AN: Thanks once again to Danielc and hie outstanding beta work. He changed my normal speech for Hagrid to his butched language and I think, Danielc made a wonderful job with that. He also edited MY butched phrases... so enjoy it! ;-)

Chapter 16 – Happy Halloween

Harry recovered quickly enough and was up again the next day as Poppy had promised. He joined his friends for dinner and was instantly bombarded with questions. Dumbledore had announced the day before that Draco had been a Death Eater and had been killed as he and his father attacked some wizards who had retaliated.

Naturally, Hermione and Ginny already knew who they had attacked. Now they just wanted to know the details.

Harry refused to offer any details and tabled any questions about the event. He admitted to killing them but nothing else.

Harry received a message that morning at breakfast from Bella stating that both she and Narcissa were doing well under the circumstances and had made arrangements for the services and burials in the family tomb.

He was also informed that the wards were activated twice during the night and that the screams could be heard throughout the entire manor. Luckily none of the intruders were able to actually make it into the manor itself. Harry was glad to know that his 'family' was safe for the moment.

He was also glad that he was still able to conceal his girlfriend's identity. Unless either male Malfoy divulged the information before the attack then Narcissa was the only one that knew of their connection. For once he didn't mind hearing the rumours that were being said around the school. He actually laughed that most of the students still thought that he was dating Ginny, since she had yet to have an actual relationship with anyone as of yet.

As the weeks continued on Harry's life returned to normal most of the time; well, as normal as his life ever gets. He would spend the majority of his time revising for the NEWT's with Hermione, and to a lesser extent, Ron. He even managed to make himself known at some of the DA meeting as well and astounded most of the members with his new duelling abilities. On the nights when he wasn't busy with other things, though he tried to time every night, he would go to meet Bella at their house in Hogsmeade.

It seemed like the blink of an eye and all of the sudden it was time for the Halloween feast. As it was a Saturday, the students didn't have any classes and were allowed to enjoy the nice day out on the grounds. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was, more than likely, one of the few 'nice' days before the winter weather would dominate Hogwarts grounds once more.

That day after lunch Ron, Hermione, and Harry were invited to meet with the headmaster. This was a source of confusion to everyone but Harry, who had a good idea what the meeting was about.

"Sit down, please!" Dumbledore said and conjured three comfortable chairs for them. Snape, Moody and McGonagall were also in attendance at the meeting.

"I'm sure that you are all wondering why I've called you here and cut your afternoon short," Dumbledore asked with twinkling eyes.

Hermione and Ron nodded nervously but Harry kept his calm demeanour.

"If I had to venture a guess, I would say that you called us here to warn us to be on the lookout today since it is Halloween and there hasn't been a year that I've been in the wizarding world that 'something' hasn't occurred on Halloween. Tommy boy seems to be obsessed with the anniversary of his downfall. I'm assuming he wants something big to occur on that night to overshadow his failure of fifteen years ago. Does that about cover it?" Harry asked, taking some delight in the fact that he had obviously been correct.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even more and nodded, "You are, of course, correct. We don't know any of his plans for this evening since we have lost our contact amongst their ranks. I was wondering if any of you has heard anything that might shed some light on what could occur tonight."

Dumbledore focused most of his attention on Harry, which caused the young man to groan, "Why are you looking at me? Do you think I sneak off grounds at night to attend death eater meetings?"

"Of course not. You just seemed to be quite well informed until this point and I had some hope that you were able to gain some more insight into what might occur."

"That may or may not be true, but as far as tonight is concerned, I have no further information. I do know that he is waiting for something tonight. I've had a prickling sensation in my scar all day. He's nervous about something," Harry said.

"That is most concerning. Do you think it would be a major attack?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry turned around to Snape, "What do you think? Was he ever able to repair the damage the unnamed wizard did to his inner circle?"

Snape shook his head.

"Well, since Malfoy was his right hand man, he deprived Riddle of his most important death eater with his foolish attack on me. I don't believe that he has enough control over his forces to start a major attack." Harry stated.

Snape snorted, "Why do you think his attack was foolish? It was a perfect opportunity."

