A/N: Again not betad… and on another note… Part 1 is somewhat lighter in the mood than part 2 is turning out right now… Chapter 3

Human beings always seek power. They want to hold it hoping that it makes them strong and wishing to protect themselves with it. Power is a pure thing that is not corrupted until its holder chooses the meaning of its use. The way on which I handle my power is my own and I have to hold its consequences even if I didn't mean for the outcome to happen. Therefore I will always be seen as the Dark Lord. The evil lurking in the night waiting for the moment to rise and to strike down the weak with my strength.

Can I not undo my destiny? Will I always remain the dark puppet held by the unknown puppeteer that I so loathe for destroying my life?

~~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~~

Harry opened his eyes tiredly as Hedwig landed on his bed and pulled at his hair to catch his attention. He yawned and sat up seeing that it was still dark outside.

"Hedwig, what are you doing here?" he asked quietly in order not to wake his roommates.

The owl lifted her wings and hopped closer. He saw a parchment around her leg. He reached down and loosened the string that attached it to her and pulled the letter out. Yawning again he rubbed his eyes before unfolding the paper. He was immediately awake as he recognized the handwriting to be that of his godfather. It seemed to be written in haste and the letters were hard to make out with the little light that the moon was providing through the open window. Pulling the curtains of his bed close he cast a light spell brightening the small space. Hedwig remained quiet cleaning her feathers with her beak.

Harry read quickly over the letter and sighed relieved as he came to the part that Sirius was safe although some Death Eaters had almost gotten hold of him and Professor Lupin. It appeared that his godfather would soon be coming to Hogwarts, probably in the course of the next weeks. Harry smiled, this were actually good news. He reached out and patted Hedwig before undoing his spell and opening the curtains to let her out.

"I'll give you later some treats, I don't have any at hand right now." He explained as she jumped at the window turning to him expectantly.

She seemed a little upset by it but flew away before Harry had the chance to say anything else. He sighed and pushed the note under his pillow laying back into the mattress.

But somehow sleep eluded him right now and so Harry found himself wondering about his current situation with his cousin and thinking if it would be wise to tell Sirius about it. Probably not, whatever had to do with Slytherin was not on his godfather's good side. It was like telling him that he was starting to like… eh…respect Snape.

He shook his head lightly. Where had that though just come from?

Okay, Harry knew for fact the dangers the Potion Master was putting himself into by going back to Voldemort as a spy for the headmaster. He had saved Harry's life more often than he probably was aware of and he treated Harry not kindly but not as bad as Neville either.

He turned in his bed.

Well, Snape probably hated him, but he certainly was doing a good job at keeping Harry in one piece, and the Gryffindor knew that he could count on the professor to be around when he was most needed. Then again Draco would be there too now…

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling as he lay on his back.

Draco was a case for himself. While Snape was a sneaky, cold and sometimes, okay, most times a really unfair and mean bastard. Draco was just sneaky and mean. Since the two of them had started to come to know each other better during the last weeks, Harry had learned to see past the mask of many people. First it had been just Draco's. The Slytherin was rather annoying in public, but he could be a very good friend and truly loyal when it came down to it.

The next one had he had seen past his charade was of course Snape. The man was the worst to hack and to see the real Severus Snape that was hiding behind a mask of loathing and annoyance towards those that plagued his everyday.

Harry had to admit that his feeling for Snape were kind of twisted and split. Recalling his first years at Hogwarts he had always detested Snape in the believe that the other wanted him more dead than alive, but as he started to grow up and mature his view on life, he had come to see that sometimes things were never what they seem. Nowadays, he had to admit, that he found the professor's attitude rather amusing as long as the bad moods were not directed on him, which wasn't very often. Harry still was, next to Neville, Snape's favorite target to embarrass and pick on.

Thinking about the Potion Master, he remembered that next night he had detention with him for the incident in his first class in which Draco sat next to him. He groaned annoyed. He would probably get to scrub the dungeon floor with a toothbrush, or at least, that was Ron's opinion before he had fallen asleep. Even if he had to work, it would give him a good chance to see how far he was into reading Snape's mask. Maybe it wouldn't be half as bad.

