Alright, here's the next chapter for you guys, hope everyone is having a great time and enjoying this so far.

Chaos Born: Destiny Undone

Chapter 7: Making Progress

Harry was left in a good mood for the rest of the morning. He spent his time wandering the castle, just thinking to himself about all that he'd learned, and just being happy to have someone who seemed to be wholly in his corner.

His mood began to sour as people filled the halls. They began to speak about him, gesture at him and whisper to each other. A few older, or more brazen individuals openly sneered at him, or called him a cheater.

This brought Harry back to the reality he'd been facing before meeting Luna. Someone, most likely Moody, had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire, and he was now forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.

He had somewhat of an idea of what to expect thanks to Voldemort's memories and his knowledge of previous tournaments, but that didn't really make him feel better. Thankfully, he was even less afraid of dying now than he was before.

Not only did he know he'd come back, but he also knew that the next time he died, he may get to meet his sister. That was almost enough to convince him to take a short stroll over the Astronomy Tower and walk off of it. The only thing that made him hesitate was the possibility that Tzeentch would send him somewhere alone and Slaanesh's second gift of course. Any time he died, he'd gain a new mutation taken from whatever had killed him. Even if it was an accident, like being run over by a carriage, he'd gain something from the carriage itself. What that was was anyone's guess, but he wasn't interested in testing his luck. He was enough of a freak already. Adding more to the mix wasn't an exciting possibility.

"Hey Potter how'd ya do it?" Came the shout from an older Hufflepuff boy.

"It's every year with him. Never can stay out of trouble." A Ravenclaw girl said just loud enough for him to overhear as he passed by.

"What's the matter Potter, couldn't stand having someone else in the spotlight?" Another Hufflepuff boy accused as Harry made his way through the halls.

"Bastards, each and every one of them. Why is it everyone always thinks the worst about me? It's every god damn year!" Harry growled internally as he made it to the great hall in time for breakfast.

He began to approach where he normally sat next to Ron and Hermione, but he stopped when he noticed Ron clustered with Dean and Seamus and the three of them turned dark glares towards him.

Harry blinked several times before glancing around for Hermione. He found her sitting on the edge of Ron's group. She glanced up at him, only for their eyes to briefly meet. She stared back for a good long second before letting out a breath and lowering her gaze back to the paper sat in front of her. Her actions seemingly dismissing him.

Harry clicked his teeth as he felt his anger begin to build. A familiar chuckle caught his ear, and his eyes briefly flickered towards the Slytherin table where Malfoy and his gang sat watching him with devilish smirks. They could obviously tell what was happening and they took great pleasure in watching as Harry was ostracized by his friends and peers.

On the edges of Malfoy's group sat Daphne and Tracey, both of whom eyed Harry with calculating gazes.

Harry closed his eyes and felt his anger boil within him. He remembered back to his second year, when people began to think that he was the heir of Slytherin, because he could speak in Parseltongue.

Even if it was based on a lie, wasn't he supposed to be a hero to them? The Boy-Who-Lived… it was something he never put much stock in. He'd always just wanted to be normal, to be Harry. That never seemed to be the case though. For most of his life, he was a freak, and for the rest of it, he was propped up as this savior, only for it to be nothing but a fabrication, and one that most people didn't even take seriously enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Less than twenty-four hours after it had happened and already the entire school was convinced that he'd entered into the tournament of his own volition. That he had somehow cheated the goblet, and was trying to steal the glory for himself.

He remembered his dream, the one where Hogwarts burned around him, and all of these people were slaughtered. He could hear their screams echoing in his ears and it made him feel good. These people, always blaming him, always thinking the worst of him. They were no better than the Dursleys.

As it was in his childhood, so it would seem the trend continued. For Harry, it had always been guilty until proven without a shadow of doubt, innocent. He had thought he'd escaped that sort of life when he came to Hogwarts, but it seems that some things never change.

"Fine… think whatever you want. I'm done caring about any of you…" Harry finally decided as he turned and headed out of the room.

He about passed out of the room when Luna rounded the corner, almost running into him.

"Oh, hello Harry. Just leaving were you?" Luna inquired.

"Uh yeah. Though I think I just found a reason to stay." Harry replied, a smile appearing on his face as he momentarily forgot about his anger.

"Well please join me. I'm quite famished, and I hope they have pudding." Luna offered to him.

Harry was more than happy to join her, the two sitting at an empty spot at the Ravenclaw table.

Luna found her pudding and happily ate it while handing off her newspaper to Harry. Harry gazed down at the Quibbler and found several interesting articles. Thankfully the only mention about him and the Triwizard tournament was a very brief paragraph that mentioned how three students had been chosen and then the Goblet of Fire forced a forth person to participate. It spoke the truth, and offered only the barest questions in regards to why it had happened, without pointing the finger in any direction.

"How do you like it, Harry?" Luna inquired, glancing over at him.

"Honestly it's refreshing to not have to see wild speculation all surrounding my guilt." Harry noted.

"Papa is honest in his reporting. He only speculates when he has some idea of what to speculate on. What happened to you, happened only yesterday, and no one has any idea as to why. No factual evidence, that is. The Quibbler has always prioritized truth, and getting that truth to the people. Even if it isn't the truth people want to hear." Luna said.

"Well, I think I'd rather that than whatever finger pointing is going to come out of the Daily Prophet." Harry spoke in return.

Luna hummed in agreement before returning her focus to her pudding, while Harry continued reading. Many of the articles within the Quibbler were focused around events occurring across the country, and many contained a playful spin to them with a bit of weirdness sprinkled in. On occasion they would poke fun at the Ministry or the Minister himself, which Harry found amusing. It was a strange read, not exactly set up how a newspaper would normally be formatted but he ultimately found it informative and thought provoking.

Throughout the hall, people watched the two with curious and confused stares.

Most people didn't quite get the relationship between them, and why they sat together. Though Tracey and Daphne both shared a suspicious look between each other, when they spotted Harry with Luna.

Luna and Harry sat together all of breakfast, occasionally chatting. Harry then walked Luna to her first class before departing for his own. It felt nice for Harry to have a friend who treated him as himself. It was strange to consider. Despite being the so-called Master of Death, Death itself treated him how he wanted to be treated. She spoke to him as a friend, and didn't display open signs of reverence, or anything like that. She didn't place him on a pedestal. She just treated him as a friend. Perhaps it was just her nature, or perhaps it was because she'd been with him all of his life, and knew how he felt about being treated that way. Either way, Harry enjoyed spending the morning with her, and looked forward to spending more time with her.

His school day was pretty much hell. All day he dealt with people glaring at him, or calling him a cheater. Some would approach him and demand to know how he had done it, how he had entered his name into the Goblet.

Harry ignored them, and angrily brushed past any attempt to corner him. At the end of his classes he went to the library, where he was found by Luna. She greeted him, and then sat beside him and quietly did her homework. Again, Harry found their interaction to be pleasant. He felt comfortable around her, and she easily gave off the appearance of a regular, albeit rather strange girl. Luna was quiet most times, and had a dreamy air about her. She would occasionally stare off into the middle distance, her head slightly tilted as if displaying an animalistic curiosity. She was a gentle character, who didn't press Harry for his feelings, or answers in regards to his state of mind. She just accepted his presence, and that was enough for her. Occasionally she would ask a random question, something that most-likely just popped into her head, sometimes it was about him, other times it was a question about things that occurred in the world around them. She always accepted his answer, whether it was short or long-winded.

The two spent their time in the library before venturing together to the Great Hall for dinner. They sat beside each other and ate, and then Harry walked her back to the Ravenclaw Common Room before departing to his own Common Room, where once again he was glared at, and whispered about.

Without Luna around Harry felt his agitation return so he quickly gathered his things from his room, shrunk down his trunk and stormed out. He'd sleep in the Room of Requirement if he had too but he wasn't going to keep putting up with these idiots.

That night he did sleep, and as always he dreamed of his spirit as it rampaged across the world. Now that he knew that it was his spirit, he paid attention to it's actions, he watched how it moved, how it reacted in delayed sequence to his feelings.

At first it attacked nondescript places, but then it appeared in Hogwarts, and once again, he watched as it murdered and raped it's way through the halls, killing everything in sight. These were his feelings, his wants, and his desires. He hadn't realized it before, just how much he hated this place deep down. Hogwarts had always felt like home to him, but after a bit of reflection, it began to dawn on him that home had always been a nightmare.

