Disclaimer: I does not own. I does not want to. Would be shite if I owned. XD

//This is Parseltongue.//

Paraselenic

Noetic // characteristic of, coming from, or understood by the human mind

"…So I thought you wouldn't mind my dropping in, Severus."

Severus ground his teeth as he looked up at Albus Dumbledore in all his twinkling glory, robes charmed to change colors at hourly intervals and an oversized Wizard's hat perched over his head. Oftentimes in moments like this, Severus wondered what wrongs he had committed in a past life to deserve such a fate. He also considered mixing together dragon's blood and aconite and, for the first and only time, enjoying an exploding cauldron. Instead he gazed blankly up at the Headmaster. "I am a busy man, Albus. Is there any reason you have ventured into the dungeons, or are you once again existing solely to make my life miserable?"

"Miserable, Severus? You wound me." The words were petulant, but Dumbledore's buoyant smile was unquenched. "I have important matters to discuss with you, my boy. Have you noticed anything strange about our Mr. Potter?"

A million acerbic comebacks laid on his tongue, most conjoining with the plural possessive adjective, but Severus paused for half a moment. This could be his chance… his chance to break away from the mess Potter was plunging him headfirst into. Away from the corrupted Dark and back into the Light, where he had been working for so long to repent for his sins. Could he do it? Could he, once again, switch sides? Albus was his mentor, the only person to see a shred of redeemable humanity in the shell he had become after Hogwarts, had offered him a chance to redeem himself…

'Offered it with the price of guilt, with an endless term of slavery attached. He gave a broken child empty promises of redemption, which I sought for years without a single whisper muffled or hostility dampened… All for the price of being the killer of the woman I loved… the woman whose child is now presiding over me with those damnable eyes…'

"The brat seems to be as Gryffindor as ever, Headmaster." And so he sealed his fate, invisible chains binding him forevermore to the spawn of James Potter. Severus thought he should feel worse in this situation; as it was, he merely felt resigned.

"Good, good," Dumbledore chirped, hat wobbling precariously on his head as he nodded. "He's at an age where he might get… ideas in his head about the paths he is taking… and we wouldn't want that, now would we? You'll keep an eye on him, won't you Severus? "

"When did I ever get the choice, Headmaster?" he snipped, eyes falling back to the course planner he was revising. "Now, if that is all…"

"Lily would be proud of you, my boy."

Severus flinched, and he knew the movement was caught by Dumbledore. it was probably intended. Again he brought up Lily. The man had nerve, Severus would give him that.

'The nerve of a feral koala, ready to rend flesh from bone the moment its needs are not met. Your benign exterior may fool the masses, but I've been in the fold for far too long old man. How Minerva or Pomona or Filius can even look you in the eye I don't know…'

Severus let a grim smile stretch his lips as the Headmaster left the room and the door clicked shut, his voice soft. "Would you really, Lily? Or would you sooner cut me down for allowing him to follow this path?"

"Why would my mum do much of anything to you?"

Severus jolted as the voice rang through the empty room, his eyes immediately seeking its source. The damned cloak again, he bet. Sure enough, there was a glimpse of inhuman eyes floating before him before they disappeared again. Severus sneered, "That would be none of your business, Potter. What do you need?"

"Touchy much?"

Severus bared his teeth. "What do you need, milord? I would like to complete this grading before the students return and turn in their holiday assignments."

Severus heard Potter nonchalantly pushing himself to sit on the corner of Severus' desk, displacing several items. "You've got that list for me, right?"

Severus wordlessly snatched up a scroll and handed it over, ignoring Potter as best as he could as the scroll hovered in midair. It was only moments before the scroll was back in front of him. "Looks good enough for me… in fact, that's more people than I thought you would be sure of."

Severus glared at the parchment in front of him. Who was Potter to question his work? He nearly said something to that effect as well, but Harry cut him off.

"Not that you're incompetent in any way, of course; I knew that if anyone would be able to get this information it would be you. But I didn't think there were actually that many people who were sympathetic in fifth and sixth year."

