that disgust you?"

Harry shrugged. "Do you feel sorry for the things you did that made you like this?"

"No."

It was bluntly put, and Harry had to crack a smile. At least the man was honest. He could appreciate that.

"Well I don't know about other people, but personally, I don't live my life by the expectations of others. I don't cater to people's whims and I do not care what people think about me. You should not care what others think about you and you should not live your life trying to gain anyone's acceptance. It's not my job to judge you for your doings, whether they are actually wrong or not.

"I don't think you should be coming to be or anyone else, looking for whatever kind of validation you think you need. You should be looking to yourself. And eventually, someone will come along that doesn't mind that you look this way. I sure as hell don't. Because it's not a person's looks that mean something."

Harry stepped forward and placed a hand on what he thought was Tom's chest area.

"The body is a shell. That is all. While some are nice to look at, not all are as nice inside. Not everyone measure's someone's capacity by their appearance. And you shouldn't let the opinions of others, let alone yourself, stop you from doing what you want."

Tom was gaping, and from how close they were stood together, Harry could see the very obvious slit in his tongue. He had a forked tongue. Harry wondered exactly how long it was and if it worked to scent the air like with real snakes.

Also, he found the idea of that particular appendage being prehensile and long, to be hot.

Merlin, what was happening to him today?

"Are you always this optimistic?" Tom ended up asking, which gave Harry pause.

"No," he admitted. "I'm actually rarely ever positive. It must be you. Your unnecessary self-deprecation must have inspired some kind of emotion within me."

Yes. The emotion of utter annoyance at hearing someone tear themselves down when it was really not as bad as they thought it was.

Tom stared off into the darkness of the surrounding forest. Red eyes glinted with some unknown emotion.

The serpentine, gaunt face twitched a little.

"Thank you, Harry," said Tom suddenly, turning to look upon the Gryffindor. "It's been a long time since I've heard anything positive about… this."

Harry's eyes followed the hand that made another gesture to the long and inhuman body. The teen flushed for the umpteenth time that evening and decided to just not look at Tom any longer.

Unfortunately, the other wizard had decided that such a thing was not possible.

Harry's space was invaded and Tom's form practically curled over him in a sense, long neck bending down to bring them face to face, forcing Harry to meet his gaze head on.

"Uh…" the teen mumbled, unsure of what to do. "Wow," he said lamely, unable to find anything else to say. He was just too mesmerised by the man's form. Too awestruck.

Tom smirked. "Shall I see you back to the castle? Or are you well enough on your own?"

"I'm fine," Harry insisted. "Everything will be fine, but thanks."

Tom took up Harry's hand and very carefully, placed a cold kiss on the back.

Harry gave up trying to count how many times he'd lost his cool around Tom, and simply nodded to the man, stepping back in order to give himself the much needed space.

"Goodbye Tom," he murmured, turning away.

"Goodbye Harry," he swore he heard the other man whisper, but when he turned back, there was nothing.

Nothing but cold forest.

How peculiar.


"Moriah, Moriah, I had hoped that you would one day realise that this would be coming to you."

Voldemort sauntered before the woman, enjoying her fear and disgust. Nagini was doing her part, twisting around the woman's body and leaving her unable to move.

"I've done nothing wrong, you monster," the woman insisted, trying to act defiant though it wasn't working.

Voldemort merely smirked at her audacity, not affected by her words. He was far too elated to care about what she thought of his appearance.

"It's that mouth of yours," the Dark Lord whispered dangerously. "That mouth always running and tongue always wagging. And how do you think I found out about your… transgressions?"

With the Elder Wand in hand, Voldemort knocked the woman unconscious with the flick of the wrist.


A/N: Another is done!

-And this is where the fic starts to change. The fic doesn't end when the tournament ends after all.

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CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.