A part of him could hardly believe how people were treating him now, and yet, another part, wisely remembered how people had treated him in second year. Mindlessly assuming that he was the heir of Slytherin, and that he'd been hurting people, all just because of his ability to use Parseltongue.

Hogwarts had always been dangerous, and it had always been filled with idiots who'd happily scorn him the first chance they got. Harry didn't really understand why they were so quick to demonize him, all that he knew for certain was that they did, every chance that they got. Even after rescuing Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, no one ever apologized to him, no one ever told him they were sorry for thinking or saying that he was capable of hurting people like that.

Thinking back on it, filled him with anger and resentment. These people had always been out to get him, and this newest problem, was just returning their true nature to light.

Before Harry had been sickened by the slaughter that occurred within the confines of his 'home'. Now he watched on with bitter glee. He watched as the people who were now openly scorning him for something he didn't do were torn apart, and butchered. He listened to their screams without an ounce of pity.

Instead of Dumbledore this time around, the final kill in this nightmare came in the form of Snape. Harry watched as the wretched Potion's Master was hefted into the air by unseen forces, and de-limbed, one by one by one, until Harry's demonic self twisted Snape's head clean off and devoured it.

The sight of carnage soon faded and Harry was left before the throne of his monstrous self. Once more, sat upon it's lap was Death, and beside the throne stood his slaves. As always their eyes would be drawn to him, and fill with admiration, respect, and love. Things that Harry had always desired.

Death smiled at him, and hopped from the lap of the creature.

Harry felt himself smile at her, though as always he was unable to speak. Now knowing that this was Luna and she was consciously here, he felt comfortable in her presence, no longer as shy, or unnerved as he was before.

She stood before him as her smile turned demure, and in a single breath, her black robes faded away, granting him sight of her naked body. He blinked and blushed at the sight of it, and she let out a playful laugh before pushing towards him, wrapping him in an embrace.

Her cool flesh felt comfortable against his own, and despite how cold it was, it filled him with warmth.

Without realizing it, his own arms were wrapped around her. He hadn't thought he could move in these dreams, and he knew he wasn't a physical presence there. He couldn't see his arms, but he could feel her held within them.

She was resting her head on his shoulder, and he heard her take in a breath as he wrapped his arms around her.

He'd always felt comfortable with her, like he had known her all his life. Now he understood why. She was an old friend, one who'd been with him since the moment he was born.

He awoke with a pleasant feeling, still wrapped in her embrace. He didn't feel the discomfort he normally did, and though he did awake with an erection, it was less obvious or focal in his mind. Something more tied to teenage lust at having a naked girl in his arms, than something more carnal and intense.

He sat there, in a bed that the Room of Requirement had provided for him, and wondered just what would happen moving forward. He knew that he was attracted to Luna, and after only a day of spending time with her, he felt comfortable in her presence.

Did he want to date her? Sure. He liked the sound of that. She seemed like she was interested in him as well, as more than friends.

It was as he was sitting there thinking and pondering that another thought struck him. She had mentioned that she had stopped walking with him when she had entered into Luna's body. Instead she simply directed her thoughts towards him to keep an eye on him. He knew that she could hear his thoughts when they were together, but could she always hear his thoughts?

"Hey Luna, can you hear me?" Harry thought to himself.

Silence passed for a moment. It was just long enough for him to start to wonder if maybe he was just overthinking things.

"Yes." He heard Luna's voice respond in his mind, causing him to jump.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" Luna inquired.

"A bit. I guess I didn't really know what I was expecting. I know you said you could direct your thoughts towards me to keep an eye on me, but I didn't know how far that extended." Harry thought back.

"I see. Well yes, I can hear you. My mind is always directed towards you. It comes with being me. I may be the conscious form of Death, but I am connected to all things that exist. If I know where to focus my mind, I can touch the things that I am connected with. I have to know where that thing is, or at least have a general idea of where it is so it doesn't work with just anything. You are different though. It's easy for me to find you. In truth, you're almost never beyond my thoughts. If you ever need me, or just wish to talk, you don't need to look far to find me." Luna offered to him.

"I see. Well… now I'm a bit curious. What powers do you have as Death?" Harry asked as the curiosity touched his mind.

"I have many powers. My magic is very unique, as you've noticed. For example the anti-magic properties of your Beholder eye do not affect my magic. Magic itself exists on a sort of tiered system with lower level magics having a harder time affecting higher level magics. In time, as you die and your body becomes more interconnected with it's new parts, the magics you can affect with your beholder eye will increase, but as it is right now, it doesn't even touch my own magic. I'm capable of casting all types of magic that I learn. My magic is one of the oldest types in existence and because of that, there's almost no magic that I cannot learn how to use. For example you needed the blood of goblins and house elves to use goblin and elf magic, meanwhile I have the power to perform such magics so long as I know how. As for special powers, well I mentioned that I can choose to consciously touch anything that exists so long as I know generally where it is. As Death I walk with all things that have an existence which is pretty much everything. It's not a flawless power, as I mentioned I have to know where to look, as being everywhere in all times and all places, means that there's a lot of me to navigate through. Aside from that, I have complete control over the spirit and can revive anyone who's body remains intact and who hasn't experienced true death, meaning their soul was destroyed. I am capable of inflicting true death on anything I fight. My magic acts in much the same way as the Eldar Wand, absorbing that which I kill directly, destroying the soul in the process. I can render myself invisible, even in this body, becoming impossible to see by any means, the limits I have are the same as the Invisibility Cloak, as this body still has a physical presence, so while I can disappear, I am still existing so I will still affect my environment. My powers are vast Harry, though even I don't know everything that I am capable of. I haven't really spent much time experimenting with my powers, I've simply never felt the drive to." Luna explained some of what she was capable of.

It made plenty of sense to Harry that she would have the powers she granted to the Deathly Hallows, like granting true death to entities, destroying them completely, to becoming invisible. That all made sense. It was interesting to hear how magic existed on a teared system, though that also made sense to him. Some magics were more powerful than others. The magic of a phoenix could completely rebuild it's body and grant it the power of resurrection, meanwhile Humans had thus far been unable to come close to replicating such a feat.

"Wow. I'm impressed. I guess we'll learn more about what you can do as time goes on." Harry surmised, earning a hum of agreement from Luna.

"I have another question though, if you wouldn't mind." Harry inquired after a few seconds of thought.

"Of course." Luna echoed back.

"In my dream, why did you hug me?" Harry asked.

"Because you looked like you needed it. And I like hugs." Luna replied, her words reminding him of something he had noted about her in his dreams. To him, she had always appeared so innocent, and once more he was reminded of it.

Hard to imagine, considering she was older than time itself, but when you took into account that she had only had a consciousness for eight hundred years, and had only possessed and taken over the body of a young girl recently, the emotional range and maturity of an entity like that was likely to be very limited.

It was nice to have someone who's motives were plain and clear to him, and who treated him like himself. It was a bit odd having her able to hear his thoughts, but it was also kind of enjoyable to just be able to talk to her whenever he wanted too.

"Well thanks, I appreciate it… one more question though… why were you naked?" Harry asked after a few second.

"Because you like it when I'm naked." She responded, causing his face to bleed as red as it possibly could.

"Luna… you… you know you don't have to do that right?" Harry stuttered out.

"I know, but you like it. And I like it when you're happy. It doesn't embarrass me or anything." Luna responded.

Harry let out a sigh, and hid his head in his hands. Best not to continue down this line of questioning lest it lead to something he probably wasn't ready for.

"Well… I guess, do you wanna hang out today?" Harry inquired after a few more momenta of quiet went by.

"Would now be a good time?" Luna inquired, causing a bright smile to appear on Harry's face.

About ten minutes later, he met with Luna and showed her the Room of Requirement. From there the two spent their time together until breakfast.

Again the student body took note of them together, and again they whispered and jeered at Harry.

This continued on for a week with Harry ignoring them, and never really taking in what was being said. He was pretty much ostracized by all of his classmates. His fellow Gryffindors openly mocked and belittled him as a cheater. Ron and Seamus were two of the biggest bullies of Gryffindor house. It seemed that Ron was enjoying having his own gang of miscreants to lead around. It must have made him feel special and important.

Hermione chose to ignore Harry. It seemed she had sided with Ron and the rest of the student body in believing him to be a cheater or that he had entered himself intentionally at the very least.

