Disclaimer: All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only. This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.

Hogwarts, Scotland

17th September 2011

Snape strode into the Headmasters office, his face downcast, almost confused looking, and took a seat opposite the one person in the world that actually didn't actively hate him. Most of this was his own fault of course, and he had nurtured that somewhat, but sometimes... he hated the image he had created. Still this one man knew him for the man he really was, and if she was still alive, Lily also would know the real him. Now he had come to a worrying conclusion about her boy, her son he had sworn to protect.

"Severus" Albus said warmly, "You look perplexed."

"I admit I am, worryingly so."

"What have you found out?"

"It appears, and this was not easy to find out, that Potter basically was only there because he wanted to be, the moment that Voldemort gave him what he was looking for - he left, and in his wake he left twenty dead Death Eaters."

"He told his friends this; I had thought it an idle boast, while not really thinking that was like the lad." Albus admitted, "I didn't really believe he could be so…calculating. Frankly I'm unsure if I should be pleased he thought it out like that, or concerned at how easily he took the punishment, I take it from his injuries he was tortured."

"And heavily drugged, he's also immune to the truth serum, and I have no idea how that can be. I prepare that dose myself, but Voldemort did the Muggle drugging, cocaine of all things, it should've rendered him into a blubbering mess and yet seemed to have little to no effect. He appeared to be awake the entire week, cognizant, quippy and outright gobby and enraging those around him. If anything I do think Rudolphus suffered more than he did. He kept making the idiot insane with anger and taking it out on Bella of all people, who obviously didn't stand for that!"

"Amazing" Albus said shaking his head, "He really is the one yes?"

"Oh indeed he is," Snape said with a slight smile. "But other worrying news came to me, about you. Voldemort intends to assassinate you, this year. A student is being used, which I do not know for sure. But Draco's mother DID come to me so I suspect given the talk, it would be him. I was forced into an unbreakable oath, that I would take his place."

"And so you should. Draco is still young. He should not be forced to take my life."

"Nor should I man, you are perhaps the only person in the world I have left!"

"I know my friend, but if it's a choice between a young life like Draco's and mine, there is no choice to make."

"I disagree; I'm tempted to kill the little shit myself."

"You will do no such thing; you will stick to your oath man!"

Snape frowned, "I…do not like that."

"I'm glad to hear it, but it IS an unbreakable oath for a reason Severus, and you will abide by it. I will not have two deaths, one of a young man, on my conscience."

"What of mine?"

"You are strong, you will be alright given time. I am old and not long for this world anyway. Even now I feel my magic wane."

"Don't talk like that," Snape said visible upset.

"It pleases me that you care" Albus said with a grin, "Anyway, less maudlin topics are required."

"Don't think I'm leaving this there!"

"I'm sure you won't, but for now – let us move on."

"Sometimes you infuriate me as much as Harry does."

Albus smiled, "Thank you"

Hogwarts, Scotland

24th September 2011

Harry was back to a hundred percent now, and the first thing he'd done was go for his broom. Flight was something he greatly enjoyed, and the summers, normally, were a pain for him to get through for missing the sensation.

He felt truly free up there in the clouds, and he was rapidly coming the conclusion if man was meant to fly, then he was the man to crack it. He'd seen Voldemort pull it off, and he would be buggered if he would let him outshine him in the air.

The Air was his element, and he would own it next they meet. To that end he was sat some hundred feet up in the air, the clouds at his feet, on the side of his broom, looking down at the oddly solid looking clouds.

What he was about to do was not sane, and really it was all Tempe's fault that brought him up there with this in mind. She said go for it, anything you wanted, you could have if you worked hard enough and wanted it enough. She also told him he was the most awesome being she'd met and it had stuck with him.

She'd torn a hole in her heart, and his, to help him of this he was now very much aware. He was no one's fool and while she'd tried to fool him, he respected that thought behind it. She'd been willing to take the hit to make him stronger. He wouldn't only respect that, he would be worthy of it, and he would be stronger. Never again would he be weakened, even while tortured and broken he'd been in control, and he'd liked that fact.

They had worn themselves out beating on him, taking turns and STILL he was the one in control, letting them vent their frustrations out until they made mistakes over and over again, even the feared Bellatrix LeStrange had fallen to his whim in the end, and frankly he had half a thought to his charms, oddly enough. She'd been oddly reticent at the end there, either because she'd caught on, or because she no longer wanted to do it.

Either way, he was stronger for it, and for Tempe and her act, her final, dreadful lesson that had torn his heart in half and damn near shredded it. Oddly he was grateful to Voldemort for capturing him when he did; he had no idea what he'd have done to himself or another had he not been checked by the action, with someone and something to vent on. He'd never felt pain like that, and frankly he never wanted to do so again.

