The week following Halloween had been interesting for Harry. The first year Slytherins had taken up the habit of bowing to him every time he passed them in the hall, or rather, they would bow about half way and then remember that he was a Gryffindor, Harry Potter no less, and they would snap back up with a ridged spine and glare at him before turning on heel and running away. It took Harry some time to figure out that they were running away because they were afraid of him. He hated it when children were afraid of them.

This revelation had him cornering a poor unfortunate girl before she could bolt. He dragged her over to the side of the hall ignoring a group of Ravenclaws that were casting them odd looks. Harry explained as patiently as he could, to the frightened girl, that there was no need for her or any other first years to fear him and that there was no need for them to either bow to him or acknowledge him in any way. The girl only curled her ash brown hair around her finger in agitation clearly not hearing a word he said. It took ten minutes, but he finally got her to understand and had her promise that she would tell the others. He patted her on the head and continued on to class.

After being assured of their safety the younger years started to follow him every where. They even made it into one of the daily practices that he had with Ron and Draco.

"What are they doing here?" Ron had asked gesturing at the three Slytherin boys that had followed him into the Room of Requirement. "I don't exactly feel right with so many Slytherins around."

"Then leave, Gryffindork." One of them called out.

Ron turned red and started to bare down on the little mouth, but Harry stepped between them. "That's enough Ron. They're just kids."

"Why are they here?" Ron practically screamed.

Draco who had been lifting weights in the far corner of the room strode over wiping his brow with a towel. "It pains me to say it, but I have to agree with the Weasel. They shouldn't be here. Get your new fan club out of here."

The smallest of the boys stepped forward. Standing at full height he reached up to Draco's chest. "We wanted to see you and Harry kiss." Draco's mouth fell open and his cheeks turned red. The boy saw the dangerous glint in his eyes and stuttered on. "The w-whole s-school's been talking about it. You keep… slipping away together. We, well…"

All four of the Slytherins jumped when Harry burst into laughter. "Well, that one came back to bite me in the ass." He jauntily wrapped his arm around a stunned Draco's waist and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "There, now get out you three. We have work to do." He shooed the gaping boys out the door.

"What the hell was that for?" Draco screamed after the door closed. He scrubbed his cheek with the back of his hand.

Harry glanced at Ron who seemed a little green. "I was preserving our story. Not that I don't trust them, but I prefer not to take chances.

"Huh?" Ron asked as if coming out of a daze.

"Chances for what?" Draco asked.

"Chances that your father will find out what we're up to."

Draco stared stupidly. "Oh."

"Let's begin," Harry clapped his hands acting like nothing had happened at all. Draco was still in a state of shock. For the first time he began to think that Harry's insane story about being Salazar Slytherin was true. "Ron you still need to warm up. Draco take up a stance and come at me. I want to see how well you can apply what you have learned in a battle situation; don't hold back. I'll be fine."

Harry slipped his knife from the sling on his wrist and dropped into a fighting stance. Draco grabbed his own knife and played with the tip for a moment thinking. Harry obviously wanted a fight, or else he would have waited to practice with Ron. It was gratifying that Harry thought he was better than Ron at knife fighting, but when Harry really wanted to fight…

Draco reexamined his last thought. It mattered to him, what Harry thought of his knife fighting skills. Still, Harry was his rival, maybe there was an advantage to being closer to the Gryffindor. He just had to find out what it was, what he wanted to get out of this new tentative relationship.

Harry began to get impatient still standing with knees slightly bent, knife at the ready he called out, "Hurry up, there's no need to plan your funeral yet, it's only practice."

Draco started at his words. His eyes flashed. How dare that little son of a mudblood… Inarticulate furry overtook his thoughts, but he quickly cleared his mind and began plotting his teacher's downfall.

Harry smiled as Draco finally took his stance. Finally, some action, he really needed a good fight. He lamented, momentarily, the fact that Godric wasn't there to spar with. He had always enjoyed testing his knife skills against Godric's sword.

