Harry Potter: The Baba Yaga's Apprentice

by PotterSmut12

Harry lands in NYC on a "family" trip and comes upon The Continental hotel. There he meets Winston who wants to help him, which results with John Wick training Harry for what was coming.

5. The Aftermath

Back at Hogwarts

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Dumbledore immediately sent all the other students away until it was just Harry and himself left in his office. Hermione had wanted to stay feeling the overboiling tension between these two immovable objects.

Hermione liked to play the role of the rational one, but this confrontation was beyond her. This was a grudge match a long time in the making with no place for her to insert herself. It was all on them to figure out and deal with their differences with hopefully no more bloodshed. The hard part was over or so she thought with Voldemort being dead.

From the palpable tension and what she observed from this new version of Harry Hermione, she could tell her friend wouldn't budge on his actions tonight. Actions Harry considered rightly justifiable with no sense of guilt whatsoever. Even now, there was no fear or signs of regret left inside Harry's body. His face was cold, and his body was deathly still but coiled, ready to strike if provoked. This was the most dangerous and lethal side she has ever seen to Harry.

Hermione could almost make a near certain type of educated guess that this overdue argument was going to do more harm than good for their relationship. Selfishly, she didn't want to see Harry pushed into a corner or possibly exiled out of the wizarding world entirely. Which very well could happen if Dumbledore or the Ministry pushed Harry hard enough.

If she could read Harry's mind, she bet he was doing what he thought was right. He had become a killer because no matter what anyone else thought, it was on him. From the outside it looked as if the war and killing Voldemort had always fallen on him. Thankfully he had gained a full and confident belief he was acting in the best interests of everyone who relied on him to finally get the inner strength to finish this.

In most ways, he was right, but she could see how it might have been too extreme for some soft-hearted people like her. Having seen it up close, she wouldn't soon be expecting to forget the bloody carnage Harry exposed her to tonight. Scared but grateful was the only way she could describe the mix of emotions in her head right now.

While they were not the choices Hermione would make, she had no choice but to admire what her best friend did tonight. When she laid in bed tonight to reflect about it, she bet she might be able to understand her friend's point of view if it meant people like her were finally safe. His brutality was maybe the only reason they were able to survive tonight against all the odds stacked against them. Now, with enough space stepping back, she could also partially see how killing Umbridge was somewhat justified.

In the moment, Harry admired Hermione's loyalty but waved her away because he didn't need help from anyone else here. The weak and scared little boy Harry used to be was gone forever. John Wick turned him into a wolf who was more than enough to handle the likes of Voldemort and Dumbledore.

The truth was Harry wasn't the least bit afraid of Dumbledore; to him, the Headmaster was a fossil stuck in the past with no grasp on current reality. Normally a delusion like that would make a man dangerous, but Harry held all the cards. Dumbledore had nothing left to threaten him with. The old man held no chance of convincing or guilting Harry of anything that he perceived as wrong. It was thanks to the fact that tonight Harry had proved Dumbledore incorrect in every sense of the word, and by breakfast tomorrow the whole world would see it his way.

When the door to the office had loudly clicked shut, leaving the two powerful titans alone. The tension was so thick you could cut it with the knife Harry had concealed in his suit. With everything clear and laid out, Dumbledore could finally get a read of this new Harry. Upon the boy's return, there was something no one could put their finger on until tonight, when the boy laid it all out in the open.

Dumbledore could read the clear and noticeable difference in who the boy used to be compared to now. Down to the way he was standing, Dumbledore could see Harry was ready, almost as if he were expecting a sneak attack. This boy was a straight killer and nothing else. Not even a hint of childlike wonder was left in his eyes, only cold calculations about how to act against possible acts of aggression. It filled the Headmaster with sadness to see how far his student had fallen.

Taking a silent second of reflection when they were alone, Dumbledore got a real good look at this "new" Harry. It was slightly reminiscent of meeting Harry for the first time. Similar to seeing an overexcited but scared eleven year old Harry Potter being sorted into Gryffindor. That day revealed so much about Harry's younger personality, but now his personality was seemingly more Slytherin than Gryffindor.

It was as if Dumbledore was meeting a whole new person, all stemming from the start of the school year. For months, he had been rightfully panicked about where Harry had disappeared off to. During the search, he never got any real answers besides a story about a supposed business trip to America with his relatives. America being a place out of their reach, not much could be done unless the boy had not shown up for school.

Harry had been a ghost for three months. Untraceable and devious as he kept his location a secret to hide whatever he had become. If Dumbledore knew what he was becoming before Harry returned to catch the train back to school, Dumbledore would have traveled to America to rescue Harry himself. Now Harry was something different…he was a monster.

If Dumbledore had known the truth earlier, he might have had Snape try to erase these learned skills and memories. They were dangerous and were leading Harry down the darkest past imaginable.

It wasn't just his clothes or the way he carried himself. It was little things down to Harry's cold penetrating stare. It was as if Harry could mentally be in the process of deciding how to pick you apart before killing you. That look was something that scared Dumbledore because it wasn't something he saw in the past. Dumbledore had originally attributed this change to the horror of Harry witnessing Cedric's death at the end of last year. Now he knew better with his hypothesis being turned upside down.

Starting at the beginning of the year, Dumbledore sensed something had changed in Harry. Though the Headmaster tried to keep his distance to throw off an eagle-eyed Umbridge, that was a mistake because he didn't pick up on the drastic change in Harry until it was too late.

Dumbledore was now shown plain as day what had changed. He had seen it first hand a level of brutality that was unheard of for a child of Harry's age. No child ever walked into a fight and killed so many people like it was nothing. Witnessing it had removed the wool from his eyes, the veil had been lifted. Harry was now the biggest threat in the world behind a half-dead specter of Voldemort.

Standing silent in the office, Harry still looked ready to quickly draw his muggle weapon to fight should Dumbledore twitch towards his wand. Harry wasn't going to be caught with an obliviate or some other spell that would leave him helpless. He vowed to never be helpless again.

Seeing how south this could go Dumbledore wisely set his wand on his desk to show Harry his hands were empty. An ancient tradition back when people were more savage. A word he could rightly use to describe this new Harry. It was a necessary step to prove trust in hopes of getting Harry on his side once again. "We need to talk. I know you have questions."

Harry didn't have questions because he now had all the answers he ever needed. John's training gave Harry the answer to all of his questions, and that answer was violence. Every question relating to Voldemort could be answered in violence. Now that his job was done, his old questions that might have nagged at him didn't matter anymore. Nothing was going to bring his parents back or make him feel any better.

During the summer, Winston helped by also painfully laying out every manipulation he had been subjected to. Deadpan and no smirk, Harry answered, "I don't; I don't have any questions left. All the questions I did have were already answered tonight. You see, I knew you were keeping things from me. Important things. Thinking back, I feel stupid for not seeing it sooner. You know I tried to lie to myself. I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, but it's as clear as it could be that you were trying your hardest to keep me weak."

Harry paused, but the look on his face told Dumbledore he better not argue with him. Continuing, Harry forced Dumbledore to listen to all of his failures laid out in front of him. "Despite your malicious meddling in my life, somehow in the end I was able to brute force a bloody path through it all. If you must know, let me tell you where you went wrong. It was when you insisted on keeping me in the dark my whole life. When your knowledge might have made a difference, you kept it for yourself. In addition to your very wise decision of having me raised with my 'family' who abused me like a Malfoy house elf didn't help either." Harry's explanation was dripping with ironic sarcasm.

Letting another silence hang in the air, Harry wanted Dumbledore to know that he knew. Harry could clearly see all the manipulations now. "How about you let me answer a few of the questions I can tell you are dying to ask me? I bet you want to ask what changed, what changed inside me? Well, the long story is that I am the way I am now because you left me on the steps of an abusive family. I grew up with no loving father or mother figure. At one time I thought of you as a father figure, but no father would set his kid up to nearly die every year. I bet you even dreamed of me following in your gentle footsteps, but that was never going to happen. The reason I am the way I am is because I refuse to let evil grow and thrive when I can do something to stop it. I find that is a form of weakness…not strength. I refuse to be weak, so do not expect an apology for me being forced to do what had to be done."

Harry was getting emotional having pent these feelings up for so long. Only realizing how he truly felt after everything was laid out with the help of Winston. Harry continued, "But you didn't stop my anguish there because in my third year I thought I finally found family with my godfather Sirius. The one person my parents trusted to take care of me should they die. In the end, you forced me to go back to my magic hating relatives. At every stage, you pushed me closer to the edge of hopelessness. With the visions from Voldemort, I could even feel my sanity slipping from my grasp. Sometimes even wondering why I was alive if it was to just suffer. If you want the moment that pushed me off the cliff into the abyss, it was witnessing Cedric being murdered in front of me before Voldemort came back to life. That was when I knew things weren't going to get better. It was only going to get worse, much worse because this is a war after all. I had to come to grips with myself, killing any notion of being a normal kid. I had to grow to be a soldier, although if you were to be honest, that is what I always was to you. You tried to raise me to be a simple, small-minded soldier who would follow all your orders without question."

Dumbledore still didn't understand what had changed Harry so drastically. However, he allowed Harry to keep monologuing, hoping more answers would be revealed.

"Here is the part you don't know that will fill in some blanks. Over the summer my relatives took me to New York City. Coincidentally, this was also out of the reach of Voldemort's mind games. If you know the Dursely's you can imagine the first night of the trip they wanted a laugh so they kicked me out of their hotel. I was on the mean New York City streets all alone. Maybe they finally wanted me out of the way or they wanted me to crawl back and beg them to be let back in to sleep on the floor like an abused dog. It was only by chance I stumbled into a hotel that happened to accept gold coins as a form of payment. I thought it was a magical hotel, but no…it was another secret society. A secret network and world of the assassin's."

Dumbledore had heard of assassins before but didn't think there was a society of them. Normally they were unscrupulous lone wolves who took one off low level criminal contracts. They didn't have infrastructure, much less their own currency. This brought on a whole new host of questions he needed answered. "What did they offer you? From this side of the issue, it looks like you sold your soul to them."

Harry put a finger up with a smug smile, knowing the answers to something the great Dumbledore didn't know. "Nothing. They offered nothing because, with them, you have to earn it. I earned everything through respect and blood because that is what it took me to remake myself. To say I sold my soul is laughable and proves my point about you, but I am once again getting ahead of myself."

Harry was still feeling fury from the way Dumbledore was still not viewing himself as the reason why he was pushed to these extremes. "When I checked into the hotel, the manager was called because their coins are a little different from our goblin gold. The manager, by another lucky coincidence, happened to know my story. He is a fellow Englishman who keeps up with a vast spy network that informs him of the magical side of society as well. In the end, he was very receptive to helping me when he had every right to kick me out of the hotel."

Reminding himself of the past gave Harry a small smile. "I wasn't one of them; I was an outsider, but he didn't kick me out; he took me in. He saw something in me; he offered me a room before getting me started with a few of their coins. Their coins served as a sign of respect for killing a high-profile target like Voldemort. I won't get into the intricacies of these coins, but the gist is it was an introduction to a world where everything was black and white. I have to say I learned my biggest problem with the magical world is how everything is some game within a game with hidden rules and secret agendas."

Dumbledore didn't see the magical world as Harry did. "It is easy to think that way when the answer to these people is simple murder. These people are incapable of understanding the nuances of human life and morality."

Harry felt his body start to feel the adrenaline of the night wear off. Feeling fatigued and a little tired, Harry took a seat in the closest chair across from the Headmaster while still being able to reach for his gun or wand if he needed it. "It is a world of respect where you are only as good as your word. Something I can appreciate when everyone has done nothing but lie to me my whole bloody life. Now there might be problems with the High Table and some minor politics with the big players, but it isn't as oppressive as it is here. The one thing I will say is they give you the tools to handle all your problems yourself. They even have rules for if you break their rules."

Dumbledore was trying to soak up all the information he could so he could investigate these people on his own. He needed to learn how they sunk their claws into Harry so deeply.

Wishing he had a drink Harry continued his story. "After checking in, I was led to the bar and given my first alcoholic drink. I found it a great way to take the edge off for the first time in a long time because I felt safe. Now this is where the story gets good because the manager then introduced me to a man named John Wick. If you think I am a dangerous threat, then I hope you never meet John Wick. He is maybe the only muggle I know who could have taken Voldemort all on his own without the use of magic. Seeing him up close, I have no doubt there isn't anyone on Earth he couldn't kill, magical or otherwise. Maybe short of fighting an actual dragon, I would never bet against him."

