"Mr. Potter."

Harry turned around and sighed. Rashida and the nurse were walking up to him. Neither one looked very happy. "You have a snake," Rashida said quietly.

"What? I can't have a pet snake?" Harry asked innocently.

"No pets in the ward!" the nurse piped up. Rashida looked at the nurse. Apparently she didn't share the came concerns.

"You speak parseltongue," Rashida continued in the same low tone. "I doubt the real Harry Potter speaks parseltongue. That is a...talent left to the dark wizards." She looked at him with a piercing glare.

"That's common knowledge! Of course the real Harry Potter...I mean, of course I speak parseltongue!" Harry said defensively.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Rashida asked, folding her arms across her chest expectantly.

"You didn't ask," Harry said with a shrug. "So, how did you find out?" Harry asked.

"Actually, I was coming to discharge you last night, and I overheard you. So naturally I ran to tell Rashida," the nurse said timidly. Harry looked at her with surprise. He hadn't heard her enter last night, and usually Giolla warned him if someone was coming. Then, the wrong people wouldn't see her.

Maybe she wanted him to get found out, Harry thought. "So, can I go?" Harry asked. He wanted to go talk to Hermione.

"I suppose," Rashida said with a sigh.

"Not yet!" the nurse broke in.

"What now?" Harry asked, more than a little perturbed.

"I want you to take one final potion," the nurse said as she handed him a goblet. Harry tried to see behind her. Where had she gotten the potion? "There's a table here," the nurse explained, seeing Harry's confusion.

Harry sheepishly drank the potion like an obedient patient. "Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Potter," Rashida said. She looked him in the eye to be sure she had his attention. "You are to follow the rules I have assigned to Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger. And do not let me learn that you are keeping more secrets from me. If you remember something that I might not know, tell me. In these days, one can never be too careful. Understand?" Her gray eyes pierced Harry's green eyes, and Harry was forced to look away.

"Yes ma'am," he said to the floor.

"Good. Now, you will be rooming with your friend, Mr. Weasely. A bed will be added for your use tonight. I believe you know where it is?" she looked at him expectantly.

Harry's mind raced as he tried to remember if anyone had told him where his friends were sleeping. He couldn't recall anything, but he wasn't going to give the woman the satisfaction of thinking he was dumb.

"Of course," he said with a shrug.

"Alright, you're free to go if the nurse will allow," Rashida said reluctantly.

Harry looked at the nurse with hopeful eyes. When she gave him a tiny nod, he jumped off of the bed and strode out of the room.

Harry wandered the halls for nearly an hour looking for Hermione. The first place he had gone was the library. That's where she had spent all of her time as a student, why would now be any different? He stopped in front of a door he didn't remember seeing last time he had walked by hear nearly twenty minutes ago. He smiled in recognition, though, when he saw the persevering Barnabas the Barmy, ever trying to teach trolls ballet. Without further hesitation, he walked into the room.

He was slightly surprised with what he saw. Apparently Rashida knew plenty of the castle's secrets. She was using the room as quarters for her extra security.

About time you got here, a familiar hiss said.

Glad to see you too, Harry said dryly.

So when do I get to meet more of your charming friends? Giolla asked while she made herself comfortable on the nearest bed.

I'm starting to wonder if I want to meet my 'charming friends', Harry admitted.

Oh quit being so self-centered, Giolla said. First you want to hide in the forest, then you want to come back home, then you deicide you don't want to be here, then you decide that you have to be here, and now you want to leave again! You're starting to give me headaches! Tom was never this hard to figure out.

Yeah, he was pretty simple. More power more power, and more power, Harry agreed bitterly.

He wasn't always like that! Giolla protested.

Then what was he like?

Alone. Much as you are now, Giolla said simply.

A chill ran up Harry's spine. What do you mean by that?

Exactly what I said. He had people around him that wanted to be friends with him, but he pushed them away.

So you think I'm going to be the next dark wizard? Harry wouldn't believe what Giolla was saying.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, Giolla stated.

