c8

Lord Voldemort was not a happy man, not a happy man at all. It had been a month since Peter had returned with the news of his failure and the fury within the Dark Lord had barely begun to subside. Of course, he had asked the rat to recount his tale several times and had even viewed the memory of the encounter with the mysterious French wizard but no positive result of his investigation into the man had yet been yielded.

Peter had been punished most harshly by the Dark Lord and it still brought the man much joy to see the limp the portly man now had in his step. The urge to curse him further still plagued him but he controlled himself knowing that the fool still had his uses.

He had sent Lucius to carry out the mission that Peter had failed at and was currently awaiting his return, he knew that holding the wife of the Head of the French DMLE could be a crucial advantage to himself in the future and would ensure that the French would not interfere even knowing that they would be next on the list once he finally brought Britain beneath his heel, something that he knew would not take much time after he came out in the open.

He had his subordinates of any use paving that way already. He had Lucius working behind the scenes on the political field, bribing and blackmailing where necessary to fulfil his needs there and several others working on various aspects of the magical world that could offer him difficulties if they were to remain unchecked and negated accordingly.

He had sent emissaries to the werewolves on the continent in the form of Fenrir Greyback and a few lower followers, knowing that the beasts would be very useful in a fight. All he needed to do was offer them the hope of a better life than they would ever be given under the current regime and their cooperation was assured.

He had already secured the services of the giants and when the time was right he would open negotiations with the vampires also, the one group that would be the most difficult to bring to aide in his cause.

He knew the Dementors' were a sure thing as they had been in the previous war and all he had to provide them was hunting grounds in which they could consume as many souls as they wished and no longer had to adhere to the will and whim of the ministry. It also helped him that they were currently the main source of security at Azkaban where his most loyal followers currently resided. They would be liberated soon enough, marking his first move out in to the open.

He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of both Lucius and Severus, the former looking very nervous indeed. Lord Voldemort knew he had not brought welcome news.

"Come Lucius" he began. "Explain to me why the wife of Monsieur Delacour is not in your company" he demanded in what appeared to be a casual tone.

Lucius knew that the casual tone the Dark Lord used was masking an undercurrent of anger at his failings. As was his custom when he found himself in such a situation he fell to his knees and prostrated himself to his master.

"My lord, I arrived at the location you gave me and the house simply wasn't there" he informed him as composed as he could, but the fear was evident in his voice.

The Dark Lord pondered the information he had been given. He knew Lucius was not stupid enough to go to the wrong location. Despite his snivelling and cowardice in the face of his Lords wrath he was a man of real intelligence and cunning. There was only one possible reason behind the house being missing; The Fidelius charm. But the property in question was very large indeed and Lord Voldemort knew that to be able perform the charm was a feat in itself, but to perform it on such a large area was not possible for someone unless they were considerably more accomplished and powerful than the average wizard. The mysterious French wizard, perhaps? That was the only conclusion that was at all fathomable to the Dark Lord and he growled at the realisation.

"Rise Lucius" he instructed the man. "Fear not, I do not hold you responsible for this failure it is the fault of the idiot Peter. Had he been successful in his attempt we would not find ourselves in this quandary" he surmised.

"Thank you My Lord" Lucius replied clearly relieved at the mercy he was being shown. "If there is anything I can do to rectify this error then it shall be done" he finished confidently.

An idea suddenly struck the Dark Lord and he knew the two men in the room were among his most capable followers.

"There is something that the both of you can do" he mused aloud.

Both men shared a look knowing that if they were both asked to complete something then it was of the most paramount importance.

"Of course, My Lord" they replied as one.

"The reason that Peter truly failed has not been shared with any but myself" he explained.

Both men exchanged another look. They had both been wondering as to why Peter had failed but none had been informed as to why. They had just assumed it was the fact that Peter was useless at most things and he had simply failed at the given task due to his incompetence.

"I have a memory I wish you both to view and I would like your honest opinions on it" he commanded firmly, wandlessly summoning a pensieve with the silvery substance already swirling within the bowl.

At the Dark Lords' gesture both men entered the pensieve not knowing what to expect from the memory they were about to see.

They found themselves in a fairly thin expanse of trees, clearly close to the edge of the wooded area as they thickened considerably behind them. It was Snape that spotted the rat with its tell-tale silver paw and pointed it out to Lucius.

"I assume we follow the rat" he drawled lazily to his companion who nodded in agreement.

They followed Peter a short distance until they came to the edge of the trees and they immediately saw what they were intended to.

They saw one of the Death Eaters torturing one of the group of Veela they had had just captured, clearly taunting her and her friends. It was what they saw next that both confused and shocked them.

Out of nowhere the Death Eater in question and the man to his right were violently felled with arrows. Both men scanned the area looking for the source of the intervention and quickly spotted a young man with a grey hooded sweater and jeans approaching the group. His face could not be seen as Peter had clearly not gotten a good look at the individual. The only sounds that could be heard were the screaming of their fellow Death Eaters as they were torn apart without prejudice.

Both men paled at what they saw and could only compare it to that of which their master was capable of. This young man was clearly very powerful and a very formidable wizard. They watched as he seemed to have freed one of the men who walked towards them looking extremely relieved but very gaunt. The man collapsed around five feet in front of them and they were pulled from the memory.

Lord Voldemort watched as his subordinates emerged from the pensieve looking quite green at what they had witnessed, Lucius even had a nervous sweat which amused the Dark Lord slightly.

"What do you think?" he asked the pair who glanced at each other, willing the other to answer first.

"He is clearly capable and quite ruthless" Snape finally surmised as neutrally as possible.

"That he is" the Dark Lord agreed. "Lucius, what say you?" he questioned the other man who was looking quite sick.

"I agree with Severus" he began hesitantly. "But who is he?" he asked hoping that his question would allow him some time to compose himself.

"Something I wish for you to find out, though he killed my men he could be a possible ally, it may be that he was hired to protect the veela or that he is one of their lovers and was simply protecting what was his" he mused, frowning in thought. "It is unlikely that a man wielding such magic and power would place himself under a light banner particularly with the way they would view the magic he used" he concluded thoughtfully.

"Where would you have us start My Lord?" Snape asked, now wishing he had not been present for this meeting.

"A man of such power is very much a rarity and should not be difficult to locate" the Dark Lord explained. "Lucius, I want you to make discreet enquiries with the French ministry and try to discover who, if anyone wields that kind of power under their employ" he instructed the blonde. "And Severus" he began turning to the potions master. "I want you to use the connection Hogwarts has with Beauxbatons to see if any student has graduated from there in the last 10 years that could have been capable of what we have seen, you know what to look for" he finished.

"Yes my Lord" both men replied in unison and left to begin their tasks.

The Dark Lord turned to his ever-present familiar and stroked her head fondly after they had departed.

"A wizard of such talent could be a very powerful ally indeed Nagini" he hissed. "Or he could be a real thorn in my side if he intends to oppose me" he added after a moment's thought.