That part made Dumbledore gasp because it had to be an exaggeration. No muggle could kill Voldemort.

"Winston, the manager, introduced me to John because he saw what was coming. He listened to my story of Voldemort coming back, and he immediately started working to help me instead of stifling me. He was making smart chess moves, setting me up for success, not failure like yourself."

Harry let the dig against Dumbledore hit while he examined Dumbledore, slowly accepting this new reality. The old man was hanging on every word. "I can see you might be making assumptions about John, and it is true he is a killer, but in the end he is still a good man. The kind of man, dare I say father figure I needed in this stage of my life. Three months, that's all it took for him to teach me more than all my years here. Winston, the manager, might have also manipulated the situation a little, but admit it, the results are hard to argue with."

A deep breath had Harry resume his exposition of the new reality Dumbledore found himself in. "Taking a step back, I can appreciate how he is an expert at playing the long game. Something you, Headmaster, have failed at because you don't eliminate all of your opponent's pieces. In a war, killing is essential and necessary. You might shift and move them around the board, but you don't have the balls to take them out for good. That is what you have to do to win; you can't be content to be stuck in a decades-long stalemate."

Dumbledore went to defend himself, but Harry held up a finger, cutting him off before he could start. Harry continued, "I won't listen to your rationalizations when you have royally screwed up at every turn. I could spend all night going through everyone of your costly mistakes, but it doesn't matter now. It's all in the past, and you can't keep crying about spilled milk. The one thing I will say is that you are done playing with my life from this moment forward. My life is mine; I will do what I want with it. Tonight you saw it with your own eyes, you saw how I can clearly handle myself. In other words, I don't need your pseudo-protection anymore."

Harry used his threat to smack Dumbledore in the face before trying to jump back into his story. "Anyway back to the story, and long story short, John Wick trained me. The one and only Baba Yaga, aptly named after the Boogeyman if you are curious what it meant. Our time together was painfully short, so he pushed training to the limit. We skipped the more intensive hand-to-hand lessons, but I am more than enough for any wizard. Training me in tactics, ruthlessness, and of course modern firearms transformed my whole being into a weapon. His assassin mentality and combat prowess forced me to change the fundamental way I think. In other words, I will never allow another person to get the upper hand on me again. Evidence proven by me using these tools to take the fight to Voldemort, something you were unwilling to do."

Dumbledore recoiled in shock hearing how drastically Harry had changed. To think it was all because of one singular person. A muggle so dangerous, Harry confidently asserted he would have given Voldemort trouble. That had to be a scary man and the person he would not have used to help teach Harry. Dumbledore never met this man, but the evidence of his work was all over Harry. "I did fail you, my boy. The need for you to turn to a murderer for leadership means I have failed."

Harry sarcastically chuckled to himself. "Is it a wonder why? You despise killing so much you would rather we save or spare murders and genocidal tyrants. There was nothing wrong with what I did tonight or how I did it."

Dumbledore wanted to appeal to Harry's soul before it was lost forever. "You killed someone tonight. You killed Voldemort in cold blood when he was already defeated. That is a stain on your soul that can never be undone."

Harry didn't care for the guilt-tripping tactic: "Technically, if you want specifics, I killed more than one person tonight. I probably killed closer to ten, but I lost count because they don't matter. Your overwhelming compassion has killed more people than I did tonight. Your way leads to death just as easily as hatred. If you had taken care of Voldemort decades ago, thousands of people, including my parents, could still be alive. Instead, you chose to listen and lay your faith at the feet of some vague prophecy."

Feeling his blood boil again, Harry raised his voice. "Tonight I chose to kill Voldemort not because of a prophecy but because I wanted to and I liked it. Revenge was rightfully mine after all he has done, from killing my parents to killing Cedric; those reasons alone are more than enough to justify his death at my hands. The prophecy might have been right in the end, but how many people had to die by letting fate decide? Don't you feel bad that you didn't kill Voldemort earlier when you had the chance?"

Dumbledore felt all of his age as that question hit him in the chest. "It isn't easy to kill someone you think can be saved. When he turned dark, he was only a curious student, a misguided boy who deserved a chance he never had growing up. We need to live and forgive so we can redeem the souls of everyone who could have walked the right path if circumstances were different."

The audacity of that statement made Harry rudely laugh out loud. "Voldemort! You thought Voldemort could be saved. Oh, that is fucking rich." Laughing harder, Harry felt a weight lifted off him. He now knew without a shadow of a doubt Dumbledore didn't deserve any of his respect. This was a loony old man who made Luna look sane in comparison.

Dumbledore didn't think his life mission was something to be mocked. "Love and forgiveness are the sources of our power. We have the power to make miracles happen, so any person has the ability to change and be saved. Love is the most important feeling in the world. Your mother's love is why you survived that night. Using love as a second chance is what life is all about."

Letting out a disgusted and defiant groan. Harry could tell this was something they would never agree on. Dumbledore, also bringing up his mother, rubbed Harry the wrong way. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this. Save who you want, but the second it affects me or my loved ones, their safety takes precedence over anyone else's. I want you to remember this lesson. When you were scheming ways, trying to save evil people, in the process you let a monster kill my parents and countless others. So under no circumstances do I have the obligation to try and save the monster who killed my parents. Don't you realize how insulting that is?"

Trying to get his fury under control, Harry dropped his tone in a threatening way. "I don't want you to mince my words, let me be as clear as I possibly can be. I am glad Voldemort and his ilk are dead. I would kill them a million times over if I had to and I would enjoy every second of it. Clear enough for you."

Dumbledore was still standing, but the calm way Harry laid out his convictions made him want to go lay down. "I won't deny you are strong, but I hope with time you can gain the greatest strength of all…to choose love over violence."

Scoffing again, Harry replied, "That is the problem. I didn't grow up with love. I wasn't loved until I was eleven years old by the time Ron and Hermione came into my life. I don't have the luxury of seeing the good in everyone when the relatives you forced to raise me hated my guts. When you think back on tonight, I want you to remember, you did this. You forced my hand; you forced me into life-and-death situations since I was eleven. You are just as guilty as Voldemort for who I was forced to become to survive."

Dumbledore was struck by the words of twisted wisdom. The words did have truth in them, which is why tears started to well up in his eyes. Failure was all he felt now.

Lightly panting in fury, Harry still let loose, "It wasn't until this summer until I eventually gained the necessary strength to take my fate into my own hands. If you were honest with yourself, you should have seen it coming. Witnessing Cedric die in front of me before Voldemort returned from the dead should be anyone's final straw. The truth is, I was beyond lucky to have found and learned from John when I did. If you believe in fate so much, think of it as fate stepping in by making our paths cross at the right moment."

Taking a small pause Harry wanted the next point again to be crystal clear. "Dumbledore, I will never apologize for doing what had to be done. The only way we are having this conversation is because I came out on top. If I did what you wanted, I would be the one laying dead in the Ministry."

Dumbledore wanted to argue these points, but Harry was getting riled up, and having seen what he was capable of made him worry his Elder Wand wouldn't be enough. Looking at Harry now, both of his hands were empty but ready to attack at any second. Dumbledore then tried to cut this hostile word battle short. "I think it is best you take your leave and go to bed. We can talk about this later when the wounds are not so fresh."

Harry scoffed dismissively, moving to stand up to leave having said what he wanted to say. Walking backwards, Harry wasn't stupid enough to give up his back, knowing Dumbledore might try something drastic like erasing his memory.

Dumbledore could see how cautious Harry was stepping back, trying to leave his office. "My boy, I am afraid I will need you to surrender your muggle weapon before you leave."

Harry almost laughed out loud because that wasn't going to happen. "If anything, sir, because you destroyed my shotgun, which was a cherished gift by the way. The way I see it, you owe me a gun."

Dumbledore stood up but didn't make a move towards his wand just yet. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Please surrender your gun peacefully. This is an order."

Harry opened his suit jacket to flash his midnight black custom Kimber 1911 pistol nestled safely in its holster. "You mean this?" Harry's hand was on the pistol grip, ready to pull in Dumbledore should the old man try to escalate this situation.

Harry couldn't believe Dumbledore's audacity. "Are you under the assumption that this is what makes me a killer? A wand can kill you a million different ways, but that's okay because to you, a muggle weapon is a bigger threat. You should realize with my wand I can cast the killing curse or torture someone to madness, which in my mind is worse than a bullet. Do you see the flaw in your logic? You should be counting yourself lucky to be alive after you sabotaged me tonight. I could have killed you but I didn't. Shouldn't that count for something? That I have the restraint and strength to carry this burden of protecting myself and others."

"If you use your wand to kill, it is against the law, and you will end up in Azkaban. People might have the means to kill anyone they wish with anything around them, but it is my job to minimize risk, don't you see my position, boy." Dumbledore replied, thinking he was outsmarting Harry for once.

Harry glared at Dumbledore with a scowl, feeling like another fight was inevitable. "If I were to give you my gun, what is to stop me from conjuring a sword to kill someone. You see you are under the incorrect impression I narrow-mindedly only learned about guns. I was also taught how to use anything as a weapon."

Dumbledore didn't like realizing Harry was constantly thinking about killing and how to kill.

Harry was smiling to himself, "I think this calls for a story that you need to hear to understand what you are up against. It is a short but legendary story when my mentor John Wick went into a bar unarmed, or so everyone thought. The short version is that he killed three men in a bar with a pencil. A fucking pencil. The moral of the story is that the gun doesn't make a killer. I am what I am, a killer. No matter what, I will figure out a way to do what I have to do, but that also means I will not give up any advantage I have to protect myself. Not for you, not for anyone."

Flexing his shooting hand, Harry tried to put the fear of death into Dumbledore. "The only way you are going to get my gun is by taking it from me. You will have to come and take it from my cold dead hands." Taking a pause, Harry could see the once respected man's mind working overtime. "There it is; even now I can see the gears turning in your mind, but before you think of trying, trust me, that is a fight you will lose. No matter how fast you think you are, I am faster."

Dumbledore looked at the Elder Wand on his desk and looked at Harry, who had that killer look return to his eyes. The Headmaster was doing the math, and every answer was an unfavorable one. "I hope you can see it's too dangerous to have around the other students and possibly your friends. You want your friends to be safe, don't you?" Dumbledore tried a different tactic, appealing to Harry's sense of friendship.

Harry wanted to roll his eyes if they were not trained on his enemy in this standoff. "I have had it with me the whole year. At no point this year have I ever been unarmed, and no one noticed because you wizards think if you have someone's wand you hold all the cards. A foolish and dangerous assumption to make."

Maintaining constant eye contact, Dumbledore saw Harry's resolve was stronger than his. Dumbledore was too old and slow to possibly win this fight. His only hope was to willingly get him to hand over his gun. "It is clear I won't be changing your mind." A feeling of despair filled the old man's tone when he huffed like a child before he felt forced to cave, "You may leave, but if I see that gun again, I will send you to Azkaban myself."

Harry did not take threats like he used to; he wouldn't let it slide without pushing back. "I will warn you right now that if you try to lock me up, obliviate me, or kill me, it will not end well for you. Unfortunately for you, it does not just end with me. I am a part of something bigger, backed by a lot more dangerous people than myself. I have joined a network of the most dangerous killers the world has ever seen."

Harry's eyes cut deep as he laid out all of Dumbledore's options while taking away any chess moves the old man was planning. "I set up contingency plans because I know who you are. Please know that your tricks won't work anymore. Before I left New York City, I put up all of the gold in my trust vault to fund a contract that will activate should I not check in. The open contract will reveal the wizarding world to the muggle assassins who don't already know. From there, it will be a never-ending assault of assassins trying to collect the massive payday."

The shock written on Dumbledore's face was priceless. Harry took it in and finished his speech, "Admit it, admit I outplayed you. I might have had some help from a true chess master, but the outcome is still that I won. You have no moves left to play. There are no maneuvers I haven't already thought of and planned for. Checkmate, Dumbledore."

Dumbledore sat back down, but this time in exhaustion and defeat. "When you are older, I hope you will come to regret these actions. All the death and violence will weigh heavy on your soul."

It took everything not to laugh out loud again when Dumbledore tried to play the guilt card. The last play of a desperate loser. "I will have the gift of getting to grow old because of what I did. I promise I will never once regret my actions because, without it, I would have died tonight. Just because you might live with your life's regrets doesn't mean I have to. I suggest you put all of this to bed because it is what it is and you cannot change it. All I have left to say is, goodnight." Harry did not wait for a response before walking out the door with his eyes still trained on Dumbledore.

