Losing Control

by JackPotr

Harry becomes an outcast during fourth year and ends up reaching out to new people to help him along the way. What he ends up with is a girlfriend and a new lease on life with the freedom he has never had before. The title refers to Albus and the Order. Grey Harry

3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No I don't own any of it.

AN: I am so overwhelmed by your responses and thank you so much for the support. I also need to clear something up as I have not made myself clear. The brother/sister relationship between Cedric and Megan is more of a bond facilitated by the promise Cedric made to Mikey. They live with their own parents but are especially close and due to this, they probably have a room at each others' house and are probably closer than most brothers and sisters. Megan's parents are not dead or missing and will play a more active role in later chapters.

Chapter 3

Harry's sudden exit from the ball and the fact that he had completely disappeared ever since did not go unnoticed. His absence spurred several groups to comb the castle in search for him with obviously no luck. The motivation and intent were different for each group but they were similar in the fact that they all wanted Harry Potter for their own reasons.

Dumbledore was upset over Harry walking out of the ball and saw it as a direct act of trying to make him look bad in front of the other Headmasters as well as the ministry representatives who were on hand to take part in the celebrations. In his anger he ordered the staff to find Harry Potter and bring him to his office. He thought that Harry's little rebellion had gone on for long enough and it was time to return to his place under Albus' thumb.

The attempt by the staff was half hearted at best especially when Minerva pointedly refused to help and walked out of his office. Since Minerva was the one who truly ran the school, the rest of the staff followed her lead in all things and this was no exception. Of course, on her way out, she left a parting shot of "Since you're so confident in her abilities, I'm sure Sybill could find him using her gifts."

Minerva was well aware that there was a prophecy surrounding Mr. Potter but not the exact wording of the first two lines and was not aware of the last two lines. She knew Albus' decisions concerning Harry's life was based on this and Albus had painstakingly manipulated every aspect of Harry's life from where he lived to who his friends were. Albus even used his status as Harry's magical guardian to block any attempts to teach Harry about his family and their place in the world. The fact that the Weasleys were on board was a given. Molly had a blind trust of Albus and practically bullied Arthur into going along.

Minerva watched during first year as Miss Granger became a friend of Harry's despite Ron Weasley's multiple attempts to keep Harry away from each other. Even Minerva could see the obvious affection grow between the two in the last few years. On the other hand, Albus also saw how her influence could derail his plans so he set out to get control over her as well. Between her insecurities and her thirst for knowledge, Albus knew just which buttons to push through special instruction or rare books and eventually swayed Hermione to accept his view of how Harry's life should be. After that meeting, Hermione had a strong compulsion to help her friend and do what was best for Harry at least as Albus Dumbledore saw it. It was evident to Albus that his words worked as the compulsion charm he sent her way was still been active until recently. Albus learned at an early age how to manipulate people with his words but the added compulsion charm every now and again always managed to cement his views.

When the staff was fruitless in their search, Albus tried to enlist some of the 'old' crowd to help. His two best candidates absolutely refused citing that their already fraying relationship with Harry was the reason. The two Marauders were easily capable of recreating a device which would help in the search for Harry and would make life easier for Albus. To be told no by these two aggravated Albus to no end which only frustrated him more since the devices he used on Harry only worked when Harry was not hiding.

While this was one of the main reasons they declined, the meeting held in Albus' office before Christmas raised several alarms for them. It was then they realized they had been effectively neutralized when it came to Harry or his rights. Between Remus' status as a dark creature and Sirius' status as an escaped prisoner, Albus would never allow them to gain custody of Harry.

They say time heals everything but Sirius was not so sure. He was mostly recovered from his stay in Azkaban but he never regained his complete mental focus. In his good moments, he realized that Albus was playing politics with him by paying him lip service on the topic of getting him a trial. But the reality was that even if he was exonerated, it was doubtful that he would gain custody of Harry as he knew Albus would make sure he was judged as mentally compromised. They were Marauders and should have been above being manipulated as effectively as they were. Sirius knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry's situation was his fault. If he had done his duty to Harry instead of running after Peter, maybe this whole mess could have been avoided. Yes, Albus being the opportunist that he was used this to his advantage to permanently get Sirius out of the picture. His and Remus' failures with Harry had him dreading the day they met up with James and Lily again and he didn't want to add to it by having Harry wanting their hides as well. The one thought that went through Sirius' mind was that he should have just stayed in Azkaban and succumbed to the inevitable for all the good he was doing Harry.

**LC**

Cedric and Megan also searched for him but as you well know, came up empty. They checked their hiding place daily to see if he was there but were disappointed every time. Cedric tried to remain calm and upbeat for Megan's benefit but he was beginning to get concerned for the young man who was quickly filling the role of a little brother for him. A few days after Christmas, they took a stroll to their meeting place to see if there were any signs of Harry and ended up sitting down and having a long talk. During their talk, Megan broke down and admitted her feelings for Harry and how his disappearance had her scared with everything that she now knew of his life. After some hugs and comforting words, she began to settle down and had an idea. She said "Dobby, can you come here please?"

