"I still don't see why we need to go and see Dumbledore about it," Ron pleaded as he followed Hermione to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Are you kidding?" Hermione asked, frustrated at having to explain every little thing. "You're his best friend and you can't see any reason why we should be concerned?"

"No," Ron answered as the gargoyle opened before them and Professor Bane walked out.

"Well hello," Bane said. "Is there something you need to see the headmaster about?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "It's rather urgent actually."

"I wouldn't say that," Ron said as he followed Hermione onto the stairs leaving Professor Bane to watch them go.

"Enter," Dumbledore said in response to the knock on his door.

"Could we speak to you about something if you have time, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked as she stuck her head through the door.

"Of course," Dumbledore said. "Please come in."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ron said as he shut the door behind him. "I tried to tell her it wasn't worth bothering you over."

"Oh, you can really be a git sometimes, Ron," Hermione said, having heard enough of his protests.

"What is it that you need to discuss?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's Harry," Hermione said. "I wanted to talk to you about what he did in the room of requirement today."

"Yes," Dumbledore said as he looked over his glasses at them. "Professor Bane has related the details of what happened to me already."

"Then you can see why we're concerned," Hermione said.

"Don't lump me in with that," Ron said. "I think it was the most brilliant thing I've ever seen."

"It scares me, Professor," Hermione said, ignoring Ron. "What Harry did wasn't like the Harry I know. He killed all of those death eaters. The Harry I know would never kill anyone, even if they weren't real. Harry knows that just because you can do a thing doesn't mean you should do a thing."

"I have to say that I believe your argument to have some merit," Dumbledore said.

"What?" Ron asked not believing that Dumbledore saw a problem with what Harry had done. "But fighting death eaters is what everyone is expecting Harry to do isn't it? I mean, you don't seriously expect him to show them any mercy do you? The entire wizarding world is just waiting for Harry to defeat Voldemort and take care of the death eaters single-handed. How is he supposed to do that if he doesn't prepare himself to fight that kind of a battle?"

"I also see merit in your argument, Ron," Dumbledore said. "It is unfortunate, but true, that most people are sitting back and waiting to find out if Harry can defeat Voldemort. He has told you about the discovery he made during the summer, I take it."

"Which one?" Hermione said. "It seems like we find out something new every day."

"Do you know what Harry is carrying around in his head right now?" Dumbledore asked.

"All of Voldemort's memories," Hermione said, a glimmer of thought sparking in her head.

"Yes," Dumbledore confirmed. "It is partially due to those memories that Harry seems to have grown so talented and powerful. You are right, Hermione that the Harry we know would never hurt anyone if he didn't have to. The thing that we have to realize is that Voldemort would. The more time passes, the more those memories that Harry received from Voldemort become a part of him. I feared that something like this would happen when he first told me about it over the summer."

"Are you trying to say that Harry is going to become Voldemort?" Ron asked hoping Dumbledore would say he was wrong.

"In a manner of speaking," Dumbledore said, "I believe there is a real danger that something like that could happen. You have to understand that Harry is now constantly engaged in a battle within himself to control the very fabric of who he is. It would be very easy for him to just give in to the power, the thoughts, and the personality that Voldemort placed in him. If he doesn't master his own mind, he very well could end up craving power just as much as Voldemort ever did. You have no doubt noticed the new found confidence that Harry seems to be displaying. That is just one obvious change that could be attributed to Harry's incorporation of a piece of Voldemort's personality into his own. The demonstration in the room of requirement today was another. There will come a time very soon when Harry will have to make perhaps a series of choices to decide just who he is destined to be."

"I take it back," Ron said, horrified. "I don't think it was brilliant. "I'll take it all back if it will keep that from happening to Harry."

"But it was a brilliant feat," Dumbledore said, surprising them. "Disturbing, yet brilliant at the same time."

"Is there anything we can do to help him, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Just be his friends," Dumbledore responded. "He may seem very strong right now, but this is the time when he needs you more than ever. To tell you the truth, I think your sister may be doing more for him already than any of us can imagine, Ron."

"Ginny?" Ron asked.

"I have suspected since I got the letter during the summer explaining the details of the light you saw between them when they kissed," Dumbledore said, "that she would have the ability keep Harry from forgetting who he truly is. I think she could be the key to helping Harry keep his sanity."

"Well he should be pretty sane then," Ron said. "The two of them are hardly ever apart."

"Exactly," Dumbledore said. "That is why, even as disturbing as the display today was, I think all we can do is wait and see what happens next."

Later that evening, Ron and Hermione sat in the Great Hall eating their dinner as they listened to some of their fellow seventh year Gryffindors recounting the tale of what Harry had done in the room of requirement to the younger students who had not already heard about it. Hermione just shook her head as she thought about how the old Harry would be furious about their apparent hero worship of his abilities.

"Uh oh," Ron said as he looked toward the doors to the Great Hall. "It looks like someone is pretty upset about something."

"Where is Potter?" Malfoy said nastily through clenched teeth as he stopped and glared at Ron.

"He hasn't come to dinner yet," Ron answered. "He and Ginny were taking a walk down by the lake."

Without another word, Malfoy turned and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"What in the world was that all about?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said looking worried, "but it can't be good. We had better see if we can find Harry before Malfoy does."

Harry and Ginny stood on the shore of the lake and looked out at the moonlit ripples on the water as Ginny said, "It's getting a little colder, Harry. Maybe we should go on in to dinner now."

"Sure," Harry said with a smile.

