Author's Note: A quick word on the grading system. I am aware that O.W.L. grades go from Outstanding-Troll. However, as this grading system was only introduced as of book five, I don't believe all assignments in Hogwarts are graded using this system or Harry wouldn't have needed it explained to him five years in. I believe they use the O-T grading system on the O.W.L.s, N.E.W.T.s and all assignments specifically practicing for those exams (like in an AP class: you get regular assignments graded A-F, then practice AP exam assignments graded on that scale). Also, I wrote this fic before OotP was out and that system was introduced, but I feel no need to change the A-F grading system I used then.

-

The next few days reminded Harry of second year, when he and his friends had secretly prepared the Polyjuice potion. Only this time, he was in it alone. He had to find all the ingredients for the potion himself. He snuck out to Hogsmeade through one of the castle's secret passages and was able to get most of what he needed. The rest would have to come from Professor Snape's stores.

Inventing an excuse to get away, Harry slipped on his Invisibility cloak and made his way down to the dungeons. He had tried this a few nights already, failed attempts, obviously. Snape kept his office locked and Harry didn't even want to try guessing the password, suspecting that a wrong guess might leave him with his head on backwards or sneezing acid. All he could do was wait for Professor Snape to visit his office and see how he got in. He just hoped it wasn't something high-tech like a retina scan, or he might have to figure out something else.

Harry looked down at the Maurader's map once he reached the right hallway and was relieved to find he had finally timed it right. The dot labeled Severus Snape was traveling right toward him.

Harry flattened himself against the wall just in time for Snape to breeze past. Tiptoeing, Harry followed closely behind, making sure not to give Snape even the tiniest hint that he was being followed. He didn't want to face Snape's wrath alone down here and it certainly wouldn't help his efforts.

At the office door, Snape scanned the hall in, admittedly justified, paranoia before muttering several different passwords to drop the wards. Harry's eyes widened in alarm, not having even heard half of them, but luck was with him. When Snape wandered in, he left the heavy door to shut on its own and Harry was able to slip in so narrowly he felt a little impressed with himself. Kota would applaud that it was very Indiana Jones-esque.

Snape sat at his desk and hunched over a stack of papers, studying each before marking them with angry red ink. Harry winced, recognizing it as their previous night's homework.

Grateful for his own foresight in leaving his shoes behind, Harry could move nearly silently in his socks to the shelves of rare potion's ingredients. When he found each bottle he needed, he checked to make sure Snape was still staring at the papers, muttering about imbecilic students, and slipped it under his cloak. He poured some into the empty vials he had brought in his bag, just in case, before replacing them gently. He hoped this would make it less obvious anything was missing. He stuffed his scarf in between the vials to keep them from clinking together.

When he was done, he was pleased at how smoothly it had gone. All his years of sneaking around had taught him something after all!

Unfortunately, he was also stuck in the room since invisibly opening the door would let Snape know exactly what was going on and who was responsible. So Harry slowly padded over to the desk to see what kind of grades his classmates were getting...not that it was a great mystery.

Harry peeked at the grade-book and rolled his eyes at the C's, D's, and F's next to the names of the Gryffindors. Snape came to Hermione's paper, read it with a scowl, and then drew a big red C- on the top with the comment, "Too wordy." Harry clenched his jaw. Hermione had worked really hard on that paper, especially since her last feedback had been, "Too brief."

His own assignment was next in the stack. Snape barely glanced at it before writing a fat F on the top. Harry was unsurprised and used his invisible state to flip off his professor. Though the man couldn't see it, it still felt pretty good.

"Bloody Potter," Snape muttered as he recorded the grade in his ledger, causing Harry to smirk a bit proudly.

Harry amused himself by making immature faces at Snape while he finished grading papers, but became intrigued when Snape drew up his lesson plans for the next class. Harry smiled triumphantly as Snape scribbled down the subject of the next pop quiz. Snape's pop quizzes were notoriously random, on subjects he'd mentioned briefly months before, or not at all. Harry always flunked them, along with most the other Gryffindors. The Slytherins never seemed to be taken by surprise...typical. This time, they'd all have a head start.

Harry was more than ready to leave by the time Snape called it a night. Snape pulled the door closed this time, but it was heavy enough that it went slow and Harry was able to duck under Snape's arm and slip away, back up to the Gryffindor Tower.

The potion didn't take much time to make, so he'd make it at the Stensons where he'd arouse less suspicion. Being that the spell required the Muggle's active participation, he would have to tell the Stensons everything. That certainly added a complication. He wasn't sure how to break it to Muggles that he was a wizard. They weren't as young or desperate as he had been when Hagrid had told him, and though it was a great day, Hagrid hadn't exactly eased him into the knowledge. And then there was the Statute of Secrecy to keep Muggles from knowing about another world.

He'd have to talk to Dumbledore. He did live part time at their house and they were almost like family. True, they weren't related to him, but there had to be a loophole in the law. He'd just have to be careful not to hint at an urgent reason, such as an ancient spell.

He idly wondered what Dumbledore would say about the Recnac spell. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to know. It was one thing to do it himself; it was another to have Dumbledore approve of him killing himself for the greater good.

And if Dumbledore tried to talk him out of it, Harry wasn't sure he'd be brave enough to argue. He still didn't really want to take the potion, but there was no use letting his thoughts wander down that road.

He was doing the right thing.

-

The next morning at breakfast, Ron and Hermione couldn't help but note that their best friend seemed off. As Harry lifted his fork to his mouth, only to stop and put it down again, Hermione shot Ron another worried look. They had noticed something strange going on with Harry that morning when he had put an empty fork into his mouth and hadn't even notice.

"Er, Harry?" Hermione prompted uncertainly.

There was no response and Harry's eyes remained unfocused.

