Sunset had just ended with the red haze of dusk slowly turning blue. The young woman took in several breaths to calm herself. Her tattered robes felt like they clung to her and she felt dirty and sweaty. She ignored the feeling as her own comfort was the farthest thing from her mind.

Alice sat on the ground in the park where her father had sent her not sure what she could do. No one passed by at this time of day. Most children would be hurrying home for dinner. The park was bare of anyone. It made Alice more lonely than she has felt in a long time. She cried for moments then breathed to calm herself down to think again only to cry again and repeat the cycle. She felt truly lost. No matter what she did, she knew it was too late to stop the seal from breaking. It fell apart as she was thrown through the air for fifteen agonizing minutes.

Alice had for a long time wondered if her father's seal would ever need to be replaced. She thought back to the fight she was just in. It rattled her to think of that and the few near misses of death that her father had saved her from. Her body shivered with the thought of her dad out there alone and fighting himself. He was as alone as she was.

Alice felt her body protest standing up. It wanted to rest there on the soft grass. She ignored the needs of her body to stand and begin to walk home. If she could not help her dad right now, she would most certainly find someone who could.

Chapter 4 Freedom of the Bane

Harry Potter stood and watched the Aurors who circled him. He smiled before stretching his neck and shoulders. Pulling back his sleeves to free his arms, the wizard looked to the group expectantly.

Bruce snarled out, "Now!" A dozen wizards took aim at the man they had called teacher and fired stunners. Harry opened his palms to the spells. The spells poured into his hands with a hiss. The two hands radiated heat for a moment before the energy disappeared.

Harry looked at them slightly disappointed. He chuckled, "That was pathetic. I think I could have an easier time taking it myself." Harry's casual voice hardened and three Aurors fell to the floor gasping. Pam ran up to the men who were gasping on the ground and concentrated her aura. It engorged around her arm into a long flame that sliced the connection Harry had made as if it was a rope.

Pam looked at her professor and shuddered. "Everyone withdraw." She raised her wand and a dome encircled herself, Bruce and their former teacher. The others were pushed out of the cage she had created. "We are going to need some room." The Aurors who were not in such shock wanted to give her a look to remind her of her place but thought it was wise to take her advice. Pam stared at the enemy that was in front of her and her silver eyes began to radiate light. The Aurors regrouped and nodded to Bruce before apparating.

Bruce saw them leave and looked back to Harry Potter. "You would let them go?"

"Please. They are weak compared to you two. And there are others I know who I can take." Harry raised his palm towards Pam and slowly gripped the air. Pam choked and she felt herself get tired. Bruce ran up to Pam. She gripped the magic line like a tangible rope around her throat and pulled against it. Bruce looked back to Harry and said coldly, "You were not our only teacher." Bruce grabbed a hold of the magical connection and forced more magic into the line than it could handle. It traveled back to Harry who broke the connection with a smile and he flexed his hand.

"That stung." He was clearly amused. Bruce looked to the woman whom he had called his girlfriend and she smiled back reassured. Bruce looked back Harry unsure how to continue. Harry himself was completely amused and moved his hands in the air as if they were hot. "If I had more time I would like to see what else you could do, but if those fools have told someone of this confrontation, then I must be on my way." Harry waved his hand lazily and the two Aurors were slammed into the ground leaving little room to cough and breathe back the air that was expelled from their lungs. Harry stood between them and knelt next to the pair. He placed a hand over both of their heads and they immediately began to fight against the exhaustion that over came them. Harry smiled at the two before his smile faded.

Harry jerked up and flung his head away from the two Aurors. "No! It's my turn! You are just a weak fool."

A ghost like apparition appeared between the two Aurors and Harry. The tainted Harry glared at the ethereal image of himself. "Fight it! We are stronger than this." The image pleaded.

"No we are not!" The physical Harry sneered and performed the same slicing magic that Pam did moments before. The ghost disappeared but Harry was still visibly struggling with something. The two Aurors wasted no time. Bruce used his integration to weave binds made of diamond around Harry while Pamela ensnared him in a sphere that she had never seen anyone escape from.

The two panted from the exertion and looked at Harry Potter who struggled with himself and his bonds. He slacked for a moment when a pair of familiar eyes looked at the two. "This is the reason why I taught you. Finish it now before I can break free."

Pam and Bruce looked at him stunned. Bruce recovered quickly. He raised his wand. "Bruce what are you doing?"

"You heard the man, we fire the piercing curse on three."

