Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

This was a fun chapter to write when I did it, and I hope you like it. Also, if you haven't yet, then please vote at the poll on my page. How that poll turns out will shape the future of this story, and if you want a hand in that, you should vote. Also, I just felt like updating early. Didn't wanna make you lot suffer a whole week with the cliffhanger. I'm thinking of changing update time to every 4-5 days instead of week. We'll see.

Enjoy.

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Consciousness returned to Harry slowly. He found himself able to hear before he could move. The sounds of water and soft voices were captured by his ears, and he drifted in and out for a time. Eventually he awakened long enough to open his eyes, and found the world to be a mass of blackness with far off blue lights. He closed his eyes again, and after a few moments he groaned. A hand touched his head then, and he felt and smelled fish near his lips.

He opened his mouth and allowed himself to be fed, only now aware of the burning emptiness in his stomach. He moaned, and whimpered when the fish was gone. More came, and he ate fish after fish until he was full, swallowing them down almost without chewing, as though he were a dolphin. His head felt heavy, and filled with fog, and he couldn't recall much. He groaned.

"Hush little guardian. Rest now."

He blinked blearily up at the voice, but his vision was blurry, and the person had already moved out of his line of sight. The voice had a musical quality, and sounded vaguely familiar, almost like it was someone he had known a long time ago but hadn't spoken to in years. He couldn't match it to a face though, and could tell only that it was a woman's voice. He closed his eyes and began to drift back into sleep. Whoever it was sounded kind, and his head hurt too much to think, so he let himself rest.

He didn't know how long it had been when he next awoke, but the world was more a grey now than black, and he did not feel so groggy. He opened his eyes, trying to sit up, and found that his movement was restricted. He discovered himself to be tied lightly down with seaweed and he blinked. He was still in the lake then. He tugged the plants away easily, as they were meant more to keep him in place than to restrict him. And then moved about. He was in another circular room, this one without windows, and with large hollows carved into the walls that were filled with seaweed wraps, for sleep most likely. There was a tunnel at one side and as he approached it a merwoman appeared from within.

All at once his memory returned to him and he growled at her, claws and teeth lengthening in anger. She looked startled and then understanding.

"It is alright little guardian. I mean you no harm." He jerked back. Her voice held musical quality still, and was comparable to what he had heard from her before, but she spoke English. It was surprising, as it was nearly impossible for the merpeople to speak a man's tongue. It almost seemed to cause them pain.

"You can speak!"

She laughed, the sound wonderfully beautiful, and filling the water around them. He could almost see her mirth as though it were mist. "Of course I can. We learn the song-tongue from the age of fingerlings."

His forehead scrunched in confusion. "Song-tongue?"

She nodded. "It is not man-tongue we speak now little guardian. It is the song-tongue of our people. My egg-partner fed you our sacred pearl grass so that you may speak with us."

"But... I thought you could learn mermish? I mean, Dumbledore speaks it."

She shook her head. "One must be granted the song-tongue. It cannot be learned in full. It was a wondrous thing that you managed to speak even the single word you did. The master of your place of learning was granted the song-tongue just as you have been. He saved the father of my egg-partner when he was only a fingerling himself, and was given the pearl grass as payment for his kind deed."

Harry nodded in acceptance. That sounded like something Dumbledore would do. "So... What exactly did I do to earn it? I mean..." He paused and she smiled gently at him.

"You have shown us great respect little guardian. You have swam among us and treated us as you would other surface dwellers. You have been kind to our fingerlings, and shown that you care for them. And you have worked so hard to become accepted by us, that you taught yourself to understand a word of our tongue. The respect you have shown us, the honor in your actions, might seem very small to you. But to us, we who have suffered the contempt and foolishness of others before you, it is a far greater matter."

He nodded. He wasn't sure he understood, as it felt to him as though he hadn't done anything at all, but if the merwoman insisted, then he would believe her. "So what happens now?"

"Now, you return to your world for the time being. You have slept through a full moon-time within this chamber, and you must go back. And when you seek to visit us again, only your ability to speak with us will have changed."

"Thank you." He swam towards the tunnel that led upwards, but paused. "May I ask your name?"

She grinned, the expression as feral on her beautiful face as it was on the little mergirl's when she was up to some mischief, and for a moment he wondered if they were related. "I am Moonscale, little guardian."

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Harry discovered his clothes and other possessions had been set nicely just beneath a fallen tree so as to hide them from plain sight. The twins were nowhere to be found, though he could see their footprints and smell their scent. It was likely they had returned to the castle to cover for him as promised. He readied himself and went into the forest towards the secret tunnel rather than heading straight for the school. It was early, but not so much so that no one would be up, or that he would be able to take a shower without giving up breakfast in return. There wouldn't be enough time before the first class block began.