Another regretful sigh escaped Dumbledore's mouth, feeling every mistake he ever made hit him in the face at once. There would be no sleeping tonight as he replayed every decision, trying to find where he made the biggest mistake.

Maybe it was leaving Harry with his relatives or keeping him too isolated over the summers. It could have been some other small mistake that rippled the water of fate's pond. Which seemingly led to where they were today. Looking at his Phoenix, he felt a wave of sadness hit him. "Fawks. Not even your song or tears can heal this."

Gryffindor Tower

Walking in through the talking painting secret doorkeeping guard over the Gryffindor common room, Harry didn't expect to see the whole house waiting for him. It was enough of a fright he almost reflexively pulled to draw his wand and pistol. To Harry, surprises weren't as favorable as they used to be. A side effect of being almost permanently on guard for the last few years of constant and present danger.

"Surprise!" Everyone waiting for the hero's return yelled when he appeared through the secret doorway.

Harry was surprised enough to be caught off guard. The result of which got his heart racing just as it was starting to calm down from the events at the Ministry and his war of words with Dumbledore. "What is with the surprise?"

Ron wished they had a cake for this triumphant moment. "We rushed back to tell everyone the good news. We couldn't wait for you to come back. Besides, everybody wants to hear what happened directly from you. I mean, come on, mate, you killed Voldemort, who doesn't want to hear how you did it. You did the impossible, and you are acting like it isn't the biggest news story in the world."

Harry embarrassingly blushed, feeling the anger that had boiled over from Dumbledore finally leave him. Being surrounded by friends, he felt at ease and for once somewhat relaxed. It was similar to the moment after he killed Voldemort. There was a similar calm, only to be ruined by Dumbledore when he had to be on guard, ready to go on the offensive.

Hermione could see Harry was still coming to grips with the impromptu party. "Let him sit down, and maybe he can tell you all the story. We might have been there, but there were several parts we didn't catch, like the final duel."

Harry tried to brush it off, "You will read all about it in the paper, complete with pictures."

Angelina grabbed Harry by the arm, which he allowed. His small sample size of hand-to-hand training almost kicked where he could have flipped Angelina onto the ground for suddenly grabbing him. A suitable reaction because when someone grabbed you, it wasn't usually a good thing. By not reacting in a violent way, Harry let his Quidditch teammate lead him over to the couch. "Take a load off and tell us everything before you pass out for the night."

Harry did want to sleep, but with all the excited faces looking at him, Harry felt compelled to recount the events of tonight. While he wanted to lay it out plain and simple with nothing but facts, he had to edit and weave in some storytelling elements because of the innocent first years in the crowd.

The whole house was sitting around the couch as Harry told the story with the help of Hermione, Ron, and Neville. The details made the story so fantastical that some students almost didn't believe it.

Neville almost couldn't believe it either, and he was there while it all unfolded. The recounting of Bellatrix Lestrange's death almost felt anticlimactic because Harry made it look so easy. Neville was almost moved to tears when Harry told the house what he was thinking when he decided to throw the prophecy at the evil witch. Harry recounted how he was truly worried about fighting Bellatrix, only second to Voldemort. Harry explained his reasoning to use something unconventional to throw her off, which also served as a weapon. The glass prophecy shattering on Bellatrix's face made her the perfect sitting duck.

Ginny spoke up during this part, "Neville, didn't you want to be the one to kill her? You worked towards it all year."

Neville did want to be the one that killed Bellatrix, but seeing it happen at all was more important. "Harry moved so fast, and I was close, but I did not fight to be the one to give her the final blow. Yes, it is true. There was always a part of me that always imagined I would be the one doing the deed. In the end, it turns out all I needed was closure. Words can't describe how happy I am with the result, even if Harry was the one to do it. The way he did it was also so very, very satisfying. Her head just exploded into a bloody mist. To know she is really dead is more than enough for me."

"That is what friends are for." Harry said before launching back into the story, and by the end, the room gave him a standing ovation. One which Harry didn't feel like he deserved because he wanted to kill Voldemort selfishly. Harry wasn't thinking of anything else but getting revenge for his parents and saving his friends. "I think that's enough. We need our rest because I sense tomorrow is going to be a very big day." Harry cut the ego-stroking party off early.

Ron piped up, still jittery from the high of their assault on the Ministry where they did and saw the impossible happen. "I can't wait to see the papers and Malfoy's face. I mean, you all should have seen it. Harry killed the ferret's prick's father. Draco's father didn't know what hit him. He put his hands up thinking he was going to skate punishment again, but Harry wasn't having it. Harry…put the…bang bang things in his chest." Ron had no clue what guns were or how they worked, so he was trying to come up with words to describe what he witnessed.

Harry felt a little embarrassed because the Malfoy's as a whole seemed to always make him lose his cool. Harry had to get his emotions under control as he aspired to be a stoic assassin like his mentor. This was such an emotional "job" for him. In the future, it would be easier to disconnect from his feelings, good or bad. John taught him you had to be calm, methodical, and almost non-feeling when you were "working".

The truth was, John might have had some level of disapproval with how emotional Harry had been in Dumbledore's office and during some of his kills. What should have just been a "job" in a way was much more, as this was the culmination of every source of misery he felt over the years. Harry had wanted these kills so bad he could have tasted them. In the end, it all worked out with no deaths on his side, and in the process, he decimated the opposition.

Harry sighed and tried to move on from the events of tonight. "We should all pity Malfoy for losing a parent. I know how it feels…but his father chose a side. I can only hope Draco doesn't make the same mistake." It was cold, but Harry wasn't about to give Draco any slack should he decide to throw a spell at him.

Hermione could see the conflict in Harry when he spoke about not gloating about Draco's father dying. The conflict was because if there was one person who deserved it, then it was Draco, who was seemingly rotten to the core. Draco made jokes about Harry's dead parents, but Harry was trying not to stoop to his level.

In reality, Harry had taken his revenge and possibly thought Draco's father was the cause of Draco's general bigotry. Draco could have been trying to impress his father, and maybe without Lucius around it might be possible the younger Malfoy could change. "That is so mature of you, Harry."

Harry took and released another deep breath, feeling the weight of tonight hit him like a ton of bricks. "I have my peace now. I finished what Voldemort started, so I want that to be the end of it. If Draco wants revenge, that is up to him, but by doing so, he will be bringing out the person you saw tonight. As some of you saw, if the assassin inside of me comes out to play, it won't be pretty…that's all I have to say, goodnight everybody."

The whole house watched Harry stand up from the couch and walk towards the boy's dorm. He needed rest because his eyes started to look dark and lifeless. Hermione noticed it and tapped Neville on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow Harry to ensure he made it to bed safely.

Neville went off following Harry up to their dorm to say his last bit of thanks in the form of being there for Harry in his time of need. Tonight required something Neville wasn't sure any normal rational person could have inside them. No kid should have had this inside them, but Harry rose above the adversity to fight the odds to win a war almost single-handedly. Though it did make sense because Harry was rightfully pushed over the cliff by the recent events from the last year.

During secret D.A. training, they were all prepared to fight for their lives, but Harry never let on that he was capable of this. Harry had used his wand to show the D.A. how to cast spells and shields, but when it came down to a real fight, Harry had used muggle weapons to finish the job. Tonight was a lot more than a typical surprise to everyone who saw the mayhem firsthand.

Ron was running on empty as well, but he was reinvigorated with his found fame. Going deeper into the night, he went into more details about the night to an audience who thought it was the most compelling story they ever heard. Though Ron was being a little loud with his voice because his ears still had some ringing in them. Ron's captive audience lasted maybe another hour more before everyone decided they needed their rest for tomorrow, which was bound to be just as exciting.

When Harry first left, Hermione followed his lead in terms of getting some rest. She floated up to the girls' dorms, followed by some of her roommates. Once inside, the girls had far more personal and revealing questions, like how attractive she found Harry while being wrapped up in the most stressful moments of her life.

Lavender did the most digging, finding Harry more attractive than ever. Maybe it was because Harry was officially a bad boy, a trait most girls were attracted to.

Hermione didn't give up much because she didn't feel attraction to Harry when he slipped into his killer persona. Seeing him kill Umbridge was the most preposterous thing she had ever seen, only to be topped by him killing a platoon of Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. She didn't know what to think, but a tiny part of her was warmed by the feeling of safety she felt near Harry.

In the end, Hermione brushed off her friend's questions by slipping into bed to reflect on the events that changed the very history of the magical world. She was a part of history tonight. Those were some of her last thoughts before the darkness of sleep took her.

Morning

Everyone in Gryffindor was a little groggy waking up after the hangover of information and adrenaline of last night's events. The exception was Harry, who awoke with a deadly focus. His deep dreamless sleep had rejuvenated his mind; he was able to again regain complete control of his sanity and emotions. This was the first night since the school year started he didn't have to try and push back on Voldemort trying to ruin his slumber with visions or his malicious presence.

Reflecting back on yesterday, Harry realized that his rants at Dumbledore were contrary to what he was taught by John. There was too much emotion from his past. Harry would need more time and practice to detach while shaping his emotions into a form of professionalism. Though getting his grievances out in the open was a big step in the right direction. Trying not to dwell on it, he needed his feelings to be known to also set up clear boundaries.

Harry's plain white button-up dress shirt was a little dirty. It was smudged with dirt and some blood. Not to mention the stress sweat from the heart-pounding revenge spree he went on last night. The best he could do was change his shirt and suit jacket until he could clean this one. He had a few dress shirt and jacket spares, finding the Continental tailor was better than anyone in the wizarding world. Though he kept his dark pants and jacket close by.

Still behind his curtains Harry was still dressed in the trousers he wore last night. He didn't bother getting fully undressed. During the night, his pistol holster dug into his side while he slept, leaving a deep mark. Although his gun was under his pillow with the safety on. He liked to be prepared just in case, and despite his main problem being taken care of, he still didn't trust Dumbledore not to pull something else sneaky to take him off the board. Simply for the fact he was willing to kill when necessary.

Having lifted his head when he woke up, he retrieved his midnight dark and trusty Kimber 1911 from under his pillow. With the familiar weight in his hand, it felt metaphorically lighter after last night. Checking the gun, he made sure it had a full mag and one in the chamber before sliding it back in his hip holster. It is where it belonged, and at the same time he felt more confident now that he had been allowed to unleash it to use its full potential in a real battle with magic users.

This slight paranoia suited Harry to always be ready in case there was some other trap waiting to be sprung on him. So he couldn't think anything was settled, opening the opportunity for him to get lazy. He needed his gun and a few mags of problem-solving bullets because he couldn't trust anyone outside of his small group of friends.

"Why can't I stay in bed until this whole thing blows over." Harry quietly groaned to himself. Personally, he didn't want to deal with more fame and attention. Not to mention the negative attention from the Slytherin students whose parents he might have killed last night. Those being the biggest worries in his mind today on the last day of school.

Knowing he couldn't hide, Harry opened the curtains and noticed every other boy was up and getting dressed. They were getting dressed in their standard uniforms, but Harry still didn't want to give up his suit. While technically Umbridge and Voldemort weren't around; he still felt like he couldn't let his guard down. So his high-end, expensive suit concealing his assassin weapons would remain.

Ron noticed Harry and whistled, "Mate, it looks like you had a rough night. Look at that hair, it's like a rat's nest." The joke was a little morbid and a little raw given what had happened. Harry had pulled off what some would call a slaughtering of Death Eaters on top of what he did to Voldemort. The fact Harry was waking up at all was a miracle because even Ron felt like the few hours of sleep they had weren't enough. Mostly because Harry did a lion's share of the work last night and could have probably done with ten or twenty hours of more sleep.

Harry playfully glared at Ron and his bad joke. "The night was tougher than it should have been. No dreams, but I feel the stress still weighing on me. On reflection, there are things I wish I could have done differently…things I know John would have done differently." Harry almost whispered the last part still wanting John's approval of what he did. If John was here, Harry hoped he would get a pat on the back for a job well done. He finished the mission, which was his biggest goal and reason for training with John in the first place. Everything he learned was for last night's bloody but positive outcome.

"Mate, you killed every bad guy we went up against. What else could you have done? What more can you even ask for?" Ron was dumbfounded, thinking Harry found any problem with how he approached last night.

