When Harry's alarm went off the next morning, he turned it off with a groan. It had been after midnight by the time he'd gotten to sleep that night which meant that he'd had less than five hours sleep. The memory of why exactly he'd been in bed so late was enough to make him consider burying his head under his blankets and going back to sleep. He didn't want to get up and face another day like yesterday.

Still, the knowledge that Neville, Remus, and Takashi would be waiting near the Quidditch Pitch to go running was enough to pull himself out of bed. He didn't want to worry them and, given that Takashi had witnessed his expulsion from Ravenclaw House the evening before, Harry thought that him not showing up would probably do just that.

As he did every morning, Harry cast lumos and used the light to find his clothes, before remembering that he was alone in the room. He could turn use his magic to turn on the lamps and get dressed in the light. Once dressed, Harry tiptoed through his bedroom door and then passed Sirius' bed since his godfather had opted to take the bed in the living room. Sirius' reasoning for it was sound, he was often up a lot later than Harry was, though Harry thought that his godfather probably hadn't considered Harry's early mornings.

Harry was halfway towards the door when Sirius sat up in a fright, his wand in his hand. "Who's there?"

"It's Harry." Harry answered quickly.

Sirius groaned and flopped back down onto the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Going running." Harry answered apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Sirius mumbled into the pillow. "Good night."

The air outside was crisp, but Harry found himself appreciating the fact that it was no longer freezing. He much preferred running in the warmer months than when the ground was covered in snow and ice.

Remus, Takashi and Neville were already stretching under one of the goal posts on the Quidditch Pitch, but they stopped when Harry approached.

"Are you alright?" Takashi asked, looking him over carefully.

"Takashi said the Ravenclaws kicked you out." Neville commented in disbelief. "That's crazy! Can they even do that?"

"I'm fine." Harry answered Takashi, before turning to Neville. "Not officially, but given that the Ravenclaws threatened to attack me if I return to our Tower, I think they're going to win this one."

"So what did Dumbledore say?" Neville asked curiously. "Where did you sleep last night?"

Harry winced at the reminder of his conversation with, and the subsequent arrest of, Dumbledore the night before. "I'm staying with Sirius."

Remus looked amused. "Please tell me you woke him up on your way down here."

Harry smirked and began his stretches. "Only a little bit. I'm sure he was asleep again before I had even shut the door behind me."

After their run, Harry enjoyed a hot shower in the Quidditch Locker rooms, and then followed his friends to the Great Hall with trepidation. He definitely didn't want a re-enactment of lunch the day before when his house mates had tried to prevent him from sitting at their table. It had been one of the most humiliating moments of his life, not to mention the horrible sense of rejection he'd felt afterwards. Though, admittedly, being kicked out of Ravenclaw Tower had definitely been worse.

They entered the Great Hall and Harry tried not to notice when the students at the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor Tables all bristled at the sight of him. Neville split off to sit at the Gryffindor Table, and Harry walked with Takashi towards the Ravenclaw Table with a sinking stomach. This was not going to be fun.

"Mr. Potter." Professor Snape's smooth voice broke into Harry's misery.

Harry looked around and spotted his Professor standing a few feet away from him. "Sir?"

Takashi paused as well, but quickly began moving again when Snape fixed him with a glare.

"Professor McGonagall has asked me to inform you that you have permission to join your friends at the Slytherin Table this morning." Snape told him.

Harry stared at him. "Pardon, sir?"

"I believe you heard me, Mr. Potter." Snape arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir." Harry nodded quickly. "Thank you."

He waited until Snape dismissed him with an impatient nod, before striding towards the Slytherin Table. In reality his direction didn't change at all, since he had to walk past the Ravenclaw Table to get to the Slytherin Table, but he definitely felt more confident.

In fact, as he reached the Ravenclaw Table, and began to walk down the aisle between it and the Slytherin Table, Harry found himself amused by his house mates' actions. They looked ridiculous, desperately sliding along the benches to try and prevent him from finding a space to sit. Though, admittedly, he hadn't found their actions nearly so amusing the day before when he hadn't had anywhere else to sit.