It wouldn't matter too much if he was late though, as, being Monday, his first class would be history of magic, and Binns wouldn't even notice if he skipped. In fact, Harry decided, that was exactly what he would do. Hermione or Ron one would be worried enough about his disappearance to cover for him and say 'here' when roll was called, and as long as someone spoke for the name when it was said, Binns would mark them present. He moved more leisurely now that he had made such a decision, and found himself wandering through the tunnel slowly once he'd gotten to it.

He came to the first split in the path of the tunnel and paused. Thus far, he had used the tunnel only to travel back and forth from the forest to the secret rooms of the twins. He had yet to explore the rest of them, and he wondered if he should do so now. He had an hour and a half to kill, and if he cut out the time it would take him to take a quick shower and grab a snack from the kitchens then there was still an hour. He might need the map though, to find out where he was and guide his way. He dug through his pockets.

Not too long ago, he had found the proper combination of runes for enhancing the size of a room or container without altering the outward appearance of it. It was a surprisingly easy bit of runework considering all the laws of physics it seemed to break, and he had slowly worked around to placing the simpler versions of the runes on the pockets of most of his clothes, so as to be able to carry more with him. He still felt the weight of it all, but since his animagus issues made him much stronger than he used to be, he barely noticed the added weight.

He found to his delight that he had indeed kept the map on him, as well as his invisibility cloak. He hadn't been sure he had brought them to the meeting yesterday, and the anger he had felt at the end of it had made his memory cloudy. He left the cloak in his pocket but pulled out the map. He was on the ground floor right now. To his left was the way to the hospital wing, while his right headed towards the great hall and some of the classrooms. The map revealed that only Madame Pomfrey occupied her wing at the moment, so he went right. He cast a short spell at the map that Remus had mentioned, that would chart wherever he went so that the secret passageways would be remembered and marked onto the map for future use.

Soon he heard murmuring through the walls and stopped when he heard a voice he recognized. He blinked at the map, finding himself next to an empty classroom and put an ear to the wall. Ginny's voice filled his ear.

"But why should it matter? I mean, you like me don't you?"

"I just don't think we should... I mean, what if someone finds out? Your brothers-"

"My brothers don't control my life. And no one is gonna know." There was a pause and her voice lowered. "I won't tell if you don't. Besides, it's just sex. Who cares?"

Harry pulled away from the wall, blushing and uncomfortable, and moved on. He pointedly avoided looking at the map to see who she had been talking to. Eventually more voices reached his ears and he found himself near the transfiguration classroom. He could hear Professor McGonagall's voice through the stones, and occasionally a student. He moved on, not feeling the need to listen in on classes. Soon the path split again. On one side was another pathway, this one rather dark, with the torches much more widely spaced. On the other was a set of stairs. He glanced at the map.

His path up till this point was marked with glowing red, and would be until he ended the charting spell. The stairs led down into the dungeons, while the dark path to his right seemed to lead towards where he knew the great hall to be. He glanced back and forth between the two paths. Explore the dungeons or the great hall? He nodded to himself and headed down the stairs.

Halfway down he tripped and scrambled for purchase on the stones. His claws broke through the glamour and sliced into the walls like butter, anchoring him into an awkward position with his feet forward and off the steps. He kept his claws in place and slowly moved himself so that he was standing before he pulled them out, the sharp appendages sinking obediently back beneath the glamours. The stairs, it seemed, were covered in water, and when he listened he could hear it trickling somewhere.

He moved slower then, more carefully, so as not to risk slipping again. The floor at the bottom was covered in water as well, and he wondered where it came from. It smelt clean, and didn't leave any unknown substances on his shoes, so he shrugged it off and kept going. It was very quiet down here, much more so than on the ground floor. The only sound was the water running along the floor, but it was more than sound. The aura of this area was quieter than the higher levels. It was almost like, on the ground floor, and higher up, that there were invisible things around him that were constantly chatting, but that they either weren't around in the dungeons, or that they had gone quiet.

It was a strange feeling, and he brushed it off. It didn't matter. The 'silence' was a welcomed thing. It felt comfortable, like snuggling up beneath a huge plushy blanket that muffled the sound of the rest of the world. He continued on, feeling rather relaxed, and eventually came to another path. The corridor to his left stretched out towards the Slytherin common rooms below. He could even see steps leading down not too far from him. But the sound of running water was louder to his right.

His curiosity getting the best of him, Harry headed right. The sound grew louder, and when the path split in three he followed his ears and took the center. The water on the floor grew thicker, and when he glanced at the map, he was surprised to note that he had just passed the walls and was technically no longer within Hogwarts. This path also seemed to point in the direction of the lake. Maybe that's where the water came from?

