Disclaimer: Don't own it! If I did, I would be making money. /opens wallet and moths fly out/ No money. No ownie.

Author's Note: The break's in the previous chapter have been added in. I forgot that the breaks I use when I'm typing don't show up when I upload chapters XP

Chapter 7: Years Pass But Memories Never Fade

"Congratulations Hogwarts graduates!" Hermione Granger, clad in graduating robes and a pointed black hat, grinned across the grounds at her yearmates and shouted, "WE DID IT!"

Ron Weasley cheered from the back row, echoed wildly by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The Ravenclaw's were only slightly restrained in their cheering and the Slytherin's…well, the Slytherin's had not been the same since the disappearance of their only protector, Severus Snape.

Blaise Zabini in particular had felt a good bit of wrath after that disappearance. She had been prodded and poked by Aurors demanding she tell them what she knew about her missing Head of House and friend. But she'd clamped her mouth shut and refused to make a sound.

They couldn't give Veritaserum to an eleven-year-old, after all.

But now that she was of age and legally a wizard, they might come after her again. And they'd get the fullness of Harry's secret from her – a secret she'd kept for six and a half years. Except from her two best friends.

"Blaise!"

The dark-haired girl turned and giggled as she was set upon by the bushy-haired Gryffindor. Despite the enmity between their Houses, the two girls had remained friends after Harry's disappearance, bringing the shy Neville fully into their group along with the wild twins. After the twin's graduation, only the three of them had remained and now they too were gone.

"We actually made it!" squealed Hermione, jumping up and down. Blaise just grinned at her, thinking that she could not have known how much the girl would change in the course of six years. She'd gone from the bookworm Blaise had first met to a girl nearly as crazy as the twins themselves. They'd pulled prank after prank with Fred and George's help, earning a name for themselves in the Hogwarts annals.

"I know we made it!" exclaimed Blaise. "Now stop trying to jiggle my head off my poor shoulders, you hyperactive wench."

Hermione just grinned at her, not put off in the slightest by the insult. Then she squealed, "Nev!" and went careening off to glomp the approaching Gryffindor. Neville politely dragged her back over to Blaise, an amused grin on his face.

Of all of them, Neville had changed the most. He'd turned into a handsome young man of average height and with a wicked humor from time around the two girls who'd befriended him and the twins.

Blaise herself was the most unchanged. Still dark-haired and dark-eyed, she'd blossomed into a willowy young woman with graceful curves and a noble look as befitted her "Pureblood" status. Not that she cared about that status.

Hermione was still bushy-haired with teeth that had been magically fixed in their fifth year. She wasn't willowy like Blaise but she had graceful curves and had caught the eye of Ron Weasley. Of course, she hadn't wanted anything to do with him after he'd insulted Harry right to her face.

"So," said Neville, prying Hermione off of him. "Looks like its over."

"All the grand adventure done and gone," Blaise said mournfully. "Damn, I'll miss it."

"The pranks," said Hermione.

"The holidays," added Neville.

"And Harry," finished Blaise with a solemn look.

"And Harry," echoed the other two.

"Aw," said a tenor voice from behind them. "I feel all mushy inside now."

The three blinked then slowly turned around to stare. There, leaning casually against a tree, was a tall, lean young man with wild dark hair and emerald eyes that glowed with mischief and power. He pushed himself away from the tree and spread his arms wide, grinning wryly at them.

"Hey you lot of nuts," said Harry Potter genially. "Miss me?"

"Oh, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, rushing towards him. She leapt into his arms, causing him to stagger then laugh as he returned the embrace.

"Good to see you too, Mione! And…bugger me – Neville?"

"Bugger to you, too, you scarecrow" said Neville, eying the tall young man that had transformed from a scrawny boy. "Great to see you again, mate!"

"You too!" said Harry, clapping him on the shoulder. He then turned towards Blaise, smiling. "Blaise…dear Merlin, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Spreading his arms again, he pouted, "Don't I get a hug?"

Blaise couldn't help but laugh at him and she felt tears spring into her eyes as she rushed across the space between them. She clung to his shirt, sobbing happily, his arms holding her tightly to him.

"You bastard!" she hissed, not meaning it at all. "You bloody, bloody bastard, you…"

"I know, I know," whispered Harry, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

"They tried to make me tell," she whispered. She looked up at him and continued, "But I wouldn't. I swore I'd never and I never have."

