Chapter 16

"Don't we need spacesuits?" Dudley asked nervously as he stood next to Harry on the grounds of Hogwarts, staring up at the latest model of Harry's spacecraft.

This one was the size of a house. It had the interior of one as well, although there were hand holds and railings everywhere so that they could move around in zero-g… they still hadn't fixed that issue.

"We're wearing them Dud." Harry said as he patted his cousin's shoulder.

The pair were dressed in a set of red jumpsuits. They had helmets… technically they were just large fish bowls charmed and enchanted six ways from Sunday.

Septima Vector had threatened him with bodily harm if he kept calling them that. It was bad enough that Charity Babbage and Bathsheda Babbling refused to call them anything else.

"Dudley, relax." Harry said soothingly and completely sincere. "I've been in space numerous times now. The only difference for this time will be that we are going to land on the moon.

"Got your camera?"

"Yeah… and the camcorder." Dudley said absently, his eyes never leaving the spacecraft.

Harry turned to face the assembled crowd. It was the day before everyone boarded the Hogwart's Express to go home for the summer holidays. Harry had agreed to hold his mission today so they could all witness.

"I promise to bring back enough cheese for everyone!" He declared solemnly.

Harry broke into a grin as he heard several people chuckle.

That wouldn't have been so bad except he also heard a few students comment that they wondered what it would taste like. Purebloods were so gullible.

Filius and Aurora covered their faces in shame at their fellow wiggles.

As Harry ushered Dudley onto the spherical ship, flash bulbs went off as select reporters from the Daily Prophet and Xenophilius Lovegood documented the event.

There were also camcorders and one very high quality film camera. A few of the older muggleborn students had gotten together and asked Harry if they could create a documentary about Harry's project. They had interviewed everyone involved from Dudley to Septima.

At the moment, the revelations of Harry meeting an alien and that there was imminent danger from the stars, was being kept very quiet. It was considered part of Harry's secrets and so only those who took the oaths knew about it.

"Erm… Professor Lupin, Sir? This is Dudley."

Remus and Dudley were the official communications officers.

Mainly because Sirius couldn't be serious and Aurora was likely to try and strangle Harry through the communication mirrors they were using.

Harry was forbidden due to the fact that it was unlikely he would say thing useful. Entertaining for the muggleborn? Sure.

"I can see you Dudley. The sphere is closed and sealed out here. You can take off when re-" *WHOOSH*

Remus and the rest of the closest spectators where staggered backwards as the sphere shot into the air from zero to more than a hundred miles in less than a second and the vacuum left in its wake was refilled.

As they regained their footing, Aurora grabbed the mirror from Remus. "Dudley, this is one of those times when you can hit Harry." She growled.

She had taken the boy aside and instructed him that it would be up to him to keep Harry in check. Yes, Harry was in charge, but he really needed a babysitter.


"Wow."

Harry smiled at the back of Dudley's head as his cousin stared out one of the many windows. "Wait till we get further out. You'll be one of just a few people who have seen the Earth so small and is still alive."

They were travelling at speeds that far exceeded anything muggles could achieve.

"How long till we reach the moon?" Dudley asked, never looking away from the window and the planet falling away behind them.

Harry looked at the various displays that had been set up. Magic still did nasty things to a lot of electronics, but that was changing thanks to a lot of work by Harry, Septima and Bathsheda.

"Well… maybe an hour?" He shrugged.

This did make Dudley face Harry. "But it took Nasa three whole days to get to the moon!"

"First: That was decades ago. Second: Magic!" Harry grinned that annoying grin of his.

What he wasn't telling Dudley was that they weren't even travelling at top speed. They could easily make the trip in under an hour.

"Harry… what happens if muggles see us? Like NASA?" Dudley asked with a frown.

"Gotta be honest, Dud... I really don't care." Harry sighed.

"But won't they try and shoot us down?"

"Well… 'try' is the right word. We are moving faster than anything they can build. Their fastest bullets couldn't hit us. But, ultimately, why should we hide what we are doing? Just because we are using magic?"

"What about the Ministry? Terry said that there was a global government."

"Meh. Leave the politics to me." Harry said with a dismissive wave. "I've got it handled." He grinned.

Dudley looked at him carefully. "Professor Sinastra is going to kill you."


"So, where are the parts for the base?" Dudley asked as they finished landing on the moon. He was currently putting his fish bowl on.

"You're standing in it."

"We're leaving the whole ship here? How are we getting home?"

"Phoenix power!" Harry declared as Ember flamed in, trilling excitedly.

"Oh, ok. And Ember will be taking us back and forth." Dudley nodded in understanding. "But what about others? She can't take everybody all the time."

"Just Septima and Bathsheda." Harry assured him. "They are going to be working on the vanishing cabinets to make sure they can handle the distance."

"Right… so… why are we going outside?" Dudley asked as he tapped his fish bowl.

"Come on Dudley! We are going to be the youngest people in the twentieth century to stand on the moon! We could be breaking plenty of other records as well!"


"I am going to bloody kill that boy!" Aurora growled as she peered through her telescope.

Filius sighed. "What's he doing now?"

