c12

The last two weeks for Cornelius Fudge could only be described as difficult at best. Not only had the media dragged his name and reputation through the mud at every possibility, the wizarding world as a whole seemed to have taken a serious disliking to him also. He would receive glares wherever he went and even his wife had not been exempt from the backlash of the revelations the Potter boy had brought forward.

At first he had believed that the storm would merely blow over after some given time but he soon learnt that he was deluding himself, he knew that irreparable damage had been done and there was no salvaging his frayed political career. But he knew that he should be thankful. He should be thankful that his reputation, in reality, should be much worse. Cornelius had many skeletons in his closet, skeletons that had gathered since he took office almost 15 years ago and these skeletons would show him to be much worse than the people currently believed.

He wanted nothing more than to blame Potter for the past fortnight and in a way he could make the justification to himself, barely. He could not however blame Potter for his own discretions and actions of the past decade and a half.

The last fortnight had given Cornelius much time to think and reflect on his tenure as minister and much of what he pondered was simply not pretty and he concluded that he could blame the boy for nothing.

Cornelius too had once been young and idealistic, even righteous, though not as tenacious or even savvy as Potter was. But he quickly found that idealism was nothing more than folly and to be successful you had to be able to compromise on your own ideology.

There were far too many factors that would hinder the implementation of your ideas and desires. The wizarding world did not like change and Cornelius and his ideas of righteousness had been quelled early on.

He instead, without even realising it, became what he had always despised in politics; another puppet that had his strings pulled by another. Cornelius Fudge had been weak and the weakness he showed had been exploited expertly by none other than Lucius Malfoy.

A freshly named Minister Fudge had goals, he had plans that would prevent another rising of a Dark Lord, but those plans had been completely abandoned at the advice of his much more charismatic and politically savvy friend.

Cornelius had taken office at a very difficult time, just after the fall of the Dark Lord and the entire country was in disarray. Lucius had recommended restoring order, not a bad idea in all honesty, but that one idea had led to many others and they in turn had led him astray and to where he found himself now. The righteousness and idealism of the younger Cornelius had, without him even realising, been neutralised effectively and it had all started with his biggest weakness in life; gold.

The ministry was poor which meant that Cornelius was poor. The Minister had the privilege of naming his own salary, which at first seemed a dream come true, but when he saw how little gold the ministry in fact had, it left him with quite the dilemma. He could take a large salary for himself and let the magical world suffer, or he could pay himself and his staff next to nothing and allow the wizarding world to have the much needed goal. As a younger and much more righteousness man Cornelius had opted for the latter. The problem was that he had always had quite expensive taste and had a liking for the finer things in life. Cue the entry of Lucius Malfoy into his life.

The man had simply hypnotised Cornelius with the amount of wealth he had, a wealth he seemed to be willing to share with the minister. At first it was simple gifts he would receive but eventuality, the request for favours started to come in and Cornelius knew that he owed the man. On reflection, he should have never even accepted the first gift but as a man with expensive taste but the coin purse of a pauper, the temptation had become too much and it led him here.

Over the years the gifts had only gotten bigger and in turn the favours followed. Cornelius knew he had been dazzled. He had been bribed and blackmailed in the most cunning of ways by a master manipulator and he just didn't know it. He truly believed that Lucius was a friend but now realised he was nothing but an opportunist, an opportunist that had taken the dreams of a younger Cornelius Fudge and eliminated them one by one, softening the blow with a little luxury to serve as medicine so no pain would be felt.

All Cornelius could do now was wait and see what havoc the storm would wreak. So far he had only experienced a light drizzle of the hurricane he deserved and for that, he could only be grateful. This had been unpleasant enough as it was and he knew his reputation could handle no more. The way Cornelius saw it was that he had two choices.

Firstly, he could simply continue as he had been until the moment he was booted from office as a disgraced man and leave behind a legacy of bribery and corruption. Or he could bring some justice to his younger self and be the man he dreamed of becoming. He would accept whatever consequences came his way and he would do all he could to salvage something, no matter how small it was.

The truth was that in order to face himself in the mirror again as a proud man he had to make changes and he needed to make them fast. He may not be able to change what he had done but he could at the very least make reparations for them.

(BREAK)

Dolores Umbridge sat in her ministry cell as she had been for the last two weeks. She had cursed herself repeatedly after she had woken and had been read the charges, the outlook was very bleak indeed. She had hoped that Cornelius would come through for her but it seemed that the man had simply washed his hands of her and her problems, he had said as much himself when he had visited briefly.

She had been foolish, that much she knew. She did not regret what she had done to the little bastards but she certainly regretted being caught. It was the fault of Potter; that was what she had concluded.

She knew that tomorrow was not going to be a good day for her and she could only hope that there was some kind of leniency given to her, though she did not know if it would be more merciful to be executed than to spend the rest of her days in this state.

She had had her moments of madness in which her impending fate had overwhelmed her. She had begged and she had pleaded to every god imaginable but it seemed that her prayers had fallen on deaf ears. She had even tried to will her magic to kill her itself, but to no avail.

Dolores Umbridge was in a bind, a bind that there was no escape from. All she could do was wait and see what was in store for her in the morning and hope that her fate was at least a bearable cross to bear.

(BREAK)

Draco Malfoy had spent the past fortnight cursing the name of Harry Potter and devising ways in which he would get his revenge. He was confident that his father would make his troubles go away so had simply bided his time and was waiting for that moment.

He was not nervous about the proceedings of the next day. He knew there was not a chance that his father would allow him to be locked away like a common criminal. He was in fact looking forward to facing the wizengamot, most of which were friends and acquaintances of his family. He knew his father would make their lives miserable if they even considered convicting him, he was a Malfoy after all and that meant he was untouchable.

He smirked at what was to come and was filled with glee at the prospect of ruining Potter for what he had done to him. He would only have to wait a few more hours and then he would be free and he would make Potter pay.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort was sat in his drawing room contemplating many things. Much of his time had been spent pondering the issue of Harry Potter. Not only had the boy defied the odds yet again but he had begun making waves in the magical world that did not sit well with the man. The boy was becoming powerful, too powerful for the liking of the Dark Lord and the need to hear the prophecy grew more and more as each day past. He needed to know what it was he was facing.

The Dark Lord feared no man but there was something about Potter that made him feel uneasy, a feeling that he saw as unacceptable. He needed to know how much of a threat the boy was and he had fortunately been given that opportunity.

He had at first been furious with Nott challenging the boy to a duel but quickly found that he was more curious. He realised it gave him the chance to see the progress of the boy and truly evaluate the threat he faced. If Nott were to succeed in killing the boy then it would be a bitter pill to swallow as he wanted nothing more than to personally right the wrong's the boy had committed against him. However, if the boy were to defeat the man then he knew that he was progressing at quite a terrifying rate and he would need to be eliminated as fast as humanly possible. If that were to happen then the need to hear the prophecy would become desperate, not something that the Dark Lord would admit to anyone.

He knew that Nott was one of his more skilled and powerful followers with a wand and he knew that if Potter did best him then he was indeed a formidable opponent, something which Voldemort had accepted as it was from the damage the boy had done in France.

It was not an ideal situation for him though. If Potter won then it was likely that he would lose one of his best and the worry of the prophecy would be much more significant. The thought alone gave him an inkling of fear. If Nott one however he knew it would be bittersweet. The boy would be dead but then the Dark Lord would have the shame of being bested by the boy more times than he cared for, as far as he was concerned once was too many.

He would simply wait and see what the outcome of the duel would be. Either way he knew he was going to be disappointed but he could not decide which of the two he would rather face. Could he handle the shame better than he could handle the worry? That was a question he could not answer as things were. But he knew he would take either one in his stride because in reality, Potter was a small part of his grand plan. A small part that could however, ruin everything the Dark Lord had spent his life working towards.

All Lord Voldemort could do was wait. Wait for what was to come and plan accordingly.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore was sat in his office stroking the feathers of his phoenix thoughtfully. He had been asked to return to the castle a few short days after Dolores Umbridge had been removed by Harry and he was glad to be back. There was a lot however that was bothering the aged headmaster.

He had read the testimony from the students at how truly terrible Umbridge had been and the subsequent treatment they had received because of it. It did not make for pleasurable reading and the man found himself saddened and even brought to tears by the plight of the children that were under his care. The fact was, they had been tortured and exposed to things that none should have faced, let alone those of such a young age.