(BREAK)

Things had been relatively quiet for Harry since he returned from France. Both Arcturus and Sirius had taken the news of his failure well after he had explained exactly what had happened and agreed that he had done the right thing by intervening when he did.

Arcturus was content with the way he had dispatched of the Death Eaters and Sirius had largely been left out of the loop in that regard, with Harry not wanting to have his godfather worry any more than he already did about the teen. The older Black had commended Harry on gaining such an important ally and deemed the mission to be not a total loss.

Christmas had been a quiet affair for both of the occupants of the house. They had exchanged gifts both equally happy with what the other had given them.

Harry had given Arcturus an enlarged photo of his grandparents wedding day in which the happy couple and Arcturus along with his wife were clearly happy. The older man had even managed a rare smile at the gift he had received from the younger man.

Harry was very grateful for the gift Arcturus had given him. He had given him several memories of both of his grandparents including their wedding day, something that was priceless to the last Potter.

From Sirius Harry had received various photos of his parents' school days and beyond including more wedding photos and one of a very happy Sirius holding baby Harry that he placed with the one of his grandparents on the bedside table. He had given the marauder a couple of wand holsters that were similar to his own and a duplicate of the book of his Grandfathers training regime.

He had not bought gifts for any others just in case any owls he sent had been intercepted but he did get a surprise from his friends in the post; a large package of sweets delivered by none other than Hedwig herself, who was clearly elated to see her owner again and had refused to leave his shoulder for several hours after chiding him for his negligence towards her.

The downside to his return was the news that Arthur Weasley had been attacked guarding whatever it was the order was keeping watch over in the department of mysteries. Fortunately for the redhead, one of the portraits in the corridor was a former headmaster at Hogwarts and had witnessed the attack and was able to inform Dumbledore in the nick of time, saving the life of the man.

It was then that Harry knew he would have to meet with the headmaster to instruct him to call off the guard; whatever was in there could not be important enough to risk lives over.

A conversation with the man was inevitable and although the time had come sooner than Harry would have liked he knew he had to bring Dumbledore in to the fold in some way knowing it was better they worked together cohesively than have any recurring unpleasant happenings.

This was what Harry was now preparing for. He had purposely waited until term had started as not to put his friends in a precarious position, knowing that the new defence professor was a ministry worker and had been making not so discreet enquiries about him.

Arcturus would not be attending the meeting. He had stated that it was not prudent for him to come out in the open yet and had instructed Harry to keep his involvement to himself and had even had him swear a vow to ensure the information was safe.

Harry agreed with the older man and was grateful that he was being trusted to handle the headmaster on his own. He knew Arcturus was less than fond of Dumbledore and any meeting they would have in the future was likely to be very unpleasant. He in fact knew it would be as it seemed to be one of Arcturus' favourite pass-times; to often criticise 'the old coot' and insult him in any way he could vocalise.

Harry knew a meeting of the order of the phoenix was taking place this evening and was waiting for Sirius to send Dobby when it would be a good time for Harry to go. Both he and Arcturus had convinced him that he should meet with the rest of the order also so they could at least be assured that he was in fact alive.

Sirius wanted him to attend to get to know the people he may come across to some extent, more so that he did not curse them inadvertently when he did by accident. Arcturus wanted him to go so he could gage possible allies and how useful they may or may not be; he wanted to know if any of them were reliable or were, as he suspected and described; 'a bunch of blithering piss ants like the so called leader of the light'.

It was then that a small pop was heard and a house elf appeared in the room, but it was not Dobby as Harry had been expecting but Elgar.

The elf bowed to Harry as he always did before speaking.

"The Lord Black wishes to see young master before he leaves" the elf declared before popping away.

Harry made his way to the drawing room where he knew Arcturus would be.

Upon entering he could see that the older man was waiting for him and he indicated the teen to take the seat opposite.

"We need to discuss tonight" he said simply.

Harry was unsure on what needed to be discussed in particular but nodded anyway knowing the older man would have his reasons.

"This is the first time you will be meeting these people" Arcturus continued after he had gotten the nod from Harry. "It is imperative that you conduct yourself accordingly, they must respect you if you do not want them to try and treat you as a child the way that I expect they will. You must take control of the situation and give no quarter. Do not allow any of them to talk out of turn nor attempt to control you in any way. You must not show them any weakness Potter, do you understand?" he asked quietly but firmly, giving the teen a critical stare.

"Yes sir" Harry replied resolutely.

"Good" the older man intoned. "Remember why you are doing this and remember that you are more able than all of them; do not hesitate to make sure they know it too if the need arises" he finished.

"Yes sir" Harry responded once again, knowing the older man was not looking for anything further.

It was just as Harry had intended to do by all means.

He knew that Molly Weasley in particular would try to mother him and if Snape was present, he would try to belittle him. He had already surmised that he would have to be firm and not allow any form of liberty to be taken with him tonight.

"Is that all sir?" Harry asked respectfully.

"Not quite" Arcturus responded. "We will be going to the ministry tomorrow to begin your OWL examinations; it seems the time is as good as any now as the rat is clearly in hiding. I have already contacted the appropriate parties but have not revealed who either of us are. I will of course be in disguise and will pose as your tutor. Madame Marchbanks has already consented to an oath of silence and she will be the only one aware of your identity throughout the process. We will simply change the colour of your hair and eyes, that should be sufficient to ensure that you are not recognised" he explained.

"Yes sir" Harry replied, suddenly feeling nervous.

Arcturus saw this and shook his head.

"You are far beyond both OWL and NEWT level work Potter so it will be a breeze for you" he pointed out knowingly. "However if you do not perform sufficiently I will be most displeased with you" he added with a hint of a threatening tone.

"I won't let you down sir" Harry vowed, not liking the look he was receiving from the older man.

"It won't be me you let down Potter, only yourself" Arcturus replied with a shrug. "It won't be my future you're pissing away" he added. "Use it as an opportunity to really show what you can do and leave the examiners with no doubts to your abilities, yes?" he asked.

Harry had already planned on it, he saw no reason to hold back whatsoever in the exams and truly wanted his achievements to reflect those of his family before him.

Harry was about to respond but before he could a quiet pop announced the arrival of Dobby who was wearing a white shirt and tight leather trousers.

"Harry Potter's Paddy says that Professor Whiskers and his band of merry men has arrived Harry Potter sir" the elf informed him before disappearing with a pop.

Arcturus shook his head at the elf.

"Where the hell does that elf get its clothes from?" he asked exasperatedly.

"I daren't ask" Harry answeed shaking his head amusedly.

"Well it's not becoming of an elf to dress in such a way" the older man informed Harry, clearly bothered by Dobbys' demeanour.

"What can I say, he's eccentric" Harry said with a shrug.

"I hate eccentrics" Arcturus mumbled grumpily. "He's not inclined towards other male elves is he?" he asked.

"I have no idea" Harry responded not wanting to dwell on the sexuality of his friend.

"Well there's something not right with that one, what kind of self-respecting male wears leather trousers?" he questioned.

"Sirius does" Harry replied. "Apparently it's quite fashionable".