It made Harry sound defeated thinking of his mistakes, "The mission was perfect with a few rough edges maybe, but when I talked to Dumbledore, I lost my temper. I was immature; I lost control of my emotions. I was taught you have to be able to separate emotions because those are the things that get you killed. You are allowed to take things personally, but you can't get sloppy. That results in you not thinking ahead, meaning you will get outplayed."

Ron almost could understand the chess-like reference. "Outplayed? Outplayed by who? There is no one left. Voldemort is dead, mate."

Harry knew the Weasleys in general had a strong relationship with Dumbledore, so he had to tread carefully. "Dumbledore didn't agree with my methods. A kind way of putting it is that I voiced my opinion because I didn't agree with his methods either. It got heated, is all I will say."

Ron was Harry's friend first, having seen Harry do what he did last night also solidified his faith in Harry and his methods. "Mate, Dumbledore is wrong. What you did was amazing, and everyone should be thanking you for it. Please know that I have your back now and I always will. I know I haven't been completely loyal in the past, but I was an idiot who was jealous. In the beginning, I didn't realize you never asked for this. I was just jealous of your fame and wealth. I want to finally apologize and say I am sorry. I am sorry I didn't fight for you last year, but I promise you that I will always fight for you now. It's the least you deserve when you fought for us when we needed it most."

Any past troubles they had were when Ron thought Harry was milking his fame or acting up for attention was gone. Most likely, Ron finally understood that Harry really was special. Harry didn't need to act special or demand to be seen as special. The truth was, Harry was something extraordinary because his situation demanded it. He didn't have a choice but to do what he did for his own survival as well as the survival of everyone else in the wizarding world.

Neville was up out of bed feeling refreshed and positively light on his feet. No sense of gloom or anxiety that typically plagued the jumpy teenager. Neville was in possession of a mood that would probably get even better when his grandmother learned the news of what transpired last night.

The sad truth was he didn't kill Bellatrix himself, but he was there helping the person who did kill the bitch who was responsible for tearing their family apart. That should earn him some credit with his overly critical grandmother. Though she might wish it was a member of the Longbottom family who took Bellatrix out for good, avenging their family. However, it shouldn't matter because what Harry did was more than enough for him. The bitch was dead and died screaming, which was all that mattered.

Neville couldn't wait to go into extreme detail about that moment with his grandmother when he arrived home. He could explain in Gorey detail what it was like to see Bellatrix's head explode into a mess as her sickly baby voice was silenced forever. His grandmother would no doubt read about it in the papers, but the articles wouldn't give her the full picture Neville witnessed. Hell, if she could see the memory firsthand, his grandmother would probably die of happiness.

Still floating on a happy feeling, Neville spoke up confidently. "What Ron said. Harry, I want you to know that I will always stand and fight by your side. What you did for House Longbottom is something that will never be forgotten. We owe you."

The feeling of satisfaction filled Harry again, seeing it wasn't just his vengeance that was satisfied last night. He had also given Neville the justice he had been waiting so long for. "Thank you; that means more than you know. The respect is mutual. You did not need to join me last night, but I count myself lucky you did. I do not think I could have done everything on my own, no matter what my ego might say to that." Harry was touched by his friend's words of support.

With the sappy part over, the group of friends descended into the common room, where everyone was waiting to head to breakfast as a group. The Gryffindors wanted a show of solidarity for Harry and what he did for them. The Gryffindor house didn't care how Harry pulled it off or the gory details, unlike Dumbledore. The sticking point was they were safe from the existential threat that was Voldemort. So their faith in Harry was quite unshakable and unbreakable.

Hermione had been waiting for Harry to join them, but seeing him in his suit from last night made her raise an eyebrow. "Same clothes from last night?" To Hermione, she didn't know why he wasn't back in uniform. Not even an outer robe to cover the suit as a compromise to the rules.

In Hermione's eyes, this was almost a warning that he was expecting more trouble. The way he carried himself in his "killer suit," as she was now calling it, deserved mention. Hermione could see all the familiar signs that Harry was still a little jumpy when it came to letting his guard down.

Harry responded to Hermione with one word, "Yeah."

Hermione expected more explanation, "Please tell me you at least cleaned them."

Harry pointed at the clean shirt and jacket, "I changed the shirt, but I didn't want to waste time transferring all my 'personal effects' to another pair of trousers." This was a subtle way of saying he was still carrying a gun and ammunition for said gun. Still ready for war, Harry couldn't allow himself a moment to relax in case someone else wanted to do him harm. From Dumbledore down to Draco, Harry didn't trust anyone.

Hermione swished her wand at Harry, which made Harry flinch, which proved her point about him being on edge. With his clothes clean from a basic cleaning spell, she smiled, "I think I will have to give you a lesson on how to clean up after yourself. If you choose to wear a suit, then you should always be pulling it off without smelling like you rolled around in the ashes of a fireplace."

Harry felt his clothes somehow get a little softer and no longer have the smell of blood, sweat, and gunpowder. "Thank you. I guess that can wait because I sense everyone is patiently waiting for their breakfast."

Nothing else needed to be said with the clear pack of Gryffindors making their way down to breakfast. Harry felt awkward being the center of attention again. He had wanted to lay low because he imagined it looked strangely odd when all the Gryffindors walked into the Great Hall at the same time. Harry looked to be in the command of an army and not a house, showing him their prized student unquestionable loyalty. They didn't care that he killed people last night, they only cared about the fact they felt safe again.

As expected, no one else in the smattering of students from other houses understood why Gryffindor all showed up together. It was peculiar, to say the least. Only because the word of last night's events had yet to spread like wildfire. That would soon change when the post arrived.

Sitting down at his house table Harry sat facing the Slytherin table, knowing if there was a problem he needed to face it head-on. It would be a tactical mistake to not face them risking a curse in the back. Unbuttoning his suit jacket, Harry was sitting down with full, unrestricted access to his wand and his pistol. Pulling either would only be if the situation called for it. If he was forced to pull a weapon, he had no intention of pulling his gun unless there was something lethal thrown at him. Which was not out of the realm of possibility given Draco Malfoy's record of being a stupid prick.

This morning he had reloaded his pistol and checked to make sure a round was in the chamber just in case. After coming back from the Ministry he couldn't wait to take off the larger shotgun and pistol ammo belt he wore for last night's mission. Though he was still upset about losing his gifted shotgun, which turned to sand in his hands courtesy of Dumbledore. Feeling the sand go through his fingers could have been the difference in that fight if he didn't also have a sidearm backup.

Not like Harry would wear his shotgun to breakfast, but today Harry would still wear his pistol and three spare fresh mags on his belt, which should be more than enough in case breakfast went sideways. It didn't help Harry's peace of mind when he could picture Draco casting a killing curse out of anger.

Draco attacking him in anger was the worst-case scenario. Not just for him but anyone else around Harry. Should that reaction take place, it would trigger Harry to react with lethal force if necessary. Though Harry didn't want that because he did have a genuine worry for all of the other students who could be caught in the crossfire. Harry could only hope Draco wasn't that stupid because the ferret wouldn't fare any better than his own father did.

Many minutes had passed before everyone had arrived for breakfast, with most students being oblivious to the juicy piece of news that had happened last night. It seemed to be a groggy start to a normal day to them. Though the staff knew different and were all on the same page regarding last night's events. The world has changed with the events of last night, and anything could still happen.

Dumbledore urged the staff to be on guard and ready to step into any budding conflict just in case things hit a boiling point. Madam Pomfrey was also waiting in the wings at breakfast just as a precaution. She normally ate breakfast in her office, but today she joined the staff.

That was Dumbledore's call, having seen Harry's new true self. The new reveal of a student capable of cold blooded murder forced Dumbledore to take extra steps to avoid more possible bloodshed. With Harry no longer averse to bloodshed, it might take the whole staff table to keep the boy in check if he chose to snap.

Seeing Harry still dressed in his muggle suit was an indicator that Harry was still prepared for an attack. It was a distressing sight for Dumbledore. Harry Potter no doubt still had his muggle gun on him, which spelled trouble for someone as clueless as Mr. Malfoy. Whispering to Minerva, Dumbledore wanted his old friend to be the one to possibly stun Harry if things started to boil over.

With the Great Hall a buzz as whispers started to spread, soon the food was placed on tables. Soon followed a few minutes later by the owls dropping off the Daily Prophet newspapers.

A hush fell over the whole hall as everyone had seen the front page and started to furiously read. Everyone, including the Slytherins, was reading with their eyes rapidly moving side to side on the pages. Well, everyone except Harry, who had his eyes trained on the Slytherin table. He lived the news, so he didn't need to read it; he only needed to be ready for certain people's reactions to the news.

It played off as if Harry couldn't be bothered with the news while he used his left hand to slowly pick up and eat a piece of toast. The boy turned assassin took small bites almost for show. Harry was wound tight waiting for the explosion of anger from the Slytherin table.

Dumbledore had warned Severus that last night's event could explode into a bigger problem when certain students had learned of the news. Instead of telling Draco last night, the thought was best to let Draco learn the news in a public setting, hoping it would curb his rightfully angry response.

The potion professor had to be on his toes watching his students whose parents were Death Eaters and had died at The Ministry. While the names of all the dead weren't known yet, Severus had known the identities of all the Death Eaters and their children at this point.

The silence in the Great Hall lasted quite a while, with everyone soon looking at Harry in awe and some with fear. How could you not when you read about his exploits last night, almost all on his own. On the front page was a picture confirming Voldemort was dead, but on page two was the moving picture of Harry putting three gunshots into Voldemort to finish it.

Most, if not all, of the purebloods didn't understand what guns were or how loud they could be. Because the picture has no sound, it almost looked harmless until the muggleborn or halfblood students filled them in on what guns were. Filling the gaps in their knowledge changed the way they viewed Harry and, by extension, muggles.

On page five is where the paper listed the names of the other dead Death Eaters found littered around the Ministry. It was there that Draco read his father's name in the list of fatalities. A white hot fury instantly washed over the blonde. He wasn't the only one either, as a few other Slytherin students saw the names of their relatives. Crabbe and Goyle also read their fathers were dead; however, they were ironically the smartest to not react so bombastically.

Seeing Draco look up from the paper in anger forced Harry to put his slice of toast down. He had mentally prepared himself for whatever was about to happen, and he wasn't the only one. Neville, Ron, and Hermione were very aware of the storm brewing. So they were matching Harry's nervous energy and were on edge as well in case something kicked off.

Newly half-orphaned, Draco crumpled his paper and threw it down before standing up ready to draw his wand on Harry Potter. The killing curse was on his lips, ready to speak it into existence. What he didn't expect was for Potter to mirror him by matching his motions with a greater speed. Only Potter's right hand went halfway into his suit jacket as if he were ready to draw the weird muggle device he read about.

Before he could fully extend his arm to cast the killing curse, Potter was up with a glare that caused Draco to hesitate. It caught Draco off guard to see Potter react so fast by standing up, but curiously, Potter didn't draw his wand. It was truly puzzling to Draco why Potter didn't go for his wand. "You made a big mistake, Potter."

Harry didn't flinch at Draco's raised tone. Instead, he tried to calm his nerves by letting his reflexes and senses do the hard work of keeping his body ready to anticipate attack. His hands were almost flat to slip further between his jacket and shirt should he have to quickly draw. "Your father made a mistake by throwing his lot in with Voldemort. Do not act rashly because now there is no one left for you to hide behind. You need to know the truth, your father's death was his own choice from the moment he decided to raise his wand against me. I have changed Draco. I am not the pushover you used to know; I am a killer. This is my true self, so take that to heart when I tell you that I will never hesitate to put down an enemy. Now take a second and think about your situation carefully to avoid making the same mistake your father made last night."

As Harry spoke, his hand was still, but he could almost feel his muscles twitch, waiting for any indication he would have to go for his gun.

During the threatening and frankly terrifying speech given by Harry, Severus and Dumbledore were promptly on their feet in front of the staff table, ready to intervene. Both with wands raised, ready to shield or knock either student out should they attack. With that notion of aggression, the picture has changed. It almost looked like three on one, with Harry being the disadvantaged one.

That was something Neville didn't like the look off; a push to his feet later he joined his friend, ready for a fight. Neville didn't care who he was fighting, standing up with a new confidence ready to explode at anyone who threw a spell at his friend. Headmaster or professor, it didn't matter to Neville, who felt like a new man after last night.

