Patches of bright blue sky were beginning to appear over the castle turrets, but these signs of approaching summer did not lift Harry's mood. People continued to disappear and he became increasingly antsy every day a new name was added to the list. He was sitting with Ron in a sunny corner of the courtyard after lunch. Hermione and Ron were both clutching a Ministry of Magic leaflet — Common Apparition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them — for they were taking their tests that very afternoon, but by and large the leaflets had not proved soothing to the nerves.

Ron gave a start and tried to hide behind Hermione as a girl came around the corner.

"It isn't Lavender," said Hermione wearily.

"Oh, good," said Ron, relaxing.

"Harry Potter?" said the girl. "I was asked to give you this."

"Thanks…"

Harry's heart sank as he took the small scroll of parchment. Harry unrolled the parchment; but rather than finding Dumbledore's long, narrow, slanted writing he saw an untidy sprawl, very difficult to read due to the presence of large blotches on the parchment where the ink had run.

Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Aragog died last night. Harry and Ron, you met him and you know how special he was. Hermione, I know you'd have liked him. It would mean a lot to me if you'd nip down for the burial later this evening. I'm planning on doing it round dusk, that was his favorite time of day. I know you're not supposed to be out that late, but you can use the cloak. Wouldn't ask, but I can't face it alone.

Hagrid

"Look at this," said Harry, handing the note to Hermione.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she said, scanning it quickly and passing it to Ron, who read it through looking increasingly incredulous.

"He's mental" he said furiously. "That thing told its mates to eat Harry and me! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over its horrible hairy body!"

"It's not just that," said Hermione. "He's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter and how much trouble we'd be in if we were caught."

"We've been down to see him by night before," said Harry.

"Yes, but for something like this?" said Hermione. "We've risked a lot to help Hagrid out, but after all — Aragog's dead. If it were a question of saving him —"

"— I'd want to go even less," said Ron firmly. "You didn't meet him, Hermione. Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot."

Harry took the note back and stared down at all the inky blotches all over it. Tears had clearly fallen thick and fast upon the parchment…

"Harry, you can't be thinking of going," said Hermione. "It's such a pointless thing to get detention for."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, I know," he said. "But he's a friend and he wants us to be there when he buries Aragog."

There was a moment when Harry thought about the day he spent drinking with Remus.

"Harry? Are you still with us?" asked Hermione.

"Wha —? Yeah, of course," he said, pulling himself together. "Look. Hagrid wants us there and I want to be there. Burying a friend is bad enough. Having to do it alone is even worse. I'm going."

"That's decided, then. I will repeat this is an unnecessary risk but you will ignore me regardless," said Hermione briskly, getting to her feet and performing a graceful pirouette. "Destination… determination… deliberation…" she murmured.

"Oh, stop that," Ron begged her, "I feel sick enough as it is — quick, hide me!"

"It isn't Lavender!" said Hermione impatiently, as another couple of girls appeared in the courtyard and Ron dived behind her.

"Cool," said Ron, peering over Hermione's shoulder to check. "Blimey, they don't look happy, do they?"

"They're the Montgomery sisters and of course they don't look happy, didn't you hear what happened to their little brother?" said Hermione.

"I'm losing track of what's happening to everyone's relatives, to be honest," said Ron.

"Well, their brother was attacked by a werewolf. The rumor is that their mother refused to help the Death Eaters. Anyway, the boy was only five and he died in St. Mungos, they couldn't save him."

"He died?" repeated Harry, shocked. "But surely werewolves don't kill, they just turn you into one of them?"

"They sometimes kill," said Ron, who looked unusually grave now. "I've heard of it happening when the werewolf gets carried away."

"What was the werewolf's name?" said Harry quickly.

"Well, the rumor is that it was that Fenrir Greyback," said Hermione.

"The maniac who likes attacking kids, the one Lupin told me about! Remind me to send them an owl in the summer." said Harry angrily. Hermione looked at him bleakly as she scribbled a reminder.

