"In just the last twelve months you have defeated Voldemort, caught several death eaters that escaped the battle, took down a transformed werewolf and now a vampire. And that is just the fights, if I add in all the other things it's even worse. Is it any wonder I'm worried about you?" Minerva asked once she had secured the hospital.
"I get it Minnie." He grinned as he thought those words, "I'm staying in cat form I can hold it in my sleep."
"Good, Ron was concerned about your location." She grinned, "I told them you had to leave school earlier this evening."
"I guess I have a few hours to decide where I've been." Harry stopped the conversation by laying back and closing his eyes.
"How is he Poppy?"
"Fine so far." She said, "I'm inclined to believe he knows what he's talking about. He seems even more energized than normal."
"I am." Both women looked at him but his eyes were still closed.
"Are you speaking Harry?" Poppy asked.
"Yes I've learned I can project my thoughts to several people if I'm not looking at someone." He was still reclined on his bed, "The more time I spend in this form the more I learn about it."
"That's normal for an animagus." Minerva stated, "Anything else new that I should know about?"
"My instincts are very strong. When I have the need I just know what to do. I had no idea that vampires weren't dangerous to me until I smelled him this evening." Harry wiggled to get a bit more comfortable on the bed, "I think someone has put a price on my head."
"WHAT?" both women yelled.
"Do I really have to repeat that?"
"Just explain why you think that." Minerva demanded.
"I keep getting attacked." He explained, "First those death eaters over the summer, then the ones a few weeks ago and now a vampire who was paid to attack me. I need to see if the others were paid too."
"I'll have Kingsley check it out." Minerva agreed, "You will not go investigating anything."
"Yes Mum." Harry yawned.
Harry was instantly awake and aware before the door to the hospital wing fully opened. He took only a few second to realize who was opening it. He was ready to throw up a shield charm if necessary. He didn't distrust someone just because they had been a Slytherin but when someone was sneaking in he was ready for anything. He did know that the person's intentions were not to hurt him but he couldn't decide what they did want.
"I can see your eyes from across the room even with very low light. Just like a cat." The girl stated.
"Well Miss Greengrass since I am a cat type creature it would be expected." Harry countered.
"I suppose so." She grinned, "I saw your… fight earlier."
"And?"
"It looked horrendous. Professor McGonagall said you were fine and just in for observation." She stated, "I just wanted a chance to talk to you if it won't bother you."
"You are no bother." Harry chuckled, "I don't usually need much sleep."
"I can see a benefit in that." She nodded and moved closer to his bed, "What I would like to know is what are you getting out of being here? What benefit is it to you?"
"In this form I have a need to protect innocence." Harry explained, "I can fulfill that need here."
"Why do you need to do that?" she asked.
"Do you view me as a light or dark creature?"
"I've read up on your kind and it doesn't really specify. Some say you are a dangerous killer and others say a protector." She crossed her arms over her chest, "I would like to know which it is."
"I am both." He explained, "I am a creature of the light. I was saved from death and given the job to save others. Therefore I am a protector. However, I am designed to be a balancer. Right now the world is overly full of darkness. I am here to bring light by reducing the dark. I have killed a vampire. I have maimed a werewolf. I have incapacitated many wizards. All of whom were trying to kill someone. If you try to kill someone I will try to first stop you with light force. The more you continue to try the harder I will fight back. The vampire was here to kill. I had no other choice. He would not have stopped coming until Harry Potter was either changed or dead."
"I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone." She shuddered.
"Nor would I." he replied, "I won't rid the world of all evil but I will bring it back into balance. Without darkness you cannot appreciate the light."
"Is there anything you can't do?" she wondered.
"Not really. If I don't have an ability that is needed to bring the balance then I will get it. Once stable balance is achieved, I will no longer have this form." Harry didn't know how he knew but he knew he spoke the truth.
"So because you are still here we know we are out of balance." She nodded, "How do we know the balance isn't tipped in the favor of the light?"
"If it was you'd have basically an evil version of me to bring the light down to a manageable level." Her questions held a lot of thought and intelligence. Harry thought this was much better than the questioning he would have gotten from Hermione.
"So the students are safe from you." She stated.
"As long as they don't want to kill someone then yes they are safe around me." Harry chuckled came out a huffing sound.
"Are you laughing at me?" she asked sounding slightly upset.
"No, I'm enjoying our chat." He allayed her fears, "I was just thinking this was a nice, polite, intelligent conversation. I don't get that around here very often."
"Oh." She blinked at him before smiling back, "Then I'm really sorry to have to leave. I don't want to get caught doing something we were expressly told not to do. Maybe we can talk again sometime."