"It was ill planned and executed in rage; all that because I deprived him of his wife. He didn't have any backup and he was as arrogant as ever and underestimated me. And finally, he is dead and I am alive, that's why." Harry said in an icy voice.

"I still can't imagine how you killed both of them. You were bound to a wall and surely you didn't have your wand. And how did you kill them without using dark magic?" Snape asked.

Harry smirked, "I never said I didn't."

McGonagall gasped and Dumbledore looked disapprovingly at him. Snape's eyes widened, "You used dark magic! That's not possible. You need to be powerful to do that and you need training."

"Ignorant fool," Harry spat, "What do you think I've been doing over the last year? Did you think I was on holiday in Morocco or something?"

Snape blanched, "You turned dark! And the curse you hit me with at Black's house… that was dark magic."

"If that aint the pot calling the kettle black! And that was Black family magic; it only stops you from hurting any member of my family." Harry said with a grin.

The meeting was interrupted as Dumbledore got a fire call from Hagrid.

"Hagrid, what is it?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's Luna, Sir. She is 'ere and really scared. She claims some Slytherin's 'ave abducted Ginny and taken her into the forbidden forest."

"Shit!" Harry swore, "We have to hurry! Fawkes, care to help me find her?"

The phoenix scrutinized him carefully. Harry knew that the magnificent creature no longer actively supported him since he turned dark.

"Fawkes, it is not me that needs your help! It is Ginny! And we have to catch them before they reach their target. They're only using her to lure me out anyways."

Fawkes thrilled and spread his wings.

"Meet me at Hagrid's!" Harry said and stepped through the fireplace to Hagrid's hut.

The others came out of their stupor and followed him, floored.

"Luna, how many were there?" Harry asked determinedly.

"Four. Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and Nott," She sobbed.

"Alright," Harry said and turned to the headmaster, "When I come back your student body is going to be four short."

Dumbledore sighed resignedly but McGonagall was outraged.

"Stop it!" Harry growled, "It's her or them! Choose!"

Her eyes became moist, but she nodded.

Ron stepped to him and laid his hand on Harry's shoulder, "Do whatever you have to, but save her!"

Harry just nodded his answer.

"How do you want to find her?" Hermione asked in a shaky voice, "Fawkes is too fast for you!"

Harry got a malicious glint in his eyes, "He's not too fast if I fly!"

Harry ran out of the hut and waited for Fawkes to show up in a ball of fire. Harry wasted no time at all and immediately changed into the wyvern.

None of them had ever seen his animagus form before; in fact, most didn't even know that he had one.

"A wyvern," Hagrid gasped.

At two metres tall and nearly four metres long, the dragon-like magical creature was spreading its even larger wings and stretching his head to the sky to let out a horrendous screech.

Lightning trickled over his wings and his body before he flapped his powerful wings and took flight.

He shot like an arrow after Fawkes and searched the ground with his piercing green eyes.

"A lightning wyvern; one of the most powerful and rare kinds. That boy is astounding." Dumbledore said with twinkling eyes.

Ron said seriously, "I wouldn't call him 'boy' if he's in hearing distance, sir. It would be very likely that he would hurt you with those vicious claws of his. His hated uncle called him that and as far as I can tell, he takes that as a vicious insult."

Dumbledore became sombre almost instantly. "I know, and for that I will never forgive myself of my 'decision' regarding his living situation."

Hermione tried to bring the focus back to the issue at hand. "I hope he finds them before they reach their target. Harry was right, it is most certainly a trap for him and there has to be more death eaters waiting for the students, and him, to arrive."

Hermione's wish was granted shortly thereafter. It couldn't have been more than two minutes since the magical creatures had taken flight when they heard a roar and something crashing through the woods. Harry had found his target.

OoO

It wasn't Ginny's day. It had started well enough. She didn't have any classes and she decided to go with Luna to stare at the boys that were in the quidditch stadium. They were heading towards the stairs to take a seat in the stands when they were ambushed.

They banished Luna as far away as they could to make sure she couldn't interfere, though in hind sight they should have stunned her, and they bound and gagged Ginny before taking her wand.