The teachers did nothing, even if they overheard what the students were saying. His biggest source of resentment came from Hufflepuff house who thought he was trying to steal Cedric's place and outshine him. The pranks began three days after the drawing for the tournament. Harry sat down in the great hall for a meal, he bit in to a leg of chicken, only for it to taste rotten. Giggles and chuckles emerged from the Hogwarts table around Fred and George. The twins merely offered him devilish smirks when he glared at them.

Every day he had to watch out for traps set by the two mischievous twins. They seemed eager to get back at him for getting into the tournament when they could not.

Luna kept things manageable and kept him from lashing out. She was almost a constant presence by his side. Harry went back to sleeping because Luna needed to, or at least her body did. So when she would go to sleep, he would too so they could spend time together in their shared dreamspace. Harry's affection for the girl grew as he spent time with her and learned more about her life.

She was a bit barmy at times, but he understood that it came from her unique perspective on life. She knew things and understood things that others couldn't possibly fathom let alone believe. Every night she joined him in the Room of Requirement and slept by his side. At times Harry would awake to find her clinging to him, which he was naturally embarrassed by, especially if he awoke sporting a bit of morning wood.

They had shared their first kiss after the seventh night together. Or well, their first kiss outside of the dreamspace. Luna had kissed him in the dream causing him to wake up with her cuddling up to him. She awoke soon afterwards and glanced up at him, she then leaned forward and kissed him, a kiss he returned.

He had asked her right there if she would be his girlfriend to which she happily agreed.

As shit as things were nowadays, getting Luna to be his girlfriend was an absolute highlight. The next day he held her hand as they went to the Great Hall for breakfast. It didn't take much for people to realize the two were now a couple, and with Harry blatantly ignoring people, most slowly began to move on. The ones that stuck to it, were the most vile and evil.

It was as they were walking towards the Great Hall that the two passed by the Weasley twins. They made it a few yards before both Harry and Luna felt something catch their legs, causing the two to trip forward. Both managed to catch themselves, as they heard surrounding students burst into laughter.

Harry glanced down and spotted a conjured rope that stretched out across the hall. It had gone slack now and quickly vanished leaving no evidence of the prank.

Harry turned his eye over to Luna who shook her head and was climbing back to her feat. Seeing that she had tripped to his eyes snapped towards the Weasley twins. He found the two giggling and smirking at him. His one visible eye filled with murder as he rose to his feet. He began to advance on them, but Luna quickly took his hand, drawing his gaze back to her.

"I'm hungry." Luna said to him.

Harry rolled his jaw at that, but ultimately accepted her unspoken request to let it go. Luna wasn't a confrontational person by nature, he was coming to learn, and he suspected her resistance to the idea of him beating the two pranksters within an inch of their lives had more to do with him reacting out of a need to avenge her, rather than his own anger. Had it been for him, she probably would have just let him do it, but since he would have been doing it for her, she didn't want him to as it would lead him to getting into trouble, and she didn't want that for him.

So with a skin-peeling glare thrown back at the twins, Harry walked Luna the rest of the way to the Great Hall, where the two took a seat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, away from most others.

It was as they were finishing with their breakfast that McGonagall approached the two, and requested Harry to come to the Headmaster's office.

Harry could tell instantly that something wasn't right. McGonagall was upset, she was angry, and he was the source of her fury for some reason.

He was forced to leave Luna behind as he was brought up to Dumbledore's office. There he found the old man waiting alongside Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout. McGonagall stood behind him as Dumbledore focused his gaze on Harry.

"Harry… do you know what this is about?" Dumbledore began with a stern look in his eyes.

"No sir." Harry responded as he took in the looks and feelings of those around him. He felt confidence and triumph coming from Snape which never spelled anything good for him. Flitwick was disappointed. He already knew how McGonagall felt, and Sprout was almost livid, but then she'd been livid since his name came out of the cup, spoiling the chance for her house to be the highlight of the tournament.

"We've received a memory from someone who saw you put your name into the Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore said to him, his stern look honing in even further.

Harry blinked once than twice. The first words he wanted to utter was that it was a lie, but he knew that it couldn't be the case. If it was a memory that was shown than any number of things could be true. It could have been altered, a person may not have seen what they thought they did, anything like that. Obviously Dumbledore had viewed it, and believed it's contents and he'd know well enough to determine if a memory had been altered.

"I didn't put my name into the Goblet of Fire." Harry said.

"The time for lying has come to an end Mr. Potter. We've all seen the memory. I cannot fathom why, after all you've been through that you'd put yourself in such danger." McGonagall spoke, anger and disappointment touching at her voice as she glared at him.

"I didn't put my name into that bloody goblet!" Harry repeated with growing anger.

"Sticking to a lie, even when the truth is revealed Potter?" Snape spoke, his drawl condescension earning him a glare from Harry.

"Help me to understand Harry. Professor McGonagall is correct, after all you've been through. Being attacked over the summer, losing your family and home, why would you endanger yourself like this? People die in the Triwizard Tournament Harry. People far more skilled and experienced than you are." Dumbledore chastised him.

"I'll say it for a third time since clearly you aren't hearing me! I! Did not! Put my name! Into! That Fucking! CUP!" Harry snapped in response, his emerald eye blazing as he turned his glare onto Dumbledore.

"We've all seen the memory Harry. We saw you do it." Dumbledore said to him with a shake of the head.

"Well it's either been falsified, it was someone using polyjuice potion, or you're all idiots! I generally lean towards the middle explanation, but you're quickly pushing me towards the latter!" Harry snarled as he slammed his hands onto Dumbledore's desk, causing it to shake violently.

At his explanation, he caught a movement on Snape's face. A blink, as if a realization had just struck him. It occurred so fast, and Snape quickly schooled himself back to his typical sneer, though Harry had caught it, and he was left to wonder just what the hell had brought that on.

"I just don't understand why you would put yourself in this situation, Mr Potter. People who care for you very much have sacrificed a lot to keep you safe. Endangering yourself like this seems to me to be a very poor way to repay such sacrifice." Flitwick noted, his words mirroring Remus's from the year before, though this time, instead of feeling shame, all it did was ignite Harry's fury, dragging it up to new levels.

"He's right Harry. James and Lily gave their lives to protect you. Placing yourself in danger like this spits in the face of their memory. What did you hope to gain by this. Fame? Glory? Money?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Attention." Snape added condescendingly.

"Fuck you, Snape!" Harry snapped, now enraged. The mention of his parents, igniting his fury even further. He knew well enough that Dumbledore was fully aware that his father hadn't given his life, and was still very much alive out there, no doubt with his big sister. The only person to have given their life was Lily, his mother, who'd died defending him and his sister.

To even mention her now, to bring up her sacrifice in the face of this blatant falsification, nearly sent Harry through the roof. Why wouldn't they believe him? Why wouldn't they give him the benefit of the doubt, just once? He couldn't understand it, couldn't wrap his brain around it, and he knew, he knew that one of them was going to leak this to the students. Either Snape or Sprout, one of the two was going to leak this newest revelation, and it would reignite the ire of the student body.

They'd grown bored due to his indifference to their resentment, but this information, this 'proof' would send their outrage through the roof.

It would be worse than it was before. They'd take this as irrefutable, nothing he could do, just short of unmasking the real culprit in front of the whole damn school, would end their assault.

It nearly sent him into a panic, as he imagined it.

"Who was it who saw me do it? Who gave you the memory?" Harry asked with a dangerous gleam in his eye.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that Harry. Just know that it is someone I trust. I've seen the memory several times, I know that it hasn't been falsified." Dumbledore replied.

"Not even going to let me face my accuser? The only bloody time I was ever even near the Goblet of Fire was once when I was with Ron and Hermione, and we watched the Weasley twins try to get past the Age Line. That was the only time I was ever near it!" Harry snapped at them.

"Will you cease with your lies Potter. This isn't about your attempts to obfuscate the truth, this is about what we are to do now. Your actions have put a stain on this school, and embarrassed us in front of the other schools. You must take responsibility for your actions!" Sprout chastised him with a withering glare.

"She is right Harry. We can no longer protect you. I can no longer protect you. Those who serve as Champions must face the trials of the Triwizard tournament alone, and these tasks are designed to test every one of your skills and abilities. I must reiterate this because I don't believe you grasp the severity of the situation, people die in these tournaments Harry. That was the whole reason they were discontinued in the past. By entering yourself, you have placed your own life in mortal peril." Dumbledore agreed, his words digging into Harry, causing him to grind his teeth together in fury.

