A/N: Here's a little "filler." I thought it might be fun to have Fay Dunbar join the group. I'd forgotten about her. I think she got mentioned in book 4?

Chapter 25 - The New Paradigm - Part I

Might I have your assistance….. with something later this afternoon, Harry?….. After your final class for the day?

The message from Dumbledore came to Harry through the coin while he ate breakfast Monday morning. He sighed as he read it, and battled reluctant curiosity. He had actually hoped to avoid the elderly wizard as much as possible during the final days before his emancipation. I guess this is partly why he told the squad to pull back from me...

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The summons to assist Dumbledore weighed on Harry's mind all day. He did things to try to distract himself, and that helped. While the others headed to the Great Hall for lunch after double Herbology, Harry raced up to his dorm to retrieve the large box of chocolate frogs and hustle down to the Magical Defense Training Arena, we'll call it the MDTA, to get it safely stored for later. He was late to the table for lunch but managed to wolf down enough food to sustain him for the afternoon.

"What do you think he wants from you, Harry?" Ron asked as they headed up to Transfiguration.

"No idea," Harry replied. "I just know he's decided to take control of me again. Or try to, anyway."

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"How are you faring lately, Harry?" the Headmaster asked as he gestured Harry into the seat in front of his desk.

"I'm taking things minute by minute, sir," Harry replied after he'd been seated. He was extremely guarded, and extremely aware that he was unable to pretend otherwise. "Some things are better," he added. "I've had enough to eat, and have a nice place to sleep that isn't a cupboard, at least."

Dumbledore smiled sadly, as he nodded in approval. "You're getting along much, much better with Professor Snape," he pointed out. "That, in itself, has to be measurable improvement."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "He's helped me a lot, actually. They all have, but especially Severus. We're able to really talk about things now."

"But what Severus revealed to you yesterday was quite extraordinary, Harry," Dumbledore pushed, "and yet, you've seemingly already moved on from it."

Does he want me to hold a grudge against Severus? Harry frowned at the Headmaster. What's his game now?

"Well, I might have been miffed for a while longer, if five minutes later I wasn't under attack again, and having to put all of that stuff aside. I saw for myself how tortured Severus is over that part of the past, and it completely explains why he's been so awful. He's had it worse than I have, all this time, and that's saying a lot," he said this with an edge to his voice. "And what's going to happen to those blokes that attacked us? One of them used that same slicing hex that Strickland used on me! Lethal magic! He should be under arrest!" He glared at Albus Dumbledore in frustration, only able to see the powerful wizard as a master manipulator in this moment. "Why don't any of these criminals actually get real punishment for the things they do?" He jumped to his feet. "Pius Thicknesse came into this school, looking specifically for me! And, he whipped me! He completely got away with it! Whatever he did for all of those hours he spent in the ROR last Wednesday are part of why those Ravenclaw bastards came after us in the corridor! Why aren't you doing more, sir?" He regretted the last demand as soon as he'd said it, because he really didn't think Dumbledore could, or should, be expected to handle the mess created by Voldemort by himself.

"Harry," Dumbledore said in a chiding tone that revealed his shock at Harry's outburst.

Harry was heaving breaths in and out, and suddenly had the horrible urge to burst into hurt tears. Don't you dare, he warned himself. "I'm sorry, sir," he said quietly. "I don't think it's entirely up to you to handle everything. Actually, I think the fact that the rest of us have left things completely up to you is part of the problem." And now, he regretted having said that. Bugger.

"Is that why you're seeking emancipation, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry's eyes shot up to meet the Headmaster's. He'd suspected that Dumbledore knew about his plan, since that late night visit in his dorm his first night back here, but Harry had been just fine with avoiding the subject. Now his stomach plunged. But why? Why would I feel guilty for solving my own problems? The rage and hurt flared again. An angry lump formed in his throat, strangling his words as they forced their way out, "I've learned an awful lot from my solicitor," he told the Headmaster. "I learned that I have rights."