Draco charged him. Harry fell into the flow of battle. Draco came right at him, as any amateur would do, but at the last second side stepped so that Harry's knife only caught his robes. Harry barley managed to roll and avoid the backslash toward his ribs. He jumped back, appraising Draco once more. The blond was defiantly a fast learner. Harry dove in again this time catching Draco's knife hand in his left hand as the blade descended. He slashed up at Draco's throat, stopping just before the knife would have drawn blood, just before he fell on his ass.

"What the fuck?" Harry looked up at Draco standing over him with a cocky smile on his face. "You stepped on my robes."

"What were you expecting, me to let you slit my throat?"

"I'm good enough to stop before I draw blood. Have a little faith. Besides that was cheating."

"Hello, Slytherin." Draco pointed to the crest on his chest. "You should understand that better than anyone."

"There are certain codes of conduct for every situation." Harry huffed. "If this were a real fight I would have thrown dirt in your eyes and kicked you in the balls, but in a practice match the main focus is supposed to be on form. That was bad form."

Draco snorted. "And you're supposed to be the reincarnation of one of the most infamous Dark wizards."

"Being scary, rude, and, quit frankly, disgusting. Is not all there is to being a dark lord, and contrary to all the evidence there is no place in the Dark Lord's Creed that says 'thou shall not bathe, live in comfortable surroundings, or not have a penchant for world domination."

"Really, and what does the Dark Lord's Creed say?"

Ron finished his warm up and joined the conversation. "Yeah, I've been wondering about that. Every time I mention an infamous Dark Lord you tell me that they were just dark wizards whose egos got too big for their heads. What gives?"

"Well, Grindelwald was a Dark Lord, and so is Voldemort, but most of those who declare themselves Dark Lords or Ladies just think the title sounds cool."

"What does it say?" Draco asked carefully.

"It's a pledge to serve the Darkness. I still don't know what that means. It also makes you very powerful that's about it. The title is actually very over rated."

Ron scratched the back of his head. This was going no where. He wondered just how powerful a dark lord could be. He shrugged, "Well anyway, let's practice. I need to work on my defensive stance."

"Yes, let's," Harry nodded and pointed to the center of the mat. Both boys began a bout completely ignoring Draco who was trying to glare through Ron's head. Draco knew it was impossible to get Harry talking after the lessons started so he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, waiting as patiently as he ever did for his turn. He was, of course, annoyed, but it looked like Harry was going to teach them a new spells today, and Draco was always eager to learn new spells.

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Much later after Draco left Harry sat on a bench talking to Ron, who was rubbing his sore arm muscles. Harry kept gesturing wildly trying to get his point across to the red head. It was close to dinner time and Ron was more worried about his stomach than he was about Harry's animagus form. Ron had been making a lot of progress in his transformation and could now change his hand into a large paw. "Ron are you even listening to me?"

"No, but if your so worried quit."

"I can't quit. I just don't know what the hell I'm going to turn into."

Ron frowned. "Sounds like you're going to be some sort of demon." He glanced at his watch. "Five minutes to dinner. Let's get going. I'm starved."

Harry nodded miserably, contending once again with the fact that anyway he looked at the situation, he was a freak. Ron took advantage of his longer legs and strode single mindedly down the hall a good ten feet in front of Harry. Harry was looking at the floor lost in his own thoughts when he heard a spell whispered in Latin from behind the statue he had just walked pasted. He turned in time to be hit in the face with a bright silvery light.

Momentarily blinded all he could do was blink. When his eyes cleared he saw Hermione standing in front of him with a frown on her face. "Shoot, I was sure I finally had it right." She mumbled still pointing her wand at Harry.

Had what right? Harry thought. "Hermione, what the hell are you doing?"

Hermione blushed. "I was trying to reveal your true identity, but the spell didn't work."

"True identity?"

"I know you're an imposter. You're horrible at pretending to be Harry. What have you done with him?" She punctuated her last sentence by stomping on his foot.

Harry howled at Hermione's assault, backing into the wall. "I am Harry. Hermione listen to me…" He got hit full in the face with another spell. Hermione had impeccable aim. Harry fell over on his side as the paralyzing spell took effect. Cursing himself for being soft on her because of their friendship he murmured a counter spell. Taking the young witch completely by surprised Harry jumped up, pulling out his wand and cast a reverse shield spell around Hermione.