*~*~*~*~*

"Who is it that has you so deep in thoughts?"

Harry looked startled at Draco next to him in Transfiguration class. "What do you mean?"

Looking from the corner of his eye at him Draco said: "You have been awfully quiet, I didn't get even a decent joke on my ears from you today."

Harry smiled. "Oh, that's it then, you feel neglected by me. Want some nice little fur to add to your current state?" He let his eyes wander to the white bunny ear on his side. Snape hadn't been able to get rid of them, he needed to brew the antidote first and that apparently took various days, and so his cousin had to walk in public with them.

"Evading my question won't help you." Draco said as he concentrated back on Professor McGonagall's speech on transmutation.

"I know, but the thought of you in fur is rather amusing." Harry tried not to grin too much. "Don't you think so?"

Draco leaned his head on his hand as he probed his elbow on the table. "Hmm…"

They remained quiet after that, but as Harry glanced down at his notebook as class ended, he found in Draco's writing a message: in 15 minutes, third floor second door on the right.

Harry quickly gathered his things together but Ron caught up with him outside on the corridor. "Harry, wait up!"

Sighing mentally he turned around. "Sorry Ron, I forgot my homework up in the dorm. I have to hurry and get it. I'll meet you and Hermione later in the Great Hall." With this said he ran off.

"I think he's hiding something." Hermione said as she reached Ron and they watched Harry disappear around the corner.

He turned to her. "Is it that obvious?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

She shrugged. "Yes, but what can we do? As long as he doesn't tell us what is going on, there isn't much we can do to help him." She crossed her arms. "But I know it has something to do with Malfoy, they have been much nicer to each other than usual."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Hermione nodded for him to follow her. "Remember when they evaded each other for weeks and then all of the sudden they started to treat each other badly?"

He nodded.

"Something must have happened…. I don't know what, but…" She drifted off. "Whichever the case, we have to keep an eye on him. If Malfoy is doing something to him, harming him in anyway or, I don't know, blackmailing Harry, then we have to find out and tell Dumbledore!"

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ron asked.

"Stalking Malfoy?" Hermione suggested.

Ron rolled his eyes not pleased with Hermione's idea. "Let's just see how things develop, 'Mione. Maybe we're worrying over nothing."

She sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm just being paranoid…"

*~*~*~*~*

Harry entered the room in which Draco was already waiting for him. He closed the door behind him glancing curiously at his cousin.

"What's up?" Harry asked as he walked over to the front where the other was sitting at the window.

Draco's bunny ears twitched slightly as he turned to face him. "I've been meaning to tell you something for days Harry, but every time I thought about it, I just couldn't bring the courage up to do so."

Harry smiled. "Well, what is it?"

His cousin sighed deeply looking back outside. "Where should I start?"

The Gryffindor shrugged and settled across him on a chair he brought along from near the door. "How about at the beginning?"

Draco smiled sadly. "If it where that easy, don't you think I would have already told you?"

"Draco, for the last couple of days you have been acting strangely anyway. Even before your ears." He tugged at one of them and the other slapped his hand away. Harry rolled his eyes. "It started when your father called you back home for the weekend…"

"Hmm…"

"Look, Hermione and Ron are expecting me any moment in the Great Hall, if you could just tell me what's on your mind, then I might be able to help you." He laid a hand on the other's shoulder.

The blond boy shook his head. "That is just it! You can't help me." Throwing Harry's hand aside he got up to his feet and walked towards the door. "Never mind, I tell you another time…" This said he left the room while Harry remained by himself behind with a concerned expression on his face.

*~*~*~*~*

The thing that Draco wanted to tell him didn't leave Harry for the rest of the day, even when he was sitting up his detention with Snape that night. He wondered what it was that Draco was struggling with himself so hard that he couldn't tell Harry straight away. He was so focused on this that the Potion Master ended up scolding him and ordered him to concentrate on his work.