He himself had personally taken responsibility for teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, hoping that he could repair some of the damage the woman had caused and he found that he enjoyed teaching again, something that he had not done in many years. He remembered why he had first come to Hogwarts and that was simply to share his knowledge with the younger generations and have time to improve his own. He had taken the Headmasters job after his friend Armando Dippet had passed on quite suddenly. He in fact had not planned on retaining the post for a long period of time but the years had slowly crept by and before he knew it the war had come and passed and he was still here.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on the door, one that he had been expecting.

"Come in Minerva" he answered.

"Albus, what is it that you wanted to see me about?" the transfiguration professor asked. "It sounded like it was urgent" she added worriedly.

"No Minerva it is not a matter of urgency I can assure you" he replied. "I just wanted to discuss a few things with you" he explained.

"What things?" the witch questioned with a slight frown.

"The running of the school primarily" he responded with a nod.

"What of it?" Minerva asked with a confused expression.

Dumbledore sighed. He knew the conversation was not going to start well.

"The simple fact is Minerva I am no longer fit to run the school to the standard that it deserves" he admitted sadly.

"Nonsense Albus" the woman stated firmly. "There is no one that can do the job as well as you" she affirmed sincerely.

Dumbledore smiled at the faith that the womanan was and always had shown him.

"I thank you for your confidence but you only need to look on the last five years to see that I am speaking the truth" he said knowingly. "My poor choice to house the philosophers stone here" he counted off. "The opening of the chamber, the farce of a tournament and most recently, the tenure of Dolores Umbridge" he finished with a disappointed shake of the head.

"What are you saying Albus?" the woman asked sadly. "Are you planning on leaving?".

"My dear Minerva Hogwarts is my home and it is a place that I would leave very reluctantly" he spoke sincerely. "However there are changes that need to be made, tell me, you still enjoy your teaching very much don't you?" he asked throwing the witch off a little.

"More than anything" she answered simply.

"I thought as much" the headmaster replied with a smile. "As you know the headmaster position is a full time role in itself and as you still enjoy teaching I can only assume that you do not want the position?" he stated questioningly.

"I would accept it if I had to" she confirmed hesitantly.

"That is why I have a proposition for you that I hope you will consider" he responded.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the man but waited for him to continue.

"I myself have found my love for teaching again" he began. "I would very much like to continue teaching defence as you would with transfiguration so what I propose is that I and yourself share the responsibilities of headmaster and we can both teach" he explained. "I cannot do this job as it should be done alone any longer, it is time for some new blood and this seems the best solution" he finished with a sad smile.

"You really mean that don't you?" the witch inquired disbelievingly.

"I do Minerva" he answered. "It seems that it is for the best in the current climate".

"Then it seems as though we have much to discuss" Minerva lamented.

(BREAK)

After the departure of Umbridge, the mood in the castle had improved significantly and the occupants felt as though they could breathe for the first time since the year started. Add to the fact that Dumbledore himself was teaching defence, the students could not be in better spirits.

The former members of Umbridge's Inquisitorial squad had been punished very harshly for their transgressions. Most had been given detentions to pay their dues and others had even been suspended. The Slytherins in particular were feeling the benefit of the removal of some of the house members.

The fact that Malfoy and his cronies were no longer around made the common room a much nicer place to be and the occupants of the snake pit were hopeful that the pompous idiot would not be returning.

Daphne had never been happier. Not only had everything at school improved but Harry had written to her every day since the night he had saved her again and she had happily replied.

She found that there was much more to the boy than the saviour he appeared to be and she truly liked what she had found out about the boy. Not only was he noble and brave but he was in fact genuine and honest. He always asked about her and what she was doing and actually took an interest. He was not self-centred and arrogant as most in her house believed but he was actually quite sensitive and had his insecurities that she found endearing. He was just a boy, but a boy that had the responsibilities of a man way beyond his years.

She looked forward to receiving his letters and found that no matter how good she felt in the morning, they would make her feel even better. There was certainly much more to Harry Potter than the eye could see and she looked forward to getting to know him more. What she did know however was that she was already enamoured with him, something that her best friend and sister would point out at every opportunity. She did not mind however. Although it annoyed her in the moment she knew that they were happy for her and perhaps even a little jealous. The ribbing she got from them was nothing to what the boy made her feel.

She herself though was insecure also. She could not help but think that he may only see her as a passing fancy, a way to kill some time. She did not understand how he could be so attentive towards her when he could have any witch he wanted. Those moments of doubt would plague her but they would always be put to rest once she had read his letters to her. He seemed to truly like her and everything he wrote was wrought with sincerity. She knew that time would tell but for the time being she would give him the benefit of any of her doubts and could only hope that she would not get her heart broken when all was said and done.

She of course worried about what he faced and he made no excuses or promises that he knew he could not uphold. He knew there was a chance that he would be killed and it seemed to be something that he accepted as a hazard in his efforts. She knew that he was doing what needed to be done and that was a big part of why she liked him. He was unwavering with what he saw as his responsibility despite the danger to himself and as hard as it was, Daphne accepted it. But that did not stop her worrying for the boy.

She knew that she was seeing a side to him that no one else had. He had been open with her about his dreams and aspirations and found the simplicity of them appealing. He wanted nothing more than to be normal, have a career he enjoyed and a family he could love, something that he had never had before. He had even been open about the fact that he had killed people but was not apologetic for it. He explained to her that he was doing what had to be done and he would not allow himself to feel guilty for it. He had even given her the chance to walk away from him if she was disgusted and ashamed by his acts. Daphne quickly dismissed that notion. She understood that he was a good person and hadn't killed for nothing more than necessity and knew that he would again and she found that she didn't or even couldn't hold it against him.

She didn't know where this thing with Harry was going but she found that she was just enjoying it and the mystery was a part of the enjoyment. All she truly knew was that she was looking forward to spending time with the boy and being there for him as much as she could. She knew he needed someone to help him pick up the pieces, he was a caring person after all and caring people carried burdens. She wanted to help alleviate them as much as possible, pick him up when he needed it and even give him a good kick up the arse if necessary when he was too harsh on himself.

Yes, Daphne Greengrass was content with her lot as of now. She just hoped that it wouldn't all be taken away from her before she could truly enjoy it.

(BREAK)

The day of the trials had arrived for Harry and he found that he was quite eager to witness the fate of Umbridge and Malfoy in particular. The media in recent days had been quite harsh towards Fudge and his leadership, much to the young man's pleasure and the prospect of having the incompetent minister removed seemed much more likely, a definite step in the right direction.

On the advice of Arcturus Harry had been preparing for his duel with Nott senior after learning the man could demand it takes place at any given moment. The older man had explained that as Harry had allowed him to choose when the duel would take place it could be a wait as little as ten minutes all the way up to an indefinite amount of time.

The wait bothered him slightly as he was keen to focus on the more important things he had to deal with and knowing that a duel could be called at any moment was an irritation he would rather not deal with. He was however very confident in his ability to beat the man and knew that it was a perfect opportunity to send a message to Riddle. He had planned for little showmanship and had already decided that he would hold nothing back, ending the duel as quickly and effectively as possible. He simply wanted no questions to be asked about his fighting ability or any doubts that he would, at the very least, be able to trade blows with Tom suitably.

He had spent a reasonable amount of time the past fortnight writing to Daphne, something he was, at first, not entirely sure why he was doing. This for Harry was different from writing to Fleur or even Hermione and found that it had taken a little time to adjust to.

Fleur was of course very beautiful but Harry found that he could not get past his first impressions of her. Although he had warmed to the veela over time she was still very haughty and it was one thing the young man found unappealing about the woman, to the point of making her considerably less attractive to him.

Hermione was to him just as he imagined having a sister would be. Yes, she had and was growing into a very beautiful woman but he knew he could never get past the platonic nature of their relationship and, if truth be told, he wouldn't be able to tolerate her overbearing nature beyond what it was now.

Daphne, he found, was different to them both. She was very beautiful but it was not the beauty that he found most attractive, to him that aspect of her was something more to appreciate about the girl. What did attract him to her was how she treated him and just her general personality.

She asked about him and how he was feeling; she understood that he was, above all else, a regular person with all the feelings that any have. She did not see him as nothing more than a hero as most did and had since he entered the wizarding world, but she saw him as Harry, the fifteen year old who was shouldering a heavy burden. She asked how he was coping and how he was feeling about things and it felt easy for him to open up to her because there didn't appear to be any other reason for her asking, other than the fact she was interested and looking out for him.

