The alarm clock went off quickly, alerting Harry that it was time for them to finally wake up. He wiped the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he noticed Hermione and Teddy weren't in the bedroom. He hopped up, checking the kitchen before noticing them in the garden. He smiled a little as he watched the two of them. It felt good for him to finally get the past out in the open. Hermione had been her useful happy self with the truth. He didn't think she would have been so understanding. He couldn't help but still blame himself for everything that happened back then. Even if Dumbledore had placed him under such strong mind control, it had been his body that did the crimes.

He walked outside, sweeping Hermione into a loving embrace. "Hey beautiful."

Hermione kissed him softly. "Hey yourself, handsome." She pecked his cheek, watching as Teddy played with his ball on the grass. "He's been up since five."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess he could sense that there was something wrong with you. He's been fussy and all that I've been able to do is bring him out here and play some football with him." Hermione shrugged, kissing him again. "You were out like a light. I haven't seen you sleep that peacefully since our weekend to Amsterdam."

"Shh, we don't mention Amsterdam." Harry chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "If your mother knew how many messed up things we did over there, we'd be dead."

"Harry, we're both adults." Hermione pointed out.

"I still prefer my bits to remain attached to my body." Harry smirked, resting his head on her shoulder as he watched Teddy clapping his hands. "I think we should book the tickets today. Just in case the Order tries to come back. We can be in Japan sooner than we thought."

"Now you're just being paranoid." Hermione rolled her eyes. "We're not going to see the Order ever again." She promised him. "I still can't believe Kingsley tried to pull that stunt on you."

Harry kissed her forehead. "Ignore that. It won't work anymore." He promised her. "I made sure of that." He picked Teddy up, kissing the boy's cheeks. "Now, you're going to need extra rest if we're going to be on a long flight." He cooed at his son, cuddling him close to his chest. "And I know Nana Monica's going to miss you for the couple of weeks we're gone, so she'll need extra cuddles from her little man." He grinned.

Hermione smiled at them, kissing his lips softly. "Mum's gone back to being Emma. She said she's going to explain it to the neighbours. Her and Dad spent the night working out a cover story. Since we designed the first one." She chuckled.

Harry smiled at that. "And that means that Daddy doesn't have to remember the silly name that Mummy gave to Granddad." He cooed at Teddy. "And she complains about her name." He chuckled, resting the baby on his hip as they walked into the house. "I'm going to spend the day preparing what we need. Can you write to the Japanese DMLE Director?"

"Of course, wouldn't want them to be stuck reading your chicken scratch." Hermione smiled. "Same letter we sent to the I.C.W?"

"More or less. Tell them that we're the same party who informed the I.C.W first though, it may help us." Harry set Teddy down in his highchair, cracking his shoulders and neck before starting on breakfast. It was going to be a long day and they'd need to have something to eat for it. He began chopping some onions, stopping once he noticed his hand was shaking. "I am in control…" He whispered.

Hermione frowned. "Harry, are you ok?"

Harry put the knife down. "I-I've haven't heard the phrase since the end of the war…it's bringing back bad memories." He kissed her cheek, cracking his knuckles again. "I'll speak to a mind healer when we're in Japan. I might need to reinforce my new shields." He resumed chopping the vegetables, putting the radio on as he worked.

"Harry, when was the command done?" Hermione asked softly.

"Like I said, it was after the crap with the stone." Harry answered, mixing eggs and milk in a large bowl. He placed the bacon on a wire rack, placing it into his oven. "All Dumbledore said to me was…'this will make you courageous, my boy' and next thing I knew, I could do things without fear." He cracked his knuckles, staring out the window. "If someone said the phrase to me, they had fifteen seconds to start a command."

"And you had to do whatever they said?" Hermione rubbed his shoulder, trying to keep her tears at bay for the moment. He needed her to be strong, not crying like a schoolgirl.

"Within reason. Dumbledore couldn't risk an enemy finding out how to control me. So, he ensured that it would only work for simplified commands. Protect England from the Death Eaters being the main one that Kingsley tried to unlock." Harry stood up, capturing her lips with his for a short moment. "Don't worry, I'm in control for the rest of my life."

Hermione smiled. "I'm going to get everything ready for the trip. I'll call through and get our tickets sorted for the trip. I've Teddy's passport ready and ours."