"Harry, don't go to the funeral." she said. "Focus on stopping Voldemort. These dreadful things that are happening are all down to him…"

The bell rang overhead in the castle and both Hermione and Ron jumped to their feet, looking terrified.

"If you're so worried, come with me to the funeral. You'll do fine on the test," Harry told them both, as they headed toward the entrance hall to meet the rest of the people taking their Apparition Test. "Good luck."

"You are going to be the death of me Harry Potter" muttered Hermione, as Harry headed off to the dungeons for Potions. Ron and Hermione returned in the late afternoon.

"Harry!" cried Hermione as she climbed through the portrait hole. "Harry, I passed!"

"Well done!" he said. "And Ron?"

"He — he just failed," whispered Hermione, as Ron came slouching into the room looking most morose. "It was really unlucky, a tiny thing, the examiner just spotted that he'd left half an eyebrow behind… How did it go with Slughorn?"

"No joy," said Harry, as Ron joined them. "Bad luck, mate, but you'll pass next time — we can take it together."

"Yeah, I s'pose," said Ron grumpily. "But half an eyebrow – like that matters!"

"I know," said Hermione soothingly, "it does seem really harsh…"

They spent most of their dinner roundly abusing the Apparition examiner, and Ron looked fractionally more cheerful by the time they set off back to the common room, now discussing the incident in the Prophet about the missing people. When the sun had sunk to the level of the treetops in the Forbidden Forest, Harry decided to grab his cloak and was heading out of the common room when Hermione suddenly stood up and followed him.

"Hey. Where are you going?" Ron asked, bewildered at her sudden departure.

"To make sure Harry doesn't do anything else stupid today." Hermione said in a flat tone that killed any debate about her leaving. Ron was frowning and sulking again as Harry and Hermione left but neither noticed.

They were about to close the door when Ginny and Dean came up to the door and let them pass. Ginny frowned at the two of them and suddenly scowled after she realized it was just the two of them. When they reached the entrance door, they were surprised to find it unlocked. The pair carefully made their way through the doors and headed towards Hagrid's hut. They made sure to avoid Professor Slughorn who was headed up to the castle with an armful of leafy plants.

"Yeh came," croaked Hagrid, when he opened the door and saw Harry and Hermione emerging from the Invisibility Cloak in front of him.

"Yeah — Ron couldn't, though," said Harry. "He really doesn't like spiders."

"Don — don matter… Hed've bin touched yeh're here, though, Harry…"

Hagrid gave a great sob. He had made himself a black armband out of what looked like a rag dipped in boot polish, and his eyes were puffy, red, and swollen. Harry patted him consolingly on the elbow, which was the highest point of Hagrid he could easily reach.

"Where are we burying him?" he asked. "The forest?"

"Blimey, no," said Hagrid, wiping his streaming eyes on the bot-tom of his shirt. "The other spiders won' let me anywhere near their webs now Aragog's gone. Turns out it was only on his orders they didn' eat me! Can yeh believe that, Harry?"

The honest answer was "yes"; Harry recalled with painful ease the scene when he and Ron had come face-to-face with the acromantulas. They had been quite clear that Aragog was the only thing that stopped them from eating Hagrid. He absently made a note to himself that the Acromantula colony was now officially a threat to the school.

"Never bin an area o' the forest I couldn' go before!" said Hagrid, shaking his head. "It wasn' easy, gettin' Aragog's body out o' there, I can tell yeh — they usually eat their dead, see… But I wanted ter give 'im a nice burial… a proper send-off…"

He broke into sobs again and Harry resumed the patting of his elbow.

"Will ya ge' in trouble?" said Hagrid, looking up, alarmed. "Yeh shouldn' be outta the castle in the evenin', I know it, it's my fault —"

"No, no, it's alright Hagrid. We can take care of ourselves," said Harry.

Hermione peeked out of the rear window of Hagrid's hut, where she saw the rather horrible sight of the enormous dead spider lying on its back outside, its legs curled and tangled. She couldn't help but shudder.