The tunnels split again. His original path laid out in front of him, towards the lake, but another path sat to his right. It headed off towards the forest, but there were stairs a few feet in. The water moved down the stairs like a small waterfall, and where he was up to his ankles now, he could tell that by the bottom of those stairs the water would hit his knees. He glanced at the lake path. If it really did lead there, it would be a more convenient way to sneak out to see the merpeople. But it wasn't necessary. The way he snuck out now was just fine, and left him the option of hunting in the forest rather than going to the lake.

He folded up the map and cast a few water repellent charms on it, making sure to seal his pockets once he put it away. The runes should keep the water out, but he didn't want to take chances. After a thought, he also removed his shoes and socks and stuck them in his pockets. He may find himself swimming, and the robe was enough of a burden then. He wouldn't be forced to deal with shoes on top of it.

With a sigh, he headed down the stairs.

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The farther he went, the higher the water became, and the wider the corridor grew. Before he knew it, his feet would no longer touch the stones beneath him and he was indeed swimming. The path had grown as wide as the doors to the great hall before it finally opened up. Harry grew still and looked around himself with wide eyes. It was a huge circular stone room. The ceiling was high above him, and at the center was a blue fairy light that pulsed and created moving shadows on the walls around it. Walls that held large sections of what looked like blue marble, that were surrounded by runes.

Harry swallowed. He knew what this was. His stonelaying book had talked about this sort of thing. Loco animae. It was the center room. The 'heart' of Hogwarts. Everything that the old castle was had been born here. He wondered why it had been built so far underground, and away from the castle itself. It hardly mattered, he decided. The people who build it were long dead and incapable of sharing their secrets. He stared at the rune work. It was a masterpiece. There were large, carefully placed runes that interlocked and twisted together in a wondrous harmony. But they were filled and interlinked by what must have been thousands of smaller runes, some as big as his hand, or smaller than his pinky. It must have taken more than a hundred wizards working in perfect symphony to pull this off, and even then, it would have taken years.

He studied them for a time, soon realizing how far beyond his level this all was. He felt a strange lump in his throat and an overwhelming sense of humbleness, like a mouse standing before a giant. With a shaky breath he tore his eyes away, he didn't have the time to study this in depth. But he could at least explore the cavern itself and see if there was anything beneath the water before he had to leave.

With an unnecessary deep breath, he dived into the water. It had become habit to do so, despite his gills. They 'tasted' the water around him. It was staler than the water of the lake; more earthy than Black lake's fishiness; almost like mud. There were no fish here at all, though he could see the bottom was in fact covered in dirt, and the occasional underwater plant. A few of them glowed in shades of blue and purple. He had never seen them before, and made an internal note to look them up. The runes on the walls extended down into the water, and it occurred to him that this place had never been intended to be filled with water.

He swam to the bottom, running his fingers across the dirt and making a bit of it twist up like brown smoke. He swam around the edges of the cavern, running a hand along the walls and runes as he went. He felt his hair stand on end; the touch of the runes giving him an unexpected thrill, and making his magic buzz like a bug under his skin in acknowledgement of the power of this place.

A dark spot caught his eyes, and he swam to it. It was an opening, a full doorway completely beneath the water. It appeared there had once been a door as well, but it had long since been rotted away by the water and left the area open. A grand corridor stretched out in front of him. His strong eyes could make out the end, another doorway, even though the blue light didn't reach that far. He bit his lip. He wanted badly to swim down it and explore, but he was sure to be late for potions as it was, and Snape would be angry with him.

He may not like the grumpy potion master very much, but he respected him, and the thought of truly angering or disappointing the man made his throat close up. He pulled away and swam back towards the other opening, going as quickly as he could. He would come back and explore another time. Right now he needed to get to class.

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Snape looked down his nose at him when he arrived, noticing nothing wrong due to the extensive drying charms Harry had used, and gleefully assigned a detention for next Monday. No points were taken, and considering he was nearly twenty minutes late, it was a rather mild punishment when coming from Snape. He counted his blessings and sat in the only empty seat, next to Neville. He took one look at the mess within the cauldron and knew they were probably not going to get a good grade today.

He turned out to be right, but only because they weren't able to finish the potion after they vanished the original and started over. They had ten points each taken away, but, like before, it was a fairly mild punishment and Harry quietly counted his blessings. He had felt Hermione and Ron's eyes on him during the entire lesson, and he slipped away to Ancient Studies after the bell before they could catch him. He wasn't in the mood to lie.

The class helped his nerves. The tales of ancient Egyptian magicks holding his attention avidly. By the time class was done he felt better, and was left with the decision of where to eat lunch. He had come to dread eating in the great hall, but it was important he did so at least occasionally. He could eat in the kitchens, and avoid people for the time being, but the house elves' mindless worship of him was a whole other kind of stress. The secret room was on the top floor, and it would take too long to get there from here, or from there to his next class. The lake posed the same problem. He could skip, but that meant not eating, and that he would be left starving by dinnertime.