The only other time people seemed interested in how Harry Potter was feeling was when he had just managed to either survive an encounter with Riddle or he had just completed some over the top and ridiculous feat. The only other person other than Daphne that had taken an interest in his welfare was Sirius and Harry understood how rare people like that were in his life.

It was not just her caring nature that he admired about her. She was clearly intelligent and he knew she was powerful having seen her manage to produce a corporeal patronus. She was witty and had a great sense of humour, something he had missed out on his entire life.

But above all else, She was genuine. She spoke to Harry as he knew she would anyone else. She was not speaking to a hero nor was she speaking to the boy who lived but she was speaking to Harry as he had wanted since learning about his past from Hagrid. She would offer him advice and she was not afraid to give him a verbal bashing if she thought that he needed it, which she obviously thought he often did. Harry appreciated it though because it wasn't a Hermione-like lecture in which she would make him feel like a child, but it was a much needed prod to pull himself together.

He thought that after he had opened up about his killings that she would be quick to judge and condemn him for his actions but she had truly understood why he had to do what he was doing. He could tell that she was not exactly comfortable with it but she did not hold it against him and even went on to explain that it was certainly rather them than him, which warmed him considerably.

He did not know what would happen between them but he was certainly enjoying their missives and found that each evening he looked forward to receiving a letter from her.

He entered the drawing room to find it unusually empty. He wondered where the older man was and quickly spotted a scribbled note left on the table.

Potter,

We were called in early to review the evidence. Trials start at 9am, don't be late and sit in the public gallery. As a key witness you are not allowed a vote and say nothing unless you are addressed.

Baron A.O Black

Harry found the final formality of the note amusing knowing that the man did things no other way. He took his breakfast alone and prepared for the day ahead, hoping that it was not a long and drawn out process, the guilt of the people was obvious in his mind. He just hoped that there were no unexpected surprises. He was sure that Fudge had been subdued adequately and could not interfere in the proceedings he did not however have the same faith in Malfoy or his associates.

After dressing in a simple black jumper, jeans and brown shoes he apparated to the ministry with plenty of time to spare, wanting to get a good seat.

He entered the chamber in which the trials would be held to see the seats slowly beginning to fill, he knew it would be a full house today. He managed to find a suitable seat close to the front of the public gallery and waited for Dumbledore to begin.

Much to his surprise Jonathan Greengrass entered the room escorting his wife and Daphne. Upon seeing Harry he approached him with the two ladies trailing just behind him.

"Good morning Harry" he greeted the young man warmly. "I was wondering if I might ask if you would be so kind to sit with my wife and daughter and act as their escort for the morning?" he asked with a bow.

Although the man had greeted him informally Harry was aware that the request he had made was in fact formal so he stood before responding.

"It would be my pleasure Jonathan" Harry replied with a bow.

"Thank you" the other man intoned with another smile. "I'm sure today will be very interesting and Daphne requested that she be allowed to attend and as a victim, I could hardly refused" he finished with an exasperated chuckle.

"Don't worry" Harry said reassuringly. "I will try my best to keep both of them out of trouble" he offered with a grin to which the women simply raised their eyebrows at him.

"It appears to me Lord Potter that it is you that needs to be kept out of trouble" Ophelia retorted. "I am sure myself and my daughter can be trusted to behave, you on the other hand are questionable" she added with a smirk.

"And you live with these two willingly?" Harry questioned Jonathan in faux horror causing the man to laugh.

"You have no idea how much I look forward to September 1st every year" he responded shaking his head in mock anguish.

"We both know you secretly cry in your study Dad, or not so secretly as it goes" Daphne cut in causing her father to flush slightly.

"I am going to take my seat before I am embarrassed further, good luck Harry, you will need it with these two" he finished.

"That I do not doubt" the young man mumbled.

"Excuse me Potter, did you just say something?" Daphne questioned, quirking her eyebrow at the boy.

"Only how pretty you look when you frown" he returned causing the girl to frown at him in disbelief. "Just like that" he pointed out seeing the change in her expression causing her to blush slightly.

"Just show us to our seats you idiot" she replied playfully with a slight giggle.

"Of course ladies" he complied with an elaborate bow.

"I think it is us that need luck with him" Ophelia muttered to her daughter as she took her seat.

"He does have a certain charm though I suppose" Daphne responded causing her mother to smile knowingly.

"That he does" she conceded with a nod.

Harry took the opportunity to take a look around the room to see who was in attendance. He was not surprised that Nott senior and the parents of Crabbe and Goyle were present. What did surprise however was that Lucius Malfoy was not in his regular place at the ministers side. He was sat in the opposite stand to Harry looking very nervous as was Narcissa who was sat with him. It seemed that even the Malfoy gold had not been able to sway things in the man's favour for once.

He saw that Nott Senior was shooting a death glare in his direction. Harry simply smiled maliciously at the man with clear intent, he would not allow the man to even attempt to intimidate him. Nott however, was unfazed by the intentions behind the smile Harry gave him and continued his hostile look.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Dumbledore spoke disrupting the staring contest between the two. "Please be seated as we are about to begin" he informed the room.

He waited for everyone to be seated. When he was satisfied that everyone was comfortable he proceeded.

"We, the wizengamot, have spent this morning reviewing all evidence pertaining to the trials" he began. "We will begin with the three aurors who were in attendance at Hogwarts while certain crimes were carried out under their supervision of the castle, please bring them in" he instructed.

A side door opened allowing the three men and their auror escorts to enter the chamber. Each suspect were sat and bound in chairs placed at the centre of the room.

"Auror John Dawlish" Dumbledore addressed the man. "You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, how do you plead?" he finished questioningly.

"Not guilty" Dawlish spat vehemently.

"Very well" Dumbledore replied casually. "We have already reviewed the evidence and we will now vote" he informed the man. "Those who find the man not guilty, please raise your wands now" he instructed.

Only around 8 wands were raised, not even close to gain the man his freedom.

"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked.

The remaining 134 wands of the wizengamot were raised.

"I was only carrying out orders, as was my duty" Dawlish shouted angrily.

"Be that as it may, what you did was highly illegal and reprehensible" Dumbledore responded. "You as an auror should have known that what you allowed to happen was wrong" he added shaking his head disappointedly. "Cornelius, if you would please deliver the sentence" he requested of the minister who cleared his throat.

"John Dawlish, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he explained to the furious man. "You will also be sent to Azkaban as a low grade prisoner for 3 years. Consider this very lenient, we took your usual exemplary record into account" he finished.

The man was then lead from the court room very angry at his fate sputtering about the injustice he had received.

"Auror Robert Michaels" Dumbledore spoke out once more. "You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, how do you plead?" he finished in the same tone he had addressed Dawlish with.

"Guilty" the man answered hanging his head in shame.

"Very well" Dumbledore responded. "Cornelius?".

"Robert Michaels, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he explained. "As you have admitted your guilt you will serve a two year sentence in Azkaban as a low grade prisoner" he concluded.

The man just nodded and accepted his fate without question. He allowed himself to be escorted from the room without any fuss.

"Auror Triton Selwyn" Dumbledore called causing Harry to snap to attention at the name. ""You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, additionally you stand accused of the attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter by way of an unforgivable curse, how do you plead?" Dumbledore questioned the man.

"Not guilty" the man said defiantly shooting Harry a glare that immediately made Harry quite angry but he kept an impassive mask firmly in place.

Dumbledore nodded.

"The wizengamot have reviewed the evidence against you" he explained to the man. "Those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty?" he asked the court.

Around 30 wands were raised, all from the darker families Harry noted.

"Those in favour of finding the defendant guilty?" Dumbledore questioned further.

The remaining 114 wands were raised sealing the man's fate who seemed nonplussed by the result.

"Cornelius" Dumbledore prompted.

"Triton Selwyn" Fudge said with a deep sigh. "Due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he informed the man. "In addition you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter and the use of an unforgivable curse" he concluded firmly.

"How dare you?" the man roared at Fudge. "After the support my family has given you this is how you repay them" he spat.

"Take him away" Fudge snarled distastefully.

The man was led away protesting loudly and vowing his revenge on those who had wronged him.

"Let's move on" Fudge spoke angrily. "Next case" he called.

The door opened and Nott Junior entered the room along with Crabbe and Goyle Junior who simply looked confused.