Aurora stepped back from the eyepiece and tapped it with her wand. It was one of Bathsheda's alterations that allowed it to project the image into the air for others to see.

Minerva's lips were pressed together so tightly as Filius just covered his face with his hand and shook his head. Remus and Sirius were laughing… and desperately trying to avoid the wrath of Aurora.

Many of the students found it hilarious as well.

Seemingly carved into the surface of the moon was a phrase that would be clearly visible to anyone with a telescope.

'H&D WOZ ERE'

"Yeah… looks pretty good, right Dud?"

Everyone turned to see Harry and Dudley standing there with their fishbowls under their arms. Harry was admiring the view on the telescope and Dudley was desperately trying not to laugh.

"Potter!" Harry blanched at the venomous hiss.

"Aurora… take a breath and think for a moment." Harry began to panic as he backed away from the seething Astronomy professor.

"You defaced the moon!" She snarled.

"I just… spruced it up- shiiiIIIITTTT!" Harry turned and fled.

Aurora was about to chase but found a pair of fairly strong arms trapping her.

"Run Harry! I'll hold her as long as I can!"

Harry just ran faster as he shouted thanks to his cousin.

"Professor, he put a spell on your telescope." Dudley said quickly before releasing her. "We honestly didn't do anything but jump around up there."

"Finite." They turned to see Filius had cast a cancelling charm on the telescope which caused the whole image to disappear. He then reactivated the projection and it was obvious that the moon was unscathed.

"Of course, Harry doesn't know that you know so… " Dudley gestured after his cousin with a grin.

Aurora returned the grin. "You're a good kid, Dudley." She then took off, hitching her robes up and screaming threats at the young lord.

Dudley actually blushed and smiled. He wasn't used to being told he was good by anyone other than his parents. He found he liked it a lot more from the professors and his teachers.

"Dud, we're gonna have to think about letting you join the Marauders if you keep this up." Sirius smiled as he patted him on the shoulder.

"What about Harry?"

Remus scoffed. "Harry is not a team player. Sure, he can work with others, but most of the time he goes off and does the impossible on his own."

"Like with Mister Longbottom?"

"Exactly."

"So… what you're saying is; you're afraid of him."

"Hey!" Sirius objected.

Dudley just grinned and strolled off. He now had some pretty good blackmail material on those two.


"Albus… what is Draco doing here?"

They were currently standing in the Panda Observation Area at the Beijing Zoo in China. Many of the girls were cooing over the black and white cuddly creatures.

Albus had just arrived with Draco who had marched off in the direction of his former fellow students.

"I decided to follow your example with Dudley and afford him some time away from his current abode." Albus answered calmly.

"And is Draco actually earning this trip with improved behaviour and attitude like Dudley did?"

Albus looked decidedly uncomfortable.

"Has he made any improvement?"

Albus sagged defeatedly. "No. In fact, he has gotten worse. If I can't manage to change his ways this summer then he will be asked to leave the home he was in."

Harry sighed. "Albus, some people don't want to change. Some can't change. Draco falls somewhere between the two. He was raised to believe he was better than everybody else."

"HERMIONE!"

Harry and Albus spun to the horrified scream. The students were gathered closely around the tiger enclosure, some were leaning over.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he ran up. "Shit!"

Hermione was lying on the floor nearly twenty feet below, unconscious.

"Draco pushed her in!" Dudley said angrily. "Can't you levitate her out?"

"The tigers!" Someone screamed.

Harry looked and saw that several of the tigers were approaching Hermione.

"If it isn't bloody trolls…" Harry grumbled to himself. He stunned everyone by turning on his heel and apparating to the girl silently.

"Ember! Phoenix!" Harry called out as he drew his wand and stunned the approaching tigers with impressive speed.

Ember was instantly on Harry's shoulder as a perturbed Nicholas Flamel was dragged along by his 'minder'.

"Dammit Harry! Amelia said you had a habit of doing this." Nicholas scowled.

"Help Hermione." Harry ordered, never taking his eyes of the now unconscious tigers. "She fell from up top."

"Really?" Nicholas said in surprise as he knelt next to the girl and began casting diagnostic spells. "She seemed far more responsible than that."

"Apparently Draco pushed her."

"Ah… that I can believe. She seems ok, but I'll take her to my home so my wife can make sure."

"Thanks Nick." Harry said. As he heard Phoenix flame out with her two passengers, Harry apparated back up top to where the others were waiting.

Unfortunately, Harry had forgotten this was a muggle zoo and Albus was busily obliviating people whilst Minerva and Filius did their best to set up aversion wards.

"Who stunned this?" Harry asked as he prodded the face down body of Draco.

Several fingers pointed at a certain muggle.

"He called Hermione the 'M' word." Dudley said defensively. "He was smiling. Said I was next."

Harry gave his cousin a firm approving nod. "Then you probably saved me. I would have done a lot worse."

"Harry, are the Aurors going to arrest you?" Pansy asked worriedly.

"That will not be a problem, Miss Parkinson." Albus informed her as he walked up with Minerva and Filius. "The Chinese Government does not have a magical population so they have no way of detecting magic."

"How come? Every where we've been has had magicals." Padma frowned.