But I don't have absolute power! Harry protested.

People adore you. You defeated the darkest and most powerful wizard. It would be very easy for you to become like Tom.

I won't! Harry protested. He killed people for fun!

You killed Colin Creevey, Giolla said cruelly.

By accident! Harry cried out. But I didn't kill Belatrix, he pointed out.

No, but you wanted to.

Of course I wanted to! She killed Sirius.

So why didn't you get your just retaliation?

I had one death on my conscience. I could not have handled another. She may be evil, but she still had a family, and friends. Who am I to judge who should live and who should die? Harry asked seriously.

You're the most powerful wizard in the world! You can make decisions like that, Giolla hissed menacingly.

I am nowhere without my friends, Harry sadly admitted.

"Harry!" a high-pitched scream sounded from the doorway.

Why do you keep doing this to me? Harry asked the snake tiredly.

You are nowhere without your friends, Giolla quoted. And your friends aren't true if they don't know your secrets.

I hate it when you're right...and using my words no less! Harry pouted.

"Reducto!" came from the doorway. Harry jumped off the bed and out of the way of the beam without thinking.

"Hermione! What are you doing?" Harry demanded breathlessly as he slowly stood up.

"You're not Harry," she accused, her eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Harry would never treat Voldemort's minion like a friend!" she said shrilly. She started to walk over to Harry. And as she got closer, Harry could see bright tears in her eyes.

"You used to have buck teeth!" Harry said desperately, trying to thin of something to prove to Hermione who he was. He saw her fight at The Battle; he knew she was a formidable opponent. She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes still further. "Malfoy hexed you and your teeth grew uncontrollably, and you let Pomfrey shrink them a little further than they had originally been," Harry said warily. He eyed Hermione's wand and she began to lower it slowly.

"It is you," she said.

"You started spew...S.P.E.W." Harry added for good measure.

"So why are you talking to this snake?" Hermione asked.

Harry saw suspicion flicker in her brown eyes. She didn't really believe him yet. "Your patronous is an otter," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Alright! You're Harry James Potter, now tell me why you're talking to this snake," Hermione said impatiently. Harry grinned at her eagerness to know everything.

"This is Giolla."

"Nagini, you mean?"

"No, I mean Giolla. Voldemort called her Nagini. The name she was created by Salazar Slytherin was Giolla. And before you ask, yes she was a horcrux. Somehow she managed to survive my attack on her. Then, when Voldemort died, she passed herself down the line of Salazar Slytherin...to me. Through my scar." He waited for Hermione to start asking questions.

"Do you trust her?" Hermione asked simply.

"With my life," Harry said with certainty.

"Well, I suppose that will have to suffice for me as well," Hermione said.

"What? That's it? You're just going to accept her?" Harry asked with bewilderment.

"Yes. I don't see why not. You trust her," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, but not at first!" he protested.

"Do you want me to kill her?" Hermione asked, pulling her wand out again.

"Well...no," Harry admitted.

"Then I see no problem."

Harry sighed to himself and rolled his eyes, women...

"Hermione, I need help," Harry said after a moment. Hermione took a seat on a nearby bed.

"What is it?" she asked after she took a second to make herself comfortable.

"Ginny."

"Say no more. You really should apologize to her. You were awful! And it hasn't just been one instance. First you ran away, then you ignore her, then you tell her to go away!"

Harry opened his mouth in question, but Hermione stopped him.

"Ginny told me. So you need to go and apologize to the poor girl, she was in a right state when she told me what you said to her! But don't expect anything when you apologize to her. You were a real jerk."

"Thanks for pointing that out for me," Harry said with an audible sigh.

"Well, you were, but a blind man could see that you two belong together, and you miss her like crazy," Hermione said.

"I suppose you're right..." Harry said slowly.

Isn't that what I've been saying? Giolla asked sulkily.

"What did she say?" Hermione asked with interest.

"Nothing," Harry said as he cast Giolla a look, telling her to shut up.

