Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All I own is my original characters and settings that will come up later is the story.

I know it's been forever since I've posted. But here's what I've done for you. The following is a nice long chapter that isn't just filler material. It's the good stuff that I've been waiting forever to post.

And here's the scoop. I rewrote the first 28 chapters. Billions of inconsistencies are gone. The first three are nearly triple the size they were. The later chapters, 26 to 28 especially, aren't as different, but I did change some things. It's much improved if I do say so myself, so on a bored day you can go back and enjoy.

I'm going to make a calendar and post it on my website to explain the time duration of all this. There are days in between some of the chapters that explain Harry's changing behavior. As time goes by he's adjusting to his environment. I'll post a note when it's up. It might take some time. I have it written out so I just have to take the time to type it.

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Harry slipped into Gryffindor tower and headed up the stairs to bed.

"You all right Harry?" Ron sat on his bed with his History of Magic book resting in his lap.

"Yeah. I'm all right. I have another Occlumency lesson tomorrow night." Harry stripped off his clothes and pulled on his pajamas. Harry smiled. Dumbledore didn't even mention that he wanted to talk to me when I gave him the test at dinner. Maybe he talked with Ichy and everything is all sorted out? That would be nice. Oh well. I guess I'll find out on Thursday. "Goodnight Ron."

Ron sighed and looked at his book. "Lucky you. Goodnight Harry."

Harry slid under his covers and put his glasses on the table. Everything would turn out okay. If the whole 'being kind to Draco' plan worked out the year could pass in relative peace and quiet. I won't have to worry about everything. I could start acting like my new self little by little until everyone was used to it. I wouldn't have to hide anymore. Everything would be fine and then on break he could visit with Cali and the others. He wouldn't have to lose anything. Harry smiled and moved farther down the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. I'll start work on psychology tomorrow. Cali insisted that psychology would explain why people acted in certain ways. It should help me to understand Draco. Then I'll know how to stop the immature mocking that we can't seem to escape. Harry shrugged and closed his eyes.

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The greenhouse was filled with the cloying scent of mandaren trees.

Professor Sprout clapped her hands. "Now today we will be feeding the mandaren trees. Remember what we've learned. Mash the fruit and place it above the roots. The trees will absorb the juice through the soil."

Harry dropped the orange wedges into the mortar and started smashing them.

Draco dropped grapes into his mortar. "What was the best present you ever got?"

Harry poured the mush onto the soil, wiping the sticky juice off his fingers on the towel next to the pot. "What?"

"Well, we've been acting nice to each other for almost two months now. I haven't called anyone a mudblood lately. Don't I get to ask a question?" Draco smashed the grapes, turning them to juice.

Harry slid the bowl away from him and poured it on the soil. "Well the invisibility cloak was pretty good." I'm trusting Draco with a huge secret. A few months ago I never thought that would be possible.

"What?!" Draco dropped the cherries he was holding in his hands. They hit the floor and rolled into Harry's foot.

Harry smirked and picked them up, dropping them in a bowl. "Why don't you attract a little more attention Draco?"

Draco scowled at the people looking over. He slid closer and grabbed the bowl, mashing the fruit. "Who gave you an invisibility cloak?"

Harry shrugged. "I never found out for sure. The card wasn't signed. Whoever my Dad left it with I guess."

"It was your Dad's?"

Harry sneezed. The air was disgustingly sweet. "Yeah." Would he actually try and find out whom the cloak came from? I guess it's time to change the subject. "Though I think the very best present I ever got was the photo album of my parents. Hagrid gave it to me at the end of first year."

Draco snorted. "You didn't have enough pictures already?"

Harry poured the mush on the second plant. "I didn't have any."

Draco stopped smushing the cherries. "Why not? Didn't your relatives have pictures?"

"Not that I've ever seen." How much should I share? He probably won't believe what my relatives are really like even if I tell him everything, so I really have nothing to lose. "If my aunt had any she probably burned them."

Draco stared at him. "Why?"

Harry shrugged and grabbed strawberries out of the pile. "My aunt wasn't exactly happy with my mom's choices."

Draco tilted his head to the side. "She didn't want your Mom to marry your Dad?"

Harry snorted. "That's the least of it. She didn't want my Mom to be a witch."