Dobby popped in and said "Harry Potter's Megs calls me?"

Cedric laughed but then said "Brilliant Megs. Um…Dobby, do you know where Harry is and is he okay?"

"Yes Mr. Cedric. Dobby knows where Harry is and Harry is safe."

"Can you tell me where he is?"

Dobby shook his head. "Dobby sorry but Harry not be giving Dobby permission to tell this secret."

Megan asked "Could you take a message to him for me…I mean us?"

Dobby grinned. "Yes Mistress Megs. Dobby be glad to. Dobby thinks Harry be missing his Megs too."

She blushed but said "Tell him I…we miss him and to be safe and come back soon."

Cedric smiled at her slips. He was protective of her but couldn't think of a better guy he would trust his sister with than Harry. "Before you leave Dobby, do you know if he went to Gringotts and how it went?"

Some of the happiness dropped from Dobby's face. "Harry not being happy when he left Gringotts. They be trying to keep Harry's family from him."

Megan asked "What do you mean?"

Dobby looked down at the floor. She said "I'm sorry for asking you something like that. You're a good elf who keeps Harry's secrets. I'm sure Harry will tell us when he gets back but I'm just worried about him."

Dobby gave her a sweet little grin. "Dobby knows yous will probably be his mistress one day but cannot say anything until then."

She blushed as Cedric laughed. Once Dobby disappeared, they walked back to the Hufflepuff common room. As they were about to enter, Cedric grinned and said "After you Mistress Megs." She smacked his arm and stomped off but he could tell she was much happier knowing that Harry was fine.

**LC**

Hermione was beside herself with worry ever since Harry disappeared from the ball. She exhausted herself looking in all of the normal places but Harry was not to be found. After admitting defeat, she went back to her dorm and thought about the situation she was in and how to get out of it. She finally had an idea and took out a piece of parchment and began a letter. Once she was finished, she ran to the owlery to post it. She saw Hedwig and asked "Hey girl, would you like to take a letter for me?"

Hedwig looked at her for a moment before turning her back on her. Hermione thought 'Great, even his owl hates me now.' She managed to call down one of the school's owls and sent her letter off.

**LC**

Hermione wasn't the only Gryffindor looking for Harry. There was a group led by the three female chasers of the Quidditch team who were desperate to talk to Harry. While they didn't publicly ridicule Harry, they were guilty of not standing up for him and they knew in his eyes; they were just as guilty as those who had been so horrible to him. It was obvious how Harry felt when the Weasley twins shared their confrontation with the other team members. If that didn't open their eyes, the confrontation in McGonagall's classroom certainly did. The three girls had always thought of Harry as their little brother much like the twins did and for him to no longer want to associate with them was a hard pill to swallow. The team was very close and with the loss of Oliver, who graduated, and now Harry, who no longer trusted them, their 'family' was becoming fractured and dysfunctional.

**LC**

Harry returned to the castle on the night before classes resumed. His mind was on other things and he made the mistake of arriving at Gryffindor tower much earlier that normal. As soon as he stepped through the portrait hole, he realized his mistake as all eyes locked in on him so he tried to hurry through and make his way up to his dorm room. Harry hadn't made it half way up the stairs before everyone's shock at seeing Harry cleared and they went into action. Angelina asked "Harry, may we speak to you?"

When he looked up, he saw the entire Quidditch team along with Neville, Ron, and Hermione along with a few others. He shot them a look of disdain before starting up the stairs. Katie blurted out "Harry, we're sorry for everything. We don't want you to leave or quit the Quidditch team. You're family to us."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned around while shooting them a glare. He snorted "Family? Is that what you just said? That I'm family?"

George quietly said "Yeah Harry."

Harry sneered "And I thought the Dursleys were bad. At least they never pretended to like me before attacking me."

Angelina softly said "Harry, we said we're sorry. Please come back to us."

Harry sneered "Why? Why would I want to do anything with you people? What would I have to gain by it?"

Alicia pleaded "We were wrong Harry. Please accept our apology. It is bad enough that Ollie is gone. We can't lose you too."

Harry closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, they could see the restrained fury he was holding back. He snapped out "I guess you should have thought about that before you made me an outcast."

He made eye contact with each one of them as he said "Of everyone in this school, you WERE the people I was closest too. You knew me better than anyone yet you still accused me of doing things YOU should know I would never do."

They winced as he stressed the words and hung their heads in shame as he said this. They thought he was done but never expected what came next. "It all boils down to trust and at this point, I can't trust any of you."

Hermione asked "You said you can't instead of you don't. Why can't you trust us?"

Harry sighed and thought that only Hermione would spot the difference. "It may have escaped your attention but I've had a Dark Lord after me for fourteen years. It's hard enough to deal with the frontal attack but it's even harder to deal with the threat from behind. This year has shown me that if I place my trust in someone who says they are my friend, I just may end up with a wand pointed at my back. Voldemort is a big enough threat without me having to worry about whether my friends are going to turn and run when things get bad."