"But." "ONE!" "Why?" "TWO!" Pam reluctantly raised her hand to the smiling professor. She almost sobbed when Bruce shouted. "THREE!"

"Pertusus!"

Two orange hexes flew towards Harry. Pam was crying when she saw her curse fly through her sphere. She remembered performing the curse before in the targeting arena. It created a whole the size of her fist through her targets. With the conditions she and Bruce had over themselves, she did not want to look. Harry looked back in a relieved smile.

Harry's smiling eyes kept her from looking away. They were the same eyes she fell for when she was a student at Hogwarts. She saw him focus towards the spells and she held her breath.

Those eyes suddenly narrowed and turned a pale green. The two Curses slowed when they reached their target. Pam felt the amount of magic that flooded the area. It was enough to slow the two curses to a crawl. "This is far from over class." He said in a mocking tone. He flinched and turned away from them. Harry's head jerked before he looked at the two Aurors and snapped his bonds. A deep voice came from Harry. "Overflow."

The ground began to glow silver before Bruce recognized a silver beak rising from the ground below their enemy. Bruce grabbed Pam and pulled her against the building wall. A twelve meter avian head raised Harry into the air. Pam saw two silver wings that passed through buildings on either side of them. They had seen Alice enlarge her summon but this was on a magnitude Pam had never thought of before. Harry's eagle summon looked at the two. He screeched before his body turned completely black. The black eagle Phor snapped his wings and took to the air. It was only moments before enormous bird was out of sight. Pam stood there silently. Bruce saw her crying to herself and placed an arm around her. She moved to push him away but he would not let go.

"You understand why we did that right Pam? He wanted us to stop him." Pam nodded and cried into his chest. Bruce's voice echoed in her head and then Harry's voice did the same. Several minutes passed in that fashion until numerous pops of apparation appeared around them. An entire contingent of fifty Aurors stood and surveyed the damage.

"What went on here? What of the battle?" A burly Auror demanded the two lower ranking Officers.

Bruce stepped in front of Pam and said in a voice of authority. "Unfortunately this is a class S investigation now. I need to speak to Auror Tonks, Head Auror Bones, and Minister Granger." He pushed Pamela back slightly and she stood at attention. Two of Bruce's friends nodded and apparated to gather the named people at the Minister's office.

"What of this of an S investigation?" sneered the higher ranking Auror.

Bruce looked at the man. This particular Auror had never like Bruce or Pam as they had trained with Harry Potter. He was convinced they felt superior to their officers. Bruce groaned to himself that he was about to justify the old coot. "I am sorry, but you do not have the authorization for this information." Bruce looked to the group that came with him. "My team form up on me. We need to report directly to the Minister." The Auror nodded understandingly. That got a surprise out of Bruce but he apparated with Pam and the other Aurors.

Bruce and his group arrived at the Ministry. They ran through the doors ignoring the security and headed strait for the Ministers office. He told the Aurors to halt and they followed obediently. "We will be back in a moment make sure no one comes in." The Aurors nodded and the group took posts outside the door. Pam took Bruce's hand when they entered the assistant's office. No one was there.

Bruce moved his hand to knock on the door to the Ministers office and Pam asked. "He wanted us to learn summons to stop him didn't he?" Pam was not sure how she felt being used in such a way. It was true she wanted to be an Auror but she never would have chosen the profession if it were not for Professor Potter's class.

"We all have reasons for what we do Pam. I can understand his own need for safety. After this let's call the other students. They need to know. And we all have a choice we need to make."

"I just hope Alice is alright. Can you imagine the wreck she is now?" Bruce kissed her and held her hand when he knocked on the door.

0

Susan walked from the fire place and cleaned herself before looking around and finding no one home. She sighed in relief that Harry and Alice might have just gone out. Susan went into her room and gathered a few clothes to take a long bath.

Twenty minutes passed and she was just draining the water when she heard the down stairs door open and close. Susan quickly finished toweling herself off and dressed. She looked around the house before she saw Alice sitting and looking at a picture of the three of them at the beach.

"Alice?" Susan sat next to her on the bed. She became afraid at the look on her daughters' face. "Alice, what happened?"

After a few more moments Alice began to cry and told her of the attack and the breaking of Harry's curse. And how he immediately banished her. Susan took in the story. She did not know what to think other than she needed to find her husband. He had fought the curse before. She knew he could do it again.