"There are more who would be swayed. Right now the war is teetering on a precipice; everyone fears the Dark Lord and knows him powerful, but you were the one to defeat him as a baby. They believe you would only multiply in power as the years went on. They all believe you are firmly with the Light and that causes fear in those who would possibly fall in with the Dark Sect."

Harry nodded vaguely. "Alright then. For now, send out a note to each of those students, self-igniting, with an invitation to come to the Room of Requirement if they are amenable."

"And for those students who are not aware of the room's location?"

"I suppose you should simply put that they should come to the seventh floor corridor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy."

Severus nodded absently. "What date and time?"

"Hmm." he could hear Potter's feet shuffling on the stone floor; he had obviously gotten off Severus' desk now. "How about Tuesday the seventh at half seven? That should give us enough time before curfew."

"Yes, my lord."

The door opened slightly, signaling Potter finally leaving, but Severus could still hear the boy's breathing. He wanted more than anything for the brat to leave already, but it seemed, per usual, fate was not on his side. "Severus?"

"What do you need now?" he snapped, glancing up to meet glowing green eyes and freezing. It was eerie, he supposed, but it was also much easier to deal with Potter when he could see nothing but the boy's eyes… there was no resemblance to James Potter there. He waited for whatever the boy would ask now.

"Tell me about my mum."

Severus' fingers tightened around his quill and the sound of it snapping was loud in the silent room. He didn't want to answer that, he couldn't answer that… yet he seemed unable to avoid the question in the face of those eyes. Vaguely, though Severus would never admit it, the words Pierce had spoken went thought his mind: 'You who, had luck shone upon you, might have been that boy's father.' Had fate been kinder, would the boy still have those eyes? Would they still be the bane of his existence then?

"Your mother…" Severus couldn't believe he was even speaking. "Your mother was the most amazing soul I have ever met." A sharp intake of breath made Severus snap to attention black eyes piercing green. "Get out, Potter. I have work to do."

"Snape…"

"Go, Potter."

Severus heard the boy sigh, but moments later the door was closed again and there was no longer any sign the boy had been there. Severus rub his eyes wearily and pushed his grading away. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on it, anyway.

Harry wasn't sure what he thought as he left Snape's office, invisibility cloak tight around his sixteen year old body. He had reverted in an empty classroom after leaving Dante's room, unwilling to remain in his natural form for long in Hogwarts, invisibility cloak or no. Of all his memories from his younger years, fifth year had always been the most vivid. Between Umbridge's reign, Occlumency lessons with Snape, the Department of Mysteries fiasco, and Sirius' untimely death, there were memories of that year that stood out in stark relief against the more mundane and faded ones surrounding them.

He keenly remembered, for instance, the only time he had ever seen his parents in anything but photographs. The memory in Snape's pensive had disillusioned him of his perfect father, had taken away the awe and reverence James Potter had previously held in Harry's heart. And he might have even felt badly enough for Snape to apologize, having seen that his father really had been a swaggering bastard… if not for how Severus had turned around and treated the beautiful woman Harry knew to be his mother. Mudblood, he had called her, as she had risen to his defense. And so any shame Harry might have felt and any sorrow that might have been directed at his Potions' professor faded to nothing in the face of Lily Evans' pained expression.

But Snape had spoken of her… reverently. What was he missing in this puzzle? He had only even asked because no matter how much he heard of his father, he knew very little of his mother beyond that she had a temper and was good at Charms. He had thought to hear something, biased though it would be, from someone who might have seen her day to day and known something… and then Severus had spoken. What was Harry missing?

Harry paused as he exited the dungeons, senses flaring out immediately. Someone had been watching him and being sly about it. The aura was distinctly human but… off. He didn't know how to describe the difference. It tugged at him, and something in him screamed that he should know what the disparity was, but he just couldn't place it.

He made a show of stretching his arms as he pinpointed where his watcher was. With his blood thrumming in his veins he used every ounce of speed he could muster he sprang towards it, intent on catching his observer. He felt their aura flash in alarm even as he threw himself around the hallway corner to catch a look.

