A/N As usual, big thanks to everybody at DLP - Lord Xantam, ip82, ChuckDaTruck, jbern, vanna, JagedlyJaded, Fuegodefuerza, Master Slytherin, Stalicon, Shuujaku, Lord Ravenclaw, Palver, LT2000, yojorocks, Lord Apophis, Olfrik, and Lucas13 - for giving some great feedback on the chapter.

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"John, move!"

"Wha- Hey!" John Camber exclaimed as he was jerked to the side by his friend's hand. "What was that for?"

"Potter," his friend whispered, gesturing slightly behind him where Harry Potter was currently passing by. "You were in his way."

John scowled. "He's not going to kill me for standing in the hall." His only response was a questioning look that clearly said, 'are you sure?'

Ahead of them, Harry Potter smiled inwardly. It had been two weeks since the Buckbeak incident, and Harry had to admit that in his opinion, they had easily been his best two weeks at Hogwarts.

After he had fought the hippogriff in front of almost half the school, Harry had expected at least another two weeks of awed looks and loud whispers. Although the whispers were still there, they were now so quiet that he hardly ever heard them, and while people were certainly looking at him, they immediately averted their eyes if he looked in their direction. Rather than being amazed at yet another miracle by the great Harry Potter, it seemed that the single most common student reaction to his fight with Buckbeak was fear.

He supposed that some of the reactions could be attributed to the unusually harsh punishments that had been handed out by the headmaster. All four of the students in involved, Lee Jordan, Seamus Finnegan, and the Weasley twins, had been suspended for the remainder of the year and would not be allowed to take their final exams. As a result, all four would be held back and have to repeat this year of school. For what was meant to be a harmless prank, the punishment was quite severe, and sent a very clear message: don't mess with Harry Potter.

Of course, the fact that he had single-handedly disabled a rampaging hippogriff sent a very similar message in a much more concrete manner. Although Harry knew he must have looked rather scary holding a sword while covered in hippogriff blood, it wasn't until he talked to Tracey that he realized just how intimidating it had been.

"Was it really that bad?" Harry asked. It had been only a day since the attacks, but already he could see that people were avoiding him.

"Actually, yeah," Tracey admitted quietly. "One minute you were in trouble and the next, you were slicing it apart like it was nothing. When you stopped and spun the sword around, it looked like you were going to cut its head off. There was blood everywhere, but it didn't seem to bother you at all. You just stood there, staring, like it was completely natural for you to be cutting wild animals to pieces. You looked like a killer, Harry."

"Don't listen to her, you looked wicked," Blaise broke in. "That was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen, Potter, and it shut the Gryffs up nice and quick." He smirked. "Bet they didn't see THAT one coming."

"So now everybody is avoiding me because they're afraid?"

"Probably," Blaise admitted. "Enjoy it while it lasts, I say. I'm sure everybody will forget about it eventually anyway.

It had been two weeks, and the student body showed no signs of forgetting. Originally, Row had been worried that Harry would be upset that people were once again automatically assuming the worst in him, but that fear was allayed quickly when she realized that Harry was finally getting the one thing he wanted: peace and quiet. Even the Gryffindors were cowed, despite the fact that their beaters had been suspended the day before the match and Slytherin had won the cup. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for Harry to go an entire day without talking to anyone apart from his small group of friends. In short, it was perfect.

Or at least, it would have been, if it wasn't for the question that Dumbledore had posed in his office. Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but wonder if the headmaster's point was valid, and that Harry's own superior abilities were somehow to blame for the unusually high amount of adversity he had been faced with. Although he was sure that he was right about the hippogriff incident, something about the headmaster's words still troubled him.

If he didn't have the power he did, he never would have come to Hogwarts to rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, and Row never would have had to face the Basilisk. He wouldn't have fought Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express, and therefore wouldn't have had to deal with him later, and wouldn't have been faced with all the vicious rumors. He wouldn't have ended up on the bad side of Seamus Finnegan, who wouldn't have gone out of his way to make sure Harry was attacked by Buckbeak, and again, Row wouldn't have been put in danger. If he had never been magical at all, would his parents still be alive? Would he never have had to even meet the Dursleys?

Harry shook his head angrily. This was ridiculous! If he hadn't rescued Ginny, she would have died. If he hadn't fought Malfoy, he'd still be bullying Hermione, and probably a lot of other students as well. He thought even farther back, to when he first met Jack and Row. If he hadn't used his power then, Row would have gotten hit, maybe killed. Jack would still be taking beatings from his father, and Harry himself would most likely be dead and left in a gutter somewhere. Dumbledore was wrong. The only reason he, Jack and Row had the lives they did was because he had both the power to make a difference and the will to use it. He knew he was right, so why did Dumbledore's words still bother him?

He'd had this same argument with himself for the last two weeks, and it always ended the same way. With a frustrated sigh, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he entered the library and approached his usual table. Row looked up as he approached, and immediately he could tell that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"Sirius is here talking to Dumbledore about something," she said with a frown. "And I'm pretty sure that something is you."

Now it was Harry's turn to frown. "What makes you say that?"