Of course, if this didn't work, he likely wouldn't need to worry about pain ever again.

He shuffled on his broom, smirked and then jumped off. The insane bastard free fell for a long moment, not a single doubt was in his mind as he wrapped himself in magic, a trail of beautiful sparks in his wake, creating a comet's tail and then suddenly.

WHOOSH, he changed direction, he came under his own power and shot off so fast the clouds rolled back at the sudden sonic wave he created as he suddenly, shockingly broke the sound barrier his first time out.

Magic protected him from the sheering forces ripping at his body, his smile was insane and huge and then BOOM, he managed to dip out and back into the sonic wave. The clouds jumped away from him, creating a contrail behind him for a moment, and then he swooped low, dangerously so.

A Wronski feint, of a type and insanity that never had been seen on any pitch later and he was over the black lake. The water was ripped up behind him in a rooster tail, the squid blinked and missed him and then he was going up, straight up the side of a mountainous hill and then into the sky.

He hung there, perfectly poised and at home in air, as it WAS HIS element, and he would be damned if Voldemort stole it from him, and now no one had the slightest chance of doing so. He smiled massively, let out a whoop and a comet streaked across the sky as he shot off at a random direction. It may in effect be slower than teleportation, but screw that, he was doing this from now on instead!

Laughter was heard well after he had passed wherever he went, looping Scotland a few times, and then branching out over the ocean. Reports of a strange comet streaking right over the ocean filed into special branches of the government and by time they looked it was already gone, moving at well over the speed of sound, and just getting faster all the time.

It was many hours before Harry was seen back at the school, sedately coming down from above the clouds and his broom under him once more. It was positively pedestrian now though, and it had been the fastest broom available full stop.

"Urh…why are you smiling like a loon" Ron asked as Harry walked back into the dorm with moments to spare, "You get laid?"

Hermione whacked him on the arm, "Of course not Ron! Some people think with more than that."

"Don't count me into that Hermione" Harry said with a grin, "That's a ball," he added.

Ron laughed, "Finally lost it then."

"Oh really and when did you" Hermione demanded to know.

"Urh….well, I actually haven't" he said flushing red.

"Oh thank god," Hermione said, "I haven't either"

The two were suddenly skittish and Harry rolled his eyes, "Just go fuck – trust me, it's a just too fun not to." He said shocking them into a stupor, "Don't beat around the bush…this is war people, we could be dead tomorrow, so enjoy the day…carpe deium and all that." He said, "I may be slightly regretful that I lost my first, but I wouldn't've traded that for anything or anyone. You two are attracted to each other, you're a girl, he's a boy – it's simple math"

"It is NOT so simple, there is proprietary to consider," Hermione said.

"Fuck that," Harry said, "Trust me on this, you would regret dying a virgin, especially if you knew what it was like."

"You sound so sure, you really did lose it!" Ron said shocked.

"Oh did I bloody ever, but a gentleman doesn't like to brag."

Hermione smiled.

Then he added, "But given the right bribe he would be willing to divulge a few tit bits." Harry added seamlessly.

Hermione went wide mouthed, then turned calculating, "And by that I take it you mean both of us?" she demanded to know.

"Well this just turned awkward, but okay – what the hell. I'll admit I'm somewhat aware of what a woman is supposed to do as well; you could say my…teacher was well versed in the subject."

"What does that mean?" Ron wanted to know.

"Well, she did it…professionally and no I don't mean a prossie."

"A porn star" Hermione guessed then went comically wide eyed when Harry smiled and nodded.

"At least you knew what that was, when we met I had no clue – of course that's how we got together so I'm not complaining. Best four weeks of my entire life – but not the last if I have a say. We're not together now, she had a final lesson to impart to her student, and well – we're not together now."

"I'm not sure I should say this, but DAMN Harry" Hermione of all people said, "How about you have that talk with Ron. I have a feeling one of them would be a demanding lover."

"You could say that," Harry noted.

Ron looked affronted, "I know what to do, and it's not rocket science."

"Oh you're right it's not. IT's FAR more complicated if you want to do it right" Harry said with total and utter seriousness on his face, "For a couple of weeks I held on by the skin of my teeth mate, seriously, I had no clue what to do or how to do it. Until she got fed up and MADE me learn, and while it was the best learning I ever did do, it was some of the hardest, and boy she got nasty if I…lost control."

Ron looked at him wide eyed, "Control?"

Hermione winced.

Harry smirked. "There are a few…tricks" he said, "But this is NOT for your ears 'Mione."

