Another chapter of Moonlight Shadows. This is a Multi-Partner story and allows me to try something out that I haven't yet done with Harry's inheritance. I have been working on this for a few days.

DZ2's 'I Stand Alone' Challenge

Plot: Harry Potter never wanted to be a hero: he wasn't born to be one, but the magical world created the image of one. And now, thanks to Tom's return, his creators have used and betrayed him, but what happens to Harry now? Simple: if he's not a hero and if they choose to create him anew as a villain, then there's only one thing to do: go it alone.

Rules: Dark or Evil Powerful Harry

The story MUST start at some point before, during or after Harry's trial in 5th year

No matter where it starts, Harry MUST openly declare his choice to stand alone because he's sick and tired of letting others label him as something he's not.

Harry and Molly MUST have a blowup about how she thinks she can replace Lily and continue to call him a child despite everything he's done

In Gryffindor House, Harry isn't afraid to go after anyone who labels him as anything (e.g. Seamus calling him out)

Because of his dark, antisocial, independent attitude, Ron and Hermione keep their distance at first

Later, however, when Hermione has the idea for the DA, she and Harry have the blowup

What happens to the Trio as a result is up to you

Because of Harry's defection, Umbridge can be either an ally or an enemy

One student-friend who MUST side with Harry in this new path is Luna

Sirius MUST be Harry's ally; whether or not he still dies is up to you

All pairings are welcome EXCEPT Harmony/Harmony-added pairings

Guidelines: Crossovers

Super/OP-Harry

Snapped/Insane-Harry

Sociopath-Harry

In his dark mindset, Harry inadvertently finds himself taking the path of a new Dark Lord

Harry still/eventually forms the DA, but as a band of warriors whom are unquestionably loyal to him

Somehow, Harry uses the bond with Voldemort to his advantage

For whatever reason, Harry takes his defection beyond the point of no return and joins Tom

Slash

Harems

Harry/Multi

In the trial, Harry calls out the Minister himself and/or whoever sent the Dementors, using magic to challenge them

Somehow, Harry gets Sirius' name cleared

Death Eaters/Death Eaters' kids side with Harry

Forbidden: Light or Grey Harry

Weak Harry

The Order getting Harry to toe the line

Molly not finding herself on the wrong end of Harry's ire

Luna and Sirius as Harry's enemies

Meek, emo-like Harry

Harmony/Harmony-added-pairings

Harry going back to who he used to be

Other than that, it's up to you...

One

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle. The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling on your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 A.M. on August 12th. Hoping you are well.

Yours sincerely,

Malfalda Hopkirk

Silence was left in the owl's wake, the barn owl having turned and fled out the window after dropping off the official envelope in front of a quiet teenager and his equally stunned family. Slowly, the boy's bowed head rose to look at each of his loving family members in turn, his eyes wide with horror and confusion. He was being expelled for saving his cousin's life? The Ministry was going to come to his home and snap his wand? "What does that mean?" Harry turned his gaze towards his aunt who was looking at him with a mix of fear and revulsion in her eyes. She glanced at the letter within her nephew's hands and then looked to meet her nephew's gaze again, eyes which reminded her so much of her sister's.

"The Ministry…they're punishing me for saving Dudley's life," said Harry. "I guess I should have just let the Dementors suck out Dudley's soul along with my own. I just…I don't know why or how Dementors were in Little Whinging or why they came after me."

Harry made a fist, clenching the letter tightly inside it but inside he was worried. He knew he couldn't give up his wand to someone from the Ministry if they showed up since Voldemort was back and though none of the papers he received from the Daily Prophet showed any mention of the Dark Lord's return or activities. He supposed the Ministry was pretending that the most feared Dark wizard of his time wasn't of importance unless Minister Fudge saw the Dark Lord himself. That was unlikely to happen, if Voldemort was smart he would be gathering followers and working within the shadows. Harry snorted at his thought of Voldemort ever being smart, no…in Harry's opinion the Dark Lord was rather stupid and weak if he couldn't even manage to kill Harry during all the encounters' they'd had for the past four years.

"What are you laughing at boy?" questioned Vernon.