"I got pulled out of charms earlier to talk to Sirius," Row replied slowly. "He asked me what happened the last time we were over at the Weasley's, and whether you got along with them very well. I told him you didn't, but he kept asking if I thought it was possible that time was a fluke, and that you could get along well in the future. Of course, I told him no," she smiled slightly. "And he looked a little put out. Then he asked if you had any really good friends at school, so I told him that besides us," she indicated the group, "the only people you talk to are Blaise and Tracey. When I told him their last names, he looked even more put out than before, and said he had to talk to Dumbledore again."

"Not to be nosy, but why would he ask you about the Weasleys?" Asked Padma.

"I don't really know," Row answered.

"You seemed to get along with Ginny ok," Hermione said quietly. "Although she's the only member of the family I can say that about."

"Even though she does a lot more blushing that talking," Row giggled, causing Harry to roll his eyes.

"Why are we talking about the Weasley's?" Asked a confused Sarah. "Are we really that bored?"

"Hear hear!" Harry muttered as the rest of the group chuckled.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to be prepared," Row continued. "Whatever this is about, it definitely involves you."

Harry shrugged. "I'm sure I'll find out eventually."

"In the meantime, can I see your homework for Runes, Harry?" Hermione asked, reaching into her bag. "Padma and I are going to compare answers."

"Sure," Harry answered, handing her a piece of parchment. Hermione had become the unofficial moderator of their study group over the course of the year, and Harry was happy to see that she was much more assertive than she had been when they'd met. "It was pretty easy, didn't you think?"

"Yes, it was," Hermione agreed. "But it never hurts to double check. Better safe than sorry."

"Harry definitely agrees with you on that," Row teased. "He's the king of safety precautions."

"Row…" Harry said warningly.

"What do you mean?" Asked Padma.

"Sorry, inside joke," Row replied, shaking her head.

Padma shrugged. "Whatever."

"You know, I still can't believe that Dumbledore is actually teaching potions himself," Sarah said as she finished her own homework. "It's so different from Snape, too. I mean, I'm actually learning something…"

"Nobody could learn from that git," Row grumbled. "You should have gotten him sacked ages ago, Harry."

There was general agreement in the group at that statement.

"Who do you think they'll get to teach Defense next year?" Sarah asked after a moment of silence.

"No idea," Harry replied, scowling. "I still don't see why Professor Lupin can't do it."

"You can't be serious!" Padma shrieked, aghast. "He's a werewolf! I can hardly believe they're letting him finish the year!"

"Just because he's a werewolf doesn't make him evil, Padma," Row said firmly. "I think he's a great teacher."

"That's because you weren't raised in the wizarding world," Hermione broke in knowingly. "There's a lot of anti-werewolf prejudice. In fact, most of them can't even get wizarding jobs."

"Which is exactly why Snape let out his secret," Harry snarled. "A nice little parting shot since he's friends with Sirius and me."

"At least Dumbledore was able to let him finish the year," Hermione said helpfully. "I heard that a lot of parents wanted him sacked immediately."

"A lot of parents wanted me expelled for pulling a sword in a crowded hall, too," Harry pointed out. "I don't care what the parents want, they're not here."

Hermione shrugged. "I guess that's true. How is Buckbeak doing, by the way?"

"He'll recover, but not fully," Harry said, a little sadly. He had been helping Hagrid tend to the injured beast since the attack, but it was clear that Buckbeak would never regain full use of his leg and would always walk with a slight hobble. "He's still afraid of me, too. I don't think he'll ever be comfortable around humans again."

"How is Hagrid taking it?"

"As well as can be expected, I'd say," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Wasn't he angry with you?" Padma asked hesitantly.

"I think he was at first, but once he heard the whole story he wasn't. He's definitely not happy with Jordan and the twins, though."

"Can you blame him?" Sarah asked quietly. "It might have been funny for the terror twins, but that was a really cruel way to use an animal."

"I agree completely," Row said darkly. "I think they should have been expelled, not just suspended."

Padma scoffed. "Dumbledore? Expulsion? Come on Row, I can't think of a single person that's been expelled since Dumbledore became headmaster."

"Well, I thought the punishment was fitting," Hermione disagreed. "Expulsion is a very big deal, after all, and I don't think the headmaster wants to ruin someone's life without a very good reason. He knows what he's doing."

"Don't count on it," Harry grumbled. There was silence for a few minutes as everybody returned to their homework.

"Harry, can I ask you something?" Padma finally asked, looking up from her book.

"Sure."

"That thing with the sword, I know Dumbledore said we shouldn't pester you about it, but I'm really curious. I've never heard of a weapon acting like that, even in really old pure-blood families. What makes the Potter family sword so special? Do you know who made it?"

Harry considered the Ravenclaw thoughtfully. His first reaction was to stick with the story that it was an old magical family heirloom, but it was obvious that Padma had already seen through the story that Dumbledore had established, so he decided to be honest. At least, as honest as he could be.

"I won't lie to you," he said quietly. "What Dumbledore said wasn't the whole story, but the important facts are true. It is an enchanted sword that I can summon at will, and it's not dangerous unless I want it to be, but more than that, I can't tell you. Some things are better left secret."

Padma looked slightly disappointed, but nodded. "I guess I understand," she said slowly, then she smiled. "Thanks for being honest."

Behind the nearest bookshelves, Daphne Greengrass scoffed silently.

