I took a few days off over Christmas from writing. Usually, I'd thank people for the reviews but I've been so irritated with the amount of people either in reviews or PMs that have been angry I made Harry gay and outraged that I didn't put it in the description. I cannot get my head around people being angry at someone being gay, to the point they get angry at a FICTIONAL character possibly being gay. Anyway, I've changed the description to hopefully stop those messages so this will be the last time I'll say this. Harry in this story is Gay but I have no plans to pair him with anyone and it has no bearing on the story. Hopefully people keep reading

I enjoyed writing certain sections of this chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading it

I own nothing

Hermione

It had been a rough twenty-four hours for Hermione. She'd gone from being mortified at being teased at her choice in literature, incredibly happy at the thoughtfulness of Harry with the gift he got her, confused at Ron kicking off for no reason and then shocked at him striking her. If that wasn't enough, she finally saw Harrys true rage, she was sure she heard Rons bones break as they hit the ground. And then the duel. He was amazing! How had he learned to duel like that? She couldn't believe what she was seeing, Harry was holding his own against Dumbledore, Flitwick and McGonagall and was beating them. She was horrified at the sight of Professor Flitwick going flying through the air to land next to the hourglasses representing the accumulated house-points. It was only when she saw Harry slice off Dumbledores arm with a clearly dark curse and him turn to face McGonagall that her brain kicked into gear and she managed to make her way through a blue ward that had mysteriously erected from nowhere at the beginning of the duel. Harry never saw or heard her coming with the "Stupefy" and the world calmed down

Sitting in the hospital wing at Harrys side she experienced the other side of being Harrys best friend. Worry. She was very worried. Dumbledore was being frantically worked on by several healers who didn't seem to fancy his chances of survival, Flitwick had arrived with a battered Ron and Harry was still being restrained. The conversation with Flitwick and McGonagall was very worrying as well. She'd read several accounts of wizards who had let rage consume them in battle and it never ended well. Hearing that Harry could be expelled or placed in Azkaban was horrible. She didn't even know he had woken up at any point in their conversation. To see the causal wandless magic left her in awe. She believed him when he said it wouldn't happen again but others didn't know him like she did. And then he healed Dumbledore! Effortlessly, he healed Dumbledore before he walked out. Maybe it was because it was his own spell that did the damage, maybe it was because no one conscious was on Harrys' power level. Either way he did it. She knew through their research that the arm would not be able to be reattached though. Dark magic like that couldn't be healed.

She left the hospital wing before the Weasleys would be arriving. She had no desire to be a part of that conversation. She had already told the professors what had happened, but she knew Molly enough that she wouldn't believe her 'baby' had done anything wrong and that she would be at fault for "leading him on" or some other such nonsense. She seriously doubted she'd have anything to do with Ron after this. Reaching the Gryffindor common room she saw it was packed and all conversation stopped when she entered. Seeing Ginny walk over to her she warily released her wand, she was done with Weasleys for today. Seeing Hermione release her wand caused Ginny to halt and raise her hands showing she didn't have her own wand out "peace, Hermione, I just want to know what happened. There's a lot of rumours going round and they all seem to involve you, Harry and Ron again. What happened?"

Seeing that the entire common room was waiting for an answer she considered just ignoring Ginny but decided to answer before rumour became falsified fact "Harry bought me a necklace to say sorry about something this morning. What he did was irrelevant. Ron had apparently got it into his head that we were dating behind his back and started screaming at us that we'd betrayed him. Harry and I aren't dating nor will we ever be dating. Anyway, I tried to get Ron to stop as he was storming away when he hit me in the face" hearing gasps she looked around seeing the shock on many people faces. Continuing on she said "Harry lost it seeing him hit me and banished him into the wall. I've never seen him so angry. He was blind to everyone around him when he carried on smashing Ron into the floor. Dumbledore probably saved his life by interfering but he did so in the wrong way. He cast a spell at Harrys back. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall joined in and they ended up duelling in the Entrance Hall"

"Is Harry, ok?" Neville asked. Like many of them they knew Harry wouldn't win against the three strongest professors left in the school. Harry was strong no doubt but very few were that strong. Which is why Hermione's reply had the entire common room gasp in disbelief