Well it is! I told you that you missed her, that you belonged together, and that you should apologize! I didn't get a 'you're right.' All I got was yelled at! Apparently I don't know anything about relationships, but this little girl knows everything, and I have a lot more life experience than she does! I'm hundreds of years older than her! Giolla said bitterly.

"She sure has a lot to say about nothing. What is she saying?" Hermione asked skeptically. Harry noticed that Hermione was starting to doubt his integrity, so he told her.

"She says that what you told me is what she's been telling me," Harry said sheepishly.

Hermione laughed. "And why didn't you listen to her? It's good advice," Hermione asked with a smile.

Harry said nothing, but a smile was beginning to creep its way onto his face. He wouldn't allow it full reign, though.

Harry's stomach chose that second of silence to growl greedily.

"Oh! I nearly forgot! It's time for dinner," Hermione said. She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him off of the bed. He didn't resist at first, but then a thought struck him.

"What if Ginny's there?" he asked fearfully.

"It'd be good for you. You'd get to apologize to her, but she won't be there."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked as they continued down the hallway.

"Or at least... she shouldn't be there. She said she was going to work on her Potions essay in the library."

"Ginny working on homework instead of going to dinner?" Harry asked, amused.

"Yeah, since her position as Team Captain was put on the line," Hermione said disapprovingly.

"Well, can I run to Snape's room and see if he has any polyjuice potion? I don't want people to I'm back yet..." he said quietly, slowing his pace.

"Oh, don't be silly. People are going to know you're here at some point or another. After all, you do have the acceptance ceremony for the Order of Merlin," Hermione said exasperatedly. She pulled open the doors to the Great Hall and pulled Harry in after her.

Harry held his breath and waited for the ringing silence, the stares, the whispers, and the usual things that happened when he returned to the student body. He stopped in surprise though when nothing changed. The students continued eating and talking. No one even spared him a glance. Harry took a few hesitant steps into the room, waiting for the reaction of everybody. Still, no one noticed him.

Harry was caught between whooping for joy and being disappointed. Everyone was treating him like he was normal. Or had they forgotten him? Harry had gotten used to people gawking at him and bothering him. He had expected the to crowd to him the moment he walked in the door.

Harry's stomach did a somersault. What happened? Had he become conceited? Did he let his popularity go to his head? Harry was sickened by the thought that maybe he was going to be as bad as Malfoy, or worse, Tom Riddle. Harry's palms started to sweat. He wouldn't let the student body's attitude bother him. He was going to be happy that they were treating him like a normal boy. After all, wasn't that what he had wanted, to be treated like a normal boy and his fame forgotten?

He forced himself to be honest with himself, though. He was hurt by their apathy. He was starting to enjoy the attention.

He clenched his fists tighter. Had Rita Skeeter been right? Was that all he was? An attention hungry mentally unstable boy?

No, he told himself. The people loved him because he rid the world of the largest menace ever known. He was not attention hungry; the people just gave him the attention. And just because he got accustomed to being crowded around, did not mean that he was attention hungry.

But maybe he was going to turn into another Tom Riddle, forcing people to do as he wished, become power hungry because he missed the attention he had gotten as 'the boy who lived'. After all he had done for the wizarding world, shouldn't these students be excitedly whispering that the single person they had to thank for their safety had just walked into their dining room?

"Harry?" Hermione asked, interrupting Harry's terrifying thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Harry mentally shook his head. "Yeah, it just feels strange to be back," he said as he calmed himself and assured himself that he was just another eighteen year old boy, and that he wasn't going to become the next greatest fear.

The pair walked to the Gryffindor table and joined Ron for dinner, no one ever noticing the return of the famous Harry Potter.

AN: Alright, so I've now come to my senses, no one reads these things. So I'll just say this really quickly: the more reviews I get (both on here and on my one shots) the faster I update, that simple.

Anonymous Reviews:

yay an update: ("awesome writing!") why thank you! takes a bow