Draco's mouth dropped open. "What?"

Harry scowled. "It was freakish behavior. Shameful. I really don't think they were speaking when my parents were killed. As far as I know they never saw me before I was dumped on their doorstep."

"Dumped--what?"

Harry smashed a strawberry, the outer skin splitting as the pedestal broke through. "It's October, so obviously it's not warm out, there are still Death Eaters running around who are pissed I've vanquished their master, and Dumbledore leaves me on a porch all night. Doesn't that seem just a little stupid?"

Draco grabbed the bowl and poured the juice on a plant.

Harry ran his hands through his hair. "Sorry."

Draco shrugged. "I'd probably be pretty pissed too." He cleaned out the bowls and stacked them. "Why did you start being nice to me?"

"Why did you respond to my being nice?" Harry picked up his bag.

Draco shrugged and pulled his bag over his shoulder. They followed everyone else out of the greenhouse and headed across the grounds.

Harry sighed. "I spent the summer liking everyone around me. I found I liked not having to hate anyone. I didn't want to go back. Plus, I finally realized that the reasons I had for hating you weren't as important as I thought before." He walked onto the quittich field and sat.

Draco lowered to the grass next to him. "Why--why did you hate me?"

Harry threaded his fingers through the grass. "When did we first meet?"

Draco looked at him, waiting for the punch line, then rolled his eyes when it didn't come. "We met on the train." He grimaced. "I told you that you didn't want to make friends with the wrong kind of people. I was a pompous little brat, wasn't I?"

Harry coughed. "You aren't still?" He ducked Draco's smack. "But we didn't, meet on the train that is. We were getting fitted for robes at Madam Malkin's. You said that they shouldn't let kids in that didn't know that Hogwarts existed until they got their letters."

Draco pulled his knees toward his chest. "I don't even remember that. I certainly didn't know that it was you." He snorted. "If I had known it was you I probably would have tried to charm you into being my best friend." He sighed. "But so what? One comment and you hate me?"

"I'd never heard of Hogwarts before I got my letter. I didn't know anything about the wizarding world. I thought my parents had died in a car accident."

"What? Why?"

"Because that's what I was always told. I'd only known about magic for a few hours. Hagrid storms into the house, threatens my uncle, and takes me to Diagon Alley to buy my school supplies. My relatives dropped me off at the train station, laughed at me because there wasn't any platform 9 ¾, and then drove off and left me there alone. I had no idea how to get to the platform. Mrs. Weasley helped me. You pretty much managed to insult the only people that had ever been nice to me."

Draco laughed. "I really did everything in my power to ensure you'd hate me, didn't I?"

Harry smiled. "Pretty much." Hedwig landed on his shoulder and held out her leg. Harry untied the letter.

"Who's it from?" Draco tried to peek over his shoulder.

Harry smiled at the return address. "It's from one of the guys I stayed with this summer."

"You didn't go home?"

"For like a week. I kind of freaked out. So, I got to go somewhere fun, and before you ask I've sworn not to tell where I was."

Draco sighed. "Fine. What does this person have to say?"

Harry pulled the page out. The ragged edges ripped from a spiral notebook snagged on the envelope. The page reeked of Calvin Klein cologne. He scanned the page. "Nothing much. It's dreadfully boring without me there. He's in the running for the most explosions in the potions lab. It seems that Chris is announcing that he's going to challenge my jurisdiction so he can sanction me for random acts of magic when he gets bored at the office. It's just the usual stuff."

Draco sputtered. "That's usual?! And who's Chris?"

"Chris is my friend's dad. He likes to try and get stupid laws and acts passed and then use them as examples of what's wrong with the system."

Draco laughed. "That is quite possibly the most insane thing I have ever heard."

Harry laughed. "And that's Chris." He fell backward and relaxed against the ground.

"How does he pass laws? Does he work in the ministry?"

Harry sighed. And the honesty fails. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted. "It's a little complicated. I can't really explain. Sorry." He glanced at his watch. "I have to go. I have extra psych work to do." He waved away Draco's confused work. "It's a muggle subject. I got some extra stuff so I could actually be able to survive in the muggle world if I need to. I'll see you in class Draco." He pushed himself to his feet and headed back to the castle.