All Harry saw was the tail end of a black cloak disappearing around a corner farther down.

Harry cursed and stood, not bothering to hunt the offender farther. He'd find them again.

"I figured, y'know, with their shop and all, that they'd actually be gone once in a while. But no, they just had to be there. And then, do you know what they did? Do ya know, Hermione?!"

Hermione's fingers were threaded through her bushy hair, a dark look on her face. "I don't know Ron. Tested out a prank on you, perhaps?" she muttered with a sarcasm that was lost on the redhead.

"Yes! And in front of Fleur! I mean, I know she's my brother's fiancée and all, but she's bloody gorgeous and… And it couldn't be a normal prank that just changed my hair color or something, it was one that listed out my nicknames! So now she knows…" Ron's face turned a sickly puce. "Well, she knows things that no one has a right to know!"

"Like what? Ronniekins? She would have heard that one after a few days in your house anyway," Hermione said with exasperation.

"That wasn't the worst of it! It even listed the dumb ones from when I was a kid… like Wonald Wetpants… that was a stupid one I had for about a month from the twins when I was five!"

Ron met Harry's eyes and gave an imperceptible nod as Hermione finally cracked a small smile, puffy eyes still trained on her uneaten dinner but finally managing an expression other than glaring or staring despondently. It was more of a reaction than Harry had managed to get from her in the few days he'd been back at Hogwarts. He understood her pain at losing her parents but was unable to fathom how bad it must be to lose something tangible. To him, the loss of his parents was an abstract, an empty space where people who cared for him were meant to be. For Hermione, it was the loss of something she had had for years and suddenly was without. Harry gave Ron a small smile, approving of his tactics.

Harry was really quite impressed with Ron. Even only a year ago he had been so dim that he wouldn't have even noticed anything was wrong with Hermione, likely sticking his foot in his mouth as he stumbled insensitively around their grieving friend. It was times like this that Harry really regretted the imminent loss of his friends, as he saw just how far they had come.

"What about 'Bonnie Ronnie'?" Neville asked slyly from Harry's left, spearing another bite and stuffing it into his mouth to hide his expression.

"Oi!" Ron said, turning steadily redder. "Let's not get into that, huh?"

"Oh this I've got to hear," Harry said with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow at the brunet to his side. "Well, Neville?"

"Well, when we were in primary school -- yeah, we went together; Gran wanted me to interact with others and we didn't really have the money for tutors. Well we were… I don't know, how old were we, Ron? Seven?"

Ron stayed quiet and poked at his food, though the tips of his ears were an angry red.

"Anyway," Neville continued with a grin. "Ron showed up to class one morning with his lips bright red and blue eyeshadow caked on… turns out he had gotten into his mum's cosmetics and as punishment she had refused to spell them off. So he was stuck for three days in it, and the name stuck for two years."

Harry couldn't help but laugh and was pleased when he heard Hermione giggle as well. Ron seemed to have noticed as well, for the very real annoyance he had been showing morphed into a mild chagrin. "Yeah, well, you just watch out Nev, 'cos once the twins figure out that spell, I'll do yours in front of the whole Great Hall."

Neville turned pink. "No need for that, Ron."

"We should get up to the dorm, boys, we have Potions first thing in the morning," Hermione put in, already standing. Harry stood as well, smiling amicably. The spring term had begun, and things would only pick up from here.

Harry smirked as the seats filled from his hidden vantage point, a notice-me-not charm layered with a disillusionment charm to keep him from being detected, as he wasn't willing to reveal his invisibility cloak. The room was steadily filling, people dividing themselves by house and settling into the seats the room had provided. Most kept a large space between them and Snape, who stood near the front of the room with a forbidding look that was part annoyance at Harry and part aversion to revealing his true alliances to anyone. The majority of those entering the room were, of course, Slytherins, as they were the most easily detected in their leanings, but Harry was surprised by some of the people who entered.