They all gasped at his last statement as he turned and went up the stairs. He was glad there was no one in the dorm as he quickly changed and climbed into bed. Once the curtains were pulled, he charmed them silent and added one to keep anyone but him from opening them. He called for Dobby and said "It may be time to find me a new place to sleep. I think it would be easier on me if I didn't have to worry about running into them."

Dobby replied "Harry could always call the sword to him. It would let him in Godric's chambers."

"No, I don't think we can do that yet. They can't know that we know yet."

Down in the common room, the subdued group sat around on the couches talking about what had just happened. Almost all of them agreed that they had a lot to make up for with Harry and hopefully earn his trust one day. For now, all they could do was to try and support him as best they could. Angelina noticed Fred and George looking quite depressed which was usually against their nature. She asked "What's got you two so down?"

Fred answered "Well, Dad told us to fix things with Harry before the school term began. The problem is we haven't even seen Harry since the ball to try and now we are afraid that if we try, we may make things worse. With what happened in Ginny's first year, Dad is taking this as a mark against our family honor and is rather put out about the whole thing."

Hermione said "Your father is a very nice man. He wouldn't do anything too bad."

George grimaced. "Hermione, family honor is everything to Dad and he won't take this very well."

Hermione sadly nodded "I can understand that. My father is a decorated hero from the Falkland's conflict. The branch he served in places honor above everything. When he finds out about this, he won't be very happy with me."

**LC**

The next day at breakfast, Hermione received a letter in response to the one she had sent. Even though it was too late, she opened to read it.

Dear Hermione,

It is with great regret that I say we are in no better position with Harry than you are. I can tell by your letter that you deeply regret what happened with Harry and we can commiserate with you in that matter.

When Harry's name came out of the Goblet, Albus forbade us from writing to him or contacting him in any way. Over the course of the next few weeks, we received multiple letters from Harry begging for our help. In our stupidity, we ignored them as Albus had told us to do even though it hurt us to do so. I know you were in the tent after the first task and didn't see our meeting with Harry. It didn't go well and he basically told us he was better off without us in his life.

Since then, we have tried writing him but our letters have been returned unopened and he has cut off all contact with us. The last letter that was returned to Sirius was charmed with an explosive curse that triggered as soon as the owl dropped it. It was the last letter that we sent to him.

I thought I could get through to him and came to the castle. I managed to catch him between classes but it will be the last time I will try to make the first move. It was this point that I truly realized the damage I had done to our relationship when he pulled a silver dagger on me and told me all it would take is a scratch. While that may not be completely true, he did get his point across.

I'm sorry I couldn't be any more help but we are in the same boat. I fear for what we may have done.

Yours truly,

Remus Lupin

Hermione sighed as she folded the letter and put it in her book bag. She pushed away her breakfast and rose from the table only to walk slowly towards her first class.

**LC**

The month leading up to the second task remained pretty quiet for Harry and he continued to meet with Cedric and Megan on a regular basis. He told them all about his trip to Gringotts and then what he had learned from his contact with the Gnomes. While they commiserated with him over his situation, they really didn't have any ideas to help him other than doing what he was already doing.

It was finally Cedric who posed "You know, Susan's aunt his head of the DMLE. You could send her a copy of your mother's letter."

Harry replied with disdain. "Susan Bones?" (Megan winced.) "Hell CED, she and Hannah have been have been leading the charge against me from your house. I wouldn't trust a Bones at this point to do the paperwork correctly to wipe my arse."

Megan said "Not that I'm defending them Harry but they both are hopelessly in love with their hero. No matter what Cedric says, they will always treat your being entered in the tournament as an unforgivable slight against him. It's pretty disgusting actually. I have to listen to them moon over Cedric constantly since I share a dorm with them and geez…I don't want to hear that, he's my brother."

Her comments lightened the mood considerably. Cedric said "Thanks a lot there Mistress Megs."

Harry looked up and saw Megan blushing. "Mistress Megs? That sounds like something Dobby would say." Cedric laughed louder as Megan turned an even deeper red.

When he got himself a little under control, Cedric said "He did! It was when we were looking for you and she thought to call him and ask about you."

Harry's eyes widened at that comment. He knew that with Dobby bonded to him, Dobby would only respond to a summons of someone who Harry trusted or loved. The fact that he answered Megan's summons told Harry that though he was confused over his feelings, Dobby knew exactly what was going on.

Trying desperately to change the subject, Megan said "I know you don't trust Susan but her aunt can be trusted. She could help and it could get your Godfather freed."

Harry thought for a minute before saying "I'll think about it in the future. (He noticed the concerned look on her face.) Look, there's not a lot I can do now anyway. If I start kicking over too many rocks then Dimples will figure out that I know about the stuff he has kept hidden. Right now, it's best if I just keep it all hidden and lie low until I can do something about it. Besides, I'm not really sure that I want to help Sirius at this point."

Megan gasped "But he's your Godfather, he could be free and finally be able to help you."

Harry snapped back at her. "Why should I help him any more than I already have? I saved his life and look how he repaid me. Let's do a rundown on Sirius Black, first he leaves me with Hagrid to go chase down Peter. I hold Voldemort, him and Dimples responsible for the childhood I had in that order. If Sirius had done his duty, I'd never have ended up in the Headmaster's clutches or at least I hope I wouldn't have. He abandons me for twelve years. Yes I know he was in Azkaban but that's beside the point, I was still left to the tender mercies of the Dursleys because of his actions."