Harry climbed through the portrait hole. Ron grabbed his arm and yanked him up the stairs. He had to catch himself on his hand as an overenthusiastic pull from Ron sent him diving toward the chilled stone stairs. He pushed Harry into the room and locked the door.

Hermione perched on the end of Ron's bed, her feet resting on the trunk. The low wind pushed against the window.

What did I do? I've been acting normal, slowly acting more like my summer-self and no one has acted like it was strange. "Guys? What's wrong?"

Ron paced next to his bed. "Why are you being so friendly with Malfoy?" He shoved Harry backward.

He clenched his fists around the black fleece blanket to catch his balance. He relaxed back onto the bed to remove Ron's tendency toward violence. This was really about Draco? Of course. Ron's hatred toward Draco was near legendary. I just have to calm him down. Explain things clearly. "I was tired of treating him like the devil incarnate." He fought to keep his voice steady. He slipped his hand into his pocket and curled his fingers around the marble. The cold seeped into his fingers and traveled up his arm.

"He is! How can you just talk to the bloody git after everything he's done?! You never care about anyone but yourself. After what Draco's done to Hermione how can you just act like nothing has happened?!"

He ripped his hand out of his pocket and threw himself off the bed. "How can I talk to you like nothing's happened?! How can I forget that when it's me against the world you're likely to side with the world and not believe me when I tell you I didn't do it?!" The door slammed against the wall the wood cracking down the center.

Hermione's hands shook. "Harry, we just wanted to understand. You've been through a lot. We were just worried."

The smell of cherries wafted past him and he took a deep breath. "We're partners in Herbology. I treated him like a person and he did the same. It's not like we're sleeping together."

Ron choked and stumbled back into the bed. "What?!"

Harry sighed. Does he ever listen to me? "I said we're not sleeping together Ron."

"Why would you even say that? You're not--are you--oh bloody hell." Ron dropped down next to Hermione.

Harry picked up his bag again. "I'm not, but if I was I certainly wouldn't tell you." He walked out. He walked into the common room and it exploded with activity. Maybe they'd been louder than he'd thought. He left the tower and headed down the stairs. He turned left and followed the twisting hallways into the dungeon. He rubbed his head as he knocked on the door to Professor Snape's office. Class should have ended long enough that he should be back here by now.

The door swung open. "What is it that could not wait?" Professor Snape didn't even look up from the papers on his desk.

He took a deep breath. "I thought you'd want to know that Chris will probably contact you about a spike."

The quill stopped scratching and Professor Snape set it down. "What happened?"

"I nearly cracked my door in half." I should have been able to control it. Ron's the only one that can get such a rise out of me now. We should work on that in my next lesson.

"Emotion?"

"Really pissed off. It was Ron again. I managed to reblock my mind fairly quickly. Just before I threw up the last of my shields I felt him moving closer, but beyond feeling the spike he wasn't close enough to pull out any information. I'll be in the library if Chris wants the details."

"Why would he want the details?" Professor Snape leaned back in his chair.

Harry hugged himself. "Well he still has that charm on me that tells him my status, so he'll know something happened. Plus, he's attempting to change my jurisdiction with the ultimate goal of pulling me out of Hogwarts, so he'll want any proof he can gets his hands on."

"What?!" Oh cool. Surround sound. He looked over his shoulder. Draco hovered in the doorway.

"Hi Draco." Harry shrugged. "Chris was bored. Things at the office were slow and he asked me what I thought would be the most impossible thing to do. I told him there was no way to get me out of here. So that's what he's trying to do. It's no big deal since it will never happen. I'm out." He headed toward the door. "See you in class Draco." He headed toward the stairs and the library. I really shouldn't keep telling people these random things, but it shouldn't make a difference really. I just told them the truth. He sat at a table near the back and out of sight of the doors. He pulled his psych book out of his bag and flipped to the post-it flag. The structure of the brain. Harry leaned his head on his palm and yanked the cap off his highlighter. Halloween is tomorrow. He sighed. Something always happens on Halloween. Let's hope for something smaller than a troll this time. He smiled.

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Harry jumped into his seat at the Gryffindor table with a smile. Halloween was almost over and nothing bad has happened. The Halloween horrors could finally end. "Hey guys. I'm starving. I can't wait for the feast to start."