"For the final time, I didn't enter my name into the Goblet of Fire. Someone is playing you all for fools! Someone is trying to get me killed! Four years I've been at Hogwarts and I've nearly died every single year! I wanted this year to be boring, I wanted it to be quiet, I wanted everyone to just forget that Harry Potter even exists! But no! Some psychopathic Death Eaters kidnap me, and give me to quite possibly the most vile witch alive, and she experimented on me and mutilated me. You have no idea the pain I've been through, you can't fathom the suffering I've endured. I lost more than any of you could ever understand." Harry began to fight back. Tears were beginning to flood his eyes as a wellspring of emotion boiled through him. Feelings that he had struggled to keep at bay since this all began, things he'd kept buried since his nightmare of a summer, it was all beginning to overflow and pour out of him.

"I want nothing to do with this tournament! Someone is playing you all. Someone is manipulating you, and you're all falling for it! If you refuse to believe me, if you wont even give me the benefit of the doubt, than I know now where I stand with each and every one of you going forward. I'll find the person who did this, I'll find who forced me into this tournament and I'll deal with them my way!" Harry began to raise his voice at them as he fought the urge to unleash his magic. He could feel it churning within him, begging for release. He remembered how it had washed over the horde of Death Eaters at McTash's estate, how it had torn them to pieces.

In that moment, he was held in check only by the tidal wave of emotions that washed over him. Had he any sense, any direction, he'd act upon it in an instant, but he was too angry, too enraged, too heartbroken, and despondent. He truly was alone here at Hogwarts, not even people he had looked up to once upon a time, were willing to give him a chance.

"You have no reason to lash out at us Mr. Potter. It was your actions that led to this. We are all bound by the rules and regulations of the Triwizard Tournament to stand aside and allow you to compete in as fair a manner as possible. We cannot help you out of this. You're forced to go it alone." McGonagall stated harshly reiterating Dumbledore's point.

"Seems to be a trend for every year then! Me going it alone! I faced Voldemort and Quirrel alone first year. I fought a Basilisk and Tom Riddle's spirit alone in second year. I alone kept getting attacked by Dementors last year, and I chased them all off! I faced those murderous Death Eaters this summer on my own, and I dealt with them, on my own." Harry snapped in response.

"I thought you said that a House Elf helped you escape." Dumbledore noted, blinking curiously.

"I lied. The only House Elves that were present were the ones who helped the Bitch who did this to me. I escaped on my own." Harry snarled at him, glaring darkly at Dumbledore as he watched the man's face peel off in his mind's eye.

"Why did you lie Harry?" Dumbledore inquired persistently.

"Because you're the type of person who would never understand! You're the type who would never be able to grasp what I had to do in order to survive! Because I don't trust you, Dumbledore!" Harry growled at him, causing all of the teachers to blink in surprise, and Dumbledore to straighten up.

"And why is that Harry? What have I ever done to convince you not…" Dumbledore began.

"My Sister!" Harry snapped.

Silence filled the whole room. It quickly became clear that Flitwick and Sprout knew nothing about this as their eyes quickly filled with confusion and turned towards Dumbledore. McGonagall took in a breath, while Snape's gaze hardened further. Both of them knew about Olivia, but how much did they know?

"Who told you…" Dumbledore started to question.

"I remembered. As I lay there, being torn apart, and mutilated by that BITCH! I remembered her. My sister. The one who took the killing curse, instead of me. I didn't want to believe it at first, but now I get it. Now I understand. You told everyone I was the Boy-Who-Lived, that I was the one who defeated Voldemort but that wasn't true. My sister took the killing curse, and she survived! Now you're hiding her, and you're using me as bait! And it's fucking working! I've been attacked Four Goddamn Times, because of this. Because people think I'm the Boy-Who-Fucking-Lived! Voldemort has bought your lie, and so have his boot-licking Death Eaters. You have stood by on the sidelines since the beginning, Dumbledore! Watching me fall into harms way, guiding me into it even. I know what you're doing, so no… I don't trust you, and I never will again! You're either being manipulated, or you're trying to manipulate me. Either way… I know now that I cannot trust you. I'll do what I've always done, and face it alone, and when Voldemort comes for me, I'll fucking kill Him! I'll turn your lie, your deception into the goddamn truth! And I don't do it for you, or the idiots of Hogwarts or the blind masses who live here in Britain, I'll do it for her, so she doesn't have to experience this nightmare. I'll suffer so she doesn't have to, and I'll do it alone. You, are all pathetic. Stay away from me, and stay out of my way. This is my war now. Whoever entered me into this Tournament is working for Voldemort in some capacity. So I'll deal with it the same way I have in the past, and I'll win!" Harry declared to them all in a vicious rant. Dumbledore seemed to pale at his words, while the others stared on in disbelief, or confusion.

Harry turned and began heading towards the door.

"Harry!" He heard Dumbledore's voice call out to him.

"When this is over, Dumbledore, you will tell me where she is. I swear it, if it's the last thing you do, you will tell me where you've hidden my sister. Once Voldemort is dead, and all of his Death Eaters are in hell with him, you'll get a knock on your door, and when you hear it, you better be ready to tell me the truth. God help you if you don't you old bastard." Harry growled without turning back.

He felt it, clear as day, burning in his eye with murderous rage. All he needed to do was remove the eye-patch. Remove it, turn around, and kill them all. It would be so easy...

Silence passed for a moment, before Harry took another step towards the door.

"Mr. Potter, wait..." McGonagall stepped in front of him.

"Move!" Harry snarled at her with a hellish glare that caused the old woman to take a step back.

"I said move…" Harry repeated as she still stood between him and the door, his hand now fell to his wand. If she wouldn't move, than he would move her. It didn't occur to him in that moment that he could try phase shifting out of there.

A tense moment filled the air as he heard Flitwick and Sprout speaking at him to settle down. He then felt it hit his back. McGonagall blinked in surprise, and he clearly saw the shock on her face.

A wave of darkness clouded his vision and he teetered forward. He managed to steady himself, and it immediately registered in his mind that he'd been struck by a spell. A stunner most likely.

"They Attacked me!" Harry howled internally.

A snarl escaped his lips as Harry spun around, drawing his wand in the process. Dumbledore stared on in surprise, his wand drawn, the Eldar Wand. His surprise surrounded the fact that Harry was still standing, and most likely, also had to do with seeing Harry's position suddenly shift several feet to the right or left. The effects of the Displacer Beast's skin only activated when Harry felt he was in danger. So the moment his danger senses peaked, it must have appeared to the teachers like his form had just blinked several feet to the side.

Whatever spell Dumbledore thought to use next never came as an overpowered Expelliarmus shot out of Harry's wand, slamming into the Headmaster's chest. Without much battle experience, Harry stuck to what he knew. The basics, disarm your opponent first, to gain the advantage.

Dumbledore's wand flew out of his hands as his body was propelled backwards into the sea of bobbles and trinkets that sat clustered around his office.

Harry felt it the second the blow was struck, even before the wand entered his hand.

The allegiance of the Eldar Wand.

Someone else must have felt it too.

"Harry!" Luna's voice echoed into his mind.

"What have you done?" McGonagall gasped.

"He attacked me!" Harry snapped.

"He was only trying to calm you down! You're acting irrational Potter!" Snape spoke, his wand already drawn and pointed in the direction of his image. Harry was quick to turn his wand on Snape, as his focus began to key in, ideas flooded his mind, knowledge of Voldemort's. Hundreds of spells, dozens of options, of things he could use to try and take down the crooked nosed Potion's master.

"Say what you want. I know what I felt, and that wasn't any sort of calming spell, that was a stunner!" Harry snarled at them.

"Please, let us all settle down." Flitwick spoke with a bit of panic. Being half-goblin Flitwick could sense what the others couldn't, he could sense the magic that was rapidly building in the air, filling it with a vile anger that threatened to tear them all apart. He knew that Harry had to be the source of this colossal magic, and he knew that if this proceeded any further, something terrible would happen.

By now, Sprout had moved to help Dumbledore back to his feet. When the old man's eyes came to rest on Harry and he saw the Elder Wand clutched in his hand like a dagger, he visibly paled.

"Harry…" Dumbledore began.