"Are we going to bury him here, Hagrid, in your garden?"

"Jus' beyond the pumpkin patch, I thought," said Hagrid in a choked voice. "I've already dug the — yeh know — grave. Jus' thought we'd say a few nice things over him — happy memories, yeh know —"

His voice quivered and broke. He noisily blew his nose on his great spotted handkerchief.

"Hagrid, I'm sorry you lost your friend." Hermione said softly.

"Tha's very nice of yeh," said Hagrid. "Thanks a lot. An' thanks fer coming wit' Harry. I know yeh don' like breakin' rules. Bless me yeh never even met 'im."

"I didn't come for him Hagrid. I came for my friend." Hermione said with a smile.

"Thank ya. Bo'h of yeh."

The three of them stepped out into the back garden. The moon was glistening palely through the trees now, and its rays mingled with the light spilling from Hagrid's window to illuminate Aragog's body lying on the edge of a massive pit beside a ten-foot- high mound of freshly dug earth.

"Its not ev'ryone appreciates how beau'iful they are' said Hagrid to Harry, tears leaking from the corners of his crinkled eyes.

"Now… shall we proceed to the burial?"

Hagrid nodded and moved forward. He heaved the gigantic spider into his arms and, with an enormous grunt, rolled it into the dark pit. It hit the bottom with a rather horrible, crunchy thud. Hagrid started to cry again.

"Why don't I say a few words?" Hermione offered.

She stepped up to the rim of the pit and said, in a slow voice, "Farewell, Aragog, king of arachnids, whose long and faithful friendship those who knew you won't forget! Though your body will decay, your spirit lingers on in the quiet, web-spun places of your forest home. May your many-eyed descendants ever flourish and your human friends find solace for the loss they have sustained."

"Tha was… tha was… beau'iful!" howled Hagrid, and he collapsed onto the compost heap, crying harder than ever. Hermione just hugged his arm as Harry waved his wand so that the huge pile of earth rose up and then fell, with a muffled sort of crash, onto the dead spider, forming a smooth mound. "Let's get inside and have a drink. Get on his other side, Harry… That's it… Up you come, Hagrid… Well done…"

They deposited Hagrid in a chair at the table. Fang, who had been skulking in his basket during the burial, now came padding softly across to them and put his heavy head into Harry's lap as usual. They spent the rest of the evening with Hagrid as he reminisced tale after tale about Aragog as he got progressively drunker and drunker. Hermione silently hit his cup with a Refilling Charm once in a while.

When he eventually passed out, they snuck their way back into the castle. Just as they were about to enter the common room, Hermione said, "You were right Harry. It was the right thing to do even if we broke a few dozen rules. I'm glad I came along with you." She smiled and gave him a hug. Harty was surprised but hugged her back after a brief moment of hesitation. He also swore to himself he wouldn't mention this to Ron ever. He already had one madman after his life. He did not want another.

A few days passed unremarkably before Harry received a message inviting him to visit the Chamber with Dumbledore. He showed the note to Ron and Hermione and they were suitably impressed at the idea of exploring the Chamber with Dumbledore. Harry had not mentioned anything about Horcruxes to Ron because Lavender was always hanging around them. Surprisingly, Hermione had become much more tolerant of Lavender and scaled down her animosity towards both her and Ron. Harry was extremely glad for the newfound peace, unexplained as it may have been.

"Wow," said Ron, when Harry had finally finished telling them everything; Ron was waving his wand very vaguely in the direction of the ceiling without paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was doing. "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore… and try and destroy… wow."

"Ron, you're making it snow," said Hermione with a sigh, grabbing his wrist and redirecting his and away from the ceiling from which, sure enough, large white flakes had started to fall. Lavender Brown, Harry noticed, glared at Hermione from a neighboring table through very red eyes, and Hermione immediately let go of Ron's arm.