"You really don't want me to answer that." Harry shook his head sadly. "Come see me in private if you really want to know."

The truth was that there was a magical population but they were completely insular as the Chinese Muggle Government would kill any magical they came across. They were attempting genocide.


Draco's head and nose were killing him when he finally woke up. His limbs felt exceptionally heavy.

"Can you hear me, Mister Malfoy?"

"Dumbledore? Where are we?" Draco asked as he looked around. "Why do I have these chains on?"

"You are currently in Azkaban." Albus informed him sadly as he sat on a conjured chair. "You tried to murder Miss Granger, it was a callous and despicable thing to do and I cannot find it in myself to argue against your sentencing."

"Poppycock." Draco said dismissively, more focused on trying to remove the manacles. "Mudbloods are just animals."

He never noticed that Albus had left. His shouts and calls were answered only by the screams of his fellow inmates as the Dementors arrived.


"You can't save everyone, Albie. You of all people should know that." Harry was trying to comfort the man as they sat in a drinking establishment in magical Japan.

Albus had returned from Azkaban and clearly was wallowing in depression. Harry had grabbed him and Sirius so they could drown their sorrows in Sake.

They had been there an hour. Sirius had already passed out and Albus was getting tipsy. He had six of the little cups in front of him.

Three of those were originally Harry's, but Albus was not going to let his student get away with under aged drinking… so he drank them before Harry could.

Which was pretty much Harry's plan from the get go as Albus had been reluctant to partake of the beverage.

"I have lost many friends to death, be it illness, war or crime… but it is those who have lost themselves to the darkness that hurts the most." Albus said morosely. "Even Ariana's death didn't hurt as much as I took solace that she no longer suffered."

"Like I told you, some people don't want to change. All we can do is hold them responsible for their actions."

"I just wish I could do more."

"The problem was that you did too much." Harry scoffed. "You are partly responsible for the problems with people like Tom and Draco."

"Tell me how you really feel." It was clear that Albus was being affected by his drink considering he had devolved to snarking.

"You spent so much time watching Tom. You didn't trust him.

"You, the man who single handedly defeated the greatest and most evil dark wizard of the century, the very Bastion of Light that was revered by all wizard-kind… didn't trust a ten year old boy.

"And you weren't exactly subtle.

"What did you think that child would do when someone, who is recognised as the very definition of 'light', doesn't trust them? Sees them as a problem?"

"Tom was headed down a dark path long before I met him." Albus said gravely.

"And your actions just helped him on his way. You didn't discipline him. You didn't correct him. If you had taken your fears about Tom and turned them to fruitful actions then you would have had him as your apprentice, just like Nick did for you."

"I was not-"

"Harry! They took Daphne!" Dudley said as he gasped for air, running into the bar.

"Who?" Harry asked as he quickly stood.

"I don't know!" Dudley was clearly distraught. It looked like he had a black eye forming. "There was these men, they had guns and tattoos. They just drove up and grabbed Daphne. I tried to stop them-"

"Dudley, you have a black eye. You clearly did all you could. Leave this to me." Harry said calmly as he comforted his cousin. "Albus, please take care of Dudley and take him back to the others. I need to go and deal with some bastards. Ember!"

"Harry, wait!"

But Harry was gone before Albus was finished talking.

There was a sleepy snort. "Where 'Arry go?"

Albus grumbled as he sent a sobering charm at Sirius.


From what Dudley had described, Daphne had been kidnapped by muggles. Many of the people that travelled with them to China and Japan garnered a lot of attention. Westerners were a novelty in the Orient with their different coloured eyes and hair and fair skin.

Daphne was one of those that was the biggest draw along with Luna. Their blonde hair and pale skin made them stand out in the land of the dark hair and eyes.

The good news was that Daphne spent enough time with Ember that the little phoenix could easily find her.

The bad news was that Harry wasn't expecting this to be a trap set especially for him.

He woke up tied to a very familiar gravestone.

He didn't even remember being knocked out.

He was clearly in the graveyard at Little Hangleton, it was night-time which likely meant he hadn't been unconscious that long as it was daytime in Japan. The only light came from the huge cauldron on flames in front of him.

"Finally awake are you, Potter?" Came the sibilant, high pitched voice that still haunted his nightmares.

"Working with muggles, Tom? I thought that was beneath you." Harry tried to remain calm. Sure, he was in England and at the mercy of the same fool that spent years trying to kill him… but he had prepared for this. Plus he needed to find and rescue Daphne.

"MY NAME IS LORD VOLDEMORT!" Came the scream of anger.

Harry ignored it. "So, who have you conned into doing your dirty work?"

"There are always those who are willing to serve someone as powerful as myself." The voice said smugly.

"Can we get on with this? I have an appointment that involves my godfather and a trickster." Harry said impatiently.

"Show some respect, boy!"

Harry was surprised at the new Eastern European voice that snapped at him. Especially as it was a woman's voice.

"Look, I really do have places to be. I assume you've set up wards and defences against phoenixes as I wouldn't be tied to this rock if you hadn't.

"It looks like you are about to perform a ritual, based on the cauldron. Why don't you come out so I can see you and then you can get started?"