"Nothing Uncle Vernon," said Harry, attempting to adopt a meek demeanor around his relatives. He rose to his feet, the letter scrunched up in his hand and made his way for the staircase. Grabbing the railing, he placed a foot on the first step before heaving himself upwards, forcing himself up the steps, not even stopping as Vernon shouted after him to come back and explain things. As a result, he missed the second owl but heard his uncle's voice echoing up the stairs as he dashed up them and then down the hallway to his room. "RUDDY OWLS!" Vernon shouted from downstairs. He grabbed the envelope and tossed it in the hearth, flames taking over the parchment. Harry would never know what the letters said. The teenager ran into his room and pulled up the loose floorboard underneath his bed, pulling out his invisibility cloak, map and the photo album containing pictures of his parents that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year at Hogwarts. Hedwig wasn't back yet but he knew that his friend could find him easily, so he didn't bother to bring her cage with him.

Once he had his special possessions within his arms, Harry rushed back downstairs to retrieve his trunk which was in his old room beneath the stairs, a room that was really a cupboard. The Dursleys were still in the living room and he made his way to the cupboard. Pulling out a hairpin that he'd taken from Hermione the end of his fourth year, he used it to unlock the cupboard since he was afraid of using magic despite the fact that it seemed he was officially expelled from Hogwarts. If he used magic, it might make the Ministry officials come to find him faster and he knew he had to get away. As he heard the lock come undone and he reached in to grab his trunk, Harry was flummoxed as to how he would be able to get his trunk down the road and away from his relatives. As it was, his uncle had something to say about that. "Boy! I'm done with all your ruddy owls coming in here at all hours of the night and day! You're leaving and don't come back!"

"I don't plan on it, if I can avoid it," said Harry as he pulled his trunk out of the cupboard and then grabbed his Firebolt that Sirius had given him at the end of his third year at Hogwarts. The feather from Buckbeak was still attached to the broom, the very feather that had come with the broom when it had been delivered to him. His aunt suddenly vanished upstairs, not looking at him. Harry frowned but busied himself with his trunk, opening it and checking that he had everything he needed. Could he manage to fly with his invisibility cloak over himself and his trunk attached to his broom somehow? Harry wasn't sure as he had never attempted such a feat. His home wasn't connected to the floo network and he didn't know how to go about requesting a portkey, let alone making one. Going on foot was an option but it might take a long time to go somewhere. Perhaps if he left his schoolbooks at home? Well, he didn't know how much time he had until the Ministry officials arrived and would have to sort out such things later when he got somewhere safe.

There was rummaging upstairs and soon enough his aunt came back downstairs while Harry was checking his school trunk. Petunia came back downstairs, carrying a box under one arm, a case in her other hand, and an old guitar case resting on her back. "Here Harry. These are some things of your mother's from before she went to that school," said Petunia. Vernon had come into hallway behind Harry and had made no offer of assistance, but Harry hadn't expected him to do so. Harry looked over the belongings his aunt had of his mother, confused as to why she had them and brimming with curiosity. It was just more things to take with him on his run from his relatives.

"What…why did…"

"No questions," snapped Petunia before looking to Vernon. "Go sit with Dudders Vernon. I want to speak to Harry alone."

Both men looked at her in astonishment. Petunia had rarely addressed her nephew by anything other than 'freak' or 'boy' but here she was, finally, addressing Harry by his first name. A bit too late for that, though Harry to himself but watched as Vernon nodded and shuffled back into the living room to sit with his son. Once Petunia and Harry had been left alone she looked at the trunk with some distaste before speaking. "I've included some diaries in that box," she said, thrusting it into Harry's hands, the teenager struggling to avoid dropping it. "I know I wasn't the best aunt to you. The truth is, I was afraid. Afraid of losing you to that world that took my sister, your mother, away but I…I never stopped loving her. I don't expect you to forgive me. I'm not sure your mother would ever forgive me for how I treated you and I'll probably pay for it when it's my time to leave this world but you…you would have done your parents proud."

"Aunt…" Harry started but was shushed with a shake of Petunia's head.

"There's also…something else. A letter from…from the Headmaster of H…of that school you go to."

"Dumbledore?" Again, Petunia silenced him with a stern look until the teenager looked down.

"Yes. But as we stand here, your…those people, are probably tracking us. If you are serious about going then stick within the Muggle world." She pulled out a wad of pounds from a pocket and thrust those into her nephew's hands as well. Harry set the box down and pocketed the money without question though he was suspicious as to why his aunt was helping him, being nice to him. He took the guitar case and put it across his back as well as picked up the flute case.

"What…what is this I'm holding?" he questioned.