Megan had tears in her eyes and said "Harry, don't!"

Harry reached out and grabbed her hand. He said "I'm not mad at you Megan but these are things that need to be said and by talking to you guys about it, it kind of helps me put things in perspective."

She squeezed his hand back. "I…I just don't want to end up like your other friends."

He chuckled "I don't think Mistress Megs has anything to worry about."

Cedric laughed again as Megan blushed. Harry said "Anyway, he comes to Hogwarts being reckless again and gets caught. I end up having to save him and help him escape only to receive a few notes from him over the summer that said mostly nothing but he always said he would be there if I needed him. Once my name came out of the Goblet, I turned to him and another family friend to help. I sent a letter out daily begging them to talk to me. I never got one reply. It was like they didn't care and then they had the nerve to show up after the first task. I was already furious with Dimples and then had to come face to face with them."

She squeezed his hand. "Them? I only saw you yell at Professor Lupin."

Harry looked at her and said "Sirius is a dog animagus."

She gasped "So the big black dog was your Godfather? Damn, we played with that dog last year out on the grounds. After seeing him with Lupin, I just thought he belonged to the Professor."

Harry's eyes darkened a little. "After I confronted them, they were all about trying to get me to talk to them. I got letters every day but it was too little too late. When I needed them, they weren't there and when I didn't need them anymore, they were all over me. To me, it has Dimples hands all over it. He probably told them not to talk to me and then when he lost control over me, he used every resource he had to try and bring me back under."

Cedric looked stunned. He finally said "I know this year hasn't been the best but don't you think that's a little paranoid? I mean, I know the Headmaster is up to something but that would suggest so much more."

Harry nodded and said "Yeah, I know. What happened at the bank and then my mother's letter really helped me see the way things might really be."

Megan pulled Harry into a hug. "We'll be here to help Harry. I promise you that."

**LC**

Whenever Cedric and Megan weren't with him, Harry could usually be found in Dobby's company. After Harry asked, Dobby started teaching him about elf magic and while it was different from wizard magic, it was still magic. The main difference was how the elves channeled their magic. Dobby knew that with Harry's power level, he could easily do this type of magic and so started teaching him that magic was all about intent and imagination. At first, Harry had a hard time grasping it as it was just too simple and made too much sense.

After Harry struggled for a while, Dobby just told him to tell his magic what to do. Again, this was too easy for Harry but after a while, he compared it to accidental magic and knew it was possible as whenever he had performed it, he got the results he desired even though they were unfocused and wild. As he followed this line of thinking, he knew if he told his magic exactly what he wanted instead of a general idea, he could achieve the results he desired.

Getting the desired results were still not easy for Harry and so Dobby sat down with him and taught him how to meditate. Dobby said "Dobby always being able to touch magic. Dobby thinks elves are born with it. Harry touches magic too just in a different way. Dobby wants Harry to sit down and close his eyes. Dobby wants Harry to stop thinking about anything but Harry's magic."

Dobby watched as Harry did this. "Now Harry needs to find his magic. Follow it back to where it comes from."

Harry said "It feels like it is all around me and not somewhere specific."

"Dobby understands. Does Harry trust his Dobby?"

"You know I do."

Dobby grabbed his hands and joined him is his head. In Harry's mind, an image of him standing there holding Dobby's hand appeared. Dobby said "Wes going to follow the bond to my magic first so Harry can see what it looks like."

They started walking along a light green pathway that led to a glowing green orb that pulsed with energy. Dobby said "This is Dobby. Without this, Dobby be no more. Without Harry, this won't be. When Harry dies, so does Dobby but Harry can live on without Dobby. This is the bond we share."

Harry asked "So if I die, you will too? That's not fair."

Dobby smiled "Dobby wanted it this way. Most elves bonded to family so as long as family lives on, so do the elves. Dobby only bonded to Harry not Potters. Dobby will follow his master in death but not until Dobby has finished taking care of Master. It was the cost in order to fix all the problems Harry had."

"I don't understand."

"Dobby will live long enough to make sure all of Master's orders are fulfilled. Once this is done, Dobby will join Master once again to take care of Harry in the next life."

"Not that part, the part about fixing me."

"For Dobby to fix Harry, Dobby had to tie his core directly to Harry's. It was too much for Dobby's magic and Dobby joined Harry's magic to do what needed to be done."

Harry looked at him wide eyed. "You killed yourself to help me?"

Dobby nodded. "The dark magic behind Harry's scar required a sacrifice to make it go away. Dobby gladly sacrificed his magic to help Harry."

Harry was stunned and did the only thing he could think of. He knelt down and hugged Dobby. "I don't know what to say but thank you. I guess this means we will have to work hard to make sure I don't die anytime soon. I can't let my best friend down now can I?"

There were tears running down Dobby's cheeks. "Harry thinks Dobby is his friend?"

Harry shook his head. "No Dobby, I think you are more like a brother than a friend. I would be lost without you."