"Once I have regained my true form I will curb that insolent tongue of yours." Came the snarl.

A figure dressed in dark, ragged cloaks stepped out of the shadows. He assumed it was the woman who had spoken. She was carrying that same small bundle that haunted his nightmares still.

She lowered the bundle into the cauldron before drawing her wand.

She began waving it at Harry and the gravestone. Harry smirked, knowing what was coming. This caused the woman to falter… the brat was supposed to be terrified.

She set her shoulders and continued. A thin trail of dust rose up from under the gravestone and she guided it into the cauldron. "Bone of the father, unwillingly given. You will renew your son."

She stepped back in surprise when a bright light erupted from the cauldron with sparks. The purplish flame that floated on the surface of the potion was really confusing for her.

She then held her arm over the cauldron. "Flesh of the servant, freely given." Surprisingly she simply sliced her along her arm as though she were peeling a vegetable. Still, a large piece of flesh plopped into the cauldron. "You will revive your master."

She began to approach Harry. He knew exactly what was coming next. She began to roll up his sleeve.

"Here, let me help you." Harry gave the woman a winning smile as he relaxed his arm so she could pull his sleeve out from the ropes that bound his wrists.

Harry couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was baffled as to how to continue. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken." She dug the knife into Harry's arm and he tried hard not to react.

"You're welcome." He told her happily.

"You will resurrect your foe!"

The purple flame that had been wavering over the potion now exploded upwards as the cauldron itself exploded outwards. The woman was thrown backwards by the blast and Harry was covered in shrapnel.

As the smoke cleared, Harry could see the thin pale form of Tom Riddle hunched naked on the ground. His body was emitting a lot of smoke.

"Robe me!" Came the order. The voice was hoarse and filled with pain as the self-styled 'lord' tried and failed to stand.

There was no response.

Unfortunately, Harry was still stuck.

"Something wrong, Tom?" Harry asked before coughing in pain. He looked down and saw a large piece of cauldron sticking out of his stomach.

"What- what happened? Olga!" Riddle rasped.

"Put some *cough* damned clothes on! *cough*" Harry was struggling to breathe now but he couldn't resist taunting Riddle.

"It burns!" Riddle screamed as he suddenly burst into purple flame. The burning figure stumbled over to the fallen woman and grabbed her wand, setting her alight in the process.

"I am immortal, Potter! But you will die today!" Riddle screamed in pain and anger. "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of green and Harry died.


"Had I known you would continuously be in life threatening danger, I would have kept a closer eye on you."

Harry was lying on a cold hard floor with his eyes closed. He recognised that voice and simply cocked an eyebrow without opening his eyes. "I really hope you don't. I do like privacy."

The voice laughed. "I am not spying on you, Harry Potter, but you are important. That much is obvious."

Harry sighed and sat up to find himself lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets whilst Ganos stood over him in her long white dress.

"Am I dead?"

"You stand on the threshold." She said simply. "There are a few choices for you now. I hope you will pick the right one."

"Right for who?" Harry challenged mildly as he stood.

"Right for the people of Earth and many others who need you."

"So dying isn't something you recommend." Harry nodded. "Are we in my mind?" He asked curiously as he looked around.

"In a sense, we are. But at the same time, we are not."

"I hate cryptic." Harry glared at her.

"We are on a higher plane." She smiled indulgently. "But you are shaping it with your mind."

"Hmm… I'll have to see if I can come here again."

Ganos' smile widened. "I would be very happy to see you attain access to this plane on your own. It will mean a step closer to your ascension from the physical world."

"But I like the physical world!" Harry whined.

"Eventually your body will wither and die, but your mind and soul, they can continue on, just as I have."

"Well, hopefully I have a good few decades before then."

"Agreed." Ganos nodded.

"So… " Harry said as he looked around curiously. "I don't suppose there was an ugly evil baby like thing around here when I arrived?"

Ganos grimaced. "Yes, and I disposed of it quickly. I do not know how a sliver of soul became attached to you but it was one of the most vile things I have ever seen…and I am millennia old."

"You look good." Harry assured her. "Anyway, can you tell me what the situation is back in the physical world? Am I still tied to the gravestone?"

"Your body was found by your sallow faced friend. Severus, I believe. He managed to take you beyond the wards that prevented your phoenix companion and myself from reaching you.

"Your body is fully healed and your friends and family are waiting for you to awaken."

"Do you know what happened to Daphne?"

"She is the one with the fair hair that was kidnapped?" Harry nodded and Ganos sighed. "She was rescued… but not before certain 'things' occurred.

"She is unharmed!" She said quickly as the Chamber began to fill with fire. "I do not know exactly what happened but I do know that aside from taking some blood, she was untouched. But there is more that I do not know. You are both in your castle and I can not enter there."

"Why?"

"Your wards are able to keep my kind out. It is one of the reasons why I didn't contact you until you made your first trip off planet. There are other reasons, but they are not important right now.

"You should wake yourself and reassure your friends."

Harry did not look pleased, but he nodded. "Fine, but you and I need to determine a better method of communication." He said before turning and walking off to the entrance of the Chamber."


Harry was instantly awake. "Where's Daph?"