"Of course you do, Harry!" Dumbledore replied, and now he sounded a bit rankled as well. "There's been so much at stake, where the entirety of Wizarding Britain, indeed the wizarding world at large, have been in dire peril, because of Lord Voldemort. I've had to consider all of this, you see."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "There is a big picture, and I'm a small pawn in it. You can only see me if you look more closely." He held the old wizard's troubled gaze with his own. "No one ever really looked. I had to figure it out for myself."

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Whatever it was that Dumbledore had intended to accomplish with Harry today had gotten completely derailed by their discussion. Harry had been tempted to go off about the way the Headmaster had reined in Severus and Remus from giving Harry so much one-on-one attention, but had stopped himself. This encounter had helped him to remember that he still needed to fulfill his quest for legal control of his own affairs, because the threat of Albus Dumbledore's ability to interfere was still there. And while I'm at it, I need to start thinking like a bloke who's reached his majority. In some ways, he already had done, he recognized. Look how much of a difference it's made to just say NO to being bossed around? Everyone has backed off quite a lot. I guess I was afraid they'd force me to obey.

Harry avoided an early arrival to the Great Hall, and instead took a walk through the second and third floor corridors to clear his head. There were plenty of students about, all friendly faces, coming and going from the Library, or a visit with Madam Pomfrey, or some other corner they'd sought out to do some studying or gossiping, while awaiting the dinner hour. He shoved his hands into his pockets and wove his way through the threads of moving students, feeling both invisible and too visible, but needing to be in motion while he sorted his thoughts.

It was once he'd crested the top of the stairwell which opened onto the fourth floor that he crossed paths with Headmaster Dumbledore, once again. Harry really didn't like the way his stomach clenched every time he saw Dumbledore lately. He stopped in his tracks and looked up into the concerned eyes of a wizard for whom he'd once had such high regard, but who had basically fallen off of his pedestal. "Sir?"

"Harry, I need your help," Dumbledore admitted, "and I very much want us to resolve the tension we are experiencing. I realize I've lost your trust, and that I've some difficult work ahead to regain it."

"Why do you need my help?" Harry asked, all at once feeling incredibly exhausted.

"I think I may have found another horcrux."

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Harry found himself heading down to dinner with the Headmaster after agreeing to join him the following afternoon for a short journey off the school grounds.

"You will essentially help me to determine if it is indeed what we are looking for, by virtue of the presence of pain in your scar," Dumbledore told Harry as they descended the last stairwell to the first floor.

"Oh," Harry said. That seemed reasonable enough. "If it is, what will we do with it?"

"I'll contain it in a lead casing, similar to the one Kreacher created for the locket, Harry. We can deliver it to its holding place."

"Its holding place, sir?" Harry asked.

"The Chamber of Secrets," Dumbledore confided quietly. "It's only accessible by you and I."

"Oh," Harry said again. They'd reached the bottom of the stairwell. "Sir, how soon will I be allowed to use the new Defense Arena, the MDTA?"

"It still needs some equipment and other interior details, but essentially you are free to schedule a class at your earliest convenience. However, if you are willing to wait until after the weekend, the elves will be adding a selection of dueling tools later in the week. I've had to task them with a vital assignment in the meantime."

Harry didn't ask what the elves were busy doing as he might have done when things were more congenial between him and the elderly wizard. "Thank you, sir," Harry said instead, adding, "I'm not too worried about equipment for the next class, so I'll set a plan to meet on Wednesday evening."

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At dinner, as he'd also noted at breakfast and lunch that day, the fifth year Gryffindors continued to stay together in a unified bunch. Harry was quickly flanked by Ron and Hermione on the bench at their table, and his other three dorm mates made sure to seat themselves directly across from him. Lavender and Parvati sat beside Seamus, and Fay sat beside Hermione. Fay? Harry reflected. She never hung out with them!

"Fill us in, Harry," Neville requested. "We know something happened yesterday before dinner, and since you and the squad didn't come in here to eat, we are betting it was another attack. Did you get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Everyone is," Harry said with a small smile. He gave them a detailed recap of the event in the corridor, and also their fun night on the quidditch pitch. "I think I'll be back on the Gryffindor team in a few weeks," he added, and had to grin happily when Ron loudly whooped with enthusiasm. "And our next DA is Wednesday night. The new room is downstairs, on the way to Dumbledore's office." This was met with an enthusiastic group whoop.