"I will make this quick" Fudge announced. "We have already reviewed the evidence and have decided that it is a matter of the Hogwarts headmaster to punish you as the crime took place on the Hogwarts ground and your parts in it were rather minimal" he explained to the trio who were now looking rather triumphant at this development. "Albus?" he addressed the headmaster willing him to continue.

"As Minister Fudge has explained it has been left to me to decide your fates" he reiterated to the trio. "Is there anything you wish to say in your defence?" he asked looking at them individually.

"Malfoy made us do it" Crabbe grunted with a shrug.

"Yeah he said we had to" Goyle added.

Nott Junior remained silent and only looked at the headmaster defiantly who just shook his head.

"In all my years as headmaster I have never found myself in this situation" he spoke with disappointment.

He sighed.

"I have little choice but to expel all three of you for your actions" he added sadly. "I have applied to the ministry to confiscate your wands and have an additional trace placed on you until you reach your majority so that you cannot practice magic until that time" he informed the now shocked boys.

"Your application has been granted Albus" Fudge cut in to which the older man nodded.

"This is your fault Potter" Nott Senior suddenly screamed from across the room standing and shaking in fury.

"Oh shut up you moron" Harry retorted. "It was your idiot son that helped try to rape a young lady and allowed her to be tortured, he only has himself to blame" he added with a shrug.

The man just gaped like a fish for a moment before he responded.

"That's it" he announced. "I have had enough of you and I want our duel tomorrow" he screeched to which the room gasped. "Name your place" he spat at the young man.

Harry grinned at the man, he was rather relieved he would be able to get it over and done with sooner than he had anticipated.

"The Graveyard in Little Hangleton" Harry replied casually causing the man to blanch and the room to look confused.

"If I may interject Lord Potter?" Dumbledore cut in.

Harry just nodded and waited for the chief warlock to continue.

"It is my understanding that the location you have chosen is not a suitable venue for a duel" he explained with a little amusement in his eyes. "I do however offer you the use of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch for the event" he added. "There is ample seating for the crowd and as you are not a student there this year it can be considered neutral ground" he finished.

Harry thought for a moment and found that it was a rather good idea. Not only was it a familiar place for him but the location and the presence of the Hogwarts wards would discourage any interference from anyone.

"I gratefully accept Professor Dumbledore" Harry responded.

"Fine" Nott spat. "11am" he added.

"Rules?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wands only" Nott retorted.

"Of course" Harry replied.

Nott smiled a sickly smile.

"No spell limitations" he said vindictively.

The whole room looked towards Harry waiting for his response, clearly this was not a regular occurrence. He looked towards Arcturus who was grinning.

"I was going to suggest the same thing" Harry answered casually causing the man to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Unforgivables?" Nott questioned disbelievingly.

"Why not" Harry shrugged. "We both know they have a history of not being very effective against me" he added causing a few in the room to laugh.

"How do we determine a winner?" Nott asked further.

"Until the other cannot continue" Harry suggested.

"Even death?" Nott asked, again in disbelief.

"If you wish" he responded coldly no longer in the mood for making light of the situation.

"Fine" Nott spoke quietly. "Until tomorrow" he added and made his exit.

Harry took his seat and noticed Daphne looking at him worriedly and a little annoyed.

"It will be fine" he reassured her.

"It better be" she warned threateningly. "If you die I will kick your arse" she promised.

"I'll be dead, it won't matter" Harry replied with a grin.

"I'm not joking Potter" Daphne growled.

"And neither was I when I said it will be fine, he has no idea what he has gotten himself into" he spoke quietly allowing a little of his magic to escape causing his eyes to glow.

Daphne just nodded in response. She didn't like the idea of a duel like this but she understood that he could not back down. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly causing Harry to smile at her.

"Next case" Fudge called impatiently.

The door opened once again to admit a very confident looking Draco Malfoy who was dressed in fine black robes with a silver lining. He took his seat and was clearly surprised to be bound to the chair.

"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Dumbledore intoned seriously. "You stand accused of the attempted rape of a young woman and the use of an unforgivable curse on the same individual, how do you plead?" he finished with the question.

"Not Guilty" Malfoy replied with a sneer aimed at the chief warlock who just sighed.

"We have already reviewed the evidence against you and all that is left is to determine whether we find you guilty of the accused crimes or innocent" the old man explained. "Do you wish to say anything in your defence?" he asked the boy.

"I was under the Imperious Curse" the blonde replied arrogantly.

"And pray, do tell us who would place you under the curse?" Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know but I am being set up" Malfoy responded, clearly confident in his excuse.

"Madame Bones?" Dumbledore asked willing her to proceed.

"Mr Malfoy was tested for any signs of mind altering magic and potions upon his arrival and no traces nor indications were found" she explained after rising to her feet.

Malfoy looked panicked by the witches declaration but that did not stop him from denying the charges vehemently.

"I wasn't acting of my own accord" he tried again sounding a little desperate.

"Would you be willing to attest to that by way of veritaserum?" Madame Bones asked the boy with a raised brow. "Be warned Mr Malfoy if you agree to this and you are found to be lying your punishment will be much more harsh" she added sternly.

Malfoy just gaped like a fish. This was not going as he had planned at all, he thought that the imperious defence was solid. He looked towards his father who was looking quite furiously towards Fudge, he clearly blamed the minister for this.

"No because I don't trust you to be treated fairly" he eventually responded sounding more worried.

"Those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty" Dumbledore cut in.

Around 50 wands were raised. Harry could see that even though the boy's guilt was obvious the Malfoy influence was very far reaching.

"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked the room.

The remainder of the wands were raised demonstrating that the Malfoy influence was not enough to secure Draco's release. He began to stutter in disbelief before he addressed Fudge.

"After everything my father has done for you, you allow this?" he questioned the man angrily.

"The professional nor personal relationship between myself and your father has no bearing on this" Fudge replied sternly. "You broke the law Mr Malfoy and we are all accountable for our actions, even me" he finished quietly.

The boy just looked towards his father who was shaking in fury and his mother who was shaking in equal measure but hers was in sadness.

"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Fudge began. "You have been found guilty of attempted rape and the use of an unforgivable on another person" he continued. "Albus?" he prompted the headmaster.

"As Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry it is my duty to inform you that you have been expelled" Dumbledore explained to the shock stricken boy.

"And as you broke the law to such a deplorable degree it is my duty to add to that punishment separately" Fudge informed him.

"Are you willing to sacrifice everything Cornelius?" Lucius Malfoy stood and addressed the man angrily. "Because I am sure that the wizarding world would love to hear your deepest secrets" he finished threateningly.

"My reputation is already in tatters" Fudge replied a little sadly. "But can yours stand up to the backlash you would receive if we start the revelation game?" he asked defiantly. "Because believe me Lucius I have very little to lose now whereas you are still held in high regard, something that would no doubt change if I was to release what I have" he finished confidently.

Malfoy blanched at the implications but composed himself.

"You don't have the guts" Malfoy spat. "You would be nothing without me" he added in an angry whisper.

"Try me" Fudge retorted heatedly. "And I would be a much better person than I am if you never came along Lucius" he continued in disappointment. "Then I'd be able to look in the mirror and not be disgusted by what I see" he concluded.

Malfoy just shook with rage but eventually took his seat again. Clearly Fudge had slipped from his control. The man would of course suffer.

"Where was I?" Fudge asked himself. "Ahh yes". "Draco Abraxus Malfoy as a minor it is not possible for me to send you to Azkaban" he said.

Malfoy looked absolutely gleeful at this.

"However" Fudge continued. "Certain allowances can and will be made in your case" he informed the boy. "We may not be able to house you in Azkaban as stated by our laws but there are other prisons in the wizarding world that are able to" he added. "You are therefore sentenced to serve no less than 30 years in Nurmengard prison under the authority of the ICW" he concluded.

"You do not have the authority to do that" Lucius Malfoy shouted, rising to his feet once again.

"But I do" Dumbledore cut in firmly. "As the chief warlock and as our representative to the ICW you will find that I have already spoken to my colleagues and they have allowed this sentence, they were equally horrified by the nature of the crimes" he explained.

"So you had already determined my son's guilt" Malfoy spat.

"No Lucius we did not" Dumbledore stated sternly. "We did however see the need to make arrangements should a guilty verdict be given" he continued. "Your son cannot be allowed to roam free after committing such a crime, he is and has to be held responsible for his actions" he finished resolutely.

Malfoy stammered in complete disbelief. How had things gone so wrong?

"You will pay for this" he hissed towards Fudge. "Believe me you will pay" he added pointing at the man with a shaking arm before sweeping from the room in a rage.