There hasn't been a sword like that for hundreds of years, she thought to herself. The Potters aren't nearly old enough to have it, unless he stole it… She shook her head. Potter was talking about homework now, which didn't interest her at all. Quietly, she made her way back to her own table and silently observed the enigma that was Harry Potter.

She scowled. That idiot Malfoy ruined everything, she thought to herself. As soon as she had heard that Malfoy had gone against her instructions and attacked the girl in Hogsmede, she knew it would be disastrous, and she wasn't wrong. Not only did Potter find out everything, but the rest of the school had as well. The Hufflepuffs that she'd spent so much time and effort riling up had, of course, apologized immediately in spineless Hufflepuff fashion, and ever since the hippogriff incident the Gryffindors were avoiding Potter like the plague. The only good thing was that Malfoy had taken all the blame for her Hufflepuff scheme, and no one knew she was involved. Hardly great news, but at least she could start over.

Her scowl deepened. She'd been hesitant to use Malfoy to begin with, but there really wasn't any other option. The Malfoys were among the richest and most aristocratic families in the wizarding world, and her mother would accept nothing less.

Thinking of her mother, she cringed. There were very few things in life that Daphne Greengrass feared, but disappointing her mother was definitely one of them. When she was younger, her teachers had asked her why she always referred to her mother so formally, never using the more affectionate 'mom' or 'mum'. The thought always made her laugh, and she'd been tempted to tell her teachers that calling her mother 'mum' would be like calling Lucifer 'Lucy;' and probably just as unpleasant.

At a very young age Daphne's mother had set out, in detail, exactly what her purpose in life was. Her father had been imprisoned for being a Death Eater shortly after she was born, leaving her mother with only a fraction of their previous family fortune and a sullied name in Wizarding society. When Voldemort fell shortly thereafter, even the other pureblood families like the Malfoys had been forced to snub them, lest they be associated with the name of a known and convicted Death Eater. Although Daphne and her mother had survived the purges that followed Voldemort's downfall, their fortune did not, and instead of being raised by a governess in a large manor, Daphne had been raised in only a modest home; a fact that was drilled into her head from the time she turned three.

By the time she was six, Daphne was sure of only two things: she and her mother deserved much more, and it was her responsibility to get it. When she was seven, Daphne's mother sent her to a muggle park twice a week to "practice" on the other children. Instead of simply telling her daughter to make friends and have fun, Daphne's mother would pick two boys and it would be Daphne's job to make the two boys fight each other before the end of the day. If she succeeded, her mother would give her a nod. If she failed, she was locked in the basement without food or water for the night.

This is how we will live if you fail, her mother would say. You don't want that, do you?

Of course, Daphne didn't want that, and so she learned. She learned how to act meek, respectful, confident, or naïve depending on the situation. She learned how to manipulate someone's arrogance, how to play on insecurities, and how to tell people exactly what they wanted to hear. When she was ten, Daphne walked into a muggle restaurant that was a popular hangout for young teens. Within 10 minutes, she got two groups of boys kicked out for fighting and was enjoying a free meal, courtesy of the elderly manager for alerting him to the problem. She stayed for another 15 minutes to give a fake pep talk to one of the less popular boys, and walked out with free ice cream cone for her trouble. Of course, things didn't always go so well. She'd been yelled at, chased, slapped, punched, kicked, and even almost molested once. The games she played were risky, and when her plans went wrong, it was rare that she escaped without some form of retribution. Still, it was worth it. After all, it had gotten her here.

And that was the crux of the problem. After only two short years at Hogwarts, Daphne had been positive that she would have her goals accomplished by the time she graduated. She had known from the beginning that Malfoy would be key to her future plans, and truth be told, he was one of the easiest people to manipulate that she had ever met. Of course, he was also heir to one of the most wealthy and well respected families in the wizarding world, which was exactly what she needed.

Of course, Malfoy wasn't the only student that she had working for her, either willing or unwillingly, but he was the most important. Or at least, he had been, before Potter got here.

Potter. The name left a bad taste in her mouth. The boy didn't play by any of the usual rules, and he was far too powerful to leave unchecked. From the moment she saw him walk into the common room to face Malfoy, she'd known he was going to be a problem, but she had no idea how big.

It was a well-known fact in Slytherin house that if you messed with Draco Malfoy, he messed with you much worse. It seemed that every time he was embarrassed by someone, usually a Gryffindor, that person ended up completely humiliated and practically begging for mercy. What nobody else knew was that Draco Malfoy never planned his own revenge, because Daphne Greengrass did it for him, and it always worked. Until now.

Potter had embarrassed Draco, and so, as usual, Daphne had diagrammed a perfect way for him to get revenge, and for the first time, it didn't work. Not only did it not work, it was a disaster, and it had cemented Potter as someone to be feared even more than Malfoy in Slytherin house. Worse still, it made Malfoy start to doubt her planning abilities, therefore lessening her influence on him. And that, she couldn't have.

When she'd come up with the idea of bullying the Hufflepuffs, she knew it was risky to use Draco, but she needed to redeem herself, and it was the only way. She had been so sure that it would work, hell, it was working, until Draco got impatient and ruined it. The boy might be easy to manipulate, but keeping his stupidity under control was another matter entirely.

In the end, Daphne had been forced to re-evaluate the current situation in light of Potter's presence, and what she discovered was both refreshing and frightening. Refreshing because she would no longer have to work with Draco Malfoy, and frightening because she would have to play the same games with the much more dangerous Harry Potter.