"Never again, Dumbledore! Never again! The last time someone attacked me, I ended up chained to a table and mutilated for weeks! If anyone, especially your pet Death Eater, turns their wand on me, I'll kill them!" Harry raged, his eyes locked on Snape, who seemed to hesitate when he took in the full fury boiling in Harry's eye.

"Forgive me… I thought only to put a halt to this. I meant you no harm. You must understand..." Dumbledore began as he help up his hands and approached.

"I understand. I understand that no one will believe me. That when I leave here, you'll go back to being the goodly Headmaster, and I'll go back to being the errant Boy-Who-Lived. I know nothing will happen from this. I know I'll receive no justice from this place. You've all already decided I'm guilty, and now you realize that I'm a threat. Just stay away from me. I'll face the tournament myself. I'll find who did this, myself. And I'll kill them. And then… when I find Voldemort, when I find that murderous, monstrous piece of filth, I'll tear him limb from limb. Stay away from me Dumbledore. Stay away until the appointed time, when I come knocking. Keep your idiots away from me. That vile witch tore me apart, but when she rebuilt me, she made me stronger than I was before. You don't want to find out how strong." Harry growled at them before turning and storming out of the room. With a wave of his wand he nearly ripped the door to Dumbledore's office off of it's hinges.

He made his way all the way to the Room of Requirement before finally allowing the gravity of what just happened to hit him.

His eyes lowered to the Eldar Wand in his hand. Had it really been that easy? This was Dumbledore's Wand. He had taken it right from Dumbledore's hand. He had it, had the second of the Deathly Hallows. He'd also revealed that he knew about his sister. Did he want Dumbledore to know that he knew that? Probably not, but his anger had gotten the best of him.

But in his anger he had gotten the Eldar Wand!

He'd made a mistake, and let his emotions get the best of him, but he ended up netting the Eldar Wand in the process, so who really cared. He could leave to go and retrieve the stone any time he wanted. He'd have all three then, all three of Luna's gifts.

What would happen now? What would the old Headmaster do? After weeks of wondering, weeks of trying to piece together how he felt about the old man, Harry finally allowed himself to come to a conclusion. He didn't trust him, he didn't believe in him. He didn't think Dumbledore cared about his own safety, or his interests. Dumbledore was a manipulator, just as Voldemort knew him to be, but he was also capable of being manipulated.

Someone had brought them a memory claiming to have seen Harry put his name into the Goblet of Fire. That was completely laughable, but it had most likely happened. Was that how Moody covered his tracks? A polyjuice potion so that if anyone saw him do it, they'd have just spotted Harry? Maybe he polyjuiced someone else then used the Imperius curse on them to make them enter his name. Dumbledore said the memory came from someone he trusted. He and Moody were old friends, so if it came from Moody why wouldn't Dumbledore believe it?

So what was Dumbledore's game? He was either an incompetent fool being manipulated by Moody, or Dumbledore was plotting something. The only idea that made sense to Harry was that he was intentionally trying to isolate Harry in order to draw out whomever was after him. If everyone was against Harry, and he was all alone, than whomever was trying to get him killed would stand out when they made their move. Was that Dumbledore's game? Was that his grand plan, his angle in this? If Harry was right about Dumbledore's ultimate motives in regards to his sister, than Harry was just a pawn, one meant to lure the enemy in. It didn't matter if Harry was kept safe or not, it didn't matter how much danger he was put in or what kind of emotional trauma he went through. So long as the pawn did it's job, that was all that mattered.

Yes, he couldn't trust Dumbledore. The old man had either gone senile, and was thus unable to be of any help to Harry, he may even be a danger to him as this newest development had proven, or he was using Harry, manipulating him for his own devices. Either way, he was no longer on the fence with Dumbledore. All that remained to decide on was whether the old man was an enemy or not. He'd taken his wand from his own two hands, that was sure to spark a reaction. Time would tell just how Dumbledore took the loss of the Eldar Wand, and what he'd do to try and get it back.

Harry didn't go to class that day. He sat in the Room of Requirement deep in thought as he pondered his situation. He was later joined by Luna. She sat by his side and listened as he explained what happened, despite suspecting that she probably already knew. Still she listened, and offered him some encouragement that everything would work itself out. That wasn't the only thing that was bothering him. There was something more that had touched at his mind behind everything else.

"I almost killed them all. Like I did when I awoke after dying. I could feel my magic, feel it boiling inside of me. I wanted to so badly." Harry said to her.

"Why didn't you?" Luna inquired curiously.

"I don't know, there was so much going on. I felt a thousand different emotions flowing through me. I thought… I guess I wanted to believe that at least some of the teachers here would look out for me. I thought Professor McGonagall at the very least would be there for me. But no… they're all Dumbledore's lackeys. They've all bought into this lie." Harry responded, his eyes darkening with resentment.

Silence filled the room as Harry thought on his own words. Finally he turned his gaze to Luna.

"Does it make me a bad person?" Harry asked her.

"To want to kill them? No, but then again I don't believe in good or evil. Life is just life to me, I'm only here to understand it. Good acts are those seen as right, and selfless, acts that help other people, while evil acts are seen as wrong, and selfish, often times the kind of things that only benefit the self. I don't really understand why one must be right and the other wrong. Why is it wrong to be selfish? Why is it wrong to do what you want to do? I don't know. What I do know is that I don't believe that killing is wrong. Life exists, and it ends. Death comes to all things, sooner or later. I don't believe that ending life is an evil thing, how can it be. Death is a foundational force of nature, and existence. It's natural, it's part of life. I understand that people fear death, they're afraid of the end, is that why they think it's wrong to kill?" Luna responded to him, answering his question with one of her own.

Harry took in her words and turned his gaze towards her. He digested her words, and found himself thinking on them. Her question, actually made a lot of sense to him for some reason. Why was it wrong to kill? Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix had a policy of doing everything they could to avoid killing during the last war, and that had allowed numerous Death Eaters to survive and kill others. It was their refusal to kill that had led to the deaths of innocent people. Their act of good, encouraged and allowed for further acts of evil. Did that itself make their actions evil? That was just one example that filled his mind as he thought on Luna's words. What was right and wrong? What did it mean to be good or evil? Harry had tried to be good, he'd tried to do what was right all his life. What had that gotten him? He'd suffered for as long as he remembered. He'd been abused and tortured. He was constantly being manipulated, because he thought he was following those like him those who were doing what was right.

"Do you think I should have killed them?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes, but I am biased. They hurt you. They're actions are causing you pain. I want you to be happy." Luna answered him.

"You think killing them would make me feel better?" Harry asked her.

"It did when you killed the Dursleys." Luna noted, causing Harry to blink several times as he took in her words. Her answer hit him like a ton of bricks. He had in fact, murdered his family, and it had made him feel better.

"Do they deserve to die for this?" Harry questioned her, unable or more so unwilling to refute her point.

"Do they?" Luna asked in response.

Harry blinked at her as he digested her response. She was honest with him, clear. She didn't try and hide her feelings or dampen them. As always, he found her honesty refreshing. She gave her opinion but always left the choice in his hands. He hadn't noticed it before, but Luna was one of the only people in his life that he didn't feel was guiding him in one direction or another. Even in regards to this deal with the Chaos Gods, she offered no direction or encouragement one way or another.

Out of curiosity he decided to ask about that.

"You know, you never told me what you thought about me choosing to side with Chaos. I know if I gave into my feelings and killed those who've wronged me, I'd be walking in that direction. You never told me how you felt about it either way." Harry noted.

"The Chaos gods are nefarious Harry. But they are also pure in their nature. With my protection you'd only be a slave to them if you chose to be. They would seek to make you powerful, even if you only chose to side with Chaos as a whole, I have no doubt that you'd become one of their favored champions. You have a clever mind, and a great deal of bravery. You'd go far in their ranks I think. I also know that I would enjoy being by your side if you walked that path, as the death that would surround you would be catastrophic and death itself is a pleasant experience for me. With that being said, the choice to walk that path isn't about right or wrong. Personally I think it's about freedom. If you choose to follow Chaos, to walk the path of a demon, it would something that you chose. Yes the Dark Gods are trying to bride you into joining them, but they cannot make you walk that path. You can do whatever you want. Just know that if you walk that path, you'll be walking a path of power, and freedom. Freedom from right and wrong, freedom from the manipulations of outside forces. By choosing to serve Chaos you get to choose your own masters, even if that master is yourself. Our deal prevents them from fully controlling or dominating you, and you are free to come and go as you please. No one else has such a boon Harry. I doubt anyone has ever made such a deal with them. So… I guess the question would ultimately be, do you wish to cast of all of the shackles placed on you, and embrace your truest feelings? Do you want to cast aside right and wrong, and be free? People will call you a monster for such a choice, they will hate you for it." Luna answered him honestly, explaining her position as well as what it meant to walk that path.