"Harry is fine. The professors on the other hand aren't. Dumbledore is currently missing an arm and has only just been stabilised after losing a lot of blood, Flitwick was beaten, easily and is lucky to not be at Dumbledores side in the hospital wing and McGonagall was about to be beaten when I sneaked up on him and stunned him. Harry left not long ago after healing Dumbledore when the healers couldn't. I left before your parents arrive Ginny. I have no desire to put up with your mother" with that Hermione left to head to bed. She was emotionally exhausted and she knew tomorrow was going to be long. Going through her bag to find a scrunchie she noticed the scrolls of information for Dumbledore. In all the chaos she had forgotten the reason they met up tonight in the first place. Hopefully the headmaster would be up and about soon

Breakfast and dinner the following day were very tough. It seemed the information had made the rounds. Thankfully this time though they all seemed to be true. She'd had to tell many people to go away when they asked about last night. She had no desire to go over it again. Seeing the Headmaster at dinner had Hermione breathing a sigh of relief, at least Harry wouldn't be going to Azkaban for manslaughter. He didn't look well either. Then again after losing that much blood he should still be in the hospital wing. Maybe Fawkes had helped the potency of the blood-replenishing potions. Either way he was there and it eased her mind. Walking up to the head table silence reigned throughout the hall.

"It's good to see you up and about Headmaster " Hermione started "I was very worried"

"Thank you, Miss Granger" the headmaster replied with a smile "sadly I did not wake up whole and hearty but I still awoke, something I'm grateful for. Now, what can I do for you Miss Granger?"

"Are you free at all today or tomorrow?" Hermione replied "I still need to give you the information that Harry and I gathered for you"

"Oh, of course Miss Granger" Albus said surprised "if you have it on you now I can take it off you?"

"It's in my trunk professor" Hermione said "I was unsure of when you'd be up and about again so I've kept it in my trunk"

"In that case I should be free after tea tonight" Albus said "if you could come to my office around 7pm. The password is Mars Bars"

Nodding Hermione replied "thank you professor, it really is good to see you up and about" with that she bade him a good day and left to go to the library. She was guaranteed a quiet time there away from the other students. She often lost hours being in here, she mused as she went to her favourite place and began reading her new book. She was so engrossed in reading that Harry's patronus nearly frightened her to death "can you meet me at the entrance hall in ten minutes please, I've been suspended", Suspended? That's better than expulsion at least. Quickly packing up she went to meet Harry. Hugging him upon seeing him relaxed her a lot. Deciding to go for a walk to the gates Harry filled her in on what happened. She was so proud of him for standing up for himself and planning ahead. She didn't think she'd be able to talk back to the professors like that. The nerve of the headmaster and Mrs Weasley to demand what they did! She was so grateful that he'd spoken to her parents too. She was unsure on what a magical restraining order fully did but she knew enough of the basics to know that Ron wouldn't keep to it. Filling Harry in on what happened after she stunned him, what happened afterwards and her upcoming meeting later he nodded and left her with "If you urgently need me grasp the pendant and immediately call for Dobby"

Headmasters Office

Albus sat behind his desk going over the meeting he had had hours earlier with Harry. He was pretty sure he'd messed up again concerning Harry. Looking at his court order he knew he'd messed up. Oh, he knew that any kind of court proceedings would never end in the result either of them wanted, Albus had reacted to seeing Harry attack another student which was well within his rights as headmaster and attacked Harry hoping to subdue him, which wasn't in his rights. Harry had used a very dark curse so they would both likely come away with only a fine but still, it was a step back in their relationship. Sighing he pulled out the Elder Wand, it had been speaking to him all day trying to coerce him into giving it to Harry. Why it didn't go to Harry on its own he didn't know. It was particularly loud during his meeting with Harry, only his superb Occlumency skills halted the thoughts and enabled him to have any sort of clarity

This meeting with Miss Granger should hopefully answer several of his questions that he had. Why was the wand not with Harry, what happened after he had been knocked out? Did Miss Granger know about his impending death and if so, how? What information did she have? Being curious by nature he was looking forward to the meeting. Hearing the door chime he knew he would hear his answers soon "come in Miss Granger"