"Neither have I," said Hermione from Harry's left.

"Nor me," added Neville, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Where's Professor Snape?"

Harry frowned and lifted his head away from Blaise's but kept her in his arms.

"He's…after our escape – when he returned to normal, he found out that he'd become afflicted with a vampire's greatest weakness."

"Sunlight," gasped Hermione.

Harry nodded weakly and said, "Yeah. He wanted to come but…"

"We understand," said Blaise. "But where have you two been?"

"Here, there – everywhere. We spent a few years in Ireland then went to Wales after they found us there. Then we left a long trail through Europe that would keep Aurors busy for years and fled to America." Harry smiled as he added, "They're not as fearful of mine and Sev's kind over there."

"And now…?" asked Hermione.

"We're back," said Harry. "Sev's Mark has been bothering him and he knows Voldemort is up to something. Hell, I can feel the damned sorcerer's magic in the air."

"Here?" gasped Neville. "At Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded solemnly.

"I can't walk through Diagon Alley without choking on it. His magic reeks from places and people. A few of the Slytherins passed me where I was before I noticed you three and I nearly coughed up a lung." He shook his head sadly, continuing, "Sev's a bloody vampire and an ex-Death Eater and there are Slytherins here that give me worse feelings than he does. Sets my teeth on edge just to be near them."

"Then bugger off, Potter," snapped a voice from nearby and Harry turned, one arm around Blaise. He'd sensed him coming and knew he was there five minutes before he'd said anything.

"Hello, Malfoy."

"Potter," growled Draco. "Damned Sidhe. I ought to kill you where you stand."

Harry's eyes glittered with carefully contained power and he smirked.

"Try me, Malfoy. Then we'll see how damned the Sidhe are."

Draco glared then turned and stalked off with a snort. Blaise glared after him, shaking her head.

"Serpent's toes, he's a bastard now."

"Even worse than when he began, I see," said Harry darkly. "And under Voldemort's hand for at least three years now, if I don't miss my guess. Damn. And damn. This is worse than we thought."

"Its been bad," said Neville. "Quirrell turned out to be helping Voldemort. If Herms here hadn't figured out what was going on he might have gotten hold of the Philosopher's Stone."

Hermione blushed as Harry gave her an approving look.

"Good show, Mione. And I knew there was something wrong with him. I felt it during Halloween. Never had the chance to warn anyone about it…" He trailed off, remembering that night. Blaise edged closer and hugged him gently as she remembered it as well. Hermione and Neville both reached out and touched Harry's shoulders, bringing him back to the current time and place.

He gave a shake then laughed forcefully.

"Damn, I hate that memory."

"So do we all," said a quiet voice suddenly.

"Professor Lupin?" asked Hermione, frowning at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor they'd had since their third year after the fiasco with Lockhart.

The werewolf nodded then looked at Harry, who was blinking at him.

"You're a werewolf," said the young man slowly.

"And you are Sidhe and most definitely Lily's son. Remus Lupin, at your service."

Harry looked warily at the hand he extended then took it, saying, "You're the werewolf Sev told me about."

Remus arched an eyebrow then nodded.

"He said you didn't know my mother was half Sidhe."

"She didn't need to tell me. She always smelt different than everyone else. Oh, hell."

"What?" asked Neville, looking around.

Remus scowled and replied, "Albus has spotted you, Harry."

"Him," snarled Harry, eyes darkening with anger. "Sev and I have had a lot of fun concocting ways to torture him over the years. We finally decided just being alive and well would be enough."

"It'll certainly put the fear of God into him," said Hermione sharply.

Harry gave her an amused look and said, "Sidhe, Mione. Sidhe."

"You know what I mean."

They fell quiet as Dumbledore approached, his blue eyes as frosty as ice. But Harry had lived with Severus Snape, who had a glare as icy as the North Wind in all his frosty glory. Dumbledore's wrath did not frighten him anymore.

And now he knew what it was about the old wizard that he'd always sensed but had never been able to identify.

"Summer," he spat in a voice dripping with venom and power. Those around him shivered but stayed by him, a potent barrier between him and Dumbledore.

The old wizard frowned and paused.

"So," he said, "you've come back." He didn't acknowledge Harry's first shot.

"No. We've come back. Like it or not, old man, you need us."

Dumbledore glared at him.

"A Halfling Sidhe and a quarter-blooded vampire? Better to join Voldemort then me."