Unfortunately no one was expecting him to wake up like that and everyone began screaming and panicking.

"SILENCE!" Harry shouted.

Everyone froze.

"Now… Where. Is. Daphne. Greengrass?"

"She." "Ow." "Is." "Ow." "Fine." "Ow!"

Harry grimaced as Perenelle flicked him on the forehead with every word.

"Perhaps you could tell us what happened?" Nicholas suggested from the end of the bed.

Sirius, Aurora, Filius and Flitwick were all in the room and clearly very worried.

"Lord No Name is now Lord No More." Harry shrugged with a forced grin as he shuffled back in the bed to sit up. It appeared he was in his quarters at Hogwarts.

"He performed the ritual?" Filius asked curiously.

This time Harry's grin was easier. "It was quite the show."

"Your plan worked? Amazing!"

"Well… there was a slight snag in that I was ambushed, kidnapped, mutilated and then killed… but sure; my plan 'worked'."

"Killed?" Perenelle growled.

"I was tied to a gravestone, I didn't have much choice. Is Ember ok?"

Perenelle gave a frustrated sigh as she ripped the covers back to reveal the little Phoenix.

Harry almost cried at the sight. Someone had clearly tried to kill her as she was back to being a chick. He gently picked up the sleeping chick from where she was ensconced on his lap.

He stifled an amused snort as he noticed Blinky coiled at his feet. The basilisk was now ten feet long. He got fairly grumpy when told he couldn't accompany his daddy everywhere now.

"Ow!" "What." "Ow!" "Happened." "Ow!" "With Riddle?" "Ow! Would you please stop doing that?!" Harry scowled at the near immortal woman.

"Answer the question before she does it again, Harry." Nicholas smirked.

"Ember took me to find Daphne… next thing I know I wake up tied to a gravestone in Little Hangleton. Deja vu! Anyway, Tom was there in his baby form with some unknown woman. She never said much apart from a few threats and the words for the ritual.

"When she completed the ritual the cauldron exploded and possibly killed her?" He looked to Nicholas who nodded in confirmation. "Riddle was currently on fire and looking ready to explode himself, when he manages to get a wand and send the AK at me. I've got to give the fool credit for being able to withstand that much pain."

"Why did all that happen? According to your memories, he should have been reborn and quite powerful."

"Probably because I replaced the bones of his father with potassium."

Everyone but Nicholas looked confused and lost.

"Because you couldn't find another Erumpent Horn?!" He demanded.

"I didn't want it to explode before it hit the potion Tom was swimming in!" Harry countered defensively.

"Can someone please explain this: potassium?" Minerva demanded.

"It's a substance that tends to go boom when added to water." Harry shrugged. "I knew about the possibility of him trying to use the ritual again so I sabotaged it."

"Let's just do this the easy way." Sirius chuckled at Minerva's befuddled look. He pulled out a small empty vial and handed it to Harry who put his memory of the even inside.

"Aunt Minnie, Penny, Aurora… word of warning, Riddle is naked… but has no bits."


"They're all dead, right?"

"Filius and myself killed them personally after I signed the contract."

"How did she and her family take it?"

"Not too well. Her mother collapsed in shock and her father went into a rage and tried to attack me when I told him what I had done."

"And Daphne?" Harry looked up at Nicholas as the Alchemist sat in the chair next to his bed.

Nicholas let out a sigh. "Confused and distraught. Although physically unharmed, she went through a traumatic experience that will give her nightmares for years to come.

"She seems to take solace that she is now, essentially, under your protection."

Harry looked down at the contract in his hand with disgust. It was a slave contract that was blood bound to Daphne. Apparently she was the payment promised to the Yakuza for helping Riddle capture Harry.

As soon as Ember had been 'killed' by the members of the Japanese mob, Phoenix had known and taken Nicholas and Filius to aid her chick.

On seeing the unconscious Daphne in chains and bleeding, they had been enraged. Phoenix herself had attacked the fools after she had secured Ember and Daphne.

They had been too late to stop the binding of the contract but early enough to prevent it being sold.

Nicholas had signed the contract on Harry's behalf with a vial of Harry's blood, knowing Harry would hate it, but would take the responsibility with the utmost seriousness.

"Make sure Mister Greengrass knows I will be extremely displeased if he upsets his daughter. Where is she now?"

"Agatha and Sirius set them up in private quarters in Longbottom Tower. Frank has taken responsibility for them. He booted Derek Greengrass from the castle when he began to get too much for the women to cope with."

"He's still tottering around like a newborn!" Harry exclaimed. "How did he manage to kick anyone out?"

"Three certain behemoths of young men have taken to acting as his personal bodyguard." Nicholas chuckled. "Vincent, Gregory and Dudley can easily handle a fully grown wizard when they act as a unit, which they do with scary proficiency."

"I'll sort something out for them later. For now, get the girls who have a contract with me, in here now. We should have a talk about what these things will mean." He said as he brandished the slave contract for Daphne.

"In that case, you might want to do it in the sitting room, so as not to give the wrong impression." Nicholas said with a pointed look at the bed.