Hermione smiled. "Hi Harry. Where were you all afternoon?" She chewed on her lip.

Harry patted her arm. She didn't do anything. Even Ron didn't do anything really. He's just as close-minded as society made him. Pureblood wizards really need to be forced out into the world more. "I was in the library working on my psychology. I only have a few more chapters left before I send for the test."

Hermione smacked Ron and he shifted in his seat. "Um--I--I'm sorry mate. I was a right prick about the whole--the whole you know--thing."

Harry sighed. Well, it's an apology at least. "It's okay, but you do understand that I'm not going to stop being nice to Draco just because you don't like it."

Ron sputtered.

Harry shook his head. "It's not like we're best friends or anything. We just talk in class and after class and don't try to make the other miserable. I'm not going to go back to hating him. I don't have to energy to keep doing it."

Dumbledore stood. "Welcome everyone to the Halloween feast. May you all enjoy the wonderful food that has been prepared this evening." He clapped his hands and the platters on the tables overflowed as everyone cheered.

Harry loaded his plate and joined in on Dean's conversation about football. The main course eventually disappeared and the desserts appeared. Harry grabbed the bowl of pudding and spooned it out. "I love pudding. It's so squishy and fun."

Dean shook his head. "Whatever you say Harry."

Harry squished the pudding through his teeth and swallowed. McGonagall came through the doors and headed to the staff table. She moved around the table and leaned down to Dumbledore's ear. Where had she been? The last desserts disappeared.

Dumbledore stood and held up his hands. The hall fell silent. "Thank you. I wish I did not have to end the feast on such a low note. I am afraid we have now seen the beginning of a dark time. This morning another magic school was attacked. A number of the professors there have confirmed that it was indeed Death Eaters that conducted the attack. The members of this school will be taking refugee here until a more permanent solution can be found. I trust that you will all make them feel welcome and be sensitive to their situation." He gestured and the room grew without disturbing anyone seated. A fifth table appeared in the center of the newly created space. The doors swung open and kids of all ages filed in. All of them wore muggle clothes in various states of disarray. A few adults were scattered through the mass directing people forward. Most of the older students carried children, some as young as two or three.

The Great Hall exploded with whispers, people pointing at those pouring through the doors. Professor Snape's eyes roamed over the crowd, his fist clenched around the stem of his goblet.

Mom stood at the door, the right side of her face bruised and her left arm in a sling. Dad passed around a clipboard that everyone was signing. Jason sat four-year-old Marjore on the bench next to her cousin Meg who'd just turned thirteen last week. Jason pushed his hair off his face and glanced around, his head stopping toward the end of the Slytherin table.

Harry stood and walked to the table. The hall went silent. Everyone else was seated. He stopped in front of Jason who turned to face him. He took a shuddering breath.

Jason pulled him into his arms.

Harry hugged him back and relaxed. He pulled back to look into his face. "Are you okay?"

Jason smiled. "Nothing a little magic can't fix. Too bad a little magic can't fix me, huh?" He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises. I'll be fine in a few days."

Harry nodded. "Where is she?"

Jason's smile dropped. "I--I don't know."

Harry twisted his hands in Jason's shirt. "You have to know. You're the second."

"She told me to take the kids and get out. I did. The last I saw of her she was headed to the potions lab." He grabbed Harry's shoulders. "She can take care of herself. She's probably just hiding out."

He's trying to make me feel better. He doesn't believe it. "If she were okay she'd be here."

Jason shook his head. "She couldn't know we'd come here."

Harry clenched his fists. He couldn't stop the shaking. "I'm here. She'd come. If something were wrong she'd come here." He could barely hear his own voice. "I killed her." He ripped himself away and bolted through the open doors.

Harry ran down the corridors, the tears streaming down his face. He did this. It's all him. He wrapped his hands around his head. He couldn't make it stop.

He turned the corner. He couldn't get the image out of his head. She wasn't there. She wasn't in the hospital wing. It was filled with injured students from the Academy but she wasn't there. She wasn't in the Great Hall. If she were alive she'd be here. She would have found him by now. She was dead. People were hurt. They were supposed to be safe at the Academy.

They would have been if it weren't for him. If he hadn't gone there they would be fine.