"I'd like that." Harry smiled as she left. Before he could nod off the door was pushed open again and in came a few Gryffindors, "About time, my only visitors so far have been Slytherins. Where is all that fabled Gryffindor bravery?"
"I wizened up." Seamus stated, "I have learned that bit of Slytherin trait of looking before I leap now. I've leapt off a cliff to often not to."
"And you Miss Patil?" he asked.
"My sister is a Ravenclaw and some of it had to rub off." She smiled, "I've corrupted her enough that I had to give up something."
"So why are the cautious Gryffendors here and not the rush in group?" Harry grinned and chuckled a bit.
"Harry's left the school for the evening." Parvati answered, "Without him here the rest would rather wait. So why are you here this year? Are you for Harry's protection?"
"I am here to protect innocence." He said, "You should have been here earlier so I only had to explain it once."
"You may want to hold on then." Seamus grinned, "I have a feeling that a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw contingent will be here soon."
"Harry you missed all the excitement." Seamus yelled when he returned to the common room the next day, "We got to meet and talk with the Night Stalker."
"I'm sorry I missed that." He grinned, "Did you learn anything about it?"
"Not it, he." Hannah stressed, "He did not like being referred to as it or she."
"I guess I can understand that." He nodded, "I prefer to be labeled as he myself."
"He is a person who can turn into the stalker just like the book we found said." Dean added, "Most of the stuff in the book was true but it doesn't cover half of what he can do."
"Did McGonagall tell you about the vampire?" Ron intruded but it was not in an unwanted way.
"She did." He replied, "I'll be on my guard."
"I'm glad you had to go somewhere." He stated but didn't ask where it was he went.
Harry could tell they all wanted to ask the question so he gave an answer, "Teddy and Andromeda were both sick and I just went to help out for the night. Andromeda needed some rest to get better and couldn't do it with a sick baby to tend to."
"Are they feeling better?" Susan asked.
"Much better thank you." Harry smiled.
The two had been sick and it was Fleur Weasley that went to help instead of him. But she knew she was covering for his time in the hospital as the Night stalker. They all knew how important it would be to keep his identity a secret.
"I'm rather surprised you haven't talked to him yourself." Hermione commented from her place on the other side of the room.
"Who says I haven't." Harry grinned.
"When did you meet him, if you don't mind me asking?" Padma for once spoke before Parvati could.
"I met him over the summer." Harry turned to the girl and gave her his full attention, "He helped me regain my balance after my growth spurt. His group of helpers spent a lot of time laughing at my expense."
"That would have made me angry." Draco commented.
"It would have if it hadn't been so funny." Harry smiled, "I was really just stumbling all over the place. I could have made fourth year Ron look graceful."
Several in the room chuckled remembering the gangly awkward year as the boy had grown very fast that year. Ron chuckled along and then said, "At least you got it all over in a short time. I was stumbling for months."
Harry was trying not to reply to that when Neville spoke up with a sneer in his voice, "And just think if he hadn't had all those seals he probably would have been stumbling along with you instead of grumbling because he wasn't growing."
That shut the room up and Harry quickly stood and pulled Neville to his feet, "Come on Nev lets go find a snack. I'm starving."
Weeks sped by and the final quidditch game was happening right after breakfast, Gryffindor vs. the eighth year team. The time since the last attack had been quiet. That didn't mean that Harry relaxed his guard at all. Kingsley had found out that the leader of each of the death eater groups had been paid to go after Harry. He was now looking into who wanted Harry dead. It was rather hard to locate the one paying others off since there were quite a few people who would like to have seen Harry dead.
Today would be the second game since the vampire attack and the crowd should be used to the Aurors walking around. His last game had been very tense. People were almost afraid to cheer, fearing their yell would disturb the auror or they would be mistaken for an attacker. Harry's team got ready and lined up to go out onto the field. Soon the game was under way. The play was fierce but fair and after an hour it was still fifty each. Harry had just seen the snitch when a spell came flying at him from the forest. He rolled and the spell flew over his broom. Aurors from all corners of the stadium moved. Some went to the forest to capture the attacker, others moved so they could watch over more of the crowd in case of multiple attackers. Harry meanwhile was glued to the snitch. Several more spells had been sent his way and he deftly avoided them all before catching the snitch and heading for the ground.