At least Luna got away due to their lack of thought. The four attackers didn't hesitate though and dragged her through the forest. She stumbled over a root and fell down hard. She couldn't catch herself because her arms were bound to her body.

Parkinson, the cow, was laughing madly at this and taunted her.

Nott yanked her off the ground and forced her to start walking again. "Come on, bitch! We have to deliver you to the Dark Lord for a welcoming party for dear old Potthead. You wouldn't want to keep them waiting would you," he sneered.

About five minutes into the journey Parkinson started to whine about the distance. "How much further?"

"Keep your mouth shut before I silence you. You know how far the wards stretch into the forest. We have to get outside the wards to make the delivery." Nott snapped.

Ginny had to grit her teeth together. She had sprained her ankle earlier and she had cuts and bruises from the fall. But she would not give them the pleasure of seeing her weakness.

She contemplated trying to flee, but she couldn't find a way to do that. With bound arms she would be much too slow and couldn't defend herself.

Adding to that, Crabbe and Goyle were in front of her, while Pansy covered the back.

They were crossing a clearing when it occurred. A large shadow fell over the students before they heard the massive roar and saw what they had walked into.

Instantly all their heads shot up as they heard something large breaking through the branches around them.

They saw a wyvern striking down on them for a short moment, before the creature opened his mouth and spat blue lightning at Crabbe and Goyle. Both fell to the ground dead and smoking almost instantly.

The animal landed next to them and with a swish of his powerful tail, it flung Pansy shrieking into the air. She landed nearly twenty metres away in a tree, dead with a broken neck among other things.

The wyvern turned to the last of his enemies, Nott, who had taken to hiding behind Ginny, using her as a shield. He pointed a shaking wand at the large creature but stammered too much to produce a real spell.

The creature walked step by step nearer to the both students, but couldn't attack without harming Ginny.

He locked his green eyes with Ginny's brown ones and she understood that she had to get out of the way.

She flung her head back forcefully and hit Nott hard.

She winced from the pain but still kicked him with her foot and then she flung herself forward to the ground.

The wyvern saw his way free and reacted. His head shot forward like an arrow and locked his sharp teeth around the head of the stunned Nott.

One cruel bite later, Nott was history and the body fell lifeless to the ground.

The wyvern spat blood and gore to the ground and then turned to Ginny. She tried to crawl away from the animal but it took a step back itself and began to shimmer.

Some seconds later, Harry stood in front of her with a look of steel in his eyes.

"Harry? … Oh….Drake…Now I understand." She gasped.

He took his wand out and flicked it. The ropes around her upper body vanished and he helped her up.

She bent down and took her wand back from Nott.

Then she hugged Harry as hard as she could while sobbing into his chest, "Thank you, Harry."

"No problem. We should get moving though. I doubt that Voldemort is very far away right now."

"I can't walk very well, Harry. I sprained my ankle." She said.

"Okay, let me see here. Let me take a look at these cuts first."

Fawkes made his first showing since leading Harry to the clearing and cried a few tears to heal her wounds. He couldn't do anything for the ankle but Harry had an idea to get her back to the castle anyways.

"Care for a flight on a dragon, fair maiden?" Harry asked with twinkling eyes.

She grinned and nodded.

"Then hold on!" he said and changed again into the magnificent animal.

She climbed clumsily onto the back of the wyvern, trying to use only one foot, and he took flight again. He let out another screech as they left the trees beneath them.

Moments later the wyvern landed smoothly in front of Hagrid's hut where the teachers, Ron and Hermione were awaiting them.

Ginny squealed in delight as her fiery hair was flapping in the wind as they landed.

The wyvern even kneeled down to make her climbing down easier.

She limped over to Ron who hugged her gently.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks to Drake." She said and turned around to Harry who was changing back now.

"I only have a sprained ankle."

"What happened to the Slytherins?" Snape asked concerned.

Harry shrugged, "Two were hit by lightning, Pansy broke her neck, as she was flung to a tree and, well, Nott lost his head. The coward hid behind Ginny!" he growled.

"What do you mean with 'he lost his head.'?" Snape asked taken aback.

"I meant it literally." Harry said again in a voice of steel.