"Oh yeah," said Ron, looking down at his shoulders in vague surprise. "Sorry… looks like we've all got horrible dandruff now…"

He brushed some of the fake snow off Hermione's shoulder. Lavender burst into tears. Ron looked immensely guilty and turned his back on her.

"We split up," he told Harry out of the corner of his mouth, "Last night. She saw me sitting alone in the common room and wouldn't leave me alone. I blew up at her and we had a row."

"Ah," said Harry. "Well — you don't mind it's over, do you?"

"No," Ron admitted. "It was pretty bad while she was yelling, but at least I got to get some things off my chest before she finished it."

"Coward," said Hermione, though she looked amused. "Well, it was a bad night for romance all around. Ginny and Dean split up too, Harry."

Harry thought there was a rather knowing look in her eye as she told him that, but he could not guess why. He asked, "How come?"

"Oh, something really silly… She said he was always trying to help her through the portrait hole, like she couldn't climb in herself… but they've been a bit rocky for ages." Harry glanced over at Dean on the other side of the classroom. He certainly looked unhappy.

"A shitty night for romance all around in deed" said Harry slowly.

"Flitwick," said Ron in a warning tone. The tiny little Charms master was bobbing his way toward them, and Hermione was the only one who had managed to turn vinegar into wine; her glass flask was full of deep crimson liquid, whereas the contents of Harry's and Ron's were still murky brown.

"Now, now, boys," squeaked Professor Flitwick reproachfully. "A little less talk, a little more action… Let me see you try…"

Together they raised their wands, concentrating with all their might, and pointed them at their flasks. Harry's vinegar turned to the perfect shade of wine; Ron's flask exploded.

"Yes… for homework," said Professor Flitwick, reemerging from under the table and pulling shards of glass out of the top of his hat, "practice, Mr. Weasley"

They had one of their rare joint free periods after Charms and walked back to the common room together. Ron seemed to be positively lighthearted about the end of his relationship with Lavender, and Hermione seemed cheery too, though when asked what she was grinning about she simply said, "It's a nice day."

Harry barely climbed through the portrait hole into the sunny common room, and only vaguely registered the small group of seventh years clustered together there, until Hermione cried, "Katie! You're back! Are you okay?"

Harry stared: It was indeed Katie Bell, looking completely healthy and surrounded by her jubilant friends.

"I'm really well!" she said happily. "They let me out of St. Mungos on Monday, I had a couple of days at home with Mum and Dad and then came back here this morning. Leanne was just telling me about the last match with Hufflepuff, Harry why would you resign!?"

"It's complicated Katie," Harry said "After you were attacked, I went to McGonagall with a theory of who may have attacked you. She refused to take me seriously and it was the last time I'm going to authority with something important like saving a student's life. The Prophet has been calling me the Chosen one and the Chief Death Muncher has wanted my head since I was a baby. I decided I needed to train and Quidditch was the sacrifice I'm making to survive."

"You make sense and yet the quidditch fanatic in me weeps in sorrow," said Katie, shaking her head ruefully. "But, I can't fault you for giving up Quidditch when you have the weight of the entire world on your shoulders."

"Oh, its fine. The team seems to be doing well under Ron. They beat Hufflepuff three hundred to hundred and seventy. With you back, the cup is almost guaranteed."

"Hell yeah! Listen, I'd better go, I wouldn't put it past McGonagall to give me lines even if it is my first day back…"

She caught up her bag and books and hurried after her friends, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to sit down at a window table. The only person who was not particularly pleased to see Katie Bell back at school was Dean Thomas, because he would no longer be required to fill her place as Chaser. He took the blow stoically enough when Ron told him, merely grunting and shrugging, but Harry had the distinct feeling as he walked away that Dean and Seamus were muttering mutinously while staring at their table.

That evening, Harry and Dumbledore met in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Harry found Dumbledore tapping his wand around the tap in patterns like a drummer. "Good evening, Professor. Having fun?"