"Don't call me that."

"Of course not…Luv"

"Or that" she called after him as he dragged Ron away. In truth, after that comment she was only too happy to let Harry call her whatever he wanted if he managed to teach Ron a thing or two. Male pride not withstanding that is. She had watched porn, she had a good idea of what Harry was likely now capable of and not for the first time, she rethought her decision on which of her friends to date.

It didn't help that Harry was, well, so much larger than life now. You could feel the man coming a room away, if not more if he was amused by something.

He was just that powerful now, it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, and it was worse for a woman, as it did more than prick those hairs. Frankly at the beginning of the year she'd been worried about the looks Lav had been giving Ron, but as soon as Harry turned up that fateful night she'd not even looked at Ron twice.

But Harry on the other hand she couldn't STOP looking at.

It was the same for a LOT of the girls in their year and around it, oddly Harry seemed to notice, but was largely uninterested. Given what she'd just found out, she would think he would be near addicted, she'd read that was possible especially in that…area of working.

Hogwarts, Gryffindor Dorm

22:00 - 24th October 2011

"What is wrong?" Hermione suddenly broke, glaring at her friend. She adored him, especially given what he'd taught Ron, who she wouldn't call an expert yet, but she had a feeling that Harry had managed to make her first time special without physically being there as he could.

Frankly, more and more lately she was wishing he HAD been there. To say she was very aware of her friend, though the word didn't work as well as it had for him, was putting it mildly.

All the women in the school were, from young to old. He had a quality to him now that drew in women like flies. Utter and complete self confidence, tested in battle and forged in the fires of hell backed it, but it wasn't all of it. There was something...epic about Harry and in his presence, you felt it, they all did now. It had always been there of course, but something about this 'Temperance' had unlocked that aspect in a big way.

Frankly Hermione was nearly green eyed in jealousy that she managed what she'd been trying to do for years, it ... irked her.

"Wrong?" Harry asked a slight smile on his face.

"Yes, wrong, you're on edge, grumpy and this is not the new Harry we've all come to adore!" she said, saying more than she meant, but unable to take it back.

He appeared not to notice her slip and smiled slightly, "Just…annoyed."

"About what, perhaps we can fix it."

"Fix it?"

"Yes – fix whatever irks you" she said putting down her book, "If something is bothering you well you should do something about it."

"That's a very good point," Harry said with a slow nod, "So I should seek out this problem and deal with it?"

Thinking he was still thinking about his summer girl Hermione sighed, "If you can, then do so," she said seriously. "But not alone!" she added quickly, she REALLY wanted to meet this woman.

"I dunno, are you saying you want to come with me, after curfew and everything."

"You mean more to me than a curfew," she said and added, 'I'm bloody curious,' in the back of her mind. She was fairly certain he'd cracked Legimency, it was just the way he seemed to always know what people around him were thinking, which in fact was a good deal more than should be possible with Legimency. He wasn't saying, like many things now – he played it close to his chest.

He tilted his head, looking at her seriously for a very long moment, his eyes seemed to be glowing faintly, and god alone knows how many times she's thought and heard how bewitching that was. It quite took her breathing away from her.

"Alright, but I warn you now – you do what I say – when I say it." He said his tone harder than she thought was true of what she HAD thought he wanted to do.

"Okay, how are we getting there?"

"Same way I left I suppose" Harry said, a slight smile on his face.

She looked at him curiously.

"You're sure I should do this, you're my checks and balances here. I mean this is insane right."

"Maybe, but you have to deal with it, it's been bugging you since the start of term, I can tell these things" Hermione said.

"You're special, you know that?" he said then stood and held out his hand, "Come on then, I think Ron's gonna be pissed I took his girl off grounds, but…whatever, if you're saying I should, then I will."

"But only if I come too" Hermione said standing quickly. He suddenly reached out and pulled her into a firm hold. She squeaked, shocked at how very solid he was, and the insanely intense feeling of magic. Then the world turned white, and then shockingly it was black.

"I think the lights are off" Harry said sounding amused "Now, shut up and do as I do, almost." He said becoming serious, "No one can see us right now, and won't until it's too late, but keep stum. This is your idea remember."

"Urh….this isn't Little Whinging is it?"

"Urh…no, why did you think I wanted to go there. This is Riddle Manor."

"Oh god"

"Shh"

"You Shh, this is NOT what I thought you meant!"

"Don't make me spank you" Harry said laughter in his voice, "What else would be bothering me than damn Voldemort right now?"

"We're going to die a horrible death"

"Don't be silly Hermione, you're with me. I won't let anything horrible happen to you, even if I have to kill you myself."