Harry ignored them as he strode towards the far end of the Slytherin Table where Draco was sitting with their friends – though he did make sure to nod reassuringly at Takashi and Luna who were watching him with worried expressions.

The students' conversations began to die off as they picked up on Harry's complete lack of interest in the Ravenclaw Table and, by the time he came to a halt behind Draco, the hall had fallen completely silent.

Draco stood up and stepped over the bench seat he had been sitting on, before greeting Harry with a bow. "Merry meet, Harry."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement to Draco. "Merry meet. I will be joining you this morning."

Draco's eyes widened marginally in surprise. "Of course." He turned back to the table and flicked a finger towards an older student who was sitting a few seats down. "Bletchley."

The wizard, who Harry recognised as being the Slytherin Team's Keeper, nodded respectfully and moved to sit in an empty spot further down the table. Immediately, Daphne and Blaise both slid across the bench to create an empty seat opposite Draco.

"Have a seat." Draco offered, gesturing towards the now empty seat beside Daphne.

Harry moved around the table and sat down. "Thank you." He turned to smile at Daphne. "Merry meet, and please accept my sincerest apology for my intolerable language yesterday morning."

"Merry meet." Daphne's eyes danced. "I accept your apology, of course. If only because I also find Weasley to be a g-gormless bastard."

Harry couldn't help but be amused by the way she had stuttered over the words. He doubt she had ever used such words in her life. He beamed at her and reached for her hand before pressing a gentle kiss against it. "You are a gem among witches."

Daphne looked pleased. "How are you this morning?"

"Tired." Harry answered honestly. "It was a long night."

"Did the Ravenclaws give you trouble?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing.

"They ambushed me in the Common Room." Harry admitted.

Daphne let out a small gasp. "Are you alright?"

"They didn't hurt me." Harry reassured her quickly. "But they've banned me from the Tower."

"What?" Theo asked in disbelief. "They can't do that."

"They're convinced that I'm a Death Eater." Harry explained. "They told Flitwick that they'll attack me if they see me in the Tower again – to defend themselves of course."

"They told Flitwick that?" Theo smirked. "How did he take that?"

"Not so well." Harry admitted, with a smirk of his own. "I'm staying in Sirius' quarters for now."

"And sitting with us." Draco added, with a satisfied nod. "At least Slytherin House hasn't gone insane like the other three Houses."

Harry looked over Draco and Theo's heads towards where the students from Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw were all occasionally shooting him, and the entire Slytherin Table, malevolent glares.

"This isn't going to win you points." He pointed out. "Maybe I should sit somewhere else?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Daphne rebuked him gently.

"Besides," Theo looked down the table. "I don't think you sitting here will make things much worse. Three of our first years spent the night in the hospital wing after being hexed in the back last night. All they remember is hearing a male voice accuse them of being Death Eaters. They're not even twelve yet."

"Is Natasja alright?" Harry asked in concern.

Theo rolled his eyes. "She's fine."

"She's scared." Daphne corrected primly. "They all are."

Suddenly Professor McGonagall's voice rang out across the Hall. "If I might have your attention please."

Harry's stomach twisted nervously as he realised what McGonagall would be announcing. He hoped she didn't mention his involvement – he doubted the students would react well to the idea of an alleged Death Eater being the reason that Dumbledore was gone.

McGonagall expression was stern as her gaze swept across the students. "Mr. Black, one of the Hogwarts' Governors, has an announcement to make."

Sirius stood up and pointed a wand at his throat. "Yesterday evening, Professor Dumbledore was taking into auror custody on the charge of mentally attacking a student."

"What?" Someone yelled from the Gryffindor Table.

"You can't be serious!" Another student shouted.

Harry could see Sirius' mouth twitch and amusement and just knew that his godfather wanted to make his usual quip about being 'Sirius'.