"To choose my own masters, to choose what chains are wrapped around me… the chance to be free…" Harry muttered softly as he pondered the idea.

"It's your choice Harry, and I'll follow you regardless of what direction you choose to walk and how far you choose to walk it." Luna offered to him, earning a smile from Harry as he turned his eye to her.

She smiled back in that gentle way of hers.

"Thanks Luna. I always appreciate your honesty. I don't know yet which way I'll walk. First I have to get through this Tournament and try not to die to many times, but… I know one thing is certain… I want to be free." Harry said to her.

"You will be Harry. I know you will be. You've always had to courage to pursue your own goals. For a long time it was goals that others had placed before you, but you always managed to achieve them. I have no doubt that you'll keep going. Once you find your own path, I have no doubt you'll go far." Luna offered him encouragement.

He smiled at her and took her hand. She accepted the gesture and leaned to kiss him. He pulled back after a few moments and offered her a brighter smile which she happily returned.

The following day, things were awkward for Harry. Just as he suspected, one of the teachers had revealed to the students that they'd found proof that Harry had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire. It was either Snape or Sprout he was certain of it, either way, the students returned to their glaring and jeers.

All the while Dumbledore watched him from the first moment he entered into the Great Hall.

Harry once more chose to ignore everyone, he sat with Luna in their usual spot at the end of the Ravenclaw table and he watched her move over a bowl of pudding. He was quickly learning the pudding was her favorite food. She offered him some which he accepted to be polite despite not really having much of a sweet-tooth. He took a bite out of the pudding as Luna was collecting some for herself, and instantly felt movement in his mouth.

He pulled the spoon back and glanced down, quickly spotting little white wiggling worms writhing on his spoon. They were maggots.

Harry quickly spat on the floor, and grabbed Luna's bowl away from her. His eyes turned over to where the Weasley twins were, both sitting next to Ron giggling and laughing to themselves as they watched Harry take a mouthful of the tainted dish.

He glared at them for a moment as Luna realized just why he had reacted that way, her gaze now drawn to the bowl itself where she could just barely spot writhing movement in the disturbed portions of the bowl.

"It seems today's pudding came with added protein." Luna spoke in that calm, dreamy way of hers.

"It would seem so." Harry spoke with a growl. He knew that this trap hadn't been for him. He didn't usually eat pudding. This was purely designed for Luna.

They were coming after his girlfriend now.

Harry felt his fury ignite and he began advancing towards the Gryffindor table.

"Harry… there's no need…" Luna whispered into his head-space as he walked but he silenced her by stopping and turning to her. She blinked at him in that innocent way of hers, while he stared back, his fury plainly showing on his face.

Seeing that she had no further words, he turned and resumed his march. As he approached, Fred and George rose to their feet and stepped away from the table to meet him.

"Problem ickle-harrykins?" Fred inquired.

"Pudding not up to the usual standard?" George asked.

Harry stopped before them, still holding Luna's stolen bowl of pudding in his left hand.

Harry said nothing as he glared at them. The superior, challenging smirks on the twins faces began to slowly retreat as Harry stared them down with hatred in his eyes.

He had always liked the twins, and always considered them his friends. That's why their betrayal stung worse then most others. Only Ron and Hermione really went beyond this.

The giggling from the Gryffindor table began to quiet as people took in the state of things and many began to remember Harry's actions at the start of the year when dealing with Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin fourth years.

"Come after me all you want… prank me, torment me, glare at me… I don't care. Leave her out of it." Harry declared with nothing but hatred in his eyes for these two who had once been some of his few friends in this school.

"And what if we don't?" George inquired.

"Yes, what-" Fred began to follow up in that double-speak the twins usually employed to annoy the hell out of people, but before the sentence was finished the twins got their answer as the bowl in Harry's left hand suddenly shattered as he crushed it between his fingers.

The shattering of the bowl silenced the room entirely, and both boys felt their eyes drop towards the broken fragments that either littered the ground or were crushed between Harry's fingers.

Harry stepped closer to the twins and took them by the forearms. Both pulled back out of pain and surprise. Fred's arm was held by Harry's left hand, crushed in the grip of his Behir arm, while George was held in his right grip, feeling the frigid chill of his Dementor arm.

"Mr. Potter!" He heard McGonagall shout out when she saw him step forward and grab the two.

Both were struggling against Harry's grip but neither could pull themselves free.

"Do anything to her again, anything at all…" Harry snarled before releasing the two boys causing them to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. The two sixth years stared up at him in disbelief and fright.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron demanded.

"For going after my girlfriend. If any of you morons get the bright idea of trying anything, know that I will make you regret it. Please… tempt me." Harry growled down at his old friend who leaned back away from him when Harry's murderous gaze landed on him.

By now McGonagall, Dumbledore, and a few other teachers had made it down from the head table. McGonagall knelt next to the Weasley twins to inspect their injuries while Dumbledore and Snape focused their eyes on Harry.

"This cannot go unpunished. Starting fights in the Great Hall in the middle of breakfast…" Snape spoke up.

"Come off it Snivelus, I was just putting some rowdy lions in their place. Surely you of all people can appreciate that." Harry smiled cruelly at the potions master who's frown deepened as he stared back.

"These are your friends Harry…" Dumbledore began.

"Were my friends, Dumbledore. They've made it clear they no longer see me as such, and I wont have anyone, especially not a friend going after my girlfriend just to torment me. Keep your lions in check Professor, the next time it happens, they'll be spending the rest of their stay here at Hogwarts with Pomfrey." Harry responded before delivering the threat to McGonagall who's eyes widened when she heard it. Harry glared at her for a moment before turning away.

"Harry…" Dumbledore spoke up, stepping after him.

"Your wands at the bottom of the Black Lake, Dumbledore… in case you were wondering…" Harry spoke up, before glancing over his shoulder.

Dumbledore blinked at him before taking in a breath.

"You threw it in the Black Lake?" Dumbledore asked.

"Tied it to a rock and threw it as far as I could. Honestly, I hope it meant something to you. Hopefully that'll teach you to mind yourself around me." Harry snarled at him before continuing on his way back to the Ravenclaw table.

"You think you can harm other students and just get away with it you arrogant little…" Snape spoke up, only for Harry to stop and turn to glance back at him.

"Go ahead Snape… finish your comment. Say what you want. Say it loud and clear. When you're finished, I'll go ahead and say what I want to say, and I'll say it to every goddamn person in the world, you pathetic piece of shit!" Harry replied causing gasps to erupt from every student who heard him speak.

At the head table, Maxime and Karkaroff were watching with absolute delight at the chaos building in Hogwarts, the supposed 'premiere' magical school in Britain.

Snape didn't speak, his jaw locked in place and his nostrils flares, but he did not say another word.

"I thought so." Harry spoke before continuing on. "Give me all the detention you want, I wont be there for it. I'm not going to serve any detention I did not earn. You let the Weasley twins prank me for the last few weeks without recourse, and now that I've returned the favor you want to act all noble and responsible? I wont have it."

Harry's words were heard by all as he returned to Luna's side. She offered him a curious look and then rose to her feet, and the two headed out of the Great Hall leaving the rest of the student body to explode into gossip about what had just happened.

Chief amongst his observers were Tracey and Daphne, as well as Fleur Delacour and her younger sister, both of whom had also watched the scene unfold with a keen interest. Just like everyone else, they were left to speculate on what they'd just seen and come to their own conclusions.

Harry and Luna sat beside one another on the shores of the Black Lake, staring out over it's calm waters.

"You didn't have to do that Harry." Luna spoke up from beside him.

"I'm not going to let them pick on you. If they wanna come after me, then fine, I can take it, but I wont let them go after you." Harry replied.

"I can take it just as well Harry. Their words don't mean anything to me, their opinions of me don't matter." Luna said to him.

"I know you can, but you shouldn't have too. You shouldn't have to suffer for me, for someone else's twisted plots." Harry responded.

"Suffering is part of life Harry. Not a pleasant part, but it is what it is. Thank you though. I've never had someone stand up for me before." Luna expressed gaining a solemn nod from Harry.

