A/N: Chapter 1!  Hurrah!  Read and review.  I love reviews, signed or not.  ^-^

Disclaimer: I have no claim on Harry Potter.  But I sure as heck wish I did.

Harry Potter and the Dark Defenses

Chapter 1 ***Hope's Return***

Draco and Hermoine Malfoy sat in awe at the person sitting on their couch.  Or at least Hermoine was.  Draco preferred to glare at him.

Harry took the glaring in and smiled.

"Something on your mind Malfoy?"

Draco gave him a grim look and replied, "Just one question."

"Fire away."

"Where the hell did you go?"

Harry smirked and closed his eyes.  "That's the question isn't it.  Where the hell did Harry Potter go?  I'll tell you where he went Malfoy.  He grew up."

Hermoine forced a smile and said, "Harry.  Where did you go?  We must have sent a thousand owls after you but all of them returned, their letters unread.  Even Hedwig."

"An owl wouldn't dare come where I was Herm."

"Where..?"

Harry opened his eyes and softly said, "Guess."

Hermoine blinked and looked at Draco, who narrowed his eyes.  After a moment he said, "You didn't."

"If your thinking what I think your thinking Malfoy, your right."

"What?  Draco?"  Hermoine looked at her husband expectantly.

Draco glared at Harry for a moment then growled, "Voldemort, Hermoine.  He went to Voldemort."

Hermoine gasped and turned to Harry.  "You didn't."

"I did.  Why do you think I just up and left?"

"You bastard.  You never told us!"

Harry leaned forward, his eyes flashing.  "What would you have done if I had?  Nothing.  You could have done nothing."

"But why?  Harry, why?  He killed your parents."

Harry nodded and looked at her.  He asked, "You really want to know why I did it?  Why I turned against all I love?  Why I allowed this to be put on me?"  He jerked the left sleeve of his black robes up, revealing the Dark Mark.

Hermoine stared at it for a moment then averted her eyes to his face.

"Yes.  I want to know."

"Because if I didn't you all would have died.  Everything in the world that I love would have been destroyed.  You, Ron, Ginny, Dumbledore, Hedwig, and everyone else.  All of you would have died."

Draco looked at Harry and asked, "So why come back?"

There was a moment's pause before Harry replied, "Because he's dead.  Voldemort's dead.  I killed him."

Hermoine gasped and Draco looked a bit shocked.

"How?" was Hermoine's next question.

"When he came back during our fourth year, Voldemort was mortal.  I managed to sabotage the raids into the Forbidden Forest.  They were set to bring a unicorn to him.  I stopped him from becoming immortal again.  Then, about five months ago, I killed him with the same curse he used to kill my parents and so many others."

Hermoine breathed, "Avada Kedavra."

"Yes."

Draco's eyes narrowed again and he asked, "And the rest of the Death Eaters?"

Harry leaned back on the couch and replied in an almost bored tone, "Dead."

"All of them?"

"That's what I said wasn't it?"

"Well, then.  Now what are you going to do Potter?  I'm sure you can't just hop back into our world without someone finding out about your little escapade."

Harry looked up at the ceiling and said, "Only you two and Dumbledore know.  I told him at the end of seventh year what I was planning to do.  He told me to follow my heart.  And I did."

"I still don't think you will be able to rejoin the world that easily."

"Snape did."

Draco blinked and said, "Huh?"

Hermoine shook her head and said, "Snape was a spy Harry.  We heard nothing from you for seven years.  There's a difference."

"Oh well."

"Harry…"

"WAIT A BLOODY MINUTE!  SNAPE WAS A DEATH EATER?"

Harry arched an eyebrow and said, "C'mon Malfoy.  Your telling me you never knew Snape was one?  Your own father was a Death Eater and you didn't know Snape was one?  Pitiful.  We found out at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  Should have seen Fudge's face."  He laughed, a cold laugh that made Hermoine cringe.

"Harry.."

"What?"

Hermoine shook her head in reply and muttered, "Nothing…"

"Herm…"

"Its nothing Harry."

Harry sighed and leaned forward.  "Look Herm, I actually have been doing the part of a spy.  Snape almost got killed when he tried to return to Voldemort."

Draco sneered, "How do you know?"

"I was there.  Someone told Voldemort Snape had been a spy for Dumbledore.  Snape barely missed being another victim of Avada Kedavra.  He managed to Apparate away after getting hit by at least fifteen Cruciatus Curses."

"One of which was yours," commented Draco.

Harry leaned back against the couch and replied, "Partly.  I missed hitting Snape and accidentally hit Goyle."

"Lackey Goyle?"

"Is that what those two were?  I never knew."

"Potter," snarled Draco while Hermoine gasped, "Harry, be serious."

"Sorry.  You have to be sarcastic to live through that hell."  He sighed and continued, "Anyway, no, it wasn't Goyle from school.  It was his father.  He went down and the Curses went off Snape.  That's how he got away."

Hermoine blinked.  "No wonder his class was canceled for a day."

Harry gave a grim smile and heaved himself up off the couch.  Looking down at them he asked, "Would you two mind if I stayed?  I'll be gone tomorrow."

Draco looked about to tell him to take a hike but Hermoine sprang in.  "Of course you can stay Harry.  We have a few spare rooms."  She smiled up at him and he returned it.

"Alright.  Er – where exactly are these rooms?"

"I'll show you."  Hermoine started to get up but Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.  Looking at Harry he said, "You go on Potter.  I have something to discuss with my wife."

Harry nodded and started for the stairs, his black cloak swirling behind him.