It was a bold move by Neville that swiftly had Ron motivated to stand up to join his friends. Ron didn't know what he could have done, but seeing Harry outnumbered when he did nothing wrong deeply bothered him. Dumbledore had been treating Harry like he was a dangerous one, almost not giving any attention to the real danger in the ferret Draco Malfoy. Harry was being treated as the villain for doing the right thing. Ron didn't understand why it was playing out this way, but his sense of friendship and morality wouldn't let it stand.

Dumbledore didn't expect his students to come to Harry's defense, but it seems as if last night formed an unbreakable bond between the group of friends turned soldiers.

Dumbledore could read the tea leaves and see there was suddenly no way of only stunning Harry when the odds took a dangerous turn. This situation could no doubt be messy if things continued to deteriorate. Having a full out fight break out was the last thing Dumbledore wanted, on the last day of school no less. "I think we all need... to take a deep breath. Remain calm and not do anything we might regret." Dumbledore said in his signature grandfatherly tone.

Draco couldn't be calmed by simple words, only action. "He murders my father, and I am just supposed to sit and take it. My father was a pureblood noble lord; why isn't Potter in Azkaban right now? You can't kill the head of a noble, pureblooded family and get away with it."

Harry wasn't interested in arguing with an irrational Draco Malfoy. He only kept his eyes trained on the boy's hands. Choosing not to speak, Harry had a small hope Dumbledore might be able to save Draco's life. No doubt if Harry spoke up again, it would likely drive Draco deeper into his rage. Though it was not cowardice because Harry was not afraid of this fight. If push came to shove, there was zero chance Draco wasn't going to win this battle.

Snape was the one to speak up. With his time as a double agent officially over, he could speak honestly to his godson. "Your father was a Death Eater, Draco. He had the mark and was found dead in the process of attacking the Ministry. Like it or not, Potter had the legal right to do what he did. It might sound unfair, but I want you to take solace in the fact Potter proved himself to be the utter savage we all knew him to be. He revealed himself to be an unhinged murderer in the process. He will not be able to avoid justice forever."

Harry let his anger take hold for a split second. "Fuck you, Snape." Harry hated taking any insults from Snape, someone he didn't respect. John would have scolded him for this outburst, but Harry couldn't help it. True Snape might have done one good deed by warning the Order last night; however, that didn't change the fact Snape would always favor Draco. It was a compulsion for the bat to protect the little prick despite Draco always being in the wrong.

Dumbledore put his hands up when he saw Severus almost move to attack Potter for his crude tongue. "Now, now, now, we don't need to resort to foul language. Why don't we discuss this more in my office?"

Harry had enough talking with Dumbledore. "I don't need a therapy session, I am done talking. This fight has been five years in the making." With his friends backing him up, Harry never took his eyes off Malfoy. "So what will it be, Draco? How do you want it to end?"

Draco was itching to use his wand to kill Potter dead, but the look in Potter's eyes scared him. The look wasn't an angry look but one of pure focus and determination. Potter was staring through his soul, daring him to attack. Almost like Potter wanted a reason to use those cheap muggle tricks to kill him.

Running through all the scenarios in his head, Draco smartly decided to wait for revenge. The shining moment of clarity helped him realize that this was a situation that required cunning. "You win this round. Don't think this is the end of it either. I will be seeing you around, Potter."

Harry didn't like Draco's choice of words, "No, Draco, there is no seeing me. Someone like you will never see me coming. Take this as your one and only warning. Don't you dare believe we are close to being equals. You are an annoying insect to me, nothing more, if you keep pursuing this petty feud, I promise my eyes will be the last thing you ever see."

Harry was offended. Draco used a similar phrase repeated in the assassin world. Draco didn't know the first thing about honor or death. It was a large tactical error Draco made by saying that they would be continuing this at a later date.

Draco might have gotten away with a sneak attack in the past, but Harry learned to be a sharp, razor edged weapon ready for battle. Harry trained to be an assassin, someone who would never be caught off guard by Draco.

Magic might help make people unpredictable because everything was possible, but it was a ruse. There was only so much you could do with magic, while Harry miraculously had more than enough training by real assassins to foil any of Draco's pathetic attempts on his life.

Harry was inherently a better killer because he could start by silencing his shoes and wearing his invisibility cloak. From there he could do the deed and kill Draco with a silent but deadly knife slash across his neck from behind. Doing something like this would ensure Draco would never see him coming. No one was untouchable evidence by Harry killing a lot of people who previously thought they were untouchable until last night.

If somehow the reverse happened and Draco tried to sneak up on Harry, it would fail because their skill gap was too large. Despite Draco being at a disadvantage, Harry had the benefit of being at his best and ready at all times, so he didn't fall for someone as downright silly as Draco.

'If I did die by Draco's clueless hands, I would never hear the end of it from John in the afterlife.'

Draco soon fled after his failed encounter in the Great Hall. He fled with his tail between his legs, followed by Severus Snape quickly chasing after him. Severus had to try and talk some sense into Draco before he did something incredibly stupid. Though if he were honest, Severus would have loved to see Potter taken off his new high perch. What was stopping Snape from doing it himself was the memory Dumbledore showed him of last night's events. Those observed memories had proven that this new Potter was the last person to be trifled with.

Who Potter was before this year was one hundred percent different than who he was today. From the look of death in Potter's eyes in the second-hand memory, Severus had to warn Draco that the schoolyard bully was gone and replaced with a very real cold-blooded killer. Someone who you could no longer bully without putting your life in danger.

If the Dark Lord and his most deadly Death Eaters couldn't kill Potter, what chance did a grief-stricken fifth-year Draco Malfoy have? For Snape, that memory from the Ministry was much more haunting than anything Severus could have imagined. So much so that it even put the fear of Potter in someone like Severus Snape. The potion master didn't want to be afraid of anyone, much less the cocky showoff Potter, who was just like his father.

The pair had left an awkward silence filling the Great Hall upon their exit. It suited Harry, who was happy to see one threat in Draco and another in Snape out of the way but didn't dare to discount anyone else. "Does anyone have anything else they want to say?" His voice sounded calm, but Harry said it in a threatening way, which made any other Death Eaters spawn swallow their true feelings.

It was almost as if the other aggrieved students could see and feel the deathly aura hovering over Potter. The fearlessness for Harry Potter to defend himself spelled more trouble than any student could safely handle on their own.

Harry waited a long and tense few seconds for any objections. He had expected a few jeers and boo's shouted at him or possibly a move to attack in a group from the Slytherin table. Lucky for him and their own safety, no one had the guts to say or do anything. Harry's friends also standing tall next to him probably helped shut down any possible attacks. While he was the most deadly of the three, they still had the numbers on their side.

More seconds passed, and Harry slowly moved to sit down but not fully relax. With no movement, Harry sat back down, followed by his friends. Hopefully this time he could finish eating his breakfast, which he was starving for. Last night and this tense morning took more out of him than he was willing to admit.

The whole Great Hall was so deadly silent you could have heard a pin drop before they broke out in raucous applause. The round of applause was a hundred times bigger than the one from last night in the dorm. The applause frankly made Harry feel uncomfortable. Out loud he voiced his displeasure, "Oh, please stop; this is already getting old."

Harry would have bet all of his Continental coins that John Wick never earned a round of applause for completing his jobs. This, for all intents and purposes, was just his job, something he had to do. A job given by fate, and without his new skills, he would have prayed for someone else to do it. Harry didn't do it for fame or the deafening applause. Although killing Voldemort himself was a perk better than the constant applause thus far.

His mumbled words couldn't be heard by anyone other than Hermione, who elbowed Harry, "Get used to it. You saved the world for Merlin's sake."

Harry rolled his eyes, hoping this wasn't going to become the new normal. He thought his first introduction to the wizarding world from the first few steps into The Leaky Cauldron was bad. 'If I am going to get this kind of reception everywhere I go, it will start to really annoy me.' Harry had humbled himself over the summer through grueling training where he wanted respect from his peers. He would choose silent respect far above the empty applause from fans.

Dumbledore could understand why the whole school, including the other teachers, applauded Harry, but to him this was a sign of a broken moral compass. On the front page there was a brutal murder of a defenseless man, and everyone was cheering for the murderer. Knowing it would be stupid to point that out, Dumbledore went back to his seat to discuss the moral failings of the school with Minerva.

During their talk, Minerva couldn't have disagreed more. She conceded that if he killed people outside of self-defense, it would be a greater cause of concern. "You treat him as if he killed a first year, Albus. He is a good boy who did what he did because it was the right thing to do. This is a war, or have you forgotten?"

Dumbledore sighed, "You saw the list. There were so many bodies. So many dead fathers and fellow wizards who were killed."

"Death Eaters, Albus. Remember who they are and what they stood for. I won't shed a tear for them. Did you forget they killed my husband during the first war? If you are looking for sympathy, you are barking up the wrong tree, Albus." Minerva tried to get the point through her old friend's thick skull.

Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose where his half-moon glasses rested. "Death Eaters and Voldemort aside, why do we also have no clue as to Delores Umbridge's location? The last witnesses to see her alive said she left into the Forbidden Forest with Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger."

Minerva didn't care about Umbridge either. "She ran after the fall at the Ministry…or… maybe not, but who cares? She was a dreadful bigoted monster in pink wrapping. You can't be serious in wanting her around after what she did. She tortured students... or are you finally going senile?"

Dumbledore would task a search team to go over every inch of the school grounds to find out if she was maybe alive or hiding. "Everyone deserves to live, Minerva."

Minerva was old, but the empathy Dumbledore had was misplaced. "You are coming to the end of your life, and you think life is the greatest magical gift of all. It isn't you who would have to live with the long-lasting consequences of letting a monster like Voldemort live. There is nothing wrong with cherishing life, but you can't have preferential treatment for people who make it clear they want to take that gift away from innocents. I ask you as a friend to please let this go and stop trying to punish someone who has always done the right thing."

Dumbledore thought deeply of her opposing viewpoint but still felt as if Harry went too far. Sadly, Harry's actions had earned him the hearts and minds of everyone around him. "He didn't use magic. He gave them no chance to surrender. He used a muggle gun to kill and only kill, with my arm being the exception. But you should have seen his eyes. I looked into his eyes, which were as cold as ice, when he threatened to shoot me again if I interfered. I could tell he meant it."

Minerva nodded, seeing it was also bruised ego that the greatest wizard for generations was vested by a muggle device. "You don't like how he did it, Albus? So that is your biggest complaint? If he used only magic, you would swallow this potion easier."

Dumbledore was accepting of everything but couldn't get past this. "Maybe…just maybe. I can only feel like this outcome was not how it was supposed to play out. He broke the rules of magical engagement. He broke more than that, and the ripples have yet to be seen. I have a suspicion whatever he went through over the summer changed the path of fate. This sinking feeling I have is as if the world might have changed for the worse last night. I don't think this is over the way he thinks it is."

Minerva scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I have millions of Muggleborns and muggles who would disagree. I advise you to please have a drink to calm your overexaggerated fears of the times changing. This is the evolution of war, where Harry had to do something experimental and risky to win. Be happy for the win; please, please let this go, Albus."

Dumbledore still felt as if he was missing something. It didn't feel right to let a student walk around who had killed a large group of people just last night. Keeping quiet, Dumbledore reflected on all the information he had while promising himself to not give up searching for the answers he needed.

Time Skip

The Hogwarts school year was coming to an end, and there was the last full day of the year. After finals yesterday, today was about getting your homework to do over the summer vacation. It was of course also a time for reminiscing. Though this year didn't have as many high points as years past. Mostly thanks to Umbridge's reign of terror.

Harry had to resume going through the motions of being on guard and protecting himself. He couldn't let up until he was back with Sirius in the safety of Grimmauld, where he could finally relax a little.

With limited time left of the school year, Harry was still on his toes for Draco or other possible threats. He took everything slow and cautious. From walking class to class, looking behind him to make sure there wasn't something coming from the back. He had also taken to peeking corners before fully turning the corners and exposing his whole body. He always mentally cleared a path forward while also always having an escape plan.

That professional assassin's rhythm was soon disturbed by a sudden pop of an appearing Hogwarts house elf informing him to visit the Headmaster's office. To take this meeting, Harry would be missing his last Divination class, which could be seen as a blessing depending on if this visit went better than his last one.