"Good evening, Harry. I must confess that I am. These spells are very ancient and excruciatingly complex. I do love a good intellectual challenge, but before we begin, I need you to listen," said Dumbledore.

Dumbledore drew himself up to his full height. "I take you with me on one condition: that you obey any command I might give you at once, and without question."

"Of course."

"Be sure to understand me, Harry. I mean that you must follow even such orders as 'run', 'hide' or 'go back'. Do I have your word?"

"I - yes, of course."

"If I tell you to hide, you will do so?"

"Yes."

"If I tell you to flee, you will obey?"

"Yes."

"If I tell you to leave me, and save yourself, you will do as I tell you?"

"I —"

"Harry?"

They looked at each other for a moment.

"Yes, sir."

"Then let us head, once more, into the breach."

"Open" Harry hissed.

The sink top of the sink rose as the individual sinks folded in on themselves and opened up the giant gaping hole that led into the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was about to jump into the pipe when Dumbledore asked him, "Would you mind asking for stairs, Harry? I would not like to incur Madam Pomfrey's wrath over a broken hip. I hope Salazar Slytherin would not want to go down a slide every time he wished to enter his chamber."

Harry gave an embarrassed smiled at that and hissed, "Stairs"

The entire pipe seemed to narrow as stairs pushed themselves out of the walls of the pipe, forming a spiral staircase heading downwards. It took a better part of an hour before they reached the bottom of the pipe and were greeted with numerous bones from rats, mice and what appeared to be frog skulls. Dumbledore wrinkled his crooked nose a little and vanished the remains. They approached the site of the cave in and Dumbledore began waving his arms like he was conducting an orchestra as he levitated and fused the stones into the ceiling and repaired the passage. The made their way to the main entrance chamber and Harry opened it.

"I have no words to complement your bravery, Harry. Killing such a fearsome beast of this size with nothing but a sword at the age of twelve, is nothing short of fantasy. And yet, the corpse stands before us as a monument to your accomplishment," Dumbledore said with awe.

"I had Fawkes to help me, Professor. Besides, this seems to be smaller now than I remember it."

"Well, you have grown significantly."

Harry chuckled, "I didn't mean it like that professor. The skin seems to have detached itself from the body."

"Yes. Basilisk venom is an extremely potent substance. It must have eaten through the flesh of the snake. The bone and skin however, are far more resilient and can resist the decay from the venom for a long time. This is also why Basilisk hide makes for one of the most premier armors even beating dragonhide by a large margin. The fangs and teeth have long been fashioned into daggers and used as weapons. Although for this particular specimen, a sword may be more appropriate." Dumbledore explained.

"If he could have, I'm sure Tom would have hidden it somewhere unique." Harry said bringing the conversation back to Horcruxes.

"Yes. Perhaps we should start with these tunnels."

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. Perhaps we could try here Professor," Harry said with a mischievous twinkle accompanied by a smirk.

"Lead the way, Harry" Dumbledore said sharing his smirk.

The mouth of the statue seemed to lead into the main living areas of the Basilisk which basically comprised of a large cave with a huge stone in the middle that emanated a steady warmth around the room. At the back of the cave however, was a door. Harry was about to reach for the door when Dumbledore held his hand. "We must exercise caution Harry. This chamber may bear the name of Slytherin but the last visitor to these rooms was Tom Riddle." He said reproachfully.

Dumbledore waved his wand and his wand around the door as his wand flashed a few colors in rapid succession. The door handle however, lit up with an ugly brown light with magenta highlights.

"As I suspected, a withering curse. Much like the one currently affecting my hand. Evil, nasty and criminally simple to dismiss if one knows how. Fortunately for us, I do happen to know how. Stand back Harry. This could trigger something else."

Harry obediently stepped back but held his wand at the ready. He recognized some of the words Dumbledore was muttering but he was surprised to recognize words from completely unrelated languages being used in one spell. It was almost anticlimactic when he ended the complex spell with a simple Alohomora and the door clicked open. Dumbledore did not touch the door as use used a gust of wind to open to door wide open. "Do not touch the door, Harry. I have contained the curse but it is an ugly spell that will break free if it touches your skin."