"Quiet!" McGonagall snapped, surging to her feet and glaring in the direction that the shouts had come from.

Sirius nodded gratefully at McGonagall. "As such, the Hogwarts Board of Governors have temporarily removed Professor Dumbledore from his position as Headmaster and have asked Professor McGonagall to act as an interim-Headmistress. Thank you."

There was a loud outcry as all the students reacted to the news.

Harry looked around at his friends and saw that they all looked flabbergasted, though they were hiding their surprise better than the other students in the hall.

"I can't believe that Dumbledore attacked a student." Theo commented slowly.

"They said that it was a mental attack." Draco pointed out. "That means Legilimency. Father's always suspected that Dumbledore used it illegally, but he never had any proof. He warned me never to look Dumbledore in the eyes."

"What do you think, Harry?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Good riddance!" Harry declared with a smirk. "McGonagall will be a definite improvement."

Draco looked sceptical. "Father says she's Dumbledore's woman, through and through."

"Even if he attacked a student?" Harry challenged.

Draco looked unsure. "That assumes that they'll be able to prove that he did. And that McGonagall will believe the proof."

"Attention!" McGonagall's voice rang through the Hall again. "I have a few more announcements to make." The conversations in the hall slowly died down, until there were only a few students still talking. "Weasley, Thomas, McLaggen, thirty points from Gryffindor." McGonagall snapped. "Chang, Edgecomb, twenty points from Ravenclaw!"

The conversations came to an abrupt halt.

"Thank you," McGonagall told them dryly. "As of this morning, I am temporarily rescinding the rule restricting you from sitting at other House tables on a trial basis." Her gaze rested on Harry for a moment. "You may eat at any of the four tables that you wish to – this also extends to the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

"Additionally," McGonagall raised her voice slightly to drown out the few whispered conversations that had started across the hall. "I would like to remind you that any assault against a fellow student, whether it be verbal or physical, is against the school rules. This includes accusing one another of being Death Eaters. Any, and all, assault against another student will be punished."

Harry met Draco's eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow. "See?"

Draco nodded slowly. "She's already better than Dumbledore."

McGonagall wasn't finished though. "Professor Flitwick has asked me to announce that last night Ravenclaw House lost four hundred and thirty seven points for their discrimination against Mr. Potter. Additionally, any points that Mr. Potter earns for the remainder of this year will be purely for his own benefit and will not be counted towards the House Cup."

As the Ravenclaw Table erupted in anger, Harry's eyes darted towards where Flitwick was sitting staring at his House with a disappointed frown. Merlin, Flitwick was amazing! The small professor was quickly overtaking Snape as Harry's favourite.

"Finally," McGonagall continue, her voice growing louder to match the noise. "I would like to assure you that Mr. Potter's status as parselmouth, though unusual, does not it any way indicate his loyalty in the war. Mr. Potter is no more a Death Eater than I am. Thank you."

"Well," Harry started, looking over Draco's head as the hall erupted into noise. "That was interesting."

"Interesting?" Theo asked. "That was amazing! Who knew she had it in her."

"Who knew Flitwick had that in him?" Harry asked. "That's all of Ravenclaws' points."

Draco smirked. "Well, that takes them out of the running for the House Cup."

Harry glanced down the table, his eyes resting on the few students who he thought were Voldemort's spies. None of them looked pleased by McGonagall's speech, which certainly made them a minority at the Slytherin Table. It didn't make much sense to Harry. Surely Voldemort would be happy by the news that Dumbledore was gone?

42-42-42

The rest of the day was a lot more tolerable than the day before had been. At first, many of the students kept up their harassment of Harry and his friends, but they quickly found out that Professor McGonagall's threat hadn't been idle. Professor Flitwick took fifty points from Ravenclaw and one hundred points from Gryffindor during their first class and, when, in an inter-house effort, Ron Weasley and Harry's dorm mates tried to ambush Harry in the corridor, a passing prefect took another thirty from each person involved.