He turned around. Where was he? He slammed his fist into the wall. Cali was missing. It didn't matter what Jason said. She wasn't hiding on the grounds. Cali knew every inch of the grounds. She would have gotten out and gotten here. They had her. The Death Eaters had her. It was all his fault. She would be dead within hours. Professor Snape wouldn't be able to stop them. Spy or not it wouldn't help. Even if he could find them he won't be able to convince them to let her go. He can't tell them who she really is, and he can't compromise his position. And if he told them who she really was they'd probably want her dead more. The daughter of his squib sister? That can't go along with their ideas that people with magic are better than those without it. They'd come after Mom too. He spent all this time and effort keeping them safe and all for nothing. I ruined it. I ruined everything. She's as good as dead. It won't be an easy death either. They'll torture her. This is all my fault. I have to stop this. I can't kill anyone else.

He stumbled into the wall, the stone scraping the skin off his arm. He clapped his hand over it and ran down the stairs. He jumped down the last six stairs and ran down the hallway. The potion had to still be there. He'd seen where Professor Snape put it. He'd still be up in the Great Hall with Biara. He can't do anything that would show his having sympathy for people attacked by Death Eaters. Someone would tell their Death Eater parents and everything would be ruined. He won't be down here. He wouldn't come to his classroom this late at night.

He collapsed against the wall next to the door. The door was locked. He slammed against it. Splinters ripped his palms open. No! It couldn't be locked. He screamed and the door exploded inward, shards of wood covering everything.

He stumbled across the room and pulled the potion cupboard open. It was on the top. It had to be on the top. I saw him put it there. There!

He pulled the vial out. He'd made the fucking poison. He might as well use it. He pulled out the stopper and tipped it back.

"Expelleramus!"

The vial flew out of his fingers and smashed against the ground. The liquid bubbled and the indentations in the stone grew deeper. Draco stood in the doorway with his wand raised, eyes fixed on the smoke emanating from between the shards of glass.

Professor Snape swept into the room and froze. "What the bloody hell is going on?!"

Draco jumped back. "Dumbledore told everyone to go back to their dorms. I got the last of the students into the common room and I heard someone screaming. I came to see what was going on. I saw Potter grab the potion and try to drink it. I tried to get it away from him but it smashed on the floor."

Professor Snape looked at the growing indentation in the floor. "Potter what were you doing?" His voice was quiet.

He hated him. Malfoy hated him. Why did he mess up EVERYTHING? "You bastard! Why do you have to stick your nose in everything?!" He launched himself at Malfoy.

Snape grabbed him around the waist. The scream ripped out of his throat. He'd killed her. He fought against the arms. Why couldn't they let him go? He was trying to keep everyone safe. Why wouldn't they let him keep everyone safe? The arms wrapped around his torso and trapped his arms against him. The fingers dug into his skin.

He sagged against the arms. They loosened and he fell to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his chest, digging his fingertips into his arms. The tears fell onto his scraped skin, burning as they slid down his arm.

"Harry." The slender arms wrapped around him. She smelled like cinnamon.

"Mom?" Everything is okay. She can make everything okay. She helped me. She can make everything better.

"Oh baby I'm here. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." She brushed the hair off his forehead.

The floor was still smoking. The liquid settled in the depression sending up thicker clouds of smoke. Snape knew what it was. He knew. I can't--I have to end this. He'll kill me.

"Harry, I want you to listen to me."

A drop of potion sloshed over the lip of the crater and slid an inch toward him. Calling him. There had to be more. He had made it once. He could make it again.

"Harry!" Her hands were shaking as she cupped his face. "I need you to go to the Great Hall. Find little one. Make sure she's okay."

Lila. God. What would she be thinking? That it was her fault that she hadn't seen this? It wasn't her fault. He had to tell her!Harry pushed himself to his feet and trudged toward the door. Have to find Lila. Have to make sure she's okay. Draco said that all the students went back to their dorms. She must have snuck in with the Academy students. They still won't know how to help her. They don't know what it's like to kill someone.

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I'm chained to my computer because I'm taking the commercials out of my Lois and Clark tapes, so hopefully the next chapter will come out much sooner than this one did.

I would LOVE to hear from you what you think. Especially about the changes I made. Happy reading all.