With a sigh, he decided to brave the great hall. Hermione and Ron would pester him, and people would stare like they always did, but right now it was preferable. He would have plenty of food to eat, and he was starving. He knew his core was strained. That plant had done a number on him, certainly. It would pass, of course, but he still felt drained for the time being.

The great hall was full of chatter and the typical noise of many students. Harry slipped onto the bench in a seat next to Dean and Seamus and immediately reached for the fish. A Gryffindor he didn't know settled in on his other side with a few others. He had taken a few bites by the time Ron and Hermione appeared. He noticed them set themselves across from him out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't look up, even when Hermione cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention.

"Harry!" He finally looked up at them when she hissed his name, internally cursing the automatic reaction everyone had when someone said their name. She narrowed her eyes at him and he swallowed. He knew that look. "Where have you been?! You left after the meeting and we couldn't find you. Ron even said you never came back to the dorms!"

"Actually, he doesn't usually. He hasn't slept in the dorms in awhile." Ron scratched his head as he spoke, the words coming out nonchalant. He knew Ron didn't really care where he went, but he had hoped the redhead would be better at keeping his mouth shut. Hermione's mouth flapped open and then she glared at Harry.

"What are you thinking?! Harry you know how dangerous it is! Where have you been going?!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Harry James Potter you tell me right now!" The hall went quiet, Hermione's voice having risen high enough to catch attention. He stood, feeling a near-silent growl rising in his throat. Hermione was his friend. But she had no right to demand anything of him. The anger that filled him was surprisingly sharp, and he wondered if his animagus instincts were at play. It felt cold, like being dipped in ice, and he glared at her, his anger perfectly visible. Hermione flinched back, paling, and the Hermione-owl twittered in something like fear.

He didn't say a word, merely walked away, leaving the great hall, his appetite strangely absent.

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He felt bad later, wondering if his new instincts had been responsible for his actions, but at the time he had felt truly offended. That anyone would dare demand something of him, as though he had no right to his own freedoms or secrets, infuriated him. He knew Voldemort was after him. He knew he was an important player in this war, because of his status as 'the-boy-who-lived'. But that didn't mean he lost the right to have time to himself. It didn't mean he had to offer up every waking moment of his life to other's eyes for inspection.

He walked through the halls of Hogwarts, anger ebbing away with every step until he felt more tired than anything else. He stopped in the middle of the hall, not even sure which floor he was on, and sighed, the sound coming out ragged and aged, as though he were an old man rather than a young teenager.

"I wonder what's gotten you so out of sorts? To sound as you do." He tensed at the voice, and looked around himself. There was no one in the hall, however. He was alone. The voice chuckled. "Up here, my dear child."

He looked up, and around, until his eyes lit upon a portrait. It depicted an old wizard, still younger than Dumbledore, with a proud jaw and nose, and lines around his eyes. His hair was cut short, and black, though it grayed on the sides, same with the well groomed mustache and short, pointed beard the man sported. He looked down at Harry with amused eyes that were so vivid a blue they stood out from his place ten feet below the picture. The old wizard wore simple, but well-made black robes trimmed with silver, and he sat on a high-backed hand-carved chair of dark wood.

"Who are you?"

The painting smiled in a crooked sort of way. "Me? Why I'm just another portrait is all."

Harry snorted. "I meant, who are you a portrait of?"

"Oh is that what you meant? You must learn to be more specific, child." Harry glared and the man only laughed. "Oh, little one, I have not spoken to another person in quite some time, and in all my hanging here, I have never given my name to those I have spoken to. What makes you think I will tell you?"

Harry stared at him a moment, then sighed. "Fine, don't tell me. But you should at least give me something to call you by."

"Hmm..." The old man rubbed his beard and looked up in a mockery of thought, as though giving it great consideration. Then he snapped his fingers and a comical look of enlightenment filled his face, and he looked back down at Harry. "You may call me Frode."

"Frode? Alright then. I'm Harry."

The painting smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Harrison."

Harry blinked. "So... What did you want with me, anyways?"

The man tilted his head to the side. "I only wished to know what has you so troubled. I was curious is all. There are no other portraits in this wing, and I have no other frame, so I rarely have anyone to talk to, and I find myself bored."

"I... see." Harry stared at him for a moment, and then made a decision. Why not confide in a portrait? "I got angry at one of my friends is all. And I wasn't sure my anger was justified."

"And what was it that angered you?"

He hesitated only a moment. "I felt as though she was intruding on my freedom."

"Ah. Freedom is a man's natural power of doing what he pleases, so far as he is not prevented by force or law. It is understandable to be angry over such a thing. After all, what does one have, if not freedom? A man can be without food or drink, clothes or home, but so long as he has freedom, his life is still a blessed one."