It was simple, really. Potter might have slightly less money and prestige than Malfoy, but he was still independently wealthy with a good family name, and his individual fame more than made up for the prestige factor. More importantly, Daphne knew how to spot true power, and Harry Potter had it, in spades. After all, it wasn't just anybody who could fight their way out of one of her carefully laid plans. In fact, he was the first person to have done so at Hogwarts, and to be honest, the thought scared her almost as much as it excited her. Of course, Potter's almost-friendship with Zabini was a problem, or at least it would have been if Daphne wasn't sure that she had the perfect plan. Thinking back to the previous week, she smirked. Guess Malfoy was good for something after all.

"Why do you want to know?" Malfoy asked suspiciously.

"Come on Draco," Daphne scoffed. "Potter gets off and Snape gets sacked? Why?"

"He didn't get sacked," Malfoy mumbled. "Not really anyway."

"Whatever. Potter still got him Dumbledore to kick him out of the school, and I want to know why. Why is Potter so important to Dumbledore?" She looked at Malfoy seriously. "I know you and Snape talk privately in his quarters sometimes, and I know he's your godfather, so you might as well just tell me."

Malfoy looked up in surprise before his face took on a petulant expression.

"Ok, but you better not say anything," he said, then he smirked. "I've been saving this tidbit for just the right time."

"Have I ever betrayed your secrets?" She had, of course, he just didn't know about it.

"You're right. Ok, here's the thing," Malfoy said, leaning forward. "You know Potter ran away from his relatives when he was young, and somehow ended up living with Thomas and her brother, right?" Daphne nodded. "Well, I found out a while ago from my father that when they all filed for emancipation, their old guardians admitted to mistreating them." At Daphne's widening eyes, he nodded gleefully. "That's right, and it gets better. Originally, they only admitted to some minor abuse, just enough for them to be emancipated, but Severus and my father don't think that was it. They think Potter got beat when he was younger. Beaten by muggles! Can you believe it?"

"How long have you known this?" Daphne asked slowly, her mind in overdrive.

"I knew about the minor abuse stuff, but it wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I found out about the rest," Malfoy answered. "Severus thinks that Dumbledore feels responsible for putting Potter with that family, and that's why he lets him get away with anything he wants. He doesn't know that Severus knows, though, the old man tried to keep it from him, and that's why he was mad."

"This is important information, Draco," Daphne said. "Have you thought about what you could do with this?"

"I can finally destroy Potter!" Malfoy replied gleefully. "He'll be the laughing stock of the school once they find out he grew up abused by muggles."

"You're right about that," Daphne said agreeably, inwardly cursing the blond boy's stupidity. Leave it to Malfoy to find the most ineffective and petty use for such valuable information. "Although, it would be smartest if you waited until next year," Daphne said carefully. "This year is almost over, and people might forget over the summer." She put a thoughtful look. "Actually, that would be even better, because you could get it printed in the papers right before school, that way all the parents and new students would know about it before they even came to Hogwarts. You'd have the rest of the house back behind you before the train ride was even over." She looked at Malfoy approvingly. "That's a great idea, and all it takes is some patience. I'm impressed, Draco."

For a moment Malfoy was confused. That hadn't been his plan at all, but he had to admit it made sense. And if Greengrass thought that's what he'd meant, who was he to correct her? He smirked.

"The Malfoys don't run this world for nothing," he said proudly. Daphne had to struggle not to gag.

After that, all the pieces had begun to fall into place. In hindsight, Potter showed many of the classic symptoms of an abused child. He didn't trust anyone, always exhibited very guarded posture and body language, he rarely let people touch him, and he was extremely defensive in almost any situation. Originally she'd thought he was just paranoid, but this was so much better. She diagrammed her plan carefully before writing her mother with a special request. It was going to be an interesting last day of school.

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After his conversation with Row, Harry began to get a little nervous about Sirius talking to Dumbledore behind his back, and decided to do something about it. The next Hogsmede weekend was schedule for mid-May, and Sirius had promised to meet Harry at the Three Broomsticks for lunch to discuss their future plans.

Harry arrived early and took a seat at a secluded table near the back, throwing up a silencing charm for good measure.

"Hey kiddo," Sirius said when he arrived. "Why are you all the way back here? You can't even see the girls at the bar," he gave Harry a suggestive wink.

"I didn't want to be overheard," Harry replied, ignoring the innuendo. "We need to talk, Sirius."

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Sirius fidgeted slightly as he sat down. "About what?"

"About what you've been coming to Hogwarts to talk to Dumbledore about," Harry said bluntly. "And about why you asked Row how I felt about the Weasleys, but didn't bother asking me."

Sirius shoulders slumped. "I didn't want to bother you…." He began hesitantly.

"Bother me. Please." Harry said earnestly. "What are you talking to Dumbledore about?"

"He worries about you, Harry," Sirius replied honestly. "He just wants to make sure that you're happy-"

"That's bollocks, and you know it," Harry replied firmly. "He wants you to do something for him, something involving me. What is it? Where does he want you to send me, Sirius? What does he want you to do?"

"It's nothing, really," Sirius mumbled. "He just wants you to make friends, play around, and have some fun. You know, act your age, instead of acting mine." Sirius said, looking at Harry pleadingly.