"Say no more" Arcturus grumbled rubbing his temples in frustration. "But if you parade around here dressed in them I will curse you out of them, understand?" he asked sternly pointing at the young man.

"And you are one to ask about the elf's sexuality" Harry replied cheekily shaking his head in mock disgust.

Before Arcturus could reply Harry had disapparated.

"Fucking Potters" he growled. "All the same they are, I'll show him" he added pounding his fist on the table.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore was sat at the kitchen at number 12 Grimmauld Place surrounded by all members of the order of the phoenix minus Remus, who was on the continent still. Severus was the final member to arrive looking his usual impassive self but the headmaster could see a hint of concern in the mans' eyes. Knowing that all were present he began the meeting.

"Is there any new business?" he asked the gathered members expectantly.

"The minister is still blocking anyone from talking to the press" Kingsley began. "Lucius Malfoy has not been seen in the ministry as much but his owl is always delivering notes to Fudges' office so he is clearly still in his pocket" he finished his explanation.

"Yes you are referring of course to the unpleasantness that has started to plague the community" Dumbledore sighed with a frown, more to himself than the group. "Clearly Mr Malfoy has business elsewhere" he added stroking his beard.

"I believe I can shed some light on that headmaster" Snape intoned in his usual drone.

"Please do Severus my boy" Dumbledore responded with a gentle twinkle.

"The Dark Lord has expressed a wish to have the wife of the French Head of the DMLE kidnapped and held under his care to prevent any possible interference on their part" he explained.

This caused a murmuring to begin at the table knowing that if this was to come to pass then it would not be good for them and could even make a fresh enemy in the French government.

At hearing this Sirius was paying full attention to the man he would usually ignore entirely, not trusting him an ounce.

"He sent Pettigrew and a group of 8 to accomplish this task initially" he continued. "But of course, being incompetent he failed" Snape informed them, much to the relief of those in the room.

"That is a relief" Dumbledore agreed with the sentiment of the room.

"Yes but it is not his failure that is the problem it is the reason he failed" Snape continued further.

The occupants at the table looked confused. They could all see the usually unflappable potions master was a little concerned now and it did not sit well with them.

"What caused him to fail Severus?" Minerva asked.

"An unknown wizard intervened during the kidnap attempt" Snape drawled enjoying the tension he had created.

"And?" Minerva questioned impatiently.

"He laid waste to every last Death Eater minus Pettigrew, who escaped" he spoke gravely, without any trace of amusement.

"He killed them all?" Kingsley asked in disbelief.

"Yes" Snape answered irritably. "In a very violent manner and without hesitation. The Dark Lord has tasked Lucius and I to locate this man and see if he is a possible ally. The reason Lucius has been absent is because he was sent to retrieve the woman but it seems that someone has managed to place the property under the Fidelius Charm" he finished.

"What do you mean violent manner?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.

"Dark and very destructive magic" Snape answered seriously.

Dumbledore sat and pondered the answer he had been given by his spy. If Severus saw the magic as dark and destructive then it must have been just that.

"Those Death Eaters must have been green to be taken out by one man" Kingsley cut in, clearly having been thinking about it.

"They weren't the best the Dark Lord has to offer but they were not slouches either. I saw the memory of what this man did to them and they fought back very well but they were no match for him. From what I saw he would not struggle to destroy any of you at this table and the Dark Lord was clearly impressed with him, something that is not easy to achieve" he explained with annoyance to the auror.

"Do you think he may be a rival Dark Lord?" Molly Weasley asked worriedly.

"Possibly" Snape drawled clearly thinking on what the red headed woman had asked.

Sirius was half amused by the discussion at the table and half angry at his godson for withholding so much from him; he would be having words with Harry Potter when he got here.

Right on cue the kitchen door opened and a tall, muscular young man wearing a fitted white t-shirt and beige combat trousers entered the room. His hair was cut short and he had well groomed stubble adorning his face that was quite regal; he looked like he was related to Sirius in some way.

Upon the mans' entry Kingsley had shot to his feet and pointed his wand at the visitor as the others simply stared open-mouthed at him.

"Who the hell are you?" he questioned dangerously.

The young man turned to stare at him unwaveringly even when he noticed the wand of an auror was pointed at him. Instead his green eyes came alive with an inferno that exuded power and Kingsley felt himself falter at the display.

In a blink of an eye the man had removed his wand and disarmed the auror with ease. He stood pointing a strange black and white wand of his own at Kingsley, who gulped at the position he found himself in.

"That was not a polite way to introduce yourself" the arrival stated with a raised eyebrow and tossed the wand back to the stunned older man.

Sirius started to snicker at what had just transpired and Dumbledore sat in his chair with his eyes twinkling like they hadn't done in months.

It was Minerva who first recognised the young man in front of them from the rest of the group.

"Potter?" She asked hesitantly clearly not believing this could be the same boy she had been teaching for the last four years.

Harry turned and offered his head of house a genuine smile.

"It is good to see you professor" he said truthfully.

The transfiguration professor returned his smile in a rare show of emotion from her but before anything else could be said Molly Weasley spoke up.

"Harry" She shouted charging towards the young man who stopped her in her tracks. He held by the shoulders and looked at her speculatively before placing a kiss on her cheek and bringing the woman in to a gentle embrace.

"It's good to see you too Mrs Weasley" he whispered . "I'm sorry what happened to Arthur, I hope he is ok" he added in a questioning tone.

"Arthur will be fine Harry, he is at home resting right now" She replied clearly happy to see the young man looking so well. "You have grown" she added looking at the teen critically trying to find something in which she could chide him about.

"That does usually happen at my age Mrs Weasley" Harry pointed out with a smirk to which the woman playfully hit him on the shoulder.

Harry scanned the room to look at the rest of the occupants. He had to admit that not many looked like they would be much use in a fight but he was sure they had their reasons for being here and he would not judge them based on their appearances.

He paused when he spotted Tonks with her pink hair and could not resist the temptation to embarrass the young auror.

"Ahh Miss Tonks" he began with a bow. "I'm glad to see you are wearing your hair my favourite way to see it, did Sirius tell you I was coming so you could go to the effort for me? He asked with a wink.

Sirius began snickering again and Tonks turned her usual shade of red when Harry spoke to her like that. She scowled at her cousin before answering the question.

"No Potter, Sirius did not tell me you would be here" She replied still scowling at the marauder.

"And there was me thinking you wanted to share another intimate moment with me" Harry responded shaking his head in mock disappointment causing the young woman to redden even more and Sirius to roar in laughter. "And I do believe I told you I wished to be addressed by my first name at our last encounter, I thought we had gotten over this" he added.

"And what is this" Mrs Weasley cut in with her hands on her hips. "You are much too old and experienced for Harry" she said flatly to the metamorph who began stuttering incoherently at the woman.

"It is ok Mrs Weasley" Harry placated, coming to Tonks rescue. "I was talking about us duelling, that is all" he explained to the irate red head. "However" he added looking quite mischievous. "If you knew what I had been up to I'm sure you would believe that I was too experienced for Miss Tonks here" he concluded with mirth evident in his eyes.