"A flute case. It contains your mother's flute and the guitar case contains your mother's guitar as well," said Petunia. "I'd recommend going light if you can and forgetting your trunk. No…listen," she said, holding up a hand as Harry opened his mouth to protest. "Your trunk is conspicuous. If…if this dark wizard is back like you've said then you need to get as far away from here as possible, especially if your own side has turned against you and is coming here. We'll burn the trunk or something in case they try to use it to track you down. Head for London or to Ireland."

"Why Ireland?"

"Ireland's not part of the United Kingdom," said Petunia. "Once you get there, use that owl of yours to contact someone named Peter Wells. He'll help you from there."

"Peter Wells? Help me how? Why?"

"Enough! Go or else you won't be able to leave. But Harry," Petunia said as Harry bent to pick up the box that his aunt said had once belonged to his mother. Harry looked up at his aunt. "Don't let others try to control your life or how you should act." She ushered him out the door and shut it behind him before shouting for Vernon and Dudley that they were going to go on holiday.

Harry stood outside Number 4 Privet Drive in confusion, turning back as he sensed someone looking at him from the window of the living room of his old home. No…not it had never been his home. Hogwarts…Hogwarts had been his only home and now that was ripped from him as well, all because he and his cousin had been attacked by Dementors this summer evening of August. Harry knew that he couldn't balance the box in his arms while flying ran through the list of spells he knew within his arsenal, spells that admittedly weren't a lot despite four years of magical education for he'd never paid much attention to his studies. But, he hit upon one spell he remembered Madam Pomfrey doing in his fourth year, back when Malfoy had caused Hermione's teeth to grow large in front of himself and Ron. Even though Aunt Petunia had told him not to do magic, Harry thought perhaps the best way to get out of the immediate area was to fly. He could try the Knight Bus, but he didn't trust someone from the Ministry to be on it and Fudge had found him when taking it after running away before his third year had started due to blowing up Aunt Marge. That left either walking or flying. Walking would take a long time and truthfully, Harry had never walked so long in his life before. That just left flying…but…but was it worth the risk? If he was spotted he could be…no. He was expelled so what did it really matter if he used a tiny bit of magic to make it easier to fly? Perhaps, as long as he listened to his aunt and didn't use magic, this tiny bit wouldn't hurt anything or anyone. Glancing up and down the street, he set the box down in front of him and then set the photo album of his parents on the ground next to it. :Reducio,: Harry whispered, pointing his wand at the box and a purple light came out of his faithful wand. Picking up the box containing his mother's things he set it within his pocket and then repeated the spell with not only the photo album but also with the flute case that he set down a moment afterwards, the realization that he couldn't fly while holding the instrument a bit too late. With all objects shrunk and secured in his pockets, having stuffed his map into the pocket with his flute case, Harry threw his invisibility cloak over his head and slipped his wand into the back pocket of his jeans before kicking off from the ground and flying up into the night sky. Behind him, Dudley watched curiously at the window as his parents rushed about packing small bags, as they had done when he and Harry had been ten years of age and trying to outrun Hogwarts letters.

"Dudders! Come on, we're leaving!" shouted his father.

"Coming father," said Dudley, letting the curtain fall over the windowpane once more and shuffling towards where his parents stood at the door waiting. The teenager was still pale and clammy, his steps uncertain and wobbly, but he made it across the living room to the back door. They began piling wood to build a fire and then Vernon threw the trunk onto the wood while Petunia struck a match and tossed it onto the trunk. As if by magic, the flames sprang to life instantly and all three Dursleys shuddered, feeding old newspapers and the books that Dudley had never read into the flames for kindling. Only an hour later when the flames had consumed anything magical left from the Boy into ashes, did the family depart from their home and head in the opposite direction of their nephew, a last humane effort to dodge any magicals that might be swooping in upon the home.

As far as Harry knew, wizards rarely went into the Muggle world so hiding there was a stroke of genius on Aunt Petunia's part. He wasn't the best at Geography, but he knew that the trip from Little Whinging to London took him north and then east, which meant if he wanted to get to Ireland like his aunt had suggested, he would need to fly north-west and then due west in order to get to the little island of a nation. It meant he wouldn't be heading anywhere towards London which was unfortunate as he had no real money on him except for wad of pounds from his aunt and a few spare galleons and sickles on his person. Perhaps there was an Irish branch of Gringotts that he could access? And who exactly was this Peter Wells that Aunt Petunia had told him to seek out? How could this man help him? He, an orphan and unwanted burden on his normal muggle relatives? While Harry was making his escape, and wondering such questions as well as what would happen to him now that he was expelled, he didn't know of the chaos that was occurring among a certain vigilante group hidden in his godfather's old home.