"It's going to be ok Alice. We'll get our Harry back." She hugged her daughter for a long while. They did not let go until a knock came at the door. Susan suspected what it was about. She kissed Alice's forehead. "Try to sleep a little Alice. I know you are tired." Alice hugged the picture and nodded. Susan placed her hand on Alice's forehead and Alice quickly fell asleep sitting up. Susan ignored the second knock while tucking in her daughter. "It will all be alright. I promise." She kissed her daughters head again and left Alice's room.

Down stairs Susan remembered the times she sat in with Harry and Albus's tests with the curse and shivered at her upcoming task. Some of the threats the freed Harry said sounded very real. Susan looked beyond the door with sight and saw Neville. She exhaled and opened the door. "Hello." She said half defeated.

Neville sighed, "You know already?"

"Alice was with him when it began to break. She is sleeping upstairs now." Neville nodded and took out a small book.

"We need to meet in Hermione's office. Us team leaders are gathering and the Order of the Phoenix is mobilizing as well. Hopefully we can find Harry before any of this news breaks to the world." Susan moved to let Neville inside and they both took a hold of the portkey.

0

Where ever he was, he knew instantly that he did not like the damp. Air was cold when one was traveling through it and the man did not think to protect himself while fighting the war that waged inside the body's head.

Harry Potter knelt against a small dock that sat over a large pond that linked to a creek just beyond the bend. He did not hear the animals that fled the area in an act of self preservation. Nor did he understand the forces he could influence around him now that the body's magic was completely restored. He simply panted. The curse controlled his body now and it looked into the pond and Harry looked back from the reflection. Both were panting from the war they had waged against each other but the curse had proven too hard to break. "I won this round."

"You have won nothing!" Shouted the reflection in the pond. "I will break free and make sure you will never resurface."

The dark eyed Harry smiled. "You sound like me."

The true Harry regarded the thing he had thought a curse for so long. "You are me." The curse snarled and hit his hand against the water distorting the reflection. The evil that controlled Harry's body glared back at the water.

"It does not matter who I am. I am in control now."

0

Susan appeared in a designated portkey room and Neville quickly took her elbow. She began walking with him and the two passed ministry staff walking as if it was a normal day. She looked to Neville after she looked at a couple inquiring each other what they wanted to do after leaving off of work. Neville shook his head and the two entered the Ministers personal quarters. Tonks, Hermione, Luna and Cho stood quietly around a table not yet taking a seat. Hermione motioned for Susan to not say a word. The minister nodded to Neville who closed the door and held a sphere that was attached on the inside portion of the door and brought it to the table. He placed it in a small indentation on the table and it began to glow.

"We can talk now." Hermione exhaled. "Sorry, but as of now, no one is to know of Harry's condition. This sphere is called a 'Silence Sphere' made by two unspeakables a few months ago. So I know no one can over hear us."

The people around the table took their seats. "What do you propose we do?" Cho took her husband's hand.

Hermione looked to Susan. "Do you know what the curse could force him to do?"

Susan looked at the sphere not willing to see the others look at her. When I get out of this circle I will see just how much magic is left of this castle! Susan closed her eyes from the memory of Harry's voice. She had insisted to be there to help him when Albus tested the curse and its influences. "Albus and Severus would be better candidates for speculation," Hermione nodded but did not interrupt. "When I first observed the curse during a testing with Albus, it was always able to over power Harry for a few moments before he was able to regain control. The curse demanded to be free to eat as he called it." The group looked at her to elaborate. "Well you know he absorbs ambient magic around him, but for the curse it never seems to be enough. It's as if it needs to be fed magic constantly. Like it was making up for something..." Tonks stirred uncomfortably in her chair. She knew the reason for the Curse's need to feed but did not want to share it with anyone who did not help Harry with sealing his curse. The group did not notice her discomfort and continued their discussion.

"But his loss of control was from a spell that he was in control of. What would happen if the curse caught him completely off guard? Would he be able to fight it off completely?" Tonks asked quickly.

Cho interrupted them. "From what the few Aurors at the scene observed, Harry was fighting. If not completely successfully."

"It's a good sign then." Susan said with renewed hope. "If he can regain enough orientation, he would be able to make a partial seal and fight his way back into dominance."

Cho nodded remembered what the two aurors had said. "I am not so sure if he can gain complete control."

"Why is that?" Hermione diverted the conversation back to Cho. She sat through the conversation silently thinking of what could happen if things got out of hand. This new idea would provide much difficulty for the country at the moment.

Cho grunted. "He asked the two Aurors to kill him while he maintained some control."

Susan gasped and covered her hands over her mouth. It was disheartening news to the whole group. If Harry Potter was willing to die over this, then they need to assume that he has no real control over the situation.

