A/N: Okay, much rejoicing! I updated 3003. Everyone likes updates. I'm going to be slower on this one than BtBT because I've actually finished writing my other story and I'm just using it to buy me time in writing this one. I know, no one's happy. Except me...but never mind that. Go ahead and read!!!

Chapter 5: Hogsmeade

Harry lay awake that night, wondering as he did every night why he had come back. This world obviously needed his help, but by the looks of his coffin, his body should have burned.

Finally realizing he wasn't going to get any sleep that night, Harry got up. He had a room all to himself so he switched on the lights and grabbed his robes.

5 minutes later he was walking along the deserted corridors. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going and soon found himself to the one place his footsteps had always taken him when he was in need-the statue of the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's old office. He smiled sadly, remembering Dumbledore's ludicrous passwords. He had never gone back up there when Dumbledore died. It didn't seem right somehow. He didn't even try to guess at the password. He stayed there for a little while, letting the peace Dumbledore's memory always gave him wash over him until he felt ready to go back to bed.

The second Harry got up and walked away from the statue, the peace it gave him flickered. He cast another look at the statue before forcing himself to go back to bed. He couldn't live in the past-not when the future was in such great danger. He headed back to bed, his mind a jumbled mess once again.

* * *

"I think you're missing the point," Harry said, keeping his temper in check. It was amazing how hard it was to do so when he was 16 again.

"Then please explain the point, Mr. Potter, because I think the only one in this room who understands it is you," Cocker said. Harry could tell that he felt stupid, showing respect to a 16-year-old, but there was nothing Harry could do about it.

Harry opened his mouth to answer the question, but it was Grander who spoke up first.

"I see the point."

Everyone looked at him, but he didn't look back. He was staring off into space.

"And the point is."Cocker persisted.

Grander snapped back to the present. "We're loosing."

"Loosing?" Cocker asked in disbelief. "I can tell that much!"

"I don't think you do," Grander said, suddenly very serious. "We're not only loosing our world, but we're loosing ourselves!"

"And how is it that Voldemort can do that?"

"Voldemort isn't doing anything," Grander said softly. "He attacked London, reducing it to nothing, but he hasn't done anything else. He gave us the signal and we're following it, running straight into our own doom."

"As poetic as that is," Cocker said. "I still don't see-"

"Of course you don't see," Harry said, looking at Grander. "That's because you're running blindly. We're covering our own eyes and fooling them into believing we're doing the right thing. But it's about as fake as that stupid excuse for a Quidditch game! And it doesn't matter if one or two of us take off that 3D machine and see where we're headed, because unless we can open the rest of the world's eyes. We're all alone. We can stop, but the rest of the world will keep running until you die. Then we'll be the only ones left to keep Voldemort back, and we're not enough."

Their words seemed to have finally sunk in. "Then how do we make the rest of the world see?"

"By using the one thing you're trying to stamp out of society," Harry said. "Magic."

"But, Mr. Potter," Cocker said. "Magic is holding us back-"

"Technology is the future," Harry cut in. "In case you haven't noticed, the future isn't the problem. It's the past. That little piece of the past that you locked up and buried was buried alive, and now it's back for revenge. And what better way to ease the revengeful mind than to make them hurt in the worst way possible? He's making you destroy yourself!"

"Evil turns in upon itself, Minister," Grander said. "What does that say about us?"

Cocker didn't say anything.

"There's not going to be a Ministry if Voldemort wins," Harry said. "There's not going to be much of anything."

"Why do you keep reminding me of that?" Cocker asked. "Every time we talk it's 'there won't be a Ministry' and 'you won't rule the wizarding world'! Do you honestly believe I care so much about my job that I have completely forgotten the rest of the world?"

Harry didn't answer immediately. Finally he said, "It takes a different kind of person to want to be Minister. Ambition is the key ingredient. Perhaps you're different, but that won't be easily proven. It has yet to be so far."

"What are you implying?"

"I'm not trying to make enemies here!" Harry said. "I'm trying to save the world, again! I know about this. I know everything that Voldemort is capable of and I know how to kill him. I don't want this to happen to me! I don't want to be here! I've spent my entire life trying to piece the wizarding world back together so it will be safe for future generations! I see I succeeded. I see now that you are so safe, so comfortable, so fat that you can't even stand up for yourself when everything you've known starts to crumble to the ground! Is that all the pride you can muster for the world you live in today? Is that all you've got? Well, it isn't enough."

Harry had half a mind to get up and walk out, but he tried to master himself even while he realized he had lost his temper and gotten him into trouble. Why was it so easy to loose his temper? He'd dealt with much more irritating men than Cocker and he still couldn't seem to hold his tongue.

Cocker looked a little short of outraged. "If you're going to criticize everything we've worked for, for so long-"

"You haven't worked," Harry said quietly. "You've sat at your desk and watched the money roll in. You haven't had any need to work and you therefore have yet to understand what true, life devoting work is. I know. I spent my entire life working for a better world. Then I died. Now I have to spend my other life working for another one! That's working a long time. That's the only time when you can decide to quit."

Harry's last sentence made the room go quiet.

"You-you're quitting?" Cocker asked. "You can't be serious! I mean, we need you!"

Harry kicked himself mentally for saying that. Then he realized that it could work to his advantage. He got up and walked out of the room leaving everyone speechless. He was halfway down the hall when he heard footsteps running behind him. He didn't even turn around.