Just as he turned, Harry didn't have time to react as Malfoy's fist connected with his mouth and sent him stumbling backwards. Harry's foot caught on the slick bank and he fell backwards into the water. Being so close to the shore, Harry was quickly able to recover and stand back up in the waist deep water. He looked back up into the face of the furious Malfoy and something within him broke. He swiftly reached for his wand and had it halfway through a curse he had used earlier that day when Ginny jumped into the water and pulled his arm out of its motion.

"Harry, no!" Ginny exclaimed. "Don't do it, Harry! Please!"

Harry felt two opposing forces battling for control within him at that moment. The feeling he always got when Ginny touched him tried to replace the blinding rage that consumed him. Something deep inside of Harry recognized what was happening and cried out in silence for calm. His rage felt that it was losing ground and caused Harry to pull his arm away from Ginny to stop the invading emotion. He was calmer, but the rage held on to him with a tight grip.

"That was the least of what I owe you, Potter," Malfoy yelled. "This is all your fault."

"What are you talking about, Slytherin?" Harry asked with a twisted snarl.

"You were the one who tried to get me together with Cassidy," Malfoy said venting his own anger. "You did it just to embarrass me. You knew the whole time didn't you?"

"Know what?" Harry yelled back.

"That her father was a stinking muggle," Malfoy said, his voice rising even higher. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? My mum sent owls to America to find out about her bloodline as soon as I wrote to her and told her that I had a girlfriend."

"So what?" Harry asked. "It shouldn't really matter to you should it? Maybe now you can see just what a joke your pure blood theory really is. Only this morning, you were walking hand in hand with her around the school. You can't stand there and actually expect me to believe that your feelings for her have changed just because of her father."

"They can and they have, Potter," Malfoy said with a sneer. "I just can't believe that even you would be so low as to pull something like this. So why would you do it? Did you think it would somehow add another chapter to the legend of The Famous Harry Potter?"

"I am so sick of hearing you say that," Harry yelled as he walked out of the water. "Would you like to know what it is to be 'The Famous Harry Potter'? Well let me enlighten you."

Almost instantly, Malfoy began to struggle against the force that was brutally invading his mind. There was nothing he could do to defend himself though, as Harry began to flash quick pieces of his early life with the Dursleys. The feelings he had as he was continually locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and beating after beating from Dudley and his gang flowed into Malfoy's head at a blinding speed.

Next were the memories of challenges Harry had dealt with during his time at Hogwarts. Malfoy was inundated with painful memories about taunting, being shunned by everyone, and the horrors he had faced in his battles.
Harry knew that he was causing Malfoy a great deal of pain as he forced his thoughts to rip through his mind. He knew it, and he liked the thought of it. He was causing someone pain, and he was happy about it. Nothing else existed but the pain. It was so intense that Harry began to feel a searing pain himself. He didn't care though; he wanted his scar to burn.

Just when Harry thought the pain couldn't possibly get worse, his body suddenly convulsed as agony exploded within his entire body. It took him a few seconds to notice that there were screams of pain somewhere near him, and they were not from Malfoy. Something about them was familiar.

A reservoir forced itself open inside of him that seemed to instantly wash the majority of his rage away. As Harry's mind struggled to make sense of what was happening, he felt a vast wave of guilt ripple through him. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but he had been unable to stop himself. He had been a monster.

Harry suddenly became aware of arms encircling him and voices very nearby. Something about it all was familiar, and somehow comforting.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron screamed as they ran the final steps to where Ginny held tightly to Harry, and Malfoy was sprawled out weakly on the ground.

"Stop it, Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "You don't know what you're doing."

"Harry, please stop it!" Hermione echoed.

"Harry," Ginny said weakly as she used the last of her strength to hang on to Harry, "you'll be alright."

"Ginny," Hermione said as she stopped just short of the couple, "are you okay?"

"I have to help him," Ginny said, not letting go of Harry.

"What…" Harry said as he began to find his voice again. "What happened?"

"You don't know?" Ron asked. "I think you just went mental on Malfoy there, mate."

"I couldn't stop him," Ginny said. "There was so much pain."

Just then Harry's mind caught up and realized that it had been Ginny's scream he had heard. He had been filled with rage, and she had wrapped her arms around him. She had felt the pain caused by his rage and her love coming into contact with one another just as he had. She had felt the pain. He had caused her pain.

"Ginny," Harry began as tears rolled down his cheeks, "I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Please believe me."

"I do," Ginny said as she looked up at him with her own tear-stained face. "I do."

"You were out of control weren't you, Harry?" Ron asked already knowing the answer.

Harry just looked back at Ron for a few seconds and thought about what he had done before he said, "Ron, I want you and Hermione to take Ginny back to the castle, and get Malfoy to the Hospital wing."

"What about you, Harry?" Ginny asked as she pulled back and looked at him.

"I can't go," Harry said.

"You should go to the hospital wing too, Harry," Hermione said.

"I can't go," Harry repeated. "I can never go back there. Not now."

"Harry, what are you saying?" Ginny asked confused.

"I can't take the chance that I may hurt you or someone else again," Harry said as he dropped Ginny's hand. "This is goodbye." Harry immediately turned and ran off toward the Forbidden Forest.

"Harry…" Ginny started to say as she tried to go after him, but was restrained by Hermione and Ron. "Let me go. I have to go after him."

"He doesn't want you to come after him," Hermione said.

"But I have to," Ginny said as her tears flowed faster.

"Harry is right," Ron said. "After what he's done, he can't just walk back into the castle. We need to get back to the castle and tell Dumbledore about all of this. He'll know what to do."