Dobby returned the hug and then jumped up. He grabbed Harry's hand and led him quickly along a pathway. It wasn't long before they were standing in front of a large white pulsing orb. Dobby said "This is Harry's magic. Dobby thinks yous needs to step inside it and then you will understand."

Harry did as he was told and felt the connection to his magic better than he ever had. When he stepped back out, all Harry could say was "Wow!"

Dobby said "Now grab a piece of it and bring it with you. It will form a line that you can follow for now. We be going back to where we started"

In the blink of an eye, they were back at the beginning and Dobby let go of Harry's hand and left him standing there. As Harry opened his eyes, Dobby was looking at him with a smile on his face. "Can you still feel it?"

"Yeah"

"Harry needs to do this every day until he doesn't need the line. When Harry can do that, we will be starting new things."

As the weeks progressed, Harry's ability to follow the line became easier until he no longer needed it to touch his core. Harry's next lessons were taught without a wand and were so much easier than when they first started out. Harry got to the point where he could call up whatever he wanted. Dobby declared him taught and told him to just keep in practice. With this new ability, Harry found that the occlumency Cedric and Megan had been so painstakingly teaching him came easily and since he understood the theory and the results of the practice, he easily formed a strong shield that would keep anyone out until he could get away.

**LC**

Megan and Harry continued to grow closer and while they were honest with each other about their developing feelings, they also knew that their situation had not changed. She knew Harry was honorable but it became even more apparent when he told her that while he would like nothing more to ask her to be his girlfriend, he felt that it would be unfair to her to go around hiding their relationship. She was disappointed but also elated that he felt that strongly about her. In the end, he made her a promise that when the tournament was over, he would ask her officially. She understood even more when Harry and Cedric informed her that they had already figured out the second task and there was no way either one of them would put her at risk.

**LC**

The weeks leading up to the second task were primarily drama free for Harry as most of the school was finally leaving him alone. He would get the occasional glare from some of the students but they never said anything hateful to him. Of course, it was difficult to find him since he still stuck to the shadows to remain hidden and still preferred to take his meals down in the kitchen.

Minerva has lost all contact with Harry as he never again deemed it necessary to grace her classroom with his presence. She heard, through her sources, about the confrontation in the common room and was at a loss about what to do. Normally, she would talk to the student and enforce discipline but in this case, she knew that to do that would just drive him further away. She was also worried ever since the elves reported that he no longer slept in his bed. The only comfort she had regarding Harry was the elves also reported that he ate daily in the kitchens which proved he was still in the castle. Her biggest concern and confusion was that the elves couldn't find him any other time.

The drama eased off as the Gryffindors began treating him better after realizing that their house was a power in the school largely because Harry had been sorted there. The moment they turned their backs on him and he in return did the same, they noticed their star had begun to fall and they were no longer considered the strongest house. This was something they didn't want to continue so they remained reserved around him and because they felt one wrong move would push him even further away. They were hoping things would eventually work out on the basis that they thought he still slept in his bed in the tower and therefore had not given up on them completely.

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs treated him indifferently and with the exception of a few, never gave him a second glance whenever they actually saw him in the halls. The real surprise for Harry was the Slytherins. They had completely backed off and were giving him a wide berth and even Malfoy had the good sense to leave him alone. Harry would never know but Professor Snape had called a house meeting over the holidays and explained the facts of life to them.

FLASHBACK

The entire Slytherin House was sitting in their common room waiting to start a meeting called by their head of house, Severus Snape. They all knew Severus despised meetings so when he called one, he was going to share some vital information with them that could very well be crucial to their survival.

He said "Thank you all for being here and on time. What I'm about to say, you won't like hearing but you need to hear it anyway. From now on, Harry Potter is off limits."

Malfoy said "But Professor, scarhead…"

Snape snarled "SHUT UP DRACO! I know Slytherin house has set him up as the enemy but you all need to back off."

Daphne Greengrass asked "Did Dumbledore order you to tell us this?"

"No, this is coming from me."

Another asked "Why?"

"Because things have changed. Something you should know is that if Mr. Malfoy had not antagonized Mr. Potter on the train, he could have very well ended up in this house."

Draco said "But…"

He was cut off by Severus who continued. "His actions this past term have shown me that Harry Potter is more than a brash and reckless Gryffindor, but he plays his role and uses those traits to accomplish his goals. He rarely fails at what he sets his mind too and that in turn tells me that he has kept his Slytherin talents hidden from us all."

Malfoy sarcastically said "You sound as if you almost respect him."

Snape replied "In a way I do. He is finally showing the traits possessed by his mother and even though she was a Lion, she would have been a formidable Snake. Only her blood status kept her from our house."

They all looked at him with wide eyes so he continued. "Mr. Potter has started slowly removing the chains placed on him by the headmaster. On equal note is his distancing of himself from the traitorous Weasleys as well as Miss Granger. He is finally becoming his own man and is living up to the Potter name that has been a long respected family. I dare say that he is becoming a lord in his own right."

Pansy said "I thought that Granger and Potter were fated to be together. It sure seemed like it."