Zacharias Smith entered alone, a confident swagger in his walk and shrewd eyes darting across the room's occupants. Harry didn't remember much other than the boy was a Hufflepuff, though with the way the young man walked it was obvious that he might have ended up a Slytherin. It was a strange combination, but no stranger than an obvious Gryffindor who would have done well with the snakes.

Padma and Parvati Patil came in clutching one anothers' hands, faces drawn. Despite their nervous appearance, though, they walked resolutely and took seats near the middle of the room, jaws set identically. Harry wondered what had happened to turn the two girls to Voldemort's ideals when they had been so silly and immature in his memory.

A small group of fifth year Ravenclaws came next, three of them, nameless to Harry, with who Harry thought was Lisa Turpin leading them. They didn't seem especially nervous, though they eyed the Slytherins and chose a seat where they could keep an eye on them.

His eyes scanned over the group of Slytherins, Draco holding court over them per usual. Though the blond was in on the workings of the meeting, Harry had specifically told him not to give anything away. He would back up Harry if necessary, and Harry thought it would be, but would stay a part of the group until then. Harry's eyes caught dark ones and paused.

Blaise Zabini was staring directly at him, a cold look on his face. Harry was taken aback by the hatred that was conveyed in the look, nearly enough to not realize that the black boy should not be able to see him. He tensed, immediately on guard, and concentrated on how Zabini could be strong enough to see through the layered spells rather than on why the Slytherin held such hatred towards him. He was silent in his observation, for now, so Harry relaxed minutely.

He could recall very little of Zabini, as he had mostly stayed in the background in Harry's early years. Even in the most involved of his confrontations with Malfoy, Blaise had been an observer, someone noticed only for, perhaps, the exotic slant of his eyes and the depth of his gaze. He also vaguely recalled from his political tutoring that his mother was something of a black widow, but that answered little of his questions.

Harry put aside his questions as he noticed most of the seats were filled and it was five minutes after the time Harry had specified the meeting to be. He made his way to the door followed only by Zabini's eyes, ready to set the privacy wards he and Dante had worked out as soon as Severus made the introduction. He didn't have to wait long.

Severus drew himself up, his presence commanding attention as much as it did in Potions class, black eyes roving slowly over the students. He spoke in a low tone that Harry wanted to applaud for its poignancy. "You have been called here today due to a perceived proclivity towards serving the Dark Lord." His eyes narrowed. "If you did not understand the intent of the letter you received, you may leave now and forget you ever came to this room. If you stay and are too imbecilic to perform the tasks assigned to you, I will take pleasure in Obliviating you of all thoughts pertaining to this meeting. Are we in accord?"

Snape waited for any who would take his out, though no one moved a muscle. The Potions master nodded to Harry who lifted his wand to dispel the enchantments placed over him. He was on the brink of silently releasing the spells when the door to the room flew open, making a dozen wands swivel immediately to train on the doorway.

Apparently completely oblivious to the attention, Luna Lovegood meandered into the room with a vague smile. She paused just inside the door and tilted her head before locking eyes with Harry and smiling. "Hullo."

Harry blinked at the blond, intent on asking her just what she thought she was doing when another familiar form entered the room. Harry's eyes widened as he took in Neville, outward confidence belied only by the slight shaking of his hands, who walked up to Luna and put a hand on the small of her back. "Let's sit down."

The room's door closed on its own and Harry shook himself from his daze, lifting his wand and tapping himself on the head with a silent Finite. Immediately, all attention that had been on the odd pair swung to him, even that of the odd pair themselves. Harry raised an eyebrow when he realized neither was shocked to see him, as opposed to most of the rest of the room who was gaping or clutching their wands with fearful expressions.

Harry chuckled and turned his back, confident none would recover enough to curse him in the next few moments. He slit his palm with a fang and pushed his bloodied hand against the wall, injecting the intent of secrecy into his slowly awakening Vampire magic. A blue glow fanned out from his spread fingers and quickly covered every dimension of the room - floor, ceiling, walls and door. Harry stabbed his wand into the glowing wall and chanted a long string of words in Latin before the glow could fade, sealing the spell into the occupants of the room and anchoring the enchantments for the next few hours. He wouldn't need that much time, but better safe than sorry.