"Oh very comforting, I don't think"

She HEARD him smirking, "This IS a joke – right Harry, we're not REALLY in Riddle Manor about to attack Voldemort in his own house?"

"Oh, well, if you put it like that, then yes I suppose it is a joke and real soon you're going to wake up in the shower, and have dreamed it all up." He paused, "I just gave myself a lovely mental image." He said wistfully, "Now – where am I again. It was all a bit rushed in September you see."

"Oh fuck me"

"Sure, but I think Ron might have issue with that, and it's kinda dirty in here. I'm game and all, I mean we might die."

"Shut up Harry."

"Worth a shot"

"Dear god you ARE insane."

"Yep, crazy like a fox."

By this point they were in lit areas, and true to his word, no one seemed to know they were there.

"How are you doing this?"

"Not gonna tell!" he said with a laugh in his voice, "You wouldn't believe me anyway. Now I have to deal with what irks me – good word that, it's almost a perfect description for the way he makes me feel about him."

"He tortured you," she said. "And he merely irks you."

"Hmm hmm, trust me it takes more than that to get me angry."

"What in god's name would?"

"Hurting you or Ron I suppose," Harry said, "Dud too now, and well if he touched a beautiful hair on Tempe's head…" his voice got very dark at the end and Hermione shuddered; now she REALLY wanted to meet this girl that had so made an impression on her Harry.

"Oh god, there he is."

"There he is, he's not half as impressive eating cornflakes is he, and at this time of night too!"

"It is oddly surreal, maybe this really is a dream."

"If you're dreaming then this has to be a part of it" Harry said.

"Oi" he said, fading into sight.

Voldemort rather comically spat out his cornflakes at the sight of Harry in his lair, Hermione was still hidden, and would stay that way – out of phase, out of harm. She wouldn't be able to stop him either, and given what he was about to do – she might try.

"What…what the hell, where are my guards, kill the LOT of them."

"Oh I already did that." Harry said.

Hermione blinked at the lie, then turned and saw that indeed the guard at the door was down. She hadn't even seen him do it, let alone the guard having done so. He'd been joking with her at the time! Dear god, what WAS he now, other than awe inspiring. He was facing off with the most evil man on the face of the planet, and he looked amused. She wouldn't admit this to a soul, but right then Hermione was soaked.

"Really…are you here to urk…"

"Oh do shut up" Harry said his hand held out. Voldemort was now dangling two feet off the table. "That's the trouble with evil guys, they love to rant. Bye bye" Harry said, and held up his other hand and unleashed what he'd been cooking since Hermione had suggested he do this. A brilliant purple ray of light blasted out of his hand and hit Voldemort hard. He screamed, even as he struggled against Harry's TK grip. His legs kicking pathetically under him and suddenly streaks of black light whooshed into the room and flew into him. He quite literally felt his soul becoming more complete as each black light hit him, all his Horcruxes, the soul containers, now empty as they once more merged with the whole. "You're not coming back this time" Harry said grimly and unleashed the second part of his spell.

There was a bright flash, particles of Voldemort flying out in a sphere into the room and coating the oddly domestic Death Eater scene in a gory display.

Hermione was aghast. She knew he could do it, had never doubted him, but that…that was not what she'd expected. She thought a massive battle, the lines between good and evil well defined, Voldemort and his cronies on one side, Harry and she and Ron the other, their friends behind them as they did battle most fair.

That was just an extermination, and he'd obliterated him like it wasn't even Hard. All the tears, the pain, the anguish over the years and it came to this, Harry's pure and awesome power finding Voldemort just lacking and just ending him.

Harry turned his Emerald glowing regard on the still eating death eaters. "Run away"

They quickly followed this advice.

"You let them go, why" Hermione said.

"Because I didn't want to," he replied simply, stepping back into phase with her.

"Good" she said hugging the stuffing out of him. "This is the end, right?"

"It's the end; I just have to make a delivery at the Ministry."

"Deliver what?"

Harry made a motion of his hand and Voldemort's still shocked looking head floated up out of a pile of cornflakes, "I made sure I had proof."

"Grisly, but I see the need" Hermione said, "I'm glad you brought me."

"You are?"

"I really am, you should've never have been alone, not ever, and never again"

"Sorry Luv, I'm not looking for a relationship right now."

"Oh ha, fucking Ha Harry! Honestly try to be serious, show your softer side, and what do you get."

"You really are fabulous"

"Oh – I know, I put up with you don't I?"

Harry laughed, then looked around, "Come on; let's get out of here – bad memories, though… I may look up Bella."

"You are not right in the head are you Harry"

Harry smirked.