"And what have you been up to young man?" she asked, turning her ire on to Harry.

"Well" he mused. "Most recently I spent time with a group of 11 veela on the continent, it does appear there is some truth to the rumours of my whereabouts" he added, scratching his chin.

"You did what?" the red head screeched flushing in both anger and embarrassment.

Snape suddenly stood in realisation.

"It was you" he said disbelievingly pointing a slightly shaking hand at Harry. "You killed those men" he elaborated in an accusing tone.

Harry turned to look at the potions master, every indication of joviality was now absent from his expression which was now entirely impassive with a slight coldness that was immediately reflected in the temperature of the room.

"And what if I did Snape?" Harry questioned dangerously. "Some of your friends were they?" he asked neutrally.

Snape was taken aback at the confidence and lack of remorse Potter was displaying. He was use to the young man being compliant and a tad rebellious at best.

"Killed?" Molly questioned looking at Harry with concern. "Harry is not a killer" she deinied firmly shaking her head.

"This is a war Mrs Weasley" Harry retorted. "Sacrifices have to be made" he said sternly.

"You are a fifteen year old boy" she responded heatedly. "You are a child, it is not your responsibility" she finished.

"My childhood never began" Harry hissed angrily in response, his magic starting to leak from him in his rage.

Molly shuddered at the anger she could feel from the young man and turned to Albus who was looking quite upset.

"Surely you don't agree with him Albus" she stated.

"On the contrary Molly, I agree with him entirely" the headmaster sighed sadly.

The occupants of the room all shared looks of shock at the headmasters proclamation.

"Now if you will excuse us, I believe myself and Harry have much to discuss" he explained standing. "I am sure if you wait for us then Harry will be happy to introduce himself properly when our business is concluded" he added giving Harry a look who nodded in response.

Harry made to leave but turned back to the occupants of the room who were all lost in their own thoughts.

"Auror Moody?" he questioned the grizzled man. "I will have a vow of silence from Snape before I leave, can I trust you to ensure he remains here?" he asked.

"Aye lad" Moody replied with a nod. "He won't be going anywhere" he promised, giving Snape a glare.

Harry nodded and followed Dumbledore from the kitchen up to the drawing room.

Both men entered and took a seat; it was Dumbledore that broke the silence that had befallen between them.

"It is good to see you in such good health my boy" he began. "My apologies Harry" he added, "I refer to you as a boy and yet you sit before me nothing short of being a man, something I fear I have helped very little in" he sighed apologetically.

"It is good to see you too professor" Harry replied, "And I am very sorry about Hagrid, I know you were very close and he always spoke highly of you" he said genuinely.

"Yes it is most unfortunate that he met his end in such a way" the old man responded sadly, looking every year of his ample age.

"You have no reason to apologise to me Professor" Harry spoke after a moment. "More than ever I understand the need to make difficult choices" he added knowingly.

"I am glad you see it that way Harry, but I must explain my reasoning so you can understand my decisions fully" the old man requested.

Harry nodded at the headmaster, allowing him to continue.

"The night in which Tom came to Godric's Hollow was one of the most difficult of my life" he began with a sigh. "Thinking that Sirius was the secret keeper left me in a very delicate situation" he continued. "I simply did not know who I could trust and after considering my options it seemed that your mothers' sister was the best option, something I can see I was severely mistaken about" he said sorrowfully looking Harry in the eye.

"Sir, who performed the Fidelius Charm on my parents' home?" Harry asked curiously.

"I believe that it was your grandfather, there are very few capable of casting the charm and he was the only other besides me and Tom of course, who would have been capable. I did offer but your father ensured me it was taken care of" he explained.

Harry nodded and accepted what he had been told without question knowing that it was likely to be the truth.

"I know now that your childhood was most unpleasant Harry, and for that I can only apologise for my part in it" Dumbledore continued hanging his head in shame.

"You weren't to know it would be that bad" Harry understood. "And as you said yourself, you couldn't be sure who you could trust" he added with a shrug.

"Thank you for being so understanding Harry, but it is something I cannot forgive myself for" he responded sadly shaking his head. "It is one of those difficult choices I spoke of that I had to make" he added.

The two remained silent for a moment lost in their thoughts. It was Dumbledore who once again broke the silence.

"After seeing how close you had become to young Mr Weasley and young Miss Granger in your first year I had intended on making inquiries to see if you could be placed with them during the summer holidays at one of their homes" Dumbledore admitted to surprise of Harry. "But Tom resurfaced and I knew it would not be wise; the wards around your Aunts home would be required again" he finished sadly.

Harry nodded at his reasoning. He would not have wanted either the Weasleys' or Grangers to be in any danger because of him.

"Then we had the unfortunate events of your second year and when you handed me Tom Riddles' diary, I knew it had to be investigated further" he continued. "Just a few short weeks later Sirius escaped from Azkaban and I knew you were still safest behind the wards. After the incident with you aunt I was content to allow you to be in Diagon Alley, I thought some exposure to wizarding world would be good for you and start to prepare you for your adult life here and knew it would be unlikely that Sirius would try to approach you while you were there" he explained quickly, clearly not comfortable discussing what he saw as his failures.

"I had planned on working with you in your fourth year in some way, but with your name coming out of the goblet, I knew it would not be possible" he continued when he saw that Harry would not be speak. "And now we find ourselves here" he concluded.

Harry thought about what the old man had been saying and found that he held nothing against the headmaster. He knew had he been in the same position he would have done what he saw fit also and believed that the professor had done just that.

"It is in the past now professor, none of it really matters now" Harry said attempting to assure the man he had no ill feelings towards him.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and then suddenly looked reproachful again.

"If only that was all the guilt I carry" he sighed, downtrodden and shaking his head once again.

Harry looked at the professor with a raised eyebrow and waited for him to proceed.

"Before you were born a prophecy was made" Dumbledore revealed sadly, his voice laced with guilt.

"Is this what your people are guarding in the department of mysteries?" Harry questioned.

Dumbledore was shocked by the observation but didn't question how Harry knew. He assumed that whoever Harry had been staying with had significant connections.

"Yes" he replied sadly his eyes losing the last hint of twinkle they had.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It has something to do with me and Voldemort, doesn't it?" he asked.

"It does" Dumbledore confirmed looking sadder by the minute.

"Does it specifically say who will win in a fight between us?" Harry asked further.

"No it does not" Dumbledore replied looking confused.

"Then it doesn't matter what it says" Harry dismissed.

"You don't want to know" the old man asked incredulously.

"No" Harry said firmly shaking his head. "I don't like the idea that I am on some predestined path. Either way me and Tom will meet because I want him dead just as much as he does me. I am at an advantage right now because he believes he has succeeded and has given me time to prepare" Harry explained. "A prophecy means nothing to me professor because one way or the other it will be me or him, I refuse for it to be any other way, so I would suggest you advise your people not to engage him, he is mine" Harry warned resolutely.