Harry stared at the painting a moment, and then nodded. "I suppose that's true."

"Harry? Who are you talking to?" He jumped and turned to find Hermione standing not too far from him, looking at him with concern.

"Oh, I was just talking to," He looked up and blinked. The painting was still there, but it no longer resembled a living person. It looked now, like a portrait truly did, with an essence of non-reality to it, and it didn't move. It looked like a muggle painting. "… myself, I guess."

Hermione shifted from foot to foot. "I wanted to apologize." He stared at her. "I shouldn't have pressed you like I did. I was just worried. You've been acting so different lately, and with Voldemort back things are more dangerous now... I just don't want anything to happen to you."

A feeling of guilt settled in his stomach for a moment, his throat closing up for a moment before he managed to make himself speak. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to get so angry. It's just..." She looked hopeful, and for a moment he felt the urge to tell her everything. He swallowed it down, knowing that he couldn't. He sighed, and her face fell as though she realized he wouldn't share his secrets with her. "Lot's of things happened this summer, and last year. I need some space, and I can't tell you everything... But, I promise that when I say I'm alright, and when I tell you I'm safe, that I'm telling the truth. And if I get in over my head or something, then I promise I'll tell you."

Her expression was resigned, and she nodded. He knew she would worry, and it would drive her insane not to know what was going on, but she would accept his views on the matter. She smiled weakly, and when she offered him a hug, he didn't hesitate to take it.

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The next few days passed him by in a way born from a combination of routine and boredom. He was forced to put off his exploration and study of the underwater cavern in favour of classes, homework, and study. His next meeting with Snape was relatively uneventful, and his subsequent detention became another lesson that passed by equally uneventful. He was making decent progress now, and was actually able to push the potion master from his mind, though the effort of such an action left him utterly exhausted and gasping for breath. Snape had quickly grown used to his glamourless form, and he occasionally caught him studying him curiously. He wondered absently to himself how long it would take for the man to ask if he could run tests. He had learned, if nothing else, that the man genuinely enjoyed two things; learning and potions, particularly so when the two were combined.

Just when he thought a moment of free-time would finally come up, Hermione informed him that they had scheduled a meeting for that time. The first real meeting of the group of students he would be teaching how to defend themselves. The mere thought of it set a weight on his shoulders, and he was finally beginning to feel the weight of his full schedule upon himself. He had nearly hoped he might have scared them off, but they had apparently decided to trust him for now. The small plan that had been silently forming itself in the back of his mind came to the forefront the day before, as he traveled through the halls alone and caught sight of a small group of Slytherins. Zabini was among them.

He watched the dark skinned teenager for a moment from his place several paces behind him and a couple of younger snakes and thought. As far as he could tell, Zabini had never spoken to anyone of Luna's gift to him (the one he was still not thinking of), and he had heard nice things about him from Neville, who was part of his group in Ancient Studies. He debated within his mind, and finally, decision made, called out.

"Zabini!" He watched in veiled interest as every muscle in the young man's body tensed, and how well controlled his movements were as he slowly turned around. He felt he had made the right choice when, after realizing who had called him, and that Harry was alone, he relaxed a bit, though not completely. "Could I have a word?" His dark eyes scrutinized Harry in a way that was not unlike Snape, and then with a turn and a whispered word to the others, he approached Harry cautiously while they remained near the wall. Harry felt impressed at the other boy's ability to hide the nervousness he felt from his face, despite his body giving him away; and even then, it did so only slightly, and partially because Harry had been watching for it to begin with.

"Potter. How can I help you?" His tone was amicable enough, if wary, and Harry's lips twitched with the suppressed urge to smile. He held up a calming hand, and removed his wand to cast a silencing charm around them. He put it away when he was done, and though the other had tensed again through the action, he calmed once the wand was safely back within Harry's robes.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said on the train." Zabini raised an eyebrow but did not otherwise respond, and he continued. "What do you think of Umbridge's class, honestly speaking?" If the question surprised him, he didn't let it show, though he answered in careful, measured way that told Harry he wasn't sure what was going on.

"I... Find her class lacking." The slightest emotion of distaste passed over his eyes, and Harry smiled.

"I'm sure you are aware of my skills in the more practical aspects of defence." It wasn't really a question, but the other nodded all the same. "Some friends of mine have begun putting together a group of sorts, for study purposes. I will be in charge of teaching them the more practical aspects that Umbridge's class is lacking in, and when we met to discuss the creation of this group, I noticed an issue that I was hoping you might be able to help me rectify."

"Oh?" He looked genuinely curious now and Harry nodded.

"There were no Slytherins in the group." Zabini's face showed true surprise for a moment before morphing into a pleased smile.

"I do believe I can help you with that, Mr. Potter."