Harry smiled, watching as she left the room. "I am in control…" He panted softly, grabbing a pen and piece of paper. He quickly scribbled down everything he could, glancing out at the window. "It's not real…" He whispered, watching as a visage of Dumbledore ushered him over.

0o0o0

Hermione frowned as she read the letter in front of her. "Mum, you and Dad watch Teddy…I have to go and save Harry."

Emma frowned as she glanced at the letter. "I don't understand…"

Hermione, I'm sorry, but I have to do what's right for England. Please know that I love you, and Teddy, but my duty to our home comes first. I know you can't understand this, but it's my duty to make sure that the Death Eaters don't take any more control of things. It's my choice.

"Take all the heavy-handed letters and arraign them together…" Hermione scribbled them down. "Help me. I can't control. It." She bit the inside of her lip. "Harry and I used to pass notes with Ron using this same system. Only the three of us know about it."

Emma held her grandson close. "You can't go alone. There's no goddamned way am I letting you go alone!"

"I've called for reinforcements; they'll meet me at a place we all agreed on." Hermione grabbed her wand. "Harry may have wanted to England to fall, but I kept in touch with enough people before we left to form a plan. If this ever happened, if things got bad…we'd work together…"

Dan sighed. "I'm coming too." He said softly, grabbing a box from his room. "Harry's part of this family, and we don't leave family behind. Not anymore." He strapped a couple of things to his belt.

"Dad?"

"Old army equipment that…'went missing'." Dan chuckled weakly. "A bowie knife and my old service handgun. I can't use spells, but I'm pretty sure lead in head is an effective strategy against these pricks."

Emma snorted. "Ok, Rambo." She cuddled Teddy closer. "Find him and get him home."

0o0o0

Ron hugged Hermione as she entered the house, waiting until she sat down to ask the one question on everyone's minds. "What happened?"

"Kingsley's command worked. Harry is under their control." Hermione bit her lip, noticing a few people in the room. "Harry was brainwashed when he eleven by Dumbledore. He was placed with a mental command to become a perfect soldier. Kingsley's going to use him to fight the Death Eaters. We need to find him."

Lavender Brown stood up, gesturing to the map. "He could be anywhere. Does anyone know where the purebloods are gathering?"

"We believe that they could be meeting up in Hogwarts. The school is still closed but the wards are at the pinnacle of strength." Ron frowned. "Kingsley's opened a new branch of the Order of the Phoenix. He's trying to run it like a new Ministry."

Hermione nodded, glancing at her father. "My dad has a muggle firearm, so he should be able to fight with us."

Ron chuckled. "Ok, so we better get moving. If Kingsley's sending Harry in on his own, he won't last long." He watched as Hermione's expression fell. "Hermione, we'll save him."

She stood beside him. "Harry has the Elder Wand." She whispered. "I couldn't find it when he went missing."

"I thought it was buried with Dumbledore." Ron hissed into her ear.

Hermione frowned. "We put a decoy in the coffin. Harry didn't want anyone else trying to get it." She walked alongside him as they left the room. "Harry kept it because his old wand stopped working properly. We think that the core is linked to the Horcrux, not Harry. Once the Horcrux was destroyed, so was Harry's connection to the wand."

Ron frowned. "Damnit!" He cursed aloud. "So, they've sent the only wizard alive with a MIN of 2,500 with the world's strongest wand to Hogwarts? We're fucked."

"What the hell is a MIN?" Dan asked.

"Magical Index Number." Hermione answered. "It's like the wizarding equivalent of an IQ score. It measures untapped magical power. Harry's last recorded one was 2,500. That was directly after the war."

"Most witches and wizards tap out at about 1,000. Then you have people like Voldemort and Dumbledore, who had scores of 4,000 or higher. Your core stabilises at twenty-five. Harry could top the two of them after this." Ron explained. "Hermione, what do we do?"

Hermione glanced at her old friend and one time partner, sighing. "We do what we do best Ron, we cause trouble in Hogwarts." Her jaw was set in determination as she spoke.

Seamus Finnegan grinned at her. "So, we're going to fuck shite up, right?"

The old Hermione would have corrected him for his language, but a small smile appeared on her face as she thought of what Harry would say in the situation. "Seamus, we're going to do more than fuck them up. We're going to take these bastards out and show them what happens when you mess with the Hogwarts Classes of '91 and '92."

Lavender snorted at the young woman in front of her. "And to think that you were a shoo-in for Head Girl."