Hermione cast one more Stupify spell and it rebounded off the shield that tightly surrounded her body. She dropped to the ground. "What the hell is going on?"

Harry turned to see Ron walking toward them, his eyes drifting from Harry to Hermione's prostrate form and back to Harry. "She attacked me." Harry said defensively at Ron's accusing look.

"What did you do to her?"

"I made her knock herself out." Ron raised his eyebrows. Harry thought momentarily about how Both Ron and Draco were starting to rub off on each other. He wisely decided not to comment on this. "It was only a stupify spell. She'll come around in a minute. As if on cue Hermione moaned. "See."

Ron shook his head and knelt down beside his girlfriend. It gave him a thrill thinking of Hermione as his girl friend, and to be her knight in shining armor. He put his hand on her back. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Ron," She exclaimed. "Hurry, catch that Harry imposter. He's getting away."

Harry smiled. "I'm right here, and don't plan on going anywhere." His face turned serious as he looked down into Hermione's wide brown eyes. "We need to have a talk."

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip. For the first time she was entertaining the idea that Harry had been telling the truth the whole time. She turned to Ron, "And what do you have to say about all of this," she snapped.

Ron looked somewhat surprised. All his fantasies of being praised for coming to his girlfriend's aid evaporated into the hot summer sun of Hermione's words. "Well…" He decided that the most uncomfortable place to be was between your best friend and girl friend while they were fighting. He hunched his shoulders forward and gave the completely honest answer hoping that he wouldn't get slapped for it. "Nothing." Ron sat back on his heels with a thoughtful look on his face.

Harry bent down to help Hermione up. She stared at his outstretched hand as if it would bite her. "Hermione," Harry said in a coaxing tone. "Trust me." She looked toward Ron who only smiled and nodded. Hermione took Harry's hand and pulled herself up. "Let's go somewhere where we can talk privately."

"But Harry," Ron complained, "Dinner."

Hermione shook her head. Harry stood with his mouth hanging open. He could not believe the single mindedness of his best friend. Hermione saw this and giggled reassured that the young man standing before her was indeed Harry. Though it did not mean she wasn't going to grill him later. Before she was completely convinced that he was Harry he would have to recount all five of their previous years at Hogwarts together, to her satisfaction.

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Later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, found Harry curled up into a ball in a chair next to the fireplace begging for Hermione to stop. Ron watched from off to the side in fascination. He thought Hermione had good shot at becoming and interrogator for the Ministry of Magic. She had not let up for three hours dragging each and every detail of the past five years from Harry. Red hot pokers seemed less effective after watching Hermione hunt down the facts.

Hermione sat in front of Harry with parchment and quill checking off questions as she asked them. "What kind of dragon did Haggrid try to harbor?"

"Norwegian Ridgeback."

"How did you pass the second challenge of the Triwizard's Tournament?"

"Dobby gave me some gillyweed."

Hermione stopped and made another notation. "Where did he get the gillyweed?"

"Snape's stores. Hermione isn't that enough?"

"No. What happened in the chamber of secrets second year?"

"There's no way you could confirm that; you weren't there."

"Ron told me; you told me. Now, answer the question."

Harry recited the whole tale knowing from past questions that Hermione wanted every detail.

"Okay, one more." Hermione said marking off the last question. Harry was tempted to jump up and dance. The torture was almost over. "Where is the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters?"

Harry's face fell becoming almost a comical mask of indignation. "couldn't we have asked this question first?" he dead panned. Hermione shrugged unrepentant. "Grimauld Palace. Happy now."

Hermione suddenly jumped out of her chair and landed on Harry. "Ohh, Harry I'm so sorry I doubted you. I should have listened to you from the beginning."

Harry was silent for a moment trying to get his breath back after having it knocked out of him. "It's okay Hermione." He said hugging his friend in relief. He was happy to have Hermione back. For the longest time he had thought that his relationship with her had been destroyed. He felt tears run down his face. He realized that despite all the changes he was experiencing he would always have his two best friends.