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"What are we waiting for?" Ron was in a foul mood. Harry mused that it likely had something to do with Daniel, who was deep in conversation with Hermione about magical theory, which they both intended to take as a class the next year.

"I told you before, I invited a few other people. I'd like to give them a moment to show up." Harry's voice held a tone of exasperation, as it had been the third or so time that he had told him such. Still, he could understand why he was irritated, as there was nearly thirty of them here, and they were all milling about in the hall outside the room of requirement. No one wanted to be caught. He realized the moment the Slytherins arrived, as Ron's eyes suddenly rested on something behind him, and the words he spat out were filled with venom.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He turned, and found a group of five Slytherins, though he was slightly surprised by exactly which Slytherins it was. Zabini stood at the head of the group, with Malfoy and, was it Greengrass? just behind him, and Goyle and Crabbe at the back. It was not lost on him how they kept close together and the wary looks on their faces.

"They're here because I invited them, Ron." The redhead blanched, though Harry could see the twins hiding grins from their place near the back where they had been conversing with Lee. Harry saw the way his face morphed first into disbelief, then betrayal, then anger; his emotions available for all to see.

"WHAT?! How could you invite those death-eater-wannabes?!" Harry glared, feeling no guilt for his actions, and his voice was sharp and cold when he spoke, making the boy flinch.

"I made it very clear when I agreed to teach this group that I would do so on my terms, and my terms only. I'll teach whomever I please. If you, if any of you, have a problem with that, then. Fuck. Off." His voice was perhaps harsher than it needed to be, but it got the point across. Ron glared at him for several moments, and when it became clear that Harry had no intention of backing down, he spat at his feet and stalked away. Seven or so other people in the group, including Cho, followed him. Harry watched them go with a heavy heart, and then began pacing before the wall until a door appeared. Everyone else followed him in silently.

He took a moment to appreciate the room he had imagined up and calm his emotions before he spoke to them. The entire wall across from the entrance was covered in mirrors, with the wall of the entrance, and the one to his left filled with bookshelves stuffed with texts on defence, offense, and healing. There were a few tables surrounded by cushions on that side, while the right side of the room held a few practice dummies. The room itself was huge, with high ceilings like the great hall, and with a large amount of empty practice space. There was a small, raised platform against the wall of mirrors, and he stepped up on it and turned to face the crowd. Some had their eyes on him, others were looking around, but after a moment of silence he had everyone's attention. The Slytherins stood slightly apart from the others, with the twins nearest them to act as a buffer.

"First things first, I'll be laying down the rules." He had thought quite a bit over how he was going to run this, and he would not be deterred. "Before any of you leave here today, you'll be signing a magical contract that will keep you from telling anyone about what goes on in this room. I don't care if you never come to another meeting after this, you will still sign it." No one protested. "For the most part, I will be the one teaching you, but if any of you knows spells you think might be useful, that I don't know, we will set something up for you to teach the group. In this room, there is no such thing as houses. I don't care what you do or how you act outside. I don't care about rivalries or Quidditch. In here, we will be united, and you will treat each other with respect or I will throw you out on your arse." He paused again, glaring those who looked like they might protest into submission. "Our meetings will be at the same time every week unless stated otherwise. If something comes up and less than five of you can't make it, you'll have to play catch up. If it's five or more, the meeting for that day will be cancelled. We will start simple, and work our way up. If one of you is significantly ahead of the others, I will work out something individually with that person. The same goes for anyone who is significantly behind. There will be no taunts, no cheating, and no cheap shots. If you hurt another person, and it isn't part of the spell being taught, or an accident, I'll do the same thing you did, to you. Are we clear?" There was a chorus of agreement, and he nodded. "Any questions?"

Daniel raised a hand and he looked at him. "What are we calling this group?" Harry shrugged.

"You can come up for ideas between yourselves this week, and next meeting we'll discuss it." He nodded and a small Ravenclaw near him raised a hand.

"What do we do if someone gets hurt on accident?" He pointed to the shelves.

"There are healing potions here, and we will be studying healing spells as well as defense. If it isn't something we can handle ourselves, then whoever it is will be taken to Professor Snape." The girl paled, but nodded. Harry waited a moment to see if there were anymore questions, and when there wasn't, he sighed to himself and clapped his hands together, visibly startling a couple people.

"Very well. Let's begin."

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"Potter." He blinked, turning around to face the other. It had been an exhausting two hours. Though it hadn't been nearly so stressful as he had expected. The group, for the most part, learned quickly, and Harry had managed to teach them the disarming charm and a mild shield in the single meeting, as well as assign homework of a sort. They had taken his rules and threats seriously, and everyone had been surprisingly amenable to one another. He was already coming up with lesson plans in his head. The Slytherins stood before him, Malfoy at the head of the group. Most everyone else had already left, even Hermione. He could see the twins whispering in a corner, and Luna appeared to be lost in a book. His gaze swept over Zabini, who was looking at him lazily, body relaxed, and then met the grey eyes of the blonde who had spoken.