Harry sighed. "Sirius, we've been over this. I'm not a kid; you should know that better than anybody. I don't know what he's told you about how I grew up," if the dark look entering Sirius eyes was any indication, it was a lot. "but I had to grow up fast, so I did, and I can't change that. I am who I am, Sirius, and that's not going to change. Personally, I don't care if Dumbledore ever accepts that, because I'll never trust him anyway. But you," Harry looked at Sirius earnestly. "I need you to understand, Sirius. I'm not a child, and I never will be. I've seen and done things that no child should ever have to do, and it's made me whom I am today, for better or for worse. I don't need somebody to help me regain a childhood I never had, Sirius, no matter what Dumbledore says."

"But don't you see, Harry, that's exactly what I'm talking about. No 13 year old should talk like that, it's just not right! I'm not trying to make you relive a childhood that wasn't there, I'm trying to give you a childhood starting now! Don't you see the difference?"

"You're starting to sound a lot like Dumbledore," Harry said suspiciously. "And I don't like it."

"I know what I said before, about being confused about Dumbledore," Sirius admitted quietly. "But he's been really helpful to me since he learned the truth, and if there's one thing I know, it's that he would never do anything to hurt you, Harry. He only wants what's best, and he's a lot smarter than I am, so who am I to say he's wrong and I'm right? He's known you longer, after all."

"He doesn't know me at all!" Harry snapped. "And he never will. Do you know why? Because he's too busy trying to turn me into the person that he thinks I should be to realize who I actually am. Oh, he's smart, I'll give you that, but just because he sounds like he knows what he's talking about all the time, doesn't mean he actually does. Remember, he left you in Azkaban and sent me to the Dursleys. He's not perfect, Sirius. Pretty damn far from it, in fact." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We've had this conversation before."

"I just want to do right by you, Harry," Sirius said miserably. "I don't know the first thing about being a guardian, I know that. I just…" He paused and took a deep breath. "I just don't want to screw this up." He finished quietly.

"Then just be honest with me, Sirius," Harry replied. "Be honest with all of us. If something is bothering you, talk to us about it. We've been on our own for a long time, and we've never had a problem. The only way you can screw this up is to start making high-handed decisions without talking to us about them." Harry paused and the two sat in silence for a moment while Sirius digested what he'd said. "Now, you want to tell me why you were asking Row about the Weasleys?"

Sirius seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before coming to a decision.

"Eventually, I'll be going back to work," he answered slowly. "And Dumbledore thought that it would be better for you and Row if you had somewhere to go so that you didn't have to fend for yourselves all day. Besides Remus, Arthur and Molly are about the only old friends of mine that are still around, so Dumbledore suggested I ask them, but-"

He was interrupted by Harry's frustrated groan.

"Why? Can you tell me that? Why the Weasleys? What is it about that family that makes them so all-important that Dumbledore is constantly manufacturing reasons to send me there? Do you know why? If you do, will you please, please tell me?"

"They're a good group," Sirius said defensively. "Arthur and Molly are good people. Dumbledore trusts them, and so do I."

"Are they the only good people in the world?" Harry pressed. "Are they the only wizards in the entire country that meet some strange set of 'good people' criteria? Because, from where I'm sitting, everything about them seems spectacularly ordinary except for their hair."

"What's your problem with them, anyway?" Sirius asked irritably.

"I don't have a problem with them, they have a problem with me," Harry sighed, exasperated. "Their daughter looks at me like I should be on the cover of a romance novel, Ronald thinks I'm the antichrist, the twins try to put me in dangerous situations for their amusement, and their mother watches me like I'm going to infect her precious children with my evil Slytherin touch." He shook his head. "Of course, they know this too, and so does Dumbledore, which brings me back to my original question. Why the Weasleys?"

"They weren't the only family he suggested," Sirius said defensively. "He mentioned quite a few, in fact."

"Then why did you ask Row about the Weasleys?"

"Well, because I know the most about them, and Arthur and I fought together before I went away. I knew you'd met them all before and I wanted to know how it went." He said miserably. "You really don't get along with any of them?"

"Maybe if they would stop trying to prank me I would," Harry said sarcastically. "As it is, forcing me to fight a wild hippogriff to protect my sister from being sexually assaulted isn't exactly the way into my good graces. The next time I see them they're going to learn that pretty quickly."

"You know that wasn't their idea."

"They helped. They're guilty. Next."

"Ok, it doesn't have to be the Weasleys, but Harry, you need some friends your own age!" Sirius said pleadingly. "You need more than just Row and her friends, you need your own group."

"You mean like the marauders?" Harry asked quietly. "Is that what you mean, Sirius?"

"Well, why not?" Sirius said defensively. "I had the best years of my life at Hogwarts. Running around with Moony and your dad, breaking rules, playing pranks, and chasing girls. Is it wrong for me to want the same for you?"

"It is if the same thing isn't what I want at all," Harry countered. "I don't make friends easily, Sirius, it takes a long time. I might have a made a couple this year, but it's too soon to tell, and you trying to rush it won't make it any better. In fact, it will only make it worse." He looked the older man in the eye. "So now why don't you tell me why Dumbledore is pressing for you to send me to some other family?"