Snape smiled "Yes, as much as it looked like he would follow in his father's footsteps, that is not the case now and through some bad decisions on the part of Miss Granger, I no longer see that option available to her."

Several people nodded. "The Potter blood is strong in him and as such, he is coming into his powers but don't let his being a half-blood allow you to underestimate him. Lily could wipe the floor with even the best the purebloods had to offer. I don't need to remind you of his display against the dragon. I dare say any of us could have done what he did or stood up against that kind of power. I also believe that his time in seclusion has been good for him and allowed him to become even more powerful."

Daphne asked "In recent history, the Potters have been considered a light family. How will his becoming a lord help those of us from neutral or dark families?"

He looked around to see even more nods. "I don't think all this will benefit the dark families at all. Since the lighter students have been treating him just as badly as the darker ones, I think he holds the light in as much contempt as he does the dark. Some of you members of the neutral families may want to remember that as I feel he will either start his own faction or be attracted to the more grey families. My final warning is this, if you draw your wand on Mr. Potter, be prepared for the consequences as he is not the same young man he was at the start of the year. There will be nothing I can do to save you and Mr. Potter already has expressed his desire to be expelled."

Greg Goyle asked "Uh…why would he want that?"

Daphne turned and said "If he gets expelled, he is banished from the magical world AND becomes emancipated at the same time to fend for himself."

He sat there dumbly for a minute before she added "If he is banished from our world, he's granted status as an adult and gets control of the Potter holdings. I would bet that if he does, he takes his fortune and leaves."

Malfoy said "So, he leaves with whatever pitiful amount his family left him. Big deal."

Blaise Zabini laughed. "Malfoy, did you ever do your studies on other houses when you were younger?"

Draco pulled himself up haughtily. "I am a Malfoy. Why should I concern myself with lesser houses?"

That statement did more harm to his alliances than any other he could make. Blaise sneered "Your family may be wealthy but the Potters are an ancient family. They and several others could probably buy your father ten times over and still have enough to live off comfortably for the rest of their lives."

Daphne Greengrass was an extremely intelligent young lady and had studied the family lines extensively. She had done this to find a suitable future husband from her classmates. The lines that ended with Harry Potter were numerous and powerful. Before coming to Hogwarts, he had been at the top of her list until he fell in with the Weasleys. She was mentally rearranging her list once again to place him at the top. It was time to start making overtures in his direction just as she had planned in first year.

Draco's mouth closed quickly as the others glared at him. Snape took in the scene before him and knew that he had done what he could for them. The rest would be up to them. A quick glance towards Daphne showed him that the wheels in her head were turning and she would soon be approaching Harry. Severus thought the match would be a good one. She would teach him control while he taught her passion. Her family was staunchly neutral which would be a good fit for Harry. His only problem with it was the nagging suspicion that Harry wasn't as alone as everyone thought. He certainly hoped that as the case as he turned and walked out of the common room.

END FLASHBACK

**LC**

Bearclaw was sitting in his office writing what was probably the twentieth letter to the Heir of the Potters in as many days. He reflected back on the night he was summoned to Ragnok's office which had him reliving the meeting in his dreams. The thing that had Bearclaw confused was the reaction to the news. He knew that the Potters were a wealthy and respected family but the loss of those accounts shouldn't have made Ragnok react as he did. The only thing that had saved his head was the paperwork that showed Albus Dumbledore had blocked the young Potter from everything except his trust vault. Ragnok then concentrated on Mr. Potter's treatment at the hands of Bearclaw.

With the threat of the loss of the Potter holdings hanging over him, Bearclaw knew that Ragnok would not take it lying down and he had his worst fears revealed. After the initial tirade, Ragnok turned to an aid and nodded his head. Before Bearclaw's eyes, his whole family was brought into the chamber in chains and was stood before him as he knelt in front of Ragnok. Ragnok's eyes fell upon his sister who was Bearclaw's wife. She looked at him pleadingly and received a nod from Ragnok.

In the Goblin language, she coldly asked "What have you done to put us at my brother's mercy husband?"

Ragnok knew that it would not be his sister's blood that was spilt today. He grew up with her and couldn't think of a more suitable punishment than to have to listen to her scorn every night when Bearclaw came home from work. The fact that she was Ragnok's sister meant that Bearclaw couldn't touch her if he valued his own life.

Ragnok stepped in front of the most promising of Bearclaw's sons and even though it hurt him to do so, his sword flashed and the young Goblin fell to the floor. He finally turned to Bearclaw and growled "Your actions today required a blood payment. Know this, your head remains attached to your neck as long as the Potter accounts remain at Gringotts. The moment they disappear, so do your life and your children will be forced to endure the shame of being your children for the rest of their lives."