"Mother?" Draco asked clearly worried.

"I thought I raised you better" she replied sadly. "I love you son, but what you did is wrong" she said shaking her head and followed her husband less dramatically.

"Aurors?" Fudge called. "Take him away" he instructed.

"Wait!" Malfoy protested. "Please you can't do this to me" he pleaded.

"I am sorry Mr Malfoy but you must atone for your crimes" Fudge said sadly. "You are very fortunate that we did not sentence you to life, I can only hope you learn from this and emerge the other side a much better man" he added sincerely.

With that the aurors led away a very distraught Draco Malfoy. Today had not gone well for him and now he was simply in shock.

Harry could not believe the sentence that had been passed but couldn't help agreeing with the verdict. Malfoy was a disgrace and what he did warranted the punishment he received. He caught Fudge's eye and gave him a respectful nod. Despite the man's incompetence, he was truly coming through today.

"Let's get this final case over with" Fudge sighed exasperatedly.

Dolores Umbridge entered the chamber looking rather pale and sickly. She too looked surprise by being bound to the seat and did not miss the many hateful glares she was receiving from the witches and wizards gathered in the room.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Dumbledore began. "You stand accused of 23 counts of torturing students with a regulated and dangerous item and for the use of an unforgivable on another person, how do you plead?" Dumbledore asked the woman.

Umbridge had waited for this moment and knew that without the help of Cornelius she was doomed.

"Guilty" she responded after hesitating for a moment, though it was clear she was reluctant to do so.

"We have already reviewed the evidence against you Ms Umbridge and as you have pleaded guilty I will pass over to the minister who will deliver the sentence" Dumbledore explained.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Fudge addressed the woman a little sadly. "You are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban" he told her. "I must say that I am very disappointed" he added. "And I am sorry if I in any way implied that such things were allowed" he finished shaking his head.

Dolores Umbridge just nodded, she had not expected anything less in the circumstances. She was angry at Cornelius and at Potter but she knew that she only truly had herself to blame. It was her laxity and her indulgences that had gotten her here. She held her head high as the aurors led her away; she would maintain her dignity at the very least.

"That concludes the proceedings for today" Fudge announced and left the room quickly.

"The ferret got what he deserved" Daphne mumbled bitterly.

"They all did" Harry responded with a nod. "It seems that Fudge has gotten a wake-up call somewhere along the line" he added thoughtfully.

"You would be just as surprised as me" Jonathan cut in as he joined the group. "He would not usually be so professional" he finished with a frown.

"Well it ended as it should have, even though Malfoy should be kissed by the dementors" Ophelia intoned.

"Yes, well at least he didn't get away with it" Jonathan responded. "Now we have to get this young lady back to school" he added indicating his daughter. "We will see you tomorrow Harry" he said to the younger man.

"You are coming to watch?" Harry questioned.

"It's been many years since I saw a duel like this one promises to be" Jonathan said clearly looking forward to it.

"Then I will see you there" Harry replied with a grin of his own. "Daphne" he said placing a kiss on the girls cheek.

"Now I don't know who I want to win" Jonathan muttered with a shake of his head. "One man is a scumbag and the other has intentions towards my daughter" he explained with his eyes full of mirth.

"Dad!" Daphne exclaimed.

Ophelia slapped her husband on the shoulder.

"Would you rather there was a less noble man vying for our daughters affections?" she asked leading her husband away.

"Mum!" Daphne whined in horror clearly wishing the floor would swallow her.

Harry was amused as he saw Jonathan pale at his wife's question and began stuttering incoherently.

"I'm sorry about them" Daphne muttered quietly, clearly embarrassed by her parents.

"Don't be" Harry dismissed with a shrug. "I'm sure he doesn't really want me to lose" he added with a grin.

"You better not" Daphne replied firmly.

Harry pulled her into a hug which she happily returned.

"I won't, I don't fancy being dug up to have my arse kicked" he declared in amusement causing Daphne to chuckle.

"I would do it too" she assured him with a grin. "I have to catch them up" she said sadly. "But I will see you tomorrow".

"I'd rather you weren't there but I know you will be regardless of what I say" he responded knowingly. "I will see you tomorrow" he said placing another kiss on her cheek.

Daphne left followed shortly by Harry after he shared a nod with the headmaster. He had a duel to prepare for after all.

(BREAK)

The students had just finished their evening meal and found themselves to be perplexed by a perceived announcement that the headmaster was about to make. It was unusual as the man only addressed the students at feasts or to inform them of something important. He raised his hands to gain the silence of those assembled.

"Students" he began. "It is my duty to inform you that a sanctioned duel will take place here tomorrow morning at Hogwarts".

There was a flurry of chatter amongst the students. Those who understood whispered excitedly to their friends and those that did not listened as explanations were made throughout the hall. Dumbledore waited for silence again before continuing.

"Lord Theodore Nott Senior, by honour of his family, has challenged Lord Harry James Potter in a duel that shall be contested with no limitations on magic" he explained.

Several gasps could be heard and again students aware of such things explained the implications in such a contest. There were quite a few worried faces amongst the crowd now and the noise quickly fell, allowing the headmaster to continue.

"Due to the nature of the contest and because of the agreed rules between the combatants, only students from fourth year and above will be allowed to attend as spectators" he said firmly.

There was a groan of disappointment from the younger years at this.

"I must warn you all however" Dumbledore cut in. "If you are planning on attending then you must be aware that serious injury and even death is likely, it is not for the squeamish nor the faint at heart" he spoke gravely. "The duel is scheduled to begin at 11am" he finished taking his seat once more.

"Why would you allow them to attend Albus?" Minerva questioned him in confusion.

The question caused the older man to sigh.

"Because Minerva it is my hope that they will witness this and be deterred by violent confrontation and demonstrate the honest brutality of war" he explained. "I am hoping that a harsh and honest lesson will prevent many of those with dreams of grandeur joining Tom and his cause" he added.

"But surely they are too young" she replied questioningly.

"Tom was the same age as some of the students when he committed his first murder" he informed her. "In an ideal world they would be too young but alas, ours is far from it right now" he concluded with a shake of his head.

Minerva just nodded. She agreed that the world was far from ideal, she just hoped that this was not a moment of poor judgement by her friend.

(BREAK)

The students at the Gryffindor table were a mix of shock, worry and excitement. Most were lost in their own thoughts for some time before Hermione broke the silence.

"Why would Harry accept a challenge like that" she asked no one in particular.

"He had no choice" Neville answered.

Seeing Hermione looking confused he continued.

"Put yourself in his position Hermione" he offered. "He is a half-blood in a pure blood dominated world and he was challenged by honour, that in itself is a big deal" he explained. "Now because of how things are with You-Know-Who he can't afford to look weak in any way and by the honour of his own family, he would have had to accept anyway" he finished knowingly.

"But his family are dead" Hermione pointed out.

"They are" Neville agreed with a nod. "But it is his duty as a Potter to carry his name the way his ancestors did and from what my Gran told me over Easter that is a big weight to carry" he added.

"You asked your Gran about the Potters? I thought she told you everything she knew" Hermione replied with a frown.

"Turns out she didn't" Neville said with a shrug. "She knew Harry's grandfather from the wizengamot and according to her the man was terrifying especially with a wand" he informed the bushy haired girl.

"But I looked into well-known duelling families and the Potters weren't on the list, despite his grandfather killing giants and so on" she responded, still frowning.

"That's because they aren't duellists" Neville stated matter-of-factly. "They are fighters and duelling is a sport, not a fight" he explained.

"But this duel sounds like a fight" She responded exasperatedly.

"And that's what makes it more to Harry's advantage" Neville said. "There are no limitations on spells he can use and I imagine Harry has a few up his sleeve, especially if what we saw is anything to go by" he finished confidently.

"So they can use the unforgivables?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Hermione, there are much worse curses than the unforgivables" the boy intoned seriously.

He held his hand up to stop the inevitable interruption.

"The cruciatus" he said with a knowing shudder, "is no doubt the immediate worst of the three, the killing curse, if anything, is a merciful death and the Imperius can be fought, and we both know Harry can do that" he explained. "There are curses that will boil your organs and some that will even expel them from your body" he added. "There are some curses that will kill you in the most painful ways imaginable, the reason they are not considered unforgivable is because they can be blocked with a shield of some sort" he finished.

"I know that" Hermione responded a little annoyed and sad. "But everywhere you read it says the unforgivables are the worst" she added knowingly.