"Will you stay in the dorm tonight, Harry?" Seamus asked, and then promptly stuffed a huge bite of Shepard's pie into his mouth.

Harry hadn't even thought that far into the future. "I think so," he said. He still needed to finish his reading for History of Magic, which he would do tonight, and had to do a quick bit of research on the ingredients for tomorrow's practical in Potions. He'd had two double class sessions today, and both had set essays for homework that was due Thursday, so he wanted to get that outlined as well. I wonder how Severus will track my work if I don't stay in my bedroom? He looked up at the professors' table and caught the potion master's eye, but Severus seemed to still be in a mood. Harry smirked at him and looked away quickly, not needing to wonder what that was all about. He next caught Remus' eye and received a smile, so Remus was doing just fine. Lucius was currently standing off to the side, speaking with Draco, but Harry already had a sense as to where his "mentor" stood.

A number of Owls arrived with the evening edition of the Daily Prophet. Harry cringed at the idea of whatever trouble the paper would seek to stir up, and just kept his eyes on his food.

"How are you doing with your assignments, Harry?" Hermione wanted to know. She wasn't asking in a nagging way, but more as if she might offer to "help" him finish anything he was worried about. She made a point of stowing her copy of the paper in her school bag near her feet, much to Harry's relief.

"I'm on top of it all, actually," Harry told her with a grin. "Snape fussed over my weekend homework, so I was set for Herbology and Transfiguration today. I've still got reading, and there's new assignments from today, so I'm going to the Library next. Are you going to study in there after your rounds?" He had to laugh at how happy Hermione looked. And she was speechless.

"There's quidditch practice," Ron said with relief. "Afraid I'll have to miss that special time in the Library."

"You'll still have to do your work, Ronald." Hermione huffed. She'd found her voice.

Harry and Ron smirked at each other.

"I'll study with you, Harry," Fay said. "I've fallen behind in Potions. Don't we have to make a list of ingredients for tomorrow's practical? I don't even know what it is!"

"It's the Draught of Peace," Hermione told her. "And don't forget to review Flobberworms for COMC tomorrow."

"Oh yeah," Harry said. It would be a new practice for him to show up already somewhat familiar with the class topic. He wasn't entirely convinced it was necessary to do so, but he was willing to give it a try if it didn't keep him in the Library for too long this evening.

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Fay did indeed show up to study with Harry, and she seemed to think that he had an "in" with Snape in a way that would help her gain the prickly potion master's favor. "I've been getting really poor marks all year, I'm not sure why," she admitted to Harry, making him feel like her new confidant.

"I honestly don't have any advice for you, other than doing your best," Harry said. "I suppose you could ask to speak with him after class about how you can improve-"

"Not. a. chance. in. hell."

She'd enunciated exactly like Snape at his very worst, and that made Harry bark a guffaw of laughter that got them glares from both students and Madam Pince. Harry ducked his head and chuckled softly.

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"Be careful around Fay, Harry," Hermione whispered to him as they gathered their books an hour later. It was just the two of them at this point. Fay had rushed through her list of ingredients and promptly lost interest, heading over to hang out with Terry Boot. "She's proven to be… well, two-faced."

Harry gave her a questioning look, still amused from Fay's Snape impersonation.

"Just, be careful." Hermione repeated flatly.

"Okay," Harry said quickly. She was using that tone of hers that suggested she'd learned by experience. He checked his watch. Half eight. He doubted it would be a good idea to drop in on Severus, but it felt really strange to not have had any sort of check-in with him today. I'll see him in class tomorrow. That would have to do.

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"The Prophet finally posted that you were there when You Know Who was taken down, Harry," Ron informed Harry in their dorm as they were all changing into pajamas for the night. "It was odd, I thought, the way Skeeter talked anyway, as if she'd never questioned the validity of your claims."

"No one has ever asked me a thing about that day," Harry said, shaking his head. "I haven't gotten to make any claims! Let that rag write whatever rubbish they want. I'll never participate."