0

Harry stood over the pool and snapped his fingers. "I think I figured out what to do with you." The echo of his voice bounced off the pond.

Harry glared through the pool back at his body. "What is that?"

"Something that you thought of."

Harry's hand reached over his chest and gripped the magic force that was inside his body and began to physically pull it. Harry's body began to sweat from the exertion until it pulled out a silver light. The vileness looked at the silver light with unsuppressed glee. "I did it!" He closed his hands around the silver light until it turned dark. The silver light turned white, gray and finally black. Harry's body breathed raggedly. When the energy was able to fit inside the palm of his hand, the cursed essence forced the drawn out energy onto his skin. The broken rune for prison on Harry Potters' forehead glowed for a moment before it faded. Harry Potter's body looked at his chest and laughed. A black rune for cage laid across his chest. "You will never bother me again Harry Potter."

0

Hermione looked around the table. "I want you all to concentrate on apprehending Harry. I am sorry I can not lend a hand, but there is someone who instigated these attacks. The attack on Harry was on the same day as the attack on Mathew Andrews."

"Oh goodness, is he alright?" Susan was surprised that the young man could be in any kind of mortal peril and wondered for a moment if it was the same for Molly Weasley when she fought with Harry over his own safety.

"He is fine and safe, but apparently he saw the whole breaking of the seal in a vision. Last time I check he was sleeping. I am going to leave him alone for now, but I will need to ask him to help find who is attacking those two."

Neville sat across from Hermione and spoke. "Has there been any other attacks?"

"No, and that's what concerns me. There has to be some kind of reasoning to attacking those two." Hermione had a few ideas but did not want to voice them to the group. 'One thing at a time is enough.'

Neville nodded at Hermione's answer. "I will look into who is leading these two attacks. And why now of all times? There was nothing in terms of provoking response. If this attack was planned ahead..."

"Do it Neville." Hermione looked to Luna, "How are the other Raiders?"

"Good, but the members of the Order of the Phoenix have been owling Albus, I talked to him quickly before I arrived. He is organizing his followers as well."

Susan listened and thought of the Order of the Phoenix. They were a group that had fought against Voldemort. The phoenix pin the Order used was a blazing bird that showed its breast. She had not seen a member of the Phoenix except for Tonks, Severus and Albus for years, although it could be argued that Tonks and Severus were no longer a part of that group.

"I'll speak to him of his own impressions of where Harry might go under the influence of that curse."

Susan looked up to Luna and was caught by the ring she wore. She looked around the room and everyone save Hermione who was never a part of the group wore their Raider ring. Susan looked at hers. It was just enough to help her not think hard on what Harry told those Aurors to do to him. She looked at the engraved fist and knife and she felt that it reminded her of something. In the back of her mind something said, Firebird, knife and hand fall to the will of the bane. She took in a quiet breath but remained silent.

"I think that is enough for now, inform each other when you made some progress. I will have a few foreign affairs that are being brought up with the attack openly made against the Vanguard family. Good luck all of you."

The group all stood and Hermione took the sphere from the table where its glow faded. The group left one by one and each person gave Susan a hug and words of encouragement before leaving until it was just Susan and Hermione.

When the door closed Hermione placed the sphere back on its spot at the table. It began to glow faintly and Hermione asked. "What is it Susan? I know that look."

Susan told Hermione of a prophecy Mathew had made years ago. "When I read it I decided to hold it for myself. You know Harry's stance on destiny." Hermione nodded. Harry plain out told them that he would never hear a word of any prophecy no matter how much it might have helped him. Hermione herself wondered what he had against something that would be helpful to their cause while at Hogwarts and knew she never received an answer.

"What was the prophecy Susan?"

"Dawn starts the day of trails

Sunset ends the days of finals

The lost soul burns the heart and peaks

Joy is the freedom that desire seeks

Firebird, knife and hand fall to the will of the bane

Dawn and sunset choose to spare or destroy the slain"

Susan choked on the last part. Hermione gave her a gentle hug before soothing her with hushing sounds. "It will be alright."

Susan just cried. She had kept the prophecy to herself for several years and never once did she think how hard it would be to reveal it to someone. Susan had gone over the poem many times. Every time she knew that what ever happened she would choose if her Harry would live or die.

"I don't think it will Hermione." Susan hugged her friend tighter still afraid to face the truth of the prophecy. "But it's not just that, it says that the Order and the Raiders can't do anything. How can I do this if everyone else will fail?" Hermione just held the distraught woman and thought to herself of the prophecy.