Hermione entered the room and stopped dead. She had heard in many of the stories from Harry about this room but until you saw it for yourself words were meaningless. The portraits of the deceased headmasters on the wall would likely be a treasure trove of information, the various trinkets in the cabinets looked curious too. She knew Albus was over one hundred years old so he must have a lot of interesting items to study. How does he find the time to study all these? Hearing a chuckle, she snapped her head towards the headmaster who sat there with an amused smile on his face

Albus bade her enter and then saw her stop dead, watching her with curiosity he suspected she was having brain freeze. When he thought back on his first time entering this room, he was pretty sure he'd done the same. Of course, there wasn't the various items and trinkets that he'd collected over the past fifty years but it was still a very interesting room. Chuckling he brought Hermione out of her brain fog

"Good evening, Miss Granger" Albus said inviting her to sit down "I see you, like I was many years ago are entranced by this office?"

"Yes Sir" she replied looking around in wonder "it's amazing! The knowledge that must be on these walls, the trinkets and curios that hold their own history, the memories that these walls hold must be incredible! You're so lucky! Oh, Hello Salazar" she finished spotting a portrait on the wall surprising Albus and waving

"You've met Salazar before? How?" Albus asked curiously

"Oh, through Harry" she replied shocking him "there's a portrait of him down in the Chamber of Secrets. We've found we have a few things in common, the main one being an aversion to people mangling our names"

Hearing a loud roar of laughter, she looked off to the side of Salazar to see another portrait of a man sliding out of his chair laughing "that Miss Granger" Salazar said icily staring at the portrait "is an idiot. You likely know him as Godric Gryffindor"

"Oh, come on Sal" Godric said still laughing and striding into his frame grabbing him into a headlock "and lighten up a little. After nearly a thousand years of being dead you still hate your name being shortened?" he was a very tall man with red hair, green eyes and a big booming voice dressed in combat robes. His famous sword was dangling at his side

"Yes!" came the barked reply shrugging him off and glaring at him "as I stated to Mister Potter a few days ago I was named Salazar at birth and it will always be Salazar!"

"Leave him alone Godric" came a stern voice of a tall rather beautiful woman entering the frame. She was dressed in midnight blue robes with stars on them and had black hair with a tiara on top "or I will set Helga on you!"

Seeing Godric's face pale had Salazar smirk "OK, OK. No need to do that. Let us not be hasty Rowena"

At the moment a portrait of a small chubby woman with a very kind face entered her portrait "Rowena! You should see what they've come up with now! The medical advancements over the last hundred years have been astounding!" stopping short she took in the others in Salazars portrait. Salazar looking irritated but smug, Rowena stern and Godric looking sheepish. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed her sleeves up and entered the frame and just looked at Godric. Sighing Godric got onto his knees so that Helga could reach him. Grabbing his ear, she asked "what have you been doing now dear?" his answer of "nothing" didn't seem to fly with her so she asked him again hoping for a correct answer. His reply of "just teasing Salazar" didn't go down well either. All of a sudden, the portraits went silent as Helga marched him back to his own portrait promising retribution while Rowena went back to her own

"As you can see Miss Granger" Albus said chuckling as if nothing strange had happened "I'm not always lucky. Now there are a few things I need to ask you before we come to the information you have. Can you explain to me what happened in the hospital wing last night, leave nothing out? I'm afraid I was somewhat out of action."

Relaxing a little bit Hermione told him everything she could remember after Harry was knocked out. After clarifying a few issues, Albus seemed to have received the information he was looking for and carried on with what happened in the meeting with Harry this afternoon and his subsequent thoughts on the matter. "You may be wondering Miss Granger why I have told you this?" seeing her nod he continued "well I've reached a few conclusions about how my relationship with Harry has been over the last few hours and I would like your insight on how to proceed. I do not want it to seem like I'm using you to get to Harry. I have no doubt that it would create the very opposite of what I hope to achieve. Understand though that there's not just Harry I need to look out for but the rest of the students and the community as a whole. But we cannot afford to be divided at the moment. The war is only going to get worse I'm afraid because Tom is set on world domination. So, I need Harrys help"