Neville just shook his head, even he understood there were much worse spells than those available.

"So who is your money on?" Fred cut in as he and George took a seat and pulled out a notepad.

"5 Galleons on Harry" Neville said confidently.

"Neville!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're going to bet on Harry's life?" She asked disbelievingly.

Neville at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Why not?" he retorted. "May as well make some easy money from it" he added with a shrug.

"That's the spirit Nev" George praised the boy. "And what about you miss Granger?" he asked waggling his eyebrows at the brunette.

"No" She said firmly and crossed her arms, giving the twins a glare.

"Suit yourself, but you're missing out" he warned her.

"I wouldn't bet even if it wasn't Harry" she responded.

"And why is that?" Fred asked.

"Because it is barbaric" she replied exasperatedly. "And" she continued, "you have the odds too heavily in Harry's favour" she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" the twins asked in unison.

"The Nott's along with the Selwyn's and the Black's are among the best duellers in the wizarding world, it won't be an easy fight" she explained. "Harry could really die" she finished before leaving the table and exiting the hall.

"Is that true?" George asked Neville.

"It is something they are well-known for" he responded with a shrug. "But I don't doubt Harry in any way" he added firmly before he too exited.

"Shall we see who else wants to get in on this o' brother of mine?" Fred asked.

"Indeed brother" lead the way.

Watching the happenings from the side-lines was the youngest Weasley male. He was worried for his friend but he believed he would be successful, he always was after all.

Since Harry had dressed him down in the Great Hall, Ron had taken a lot of time to think about how things had been and where they were headed. He was still bitter about many things but he understood why his friend was acting the way he was. He had to, to make sure that he survives and Ron had been left behind, not only by Harry but many others.

He knew he couldn't change much because he was who he was but he would try to be more understanding of other people and not so judgemental. Ronald Weasley had much to think about still. But it was something he would work on.

(BREAK)

The reaction at the Slytherin table was the most diverse in the hall. Most of the house were grateful to Potter for getting rid of Malfoy and his cronies but they knew they could not openly support the boy, not that many of them would. The former members of the inquisitorial squad were gleeful at the prospect of seeing Potter trounced by Nott Senior. There were three at the table however who were not interested in that opinion.

"You knew about this didn't you?" Tracey questioned her best friend who just nodded casually and continued eating.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" the brunette continued, clearly frustrated.

"You know now don't you" Daphne pointed out.

Tracey huffed at her friend.

"You're not worried?" she asked.

Daphne sighed and pushed her plate away.

"I am" she admitted quietly. "But he knows what will happen if he dies" she added with a frown.

"You threatened his corpse didn't you?" Astoria piped up with a grin.

"I might have" her sister responded inspecting her fingernails.

"Don't you think you should cut him some slack?" Tracey tried with a raised eyebrow.

"No" Daphne answered firmly.

"Ohh Daphne really likes him" Astoria teased.

"Shut up Tori" Daphne responded heatedly.

"It's not like she was lying, you have been writing to him a lot" Tracey pointed out. "And you say his name in your sleep" she added quietly causing Astoria to choke on the mouthful of food she had just taken a bite of.

"Oh please tell me that is true" she begged the older brunette who just nodded and giggled.

"I do not" Daphne bit back hotly but started to blush despite her denial.

The trio were interrupted by a chuckle from their right.

"What are you laughing at Zabini?" Daphne questioned the boy angrily.

"Nothing" he said raising his hands to calm the girl. "I'm just surprised to hear you talking about a boy, I always thought you were inclined the other way" he finished with a shrug.

Daphne was shocked by the usually quiet boys input.

"See that's what I thought too" Tracey said loudly.

"Tracey!" Daphne exclaimed blushing even more.

"Well you never showed an interest before" Tracey replied. "But you definitely got it bad when it caught up to you" she added with a grin.

Daphne put her head in her hands and shook it exasperatedly.

"She made a good choice" Blaise said casually causing all three girls to stare at the boy in disbelief.

"What?" he asked with a frown. "He's rich, powerful and apparently good looking" he explained.

"You think Potter is a good catch?" Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Neutral here" Blaise responded pointing to himself. "And Nott is a prat, personally I'm pulling for Potter in this one" he explained to the stunned girls.

"Care to make a wager?" George asked sliding in to the seat next to the boy.

"We are offering good odds" Fred added taking the seat on the other side.

"20 galleons on Potter" Blaise replied casually. "Oh come on you saw what he did to three aurors at the same time" he said after seeing the disbelieving looks on the girls faces.

With his business concluded with the twins the boy nodded to the group and left.

"I never thought I would see the day" Tracey said, still in shock.

"Me either" Astoria agreed.

"Well ladies are you getting in on this?" Fred asked waving the notepad they were carrying.

"No thank you boys" Tracey responded. "Daphne has already hit the jackpot and me and Tori are happy enjoying that" she explained shooting her friend a mischievous grin.

"Why can't you get your own boyfriend?" Daphne retorted exasperatedly.

"Oh so he's your boyfriend now?" the girl asked in response. "You didn't tell us that".

Daphne just stood up and left clearly blushing deeply. She really had not meant for it to sound that way but she knew she had put her foot in it and she would pay for that mistake for some time to come.

Tracey and Astoria followed, they had a lot of teasing to catch up on and Daphne had just given them the perfect material.

(BREAK)

Harry awoke the day of the duel in a full fight mind set. He was quiet and contemplative; he was unshakable and he purely meant business. His eyes glowed at the impending fight and he found himself more ready than he had ever been for a confrontation.

He had spent the remainder of his day yesterday alone and thinking. He thought of the man he was going to fight and did all he could to at least feel nothing towards the man. He knew it was best that he was impassive in his approach to the duel and the man he was facing. Killing the man was not something he was particularly keen on doing but he would not hesitate if it was deemed necessary in the moment.

He thought of all the reprehensible things the man had done and taken part in under the guise of a Death Eater. Harry knew you did not get the mark by any feat of morality, those with the mark were murderers, rapist and just simply vile people.

He thought of what had happened over the years to many people, perpetrated by those that carry that mark and the he knew the man he was fighting had been involved in some of those atrocities.

He would show no mercy to a man who had not given it to those he had killed and those he had trespassed upon. If necessary he would kill the man, he saw it as justification for what had happened to himself and many others.

He knew that was what his grandfather would do and he knew that his mother would not hold it against him. He knew that it was him or it would be himself and he would be damned if he were to fall to that man.

He knew he needed to send a message to Tom also. That message being that his followers would get no mercy from him. He would hold them all in equal contempt and he would take them down one by one if he had to to prevent them from continuing to do what they had for decades.

He got dressed in his continued silence. He wore a khaki green t-shirt with black combat trousers and some white trainers. He wanted to be as loose and comfortable as possible. Today was not a day to impress with his sense of fashion, it was a day that business held precedence over all else.

He made his way to the drawing room to take in a light breakfast, he would eat a bigger meal after the duel, if he won.

Arcturus watched the boy and was impressed at how calm and collected he was. He could see the intent in his eyes and he nodded his approval.

"Are you ready?" he asked breaking the silence.

Harry just nodded. He heard the question but he was in no mood for idle chat this morning.

"Good" Arcturus intoned. "Now remember do not hold back at all it is time to show these bastards what you are made of" he instructed firmly. "It would probably be better if you do kill him, it will be one less" he added.

"I will if he makes me" Harry responded neutrally. "At the very least he will regret his challenge" he continued allowing some of the pent up magic to radiate from him, his eyes glowing brighter.

"He will be trying to kill you" Arcturus pointed out knowingly.

"Then he will die" Harry retorted indifferently.

Arcturus just looked at the boy, a boy who was quickly becoming a man and quite a terrifying one at that. He wouldn't openly admit it but he was proud of him especially when he thought back to when he first arrived almost a year ago. It was then he realised that the boy truly did not need him anymore and that thought saddened the older man a little. The last year had not been easy but the boy had given him further purpose and he found the adventures he had shared with him were enjoyable and among the best times he had had in many years. Arcturus Black had found something to be proud of at long last and it was the grandson of his best friend and his little sister. The man was content for the first time in a long time and he had no doubt the boy would be successful. He had taught him just about everything he could and now his fate was in his own hands.

He stood and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Honour Thy Blood Potter" he spoke sincerely before leaving, he wanted to get a good seat after all.

"I will" Harry whispered and steeled himself one final time.