The duo entered the room but found it to be surprisingly barren. There were no books on the bookshelves, the potions cabinet had been emptied and the wood of the desk had rotten away and left behind only rusted ancient nails. An empty frame hung on the wall, its occupant long gone and the paint faded and fabric torn. "I don't know about you, Professor, but I can't feel anything apart from disappointment."

"Indeed Harry. In our excitement at getting to explore the secrets of the Chamber, we seem to have forgotten an immovable constant of magic. Very little survives the passage of a thousand years without experiencing the ravages of time."

They looked around the room but couldn't find more than dust and rotten items from over a thousand years ago. "Professor, why would Voldemort place a curse on the door if there was nothing to be found here?"

"I believe it was to keep possession of this room in some fashion. He, alone knew where it was, but if a Parselmouth were to find their way here, the curse could kill them and keep him as the only person who could use this chamber. I believe you had already demonstrated that you were capable of using Parseltongue, so this may have been placed very recently by Miss Weasley during her possession."

"Makes sense," Harry muttered.

Searching around the chamber did not reveal anything else of note. Harry lest the room and decided to focus on the skeleton and skin of the Basilisk. "Kreacher!"

Surprisingly, the elf did not respond. Harry was confused for a second, but then a pop sounded and Dobby appeared. "Dobby will be honored to help the Great Harry Potter!" he said bouncing on the balls of his heels.

"Hello Dobby. Are you sure?"

"Dobby is a free house-elf and he can obey anyone he likes and Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter wants him to do!" he said nodding enthusiastically. His big ears flopped almost violently.

"Okay then. Do you know why Kreacher didn't answer my summons?" Harry asked curiously

"This Chamber be deep under the mud. Listening for master's voice is difficult through the walls at Hogwarts, but so deep below the mud, it's very difficult. Kreacher just not be able to hear Harry Potter. But Dobby does," he bragged.

"Thank you, Dobby. I need you to send this skin and skeleton to my house in Grimmauld place. Could you take this up there and ask Kreacher to help? Ask him to put it in the room Buckbeak used to sleep in. It should be large enough to accommodate the entire skeleton." Harry said.

Yes, Harry Potter!" said Dobby at once, his great eyes shining with excitement. "And if Dobby, does it wrong, Dobby will throw himself off the topmost tower, Harry Potter!"

"There won't be any need for that," said Harry hastily.

Dumbledore soon stepped out, but chose not to mention the missing corpse of the Basilisk. The duo explored the tunnels and Harry had to use his Parsletongue time and again to open passageways, but no more secret chambers were revealed. Dumbledore decided to call it quits and said, "Fun and enjoyable this has been, Harry, it is unlikely that Tom hid one of his Horcruxes here. Perhaps it could be somewhere else in the castle."

"Probably. I'll search as much as I can."

"Indeed. Let's head upstairs. Dinner should be starting soon. Perhaps a shower and a change of clothes."

Harry laughed and agreed. He closed up the Chamber behind them and they began their trek upwards. Days passed uneventfully as the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game approached. Passion was running extremely high throughout the school, for the match would decide the Championship, which was still wide open. If Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw by a margin of a hundred and eighty points, then they would win the Championship.

A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry found himself walking down to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again, and Hermione having dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she might have made in her last Arithmancy essay. Harry passed by a bathroom and heard Myrtle's voice. Normally that would have prompted him to run far away, as fast as he could. However, her voice was coming from a boy's washroom. Harry remembered Myrtle telling him and Ron about some boy who was being bullied. He could not in good conscience walk away without offering his help.

He very quietly pushed the door open.

Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed.

"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't… tell me what's wrong… I can help you…"

"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it… I can't… It won't work… and unless I do it soon… he says he'll kill me…"

Harry sighed. It was Malfoy. The one person he had no sympathy for in this castle. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.