"Harry is very easy to get on with" Hermione started after thinking for a few minutes "as long as you don't keep anything that concerns him from him. If it's not something that concerns him then just say that, but don't lie about it. If you talk to him like another person, you'll likely get on a lot better with him. Don't demand things from him, ask him like you would with anyone else. The Wizarding world at large seem to have an idea of who he is and for years he went along with it because of you" seeing his shocked face she continued "he was desperate to fit in, growing up with the Dursleys always putting him down he saw Hogwarts as an escape. Getting sorted into Slytherin was a double-edged sword for him. He knew he belonged there as the Hat is rarely wrong but getting sorted into a house you're told is like your family only to have that family hate him and hex him every chance they got just reiterated the Dursleys point of view that he was worthless and a freak. And then having the faculty led by you and Snape seemingly go along with that point of view? It created a Harry who decided to go under the radar mainly for his own survival, build up his own power in secret but put on the 'Gryffindor Hero' that he knew YOU wanted. He knew you would never put up with a 'Slytherin Harry' and the world would never accept a 'Slytherin Hero'. He also knew that the trials you put him through were for something, he just didn't know what. Sirius dying though changed him. And Draco attempting to murder him with no repercussions from you settled his belief that ultimately, he can only rely on himself. I will admit he's surprised me with how different he has been from last week. It's been nice seeing him stand up for himself" she said finishing her impassioned monologue.

"You have given me a lot to think about Miss Granger" Albus said leaning back stroking his beard "it would seem that Harry and I are not so different" seeing Hermione's questioning look he continued "I was the very same when I was in my youth. When you know you're so much more powerful than your peers it creates a certain level of ego, arrogance and a certain disdain for orders. When you know you can blow someone out of a window with just a thought, you'll find playing the social and political games very tedious. Like myself and Tom Riddle, Harry has led a very solitary Hogwarts existence and could so easily become a Dark Lord, tragedy in my youth changed my perspective on how I should use my power. Tom chose to become what he became. Harry however has you Miss Granger, and others he considers friends. He will need you now more than ever.

Now, onto the main reason for this meeting. You said you have information for me?" Albus asked

Nodding Hermione pulled out the scrolls and handed them over. Seeing his questioning glace as he grabbed them with his left-hand Hermione said "Harry told me about the withering curse that was placed on you and couldn't find any information in the library about it so he invited me to the Chamber of Secrets to see if Salazar had any information. Sadly, while Salazar was a big help with some advice, we couldn't actually find information on the curse, just what it did. What we did find though were accounts by others describing reactions to similar curses or hexes and how they combated them. I was going to send a letter to St Mungos asking for any advice on similar curses but I doubt they'd give me that information without sending aurors after me at the same time so I didn't.

However, I did find a scroll that was added hundreds of years after Salazar died. One of his descendants must have placed it in there as it has a hoard of information in the Chamber library. There's a potion I found that was developed by an apprentice of Nicholas Flamel in the late 1400's that was created to combat a magical parasite released in a small village in France. This parasite feasted on Magic, it consumed magic at an alarming rate and jumped from person to person. It didn't breed, so it didn't multiply like you'd expect of a virus. It was just one singular parasite. Anyway, this potion interacted with a person's magic and actively held it at bay. Sadly, it wasn't potent enough to kill the parasite but what it did do was keep it contained until the person died. Nathaniel Worthington died sixty years after taking the counter-potion in his nineties of natural causes and the virus died with him. I'm not saying this is a cure for you professor. But it's a start"

Albus didn't know what to think. For the last few months, he'd resigned himself to dying and had come to accept it. That there may be a cure left him teary. It felt very odd to think he may just see out the war. "Thank you, Miss Granger. Just thank you"

"As I said it's not a cure, and there may be more potent ingredients around now, especially with your access to Phoenix tears too so it may help" Hermione finished

"I shall send this to a friend of mine to create, he has a lot of spare time on his hands lately" Albus said "and he may know of more potent ingredients to use" hearing the clock chime "well miss Granger I believe our time for now is up. Again, thank you and goodnight"

Standing up Hermione said "good night professor. Hopefully it helps" with that she left wondering who his friend was. She'd love to have taken on the challenge herself but she knew there were far more talented people than she was at potions. Going to bed she hoped that the next week would be filled with less drama