Headmaster's Office

Harry walked calmly and collected into the manipulative Headmaster's office after giving the gargoyle the sweet, inspired password. With his suit jacket unbuttoned, Harry wasn't letting his guard down for anyone. With his pistol in his holster and ready to go, he had to hope Dumbledore wouldn't push him to use it.

Dumbledore had let his displeasure of his actions be known, so Harry, doing the same, let his intentions be known. He was going to make it clear to Dumbledore that if he was pushed past his limit, then retaliation with his full assassin skills would be swift and brutal.

Dumbledore motioned for Harry to take a seat, but Harry chose to stand up with his shoulders standing proud. There was no childish slouch or sign of someone at ease. He was now fully rested, simultaneously being ready for anything.

Harry still viewed the Headmaster as someone who stood in his way of living a happy life, no longer under his control. "I had hope that all of our future meetings wouldn't be this tense." Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly tone, sensing that he was again too close to someone so capable of death.

"Then don't get in my way. Stop trying to trap me. When I need to do something, maybe don't demonize me for doing something you yourself were too weak to do." Harry was harsh with his words. Narrowing his eyes, studying every piece of Dumbledore's body language. Harry already knew this was going to be a lecture or another chance for him to see the light, so to speak. Which shouldn't have annoyed him, but it did.

Dumbledore didn't respond and instead slowly took off a dirty white cloth hiding a mangled wand. The wand belonged to what the Headmaster believed was the late Professor Umbridge. "I take it you recognize this. We found it when we searched the grounds when Delores didn't attend our staff meeting."

Harry didn't need to look but pretended that he needed a second to inspect the wand. "I had that thing pointed at me enough to recognize it anywhere. Now what is this about?" The truth was, Harry knew what this was about but had to play dumb.

"I find it coincidental that Umbridge is believed to be dead. To use your words taken off the board on the same night you removed all the other pieces from the board. We might never recover the body because the killer used the dangerous animal life to expertly cover their tracks."

Dumbledore had wanted to see a moment of recognition or emotion flash across Harry's face but the boy was a statue. The Headmaster was baiting Harry, trying to put the rest of the puzzle together because there was so much still needing to be answered.

Harry could see this coming a mile away and was smart enough not to react. "I see you are not so cleverly implying something. Personally, I think you are just grasping at straws and trying to pin something on me because you didn't like my methods at the Ministry. You seem to have gained a bias against me in light of the events from last night."

A breath of calm entered Harry's chest to keep his true feelings firmly bottled up. "I don't know where Umbridge ended up and I think you will have trouble finding anyone who would give a shit if she was alive or dead."

Harry's callousness towards the lives of those he deemed evil was disturbing. "I see that you still haven't softened up. I am deeply disturbed by the way you treat the line between life and death. We are all people who deserve respect. I thought if you had a night to reflect, maybe you would see your methods as more extreme than they needed to be."

Harry was tired of this revolving door of morality. "I do not know how much clearer I can be on this point, Dumbledore. I will never…ever regret what happened at the Ministry. I don't even slightly regret the lives I had to take. I only wish I had the power to do it sooner, perhaps in the graveyard at the end of the Triwizard tournament. I could have probably saved Cedric if I had the ability to fight back against fully grown wizards. More proof you could have saved a lot of lives if you trained me when you had the chance. Blame yourself that I was woefully underprepared, forcing me to look elsewhere to protect myself and the people I care about. I refuse to let anyone else be a casualty when I am the one who is chosen by fate to stop it. All that is left is for you to recognize and take responsibility for your own mistakes."

Dumbledore could see the brick wall in front of him was as impenetrable as ever. "Your so-called training has brainwashed you to not let in any oppositional viewpoints. The unwillingness to see the true facts of the power of love and letting yourself be motivated by hate."

A barking and condescending laugh emerged from Harry. "I could say the same for you. Not for a second you thought I was justified for killing literal murders and criminals. My love for the innocent is why I did what I did. It is more compassionate than hopelessly wishing for monsters to change their ways."

A deep sigh from Harry pushed him back into a lecturing mode in an effort to convince Dumbledore that he wasn't the bad guy. "On the other hand, when I followed your views, I quickly learned it wasn't enough. That love and compassion were going to get me and people I care about killed. I have lived both sides of this argument, and I'm sorry, but you lose. You are just plain wrong, it isn't hate that drives me, what drives me is revenge and justice."

Dumbledore wanted to be more upset at that almost slap in his face. The Headmaster did feel as if this was his mistake for letting Harry slip so far. "I think I will have to ask Ms. Granger about this matter." It was a deliberate clue to maybe draw something out of Harry.

Harry could see this was a scare tactic. It was a desperate move to get him to confess. "Do what you want, Headmaster. I don't really care because nothing will stop me from going home to Sirius tomorrow. None of your pathetic amateur chess moves will have any effect on me now. You should have already realized that I am willing to go to places you could never dream of to protect myself and those I care about. Feel free to go sling your accusations to the Ministry. Tell them, scream it from the rooftops, but beware if they come for me, whoever it is, I will kill them. I will kill them all. That is my solemn promise to you if you keep pulling at this thread because I will never go to Azkaban or change back into the naive boy I once was."

Harry slipped back into a more reasonable and not so deep tone of voice when he added, "Good day, sir, and I hope this is the last time we see each other until next year. Maybe by then you will come to accept the glaring list of positives that come with my actions."

With his little speech, Harry turned to leave the office once again, hoping he got through to that senile old man. Because even if he somehow got Hermione to flip on him about killing Umbridge, Harry wasn't afraid of any of the consequences. Harry had the power and skills to most likely shoot his way out of any scenario.

The best insurance in Harry's case was that the whole country had to be on his side for finally putting an end to Voldemort. 'I wouldn't put anything past Dumbledore though. If he wants this fight to escalate, then it will be bad for the health of everyone on his side.'

Time Skip

Most of the remaining days of the school year passed uneventfully until Hermione had returned from the Headmaster's office. Joining them in the common room, which was still buzzing around Harry, Hermione took a seat on the couch with her friends.

Shyly looking at Harry, she has to tell him the truth. "The Headmaster wanted to talk to me…about Umbridge."

Harry wasn't worried because if she did spill the beans, then more people than her would have walked in here. "You didn't arrive with Aurors, so I assume you obscured a few details."

Hermione nodded. "We walked her into the forest to show her Hagrid's brother. Gwap's restraint broke, and he ran off. Umbridge chased him, and that was the last we ever saw of her." When she was faced with the moment to spill the details of what really happened, she had been unsure what she would say about that night. A surprise to her was that she naturally fabricated a lie. She hated lying but couldn't stop herself to protect Harry.

Harry was still a good person who had been pushed to a necessary extreme. Hermione might not like his brutal methods, but the results spoke for themselves. No one could have done what Harry did that night. If he didn't do what he did, Ron, Neville, and herself might have ended up dead. Harry had permanently removed every obstacle in their path, almost single handedly.

Harry admired Hermione's stretching of the truth, which explained why they were seen leaving together. "I guess the facts are the facts. I am glad we got that all cleared up. I don't know why Dumbledore cares so much about that pink frog who used a blood quill as a weapon on the students she didn't like."

Ron was missing something but was happy to hear the big pink bitch was gone. "Voldemort and Umbridge are gone. I didn't think this year could get any better. Now all I wish for is galleons to rain from the skies."

Harry cracked a smile at Ron's joke, "Well, I have no idea how to pull that one off. If it makes you feel any better, I am expecting bounties from the Death Eaters I killed at the Ministry. I plan on letting you guys split the gold. It's the least I could do. You all risked your lives by coming with me when you didn't have to. I didn't want you to get hurt, but I have to admit it was nice to have friends watching my back when I needed it most."

Ron whooped and cheered because he knew Bellatrix alone was over one hundred thousand galleons. "Yes! Yes! That is what I am talking about. 'Bout time we get paid for saving the people all the time. I can finally buy the newest Firebolt. We both will have one, and then no one will beat our team at Quidditch again. After that, I will still have plenty left to get everything I have ever wanted."

Harry knew Ron had rightly or wrongly always been envious of his financial situation. This could be seen as a good start for Ron to get out of the poor Weasley family stereotype. "Whatever you want, mate. You all standing with me meant more than gold ever could. It might have seemed like I didn't need you at times, but I needed you more than you know. Over the summer I learned gold can be used as a sign of respect, and I respect all of you for what you did. You didn't have to, but it meant the world to me to have you all by my side in what could have been my final moments."

Harry held true to the meaning of the gold coins from the assassin world. While this was different, his heart was in the same spot. Giving them gold for services rendered was a small price to pay for what he was able to accomplish. It wasn't logical to hoard the added wealth for himself when he was already so well off.

The sappy moment soon passed, with Hermione happy to see Harry let his shoulders go down enough to show visible signs of relaxing. The new Harry was almost a totally different person when sitting in the common room, knowing he was surrounded by friends and not enemies. It wasn't always the case when some questioned Voldemort's return, but now that he had proven it, even Seamus had come around to the fact Harry wasn't lying.

Harry also wasn't half as serious as earlier in the Great Hall, facing off against Draco. That was a legitimate threat, and Hermione hoped the grieving Malfoy would avoid pressing Harry past the line of no return. Draco did not see or understand what Harry was capable of. Now that Hermione did know exactly what Harry was turned into, it was easy to see how Draco stood no chance against Harry.

It deeply worried Hermione that Draco could have fallen face first into something he had no comprehension of. Seeing Harry in action was something so different. It was scary to see him flip the switch into a killer. From Umbridge to Voldemort, her friend was ruthless when he was forced into a corner. The way he moved while keeping the whole of the wizarding world safe was so violent it bordered on the beautiful and intense.

Before their final dinner at Hogwarts, Harry received plenty of more stoppages in the halls and compliments from housemates. He shook more hands and signed a few autographs for Colin Creevy before his stomach led him to what could very well be his last dinner at Hogwarts.

In truth, Harry hadn't decided if he wanted to come back. It was something he wanted to discuss with Sirius because for the first time he had options.

Time Skip: Next day

Everything else was uneventful, from dinner to boarding the train home in the morning after their allotted morning meal. Though the biggest difference was Snape rode the train with Draco up front. Effectively keeping the little prick on a shorter leash. It was the smartest move possible because if Draco got up to his usual tricks, then it could have very well been his last train ride.

Besides the obvious tension, the ride back to King's Cross was as normal and uneventful as possible. A bright spot was getting gifted a few extra sweets as a thank you for putting an end to Voldemort. The sweet trolley lady had lost family in the last war, so seeing the picture of Harry killing Voldemort was worth a few extra of his favorite chocolate frogs at no cost.

Disembarking the train, the first thing Harry saw was Sirius free and clear. It was a sight he never expected to see before, but it was slightly spoiled when Harry noticed Sirius was standing next to Amelia Bones, who had a close eye on the situation.

Harry was pulling his trunk with his left hand, keeping his right free to launch a defense if he needed to. The reason for his worry was the unpredictability of the people in the crowd he didn't know. If anything, this could have been another possible set-up or ambush set up by people like Dumbledore or the Ministry who were afraid of his new-found power. He wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to use Sirius like bait the same way Voldemort tried to. Not to mention the smaller chance there could have been Death Eaters lying in wait in the crowd looking for possible revenge.

For Amelia Bones once again, she felt the hair on her neck and arms stand up the closer Harry approached. He wasn't running towards his godfather to hug him as a normal child would. No, he was assessing the situation and keeping an eye out for a possible trap. The cautious steps almost made Mad-Eye Moody's paranoia look tame. "You can calm down, Mr. Potter. It's only me. I just wanted to give you the good news that your godfather is a free man. The good news does not stop there, with Fudge also being removed from office. It hasn't been printed yet, but we found he has been corrupt and bribed going back years. He was only a week and a half into office before he took his first big bribe."

Harry let his body relax a little, trusting her word. Amelia seemed to be a straight shooter, so to speak. As much as one could be working for a corrupt government. "Well, that isn't a shock. He does seem like someone who could be easily bought off. Happens when you have no spine to think of."

Amelia agreed, "We are trying to work out a deal for a decade or more of house arrest so it doesn't hit the papers. We want a smooth transition of power so as to not scare the public." Amelia wanted to be as honest as possible with Harry Potter because his thoughts and opinions would now hold even more power. She also didn't want to get on his bad side. The new best practice was best to be transparent.

Sirius didn't care about this rubbish, "Well, that is all well and good, but I think it's time for my godson and I to make up for some lost time." Sirius had dreamed of being free and clear with his godson. He didn't want to waste a moment of it talking about politics.