"Because it really is the best thing for you, Harry," Sirius said with a sigh. "At least right now. I was just trying to think of someone that I would trust to take care of you and your sister. I know-"

"For the last time, Sirius," said an exasperated Harry. "We don't need anyone to take care of us!"

Sirius shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, I think it would be better if you did." He mumbled.

Harry groaned in frustration and ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of a way to persuade Sirius to change his mind.

"Are you sure about going back to work so soon?" He finally asked. "If you didn't, that would solve the problem right there."

"Well, Dumbledore had a few ideas for me," Sirius began, and Harry resisted the urge to snarl. "And some of them sound pretty good."

"Look, I understand that you want me to make friends and play nice, but Sirius, that's just not me," Harry said with a touch of annoyance. "We've only just started to get to know each other, and now you want to ship me off to a family that hates me so that you can take Dumbledore up on some job offer?" Sirius eyes widened and he started to object, but Harry stopped him. If guilt was the only thing he could use, then he would use it. "Don't you think it would be better if you spent the summer with us? We've got plenty of money, and you've never really gotten a chance to get to know Jack and Row. We spent some time talking in the plan B house, but other than that we don't really know each other either. Why are you so anxious to leave now that we finally have that chance?"

For a moment, Sirius looked absolutely horrified, before quickly moving to engulf Harry in a hug. Harry had to stop himself from twisting viciously out of it.

"The last thing I ever want to do is send you away, Harry," Sirius said tearfully.

"Then don't," Harry said simply, pulling away from the hug. "Stay, get to know us, and maybe you'll finally understand what I've been trying to tell you."

Although he still looked slightly unsure, Sirius nodded and managed a small smile. "I'll try."

Harry sighed as the conversation moved on to much lighter topics, but he was still troubled. He had been sure that Sirius would side with him over Dumbledore on matters like these, especially given what he'd said about the headmaster when Harry was still in the hospital. The fact that he was now relying solely on the old man's advice was disconcerting, especially since Sirius was now his legal guardian. And there was still the matter of Dumbledore's unhealthy obsession with the Weasleys. What could the headmaster have possibly told Sirius that would make him suddenly want to send Harry somewhere his guardian specifically knew he didn't want to go? Harry sighed inwardly and turned his attention back to the conversation. He was sure he hadn't heard the last of this.

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A few days after his meeting with Harry, Sirius scheduled another meeting with Dumbledore.

"Come in, Sirius," Dumbledore called when he knocked. "How are things between you and young Harry?"

"Actually headmaster, they're not so good," Sirius replied slowly, taking a seat in front of the large desk.

"Please Sirius, we are friends now, call me Albus," Dumbledore replied. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"Well, he confronted me about talking to you last weekend," Sirius began hesitantly. "He wanted to know what we were talking about, and why I had asked Row about how he got along with the Weasleys."

"And did you tell him?"

Sirius nodded. "I did, and he got pretty upset, saying I should talk to him about these things, not you."

"Of course," Dumbledore said knowingly. "As I've told you before, he is a fiercely independent individual, Sirius."

"I know, and I know you think he needs to open up, but after what he told me, I can't just ship him off to the Burrow."

"I understand," Dumbledore said kindly. "Young Harry has had his share of disagreement with the Weasley children this year. Perhaps Amos and Pricilla would be a better choice? Harry seemed to take quite well to them before."

"Well, we didn't actually get that far," Sirius admitted quietly. "Harry said that he would rather I stayed at home for a while so we could all get to know each other, and that maybe I would learn to understand him better."

"An excellent suggestion," Dumbledore said carefully. "I was going to suggest something like that myself, in fact. It is important for Harry to have a guardian that he can respect and trust, Sirius. I would trust no one else with the job," he gave Sirius a small smile. "Of course," he continued after a short pause. "It is equally important that Harry develop friendships with children his own age, as we have said before."

"But, what if it just takes him longer than normal to make friends?" Sirius protested. "What if we're really hurting him by trying to force him into situations that will make him uncomfortable?"

"That is possible, of course," Dumbledore admitted. "However, it is also important that he develops friendships with the right sort of people, wouldn't you agree? Harry is a powerful young man, Sirius, it wouldn't do for him to choose friends who would use him to achieve their own ends."

"Like Zabini," Sirius growled. Dumbledore nodded sagely.

"Precisely. I myself am unable to interfere as headmaster, but I must admit to being more than a little concerned about Harry's association with him and Miss Davis."

"How did he get sorted into Slytherin anyway," Sirius said miserably, slumping into his chair. "I thought I'd gotten over it, and that it wasn't a big deal, but now I'm not so sure." He exhaled heavily. "I'm so confused."

"Of course you are, dear boy," Dumbledore replied sympathetically. "It is quite understandable for someone in your position. But you mustn't let your confusion get in the way of your responsibility to Harry."

"It's just," Sirius began, but trailed off. He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's just that he seems so mature already that I don't really know what to tell him. When I'm in here it's easy to think of him as a 13 year old boy, but when I'm talking to him, I feel like he's older than I am." He shook his head. "I feel like I'm telling him who he can and can't be friends with, and I hate that. I hated it when my mother did it to me, and look what happened with that!"

"This is a very different situation, Sirius, and you know it" Dumbledore said sternly. "Harry is not an ordinary rebellious teenager, nor is he hanging out with the 'wrong crowd' for personal amusement or out of spite, as you were," Sirius grinned slightly. "Rather, he is a child who thinks he is not a child, and who believes he is capable of making all his own decisions."