It was clear that the four girls were exceptionally nervous. But what brought some pride to Harry was the fact that they had rallied around Daphne.

The only other people in the room were Minerva and Perenelle. Despite the fact she looked barely out of her early twenties, Perenelle had become like a grandmother to the girls and they loved her.

"Alright, all of you are bound to me by a contract of some fashion." Harry said seriously. "Hopefully you have realised I have absolutely no intention of enforcing those contracts in any manner. If you find a guy you like then we will work something out. Provided I and a few others approve of them.

"Now, I know that you all think that you will never find anyone who will accept you in spite of the contracts I hold over you. But that is just because of how wiggle society thinks of people bound by contracts."

There was a deep exhale of Scottish disapproval for the term 'wiggle' and a giggle of Scandinavian amusement.

Harry ignored both even though the girls struggled to figure out who was right… the deputy head of their school, or the woman who was more than six times her age.

"Staying on track!" Harry said with a bit of volume. "What I am about to tell you is top secret. So secret that I will need an Unbreakable Vow from you not to tell anyone before I can tell you!"

The girls gasped at that. Unbreakable Vows were rare for a reason. It was easy to be killed by them.

"The information is exceptionally important." Perenelle explained kindly. "But it is not necessary for you to know. Harry simply wants to tell you as it will give you some hope for the future."

Despite the rather dramatic nature of the discussion, the girls' decision came down to two things: They trusted Harry and Perenelle completely.

Perenelle performed the ceremony for each of them to Harry. Until they got to Daphne.

"I don't need to take the vow." She said. "As his slave he can just order me to keep his secrets."

"Daphne, as far as I am concerned you being a slave is just a bunch of words on a piece of parchment." Harry said kindly. "I will always treat you as a regular girl, just like everyone else. As such, you take the oath because it is voluntary. I refuse to impose my will on you because you were forced into a slave contract.

"So… that means you have the right to refuse to take the oath and to not hear what I have to tell you."

Daphne just sighed in mild exasperation. "You just have to do things the hard way, don't you Harry?"

It was an hour later that Harry finished his tale. Perenelle had insisted that he tell them the whole story, including the time travel.

Pansy had the first question. "So when you looked eleven… you were actually-"

"Seventeen." Harry nodded. He rubbed the stubble on his chin appreciatively.

"And now you are-"

"Fourteen." Minerva said firmly. "Harry's body is only fourteen years old. His mind and experiences are a few years older but we believe that Harry should base most of his personal life choices based on his physical age."

Minerva and Perenelle were seated slightly behind Harry, so he missed Perenelle's saucy wink at the girls.

He didn't miss the giggles.

Harry didn't bother to turn around. He just slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"I have a question." Gemma spoke up. "Why haven't you told Dumbledore?"

"You have seen how he treats me? You do remember what I told you about his cockups last time round?" Harry said with a hint of disbelief.

"But you've done everything." She explained. "Riddle is dead. Those soul thingys are also gone. Pettigrew is in Azkaban, the basilisk has been dealt with… there isn't anything left for him to meddle with."

"He he he." Harry chuckled nervously.

"Did he make that noise before he tried to kill the goblin leader?" Tracey asked Minerva.

"No, he just insulted them." Minerva shuddered in memory.

"Harry intends to take control of Magical Britain." Perenelle explained. "He has plans in motion that will give him full control of the country and the Ministry."

"That's why I was saying the slave stuff won't matter. I'll make it illegal for anybody to treat you differently." Harry smiled, still nervously.

"Oof!"

Harry was dog piled by four very happy witches.


"And you have proof of all you have told me?" Albus asked the young lord as they sat in the Headmaster's Office.

"By the gods, Albus! The boy just told you everything!" The Sorting Hat exclaimed vehemently. "I can personally vouch for him and so can Fawkes! You can consider this your final test. If you make the wrong choices here then you will be obliviated of this knowledge and fired as headmaster!"

Albus was a bit peeved as he turned to the Sorting Hat where it sat on its shelf. "I have just been told that a student of mine has been transported through time. Regardless of what that student has revealed, it is still going to take a fair bit of time and perhaps proof that he is correct and telling the truth!

"Now, considering he took an oath stating that he would tell me the truth before he began, I can believe he thinks he's telling the truth. But at the same time there are other considerations. Perhaps it was a dream, a hallucination or even a prophecy!"

"Alastor Moody was your choice of Defence teacher for the fourth year. The first task of the Triwizard Tournament involved getting a golden egg from a nesting mother dragon, the second was rescuing something from the Black Lake and the third was a maze.

"Barty Crouch is hiding his son at his home and using the Imperious Curse on him."

Albus looked at Harry with narrowed eyes. "Whilst I have no need to currently hire a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, I had planned on having Alastor on site as extra security." He admitted.

"Mad-Eye knows more than you do about my knowledge and history." Harry shrugged.

"How much more?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "He knows more because he has been heavily involved with what I've been doing. Various topics and events eventually get discussed. You could have been involved as well if you hadn't screwed up everything the last time round."

"Stop being so defensive and suspicious, Albus." The Hat scolded.

"Why are you telling me this now? Why not tell me when you 'arrived' during the Sorting?"