Harry wanted to spend time with his godfather but needed a few assurances about what that meant for him. "I trust this new Minister won't make their first order of business coming after me. I think I have adequately demonstrated what happens if I feel like I am being pursued."

Amelia shook her head adamantly, "No, never, I would not allow it. What you did will earn you a medal or two at worst. Believe it or not, I think there would be a revolt if we were to come after you."

Harry wanted to smile, having his mind put at ease. "I did what was right, and the reward should be letting me live my life. I have been trapped by a prophecy and Dumbledore for far too long. Oh, before I forget, I promised that the bounty money would go to Ron, Neville, and Hermione for standing with me at the Ministry in the face of possible death. I have more than enough gold for myself."

Amelia could see how Harry was so distrustful of authority. "Your friends will be taken care of. In terms of honesty, I have to tell you Dumbledore visited me in my office last night. He weaved a story about you possibly being responsible for Delores Umbridge's disappearance. Frankly, I couldn't give a shit. Umbridge was a cunt through and through, so much so we aren't even going to bother investigating. If what he says is true, it is not like we can do much without a body anyway."

Harry was happy he spent so much time working his way through the Umbridge problem. During all of the blood quill sessions, he imagined killing her but doing so in a way where he could get away with it. The satisfaction of shooting her in the head and letting the spiders get rid of the evidence was almost as satisfying as killing Voldemort.

Sirius didn't know if Harry really killed Umbridge, but he had a sneaking suspicion his godson knew more than he let on. Priding himself on being the best friend someone could ask for, he tried to change the subject. "Well said everyone. I think we are all square, and we should be allowed to return to our normal lives. I don't know about you, Harry, but I know I am dying for some good food and fun."

Harry agreed, and at the same time he still had one person left to kill. "What about Pettigrew?" Harry pressed Amelia, hoping for an update before he spent his time hunting the rat himself.

Amelia sighed, "We are looking for him and we will find him. As much as I would love to have your help, I need you to let us do our jobs." Amelia wouldn't have minded Harry's help, but it was best to let the D.M.L.E. try to do their jobs so they could get a win. Her department wasn't happy Harry made them all look sorely incompetent by successfully ending the war with no help besides other schoolchildren.

Harry frowned, still not trusting the Ministry all the way. Trying to be diplomatic, he accepted the news, but it wasn't going to stop him from looking for possible leads on his own. "If you need it, I want to offer my unique services if you need it. It's important we find him because he is the one who knows how to bring Voldemort back again. Killing him should be the biggest priority."

Amelia corrected, "Trust me, arresting him is my number one priority." She wanted to correct Harry that they didn't go around killing every criminal, because they had a justice system for a reason.

Harry straightened up and dropped his voice into his eerily calm but firm voice. "Kill on sight. Don't let him live, because the longer he is alive, the bigger the risk he is. What if he teaches someone else how to do the ritual to bring Voldemort back? If you don't have the guts to kill this infection before it spreads, don't be surprised when it comes back stronger than ever."

Amelia took Harry's words to heart. If this was the truth, if Pettigrew could bring Voldemort back to life, then he was public enemy number one. Bringing the evil Dark Lord's back to life was now the biggest reason they couldn't risk news of this ritual getting out. Amelia had no choice but to draft orders to put Pettigrew in the ground when he was finally found. "I will draft a kill on order sight as soon as possible. I don't want to be as authoritarian as Fudge was, but I admit this is necessary. Life in Azkaban is not enough for someone with that knowledge. Not to mention the security of Azkaban is still in question."

Harry nodded respectfully, finding Amelia more trustworthy and honorable than most. She already ranked above Dumbledore in his mind because she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. "I look forward to the news of his death, and please get a picture of it if you can. For my own sanity, I need visual confirmation that he is really dead this time."

Sirius made a happy, almost giddy noise, realizing Amelia wasn't going to be as passive as Dumbledore was when it came to these things. "Me too. Get me a bunch of pictures so I can hang them around the house. Be careful though, because the bastard is a great escape artist. He is a rat animagus, so do your best to kill any rats you see in your investigation."

Amelia took the tip before wishing them her kindest farewell. The new acting Minister had spotted Susan patiently waiting for her as acting Minister to finish this private conversation. Amelia has gotten what she wanted as well as tried to keep the scary Harry Potter on her side.

After the mini-meeting with the Minister, Sirius hugged Harry, but this time as a free man. "Oh, pup, I feel as free as a bird. A big happy bird who escaped from his cramped and gloomy cage." Sirius was referring to Azkaban and Grimmauld when talking about his metaphorical cage. The justice system finally worked, so Sirius was now allowed to be seen in public and have a normal life again.

While Sirius hugged Harry, he felt that Harry was still armed with his muggle toys. The hard outlines of items under his suits made that obvious now that he knew what to look for. Sirius took notice and couldn't help but mention it, "I can feel you are still expecting something if you are choosing to still carry your loud muggle things."

Harry smiled, feeling a childish, silly feeling come over him for the first time in a long time. "They are called guns, and during the summer I will show you a whole new world. There is a lot I kept secret from you, like what really happened to me last summer. Now that the war is winding down, I can't wait to share everything with you."

Sirius was happy to have Harry open up. He couldn't take that for granted, given Harry was an expert at keeping secrets if this year was anything to go by. "I can't wait. While they are a little loud, seeing them in action was unbelievable. Speaking of, how upset is Draco at the fact you killed his father?"

Harry waved his godfather's concern off, "There isn't anything he can do about it. I hope someone can talk some sense into him because revenge is not a path that will end well for him."

The ominous tone informed Sirius that Harry wasn't kidding. Sirius felt bad for Draco because Harry was leagues above him in every sense. Harry had just taken down Voldemort for fucks sake, and if Draco still foolishly thought he might have a chance. It was stupidity at its finest. "I think that is enough business talk. Why don't we go get a bite to eat? I am dying for some food not made by Molly for once."

Harry was happy for a mundane activity such as eating a meal with his godfather. "I would love a good steak and some chips fried in duck fat. It is my new favorite dish I tried over the summer, and I think you would love it."

Sirius was used to pub food and didn't know what Harry was talking about. "I don't think Diagon Alley has anything like that."

Harry produced an assassin gold coin from his pocket and said, "I know a place."

Taking a muggle taxi and traveling into the muggle part of London, Harry walked them into a grand looking hotel that oddly wasn't busy. Sirius was confused as to why they were in a muggle hotel when they already lived in London. His questions were pushed to the side though when the consergie greeted his godson, "Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. Thank you for gracing our hotel. The consergie from New York City speaks very highly of you."

Sirius didn't understand how these muggles knew Harry. "Have you been here before?"

Harry ignored his godfather to reply to the consergie, "Table for two, and can you send a message to Winston of the New York City Continental?" Pushing a single gold coin across the counter, Harry let the coin do some of the talking.

"Of course, sir. What do you want me to send?"

Harry knew Winston would understand when he said, "Just tell him I completed my mission and that he was right about everything. All is well for now."

Those words said it all. It was all thanks to Winston pulling the necessary strings by introducing him to John Wick that set this whole plan into motion.

Sirius was still confused as to what was going on, but the questions could wait as they were walked over to the restaurant area. Sitting down, they were brought large glasses of alcohol and a set of menus. "What is going on, pup? How do all these muggles know you? You shouldn't be famous here as well."

Harry took a sip of his alcoholic drink. It was a type of whiskey called Bourbon. An acquired taste that John had passed onto him. Nothing hit quite like it after a hard day of training. It soothed the soul along with the deep purple body bruises. "Like wizards, there is a whole underground network of... how to put this… assassins."

Sirius's eyes went wide as if this were a bad joke. He thought it could have been a prank, but seeing Harry's skills for himself was truth enough. Prank or not, it didn't stop him from looking around. He instantly noticed a few unsavory characters as well as a few attractive women who didn't fit the typical mold of what a killer could be.

Harry noticed Sirius's long gaze at the bar at a woman in a red dress. He didn't think his godfather was staring at the woman because he was reminded of the red Gryffindor house colors. "Sirius, you have to be on your best behavior. You are my guest and not fully aware of what you are dealing with. So put your tongue back in your mouth and find something on the menu you like."

Sirius looked away from the woman to look at the menu. The said menu looked small but at the same time endless with the amount of different combinations of food and how it's prepared. "I don't know, pup. I don't recognize half of these fancy words."

Harry rolled his eyes and called over a waitress with a kind but confident raise of his hand. When the woman walked over, he almost had to kick Sirius under the table to put his tongue back in his mouth. "We will have two of your best steaks, medium rare and the Continental special chips."

Sirius was about to chastise Harry for not being polite and saying please, but Harry tipped the woman a gold coin for the order. "Slow down there, Harry. You can't be handing those out like sweets."

Having to fill in gaps for his godfather, Harry braced himself for the same speech Winston gave him. While they waited for their food to arrive, Harry tried to give Sirius a history and the current usage of the coins.

Once the food arrived, Sirius almost felt lost as to how this world was so secret. It must have been how muggleborns felt entering the magical world for the first time. "So how do you have all these coins? They aren't galleons, or can you exchange them with galleons?"

Harry shook his head, "No, well, I did when I first arrived, but I was a special case. The coins hold more than a simple monetary value. I had to earn most of them. Long story short, when my training was mostly completed, I did a job. A big job that my mentor, the Baba Yaga, John Wick, was famous for. With my invisibility cloak, I had to sneak into a place that was impenetrable and kill someone. I had to be a ghost. I used a broom and my invisibility cloak to get up to his penthouse and do the job. This netted me a lot of respect and coins in the process."

Sirius had seen what his godson was capable of, but this all felt almost too unbelievable. "This is all blowing my mind. I mean it, pup, I can feel my head start to hurt."

At that moment, as Sirius was close to spiraling, the food arrived. When put in front of him with his animagus enhanced sense of smell, Sirius was drooling at the mouth. This was the best-smelling thing he had ever had put in front of him. He felt sorry for Molly, who didn't have any recipe close to this in terms of elegance and taste. Not that he would ever tell her that.

Harry could see Sirius was engrossed with his food. "Well, let's eat and save the rest of this conversation for later."

Not talking and just eating was the best choice because they both dug into their meals. This meal was miles better than the food at Hogwarts. The proof was that they both had almost licked the plate clean. Washing it down with another glass of Bourbon, the two wizards fell into a relaxed state of bliss. Harry, who was normally high strung, was relieved to be under the protection of the London Continental because of the rules that no one dared break.

Harry almost wanted to stay at the hotel, knowing that he would be completely safe here because not even Dumbledore would be stupid enough to come for him here. "We could stay the night, but I need to get my trunk home after I visit the armory here."

Sirius perked up, "The what?"

Time Skip

Before Sirius knew what was happening, the pair was taking an elevator down to the deep underground basement. Sirius was standing next to Harry in shock as the doors opened, revealing walls of guns. "What in the world? What the bloody fuck is all this?"

Harry smiled, "Guns, lots of guns." From there, Harry ignored Sirius and spoke only to the Sommelier. "I would like a tasting."

The Sommelier nodded and took stock of the person in front of him. "This will be your first tasting, I take it. Mr…."

Harry did not take offense to the almost dig at his age. "Mr. Potter, and yes, this is my first official solo tasting. Until now I only used the weapons gifted to me by Winston of the New York Continental and…John Wick."

The mention of the latter name perked the Sommelier up. His eyebrows raised, having confirmed this boy was the protege of the Baba Yaga. "Well, let's get started then. I expect you might have the same high-class taste as Mr. Wick. Which of our vintages do you have your eyes on?"

Harry looked at the wall while, in one move he started pulling his Kimber from its holster. Hitting the mag release and racking the slide back to catch the round from the chamber. Harry wanted to prove that he knew what he was doing while being safe about it because it wasn't too often there was an assassin as young as him walking in here. "I have been getting by with this, but I find myself needing a bigger glass."

The Sommelier walked over the wall and plucked two Glocks off the wall. "I can wholeheartedly recommend our newest breed of Austrians. This is my first tasting with someone your age, so please see which of these you like better between the Glock seventeen and twenty six."

Harry picked up the bigger Glock seventeen first and manipulated it like he was trained by the very best to ever do it. Testing the slide, trigger, and reload, he felt comfortable. It was a little big, and he would have to adjust his draw if he chose this one. "I assume it has the standard seventeen-round capacity?"