"What do you mean, you're quitting?" asked Grander's voice.

"I mean what I said," Harry said, knowing people were still listening from in the room. He winked at him and the man visibly relaxed. Harry started off down the hall with Grander at him heels. When he was sure he was out of earshot, he turned to Grander.

"What are you doing?" Grander hissed.

"I'm letting them sweat," Harry said. "Make them see how serious the situation is. It wasn't their choice I came back. Now they're going to have a chance to see what it would have been like."

"You mean you're actually not helping?"

"I will be," Harry said. "Grander, do you remember the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Yes," Grander nodded slowly. "You're starting it back up again?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "There are not enough people in the world that I can get to join to do that, but we did everything behind the Ministry's back. They didn't have a clue how so many Death Eater attacks were being stopped! It was easy enough. The Ministry was in chaos-a little more than it is now. They weren't doing anything to stop Voldemort and he was winning. That's the same thing that was going on then as is going on now."

"History repeats itself," Grander said.

"Exactly," Harry said. "It always repeats itself. And where did Voldemort attack first?"

"London," Grander said, cottoning on. "Hogsmeade's next."

* * *

Voldemort and his steadily growing population of Death Eaters surveyed the changed town. This was almost too easy.

"Do nothing until I give the order," Voldemort commanded.

"But they'll see us!"

"They'll send the Ministry!"

Voldemort felt a rise of anger. They would soon learn never to talk back to him. Nobody back talked Voldemort.

He turned around slowly and deliberately. "Who dares to question my reasoning?"

They shrank back. Voldemort turned back around. He had scared them sufficiently for now. They would pay later when he was in the right mood.

He looked down at the not-so-small town. People were running through the streets, casting frightened glances up at them. He smirked.just like old times.

He waited there for precisely 30 minutes. This gave the town the proper amount of time to call in the Ministry and other officials that would put up a pathetic fight. Voldemort was almost disappointed. Finally he gave the order to attack.

The swarmed around the town before actually entering, cutting off any means of escape. Voldemort smirked in satisfaction. The people had hidden in their homes. His smile didn't falter, but widened slightly when he felt the presence of spells. Good. They were putting up a fight.

The raised his hand and lowered it. The Death Eaters swarmed the village. He walked casually toward the city behind his excited Death Eaters. One of them came running up to him.

"I can't find anyone!"

"What?" Voldemort whirled on the man.

The man shrunk under his gaze, but continued on in a slightly weaker voice. "We can't find anyone in the houses! It looks like the town has been deserted!"

"Nonsense," Voldemort said, his calm returned. "I would have known if they had left. I could have sensed it. They're simply hiding and none of you have any idea how to find them."

The man seemed about to argue before thinking better of it. "Yes, master."

But there was no one there. There were no Death Eaters torturing people in the streets. There were no excited yells. There were no screams of panic- wait, there was one.

Voldemort looked toward the yell in satisfaction, but nothing that could have prepared him for what he saw. It wasn't the pathetic innocents that were screaming. It was his own Death Eaters! They were running, screaming out of an alley as if hell itself were at their heals. A huge burst of energy blew apart the ground under their feet. They fell, defeated. A line of fire came out of the alley, burning up the curious Death Eaters who were brave enough to look into the alley. The fire seemed only to engulf human flesh because the buildings on both sides went unharmed even though the fire seemed on top of them.

But it did not burn one figure. A figure walked straight through the fire, from the alley. Lord Voldemort felt excitement. This was someone who was worth killing! Through the red flame the figures face became visible and Voldemort's excitement turned to dread.

"Surprised to see me?" asked the figure.

"Not as much as you might think."

"Who dares talk to you like that, master?" Asked an angry Death Eater.

The figure didn't even glance at the woman. "Trust me, we go way back."

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort said, flicking his wand at the offending Death Eater.

With a scream, she fell to the ground, dead.

"You shouldn't have come back," the figure said, looking at Voldemort with piercing emerald green eyes.

"Nor should you," Voldemort said, displaying complete confidence.

"Ah, but there you are wrong," Harry Potter said with a small smile. "The balance must be maintained."

"Always," Voldemort said. "Except now you're fighting a loosing battle."

"I've already won once," Harry said. "I can defeat you again. Especially since I've had an entire lifetime to beef up my power while yours remains the same."

"Like you remain the same," Voldemort said, looking at the 16-year-old boy in front of him.

"Go home, Voldemort," Harry said avoiding the topic. "You're not wanted here."

"I go where I please," Voldemort said.

"You shouldn't," Harry said. "You're weak. I can feel your pathetic attempt at true power from all the way over here."

"It truly isn't pathetic. I could demonstrate it if you wish."

"Your power pales in comparison to mine," Harry said. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"I cannot feel your power," Voldemort hissed. "It has not strengthened!"

"I only let you feel what power I choose to let you comprehend."

"Indeed?"

"Indeed yes," Harry said. "Go now, Voldemort. I don't want to talk to you anymore." Harry waved his wand. With a flick, Voldemort vanished before him with a scream of rage.

A/N: I'm unsure about the ending to this one like I always am when I bring Harry up against Voldemort. Still, I already wrote it and at this rate, I'm never going to get my story finished. I only have 9 chapters thus far!!! Still, I'd rather post them slowly instead of posting them all at once so I can get more reviews. Speaking of reviews...