Harry would be hard to capture. She knew she could not have the Raiders or the Order of the Phoenix participate in Harry's apprehension. It would have to be the Aurors.

Hermione silently cursed Mathew Andrews for making such a vague prophecy. Although it was unfair to him, Hermione knew the prophecy could be interpreted into a number of ways. One being that the Raiders would become slaves, another could be that someone would willingly join the man. A darker thought pass through her mind that Harry may kill who ever crosses his path. Hermione shivered at the thought and held her friend while she cried out her stress.

0

Albus Dumbledore stood quietly at his country cottage. As one of the oldest wizards he could easily afford something grandiose, but he never had a flair for the dramatic impression. The cottage was enough for him. He looked out the four paned window and over to the pond that lay there.

He had spoken quietly with Luna Lovegood about Harry and what was likely the breaking of his seal last night. Albus stood at his window. He felt the intruder pass the wards he had placed upon his cottage many years ago. Albus closed his eyes not wanting to see who it was walking into his house. The man had just walked under the second story window where he was looking. Albus wanted desperately to not hear the foot falls against the wooden floor as this person walked up the stairs to the second floor. Albus withdrew his wand and turned to the door as the handle turned. He remembered how he had prayed that he would never have to fight against this young man who had done so much for the world.

Harry Potter walked into the room. He looked around and saw the still life portraits of animals people and landscapes. Harry smiled. "I like it, small, simple."

"Harry, please show some sign that you can still fight it." Albus raised his wand. Harry just continued to smile.

"Too late old man." Harry raised a part of his tunic with his thumb to show a tattoo on his chest. Albus understood that this curse had sealed off Harry and sucked in a breath of air in surprise. Harry took advantage of his hesitation. Harry raised his left hand and began to pool the old man's magic into it. Albus Dumbledore fell to his knees. The century old man looked back at his enemy and raised his wand. Several portraits on the walls of the room burst to life. Knights in fighting poses fell from the portraits and charged after Harry. Likewise many animals magical and normal burst from their portraits and charged Harry.

Harry let go of the old man's magic that had been feeding him and dodged two swords that would have sliced him if he had not moved. Several beasts from large cats to wolves dove at him and bit his shoulders and arms taking him to the ground.

Albus stood up and was able to recover enough to raise his wand again at Harry who was struggling on the floor. Harry grunted at the bites and claws that moved over his skin and he felt the five swords of armed knights pointing the tips of their metal at his neck and spine. Albus saw Harry look at his situation. It was a moment where Harry snorted and then began to laugh.

Albus wondered if the curse was truly a reincarnation of Voldemort, or an entity of its own. Harry continued to laugh and looked at the old man. "I have come here to devour your magic Dumbledore!" The knights and animals began to fade. The knights raised their swords to kill him. They disappeared before their arc was completed.

Harry stood and healed the wounds on his body without a single gesture. "The magic I have has matured since I was a student Albus." Albus Dumbledore heard the words and realized that his assumptions may be wrong. What if it was not a reincarnation of Voldemort or the curse acting on its own will. What if it was... "Things like this are child's play." Harry gestured to his blood stained arm. No more wounds marked it. Only the stains remained. Harry pointed that arm to Albus and the old man fell to his knees again. Harry stood over him no longer laughing. He was just watching the old man before him lay on the ground. When he let go of the old man's magic it was significantly weaker, but it would regenerate. Harry smiled to himself. "No point in drying up the only good source of magic here."

Harry looked out the window and the wall exploded outward. "Overflow" Phor's gigantic black head appeared next to the window. "Let's go, this place has lost its entertainment value." Phor screeched and it flew into the sky and disappeared.

0

Alice woke up the morning after the attack and felt a calmness she could not find the day before. She stood up and walked to the stairs and she could hear her mother sleeping on the couch in the living room. Alice smiled at her mother then took some floo and walked to her parents' fire place. Harry and Susan's room was covered with pictures of the three of them. She smiled at another picture like the one she held last night of the three of them at the beach. In the picture each of them held out their necklace and pieced together 'Our Family'. All three of them in the picture smiled at each other and she could see her father mouth out 'I love you both' before giving them each a kiss. Alice ignored the tear that fell from her eyes.

"I won't lose my family." Alice threw floo powder into the fire place. "The Yellow residence!" A fire flared to life. Alice walked into the fire swearing to herself that she would find a way to get her father back no matter what.

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A/N Another chapter is up and i am working on the next see you all next time.

Review Response

Destany Mitchell: Thank you for the second review. I had a few bumpy points while writing this chapter but it pulled together at the end.