The professor had Harry help him chop and squash, cut and clean all the ingredients he needed to fill up Madam Pomfrey's reserves. It was an annoying job and since he was not really in thinking about what exactly he was doing he had ended up cutting himself various times by now. He sighed; it was like when he was smaller and his Aunt Petunia had him doing the chores in the kitchen and had started to teach him how to cook for them. He had cut his fingers more often than he liked to recall at the moment. But Harry had succeeded on the long run and he loved to cook nowadays. He liked how he could mix things together and have different results at the end even if he used he same ingredients in just a different order. He enjoyed marveling his work at the end and he had to admit that it made him proud when Dudley let a positive comment out once in a while.

Suddenly he froze. It hit him with such a force that he gaped open-mouthed for a few moments. He dropped the knife on the table and curled over in laughter next. He couldn't help it. The whole idea of cooking being just like potion brewing was ridiculous, especially if he considered that it took him years to figure it out consciously. He surely must have made the connection earlier, but it was just today that it really became clear to him.

Tears came out of the corner of his eyes as he held onto the table with his hands unable to stop laughing. God, it felt good to laugh out like this.

"Potter!!" Snape glared at him, but it didn't have the wished effect on Harry.

The boy laughed on, Harry had no idea what made the realization so amusing to him.

The professor raised curiously an eyebrow and walked over to Harry wondering if the boy had finally gone mad. "Would you mind telling me what is so funny?"

Harry opened his eyes smiling for the first time without fear at his professor. "This is just like cooking." He said trying to calm down again, yet unable to stop grinning. "You prepare the ingredients and then you add them together to get the perfect result." He smiled down at his work. "I just found it funny that it took me this long to realize that I could actually add up something that I don't like with something I'm actually good at and enjoy doing." He shook his head in amusement.

Snape just starred at him not knowing really what to say to this. He watched Harry return back to work, the boy's hands moving with far more security and precision than before, his cutting was exactly the way it was needed. Not wasting any movements. He glanced impressed at the change. This was unexpected; maybe Potter wasn't a complete loss as his father…

*~*~*~*~*

Ron couldn't believe as he saw Harry enter the common room beaming from ear to ear.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend?" he asked as Harry dropped down next to him on the couch where he was playing chess with Neville.

"Com'on Ron, can't I be happy once in a while?" Harry asked as he noticed Neville to move his knight to kill Ron's queen.

"Not if you just came from detention with Snape and are still in a good mood to help Neville winning." He growled as Neville held the pieces of his queen up after his knight had gotten rid of her.

Harry leaned back satisfied. "Snape actually said something positive to me! He told me I had done a good work, no nasty comment accompanying it at all!!"

Ron and Neville gapped at him.

"You're kidding, right?" Neville asked unbelievable.

Harry shook his head and put his hands behind it. "Nope!" Jumping to his feet. "I'm gonna tell Hermione and I have to write Snuffles about this!"

Ron sighed after Harry had disappeared upstairs. "And I was worrying for nothing."

Neville grinned. "Yes, so much that you just lost."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed before letting a defeated groan out. "Man, I can't believe it."

Neville gathered the pieces to put away. "Well, believe it or not, you own me two chocolate frogs and one of your witches and wizards cards."

"Argh! Today is not my day!"

Neville patted his shoulder with a smile plastered on his face. "No, it isn't."

Ron glared at him. "Yeah, make fun of the poor Weasley."

The other laughed.

*~*~*~*~*

Draco watched his cousin as he entered the greenhouse where they were having Herbology. For the last couple of days the other seemed to be somehow absentminded, more than usual. It was rather intriguing. Then again anything concerning Harry Potter was something of Draco's interest. He wanted to understand the other since they had started to become friends.

So after class, he waited at the exit making sure Harry noticed that he was staying behind and would send his two sidekicks, okay, friends on without him. He remained in the shadow of the building leaning on the wall making sure no one noticed his presence.

Harry passed by shortly after and he followed calmly eventually catching up with him and walking side by side.

"So, what's up?" Harry asked while they continued their way towards their next class, which was Care of Magical Creatures.