"Because you were the cause of most of the problems last time." Harry snorted. "You were so focused on 'The Greater Good', making sure no one else knew of the dark depths Riddle had gone to and ensuring that your plans went in order that you ignored important things.

"You left me alone and helpless for years. You gave me nothing but cryptic clues about how to possibly defeat Riddle.

"You refused to punish people for misdeeds and it led to them believing they could do what they wanted.

"My first time through Hogwarts was a bloody nightmare." Harry scowled. "Is it any surprise that I've taken every opportunity to have some fun?"

"Perhaps if you were to-" *thud*

Albus jumped as Harry placed a small chest on the desk.

"That was another one of your problems. You were too predictable. I'll see you later Albus. Just remember the contract is still in effect."

Harry apparated on the spot. Something that annoyed Ember as much as it did Albus. The thought that someone could apparate in Hogwarts.

Fortunately it was just Harry.

Albus opened the chest carefully and was surprised to see vials of memories. Was he really that predictable?


Harry and the girls had returned to Japan to continue their holiday. Sirius and Remus had done a good job of keeping up the spirits of the rest of the kids. They arrived to find them all handing out potion vials to various Japanese people.

"Are those pranks?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow that begged the question: 'Am I going to have to tan your hide?'

"It's Severus' Werewolf Cure." Remus chuckled. "The kids needed something to distract them so we got them helping to hand it out."

"We really need a better name for this stuff though." Sirius grimaced. "'Severus's Werewolf Cure' just puts me right off."

"Because it has Sev's name in it?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Sirius just grumbled and turned away.

"I was thinking we could call it 'Snape's Lupine Banisher'."

Remus tried very hard not laugh at Sirius' outraged expression.

"Excuse me?"

They turned to see a timid young Japanese woman standing there with an empty potion vial in her hand.

"Everything ok?" Harry asked kindly.

"I think… potion wrong." She said in broken English.

"I knew that bastard had pois-"

"Shut up Sirius." Remus sighed. "What happened?" He asked the woman gently.

She turned around with an embarrassed look.

"Oh my." Remus exclaimed quietly.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius was less quiet.

Harry was just grinning at the woman.

Hanging down beneath her long skirt was a long bushy tail.

Harry caught the woman's eye and winked. He saw a response… very slight but it was there.

"But werewolves don't have long tails." Remus frowned. "This looks like a bad case of contaminated Polyjuice."

"Unbelievable!" Harry suddenly exclaimed heatedly. "Did either of you two morons mess with the potions?" He demanded of the remaining Marauders. (Peter was no longer considered.)

Sirius was outraged. "We would never do something like that! After all Moony has been through?"

"Then I will have to go and deal with Severus."

Sirius brightened up at that.

"You two help this young lady until I can get details from Severus." Harry turned to the woman and gave her kindly smile. "These are good men." He then lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Have fun… but not too much fun." He gave her another wink before marching off.


"Sev! How would you like to beat the Marauders at their own game?"

The smile on Severus Tobias Snape's face made every ghost in the castle head for the highest tower.


"Of all the incompetent- I would expect this lazy sort of behaviour from Black, but I thought you were better than this Lupin!"

Harry stood back from the ranting and practically frothing Severus Snape as he laid into the two Marauders. Standing next to Harry was the young lady. Now she was sporting a further two tails.

"I swear, Severus, no one has tampered with these vials!" Lupin tried to placate the man.

"And yet you don't have a tail yourself!"

Harry leaned over to the woman. "How's your English?" He whispered.

Keeping her image of a timid young Japanese woman she responded. "Pretty good. Foreigners are the best targets."

Harry was impressed. Despite her current demeanour her voice sounded like she was really enjoying herself.

"So how many tails have you got then? Just three or do you have the whole set?"

"Just the three. Hopefully I'll get my fourth soon. You seem pretty well informed about my kind for a Gaijin."

"The two that are being yelled at consider themselves a couple of tricksters. I've been planning to introduce them to a real trickster for over a year."

"Glad I could help."

"Perhaps we should go all the way." Harry mused.

"What do you mean?"

"When you shift forms, is it gradual like an animagus or werewolf or instantaneous?"

"Gradual."

"Then make it look like you are struggling against the change… we can really scare them."

"You would have been a great Kitsune!" Harry could hear the awe even if her expression hadn't changed.

"I know you rarely wash, Black, but when handling delicate potions it is imperative that you not contaminate them." Severus sneered. He had been going all this time and Black actually looked like he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Uh oh! Sev! Problem here!" Harry called out worriedly.

The three 'adult' men turned to see the young woman shaking as she began to morph.

"Merlin!" Sirius cried as he leapt over the small table that had once held the potions.

Remus was frozen, not in shock, but in thought. As the transformation finished he had to struggle to hide his smirk.

"Not a word, Lupin." Severus muttered quietly so only the lapsed werewolf could hear him. He then marched over to Harry and Sirius who were fussing over the former woman. "Look at what you've done to the poor girl." He snapped at Sirius.

"Can you understand me?" Sirius asked the canine creature loudly.

It looked at him curiously.

"Oh Merlin! We might have to put it in a cage." Sirius said worriedly as he backed away.