He removed his wand with a jerk and turned to watch the blue spell-light rain down on the heads of the room's occupants, finalizing the spell. Harry strode towards the front of the room with a confident gait, eyes trailing over the still shell-shocked students. "You have chosen not to back out, but this precaution has been taken regardless. The spell I just cast on this room will keep you from uttering a word of what you learn here outside of this room unless you are in my presence or I unlock your ability to do so. Even Legilimency will not be able to pry anything you learn here from your mind." Harry didn't mention that Veritaserum could bypass the spell; he didn't want them to have the out.

He leaned against the wall and smirked at the room. "You are here because Severus thought you showed an inclination to the Dark. You want to be Death Eaters someday, then?"

The Slytherin's mouths were clamped tightly shut, obviously unwilling to say anything that could be used against them to Harry Potter of all people. Padma and Parvati were deathly pale and the younger students looked damned near ready to piss themselves. Harry could practically read the thoughts currently running through their minds - 'We've been had.'

It was Luna who stood, airy smile replaced with a small curve of her lips. "Yes, Harry-who-isn't-quite-Harry."

"Why?" Harry couldn't help but ask. He wanted to ask how and when and a million other questions, but the simple why would have to do.

"Because we'll follow you to the end," Neville said quietly, fingers twisted in his sleeves but voice steady. "Dark or Light or what have you… we're with you, Harry."

Harry nearly smiled, but settled on a jerky nod to his dormmate. He would find out how they knew of him and the meeting later. For now, he moved his eyes over the rest of the room. Zacharias Smith was the next to speak out, a cocky tilt to his jaw that screamed his lofty opinion of himself. A few memories from Harry's fifth year presented themselves and told him that the boy in front of him was quite often a royal prat. Harry raised an eyebrow at the brunet.

"Potter, seems we were all wrong about you. I would be proud to be a Death Eater."

The statement seemed to shake the listeners from their stupor, as murmurs began to raise from the Slytherin section of the room. The betrayed looks being flashed at Severus and the malicious ones towards Harry increased, and Harry lifted a hand. "Draco? If you would?"

"Yes… my lord."

Harry could tell the honorific was slightly forced, but Draco stood and bowed slightly nonetheless. He turned to the room with a raised eyebrow as all sound stopped and eyes centered on him, and Harry rolled his eyes as the blond puffed up under the attention. They had already gone over the attitude he was not allowed to have and between his natural Slytherin tendencies and his strong sense of self preservation, Harry anticipated no problems.

"I wasn't thrilled to begin with either," Draco addressed his peers. "But, like it or not, he is the legitimate. I have seen him with the Dark Lord myself. I've also been… entertaining… him at my home over the Yule holidays."

"Impossible!" Lisa Turpin put in suddenly. "He was here at Hogwarts for the whole break!"

"Not that it's any of your business, but that was a golem." Harry didn't think the whole truth was necessary. "You all may have heard of Mylläkkä, yes? Well, that is me. I may be Harry Potter, but I am not the Golden Boy you all have seen these last years. If my identity is going to hamper your service, you will never be a Death Eater."

Muttered denials sprung up around the room, and Harry just stared until they stopped. "You have no obligation to assist me, but if you truly aspire to be Death Eaters you will have to learn to work under me. Trust me… anything you deal with now will be a doddle compared to what you'll do once Voldemort gets his hands on you."

One of the unnamed fifth year Ravenclaws was watching him closely, finger tapping his lower lip. "Father told me about you."

"Oh? And who is your father?"

"Armand Selwyn."

Harry vaguely recalled the man as one of the many minions of Voldemort's that spent an inordinate amount of time at the Manor. "Ah, yes. And you are…?"

"Alec. Alec Selwyn. You're a vampire, aren't you?"

Gasps echoed in the room and Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am. That is not common knowledge, so I'd thank you to keep it to within privileged circles."

"Of course, my lord," Alec said quickly.

Harry nodded to the young man and then let his eyes fall onto the Patil twins, who were paler now than they had been before. "Padma? Parvati? Would you like out now? You don't seem comfortable."