When the aurors returned to the stadium they had Dennis Creevy in ropes. Most of the people in the stadium gasped in shock. Dennis, like his brother had always idolized Harry. But this one was just standing there looking blankly at one spot. His behavior was very odd for him and several of his classmates pointed it out as the aurors emptied the stadium. Harry was the only student other than Dennis who was allowed to stay. Once the stadium was clear an auror sent a spell at him and he collapsed gasping for breath like he had been running a long distance. He looked up at Harry with tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I tried to throw it off but I'm not strong enough." His tears spilled over and ran down his face, "I couldn't control my self, I'm so sorry."
"It's alright Dennis." Harry squatted down beside him, "Do you know who did this to you?"
"No they were behind me. I remember a weird voice though." He said, "Like it was going through one of those distorters."
"That's normal for the imperious curse." One of the aurors nodded, "Do you know when it happened?"
"Over the summer." He replied shakily, "I was in muggle London with my parents. I tried to throw it off, I've heard the stories and I was sure they were going to have me kill my own parents. They didn't though. Instead they told me to kill Harry in the spring like You Know Who always tried to do."
"We'll need to take you to St. Mungo's." another auror sighed, "You'll have to be monitored for a week."
"Good thing tests are done." Harry sighed.
"I tried to kill you and you're worried about taking tests?" Dennis asked in shock.
"I was thinking more along the lines of your tests. You're already done so the hospital stay won't hurt your school work." Harry smirked at the younger boy.
"Oh, thanks." Dennis cringed, "Will you tell them all I'm sorry?"
"No, I'm going to tell them you had an unforgivable used on you and that none of it is your fault." Harry corrected, "I will tell them you feel terrible about it though."
"How many more times can you escape attempts on your life?" Neville huffed later when Harry returned to the school to find everyone in the Great Hall waiting for news.
"As many as I can." Harry smiled slightly, "Hopefully the aurors will figure this out before my luck runs out."
"How can you be so calm about this?" Susan demanded.
"I've had a death sentence hanging over my head for the last nineteen years." Harry explained, "It's just not a surprise any longer. I'm rather used to the idea that someone out there wants me dead."
"Isn't it just seventeen?" Draco asked.
"No I wasn't even born yet when the sentence was handed out. A prophecy was made that said I could defeat Voldemort. Since then someone has been out to get me." Harry explained.
"Why did you wait so long to stop him?" Susan asked.
"He is fifty or so years older than I am. Do you think I could have killed him any time before I turned seventeen?" Harry asked incredulously, "Honestly I tried and barely managed to escape several times before I could finish him off. It wasn't like I was sitting around eating treacle tart all day."
"I think she means about the day of the battle." Hannah offered but still held a slightly odd look on her friend as she glanced at her friend.
"He had taken a few very dark steps trying to gain immortality." Ron jumped in to explain, "Those steps had to be dealt with before he could die. We finished the last one just before the battle ended. He was basically immortal until just before Harry finished him off."
"What kind of steps?" Susan pushed.
"We aren't allowed to talk about it." Hermione frowned at the two boys trying to convey to them to agree with her.
"And even if we were allowed to talk about it I wouldn't." Harry shuddered, "That was the worst thing I've ever seen any human do. I can't express enough just how horrible it was."
"I have an idea what it might have been." Draco whispered, "If any of us had found out about them we may not have followed him."
"At least one death eater did find out and he died trying to undo one of the steps." Harry confirmed.
"What can we do to help you not get killed?" Hannah returned the conversation to its previous subject.
"I can deal with the people coming after me." Harry sighed, "Just don't let yourself get caught in the crossfire. I'd hate to see anyone else die because they got hit by a spell meant for me."
***** In another place at another time *****
"I don't want to go after him." a voice declared, "Everyone who does either gets arrested or dies."
"Who has died that went after him?" the other voice questioned.
"That vampire." The first voice pointed out.
"He wasn't taken down by Potter." The second voice scoffed, "He got taken down by a light creature."
"Exactly and that creature is protecting Potter." The voice said again, "I won't be the one to go after him. At least not until that creature is out of the picture."
"Cowards, the whole lot of you are cowards." The second voice snarled.
"We certainly aren't Gryffindors." One of the others said, "We'll leave that brave stupidity to them thanks. Maybe you can go find a few dark ones and pay them. Surely there are those in that house who hate him too."
"I thought there were but they've caved in." the second voice said, "I'll double the price."
"Double?" several asked.
"One payment for the group to go after him and another of the same size to the one that actually does him in." the voice reeked with loathing, "But I want to know he's dead so make sure the body is found."
"We'll think about it." The original voice sounded rather pleased, "We'll watch for an opportunity and if it arises we'll let you know."
"I have others after him too so make sure you have proof it was you."
"I think we can handle that." The voice said, "For double."
"Only for the person who actually does it."