Hermione thought of Teddy at home with her mother and the determination blazed in her eyes. "I found something more important than that, Lavender. I found happiness and family..." Her thoughts turned to the faded scars on her arm. "And I refuse to let those bastards ruin my life. Not again."

0o0o0

"Remember, do not kill." The ethereal voice of Albus Dumbledore called through his mind as he raised the Elder Wand, hitting the first wave of enemies with a wide arcing stunner, dodging the two AKs that were shot at him. Harry hadn't felt such adrenaline flow through him since he was last in the castle.

"Leave me alone, Albus. You're not in control!" He growled to the spectre beside him, turning his wand to the people charging at him. He punched one of them in the throat. Non-lethal, but painful. "I got rid of you! I'm not going to let you ruin my life again, Dumbledore. She loves me. She accepts me. I don't need to listen to you anymore."

He could almost hear the spectre's laughter in his ear. "Oh, Harry. You and I both know that she could never love you. The only love you will receive is from helping people. You MUST put your duty first!"

Harry was well aware he was no longer on the sunny shores that had become his home, but he couldn't help picture Hermione and Teddy in the garden, their son laughing as he was pushed on the baby swing.

"Not Harry. Take me instead." His mother's voice echoed through his subconscious.

"Does dying hurt?"

"Quicker than falling asleep."

"Remus, your son..."

"M-My son." He gasped out, panting as the last of the second wave of enemies fell to his spells. "My son. Not his. Mine. The boy you forced Tonks and I to create. The boy who I would give my life for. The boy who taught me what it is to be a father!" He turned his wand to the spectre like figure, his eyes blazing with anger. "There's only one I've never used. Bellatrix got the Cruciatus, even if it failed...Carrow got the Imperius..." The tip of the Elder Wand began to glow with a green that began to match his eyes. "Goodbye Albus. May you rot in hell!" He twisted his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" He felt the spell blast into the wall, leaving him standing by himself around a ring of stunned and down opponents.

0o0o0

Kingsley knew that he had crossed a line when he saw Harry walking out of Hogwarts. The man had been out of his reach for over a year, but then like a mythical figure had appeared awaiting orders. Obviously, they had found him and the programming had eventually won out against whatever free will he had gotten over time.

"Begin taking back the castle, we need to get these criminals into custody!" He commanded to the members of the Order around him. It was finally time for him to retake his position as Minister for Magic, like Dumbledore had wanted of him. A fair Minister.

"I wouldn't if I was you." Harry warned to the people approaching, turning to face the first real place he could remember calling home.

He knew the theory behind the spell. He and Hermione had studied it out of an interest. Control was only as strong as the person who cast the spell. A twist and jab of the fabled Elder Wand produced the hottest flames of Fiendfyre that any of them had ever seen. If not for the fact that the sky was dark and overcast, the large blue dragons that emerged would have been invisible in the sky.

"For eight years I've had to endure that bastard's voice in my head. Niggling away at any free will I had. Trying to control me from beyond the grave." His voice was calm, as were the dragons that hovered around the sky. "Answer me this, Kingsley. What would happen if I just let this fire engulf the castle? Would you force these people into the building to save the Death Eaters? Would you make them do whatever you want to ensure their loyalty?"

"Harry! Stop this!" Kingsley snapped, watching the fiery dragons with some trepidation. Not even Dumbledore could control such magic.

"I don't have to listen to you, Kingsley. And in a moment, you won't have to listen." Harry directed the creatures with flicks of his wand, causing the massive creatures to become the size of small grapes before they burst throughout the castle. "Albus did it to more than just me, Kingsley. He did it for years. This is my final gift to you and your Order. Freedom." He began to walk away, sneering at the castle as he did.

"H-How…?" Kingsley gasped out in pain, falling to his knees as the connections he felt to the others he controlled failing. This wasn't possible.

"Albus was many things. A brilliant strategist. A heartless bastard who hid it under the guise of a kindly old man. But the main thing that people forget, is that Albus was just as egotistical as Voldemort. He didn't think that anyone would find all the secrets of Hogwarts. My father and his friends didn't, nor did Voldie, but I knew where to look. His voice changed in pitch whenever he walked near one of them. He thought it was funny. Linking the control anchors to bricks in the castle. His fortress of willing puppets. I found every single one of them, the ones for the living and the ones that bound the portraits and ghosts to him. Those projectiles are destroying each brick. The castle will survive, it may not be habitable as a school anymore, but at least the people are free."