The Sommelier turned to take a few magazines off the wall. "We have extended mags if you need an extra punch of flavor."

Sirius didn't understand why everything was so coded and yet so cool all at once. Despite all this new stimulation, he kept quiet, wanting to see what was going to happen next. It was also best not to get in Harry's way if the other night was any indication of his godson's true skills.

Harry pushed away the smaller Glock twenty-six. "I have been getting thirsty more often as of late, so I will take this one. Throw in all the extras with it. As for my second order, I need a replacement for my destroyed Benelli M4."

The Sommelier was very familiar with that weapon platform. Retrieving one, he placed it on the table for the customer to test. "I trust you do not need to hear my sales pitch."

Harry picked up a very similar shotgun to the one he had. "No, I am very familiar with this bold flavor." The one shotgun he trained the most on. Running through his checklist. He double checked the charging handle and action to ensure it was as smooth as he was used to. Reloads would be the exact same, so he put the gun back down while nodding, "I also need quantity, so load up two dozen boxes for each."

The Sommelier tilted his head in understanding before he motioned to the wall of assault rifles, "Have you considered something... more precise?"

Harry had been trained with a rifle but found the shotgun could penetrate wizard shields easier. "I have, but it doesn't have the punch I find myself needing."

The Sommelier was almost confused, seeing as their ammunition could go through most body armor. "Well, if you ever change your mind, we have some beautiful vintages. Including some you can smell from a mile away."

Harry reached into his pocket to pull out seven coins. "I am taking the Glock now, but I will be back later for the rest."

The Sommelier understood what he wanted and placed a few fresh extended mags on the table. Harry grabbed his new Glock off the table and loaded it with a fresh mag. Pulling back the slide, he watched it chamber a round. Double checking, he swapped out his Kimber and his old but full forty five caliber mags. His new guns used nine millimeter-caliber double stack mags, adding double the chances to hit his target. The added bullets were most likely going to come in handy more often. "Wrap my old pistol in my package. I do tend to be a tad sentimental."

The Sommelier nodded again, "Thank you, sir. I will look forward to more tastings in the future. If you are like Mr. Wick, it is a safe bet that you will have a long and prolific career."

With his business concluded, Harry walked a stunned, silent Sirius back to the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, Sirius launched into questions like a curious three-year-old. Harry answered the question as best he could on his way out of the hotel. This was all new for Sirius, but to Harry, the novelty has worn off. Oddly, Harry had taken to this world even easier than the magical world, so it was easy to explain all the subtle nuances of why things operated the way they did.

Sirius was no closer to many answers as every second around Harry and this world filled him with more questions. Sirius grew up around magic but suddenly had a new empathy for how muggleborns felt when they walked into Diagon Alley for the first time.

In reality, it took all summer for Sirius to pick up enough of the history and stories to understand what made the assassin world tick. Sirius was also forced to accept that Harry had been offered and almost compelled to take a few contracts over the summer break between his fifth year and sixth year. It was a part and parcel of his new life in this very different world. Sirius knew it was dangerous, but it was the only way his godson could maintain these important relationships.

Sirius had objected at first, but he had to learn that Harry had made a deal with the Devil, so to speak. Sirius was also worried about this High Table business, but they seemed to be very far removed from Harry's position. The truth was, Harry was free to take any job he wanted while not being tied to one group.

Harry also had gained a visible and instant, quantifiable reputation in this world because of who his mentor was. When people heard his mentor was the famous John Wick, criminals and assassins alike almost bowed their heads out of respect, proof John still had a grip of fear on their hearts. John might have retired, but everyone treated Harry as if he were the second coming himself.

Harry wasn't delusional to think he was as good as John, but he made up some ground with his magic, which steadily grew thanks to help from Sirius. His godfather had helped him gain more offensive power over the summer, teaching him Auror tricks and tactics. Those combined with his gun skills gave no target or henchmen a chance to get close to Harry when he was working.

It was all thanks to John Wick; he was here at all so Harry felt like he owed it to John to carry on his legacy. In other words, Harry had no choice but to do some dirty work every now and then. The more his legend grew, the payment of gold coins accumulated just as quickly. His stock had also risen quickly, as evidenced when they visited the London Continental over the summer.

More than once, other killers gave him acknowledgement of respect. The staff of the hotel was also overly kind, given his rise as a true successor to the immortal legend of John Wick.

There was only ever one time where Harry showed up looking like he broke a sweat from one of his jobs. Stumbling through the front door of Grimmauld bloody, tired, and exhausted had Sirius in a fit.

This battered-looking side of Harry's "profession" worried Sirius because the sweat was the least of his problems with how Harry looked; he was also splattered with blood from the neck down. His godson claimed it got a little "messy" but assured him these were bad people who deserved it.

On top of being a respected assassin, the other biggest change with Harry was that Goblins seemed to have a deeper respect for Harry. More than any other wizard Sirius had ever seen. It almost seemed as if the goblins were somehow connected to the assassins. If Sirius had to theorize, it was possible the gold from the assassin coins was from the goblins somehow.

Either way, Harry was well respected in both worlds, although in the magical world he was still considered more of a celebrity. Sirius observed on many occasions Harry get swarmed or hounded for autographs and pictures during every one of their outings to Diagon Alley.

A month or so of this new stage of their lives passed, when the pair got the news they had been waiting for. The news that Pettigrew had finally been killed. When Amelia raised the bounty on the rat's head to a million gallons, the last person they expected did the deed.

Severus Snape had killed Pettigrew himself in order to collect the one million galleon bounty. The gold was the motivational catalyst to leave the career of teaching entirely. A sentiment that Harry was more than happy with. The fact Pettigrew was dead was all he needed. The added bonus was Snape getting out of his hair if he was to return to Hogwarts.

That truth was a not insignificant reason for why, in the end, Harry did decide to go back to Hogwarts. Part of him was selfish, wanting a normal year as a normal kid, but part of him also wanted to be there for his friends. With all of his biggest threats taken care of, all Harry had to worry about was Dumbledore. However, he wanted to think Dumbledore would be kept in check because Harry seemed to have the whole world on his side.

Time seemed to fly after that. Sixth year happened to go off without any hitches or hiccups. It marked the first time that Harry had a perfectly normal year of school. Due in part to Snape also taking Draco with him out of school. Rumors were abounding that Snape shacked up with Draco's mum. If the rumors were true, it wouldn't be a great shock that they were also homeschooling Draco. Showing everyone they were desperate to try to fix his glaring attitude problems caused by his Death Eater father.

Harry personally didn't care what the reason was because he would never be afraid of Draco Malfoy. It was for the best that Draco tried to move on because, with his new battle-tested Glock, Harry was always armed and ready for any surprise attack. Harry made it clear with Dumbledore and the entire school that he was not one to trifle with.

By happenstance, Draco leaving did seem to have a bigger impact than Harry thought because no one in Slytherin dared to even threaten him the way they used to. Every Slytherin wisely kept their distance, having seen and heard what Harry was capable of. In the end, Draco had more power in that house than anyone expected.

It didn't help that anyone still upset at Harry had the summer filled with stories run by the Prophet. There was a new story every day about Harry with interviews from eyewitness accounts or wild speculation. Those popular articles were a precursor, which led to a book taking in many interviews, testimonies, and other facts to paint a picture of that fateful night at the Ministry. The book went into his past, but because of his secretive training in America with John Wick, no one still has a clear idea of what changed for Harry to become so aggressive and dangerous.

Harry didn't help said book by not bothering to do any interviews on the subject despite a lot of other people speaking for him. He didn't want to talk about himself, so he had given his blessing for his friends to tell their stories because he had nothing to hide. At least nothing besides Umbridge's sudden disappearance. That secret Hermione knew to take to her grave.

The effect of all those articles and books was that it painted the picture that Harry Potter was now the scariest and most powerful person walking around their world today. Rita Skeeter categorized Harry Potter as an apex predator that hunted those who wronged him. Armed with magic and muggle guns, he was something entirely else. He was almost seen as a threat no one could control, and no one had any clue how to deal with him. Despite killing a lot of people, the Ministry led by Amelia Bones refused to entertain any idea of pressing charges on Harry Potter. He might have put an end to numerous Nobel Pureblood houses, but the "victims" were committing a crime at the moment they died. The added insult was that all of Harry's kills were someone branded with a terrorist symbol, making those kills justified.

In Dumbledore's interview section of the book, he confessed that even the great Albus Dumbledore didn't think he had a way around Harry's new-found power. Magic and guns were very different, but even he had to admit Harry thought multiple steps ahead and in a way that he couldn't counter.

Dumbledore's interview was almost a call for support for everyone to band together before Harry turned dark, and it was too late. However, if you read the whole book, Harry's friends dismissed the idea because Harry was still a good person. It was just wise to stay off his bad side because Harry wouldn't hesitate to defend himself or anyone who needed help.

It helped Harry that the more facts that came out during Dumbledore's interview shed some light on why someone as powerful as Dumbledore was scared of Harry. It was revealed Dumbledore dropped the hero Harry Potter as a baby on the steps of magic-hating muggles. The public felt immense sympathy for Harry after learning that because Harry grew up under the worst circumstances and still became a hero.

That decision turned the public on Dumbledore for not having Harry raised in their world, where Harry could have been learning about magic from a young age. Having it all dropped on him at eleven, it was no wonder he was unprepared in a lot of situations. Every reader of the book felt that it was only a small stroke of luck that this kid was able to do the impossible to stop what was essentially an all-powerful Dark Lord from taking over the world.

Becoming aware of the shift in public opinion, Dumbledore found it was easier to stay out of Harry's way. There was no winning against Harry when he was crowned as a hero who could do no wrong. The only way Dumbledore could do anything was if Harry was attacking someone, which was less likely now that Draco and Snape weren't attending school. It was a hard potion to swallow when Dumbledore lost most of the good will he built up over the years.

Learning of his new place in the world, Dumbledore had to almost learn a new skill. He had to learn to not upset Harry, who made it clear he would never forgive him for certain decisions he made. The Headmaster now knew better than to pick a fight he couldn't win, especially with someone as angry and as deadly as Harry Potter.

No matter how hard Dumbledore looked for an answer, he came up short on a way to effectively counter guns. They were too powerful unless you could catch the person when they were reloading. The Headmaster was too old to fight that kind of fight, as seen in the Ministry when Harry was able to kill a platoon of Death Eaters almost single-handedly.

Sure, Dumbledore was still obsessing over Harry, but now he could only wait for the boy to step a toe to come out of line. If he went down the wrong path, then Dumbledore was going to take swift action to deal with him sooner than he did with Tom Riddle. For that to come to pass, Dumbledore needed public opinion to shift. If that were to happen, then maybe with the combined might from him, the public, and the Ministry, the wizarding world might stand a chance.

Since returning for his sixth year and beyond, Harry had no reason to act out because all of his problems were gone. Voldemort, Snape, and Draco being the biggest. It meant Harry was allowed to be a simple, run-of-the mill student who happened to have a particular set of skills. Although Harry didn't let those skills get in the way of trying to be a normal student. For the longest time, Harry craved to be normal, and this was as close as he was ever going to get, so he had to enjoy it while he could.

One thought has risen like a bubble to the top of Harry's mind. For the first time in months, he felt like there was a dark cloud of impending doom. Even when he was alone in bed, he felt like something big was coming. Voldemort might be dead and gone, but he felt in his gut something was going to disturb his peace.

'The peace can't last forever.' He told himself that no matter how comfy he felt, he had to be ready. That feeling fueled his justification to use the Room of Requirement to train. He had put thousands of rounds through his guns honing his skills because this peace would have to eventually come to an end. Whether in the wizarding world or the assassin world, he had to keep training to get better so he could protect all he holds dear.

End

Thank everyone for reading one more chapter left. It has been a fun ride, and I hope people have enjoyed it as much as I have. There might be a week or two before it comes out so people can digest this one as I reread and edit it so it will be the perfect end to the story.

This chapter had some filler, but it had a great confrontation with Dumbledore, where Harry sees through his lies. I have come to like Dumbledore bashing because his choices do seem made as if he hated Harry. McGonagall told him not to leave Harry with the Durselys, and he did it anyway. It all set up nicely for Harry to pick his choices apart and not fall for any more of his manipulations.

I know people wanted me to have Harry kill Snape and Draco, but I thought that might be a step too far in the context of the story. I think if he killed them in the Great Hall, he would be seen as the villain.

Please tell me your favorite parts from this chapter.