"Someone will tell them what you say to the Wizengamot," Ron pointed out. "There's always someone in that lot that leaks little bits to the reporters."

Harry sighed in disgust. Bugger.

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Severus paced in his living area.

He'd paced the night before, and now he was pacing again, as he whiled away the last twenty minutes before breakfast would be served upstairs. It's Tuesday morning, he reflected. As far as I know, nothing new or wrong has happened… It was a problem for him to not have regular access to Harry Potter, the magnet for all things that could happen, both new and wrong. Not that he'd intended to completely obey Albus' command to back off with Harry. And, what had prompted that command, exactly? Albus was clearly attempting to retake the reins, and that was making Severus very tense.

He'd unfortunately been rude to Aurora Sinistra when she'd casually asked if he needed her to look in on his House again last evening. I need to apologize…. He smirked. Knowing Aurora, she'd consulted her runes and determined Severus was feeling out of control for things that had nothing to do with her. But I still need to apologize.

He checked the time and sighed in annoyance, deciding to simply head up to the Great Hall and have an early cup of coffee. And perhaps hover long enough to pull Harry aside for a brief update.

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Harry slept heavily all night, and awoke groggily, taking several minutes to realize he'd overslept, much to his disgust. He had to rush to get dressed and get downstairs, and nearly missed breakfast. He looked up to the professors' table for any members of the squad to at least nod at, but none of them were still present. Remus and Severus both had morning classes, so of course they'd already headed out. Harry had no idea what Lucius might actually be up to at this point. Maybe, he's actually inspecting the portraits of Hogwarts?

The owls had already delivered the morning paper, so Harry got to bypass that source of aggravation too.

"Walk with me down to the dungeons, Harry?" Fay begged.

"Er, alright," Harry agreed and they started walking.

Fay seemed to think they had all the time in the world before they'd be marked tardy, and didn't catch on when Harry quickened his pace, until they were pushing their time of arrival to the last possible second. Harry literally left Fay behind by a couple dozen paces, rounding the corner to find Professor Snape holding the door open, lip curled in annoyance, and looking like he was ready to snap.

Wonderful. "I see you're still terse," Harry muttered for Severus' ears only, as he passed over the threshold.

Fay managed to scoot in right behind Harry, just in time. The door slammed with a sharp BANG behind them.

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Severus had scowled as he'd watched the Dunbar witch quicken her pace once she'd realized she'd failed at making her grand entrance with Harry Potter. What is that idiot boy doing, pairing up with that witch? Of all of the students he'd worked with in his career thus far, that girl was one of the most disingenuous and manipulative he'd ever encountered. Her presence rarely failed to irritate him, even when he ignored her outright. It dawned on him now what a relief it had been that Potter had never previously seemed to give her any attention. Let us hope this was a fluke, and that there's not a budding attraction between the two. He'd deliberately slammed the door to vent his irritation, then swept to the front of the room, pulling out his coin and wand as he scanned the class with his most unyielding expression.

"Gather your ingredients and set up your stations," he directed coldly. He was furious, and turned his back to message Harry:

Do NOT use that tone….. of familiarity with me….. while in this class.

Severus headed toward his desk to be seated while the students blundered through their potions. He sighed inwardly, recognizing belatedly that he'd been agitated over not getting to check in with The Boy Wonder, face to face, before missing him at breakfast. Having had to squelch that frustration into an already overloaded compartment in his mind had been a trial on its own. But the brat commenting about his terseness just now had nearly unleashed that tenuous grasp.

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Harry read his coin and his stomach plunged as if he'd been punched. Severus' message literally shocked him into a state of disrepair. He tried and failed to quiet his mind. He did not want to hear his inner cynic jeer at him for having been stupid enough to think he'd gained a significant amount of standing with Severus Snape, Bat of the Dungeons.

Told you not to trust him! What an idiot!