Harry could practically see Parvati summoning her Gryffindor courage. "No Har- my lord."

"And why are you here?"

Padma spoke up, knuckles white. "We will be Death Eaters."

Harry tipped his head in a small nod. "Alright then. For now, the only task I will set forth for you is to gather information on others who might be swayed and plant doubts in the minds of others. Since I will not be here next year, you will have more tasks then, but for now I only want you to observe. Soon I might require other help in research and the like. I will approach you if I am in need of you. You will come to Professor Snape or me with any questions or if you believe a person qualified to work with us. Draco would also be able to get messages to me, wouldn't you, Draco?"

Draco nodded. "Yes."

"Then that is all. Does anyone feel this is too much for them?"

As it turned out, one of Slytherin sixth years, Daphne Greengrass, and three of the fifth years, a Slytherin and the two unnamed Ravenclaws, were Obliviated by Snape. Harry was actually reluctantly impressed that they were mature enough to know they were in over their heads.

As the group began leaving the room, Harry beckoned over Malfoy. "What do you know about Zabini?"

Draco raised en eyebrow. "I've known him since we were children; quite a lot I'd think."

"I want to know why he could see me regardless of the enchantments I had concealing my presence."

"He has Necromantic blood."

This actually explained a lot, and Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really? That is… rather interesting. So he's known I was a vampire all year, then?"

Draco scowled suddenly. "I suppose he did." The blond looked disgruntled. "Traitorous little…"

"I would also like to know why he was looking at me like I would make a good cadaver."

"I wouldn't know. I can find out though."

"Do that," Harry said with obvious dismissal, waving his hand. "You should go now, I can tell your cronies are all dying for answers that they wouldn't dare ask in front of me. You'll lend me the memory, won't you?"

Draco snorted. "As you wish, Potter."

"Good, good. Have a good night, Little Pretty."

"Ronald! You're being foolish, just listen to me, would you?"

Harry sighed as he watched his friends argue back and forth, both steadily becoming more red faced and irritable as the squabble escalated into a full-blown row. Harry was rather disappointed to see the two growing apart as much as they had over the last months; last year he had been sure they would marry someday, but as the weeks had passed it seemed less and less likely that the two would do anything more than remain friends. They simply clashed too much.

"Hermione! Shut up already! Just because I'm not doing it your way doesn't mean it isn't right!"

Hermione virtually snarled, and Harry stared in shock at the ferocity. He had never seen Hermione's temper so short; he feared she was taking the death of her parents worse than she let on. Harry watched with trepidation as her fingers curled around her wand, the look on her face vicious.

And then she was dropping her wand in shock, staring in confused silence at her own hand before spinning on her heel and bolting out the portrait hole.

Harry's arm jerked involuntarily as the silver snake around his forearm heated, not out of any pain but out of surprise. How much worse could the timing be? He had not been expecting a message so soon after his return to Hogwarts; it had only been a week since the second term had begun. He wondered wryly if something had gone wrong… again.

He made an excuse to Ron about going after Hermione and patted his pocked to be sure his potions and invisibility cloak were there before taking off, tapping the snake as soon as he was alone.

//Potter, the raid planned on the Department of Magical Law Enforcement must be carried out tonight rather then next month due to some unforeseen complications. I need you here so our statement of a united front is established. You have half an hour.//

Harry cursed. If he ran across Hermione on his way out of the castle, so be it, but if not, he would have to come up with a detention as an excuse. This raid was meant to be an important turning point in the way the Wizarding world viewed the Dark Sect, and Harry wanted to know what had happened to make them have to drastically move up their timetable.

Just as Harry broke out of the Entrance Hall, he had to dive to the side to avoid a hex streaking towards him. He raised up his wand in answer to stare in shock at Hermione Granger standing over him, eyes wild and manic grin on her face.

"Did you know there are two hundred and six bones in the human body? Did you, Harry? Did you? How many of yours do you think I could break before you lost consciousness?"

Revised: 3/20/09