It was seldom that Dumbledore was truly surprised anymore, but Harry had managed it. He nodded at what the young man had said knowing it would inevitably be the way he described.

"I will call off the guard as you wish Harry, but I would recommend that the prophecy not be left in its current location" Dumbledore suggested.

"Am I right to assume then that only Tom and I can take it?" Harry asked knowing that Dumbledore would have moved it if he could have.

"Indeed" Dumbledore affirmed with a nod.

"Then I can use that to my advantage when the time is right" Harry intoned thoughtfully.

"How so?" the old man asked curiously.

"Well I assume that Tom is not going to walk in to the ministry to get it himself" Harry began.

"That is a safe assumption" Dumbledore mused, stroking his chin.

"Then he will need me to collect it and then he will have me ambushed" Harry continued.

"That would be his plan I imagine" Dumbledore agreed.

"Then I shall leave it there and bring him out in the open when the need arises, but that means I will have to reveal myself to him, which I am not ready to do yet, so it will have to sit for some time" he explained.

Dumbledore did not like the idea at all, especially because of his knowledge about the horcruxes.

"I do not think that is wise Harry" he advised.

Harry held up his hands to placate the man.

"Professor, I will only do it if necessary before I know I can finish him" he said coyly, tapping where his scar used to be.

Dumbledore was again shocked at the insinuation the young man was making. Did he know? If he did then he was much more prepared than the headmaster had thought.

"You know?" the old man asked in an uncharacteristic dumbfounded way.

"There are things I cannot talk about as yet professor" Harry responded. "But if you were to run a scan on me I'm sure you would find no remainder of Tom Riddle there" he offered confidently.

Dumbledore was still confused but hoped Harry would tell him or ask for help if he needed it.

"May I?" he asked withdrawing his wand.

At Harrys' nod he ran the diagnostic charms and was very surprised by the readings. He was overjoyed for the young man and had to swallow back some of the emotion he was feeling at his relief.

"It appears you are right" he confirmed with his eyes twinkling once again. "You have gone though some very drastic changes I must say" he concluded.

"All necessary sir" Harry replied a little sadly.

"Alas, yes" Dumbledore concurred. "I would like to offer you my assistance though Harry" he continued seriously. "If there is anything I can do to help you then I shall" he explained meaningfully.

"Thank you sir" Harry respondedwith a smile. "For now just keep doing what you are and when I need you I will call on you" he promised.

Dumbledore returned the smile gratefully. He had expected this conversation to be much more difficult than it had been. He had expected Harry to be furious with him and maybe even curse him, something he would not like to face with the Harry in front of him.

"There is one thing that is bothering me professor" Harry exclaimed with a slight frown.

"What is that Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"You seem to accept that I have killed men and will kill more quite readily" Harry answered, wanting to understand the blasé view the headmaster seemed to have on him taking lives.

Dumbledore sighed at the question before he answered.

"It is one of the unfortunate necessities of war Harry" he said tiredly. "Contrary to popular belief I do not believe that redemption is attainable for everyone" he continued. "I do not condone killing in any way but alas, I know for you and many other good men, women and children to survive then it has to be done" he said sadly.

"I don't enjoy it sir" Harry responded. "You said in my second year that I and Riddle were similar, but I don't enjoy killing the way he does" he added shaking his head.

"I am glad to hear it" the old man replied looking relieved. "It is unfortunate that you find yourself in this position Harry, one that I once found myself in" he continued with another sigh.

"You and Grindelwald" Harry stated.

"Yes, Gellert and myself" he said with sadness. "You see Harry I am not like you" he elaborated. "I am not a born fighter. My talents lie within Transfiguration and Alchemy, yes I excelled in all my subjects but I am not a warrior, I do not have the mentality for it" he added.

"When Gellert became the treat that he did the wizarding world looked to me to solve the problem because I was well known for my power and prowess with a wand, but I was not known for my fighting ability. It was with deep reluctance that I confronted Gellert that day and not a day goes by that I do not regret it" he admitted. "You see Harry there was a time that Gellert and I were friends, we were young and foolishly idealistic, something I grew out of and something he did not" he continued.

Harry was surprised by the admission but did not interrupt the man, keen to hear what he was saying.

"I never intended to kill him and it was an unfortunate accident on my part that caused his death. In the heat of the moment I raised a deflection shield and the curse struck and killed him" he continued again shaking his head and looking sad. "I had hoped that I could negotiate with him and at worst, apprehend him and bring an end to his tyranny that way, again a mistake on my part. Gellert had no intention of listening to me or being stopped and events unfolded the way they did" he finished with clear remorse.

"But it all worked out for the best in the end" Harry pointed out.

"For the wizarding world, yes, but for me it did not" Dumbledore retorted with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I have to live with the guilt of taking a life, a life of a man who was once a friend Harry and that is something I am not equipped to do" he explained. "What have you observed about the people of the wizarding world Harry?" he asked unexpectedly.

In truth Harry had not spent much time in the wizarding world aside from his time at Hogwarts and with Arcturus so he was stumped by the question.

"I know it can be very fickle" he replied remembering all the times people had turned their backs on him.

Dumbledore nodded. "That is one part of it" he agreed. "Let me explain a few things to you" he continued thoughtfully.

Harry watched as Dumbledore was clearly thinking of the best way to explain his thoughts.

"The wizarding world consists mainly of people who are spectators, there a very few men of action" he began. "I never wanted the titles that I have, I simply wanted to teach and have a peaceful life amongst my books and my further studies" he explained further. "After that fateful day with Gellert, that was not to be" he elaborated sadly. "The wizarding world put me on a pedestal and hailed me as a hero. Since that day they have looked to me to solve their problems for them and whenever I couldn't they became spiteful towards me as you can see from the articles in the prophet these past months" he pointed out as an example. "They need their hero Harry, they do not function without someone to take to the helm and guide them. We live amongst sheep with very few shepherds to guide the flock, you understand?" he asked.

At Harrys' nod he continued.

"That has been my life Harry, guiding them and allowing them to watch me carry the burdens on their behalf and I fear that it will be you in that position once you have dealt with Tom" he said shaking his head. "I deluded myself into believing that if I turned down the position of minister then I was only offering my aide but as you can see, the type of people who become minister are not fit for the position and I have always been sought out by whoever was in office to help them far beyond that of an advisory role" he said sounding a little bitter again. "You've seen for yourself that I am not infallible Harry and the mistakes I make may be far fewer than the average person but they are undoubtedly much more severe. I am telling you this so you can be prepared for what is waiting for you" he concluded.

Harry listened to what the old man said and had no reason to doubt him at all. He was at first by the bitter tone of the headmasters' voice but found he felt quite sorry for the man. Harry had always wondered how he had ended up in the position he was and always assumed he had sought out the power and chided himself for how wrong he had been in his assumptions.

"My entire point was" Dumbledore cut in to Harrys' thoughts, "that I was pressured to act and the pressure led to the position I find myself in now and if that is not what you want then you need to not allow yourself to be pressured and be stronger than I ever have been" he explained to the young man.