He numbly followed Neville into the supply closet to gather his ingredients, managed to forget the powdered porcupine quills, grabbing powdered beetle dung instead, and it all went downhill from there. His nerves were shot, and Neville's recently increased confidence deserted him when he caught onto Harry's distress. Between the two of them, they were lucky they didn't cause an explosion of some sort as the class progressed. Needless to say, neither achieved the result of a translucent turquoise blue serum. Harry's looked and smelled like the dung he'd mixed into it, and Neville's looked and smelled like bile.

Blech.

The double session was suddenly at a close, and Harry had to deliver his potion to his professor's desk. Snape ignored him, which actually was preferable to a derogatory comment or scowl. Harry hurried back to his table and managed to copy half of the homework instructions before people began to file out of the room. He gathered his things quickly and messily, needing to get away from Potions class and its surly professor.

"Potter, remain after class."

Harry finally stilled, and took the steps required to center himself again. From there, it was easy enough to summon the bitter resentment from the first term, and to remind himself that he had seventeen days left to put up with shite like this. And I do not want detention. He waited until the last student had left and then met Severus' cold stare. His heart thudded in his chest. "Am I in trouble, sir?" At least his voice was steady, and he sounded assured to his own ears.

"Should you be?"

"No."

"Why were you nearly late, this morning?"

"What's the difference?" Harry asked defensively. "I wasn't late. That's what matters." He slung his bag over his shoulder and started for the door.

"You have not been dismissed, young man," Severus said sternly. He knew he was needlessly pushing a confrontation, and falling into familiar bad habits. Just let him leave, he warned himself. He was not in the right temper to right the wrongs he'd already caused, and was only deepening the rift between them at this point.

"I'm not interested in a conversation with you," Harry declared decisively, as he'd done that first night, when he'd reminded Snape and Malfoy that they were not in charge of him. He kept walking, and was nearly at the door. "If you don't like it, take it up with my mentor." That last part he'd added on impulse, and realized belatedly that it had been a bit of a gut punch to Severus. What, so he's the only one that gets to deliver those kinds of jabs?

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Harry released the air from his lungs in an exasperated sigh as he slipped out of the classroom. He hustled to put as much distance between himself and Severus Snape as quickly as he could. He had a free period now, and then lunch, and wanted to use the time on assignments because he would be meeting Dumbledore later-

Oh, for Merlin's sake! Fay Dunbar was waiting for him.

"Did you get in trouble because of me, Harry?" she asked innocently.

What's she playing at? "No, Fay, I didn't get in trouble at all."

"But Professor Snape was after you today," she insisted.

"How do you figure?" Harry asked, reluctantly falling in step with her.

"He sent you a message. I saw it. I saw your face when you read it, and then you messed everything up after that," she declared. "I bet you got a zero for the day, didn't you?"

Harry could feel himself turning bright red. It did not sit well with him to know people were monitoring him this closely. "I wasn't in trouble," he repeated. He remembered Hermione's warning about Fay, but frankly wouldn't have needed it. There was something about her that he found distinctly unlikable.

"So you say," she challenged, and laughed as if she understood Harry better than he understood himself.

By now they'd caught up to some of the slower moving students and Harry broke away from her to walk beside Ron. And then he recalled the exchange he'd just had with Severus and his stomach plunged again. I'm getting awfully sick of this feeling.

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He was technically supposed to study in the Great Hall, but Harry went to the Library to get away from Fay and anyone else who thought they had a right to poke at him. A few sixth and seventh years were there, but everyone kept to themselves, so Harry got a good start on his assignments. Every time his mind would wander to the confrontation he'd just had in Potions, he'd redirect his focus to his palms and soles, and it worked for a couple of minutes each time.

"Mister Potter, do you have permission from a professor to be in here instead of a classroom this period?" Madam Pince surprised him by asking.

Harry looked at her in surprise. He literally never knew he needed permission to come here during his free period. "Er, no…." he said slowly, and with a frown. "But I have Study Hall right now, so I'm not skiving a class, ma'am."

"That's not how things work around here, young man," the stern Librarian informed him.

It was right about then that Harry realized that he'd come to the Library to avoid Severus, since Severus would be overseeing the fifth year Study Hall right now. He sighed, gathered his things back up and headed out the door.