Malfoy Manor

At last Bellatrix thought. Her sister had opened the floo to her so that they could talk that evening. She wasn't happy that it was days after she wanted to but she'd also spent that time recovering. But just this morning her master had called her to him. There he told her of his plans. She was overjoyed! She had been chosen! Out of everyone she had been chosen! Surely this proved that she was the most loyal! Her sister thought otherwise though

"What do you mean you've been chosen? Chosen for what?" Narcissa asked staring at her incredulously

"I have been chosen to bear our lords heir Cissy" Bella said with joy on her face "he needs an heir to carry on his legacy and I have been chosen!"

"Are you insane?" Narcissa exclaimed standing up and walking around wringing her hands "you have literally only just recovered from being tortured by him! He doesn't care about you Bella!

"Yes, he does!" Bella screamed defiantly "why else would he choose me? He knows I'm his most loyal, his most devoted and he is rewarding me with the highest honour anyone could receive!"

"He's chosen you because you are literally the only one left for him to use!" Narcissa shouted back "he has cost us everything Bella! He has obliterated pureblood lines in his mania. He's not the man we all followed years ago!"

"How can you stand there and say such traitorous things?" Bella screamed taking out her wand "How dare you say such things! You are lucky you are my sister or you'd be writhing on the floor right now"

"Go on then Bella!" Narcissa said standing face to face with her sister "Prove your loyalty to your master. Prove he means more to you than your own family!

"I never thought you of all people would turn traitor Cissy" Bella said quietly shaking her head in disbelief "never you"

"I have not turned traitor Bellatrix" Narcissa said "it is you that have done unspeakable things in his name. You have ended so many pureblood lines in his name that there are very few of us left now Bella. You murdered your own Lord at the request of a fake lord. Family used to be everything to us Bella. And you murdered your own family. It is the very reason you are no longer a Black. Voldemort has cost us everything. My own Husband is dead in his name." looking at Bellatrix's own black wedding ring "and so is yours it seems. How can you not see this?"

"My lord has rewarded me Narcissa" Bellatrix stated putting away her wand and getting ready to leave "and I am grateful. Sirius was not my Lord. He was the family disappointment and I eliminated him at the first chance I got. I regret nothing"

"Then we have nothing more to talk about Bella" Narcissa said handing her the scroll Harry had given her "the new Lord Black has taken your vault as recompense for your actions against the Longbottoms and disowned you from the family. Your children will never inherit the Black name Bella. I hope your lord is worth it"

"My vault" Bella whispered in fright "my vault? I need to leave. The next time I see you Narcissa I will kill you. Goodbye little sister"

Striding to the floo she got ready to leave.

Finally, Draco thought, his mother had opened the floo to let his aunt in. Eavesdropping on their conversation he was stunned. She was no longer a Black? Potter had so much to pay for! And she was going to bear their Lords heir? Hearing the end of the conversation, he made a decision that cemented his future "Wait, take me with you please!"

Turning around Bellatrix saw her nephew come running into the room evidently after eavesdropping on their conversation "why?"

"My mother has betrayed us. I will never follow Potter! And I need our lords help"

"Draco" came a soft voice from behind them "if you choose to leave with Bella know that I can do nothing to help you. You still need to present yourself Tuesday morning to the Wizengamot" seeing Bellas questioning glare she continued "Potter has declared Blood Feud with the Malfoy family and Magic backed him up. He has until Tuesday to live"

"I was doing our Lords work!" Draco exclaimed "Magic is wrong about this"

"Magic is never wrong!" came his mothers' reply "but regardless of what you believe if you don't present yourself to the courtrooms at 9am Tuesday morning you will die regardless. Do what you please" and with that she left the room

"Come Draco" Bella said "Our lord will surely have an answer"

With that they left via the floo. Narcissa left and headed towards the Lord's office where she opened up the Ward book. Scratching off Voldemort's, Bellatrix's and Draco's name was very painful. They no longer had access to the manor. It was just her now in the book. She was all alone. Sinking to the floor she pulled off her blackened wedding band and cried at the situation. She literally had no-one. She knew what her only option was now. She had to talk to Harry.