"Harry?" she tried again, but he continued to seemingly stare through the table and be deaf to all around him.

"Harry!" Ron leaned over the table abruptly and snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face.

Harry jumped and looked up, a little stunned. At their expectant looks, his expression melted into an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry. Did you want something?"

"Yeah! We wanted to know what's bothering you so much that you're pouring your pumpkin juice on your waffles," Ron said, pointing to the sopping mess on Harry's plate. "You looking for the syrup maybe?"

"Did you know Professor Flitwick has a son?" Harry asked, hoping they wouldn't realize he was changing the subject.

"What? No way!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione smacked the redhead's arm lightly. "Oh really, Ron, he's just trying to change the subject on us."

"I just have to ask Dumbledore something is all," Harry replied vaguely.

"Harry, quit being vague," Hermione scolded. "We know something's going on so you might as well just tell us." She lowered her voice and leaned in. "Has your scar been hurting?"

"No," Harry replied honestly.

"Are you having nightmares?"

"No," Harry replied less honestly.

"Are they about Cedric?" Hermione pressed.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Harry warned. "Look, can't I have a spacey day without you getting all freaked out?"

"We're just worried, mate," Ron said apologetically.

"You don't need to be," Harry assured them. "Anyway, Hermione, I was wondering about something. How much of your family knows that you're a witch? Just your mum and dad?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. My close aunts and uncles know. We decided not to tell my grandmum because she's pretty strictly religious. We didn't let it spread too far. It's not like we send out Christmas cards with cauldrons on them or anything."

"But they're Muggles," Harry pointed out dumbly.

Hermione gave a little huff of laughter. "Well, yes. So are your relatives, or did that slip your mind?"

"Yeah, but they had to know since I was living with them, but why were your aunts and uncles allowed to know? What about the Statute?"

Hermione shrugged. "I hadn't really thought. They're family and we told them right away. I've never heard anything about it. I don't think my mum could have stood not telling anyone. I think both my parents needed a little support when this all came out. Professor McGonagall came out and explained it all very nicely and they couldn't deny the wandwork, but still, it's not every day you find out there's a witch in the family.

Harry nodded, a little excited. He had found his argument.

When Dumbledore stood and exited with a few other professors, Harry decided he too was done with breakfast. He said his quick goodbyes to Hermione and Ron and hurried off.

He followed Dumbledore at a small distance so not to interrupt the headmaster's conversation with Professor McGonagall, but as soon as she left, Dumbledore turned to him with a knowing smile.

"Something on your mind, Harry?"

A little embarrassed he hadn't been as subtle as he'd thought, Harry headed over. "Yes, sir. I had a question."

Dumbledore nodded. "Let's step into my office and you can tell me what's troubling you."

Harry followed Dumbledore to the stone gargoyle, going over in his head how he was going to avoid any unwanted questions.

They walked up the stairs, Dumbledore talking wistfully about the new candy line of the Weasley twins and how he particularly enjoyed Canary Creams. He offered Harry a seat, some tea and a lemon drop, though Harry only accepted the first of the three.

"So, Harry, I believe you had a question for me," Dumbledore prompted, looking over his half-moon spectacles.

"Well sir," Harry began with a deep breath. "I was wondering if...well I know that...actually, I don't know but what I mean is...er..." Harry paused and mentally reprimanded himself for sounding like such an idiot. Dumbledore sipped his tea calmly, allowing Harry to compose his thoughts. "So there's this family that I've been staying with. A lot. I mean, they're practically my family now, more than the Dursleys have ever been. I know there are students who have relatives outside their immediate families who know they're a witch or wizard and I was wondering if I could tell these people too."

Harry didn't feel that was convincing enough and blurted out more, figuring that the more arguments he got in, the better his chances were. "You see, I've been staying over at their house and it's getting pretty difficult to hide all this. Anyway, I'd really like them to know so I don't have to lie anymore and could talk to them about it. If it's a question of blood connections, my uncle Vernon isn't blood related to me but he knows because I live with him, so couldn't I tell these people since I'm living with them part time too?"

Harry knew that was a bit of a stretch; he hadn't stayed at the Stenson's house much since the social worker dismissed his accusations, and hadn't even known the before the summer, but he might be going back for Christmas to stay with them and that counted, didn't it?

"Harry, you've been staying with another family?" Dumbledore asked earnestly. "May I ask why? And who?"

Harry blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, it's just my neighbors. They live within the wards and everything. I guess I just feel more at home there."

Dumbledore seemed appeased by that. "As long as you return to your relatives' home for part of the summer."

Harry nodded. "Of course."

"Well, Harry, I must admit it's a rather fuzzy area of the law as the boundaries are too difficult to define. What is generally decided among the magical community is that Muggles may be told of our presence under a few conditions. There must be a valid reason, as you appear to have. The rest relies on your judgment. If you tell this family, you must be certain they will tell no one else. The secret must stay with them, not being even passed to their closest friends. If that does occur, you could be in serious trouble with the ministry. Therefore, I can only say that it's up to you, but be very sure of the character of those you tell."

Harry bit his lip and nodded. He had no doubts about the character of any of the Stensons. There was no turning back now.

"Thank you sir. I know they won't tell."

Harry stood and turned toward the door.

"Harry," Dumbledore called after him. "Is there a specific reason you feel they must know this?"

Harry halted. If hadn't been facing the door, Dumbledore would have most definitely noticed the torn expression on his face. He didn't like lying to the headmaster and part of him wanted someone to tell what to do, but he knew he couldn't tell anyone.

He turned with a smile. "No sir. I just would like them to know."

Dumbledore didn't look convinced. "I trust your judgment," he said simply.

Harry's smile faltered and he left before Dumbledore saw.

He just wished he could have some of Dumbledore's faith.