By lunchtime, Slytherin was practically guaranteed the House Cup as they were the only House who hadn't lost several hundred points over the morning. Apparently the professors had been cracking down on all bullying of Slytherins as well.

Lunch was interesting. For the first time that Harry could remember, the students were scattered across all four House tables. The only table who stayed mostly the same was Slytherin House, but even they gained new students as not only Harry joined them, but also Luna, Takashi, Neville, Fred and George.

The Slytherins didn't seem to know what to do with two Weasleys sitting at their table, but nobody said anything – though there always seemed to be at least one student watching them suspiciously. Harry thought their lack of reaction was either due to them enjoying the high ground (as the only House not currently in trouble for discrimination) or because it was clear that the twins were there at Draco's invitation.

"There was a prefect meeting during first period." Takashi commented to Harry, part way through lunch. "Professor McGonagall was furious that nobody tried to stop what happened yesterday. She dismissed some of them and placed the rest of them on probation. I am the only Ravenclaw prefect left because the rest are still determined not to let you into the Tower."

"She fired them?" Harry asked. "All five of them?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that just mean that there will be less prefects around to stop bullying?" Neville asked.

"What good is a prefect that just encourages the bullying though?" Harry pointed out.

"She fired Damian Perriss too." Fred commented.

George nodded. "He is…"

"Or was…" Fred corrected.

"One of the sixth year Gryffindor prefects." George finished.

"We're worried she might ask one of us to replace him." Fred admitted with a grimace. "Just imagine the shame!"

Draco looked amused. "Not the usual perspective one approaches prefect selection with."

"You don't understand." Both twins chorused.

"Bill was a prefect." Fred continued.

"Charlie was a prefect." George added.

"Percy was a prefect." Fred went one. "If one of us become a prefect…"

"We'll be just as bad as them!" George finished passionately.

Theo leaned around Fred so that he could see Takashi. "Any news on who the student Dumbledore attacked was?"

"Allegedly attacked." Neville protested, before shrugging apologetically when everyone stared at him incredulously. "Alright, yeah, he probably attacked him."

"Don't shrug." Draco reprimanded him. "It's…"

"…uncouth." Harry grinned, as he chorused the last word along with his cousin.

"No." Takashi answered Theo. "Though, I do not believe that he is coming back. When the dismissed prefects declared their intention to challenge her decision when Professor Dumbledore returned, she suggested that they not hold their breath."

"Interesting." Draco commented. "I wonder how they convinced her that he was guilty."

"I wonder how they even caught him in the first place." Neville added. "I doubt I'd notice if someone was performing Legilimency on me."

"No," Draco agreed slowly. "Only someone who knew Occlumency would notice." He turned to stare at Harry. "And not many people our age have even considered learning it."

Harry shook his head minutely and hoped that his cousin would get the message. "What do you think all this means for the Quidditch game tomorrow?"

Draco nodded in understanding and looked away.

"I doubt they'll cancel it." Daphne commented, shooting Harry a questioning look. "Now is exactly the time for inter-house unity."

"Unless the entire school is in detention." Neville commented with a grin. "I'm currently the only Gryffindor fourth year who hasn't been given a detention for the entire day tomorrow."

"That's because you were the only one smart enough not to pull a wand on us outside McGonagall's classroom." Daphne pointed out.

"How do you think they'd manage having most of the school in detention?" Fred asked curiously. "There wouldn't be enough professors to supervise."

"Let alone enough trophy cabinets and cauldrons to clean." George added with a grin.

42-42-42

Thankfully, the school seemed to have calmed down by the time the afternoon classes started and at dinner that night Professor McGonagall announced that the Quidditch Game would still take place the next day.

After dinner, Harry, Neville and Luna, followed their Slytherin friends down into the dungeons for their first visit to the Slytherin Common Room.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Neville asked worriedly, as they stopped in the middle of the corridor. "I'm a Gryffindor!"

"Are you?" Theo asked, in mock-surprise. "Merlin! I never knew."

Neville shot him a dirty look. "You know what I mean."