(BREAK)

The stands in the qudditch stadium at Hogwarts were filled to capacity and further seats had been added to accommodate the crowd that had come to witness the duel, Witches and Wizards had poured in from all over the country and beyond to watch the altercation between the two. Word had clearly spread quickly and it seemed the entire wizarding world had wanted to be in attendance.

The crowd watched as Nott senior entered the stadium to a mixture of boos and cheers, the man simply ignored them all and watched the opposing entrance to the stadium in which Potter would enter. He waited only a few minutes before the boy entered to much more cheers than he had received.

Nott had to admit the boy had an unsettling presence but he would be intimidated by the legend that was Harry Potter. Today he would prove the boy had been nothing but lucky and when it came to a duel, he was far superior than the half-blooded bastard.

(BREAK)

Daphne, Tracey and Astoria were sat in the stands with their parents, eagerly anticipating the start of the duel. Daphne was and had been quiet all morning. In reality she felt sick and did not trust herself to open her mouth for fear that she would simply vomit.

Surprisingly the group were joined by Blaise Zabini and his mother who they found had been rather polite and courteous to them. Blaise had even offered the girls a reassuring smile and again stated his belief that Harry would be victorious.

They watched as Nott Senior entered the stadium and saw that he looked rather calm despite what he was facing.

They watched Harry enter shortly afterwards and could see that he was ready, the glow of his eyes could be seen by any who cared to look and if truth be told it was rather eerie. There was no doubt that Potter cut the impressive figure.

"That is Harry Potter?" Mrs Zabini asked in disbelief. "My, he is growing into a fine young man" she added with a predatory leer.

"Mum" Blaise said weakly. "He is the same age as me" he pleaded.

"I was just complimenting the young man" his mother replied dismissively.

Daphne frowned at the woman causing her sister and friend to laugh. Blaise shot her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry" Blaise spoke sincerely.

"Did I say something wrong?" Mrs Zabini asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all, Daphne is just protecting what she wants" Tracey replied causing the group to laugh.

"Not today" Daphne said hotly but she blushed anyway.

"Oh come on Daph" Tracey pleaded. "You're not going to deny it are especially after what you said yesterday, what was it again?" she asked rhetorically. "Oh yeah".

She tried to continue but found her mouth covered by her friends hand.

"If you say it I will permanently stick your lips together" Daphne threatened waving her wand under her friends nose who was laughing at her reaction.

"Okay, I won't say a word" Trace surrendered. "It looks like they are starting now" she added.

The group turned to watch. Clearly Harry and the other man had just had a conversation of some sort but were now both backing off for the duel to begin.

(BREAK)

A very nervous group of friends were gathered in the stands where the Gryffindor students were sat. They had watched the two enter but had remained silent. It was not until they could be seen having a conversation that the silence was broken by Ron.

"What do you think they are saying?" he asked.

"I'll bet they aren't bidding each other a good morning" Fred said knowingly. "Lord, look at his eyes" he instructed pointing at Harry.

From where they were sat they could clearly see the green glowing orbs of their friend.

"How does he do that?" Neville asked.

"It is a trait of powerful wizards" Hermione cut in knowingly. "It is a way to demonstrate power but Harry is not forcing it" she pointed out. "He looks relaxed so it is just his magic reacting naturally" she explained.

The others just shrugged in reply and watched as the two began backing off, neither taking their eyes off the other.

(BREAK)

Harry entered the stadium, ignoring the crowd entirely, his eyes were firmly fixed on the other man. He walked forward without hesitation.

"Ready to die Potter?" Nott spat.

"I've been ready since last June" Harry answered casually. "Are you ready to die for you non-existent family honour?" Harry asked in reply.

"My family has honour unlike you, you half-blooded little shit" the man responded heatedly.

"It's funny how you hold my blood status against me when you spend half of your time with your lips puckered on an arse of a half-blood" Harry said causing the man to balk and look confused.

"Oh you didn't know" Harry continued in amusement. "The man who you bow to is a half-blood, his real name is Tom Riddle, his father was a muggle" he explained triumphantly.

"You dare" the man hissed. "You dare insult the Dark Lord? I will make you suffer like the blood traitor Weasley's" he spat.

It was Harry's turn to be caught short.

"Oh I was there" Nott continued. "I heard the screams" he added.

Harry could feel the rage boiling within him now.

"They screamed like children when we set that ward device off, I certainly enjoyed it" he finished gleefully seeing that he was getting to the boy. The bright glow of his eyes gave away his anger, and angry people were clumsy in a fight.

"Who?" Harry asked dangerously.

"As if I would tell you" Nott retorted. "Not that you will live through this anyway" he finished confidently.

"Oh you will tell me" Harry mumbled and began backing away, he was finished talking.

Any thoughts of mercy had now been abandoned by the teen. He was going to kill the man there was no longer any debate on the matter in his mind. But first he would get the man to talk, by any means necessary. Theodore Nott Senior was going to suffer for what he had done to the redheaded family.

Harry heard the projected voice of Dumbledore cut in to his thoughts and listened to what the man had to say.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" he began. "It seems that the two combatants are ready, you may begin as you please" he instructed the two.

Harry wasted no time and immediately began firing powerful bludgeoners and bone breakers at the man. He followed up with a few darker curses from his Black knowledge designed to incapacitate the man.

Nott senior quickly conjured a powerful bright gold shield that would protect him from anything short of the unforgivables, it was draining but Potter had left him little choice. Despite the strength of his shield he was knocked back several feet as the first onslaught of curses hit it. He was immediately weary of the boy's power, he clearly had that in abundance.

He waited for a lull in the spells before he dropped the shield and began firing his own in return which they boy dodged with ease. He was impressed by the grace and the speed of the boy, he was indeed a formidable opponent.

He fired a few well-aimed blood boiling curses and a withering curse that he knew the boy would not be able to doge. He watched in horror as the boy simply batted them away as though they were nothing, he had seen very few people capable of that feat.

He had to quickly conjure a shield again as Potter returned fire with some very questionable curses, some he had never seen and had no idea what they would do. He felt his magic draining quite rapidly from the amount needed to maintain the shield. He thought that the boy would tire from using so many powerful spells but he could see that he showed no signs of slowing, he didn't even looked slightly fatigued.

He knew he was in a desperate situation and had one last spell that he knew would cause the boy problems. He dropped his shield and braced himself.

"FIENDFYRE" he roared.

(BREAK)

Harry watched as the fiery dragon erupted from the man's wand and steeled himself. He knew there was no dodging the flames but he had been preparing for this eventuality, he knew that it was a favoured spell amongst Riddle's more powerful followers and he had planned accordingly. The problem was however, he had never attempted what he was about to with real fiendfyre. He was in unknown territory here. He would either succeed triumphantly or he would be reduced to nothing as the fire consumed him.

(BREAK)

"Amazing" Mrs Zabini whispered in awe as the group watched Harry dodging and batting away the lethal spells.

"He is" Ophelia agreed in a similar tone.

"What is that shield?" Tracey asked.

"It is a mage shield" Jonathan answered. "It takes an enormous amount of power to conjure and maintain" he explained. "Only someone confident in their ability would use it as it is very draining" he finished knowingly.

"Why would he use it then?" Astoria asked in confusion.

"Because if he used any other shield, the power of Harry's spells would obliterate it" he responded simply. "He will get desperate though, he won't be able to maintain that for much longer" he added knowledgably.

True to his prediction the group watched as the man dropped his shield and planted his feet firmly bending his knees slightly.

"FIENDFYRE" they heard the man roar and their eyes widened in recognition of the incantation.

They watched in horror as the fiery dragon leapt from the man's wand and charged towards the boy who remained unmoved.

The adults gasped and the teens screamed as they watched the fiery beast engulf the teen seemingly without any resistance from him.

Daphne felt the tears streaming down her face and was not aware that her best friend had placed an arm around her should.

"Look" Astoria suddenly shouted pointing towards the still present dragon.

A disturbance could be seen within the flames.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as the man conjured the accursed flames. He was deeply saddened as he watched the boy disappear within them and cursed himself for allowing this to happen.

He was dragged from his musings by a tap on the shoulder.

He turned to see a very shocked Arcturus Black pointing a very shaky hand towards where the boy had stood.

"He did it" the Baron said disbelievingly. "He actually did it".

(BREAK)

Harry watched as the beast hurtled towards him, he steeled himself and focused his power concentrating on what he wanted to happen. Just as he felt the heat of the flames and could smell his hair and clothes starting to burn he felt a deep coldness overcome him and saw only black. It had worked.