Harry stood and put a reassuring hand on the old mans' shoulder.

"I think the fact that you have continued despite the way you feel makes you much stronger than you give yourself credit for professor" Harry said. "You are only human after all and I myself am guilty of putting you on that pedestal" he admitted.

"Thank you Harry" Dumbledore replied with genuine gratitude. "Seeing the man you have become really makes it feel worth it" he replied tiredly but with a smile.

Harry nodded at the headmaster.

"You do leave behind quite the legacy though sir and you should be very proud of your achievements" he suggested. "There are not many wizards like yourself and I respect you now more than I ever have for your honesty and continual perseverance" he continued bowing his head in respect.

The headmaster was back to full twinkle again and Harry suspected that some of the twinkle he was seeing was in fact emotion the older man could not conceal.

"That means more to me than any award I have been given" he replied genuinely. "I had planned on enquiring where it was you had been staying but seeing the man you are becoming has made me reconsider that knowing it is clearly the best place for you, but please remember there is always a place here for you, especially after you placed those wards around your relatives" he said amusedly.

"Thank you sir" Harry replied. "It is the best place for me and I am as safe as I ever have been" he explained putting the headmaster at ease. "I do believe there are a few people waiting to talk to me though" harry added.

"You are right Harry" Dumbledore replied, "we should not keep them waiting any longer" he concluded.

Harry turned to leave them but felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the headmaster looking at him appraisingly.

"Thank you Harry, for bringing a much needed smile to an old man" he said gratefully.

"I only gave you the truth sir, the smile is because you allowed it" Harry replied with a grin which caused the old man to chuckle.

"Then never stop pointing out the truth Harry" he advised happily with another chuckle.

The duo made their way back to the kitchen which was still full of people clearly waiting for the conclusion of their discussion. Harry took a seat next to Sirius who gave him a nod and Dumbledore resumed his place at the head of the table.

"Did you discuss what you needed to?" Minerva asked Dumbledore after he was seated.

"We did indeed and now we have a few things to discuss" he replied seriously. "Firstly, there will be no more need for guard duty" he began to the confusion of those assembled.

"But you said it was the most important thing we could do" Kingsley cut in.

"I did" Dumbledore agreed raising his hands to placate the group. "But after discussing it with Harry that is no longer the case as he is taking responsibility for the item in question" he explained.

"And we can trust him to take care of it?" Snape asked disbelievingly.

"Harry has a plan and though I am not a fan of it, I trust him implicitly" he answered the potions master who simply sneered.

"Are you going to tell us what the item is now?" Tonks asked the headmaster, shooting a glance at Harry who looked at Dumbledore and nodded his approval.

"I will explain what it is as Harry has given me permission but there is something I must ask of all of you first" he spoke firmly.

"And that would be?" Minerva asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dumbledore sighed.

"On behalf of Harry I must ask that none of you attempt to engage the Dark Lord" he instructed the group to which some looked relieved and others mutinous.

"So Potter wants all the glory" Snape sneered.

"No Snape, it is not about glory" Harry replied before Dumbledore could. "It is about vengeance" he added coldly. "That bastard will fall to my wand" he finished in a no nonsense tone.

"You can't be serious" Minerva cut in. "Albus you can't allow him to face that monster" she pleaded.

"I'm afraid it is out of my hands" Dumbledore replied sadly.

"And I'm sure Snape here has told you exactly about the monster I have become, haven't you Snape?" Harry asked the man scathingly.

"Severus has not said a word since you left" Molly explained.

"Ahh well that makes a change, it's not like Snape to miss an opportunity to belittle me. What's wrong Snape? Left your balls in your masters' handbag" Harry asked sarcastically causing Sirius to laugh with glee.

"Harry" Dumbledore warned firmly. "It is out of my hands because of the item in question that we have been guarding" he continued. "It is a prophecy pertaining to Harry and the Dark Lord" he explained ruefully.

"And it says that only Harry can kill him?" Sirius asked with concern in his voice.

"I will not divulge the content of it as even Harry does not wish to know the specifics" Dumbledore answered. "But I have every confidence that he will be successful" he finished firmly raising his hand to silence any protest.

"So we have to rely on a boy to finish this war" Elphias Doge asked in bewilderment.

"My godson is more of a man than any of you at this table and has dealt with more than any of us" Sirius retorted angrily. "If there is anyone who disagrees with that then take it up with him yourself, he is sat right there" he challenged, pointing to Harry.

No one at the table said a word but a few murmurs could be heard.

"Are you going to at least train him?" Doge asked Dumbledore but it was Snape who replied.

"Training?" he asked sarcastically. "He should be locked up for what he did to those men" he answered heatedly to which Harry laughed.

"Yes Snape because you are the moral compass I should look to, clearly you saw the rats memory" Harry spat, "So you saw what they were doing to those women. I would do the same again in a heartbeat without hesitating" he finished dangerously.

"What the hell did the lad do to them?" Moody growled clearly curious as to what Potter was capable of.

"Ask him" Snape spat angrily pointing to Harry who just shrugged.

"Can I see?" Moody asked Harry who just shrugged again.

Sirius retrieved the pensieve and Harry placed the memory in it.

"I warn you it's not pretty" he said to the gathered group who all, minus Snape and Dumbledore had gathered around.

They emerged from the pensieve ten minutes later with mixed reactions.

"Well done Potter" Moody praised. "They got what they deserved" he said proudly.

"Harry how could you do that?" Mrs Weasley asked, clearly in shock. "Where did you learn such dark magic?" She questioned further.

"That is my family magic" Harry responded a little coldly causing the red head to pale.

"Although I don't agree with your methods, you fought well Potter" McGonagall added her thoughts. "Where did you learn parselmagic?" she asked.

"I Picked up a few books" Harry answered nonchalantly.

"Yes, well, well fought" Kingsley praised, a little pale. "And I am sorry for drawing my wand on you earlier" he added as an afterthought.

"It is ok…"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt" the dark skinned auror cut in, extending his hand to which Harry accepted.

"No harm done" Harry replied to the man.

What followed was Harry being introduced to the rest of the group, some taking his hand gladly, others with a little hesitation.

"And that brings me back to you Snape" Harry addressed, when he came to the potions master. "I'll have your vow of silence now so you don't go telling little tales to your master" he insisted.

"And if I refuse?" Snape sneered in response.

"Then I will have to silence you where you stand" Harry replied coldly leaving no doubt that he would do as he just said.

The entire room watched with baited breath at the standoff between the two waiting for either one to make a move. It was Dumbledore that ended the tense situation.

"Severus, please give your vow" he instructed the clearly reluctant man.

Snape looked as though he wanted to argue but eventually complied without resistance.

Harry nodded at the vow he received, satisfied that Snape could not say a word.

Snape made to leave when he was stopped by the boy with a firm hand on his chest.

"Be careful if you're out on any raids with your friends Snape" Harry warned. "If you are in a mask or wear the mark then you are the enemy to me and I will treat you the same way I did them" he said pointing to the pensieve.