The two spent the rest of the day together cutting class. Neither one really cared about going, Luna because she just didn't care and Harry because he was progressively growing to hate this school.

A few more days went by, people still glared and whispered at Harry and the Weasley twins continued to prank him, earning laughs from the other kids whenever Harry would get caught in their traps. Thankfully for them they kept from targeting Luna again so Harry mostly just ignored them. In truth, Harry ignored everyone who wasn't Luna.

Aside from her, the only teacher he had any sort of good relationship with was Hagrid, though he was preoccupied a lot of the time due to his newfound crush on Madame Maxime.

While Harry continued practicing his spellwork he also began learning how to use the Eldar Wand. Thankfully he had Luna for that to teach him how to use it's special powers, as well as how to use the special powers of the Invisibility Cloak. It was slow going at first but Harry began to pick up how their unique abilities functioned and how to draw upon them when needed.

The only other interesting thing to happen was Harry receiving a message from Sirius asking for an explanation about what was happening in Hogwarts. He'd heard from Remus who'd heard from McGonagall the story about Harry placing his name in the Goblet of Fire but Sirius didn't believe that for a second. Harry didn't seem like the type to him, and more than that, he knew what Harry had been through over the summer, he knew better than most, so he was certain that Harry hadn't done.

Harry informed him of what had happened in Dumbledore's office, as well as Dumbledore confirming that Olivia was alive somewhere. He also told Sirius some of what had happened at Gringotts, letting him know about his heir status for House Black, and how Sirius was actually able to claim the Black Lordship due to his younger brother Regulus renaming him to the House of Black after he was disowned and also making him his heir.

The final things he let Sirius know was that he suspected that Moody had been the one to place his name in the Goblet due to two main factors, the first had to do with the malicious feelings that Moody held towards Harry and the students in general that Harry could sense due to the Mind Flayer parasite that had fused to his brain. The second was the simple fact that it was ALWAYS the DADA teacher who caused problems. Even now counting Remus' accidental transformation, he would be two for three, so the chances were good.

He most likely wouldn't hear back from Sirius until after the first task of the tournament which was only a few days away and Harry still didn't know what it was. What he did know was the student body were driving his nuts. Someone, most likely either Malfoy or the Weasley twins, had made these pins to give to the Hogwarts students. The pins said 'Support Cedric Diggory, the Real Hogwarts Champion' and if you tapped the badges it would say 'Potter Stinks.'

Needless to say, Harry didn't find it all that funny. Pretty much everyone wore them. In fact that only three people that Harry noted weren't wearing the pins in his year, was Hermione, Tracey, and Daphne.

Speaking of which, two days before the First task Tracey and Daphne approached Harry in the hallway while he waited on Luna to finish using the bathroom.

Harry immediately took notice of how cold Daphne's appearance was. Her look was basically stone. Meanwhile Tracey seemed despondent, almost like she'd been dragged here. Seeing her like that, he couldn't' help but ask.

"Are you feeling sick again?" Harry inquired in that good-natured way of his.

Tracey blinked at the question and shook her head. "N-no… no I'm not… just… ya know, tired…"

Harry gave her a curious look but before he could inquire further Daphne spoke up.

"Our fathers would like a word with you Harry. They wish to meet. Given the importance of our situation time is of the essence. They claim to have found a way to break these slave bonds." Daphne said to him, causing Harry to blink in surprise.

"Really?" Harry asked, almost in disbelief. Given just who, or more accurately what, had made them, he had doubted that it was possible to break them. Still if a way had been found, than he'd happily take it. He had no desire for slaves, especially his own sister. Getting rid of these brands was a good thing in his eyes, even if meant he may lose some of the gifts that were tied specifically to these girls.

"Yes, Really. They wish to speak with you, in person, tomorrow in Hogsmeade." Daphne said to him.

"Tomorrow?" Harry blinked at that.

"I know it's right before the first task but it's important. Hogsmeade, just outside of town, across the river, early in the morning, before noon. With any luck we can get these brands removed and we can go our separate ways." Daphne informed him.

Harry nodded at that. He could guess that neither of their fathers wanted to be seen with him, especially since they were still under the illusion that their daughters would be marrying Malfoy.

He could sensed something different from both of them. Daphne kept her stone cold demeanor but he sensed resolve in her, certainty, almost like she was trying to reassure herself. He picked up the same thing from Tracey but it was also heavily tinged with guilt, which didn't make much sense.

He didn't know anything really about these two so he was left with only assumptions as to what Tracey could possibly feel guilty about. Maybe… no, nothing came to mind. Maybe she just didn't like how forward Daphne was being about getting these bonds broken. Maybe Tracey just wasn't a confrontational person and didn't want to hurt his feelings by showing any sort of excitement at getting these brands removed.

He didn't know, because he simply didn't know her. That explanation didn't quite fit, considering when they had first interacted at the start of the year, it was Tracey who had first addressed him and stepped up to him, so if anything she was the confrontational one, not Daphne.

He was probably reading too much into it, so he simply shook his head and shrugged.

"Alright. I'll meet with them, and we'll get this settled. Will you be joining us?" Harry inquired.

"No… at least not tomorrow. I'm certain we'll be needed at some point to get these marks removed, but tomorrow will be just about discussing the options they've found." Daphne said to him.

"Alright, well then… I guess I'll get this sorted, and hear what they have to say." Harry let out a sigh and began to step away as Luna emerged from the bathroom and stepped up beside him.

"Good, happy to hear. The sooner we get these marks removed, the better." Daphne said to him, earning a rueful smile from Harry.

"Can't wait to shack up to Malfoy can you?" He asked, not bothering to hide his disgust at the thought, and knowing full well that even if they got the brands removed, these two would still have to marry him as the heir to House Black.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand." Daphne responded coolly, while Tracey visibly grimaced.

"Not like I care." Harry shook his head and continued away from them.

"Good luck in the first task…" Tracey offered, though her voice sounded a bit meek.

"Thanks." Harry threw over his shoulder as he continued on his way, not noticing the look that Daphne gave her oldest friend.

Tracey seemed to deflate as Harry walked away, her gaze heavy and filled with regret.

"There… it's done." Daphne whispered to her before grabbing Tracey by the arm and guiding her away.

"I don't know how you do it, Daph… being so cold…" Tracey muttered.

"I do what needs to be done. That's all. I keep my mind focused on what has to be done." Daphne said to her as they continued away.

"But it's not right… He doesn't deserve this." Tracey said softly.

"It doesn't matter. Maybe he was telling the truth, and maybe not. Either way, if we don't get out of this, than we'll be punished for violating the marriage contract. It'll exact it's toll on us. Worst case scenario is you die, I die, and my little sister takes my spot… so… what else is there to consider? Whether Potter deserves whatever is coming or not, we need to be free. That's all there is to it. We had this talk at the start of the year, you need to move on and forget about him. After tomorrow, things will go back to normal." Daphne spoke equally as softly as they walked.

Tracey said nothing for a good long moment, finally after a few silent moments she took in a breath and recomposed herself, adopting a prim and proper stance. On the inside though, she was fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry Harry." Tracey kept her head held high, despite the pain she felt. Daphne was right, after tomorrow, it would all be over, and everything would return to normal, even if that meant one of the kindest and noblest boys she'd ever seen had to die for it to happen.

That night Harry and Luna spoke at length about what Daphne's and Tracey's fathers could have possibly come up with to remove the Slave Brands. Luna didn't seem confident that there was a way, but Harry at least wanted to hear them out. Even if he couldn't be unbound from them, maybe there was a way to at least remove the Slave Brands, allowing their relationship to be more equal? He didn't even know if that was possible, but maybe it was.

Harry settled on at least hearing the two men out, so that was the end of that.

The following day Harry snuck out of the castle under the Invisibility Cloak and made his way to Hogsmeade.

He arrived at the location he was supposed to meet the two men and removed his cloak.

He stood there waiting for only about five minutes before he heard someone call out his name.

"Oi, Potter! Over here." He heard a voice call out to him. He glanced around until his eyes settled on a man standing at the edge of a path that led towards the forest.

Harry made his way down towards the man though he slowed when he got a look at him.

Thanks to Voldemort's memories, Harry knew what Mr. Greengrass and Mr Davies looked like. This man wasn't either of them.

"Who are you?" Harry asked as suspicion flooded his senses.

"A lawyer, me and my companions here, all lawyers…" He gestured to another man who leaned against a tree stump, and then to another who'd been hidden out of sight to Harry's right.