"Y-You've no idea what you've done!" Kingsley growled at him.

Harry smirked, stopping at the gates of the castle. "Stopped the Greater Good. Funny, isn't it? That Albus would adopt the same slogan as his old lover?" He shrugged, hearing as parts of the castle collapsed due to the removal of bricks. "It's a shame. That castle holds memories for everyone. Good. Bad. First loves. Lost loves. And now it'll only be remembered as his fortress of lies. His legacy destroyed. If you or any of the other Dumbledore sympathisers attempt to find me, I will end your miserable fucking lives."

Kingsley glared at him. "He did what had to be done. The people need a strong leader to turn to. To guide them!"

"No." Harry walked out the door. "People deserve free will. Even if they choose to go down a path of evil because of it. You'll soon see what happens, Kingsley. Goodbye. I wish you the best…you're going to need it." He stopped as he saw a group of his old schools, Hermione, Ron and… "Dan. Why the fuck are you holding a bowie knife?"

"I came to rescue. No one steals my quiches!" Dan quipped.

Harry shrugged. "Good to know where I stand." He quipped back, smirking. "Sorry for the message, angel, but I needed some back up in case my plan didn't work."

"What plan?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry tapped his head. "A built-in safety feature that I had implanted back when in Switzerland. If I ever heard the command again, it'd temporarily erase the knowledge from my head and allow the command to work. I also had the note pre-programmed to write itself as the command took place in case the plan failed. When I arrived at Hogwarts, the failsafe activated and led me to the command stone. I destroyed it."

"Command stone?" Ron frowned.

"The castle's full of them, mate. Bricks that Albus decided to turn into the control anchor for an individual. People he controlled for years. Creating rivalries between families, puppets and enemies for them to defeat. The Grindelwald War gave him the idea. I destroyed them all with Fiendfyre."

"Harry!" Hermione poked him in the chest. "We agreed you wouldn't attempt that after what happened in Paris!"

"I repaired the Louvre." Harry muttered softly. "Look, it worked…problem is…I had to give up my first real home…" He turned to the castle, which finally stopped smouldering as the fires died out. "I doubt it'll collapse fully, but Hogwarts had to pay the price for his crimes…" He sniffled, feeling Hermione's arm wrap around his back. "One last victim of the old bastard…"

No one said anything, they just stared up at the remains of what had been a place of importance to them all.

-Six months later: Australia-

"So, let me get this straight, you've been living here for over a year and a half and you never thought to register with the government?" The frustrated bureaucrat from the Australian Ministry of Magic frowned, looking through the paperwork. Add to that the illegal warding, unregistered Metamorphmagus that is your son and the fact that you're not married to this woman, you're in a lot of trouble, mate."

Harry shrugged at the man. "What can I say? I was too busy at the beach."

The bureaucrat rolled his eyes, grabbing a pen. "Sign here, here, here, here. Initial here. Signature here. Date it from when you arrived in the country. And," He took a stamp and placed it on the citizenship applications. "Done. You've been given temporary asylum to Australia. Thank you for choosing our country." He looked at Harry. "Now, tell me something. What's all the bloody bollocks about a scar?"

Harry chuckled at the man. "What can I say? I've a few." He shrugged, indicating the basilisk bite on his arm, the scar from the resurrection ritual, the numerous ones from the First Battle of Hogwarts and the one he got from the plant pot hitting his foot. "What's with the ridiculous name?"

"Family tradition." Milton Amish Dalton the fifteenth answered.

Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated! What? No one noticed… Oh. Well, this is awkward…

But in all seriousness, it's been a wild ride the last few years. I've nearly been stabbed, become agoraphobic and acrophobic, started therapy, started curing said phobias (SLOWLY!) and doing everything that I can to get back to my hobbies. We've had many new additions to the family and lost some family members through time, covid and cancer. Lost both my dad's dog and my dog, added new dogs to the family. Got into some new fandoms, as you can see by my recent favourites.

I know that most people won't really care that I'm back. Fanfiction has changed since I first started writing. The author of this amazing series seems to have become vocal about their opinions. The newer generations have begun writing and new movies (and a game coming) have divided fans. Well, I'm back and hoping to start writing again. Please be patient as I get back into the swing of things. I've some new stories and one-shots coming down the pipeline.

For those returning to my stories, thank you for your continued patronage. For those new, high…some of my older stuff is cringey as fuck. And to those who put in guest reviews, just make an account. It's free!