With a wave of his hand, Bearclaw and the rest of his family were roughly shoved out of the chamber. Ragnok sat back down on his throne and began to ponder whether it would be a violation of the treaty with the Ministry to kill a manipulative old man. While he was going to let Bearclaw flounder along for a while, he would not rely solely on the account manager to fix this mess. He thought back to Griphook and how Mr. Potter had been satisfied with him. He might just call on Griphook to act as a go between for him and Mr. Potter until they could meet face to face. He knew that one way or another; Bearclaw's fate had already been decided as he would either be dead or replaced. The Goblin chief was privy to a lot more information than even some of the highest ranking Goblins. Even though Bearclaw was over the Potter accounts, there was ancient information that could not be shared until the heir was aware of it. When it did happen, he knew that the loss of the Potter accounts would be disastrous for them because he knew just how many accounts were secretly tied to the Potter vaults. Ragnok also knew that the loss of the Potter accounts would destroy Gringotts and if that happened, the nation would see his head lying on the floor next to Bearclaw's.

Bearclaw shook his head to clear the events of that night. He would then finish his apology to Mr. Potter along with a request to return so that they could discuss the matter in more detail. He even hinted that they might find a way to circumvent the restrictions. Little did he know that the letters were never received by Harry.

When Harry was a baby, Dumbledore placed a mail redirection ward on Privet Drive that would only allow the letters he deemed were safe to fall into Harry's hands which were none. When Harry came to Hogwarts, he added another such ward to the castle that he ingeniously tied to Harry. He had modified them to allow the Weasleys and Miss Granger to write him and even this year allowed Remus and Sirius to write him after an oath not to reveal anything to Harry. If anyone else were to write him, too much might be revealed and Albus couldn't have that.

**LC**

Albus sat in his office in contemplation. He was quite smug as he thought about making the Marauders give the oath. He expected it to drive a wedge between Harry and Sirius who was the only person who could literally take Harry from him. He smiled at his thoughts of the brilliantly successful plan. His problems came during his attempts to gain even more control over Harry. That whole plan backfired and allowed Harry to break away from the people who kept him informed about what Harry was doing. He thought about what Severus said and it did seem as if the boy's bindings were coming unraveled. It was obvious from the first task that the power block was gone with how he stood up to the dragon. The small glimpse he got of Harry's mind also showed that the mental block was gone as well. The speed at which Harry's mind was moving rivaled that of his mother and one of Harry's former friends, Miss Granger. If there was one thing Albus did know, it was that once Harry started connecting the dots, he would have a lot to answer for.

The other problem Albus had was who to select as Mr. Potter's hostage in the second task. With him having cut all ties to his friends along with walking out on Miss Granger during the ball, he didn't really have anyone to choose from. In his original plans, Mr. Weasley would be his hostage. Albus was going to use him as the person Harry would miss most to throw some suspicion on Harry's sexual orientation therefore keeping the many girls that were interested in Harry from approaching. If they could forestall the inevitable, then maybe Miss Weasley would be ready to take up her role in Harry's life just as he and Molly planned. He then had the brilliant idea, at least in his mind, to use Ginny as Harry's hostage. He had already saved her once; surely he would do it again.

Albus gave a little shudder as he thought about the Chamber of Secrets incident. One of his biggest fears was that the Weasleys would find out that he knew about the whole thing and allowed things to progress as they did. There were also several choices Albus had made for the Greater Good that he was not too proud of. The three that were the worst were centered on Harry where in all three cases; Harry ended up facing Voldemort alone and almost died each time. Ginny Weasley's involvement in the chamber incident was just basically collateral damage in the war. The fact that she would be mentally scarred from the experience for the rest of her life was a justifiable expense to ensure the Greater Good.

Harry's name coming out of the Goblet had been a surprise to him but he took advantage of the situation and tried to use it to his advantage. The fact that it worked against him was an annoyance at best. Albus knew Tom was behind Harry ending up in the tournament and it didn't bode well for what lie ahead. The real concern for Albus was that with Harry cutting ties with him and everyone else, there was no way to subtly guide Harry along and this time he would be on his own. He hoped that this wouldn't be the fourth and final major mistake in his choices regarding Harry.

**LC**

The day of the much anticipated second task finally arrived and the Great Hall was pretty lively at breakfast. The only people not enjoying themselves were the three champions who were looking around nervously as if they were searching for someone. Megan was sitting next to Cedric and whispered "Cho will be fine. If you can't get to her, I'm sure Harry will have your back."

"I know but while we protected you, we couldn't do the same for her. Speaking of that, I wonder who they got for Harry."

She cast a quick glance over at the Gryffindor table but noticed there were a lot of Lions missing this morning. "I don't know. It seems as if half the Lions are missing this morning."

Cedric glanced over and then looked back at his own table where he found Leanne sitting there eating. He got up and went over to her. "Hey Leanne, I know you're friends with Katie Bell. What's up with the Gryffs this morning? It looks like half their house is missing."

"Yeah, Katie told me they were going to try and talk to Harry this morning and tell him that they're pulling for him."

"Oh okay. It just seemed kind of strange that they were all running this late. I was hoping nothing had happened."

Once he sat back down, he whispered "The Gryffs were lying in wait for Harry this morning. Pity they don't know that he's been in our room for a couple hours already."

She punched his shoulder and whispered back "You prat, why didn't you tell me. I wanted to wish him luck."

"Didn't you do that last night with that kiss?"

She blushed "I...we didn't."