"How can I help you, Malfoy?" He still didn't care much for the other, but he was careful to keep his stance relaxed, and his tone neutral and kind. The look on the other's face showed that he had been expecting some form of hostility.

"I was wondering if you had any intention of introducing any... Darker curses during these..." He hesitated. "Lessons." His voice was only just civil, and Harry found it to be more than he had expected.

"What I teach, or allow anyone else to teach, will depend on how dangerous of a practice it would be, as well as the legality of it. I've no issue with darker magic so long as no one here will go to jail for using them, or be badly harmed during the process of learning them." His answer surprised them, and Malfoy met Zabini's eyes for a moment. Something passed between them, and then all the snakes stood a little straighter. There was a sort of grudging respect in Malfoy's eyes when they next fell upon him, and he felt as though he had passed some sort of test without knowing what it had been.

"Very well. I believe that is acceptable. You mentioned that you would be covering defensive, offensive, and healing spells, correct?" He nodded. "Do you intend to cover anything else?" He eyed the blonde carefully.

"Perhaps. It would depend on the nature of the thing, and whether anyone was opposed to learning it. Time is also an issue. Was there something in particular you had in mind?" Malfoy looked surprised that he would ask his opinion.

"I... Had thought perhaps mind magics, maybe some basic survival spells, and, if possible, the animagus transformation." His voice was wary as he spoke, and Harry hummed.

"I won't teach legilimency, but I'm not opposed to teaching the basics of occlumency. Meditation and emotional control at least. That will probably help us keep this all secret. We can work on it a little at each meeting and people can improve and practice on their own time. If we wanna go into the advanced stuff we'll have to get help from someone skilled in legilimency, and it will have to be someone everyone trusts, so we might not be able to even if we wanted. Survival spells are an excellent idea." He smiled. "I'll have to look into it first, but I think we can definitely learn that. As far as the animagus transformation goes, we need to have a stock of the potion first, but the meditation for occlumency will help with the beginning steps for that. I won't give any guarantees though, because everyone would have to learn that at their own paces, and there would be the issue of whether or not the person wanted to register with the ministry or not, and how to hide it if they didn't. Have you managed it?" He looked at them, genuinely curious.

"I have. Draco is in the process, but the others haven't." It was Zabini who had spoken, and Harry blinked at him and then smiled mischievously.

"Fun to be a big cat, isn't it?" The boy looked surprised, and then his expression, as well as the others turned into suspicion. He considered for a moment, and then sighed. It wasn't like they could share anything said in this room anyways. "I guess you could say it's an... ability of mine to be able to see a person's inner animal. I know what you are whether you've become an animagus or not." He shrugged.

"What am I then?" Malfoy's eyes were narrowed in slight disbelief, but there was excitement in them.

"A kneazle. I think. I've never seen one, so I can't be sure, but your animal is a larger than normal cat with tufted ears, and that's how I've heard them described..." Malfoy looked thoughtful, and nodded.

"What about me?" Greengrass seemed to chastise herself almost as soon as she had spoken, not wanting to look as eager as she did, but he smiled at her all the same and looked carefully at the smoky form clinging to her.

"I think it's a garden snake, since it looks similar, but I'm no expert on species." She smiled, pleased with his answer, and then eyed him.

"So what kind of feline are you?" He blanched, and opened his mouth to protest only to have her wave a hand in his face. "Don't try to deny it. You as much as admitted it with your comment to Blaise." He eyed them for a moment, knowing that he had the chance to befriend these people, to turn them from Voldemort, and suddenly terrified of screwing it up. He thought over his words carefully.

"I... I can't tell you." Their faces began to sour and he continued before they became incensed. "It's not just a matter of trust, and it isn't because you're Slytherins. Only three people know about my form, and Hermione and Ron aren't even part of that number. One knows because they're the one who taught me and told me to keep it secret, and the other two only know because they discovered me. I never told them." They watched him for a moment, considering his words, and he felt compelled to add more. "Maybe you'll find out one day. I wouldn't be that surprised. You are Slytherins, after all." They smirked while he cursed himself in his head, just knowing this would make things more difficult for him, and not knowing why he had done that.

They left after exchanging relatively pleasant goodbyes and Harry found himself breathing a sigh of relief. At least until Luna Lovegood wandered over to him with that dreamy smile firmly in place.