Malfoy wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry smoothly moved into a dueling stance and let loose a few stunners before firing off a silent Levicorpus but Malfoy blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another —

"No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"

There was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, "Crucio!"

Harry threw himself forward into a roll and the Unforgivable passed over his head. Before Malfoy could aim again, Harry got his feet under him and launched himself towards Malfoy and shoved his outstretched hand upwards before the spell could be completed. Instead of casting a spell, Harry threw his fist into Malfoy's nose and blood spurted out of it as the cartilage shattered under Harry's fist with a loud crunch.

The blonde staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand. Harry was flooded with rage and followed him to the ground, continuing his assault on the blonde's face. Punch after punch fell into the purebloods face as Harry hit anywhere and everywhere he could. Harry's physical training had massively improved his body's ability to dish out punishment and Harry used every part of it. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream:

"MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"

The door banged open behind Harry and Snape had burst into the room, his face livid. He pushed Harry roughly aside, he knelt over Malfoy, drew his wand, and began traced it over the wounds Harry's fists had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease as bones cracked into place; Snape wiped the residue from Malfoy's face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting. Harry meanwhile grabbed Malfoy's wand and pocketed it.

Harry stood there, barely aware that he too was soaked in blood and water with bloody fists. Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. When Snape had completed his counter-curse, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position.

"You need the hospital wing. Come . . . "

He supported Malfoy across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury, "And you, Potter… You wait here for me."

"Fuck no. I'm coming with you so I can call the Aurors on this piece of shit for casting an unforgivable at me. You even think of coming after me; I will make sure Draco's next date is with a Dementor and he gets to second base." Harry snarled.

He threw a Longlock at Myrtle to try and shut her up as she continued to wail and sob with increasingly evident enjoyment. "One word about this to anyone Myrtle and your boyfriend goes to Azkaban. Now leave!" Harry roared.

She swooped back into her toilet at once, leaving a ringing silence behind her. Harry pointed his wand at Malfoy and said, "I thought your godson needed the hospital wing. Move." Harry couldn't help but relish in the hateful expression Snape threw at him; with Malfoy in his arms, Snape could not afford to curse Harry like he desperately wanted to. The unlikely trio began walking through the hallways with most people gaping at them, all three of them drenched in water and blood, but he answered none of the questions fired at him and neither did Snape. By the time they made it to the Hospital wing, a small crowd had begun forming behind them trying to find answers.

As soon as she saw the unconscious form of Malfoy, she levitated him into a bed and begun waving her wand over his smashed in face. Snape had a tight grip on his wand and turned to Harry but froze when Harry snarled, "Think again Snivillus. If I call the Aurors, Malfoy goes to Azkaban and your vow kills you. I may not know what the mission is, but I know I hold yours and the ferret's life in my palm right now."

Harry and Snape stood glaring at each other in the middle of the Hospital wing as Madam Pomfrey took Malfoy behind a curtain and began healing Malfoy.

"Muffliato. Make me an offer I can't refuse, Bitch"

Snape looked apoplectic as he glared hatefully at Harry. A vein popped out form his forehead that was reminiscent of Vernon Dursley's. Snape knew Harry had him over the barrel and there was nothing he could do about it. Any attempt at trying to punish Potter would result in the brat demanding an investigation. Something that could prove fatal for him. On the other hand, the very idea of making any form of plea to a Potter warred with every fiber of his being. It was through gritted teeth and with utter loathing lacing every word, that he asked, "What do you want?"

"You're going to swear an unbreakable vow. The terms of which will also be hidden by the vow. You're going to agree to all the terms without negotiation," Harry snarled.

Snape glared venomously but gave a tiny nod. "Kreacher!" Harry called as the elf immediately popped in, "You are going to serve as a Bonder between Snape and me for an Unbreakable vow."