FLASHBACK TO MANY MONTHS PREVIOUS

"What is this spell" Harry asked Arcturus entering the drawing room.

The older man looked at the indicated page and nodded in recognition.

"Your grandfather and I had started to work on a spell against fiendfyre, we never really focused on it that much and never finished it" he explained with a shrug.

"It seems important" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.

"The war had finished and we didn't really think about it after" Arcturus responded. "Finish it if you can most of the work is done already, I tried to a few times over the years but couldn't quite get it right" he finished a little irritably.

Harry left the room deep in thought. He had a few ideas on how he could get the spell finished but it would need some experimentation.

END FLASHBACK

The crowed watched in complete silence and suspense as an inky black mass started to form within the flames. Suddenly the flames were pushed back as the mass formed into an enormous Thestral that dwarfed the dragon.

"What is that?" Astoria asked in shock.

"I have no idea" her father replied in a similar state to his daughter. "I have never seen or heard of anything like it" he added.

Daphne just watched as the dark as night creature formed and repelled the flames. Her heart filled with hope that the boy was ok and she breathed a sigh of relief followed by a sob.

All eyes in the stadium were on the new battle that had begun between the two conjured creatures. The massive black Thestral flew towards the dragon and wrapped itself around the beast, moulding to its form. A struggle could be witnessed as each of the elements fought for dominance and the spectators waited with baited breath for the outcome.

With a final desperate roar the dragon disappeared in an explosion of black gas that flooded the pitch blocking the view of everyone. After a few moments the smoke began to clear and a figure could be seen emerging from it. There stood a slightly singed, but largely unharmed Harry Potter looking nothing short of murderous.

"Unbelievable" Jonathan whispered.

(BREAK)

Harry emerged from the Black fog and could see that the other man was exhausted. He approached him and easily batted away the desperate curse the man fired towards him. He fired a bonebreaker, catching the man's wand hand, causing him to drop his wand with a pained scream.

Harry fired a single arrow embedding the projectile into the man's shoulder and eliciting another scream from him. The arrow was one from the Black repertoire of spells imbued with a curse that would cause heart failure, the man was already dead, he just didn't know it yet.

"Who was it?" Harry asked.

The man just looked confused at the boy's question.

"Who was with you at the Weasley's" Harry clarified.

"Fuck you Potter" the man retorted spitting a mouthful of blood in his direction.

"Have it your way" Harry responded coldly and crudely pulled the arrow from the man's shoulder causing him to grunt from the discomfort. "This arrow has a very deadly curse on it" he explained to the man. "I am sure you are feeling the effects of it right now" he surmised. "If you want to live then you will tell me what I want to know" he demanded.

Nott could indeed feel the effects of the curse settling in and it was not very pleasant. He would not give the boy what he wanted though, he would take it to the grave with him.

"Go to hell" he spat and grinned triumphantly.

Harry knelt by the man, he was tired of him now and just wanted the answers he sought. He pushed the man firmly to the ground, rammed two of his fingers into the open wound and kneeled on his broken hand. The man screamed again in agony and screamed further still has Harry began to allow some passive magic to pass through his fingers.

"Tell me what I want to know and I will stop" Harry promised.

"Alright" the suffering man conceded. "It was Rowle and Rookwood" he said breathily. "Now counter the curse for fuck sake" he commanded.

Harry just smiled at the man, he would get no mercy today. He could not allow this man to get away with what he had done to Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Luna Lovegood.

"I will pass on your regards" Harry said coldly and got to his feet and proceeded to the exit.

He was almost at the door when he heard his name screamed in anguish. He turned to see Nott senior collapse face first to the floor clutching his chest with his broken hand and his wand in the other.

He simply shook his head at the man and left.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as Harry emerged almost unscathed from the fog and proceeded to subdue the man. He was about to stand to intervene, seeing that Nott was no longer armed and clearly could not continue when he felt a firm hand on his forearm.

"You will not intervene" Arcturus commanded firmly. "Clearly they still have unresolved business" he added.

Dumbledore remained in his seat and watched as Harry interrogated the man. 'He must have something he wants' he mused. He was not comfortable with what the young man was doing but knew he would not appreciate any interference. Dumbledore blocked out the screams from Nott senior as best as possible but was shaken from his reverie with a scream from the crowd as someone shouted Harry's name.

He saw Nott senior fall face first to the ground dead. He shook his head despairingly. Witnessing death never got any easier.

(BREAK)

Daphne watched as Harry was gaining information from the fallen man in a not so pleasant manner. She heard the screams of the man and could not believe that the boy would do such a thing regardless of how despicable the man was.

"Why is he doing that?" Astoria asked a little distraught by what she was witnessing.

"He must have his reasons" Jonathan replied confidently. "Harry is not a cruel person" he added assuredly.

Daphne watched sadly as Harry walked away. It was not fair that the boy had been given such a fate. She saw Nott Senior get to his feet and grab his wand. He pointed it at the retreating back of the boy.

"HARRY" she screamed desperately but her warning was not needed as she saw the older man fall to the ground dead. She froze in disbelief briefly before she shot to her feet and raced from the stadium followed quickly by the group she was with.

(BREAK)

Harry left the stadium and was met by an apprehensive looking first year Gryffindor.

"Hello Miss McDonald" he greeted her with a weak smile.

"Are you ok Mr Potter?" the girl asked, clearly concerned. "I wasn't allowed to come in and watch" she told him sadly.

"I'm glad you weren't" Harry replied. "There are things that a young lady should not see" he added. "As you can see I am ok" he reassured the girl. "Are you looking forward to the summer?" he asked changing the subject.

"No sir" the girl responded quietly. "I don't like the orphanage" she said sadly.

Harry was taken aback by the revelation that the girl was an orphan. He truly felt her pain knowing himself what it was like growing up without parents. He pulled the girl into a reassuring hug.

"I know it is hard growing up without your parents, I had to live with my aunt and uncle and I did not like it" he informed the girl. "But your life is what you make of it" he explained. "You really can do anything you set your mind to" he said.

"Thank you sir" the girl said giving him a genuine smile.

"It is Harry to you Miss" Harry replied giving her a bow as he released her from the hug.

"Then you have to call me Natalie" the girl insisted.

"I can do that" Harry said with a smile. "But for now I believe there is someone else who wants to speak to me" he added spotting Daphne with several others watching them from behind the girl.

"Ok, I'll see you later Harry" the girl responded giving him a final hug before she departed.

Harry watched her as she left and felt saddened by her circumstances, something he would ponder later.

He turned to look at Daphne who was looking torn at how she was feeling. She hesitated momentarily before throwing herself in his arms and sobbed into his chest. Harry just held her and waited for her to calm herself.

"Why did you kill him?" she asked eventually, her voice full of emotion.

"It was him" Harry answered coldly. "it was him and two others that attacked the Weasley's" he explained.

"Then he got what he deserved" Jonathan said firmly. "Well fought Harry" he added. "I will certainly never doubt you and your ability".

Harry just nodded, he wanted nothing more than to be alone right now. He pushed Daphne away and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll write" he promised and he walked away and disapparated the moment he had passed through the gates.

"What's wrong with him?" Tracey asked in disbelief. "He won he should be happy".

"He needs to be alone" Jonathan replied firmly. "He just killed a man, something he clearly takes no joy in, he needs time to put everything in place" he finished knowingly.

"Will he be ok?" Daphne asked still watching the gate in which the boy had passed through and disappeared.

"He will" Jonathan reassured her. "He is strong, but strong people need time to heal also, all you can do is be there when he needs you" he explained to his daughter.

"I will be" Daphne whispered to herself. She understood why he had done what he had, it was definitely justified. She just hoped he was not too hard on himself.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort emerged from his pensieve feeling very mixed emotions. He had just watched a memory of the duel between Nott and Potter that he had obtained from one of his followers.

He was very impressed at all aspects of Potters fighting style. He was powerful, fast and very elusive. In addition he was ruthless and non-hesitant and had some serious skill as demonstrated by how he had dealt with the fiendfyre, he had never witnessed a spell like it.

He knew that he had to duel the younger man sooner rather than later before he could become a true threat to the Dark Lord. He shuddered at the thought of the boy being left unchecked. The thoughts of the prophecy would haunt him until he could obtain it, something he needed Potter for.

Lord Voldemort was concerned and his concern was increasing, something had to be done about the boy.