"The wyvern bit his head off." Ginny said and shuddered.

"Yeah, the predatory instincts kicked in." said Harry and smirked, "Well, four junior Death Eaters less."

Ron supported his smaller sister, "Come on, and let's get you to the infirmary. I think Madame Pomfrey can fix the ankle easy enough." He turned his head to look at Harry, "Thanks mate," he said seriously.

Harry shrugged, "I didn't do it for you. Ginny's my friend too and she needed me."

Hermione accompanied them to the infirmary but Harry stayed behind to talk to the teachers.

"You make a fine animagus, 'arry. Your father'd be proud." Hagrid said with beaming eyes.

Harry nodded thankfully and looked at Snape. He didn't really care one way or the other but it was beginning to become obvious that Snape was feeling the affects of Voldemort's displeasure with him. He had constantly been rubbing at his arm and he seemed to not be sleeping at all either. He looked dispassionately at his arm one more time before walking away with a parting comment, "You know the deal."

"What'd he mean?" Hagrid asked.

Dumbledore sighed, "Voldemort is torturing Severus through the mark. Harry said he had removed the mark from Bellatrix after learning how it worked. I asked him to do the same for Severus but he declined. He said that Severus had gone out of his way to torture him at school so he wasn't in any hurry to do him any favours.

"I can't argue with 'hat," Hagrid agreed, but I would have thought he would do it anyways.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Harry agreed to remove the mark if Severus were to make a formal apology to him in front of the whole school in the Great Hall."

Hagrid laughed in his deep voice, "'At a boy, 'arry."

Snape growled and winced in pain, "I think his scouts have found the bodies and informed him. He's enraged right now."

"I think for your own sake, you need to swallow your pride. Your wasting away, Severus," Dumbledore said with a concerned look.

Even McGonagall pitied him to a degree, "Come on Severus. Its obvious that you aren't your normal sallow self right now. You don't even take house points from Gryffindor anymore," she teased him.

Snape glared at her but sighed, "I'll consider it. The constant pain is nerve racking. I'd take a cruciatus over this any day."

"We all can see that." McGonagall said concerned, "Please, Severus, just do it."

"I have to sleep on it… and preferable with some drinks as well." He said and left.

"Do you think that Harry is turning dark?" McGonagall asked.

"I know he's dark, but I doubt that Harry will ever be evil. I'm beginning to see the difference in the two now." Dumbledore said.

"'arry would never become evil!" Hagrid thundered, "'E's doing w'at he needs to survive. Nothing more."

Dumbledore sighed, "I know."

The next day Harry was eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table. Most of the students still avoided him but Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville still sat next to him.

Suddenly all chatting stopped and it became eerily quiet in the Great Hall.

Harry turned around to see Snape standing formally behind his seat. He cleared his throat and began to speak loudly, so that it could be heard through the whole hall.

"Mr. Potter, as I understand it, I have been very disrespectful to you and your family during my tenure here at Hogwarts. I have, on more than one occasion, tried to cause you harm directly as well as a member of your family. I also realize that I have crossed my bounds in regards to the insults I have made about your mother, father, godfather, and Miss Black. I also admit that I was very biased against you and the whole Gryffindor house and for that I am sorry. I hope, you can forgive a stubborn and embittered aging man his mistakes even if they've been numerous."

Harry smiled and stood up. He offered his hand to Snape, who accepted it, and said, "Apology accepted Professor Snape." He then added silently, "I could be at your quarters at eight this evening, if you wish."

Snape nodded.

"I would prefer that Dumbledore and Poppy would accompany us. This is far from a walk in the park and I don't doubt that you will be in any small amount of agony before its over," Harry said.

Snape nodded again, "I will see to that and thank you."

With that he turned around and shot a glare at the hatefully staring Slytherins. Despite his revelation as ex-spy, he had his house still firmly under his control.

After that glare he went up to the staff table.

As promised, he stood at 8 sharp in front of the door to Snape's quarters.

But before he even had a chance to knock, a black owl landed next to him and changed into his love. She at him looked sternly, "I will not let you suffer alone through this and I don't care, if I reveal us to them."