"But what if he is?" Sirius couldn't help but wonder.

"Whether he is capable is not the issue," Dumbledore continued patiently. "The issue is that he should no longer have to bear that responsibility now that you are his guardian. Right now, he feels as if everything in his and Miss Thomas's life is his responsibility alone. If we can remove that burden from his shoulders, we will finally see what a 13 year old Harry Potter should look like. That is our mission, Sirius, and it is truly the best thing for him. Don't you agree?"

Sirius sat in silence for a long moment, deep in thought. When he looked up, the headmaster could see the silent war raging in his mind, and decided to give his side a push.

"After all, Mr. Potter has shown himself to be a truly brave and courageous young man, which has made me wonder on more than one occasion why he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor." At this, Sirius looked up sharply. "I believe that the burdens he carries have caused him to be much more suspicious and cynical that he would be otherwise; both very Slytherin traits." Dumbledore looked down sadly. "I can only wonder how things would be different if I had made a better decision all those years ago, and those burdens had never become his to bear."

"You think he'd be a Gryffindor?"

"I cannot know for certain, of course," Dumbledore said slowly. "But yes, I think he would."

The two were silent after that, each engaged in their own thoughts about the not-so-young Harry Potter.

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The last weeks of term went by quickly for Harry, and before he knew it exams were upon him. Of course, this meant little for him, having mastered the majority of his coursework far in advance, but it did mean that he had to spend more time helping Row and her friends prepare, which he found he didn't really mind.

As it was, the exams were as easy as he expected, and it wasn't long before he was once more seated with Row on the Hogwarts Express.

"Looking forward to the summer, Harry?" Hermione asked as she took a seat next to Row.

"Actually, yes," Harry replied, startling her.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Sirius rented us a place right in Diagon Alley right next to one of the exits into muggle London, and I'm looking forward to living there."

"It's really nice," Row put in. "Big rooms, high ceilings, you name it."

"Must be expensive."

"I'm sure it wasn't cheap," Row said wryly. "But he can afford it. It's the ministry's money, after all."

"I guess that's true," Hermione said with a chuckle. "Still, won't it be a little strange living with an adult after all this time?"

Row shifted uncomfortably and looked at Harry, who sighed. "The short answer is yes, although hopefully we'll be able to work everything out between us."

"At least Sirius is friendly," Hermione continued. "And he doesn't try to act like he's your father." She grimaced. "My aunt is on her second husband and he orders my cousin around like he's her dad, and she hates it. So I guess it could be worse."

"Honestly, I'm not that worried," Harry said. "This is the first time I can remember that we don't have to hide anything. I'm not hiding from Dumbledore, Jack doesn't have to act older, we don't have to lie to our landlord, nothing. For the first time, everything is nice and legal. It's a good feeling."

"I guess that's true," Row said with a smile. "In any case, it should be an interesting summer. No," her smile widened. "The best summer ever!"

Harry could only grin and nod at his sister's amusement as Padma entered the compartment followed by Sarah and the train began to move.

"Who's for exploding snap?" Padma asked, taking out a pack of cards. "Harry?"

"You know what? Why not," Harry said, turning towards the rest of the group.

"Really?" Padma was surprised. "I was just joking, you never play!"

Harry shrugged. "First time for everything."

The rest of the group laughed and made room for him as they settled in for the long ride.

Despite his novice status, Harry found the game relatively easy to play, and had to admit he was enjoying himself. As a result, the ride passed rather quickly, and before he knew it they had arrived at King's Cross.

"You have everything?" Harry asked Row as they stepped off the train. She nodded. "Ok, Sirius and Jack should be just ahead." He started to walk behind Row when he someone bumped into him from behind.

"S-Sorry," Daphne Greengrass said in a quavering voice. "I d-did-dn't s-see you." Looking more closely, Harry could see that she was shivering and her eyes were darting around the platform fearfully.

"Are you ok?" He asked her, concerned despite himself. She looked at him wide-eyed for a moment before shaking her head violently. It looked like she was about to say something when she suddenly gasped in pain and a slender hand clamped down on her shoulder violently.

"What are you doing standing around?" A voice hissed. "Do you know how long I've been waiting? You're going to be very sorry when we get home." Daphne cringed and seemed to shrink into herself, whimpering slightly as the hand squeezed harder. Turning, Harry could see that the hand belonged to a woman who he supposed must be Daphne's mother, although she looked much younger than she should.

"What are you staring at?" She snapped at Harry. "Come girl." She dug her nails into Daphne's shoulder painfully and pulled her away from the crowd.

"Go with Hermione and Padma," Harry said to Row, motioning the girls over.

"What? Why?" Row asked, confused.

"I'll meet up with you in a minute, just go."

Row continued to look at him suspiciously, but complied, and Harry slipped off in the same direction that Daphne had gone, pausing briefly to make himself invisible.

It didn't take him long to spot her in an empty hallway, still being dragged along by her mother's vice grip. As he followed quietly, Harry felt a strange sensation for a moment, but it vanished quickly, and he turned his attention back to the women in front of him. Just as he did so, Daphne let out a loud cry as she stumbled and banged her knee on the ground, dropping her trunk in the process.