Hermione gasped but Harry nodded slowly.

"Ah. Sev said you might say something like that. What's wrong? Afraid of someone more powerful than you?"

Dumbledore turned and lifted a hand. Light gathered there and he hurled it at Harry like a bolt of lightning. Blaise shrieked but Darkness sprang from the ground beneath them in a slightly transparent wall between Dumbledore and them, deflecting the lightning harmlessly into the sky. Harry smirked and said, "I've learned the tricks of my trade, Dumbledore. And more. But I'm no traitor, nor someone to follow Voldemort. Dark Sidhe I may be, but I'm no traitor to the Light!"

The older wizard started to speak but Harry sped on.

"And – if you intend to tell me such things, why not say them to Remus as well? I doubt you would hire a werewolf without knowing of his condition. And as he came to this very school under your tenure as Headmaster, I believe you'd have known about it long before now."

"Remus is different…"

"Is he? He is a werewolf, a bloodthirsty ravening beast. Oh…but only on three nights a month. Is that the difference between us, old man? That he is only a danger three times a month but I am one every moment I draw breath?"

"Exactly."

Harry sneered. "That's some damn fine logic you have there, old man. And fine – if you wish to fight Voldemort alone, be my guest. But you'll lose. And all the wizarding world will lose with you." He released Blaise and stepped up close to Dumbledore, all but towering over the older wizard. "And when that happens, I'll be there. I'll be there to clean up the mess you made by refusing my help. Not every book can be judged by its cover, old man. Nor every one by the content within its pages. Just because someone has the blood of a Dark creature in their veins or can control that very Darkness itself, does not mean that they are Dark themselves. And you're being just a bit of a hypocrite, aren't you, my Summer kindred?"

"Are you quite finished?" asked Dumbledore softly, eyes sparking angrily.

Harry frowned, thought about it, then said, "Yeah, I'm finished."

"Good. Get off these grounds."

"My pleasure," sneered Harry, bowing mockingly. He then turned and walked off, Hermione, Neville, and Blaise following in his wake. Remus waited a moment before he followed as well.

"Now what?" asked Blaise as they stormed towards the main gate.

"I'm going to go tell Sev what happened," replied Harry. "See what he thinks we should do. After that…well, its up to the gods or whoever – if anybody – is up there watching what we poor mortals are doing."

"Coming in, Sev!" Harry called out as he unlocked the front door of a plain looking house. There was a mild scuffle inside then a voice called back, "Come!"

Harry opened the door and allowed the others to enter in front of him. He shut the door behind them and locked it, which called the wards to life. Walking past them into what look like a kitchen, he said, "We've got company!"

"Good company?" came Severus Snape's voice from somewhere else in the house.

"Good company!"

"How good of company?"

"Se-ev!"

There was a chuckle and then Severus walked into the front room where Hermione, Blaise, Neville, and Remus stood nervously. He looked only three years older – rather than the six he should have – and was paler than before but beyond that the same old Severus.

"Little bird," he said, walking towards Blaise and sweeping her into a warm hug. "You've grown into a beautiful woman. And you as well, Miss Granger. And…Longbottom?"

"Sir," said Neville, smiling at the shock on his ex-professor's face.

"Merlin's beard. And Lupin. Followed Harry here, I see."

"He made good point to Albus," said Remus with a shrug. "So I left. I presume he'll figure out I've resigned."

Severus scowled then turned and shouted, "I told you not to run into Albus!"

"Hard not to when its his school!" shot Harry back from across the house. Severus' scowl deepened then he sighed. Blaise looked at him worriedly as she saw a sudden weariness in his face.

"Cousin?"

Severus looked up and smiled, clasping her hands.

"I'm fine, little bird. Tired of these wild years, that is all."

Harry reappeared as he said that, walking up behind the older wizard. He placed a hand on a black-clad shoulder and gave Severus a worried glance.

"Sev?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," said Severus, waving his hand away. Harry, still looking worried, removed his hand but didn't move away.

Blaise noted it and frowned. She knew that look. It was the same worried look her mother often gave her father – her father who was one of Voldemort's Death Eater's. By being here, with a traitor and the one had defeated Voldemort once, was putting a price on her head – on all of their heads.

"So," said Remus, "now what do we do?"

"I wish to hear first," replied Severus. "Sit. Tell. I want details in novel-length."

They sat. And they told all there was to tell.