Harry blinked at them, and felt his gut begin to sink. He could feel their malice touching at his senses.

He took in a breath and then let it out. The man before his was nondescript, just a plain, clean shaven, dark haired man. His two companions were equally as normal, and yet he could feel from them, actual disdain for him.

"This was a trap…" Harry realized as he closed his eye and once more took a breath.

"Let me guess… you're here to kill me, aren't you?" Harry asked, causing the man before him and the one closest to his side to blink in surprise and share a glance.

They seemed surprised by his assumption though their intent was quickly revealed as both removed they hands from their pockets along with their wands.

The third man was already circling around behind Harry.

"Ya know, I don't usually take this much pleasure in my work, but sick little fucks like you, who enslave good noble girls… for you I find myself almost giddy." The main man spoke.

"I see… which one was it? Davies? Greengrass? Both?" Harry asked as a pained expression fell upon his face.

"Does it matter?" The man asked as he raised his wand to point at Harry.

He was too close to the man, even with his Displacer Beast skin, the man stood less than then ten feet in front of him. Depending on the spell he used, it was likely to still strike Harry's sides or arms, if he was aiming center mass.

"I know you men are probably being paid, and probably also think you're doing something noble, but you're wrong. I didn't do this, I'm not the one who placed these marks. If you walk away now, I'll forget about all of this. No one has to get hurt…" Harry said to them, pain filling his eye as he began to feel his blood-lust grow.

"Well how kind of you, Mr. Potter. I think that ship has sailed though." The man spoke.

"You're probably right. Let me tell you how this is going to go… just so you prepare yourselves. You're going to strike me with a spell that'll kill me outright, most likely the Killing Curse. We're close to Hogsmeade don't wanna draw too much attention. The spell will strike true, I'll die. You'll celebrate a job well done and decide how you're gonna hide my body. Before you can though… I'm gonna wake back up, and you're gonna be so goddamn stunned that you stand there dumbfounded, while I kill each and every one of you. While this is all playing out, as I've described, I'll be making a decision." Harry said to them, his tone calm, and resolute.

"And what decision would that be?" The main man asked.

"Whether or not I get your names from you before you die, and go murder your whole fucking families!" Harry growled in response as he allowed his anger to spill forth onto his face.

"Not afraid to die Potter?" The man behind him questioned.

"I've died before… I actually found parts of it to be quite… enjoyable. What is death to me, but the chance to spend a few extra moments in the arms of the woman I love." Harry replied with a chuckle and an almost whimsical smile. Harry paused for a moment and blinked at his own words. Had he really just said that? The woman that he loved? Wow… Did he mean it? He wasn't quite sure? Was he actually in love with Luna? He didn't know. This was all happening so fast...

The three men shared a glance with one another as Harry seemed to grow distracted by something. They quickly decided with a few gestures of the eyes, to put an end to this.

A flash of green light lit up the air, striking Harry in the back, and his body collapsed like a puppet with the strings cut.

The three men stood there for a few moments before sharing another look with one another, almost waiting to see if Potter's words held any merit. Ten seconds went by, then twenty. Once a full minute had passed they dismissed any notion of bewilderment and began to approach his corpse.

None of them had been expecting anything to happen but still, the way he had reacted, without fear, with such certainty, it had been a bit unnerving.

One of the men reached down to grab Harry by the arm, so they could drag him into the forest and bury him out of sight. He took one of his arms but as he went to lift him, the arm came apart in his hand, breaking into ash.

He let out a curse and backed away in surprise.

All three watched in disbelief as Harry's whole body collapsed into ash. A second or two passed before the ash began to blaze, and parts of it began to swirl creating a rotating cloud.

The blaze grew brighter until it was almost blinding, and the three men were forced to look away.

Heat assaulted their skin forcing them to take several steps back as the light continued to grow in intensity.

Finally it died down, allowing the three to turn their eyes back and when they did, they caught sight of something that took their breath away

"That's- impossible…" The lead man spoke in disbelief and horror.

Their, laying within the ash pile was an untouched, and naked Harry Potter.

Harry sat up, and glanced around, almost confused. He blinked several times before his eyes settled on the main man. One eye shone a bright emerald, the other blazed like fire. In his current state the three got a great look at his mutations, including his Thestral wings which extended outward from his back, flexing and stretching as if he had just awoken from a long slumber.

Harry stared at the man for a good long moment, almost as if he didn't recognize him, then suddenly, realization appeared in his eyes.

"Freedom..." Harry spoke softly as he rose to his feet.

"What the hell are you?" One of the men asked, having seen all of the many mutations that Harry's body sported.

Harry stared at him for a good long while before he smiled in response, an almost crooked grin as he held open his hand, palm facing down.

Out of the ash pile at his feet, his wand shot upwards into his hand.

Seeing it, the men tensed and began to react, but Harry was already moving. He slashed his wand at the two men in front of him, sending both flying backwards with an unspoken banishing spell. He then spun on his heel, avoiding the spell that was sent by the man at his back.

Stabbing forward with his wand, an arc of gray light rushed forward, striking the man in the chest. He blinked several times as Harry's smile turned cruel.

Blood erupted from the man's mouth, and his body suddenly collapsed. Within his body, whatever organ, or organs that Harry had just hit were rapidly dissolving.

"I'd forgotten how much easier this was…" Harry hummed with a glance towards his wand, one of the only possession he had on his person that hadn't burned away in his resurrection, well that and the Invisibility cloak.

Harry turned back towards the other two men, the main man had hit his head and was currently writhing on the ground, fighting to regain his senses the other was clamoring to his feet and trying to find where his wand had been thrown when he was tossed back.

Fury filled Harry's eyes as he rushed forward, seizing the man by the throat.

"Is it just me, or do I seem strangely taller to you?" Harry asked, with a chuckle. The leader of the trio heard the gurgling screams of his companion as he slowly pulled himself up, still fighting the pain that kept his vision clouded.

"William?" He called out as he spotted a large blurry figure standing in his sight line. Part of the figure dropped roughly to the ground, leaving only a small part of it standing. It quickly dawned on the man what he was seeing.

He raised his wand to try and fire a curse, but a sheering pain, accompanied by a flash of light passed by him.

He let out a scream as his arm was taken off at the shoulder.

"Oh… I distinctly remember that I left you boys with a threat before you killed me. What was it I said? Oh that's right… that I was considering whether I'd murder your families or not. Well, after having a 'long' time to consider it… I've come to a decision." Harry spoke before rushing forward and seizing the man's head, forcing them to meet each other's gaze.

The man let out a gasp as his vision cleared up and he got a good look at the nature of Harry's eyes. His left eye blazing like emerald flame, while his right eye burned like Fiendfyre.

"What are you?" The man asked in terror, repeating the earlier question.

"Me? I am… a monster. Now… who are you?" Harry answered.

"I wont tell you…" The man gasped.

"Your compliance isn't a factor." Harry spoke as his lips pulled back revealing slightly elongated canines and jagged pointed teeth.

With incredible strength, Harry twisted the man's head and bit down into his neck.

The man shuddered and convulsed as his blood was drained from his body.

As the man's blood poured down Harry's throat, his memories flooded his mind.

Seconds passed as Harry fed on the man and he acquired his answers.

"I see… so that's how it is." Harry spoke as he dropped the man to the ground.

Silence filled the air as Harry pulled his hood up. He quietly pondered his situation as he pointed his wand at each of the corpses and cast a spell that caused them to begin sinking into the ground, almost as if they were being swallowed by the earth itself.

"You're free." Luna's voice hummed into his mind.

"Yeah… I guess I am." Harry thought back.

"Come see me… I've missed being able to hold you whenever I want and you need a good long hug." Luna offered to him.

"Alright." Harry spoke with a smirk.

He quickly phased back to the castle as his memories of just what was going on at this time came back to him. He'd been gone for a while, taken to a place where he'd known nothing but battle and suffering. Now that he was finally free, it was time to show this wretched place just how much he had changed and of course, he had two very special ladies that he owed a visit to, to repay them for their treachery.

-To Be Continued-

Alright, there we go, onto the next chapter. So Harry died again, and was sent to a place all by himself. Sounds to me like Luna was with him, at least in spirit but where did he go and what did he get up to while away? Whatever it was, it did not sound pleasant. We'll see for ourselves in the next chapter, until then, see you guys soon.