"What do you mean he's been expelled?!"

In Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, situated between homes eleven and thirteen, the disgraced lord and fugitive of the Black family glared at Dumbledore who sat with a few other members of the mysterious and otherwise unknown group called Order of the Phoenix, a group that his very pup's parents had been part of as loyal members of the light side. There was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of course, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Severus Snape who was spy, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master of Hogwarts, Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks. These made up Dumbledore's own inner circle. On a landing over the hallway stood the Twins who were listening via one of their extendable ears, an invention they'd created. The Twins had been conversing with their favorite professor when their father had come to Grimmauld where the family had been staying, Sirius having offered up his home as a safe haven for the Order with the return of Voldemort and while they didn't necessarily believe Dumbledore…the man was a bit cracked in the head in their opinion, they did believe and trusted Harry. When their mother had shooed them out of the kitchen and shut the door, the Twins had gone to their room and returned with the extendable ears in hopes of listening in on the conversation. "Well, sounds like Harrykins had gotten himself in trouble again Fred," said George.

"It appears so Fred," said George. "Ron and Hermione are too wrapped up in each other to notice their friend's missing but what's this about him being expelled?"

Fred shrugged in answer and the two boys put their heads together as George put the other end of the Extendable Ears, a long sticky string, into his ear so they could hear together what was being said. The teens went silent and continued to listen through their little invention they'd made before the start of the Golden Trio's fifth, the twins seventh year at Hogwarts began.

"Now Sirius there's no need to get all riled up," came Professor Dumbledore's voice.

"NO NEED TO GET RILED UP? YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT MY GODSON IS OUT ON THE STREETS WITH THE DARK LORD RUNNING AROUND AND, TO TOP IT OFF, HAS BEEN EXPELLED! That is a reason not to be riled up Dumbledore?!" Beside the Grim Animagus, Remus put a hand on his friend's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, but Sirius just shrugged his friend's hand off. But, even Moony was howling for justice and wanting to go find their cub, to make sure he was safe and bring him back to Grimmauld Place.

"Sirius Orion Black! Stop shouting at the Headmaster!" came Molly's obnoxiously loud voice. Up on the landing the twins winched at their mother's voice. A mother who scared them and put down their dreams of running a joke shop and making people laugh which was what they were good at. Their father was a weak-willed man who didn't stand up to their mother at all and was more interested in his Muggle toys that he played with and Muggle culture.

"Don't yell at me in my own house woman!" shouted Sirius in retaliation.

"Sirius," tried Remus but his friend ignored him. Molly had no idea what she was in for, inciting the famous Black temper and in all possibility, Black Madness, that all Black family members were rumored to possess. Sirius's stint in Azkaban for twelve years had done him no favors. Coupled with no treatment after his break out and then being trapped in the house made Remus fear he was losing his last friend and beta of his old pack.

"I care more for that boy than you do," said Molly. "Where were you when Harry was being mistreated? Locked up in Azkaban because you were too busy chasing the tail of a dead man instead of fulfilling your duty as godfather. He's not James, Sirius. He'll never be your best friend! But you don't realize that. You look at Harry and think he's your best friend come back to life. My Ronnie and Hermione tell me things. I'm the one who takes him in every summer for the past four years, makes sure he has things to eat while at his aunt and uncle's, takes him places. What have you ever done for the boy Sirius?"

"Four years! Oh, that's rich coming from a woman who favors certain children in her family!" shouted Sirius.

"Molly," tried Arthur. "At least be polite. We are guests here."

"Don't tell me what to do Arthur!"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Dumbledore, causing all shouting to cease as everyone looked towards the greatest wizard to ever live. When there was quiet within the household, Dumbledore looked around the dining room at each occupant. "We need to find Harry and bring him to Grimmauld. I'm sure that when he gets here and has a chance to cool down, he will forgive his friends for not writing him. Severus, see if you can inquire with your associates to see if Voldemort has Mr. Potter or not. Remus, go with Kingsley and see if you can pick up on where Mr. Potter ran off to. Arthur, head to the Leaky Cauldron. If Mr. Potter ran away, then it's likely he would be heading to London in order to hide out and get some gold from his vault at Gringotts. Hestia, head to Hogsmeade in case Mr. Potter tries to go there, Dedalus go to King's Cross and see if there's any chance the boy might be spotted searching for a way to get to Hogwarts. You have your assignments. Dismissed."