Snape pushed past Harry and left as quickly as he could, not uttering a word.

It was soon after that the meeting broke up and after Harry had promised he would visit Sirius more often he left to get some much needed rest. He knew Arcturus would be asleep by now so would explain what happened to the man at breakfast before they would leave for Harry to begin his OWLS.

(BREAK)

Harry and Arcturus arrived at the ministry of magic disguised suitably of course. They made their way to the wizard at the front desk to check in, something that was an unavoidable aspect of gaining entry in to the main building. They both handed over their wands and the clerk gave them a very critical look before handing them back.

"Very unusual wands you both have there" he stated looking between the two.

Arcturus simply scowled at the man and walked past, ushering for Harry to follow. It was Harrys' first trip to the ministry and he was very disappointed in what he saw. The first thing that bothered him was the golden statue in the atrium that depicted a wizard and witch being looked upon in adoration by various creatures, something Harry knew to be a complete fabrication.

The other thing was how easy it seemed to breach the security here; it was almost non-existent save for the desk clerk they had just left behind.

The building itself looked very boring and Harry had at least expected some kind of magnificent display of magic or something akin to it but found it was mainly a collection of offices filled with paper pusher completing very menial tasks. Instead of focusing on the elevator he was currently in, that seemed to move in all possible directions, he began mentally preparing himself for the day.

His discussion with Arcturus this morning at breakfast had gone as he had expected it would, with the older man simply advising that he take a wait and see approach when it came to the order. The man was clearly not impressed with what he had heard. He had the same stance as Harry when it came to Divination and prophecies and agreed with Harry that if the one pertaining to him and Voldemort did not allude to a definite victor, then it was next to useless for the boy to know and may steer him in a way that would make him less flexible in his approach to dealing with the idiot Dark Lord. Other than discussing those two things mainly, Arcturus spent much of the morning cursing and insulting Dumbledore, something that Harry largely ignored.

They arrived at the Department of Education and Examinations and Arcturus stopped Harry when they got to the door belong to Madame Marchbanks.

"Now remember what I said Potter" he spoke just above a whisper. "Hold nothing back and show them what you are made of" he instructed firmly.

At Harrys' nod the two entered what Harry thought would be an office but found it to be a reasonably large hall with a single desk placed in the centre. At the front of the room were two people, one Harry assumed was Madame Marchbanks herself and the other was a short and very ancient looking wizard who looked as though he was about to keel over from his clearly advanced years. The duo approached the front of the room where the two elder people were and waited to be acknowledged.

"I am glad to see that you made it on time" Marchbanks said approvingly. "I am Madame Marchbanks and I will be conducting the theory side to your examinations and this" she said gesturing to her colleague, "is Professor Tofty, who will administer the practicals" she explained. "May I have a word with you sir?" she questioned Arcturus who agreed and led her some distance away from the other two individuals.

"This is most unusual Arcturus" the woman said in a heated whisper. "Can we at least be open about this with Edward?" she asked indicating the ancient wizard. "I have worked with the man for over 90 years and I trust him completely" she explained.

"Will he give a vow?" Arcturus asked neutrally.

"Yes, I am sure he will" the lady replied confidently.

"Very well, if he gives the vow then I do not see an issue if it is just the two of you carrying out the exams" he answered a little irritably.

"Thank you, it will save the problems that this cloak and dagger approach will cause" she sighed gratefully.

The two then returned to the front of the room where Harry and Professor Tofty were waiting for them.

"Edward, there is something you should be aware of" Madame Marchbanks began. "But it will require a vow of silence on your part and I promise it will in no way put you in any kind of predicament" she added seeing the confusion on her colleagues face.

"That is certainly intriguing Griselda" he said looking amused. "Do you feel the information is worth the vow?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do" she answered immediately.

The shorter and older looking wizard seemed to ponder it a moment before he removed his wand. "I, Edward Octavius Tofty, give a vow of silence on my life and magic to not reveal anything discussed in the room with the current people in attendance without express permission, so mote it be" he finished looking at the three other people in the room.

"Thank you Edward" Marchbanks sighed in relief. "May I introduce you to Baron Arcturus Black and Harry Potter" she said gesturing to the men.

Professor Toftys' eyebrows rose in surprise, but the look of amusement never left him.

"Definitely worth it" he mumbled to himself quietly. "It has been some years since I have been surprised in such a way" he added chuckling.

By now Harry had removed the glamour's he had worn and Professor Tofty looked at him speculatively.

"This should be a very interesting few days indeed" he surmised looking 20 years younger at least. "I assume because you are here and not at school then there is some truth in the rumours about a certain returning Dark Lord" he stated to Harry.

"He is back" Harry replied honestly.

"Say no more" Tofty intoned clearly not surprised. "I have seen many strange and wondrous things in this world Mr Potter and also some truly awful things, a man returning seemingly from the dead offers little surprise in comparison" he explained to the younger man. "Now Griselda, if you will" he gestured for his companion to continue her explanation of the exams.

"As I was saying" Madame Marchbanks began. "I will be in charge of the theory portion of the exams and Professor Tofty will take over and you will complete the practical with him" she explained. "What subjects are you planning on taking?" she questioned.

Harry removed a piece of parchment from within the robes he was wearing today and handed it to the woman who began to read.

Examination Choices

Defence Against the Dark Arts

Charms

Transfiguration

Potions

Care of Magical Creatures

Ancient Runes

Arithmancy

History of Magic

Herbology

Astronomy

Muggle studies

"Everything except for Divination" she said in surprise. "That is a very demanding schedule" she explained. "You can also gain an extra OWL in duelling if you so wish?" she asked to which Harry immediately agreed to.

"I will inform the auror department and they will send someone down when required" she continued. "Well without further ado I suggest we begin" she added. "Today you will complete; Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient runes and Arithmancy" she informed him marking off the subjects she mentioned. "Please take a seat, and we will begin".

(BREAK)

Harry was mentally drained. The exams themselves had not been difficult but the sheer amount of reading and writing he had done was tiring. He knew he had done well on the theory side of things having answered all the questions, confident in his answers, and even added his own observations and extra information where he could.

His practical potion exam had gone surprisingly well considering it was the subject he spent the least amount of time on. He had to brew the Draught of Peace which was fairly simple and he was grateful that he hadn't been given something overly difficult. He was currently waiting for Professor Tofty to begin his practical for Transfiguration.

"Ok Mr Potter, I would you to transfigure this hedgehog in to a pincushion" he instructed indicating the hedgehog on the desk.

Harry breathed and envisioned what he wanted the hedgehog to become. With a flick of his wand the animal turned into a deep crimson pincushion with and intricate gold pattern.

Professor Tofty raised his eyebrows clearly impressed.

"Non-verbal magic already Mr Potter, that is impressive" he praised. "Now I would like you turn this water into vinegar" he instructed to which Harry complied immediately.

"Very good" Tofty responded with a frown. "Now finally I would like to demonstrate the most advanced form of transfiguration you can complete" he explained looking amused and curious at the same time.