He smiled and gave her a peck on her lips before he finally knocked.

Snape opened and took a step back, as he saw Bella with an icy stare standing next to Harry.

Both entered and snickered as Dumbledore stared too at both of them.

"What is she doing here?" he asked bewildered.

"She is here to support me." Harry said in a final voice and turned to Snape, "Sit down!"

Snape sat down on an armchair and removed his sleeve from the mark.

Harry sat down beside him and grabbed his arm. He touched the mark and felt instantly the connection coming to life.

Bella stood behind him and laid her hands supportively on his shoulders.

"What are you going to do?" Dumbledore asked.

"I will destroy any foreign magic within him and that is going to hurt him, me, and good ol' Tom immensely."

"That isn't possible," Dumbledore stammered. "You would actually need a spell to remove the mark.

"Nothing is impossible." Harry sneered, "And I will use a spell to remove the mark. The mark itself is nothing more than a tattoo. The magic behind it is how it works. Now, I need to get started."

Harry felt a reassuring impulse coming from Bella and closed his eyes.

He pulled some of his dark red magic out of his core and pushed it through the mark into Snape's body. He started to scream almost instantly and Harry was glad when he felt the silencing charm, that Dumbledore had cast, wash over the room

Again, he felt the strands of Voldemort's magic and embedded them within his own magic. Once he had all covered, he tore the foreign magic apart.

Snape screamed his pain out until his throat was hoarse.

Harry felt the Voldemort's pain and the anguish through his connection and tried something new this time. He channelled his own pain through his scar connection into Voldemort's head. He smiled when he 'felt' the Dark Lord scream in agony.

After nearly ten minutes, it was finally over and Snape was free.

Then he opened his eyes and muttered the counter curse to remove the mark. One last time Snape screamed in pain but all that was left of his connection to Voldemort was a red swollen part of his skin which instantly was tended to by Poppy.

Harry swayed as he got up and groaned. The use of his raw magic was exhausting and he still felt some pain from the procedure.

He found himself instantly wrapped up by the arms of his love as she hugged him fiercely.

Harry heard the gasps from all three other occupants of the room but Bella hissed dangerously, "Don't you dare make a comment or even think about telling anyone!"

Snape gaped at them and muttered, disregarding the warning, "Bloody hell! Don't tell me you two are an item!"

Bella grinned wickedly, "Sorry, Severus, but he got my heart. You will have to find yourself another woman."

Snape's eyes bulged out and he groaned, "I don't care for you, Black! At least now I know who taught him the dark arts."

"I didn't teach him that much, Severus, not even the half of his knowledge." She said grinning, "He learned most of his knowledge himself with only little help from me."

"Enough of this," Harry growled, "There is no reason to freak out about my relationship to her, not that it concerns you anyway." And with that he shot Dumbledore a warning look.

Then he turned to Snape, "Are you alright?"

Snape nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Potter."

"It was a pleasure, despite the pain, because I know that Tommy boy was even worse off than both of us together." Harry said with a smirk, then looked Bella in the eye, "And thank you for being here."

She grinned and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

They heard the two teachers gasp and a thump.

Curious the two of them separated and looked for the cause. They laughed when they saw that Poppy had fainted from the sight of The-Boy-Who-Lived lived kissing the most feared dark witch in decades.

"Now that that's over with, I should be on my way," Bella smirked. "I'd hate to be the cause of rumours that The-Boy-Who-Lived is dating an older woman."

Harry laughed again, "Why not? You aren't ashamed of me, are you?"

"Of course not. But now is hardly the time to throw this news to the general masses. Besides, Narcissa's waiting for me."

She kissed him and stepped out of the door.

Shortly afterwards Harry heard the quiet flapping of wings and he knew she had disappeared.

AN: Thanks for all your reviews and I find it wonderful that so many readers like my story! Maybe I'll find the time somewhere in the future to write another project in English. Well, to the question, if I will translate some of my German stories to English, I've sadly to say that I haven't enough time for it. If there is a reader who is interested in translating the fics from German to English... just mail me!

PGHammer: Thx, I really like such lengthy reviews. Makes writing this millions of words (just kidding) worthwile.