Cedric chuckled "No but you wanted to. So who do you think his hostage is?"

"Ten galleons say it's the little Weasley stalker."

Cedric snorted "Which one, the boy or the girl?"

"The girl you idiot."

At that moment, the rest of Gryffindor house piled into the Great Hall with a dejected look on their face. Once they settled and took their seats, it was obvious that Ginny was missing. She whispered "Harry's gonna love fishing her out of the lake. It'll probably make her stalk him even more."

With an evil grin, he asked "What? Are you afraid of a little competition?"

"As if, they say all girls turn out like their mothers. Now, you've seen mum and you've seen Molly Weasley. Which would you choose to spend the rest of your life with?" She said with a smirk.

"Point, but since I know both of them, even at her worst, your mother is nothing like Molly 'The Howler' Weasley on a normal day."

"Well I wasn't exactly talking about how they acted."

Cedric chuckled "I know and yes your mum is pretty hot."

"Oh? Have you been perving on my mum?"

"NO! Hell Meg, she's practically my own mum as well." When he turned to look at her, he noticed she was holding her sides to keep from busting out at his sudden embarrassment.

**LC**

At the end of breakfast, Dumbledore stood and announced "It's time for all the champions to make their way to Black Lake where a boat will be waiting for you. On the same note, it would also be a good time for the students and guests to make their way down as well. We will begin in one hour."

The champions and judges were escorted to the lake by a huge crowd of spectators. As they stepped over to the boats that would take them to their platform, it became apparent that Harry was not with them. Cedric looked out over the lake and noticed a lone figure sitting on one of the platforms sitting cross legged like he was doing some kind of muggle meditation. A closer glance showed a greenish aura surrounding him. No one else noticed and finally Ludo Bagman said "We can't wait for the fourth champion any longer. I guess he will just forfeit this round."

Cedric said as he raised his arm and pointed "Um…Mr. Bagman, I think he is waiting for us."

When the other judges and champions looked over as Harry sat there glowing with power. Dumbledore finally said "I guess we'd better join him."

As they took the boat over, Dumbledore was looking at Harry hungrily. He knew this would be his best shot at putting a compulsion charm on Harry and bringing him back under control. What nobody knew was that he could do it wandlessly with a simple touch.

As soon as the boat reached the platform, Dumbledore was out and moving quickly towards Harry. He approached and put his hand out to lay it on Harry's shoulder but when he got within an inch of it, his hand sparked and he received a medium shock. Harry opened his eyes and sent a hard glare straight at Dumbledore before he looked over at his fellow champions. Once he gave them a quick nod, he closed his eyes once again.

Albus asked "Mr. Potter, may I ask how you got out here when the boats were not charmed to leave until we arrived?"

With his eyes still closed, Harry responded "I flew." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his shrunken Firebolt which he quickly put back in his pocket.

"Maybe I should hold on to that during the task."

"No, I don't think so as I'm quite sure you would force me to retrieve it from your office and while I'm sure the conversation would be quite charming, I would rather not subject myself to it."

Albus winced at the reference as Cedric chuckled. "Nevertheless, I still think I should confiscate it for the time being."

"And I've already told you no. You have no right to take it from me. The rules for this task say nothing against it and by school rules; you can only do that to something that is posing a clear and present danger to the students or the castle. Since it does neither, then I am well within my rights to refuse to give it up."

"Mr. Potter, if you continue to defy me, you will sit detention."

Harry snorted "Well that worked so well for you last time but you are welcome to try."

Albus realized that Harry was once again making a fool out of him and changed subjects. "May I ask where you have been?"

"You may ask but I won't tell you. Just be thankful I showed up for your stupid tournament that YOU forced me into."

Albus and the rest of the judges decided it was best to back off at this point. Cedric sat down next to Harry and began to converse in a low tone. "It's always fun watching you have a go at them. So, just what are you doing?"

Harry chuckled "I'm relaxing before we have to jump in that lake. Have you felt the water? Damn it's cold."

Cedric laughed. "What did you expect? It's February in Scotland."

Harry said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Well someone should make the judges jump in the water and see how stupid this is. In fact, I may just reducto the supports and send them in anyway."

"Um…Harry, magic remember. There aren't any supports. The whole thing is using runes to levitate."

"Crap. There goes my plan for this task."

Cedric laughed as he stood and said "Good luck Harry."

"You too Cedric."

AN: As far as some comments that were made, I know I'm not a polished writer and I will probably never claim to be. I do take your advice on occasion and do appreciate the constructive criticism. Some of the reason I write the way I do is that I am born and raised in the Southern United States. Being a true southerner, we are not dumb but are also not known for our perfect grammar. The other reason I write the way I do is through advice from you guys over the last two years. I am not here to impress you with my gift of big words. I write so that a wide variety of ages and people will understand my meaning even though I don't always succeed. Old-Crow, one of my favorite writers, basically says that he is a story teller and if you are looking for grammatical perfection, you're looking in the wrong place. I happen to agree with him and write for my own and hopefully your enjoyment. Evidently, I'm doing something right as you guys keep reading what I write even if it is only to laugh at my mistakes.