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He had to hand it Luna, that girl could guilt-trip with the best them. He sat alone on the floor of the dorm room, glaring at the barely-wrapped package before him. Within was the strange armor that she had given him, and she had somehow roped him into promising to wear it. He sighed, snatched up the package and went into the bathroom. He stripped naked, as she had told him it went below his clothes, and set about figuring out how to put it on. The soft, cloth-like underarmor was simple enough. Long-sleeved tunic that went nearly to his knees and long pants. They were flowy, and he hardly felt the silvery material against his skin. The other pieces were more complicated, and it took almost fifteen minutes of trial and error before he figured it out.

It looked strange in the mirror. The pieces were all too big, the material even bigger. It bunched and pushed around through every piece of the harder armor pieces. Remembering Luna's instructions, he put a hand to the chestpiece and pushed a bit of his magic in. Immediately, all of it snapped tighter around him, and the image in the mirror was vastly different. The softer material was flush against his skin, though he could barely see it beneath the black armor that covered everything below his neck aside from his hands and feet. The under material just peeked through at the wrists, ankles, and collar. The black armor was scarcely thicker than tinfoil, and moved as he did, though when he banged a fist against his chest he couldn't even feel it. The silver cloth was slightly thicker, though aside from the barest whisper of softness against his skin he felt almost as though he were still naked. Curiosity had him putting his other clothes on, and he found that with slacks and a button up, he could hardly see the armour at all. It was especially so with his robe on over it.

A sudden banging on the door had him jumping nearly out of his skin. "Hey! Hurry up in there!" He opened the door in surprise, and within a second Seamus had rushed past him and slammed the door in his face. He blinked, and turned back to the room at the sound of a snicker. Neville was looking at him with open amusement.

"He and Dean challenged each other to see who could drink more pumpkin juice and Dean cheated." Harry snorted and the two of them shared a laugh. Neville smiled brightly and Harry was struck for a moment on just how different the other boy had become. He wasn't done growing yet, but he was still a far cry from the terrified little boy who had stood up to them in first year when they had snuck out to deal with that mess with the philosopher's stone. "You alright Harry?" He realized he'd been staring, lost in thought. He shook himself.

"Yea, I'm fine. Sorry." Neville smiled again, though it was tinged with worry this time, and left the room. Harry's eyes moved from the door he had left through to Ron's bed. He closed his eyes.

His chest hurt.

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Loco animae- place of the soul (the room or area in old magic buildings which all runes and wards are connected to)

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Ok, so, a few things.

First off, the bit with the merpeople. This doesn't play as huge a roll in the story as it seems like it will. It might come up from time to time, but, for the most part, this was sort of the peak of the merpeople's little mini-arc. Don't worry, they're not going anywhere yet, but the focus will be shifting elsewhere soon.

Secondly, Ginny. No. I'm not bashing her. She's just a teenager, is all. I recall my sister as being vaguely promiscuous through our high school years. I don't know when it happened, but I know that by the time we turned sixteen, she wasn't a virgin anymore. Going through puberty is the natural human body response that is basically telling you it's time to mate. There is a reason that it was once considered (a long time ago) perfectly acceptable for a thirteen-year-old girl to be married off and have children. Women tend to go into sexual maturity earlier than men, sometimes as soon as the age of 9 or 10, though they hit their sexual peek much later. For girls it's around 30, but guys hit theirs at 20. Hence cougars. For some girls, the first response to puberty is to explore their sexuality and experiment. We get teen mothers as young as thirteen here in America, and that's pretty much why. Wanting to explore your body's feelings and nature, however, does not make you a whore or a slut, even if I honestly think it's better to wait at least until 17, so I didn't include the little part I did to bash her or make her look bad. The whole scene had a purpose to serve, and, while I won't tell you what it was, you'll find out later. There will be other things as I go, little signs in passing that Harry notices (since we only know what he knows in this story) so keep an eye out. All will be explained in time.

Third. Frode is important. Keep that in mind, and think on it when he pops up in the future. It will be some time before I reveal his secrets, so patience. On another note, I will tell you why I made him. I'm not usually big on OC's that have any large hand in the story, but I needed Frode to be Harry's little voice of reason. Think of him as like an adviser of sorts.

And last, Ron and the Slytherins. This was gonna happen eventually, and this was just the most natural way I could go about it. This isn't exactly a 'dark-Harry' fic, but I'd count him in the darker shades of grey if I wanted to go into that. Harry needs to start seeing the Slytherins as proper people and making friends among them if the story is to progress the way I want it to. It will be his experiences with them that will eventually shape how he reacts to Loki, when we get there. As for Ron, he's a teenager prone to fits of a nasty temper. It will get worse before it gets better, but I'm not intending to bash him anymore than I was Ginny. His friendship was something that would hold this Harry back, so I needed to cut him off to help our little animagus move forward and grow.

Very well, I've said my piece and now I'm done. I look forward to the reviews I get for this, and to any votes I get on the poll. Now, in the words of Porky Pig;

Th- Th- Th- Th- That's all folks!

Mr. Hate