"You are the Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom. Act like it." Draco told him sternly, before turning to the wall. "Basilisk."

Harry watched in interest as a door appeared in the wall. He'd heard that the other Houses had passwords, but it was very different from the Ravenclaw Tower's riddles.

"Basilisk?" Neville asked, with a grin. "Are all your passwords that stereotypical?"

Draco pointedly ignored him and led them into the Slytherin Common Room. Harry followed him through the doorway, only raising an eyebrow in surprise when the ten or so students that were already there immediately leapt to their feet and bowed.

Harry automatically nodded in acknowledgement and noted that Draco, Neville, Daphne and Theo were all nodding as well.

"As you were." Draco told them, before leading Harry and the others across to a gathering of chairs and couches in the middle of the room.

Harry looked around the room with interest. It was very different from the Ravenclaw Tower. Where the Tower had bookcases, the Slytherin Dungeon had portraits; where the Tower had desks, the Dungeon had more seats and couches; where the Tower was painted blue, the Dungeon was painted green; where the Tower was light and open, the Dungeon was dark and could almost be described as gloomy.

Joining Daphne on a two-seater couch, Harry pulled out his wand and threw up a privacy charm.

Neville, who was sitting with Luna on one of the other two-seater couches, looked curious. "Harry?"

"I was the student that Dumbledore attacked with Legilimency last night." Harry explained, reaching for Daphne's hand. "Flitwick took me to see him after the Ravenclaws kicked me out and, while I was explaining what had happened, I felt Dumbledore trying to get into my mind."

"Merlin!" Theo leaned forward in his chair. "It's always you, isn't it, Harry?"

"I confronted Dumbledore about it," Harry continued. "Flitwick convinced Dumbledore to call for Sirius, but Dumbledore called for McGonagall to join us too."

"He probably thought that she'd defend him." Neville commented.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Once they arrived we called for the aurors and eventually for Lady Bones. They questioned me with Veritaserum and then tried to arrest Dumbledore."

"Tried to arrest him?" Daphne questioned, tightening her grip on his hand.

"Dumbledore resisted." Harry explained shortly. "Lady Bones, Sirius, Flitwick, and the other auror all tried to stun him, but Dumbledore shielded their spells easily."

"So he got away." Draco concluded, in obvious disappointed.

"Not quite." Harry smirked. "I knocked him out with a Parselmagic spell."

A delighted smirk spread across Draco's face. "You cursed Dumbledore?"

"I did." Harry confirmed with a satisfied nod. "It was glorious."

"His expression must have been smashing!" Draco exclaimed.

"Probably." Harry sighed. "I missed it though. Dumbledore knocked us all out with a curse just after I cast my spell. All I know is that he was unconscious when I woke up."

"You cursed Dumbledore." Draco repeated in delight. "Oh, Father's going to be so jealous. He's wanted to do that for years!"

Neville was frowning. "I hate to say it, but won't this make things easier for You-Know-Who? They say that Dumbledore's the only wizard that he's afraid of."

Draco sneered. "You mean imbecilic plebeians say that. I'm not sure the Dark Lord is sane enough to be scared of anything. Besides, Dumbledore's no better that the Dark Lord is."

Neville shook his head. "At least Dumbledore isn't killing people."

"No," Daphne agreed coolly. "He just uses Legilimency on children and uses his position to encourage the discrimination against all traditionalists, dark witches and wizards, and Slytherins."

Neville looked uncomfortable. "Maybe, but that's not as bad as killing people!"

"Nobody is saying that it is." Harry soothed him. "We want both of them gone."

Neville looked sceptical at first but, when he looked around the circle and saw Draco, Daphne, Theo and Blaise all nodding, his expression cleared. "Oh."

"One down, one to go." Harry said, trying to ignore the way his stomach was twisting. He doubted Voldemort would make it as easy as Dumbledore had and unfortunately, because of the idiotic prophecy, he knew that one way or another he would have to be the one to stop him. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

42-42-42