Draco laid his hands behind his head. "I have been wondering, are you in love?"

His cousin froze, his gaze fixed on the ground, his face red. He blushed so hard that even his ears turned a feverish color. Slowly a smile spread on Draco's face and his eyes glinted mischievously. "You are?!" It sounded like a statement.

Harry spun waving defensively with his hands. "It's not what you think!"

Draco leaned forward to him grinning and narrowing his eyes. "It isn't?"

If there was a way to get possibly more flushed, than Harry had just discovered it. "Aah! Stop saying such things! We're going to be late." turning around and running on he left Draco standing were he was. But the Slytherin had already gathered the information he wanted. Now he only had to find the person responsible for Harry's light-headedness. His eyes brightened amused, it would only be a matter of time to figure it out.

*~*~*~*~*

Severus watched Potter closely in class; he had unexpectedly taken this habit of watching him when no one was paying attention especially the boy. After the incident during detention the Gryffindor had gotten better and better in class. Severus had to admit that the boy had some talent unlike others in his family. Also there was the sudden interaction between Young Malfoy and Potter. It appeared to others that those two hated each other but the Potion Master hadn't become a spy and Slytherin's Head of House for nothing. He was good at detecting lies and seeing the truth that lay in people's heart when he made his mind up to it. And those two were just playing of their attitude towards each other for whatever reasons. He had even come to see the two of them talking politely to each other and even laughing together when they had thought to be alone.

It was interesting how people changed when they think that they are unobserved. They let all their walls down and allowed you to see into the abyss of their souls finding the real person inside.

Potter smiled as he took the cauldron of the fire to cool down and took a glance inside. Malfoy mouthed something and the other suppressed a smile, Severus could see the corner of the boy's mouth twitching up.

A Slytherin raised his arm up asking for him to come over. Rolling annoyed his eyes he made his way over seeing from the corner of his eye as Potter glanced up curiously at him. Severus found himself reminding himself to concentrate on answering the brat's question as he saw the disaster that was in the cauldron. Very tempted to deduce points from his own House, he scowled and snapped at the insufferable child who dared to sit in his classroom and present him with such a foolhardily done job. In the end he ended up given away detention with Filch, he had no intention to take care of a lousy case of incompetence that resembled Longbottom's. He even said that out loud.

Finally class ended and he settled down in his chair behind his desk relieved to have survived another class with the Gryffindor's walking case of destruction and apparently the new Slytherin one. The door closed but not before he saw Potter turn to glance curiously at him again.

The Potion Master narrowed his eyes. What was Potter up to again?

~~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~~

He sat, as every night lately in his dream, at the beach, the sand caressing his skin as he passed his hand through it. The sun was already lowering at the far horizon and soon the cold and dark waves would come towards him. He reached with his hand up to pass a hand through his hair. He was tiered by this dream; it drained great amounts of energy from him and the one who called out. He was aware that once he awoke in the morning his body would feel heavy like he had done nothing but exercise. It was a good thing that Quidditch kept him trained, otherwise the effects of this might wear him so much out that it would start marking his behavior and attitude in public.

The smell of his surrounding started to change. The metallic scent of blood intensified with every time that the waves moved closer to him. Back and forth they came and the darkness with it. And from the depth the hooded figure surfaced, his eyes as pain-filled as he recalled it, his pleading even more intense now than before even as no sound was voiced.

The pale hand extended towards him.

What should he do? He wanted so desperately to ease the other's so obvious suffering and yet he feared that it might be the worst that he could do. But how long could he resist anyway? It was his choice after all. Why not give in? Why not see if it might be the right path to walk upon? Unless he chose it how would he ever know if what he did was wrong or right?

And tentatively he reached back, his hand hovering just above the other's. His heartbeat was increasing as he felt the magic that was starting to rise around him. He twitched slightly back, but then the hooded figure stretched up for the first time his other hand.

This was it; he would have to choose now.

And so he took the offered invitation feeling his body pulled into the vortex of his own magic and that of the stranger.

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A/N: Well, I hope you like it this far. Review if you like… or not, it's up to you ^_^.