Harry and Snape held out their right arms and grasped them at the elbow. Snape tried to claw his nails into Harry's arm hatefully but the teen did not even flinch at the pain. He had endured multiple crucios from the Dark Lord; Snape's attempt at petty vengeance was similar to Petunia's when he was barely 10.

"Will you, Severus Tobias Snape, keep the terms of out unbreakable vow, a secret from any other soul?"

"I will"

"Will you, to the best of your ability, aid Draco Malfoy, as he attempts to fulfills the task given to him by the Dark Lord?"

These words shocked Snape out of his hate and he tried letting go of the arm he had grasped. Harry however, clamped down on Snape's arm and refused to let go.

"I will", Snape said in a strained voice. Snape's world had just turned upside down as he repeated the oath he gave to Narcissa, but this time to Harry Potter.

"Will you, serve as my mole in the Death Eaters without getting caught, to the best of your ability?"

"I will"

Snape's constipated face glowed red in the blaze of a third unique flame, which shot from the wand, twisted with the others, and bound itself thickly around their clasped hands, like a fiery snake.

"First Tom, then Dumbledore, and now me. Looks like you have a new Master, Bitch. And I didn't even have to use the life-debt I inherited form Dad."

Snape almost seemed catatonic as Harry grabbed his bag and scribbled a few runes on to a scrap piece of paper. He handed the paper to Snape and said, "Give this to Malfoy in three weeks' time. Even a dumbass like him should be able to figure it out."

Harry was about to walk out of the Hospital wing, when Professor McGonagall burst in. "Mister Potter what —"

"Malfoy attacked me. I dueled him. Rearranged his face with my fists. It was self-defense so Snape is letting me go without punishment." Harry snapped as he left the Hospital wing.

"Mr. Potter! Come back!" She screamed but Harry was long gone. She turned to Snape who was still catatonically holding onto the piece of paper. "Severus—"

Snape broke out of his stupor and brutally engaged his Occlumency and wiped the stupid expression off his face.

Meanwhile, Harry had walked straight into the Great Hall in the middle of dinner. His shirt was half soaking with blood and water. His knuckles were bloody and his expression of rage was all that held back the curious crowds of Hogwarts. Word had spread like wildfire as people whispered about what they had seen during the trio's walk from the bathroom to the Hospital wing.

"Where've you —? Why are you soaking —? Is that blood?" Ron asked with a bewildered expression as he stood up. Hermione on the other hand, rushed to his side and began waving her wand over his bloody fists and began muttering and the wounds began closing.

"Malfoy attacked me in the bathroom. I dueled him. Rearranged his face with my fists. Snape didn't let me finish. Since it was self-defense, Snape is letting me go without punishment." Harry said with a detached voice but rage dancing in his eyes. Whispers broke out as the news spread. The outlandish story may have been dismissed as a run off the mill insane Harry Potter story, but the witnessing him walking into the Great Hall with the Malfoy's blood on his shirt and his own bloody fists give Harry an air of legitimacy he had almost never earned in Hogwarts. The sight was so unexpected, people suddenly found themselves wondering if all those stories about Harry, that they had dismissed to be fiction, may have an element of truth to them.

Hermione completed healing his hands when Harry asked, "When did you learn healing spells?"

"Since you told me your plans; I can't follow you into combat, but I'll be damned if I don't make myself useful in one way or another," said Hermione with a huff. For the rest of the dinner, people, including Ron and Hermione kept trying to press Harry for details but he refused to say anything more than he already had and repeated the same answer robotically without fail.

McGonagall stormed into the Great Hall as dinner ended and called him out, but Harry refused to say a word to her and held up his scarred and bloody fist, almost mockingly. Any form of admonishment McGonagall had been prepared to dump on him, suddenly got choked in her throat as she remembered their conversation. She silently turned around and left. Pansy Parkinson tried vilifying him, but nobody paid any attention to her. By the end of the day, Harry's name was once more whispered in the halls of Hogwarts. This time, however, almost all the rumors had a small nugget of truth to them.