One-by-one the aforementioned-people left, all except for Remus who remained by Sirius's side. "Albus, what about yourself?" questioned Remus.

"I must go to Gringotts and keep Fudge from doing something even more stupid than he has done now besides expelling the boy," said Dumbledore. "Sirius, you will remain here. If you re caught, then I cannot protect you from being captured by Aurors. Don't do anything foolish. Molly, don't let your children know anything is going on with Harry. They'll likely do something reckless, especially young Ronald and Miss Granger."

"Of course, Albus. I'll keep them working on cleaning up this place," said Molly. Sirius sagged back into his chair and watched as the Leader of the Light left his home. Remus leaned down to whisper something in Sirius's ear before taking his leave, leaving just Molly and Sirius within the dining room before the Black Lord rose to his feet and made his way upstairs to feed Buckbeak, the hippogriff that had helped him escape Hogwarts at the end of Harry's third year. The very same hippogriff whose feather Harry had kept, and that Miss Granger and his godson had gone back in time to save in order to save Sirius.

The next few days passed by without incident, the Order on the lookout for the fifteen-year-old teenager. Kingsley and Remus had reported back to Albus that the Dursleys were not at home and that had been seen packing some bags, that Harry hadn't gone with them. Hearing this, Remus had broken into the Dursley's home and looked around for any sign of his cub, but Harry's scent was nowhere to be found. What had been discovered was the cupboard under the stairs with the stale scent of blood and no sign of Harry's broom or his trunk anywhere. Hedwig had also been missing, her cage still locked up within a room containing a cat flap and many locks upon the outside of the fourth bedroom on the second floor, a room which had been cluttered and smelled of sweat and blood which only Remus's wolf angry that someone had dared to harm his cub but also guilt at not seeing the signs before now. Sirius had become anxious at hearing that his pup was not within the Dursley household and that said relatives of his godson were also gone from the home. This had only worried Dumbledore, but the good news was that he had gotten a trial for Mr. Potter and stayed his expulsion depending on the results of the trial.

Severus had reported that none of the Death Eaters were aware of Mr. Potter's demise though there were those within the Order that didn't trust the former Death Eater. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater in their minds. Of course, one of the Death Eaters had gone to the Dark Lord and informed him, resulting in Severus being called to the Dark Lord's side where he had been forced to explain that the boy had gone missing from his home and that the boy had been expelled by the sound of it. Now, not only were there Order members looking for Harry Potter but also Death Eaters on the Dark Lord's orders. All of the Weasley children, plus Hermione, were forced to keep working on making the house habitable by cleaning the rooms while Molly bossed everyone around. Of the teenagers, it seemed only the Twins were aware that things were tense due to Harry being gone.

They had never told anyone what they had done with the money they'd mysteriously gotten the summer of their sixth year, but it had been a loan from Harry as he didn't want the money. They planned on using it to buy a building within Diagon Alley that was abandoned upon graduating from Hogwarts and turning it into a joke shop. With Voldemort back, they figured that the world would need a lot of laughs for the inevitable war, even if the Minister of Magic and the Daily Prophet were slandering their honorary brother and their barmy Headmaster. The twins worked on their various inventions but one thing they were working on for their benefactor and third partner in their future shop was a diary that would allow the twins to communicate with Harry when they graduate in case their friend needed any help. They would be there for Harry in ways that their younger brother, whom was supposed to be Harry's best friend by the way he often talked, was never when Harry really needed someone. In their room, they heard a shout from the first floor, Ginny and Hermione's door opening as their baby sister poked her head out of the room. "What's going on?" she asked her twin brothers.

"Don't know," said Fred. "Maybe we should go down and see."

"Alright," said George and together the twins made their way downstairs, Ginny following behind her older brothers. None thought to bother informing Ron and Hermione of what was going on or of the shouting. Honestly, if the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio didn't realize that there was shouting going on downstairs then they weren't really Harry's friends to begin with. At least, that was what the Twins thought. As they headed downstairs they didn't expect to meet Harry coming up the stairs towards them. "Harry?" questioned the Twins in unison.

Harry looked from one face to the other before spotting Ginny, but he no longer felt the fluttering of a potential romance within his stomach that he had thought he'd had during his fourth year. "Hi guys. Where are we?"