"Idiot girl!" Her mother snarled, backhanding her forcefully. "Get up! NOW!" She gave the girl another backhand before pulling her up by her hair and pulling her wand. "If you don't hurry up, I swear you'll taste the cruciatus right here on the platform," she whispered just loud enough for Harry to hear. "Morsus." Daphne gasped as the curse made contact, and nearly fell again. "Now move!"

Daphne tried to keep up with her mother's pace, but it wasn't long before she stumbled again, landing in a heap on the ground.

"Worthless child," her mother snarled, kicking her in the ribs. "I warned you." She took her wand out and leveled it at the young girl with a malevolent smirk. "Cr-"

"That's enough!" Harry barked, dispelling his invisibility and dashing from his hiding place towards the two. The older woman snarled and leveled her wand at Harry, but he had already closed the distance between them. Sidestepping smoothly, he grabbed the woman by her wrist and twisted, eliciting a cry of pain as she fell to her knees and dropped her wand. Harry was about to simply stun her when he realized that he was forbidden from using his wand outside of school, and wandless magic was certainly out of the question. With a frown, he twisted his body slightly before releasing his captive, stepping quickly to his right to retrieve the fallen wand.

"Who the hell are you?" The woman, Mrs. Greengrass, spat.

"I'll ask the questions here," Harry answered, eyeing the woman coldly.

"Why you insolent little-" Her mouth kept moving but no sound came out. Harry looked down at the woman's wand in satisfaction. He hadn't been certain that the spell would work with another wand, but it didn't appear to be a problem. Without another thought, he stunned her and turned his attention to Daphne.

The younger Greengrass, meanwhile, was looking at Harry with wide eyes, as if she couldn't' believe what had just happened.

"How did you know?" She asked slowly, motioning to herself and her mother.

"I could tell something was wrong on the platform," Harry answered quietly, observing the battered girl in front of him. "How long has this been going on?"

For a moment, it appeared that Daphne wasn't going to answer him. Then suddenly she broke down crying and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"It's always been like this!" She wailed pitifully. "Always! Every summer I have to go back and I hate it, I hate her!" Harry did his best to comfort the crying girl, but he wasn't exactly sure what to do.

"Have you told anyone?"

"No! I can't! She'll hurt me even worse, I tried!" Daphne cried fearfully. She pulled back from Harry and looked at him wildly. "I can't go back there, I can't! She'll kill me!"

"You're not going back there," Harry said firmly, grabbing Daphne's trunk with one hand and holding her with the other. "Come with me."

Daphne followed after Harry like a meek puppy through the throngs of Hogwarts parents until they finally reached Sirius, Jack, and Row.

"There you are!" Sirius said when he saw Harry. "Where have you-" He stopped abruptly when he spied Daphne. "Who is this?"

"Sirius Black, Daphne Greengrass," Harry said, motioning for them to shake hands. "Daphne is coming home with us a for a while, Sirius. I just saw her mother hitting her on the platform, and it looks like it's been going on for some time."

"What? Are you serious?" Sirius asked, aghast. Daphne nodded mutely.

"She's definitely coming with us then," Jack said, his expression darkening. He looked at Daphne and his expression cleared. "Come on, you'll be safe with us," he said softly, taking Daphne by the arm. Harry nodded and picked up both his and Daphne's trunks and made to follow.

"I'm going to make a floo call, stay right here and don't move," Sirius said as they started walking. The rest of the group nodded moved to stand against the nearest wall. They stood in silence for a while until Sirius returned, followed by two other men that identified themselves as aurors.

"Daphne?" One of the men asked quietly. "We're going to ask you to come with us, is that ok with you?"

"Where are you going to take her?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"We have specialists for this type of thing," one of the aurors assured him. "She'll be well taken care of."

Harry nodded at the man before turning his attention back to Daphne. "You know you don't have to go if you don't want to." He said reassuringly.

"N-No, it's ok, I'll go," Daphne said quietly, but looked unsure.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked with a frown.

"T-They won't send me back, will they?" Daphne asked in a small voice. "Maybe you could check on me?"

Harry considered her thoughtfully for a moment before coming to a decision.

"Can you give us a minute?" He asked the aurors, who nodded and backed out of earshot. When they had, Harry reaching into his pocket and pulled out the messenger he shared with Sirius before handing it to Daphne.

"You know what this is?" Has asked, Daphne nodded. "If they try to send you back and something goes wrong, or if you just need somebody to talk to, use it and I'll be on the other end. I'll come get you myself if I have to."

Daphne gave him a small nod and began to slowly back away. Harry watched her go with a frown, his mind spinning with what he had just promised. He could almost hear Blaise calling him an idiot for wanting to help Daphne, but what else could he do? He certainly couldn't leave in her in the hands of that woman. As he watched her disappear around the corner, Harry shook his head before turning back to Sirius, who was looking at him questioningly.

"I'll tell you later." He told his godfather, who shrugged and nodded as they made their way outside the platform.

Behind them, the two aurors that were escorting Daphne were debating the quickest way to get her to auror headquarters. Deciding on floo, they led her slowly towards the nearest fireplace in silence, completely missing the victorious smirk slowly growing on her face.

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A/N Well, that's the end of third year, hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be Harry's summer vacation in Diagon Alley and all the good stuff that comes with it. Thanks for reading!