"Well I say! A kitsune!"

Harry and Severus sighed in disappointment as they heard Albus Dumbledore approach them.

"Albus! Great! We need help. She had a bad reaction to the werewolf cure." Sirius said desperately.

Albus just frowned. "Why would a kitsune need that potion?"

"Kitsune?"

"You might as well change back." Harry grumbled to the multi-tailed fox like creature. "His majesty here has gone and spoilt our fun."

The kitsune slowly morphed back into the pretty young woman… only now she had a playful pout. "He was so easy, too." She said. "Typical gaijin, doesn't learn about local culture."

"Oh… I apologise, Miss." Albus said sincerely. "I had no idea you were in the middle of prank. I remember when I was tricked by a kitsune years ago."

"After the laws… yes?" She asked nervously.

Albus chuckled. "I'm not quite that old. I believe it was during the fifties." He turned to Sirius and Remus. "A kitsune is a trickster. It used to be that their tricks could be malicious, but laws were passed in magical Japan to ban them from harming others in anyway."

"It is much better now." The woman grinned. "Children love our tricks and we often stay around schools."

"You- you were pranking me?" Sirius was incredulously.

"I can't take all the credit." The woman smiled, very pleased with herself. "These two young men saw my plan and escalated it beautifully." She indicated Harry and Severus.

"From the look of shock and fear on Sirius' face, I would have to say you were very successful." Albus said happily. "But, I must borrow Harry for a while."

"Then this one can come with me and tell me more about his tricks and how he has done them." She said as she latched onto Severus' arm.

Remus tried not to laugh as he saw both Sirius and Severus looking equally shocked as she led the Potions Master away.


"What do you mean?" Harry demanded harshly as he sat in the same bar as before with Albus.

"I went to the Hall of Prophecies to make sure. It is still active." Albus answered. They were covered by a privacy ward but they still kept their voices low.

"But the bastard is dead! Even the fucking horcrux in my head is gone!"

"Harry! Language!" Albus chastised him. He then sagged tiredly in his seat. "Harry, you have no idea how relieved I was to hear that you had survived the abduction. But then, when I watched the memories and saw that you knew far more than I did… I had more hope than ever, since the night I placed you on that doorstep.

"If the sphere still glows then the prophecy is still active. Tom still lives."

Harry was beyond frustrated. "Why are you telling me this? Usually you don't tell anyone anything."

Albus gave him a sad smile. "I've seen your memories. I have no intention of having so many people die. I still have trouble believing that in that timeline I had intended to send you off to hunt the horcruxes alone and without help.

"Besides, I believe you have given me a taste of hope and I have become addicted. I will do all I can to ensure I get more."

Harry just gave small nod. "I can think of two possibilities. One we can easily check. The other… is impossible to prove and has many additional possibilities.

"First, we should question Trelawney under veritiserum to see if she gave a true prophecy or if she faked it."

"A seer never remembers their own prophecy-"

"We only have to ask her if she faked a prophecy to you. We don't have to mention real ones."

That one took Albus aback. "Huh… impressive. Where was this guile and cunning in your last timeline?" He asked accusingly, the humour was clear in his twinkling eyes.

"You saw my memories… do you really want me to answer that?"

Albus cleared his throat uncomfortably. "What was the second possibility?"

"We completely misinterpreted the prophecy and applied it erroneously."

Albus looked to object but Harry spoke again.

"There are no names actually mentioned in the prophecy. There are no specific dates, just 'the seventh month'. This prophecy could be talking about some other Dark Lord years in the future. Hell! It could be talking about Gellert!"

Albus paled at that, but didn't comment.

"Nick is gonna be so smug about this." Harry grumbled. "If I hadn't destroyed the Resurrection Stone we could have used it to see if the bastard is dead!"


"Sev… are you 'smiling'?" Harry asked warily as the usually dour man entered the hotel they were staying at in Japan.

Severus actually-

"And now you're blushing!"

Severus straightened and cleared his expression as he saw Albus was also smirking from the small table in the hotel lobby. "Am I not entitled to be happy?"

"Sure… for me, it's just the fact that you actually are happy." Harry scoffed. "So, what's her name?" He finished with a 'shit eating grin'.

Severus seemed to struggle before Harry realised what he'd done. "Sorry! You don't have to answer."

Severus relaxed as the order from his master was cancelled. "Yoshiko. Her name is Yoshiko." He answered warily.

"And will you be seeing her again?" Albus asked with a small smile.

"I- I do not know." He admitted. "I have no means of contacting her and… I am unsure if I would be able to do so."

Harry saw the subtle glance towards him. "I say that if she finds you or you can find her then you have as much happiness as you can." Severus nearly sighed in relief. "But-" Severus stiffened at the warning tone. "If you hurt her, I'll make you pay myself."

Severus straightened and gave a nod before heading for his room.

"I can acknowledge that you have a different relationship to Severus compared to other students, but he still deserves your respect." Albus chided.

Harry just smirked. He might have told Albus everything about his last time through, but he certainly hadn't told him everything about this time. Especially the fact that Snape was essentially his slave.

Or that he was planning to overthrow the Ministry of Magic.