Harry thought for a moment and was suddenly struck with an idea. He concentrated on what he wanted and began channelling his power delicately as not to overdo it on this intricate piece of magic.

On the desk now sat a perfectly conjured but scaled down replica of Hogwarts made entirely of marble.

"That is very impressive indeed Mr Potter" Tofty praised in awe. "You seem to have inherited your fathers' talent for transfiguration" he added approvingly. "That completes your examinations for today I will see you tomorrow" he said dismissing the young man.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and made his way to the exit to head home for the day. He was tired but he still had training to complete, something he certainly would not be neglecting despite the high demand of the exams.

(BREAK)

The rest of the week continued in a similar fashion for Harry. He would arrive at the ministry early and first complete the theoretical portion of the exams in the morning and then the practical in the afternoon if it was required. He found the theory work very easy and answered all the questions without difficulty but it seemed that Professor Tofty, upon seeing how advanced he was with the practical aspect of magic, took it upon himself to put the teen through his paces.

In his Defence practical the elder professor had Harry performing counter curses that he knew was beyond ordinary wizard level and silent when possible.

In his Charms exam the man took the same approach, having Harry perform everything silently, which he managed to do with comparative ease. It was when Tofty asked if there was anything he would like to demonstrate for extra credit that truly impressed the professor.

Harry easily produced a corporeal patronus, something the older man had never seen from a teenager before. When Harry revealed that he could perform the Fidelius charm, the wizened wizard almost fainted on the spot. He instructed Harry to place the charm on the room, making him the secret keeper and to successfully remove it, which in itself was very complex magic.

When Harry had completed as he was instructed the man simply shook his head in disbelief. Professor Tofty was having the most fun he had had in years being an examiner.

It was now the final day and Harry had completed all of the required exams and was waiting to be tested on his duelling, the thing he was most confident in. Although he would only be able to use select spells from his family magic he was sure that he would perform admirably and defeat whoever was placed in front of him.

"Well Mr Potter" Tofty said with excitement. "Considering your performance this week Madame Marchbanks has insisted that we bring in a specialist for your duelling examination" he explained with glee.

Harry just nodded and readied himself for what was to come. He was not nervous knowing that it was very unlikely that Voldemort was going to walk through the door and help him with his academics. He smiled at the amusing thought, applied his glamour's and waited.

A few minutes passed before the door opened revealing a very curious looking Mad-eye Moody, who completely ignored Harry and approached the two examiners.

"This better be worth my time" he growled at them clearly annoyed.

"Believe me Alastor, it will be" Tofty replied shaking in his excitement.

Moody grunted in reply.

"Where is my victim" he asked with a cruel smile that truly completed his sinister look as it manipulated the scars on his face to become more jagged and pronounced.

Tofty simply smiled and pointed behind Moody who allowed his magical eye to turn and view the young man through the back of his head.

Moody followed his eye soon after and looked at the young man critically. When he spotted the wand in the young mans' hand he smirked in recognition and barked out a gravelly laugh.

"Oh I was hoping I would get to duel you Potter" he growled clearly looking forward to the fight. "It has been a very long time since I have had a good battle" he explained.

The two examiners looked confused but remained silent, wanting to see how this would play out between the young man and the very respected ex-auror.

"My Grandfather wrote about you in some of his journals, Senior Auror Moody" Harry said casually causing the man to raise an eyebrow. "He said you were a hell of a fighter but shite at dodging and shielding and from the amount of scars and injuries you have I guess he was right" he added.

Moody looked at the teen in front of him critically and suddenly roared in laughter.

"Aye, he would be right lad" he replied once he had composed himself. "A few of these I got from him personally" he said in remembrance. "He was a great man and a hard bastard your grandfather" he finished knowingly.

"When you are ready gentlemen" Madame Marchbanks cut in impatiently.

"Aye, we best get started then" Moody agreed, immediately launching a bludgeoning hex at Harry who dodged it with ease.

The two examiners watched in complete awe as the former auror and the young man competed in a duel that neither had ever seen the likes of. It was immediately clear that Potter was both faster and considerably more powerful than Moody but the aurors experience certainly made up for it.

They watched as the two combatants traded all manner of spells and used various types of magic in attempt to get the upper hand and saw things that neither had ever seen.

It was Potter that eventually seized the advantage of his youth and caught the ex-auror with a perfectly timed and placed bone breaker to the hand that caused the auror to drop his wand, which the younger man immediately summoned.

Both men were sweating profusely and their breathing was very laboured, they had both performed to the best of their ability and both examiners knew they had just witnessed something very special.

Harry approached Moody and bowed respectfully to the man before handing back his wand.

"Thank you sir" he said with genuine gratitude and offered the grizzled man his hand who accepted.

"That was a hell of a fight" Moody declared breathlessly. "I don't feel any shame losing to you Potter, you beat me fair lad" he admitted.

"Well any time you want to do it again I'd be happy to" Harry responded with a smile.

"Aye lad, so would I" he replied with a grin. "I'd be happy to fight side by side with you when the time comes, Albus was right about you, this is your fight, just let me a part of it" he requested of the younger man who nodded in response.

"That was certainly spectacular" Tofty broke in.

He shook his head and continued.

"Well that concludes your final exam Mr Potter, you are free to go, you will receive your results in due course" he explained.

Harry shook hands with the three people in the room. He was grateful that the exams were over and even more grateful for the experience of duelling a man the calibre of Moody.

Harry was exhausted, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Moody was a very powerful wizard and was a very cunning and creative fighter. Harry realised although he won he still had quite a distance to go before he would be ready. He had picked up many tips from the older man and knew it would be beneficial to him to include them in his own fighting style. He still had work to do and lots of new things to work on.

For now though, he was glad the exams were over and felt that he deserved a treat.

He decided that he was going to get some ice cream before heading home, remembering how fond he was of Mr Fortescue and his wonderful deserts. Harry exited the ministry and apparated to Diagon Alley to satisfy his craving for something sweet and to catch his breath.

Harry appeared in the alley and immediately went to the ice cream parlour where he ordered a combination of raspberry and chocolate topped with nuts.

He sat outside the shop for around an hour slowly eating his treat and simply watched the hustle and bustle of the alley as the people went about their business. He looked on a little enviously at the apparent normality of their lives and couldn't help but wish he was one of those people where the only worry he had was going to work or school and providing and shopping for a family.

He paid for his ice cream and left feeling somewhat dejected at the difficulties he faced in his life and the unfairness of it.

He was walking past a small apothecary when he heard a loud crash coming from within. He glanced in the window and saw that a rather large man was holding the female worker by the front of her robes and had his wand pointed at her throat, the woman was clearly terrified.

Harry immediately felt his anger boil but composed himself and entered the shop casually.

"Get lost kid" the man growled. "We are discussing business" he added in a threatening tone.

Harry looked at the woman who seemed to be begging him to leave with her eyes.

She was a very beautiful woman indeed. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes with a petite figure that was curvy in all the right places. Harry ignored the pleading look and turned his gaze towards the man. It was then he noticed and not so subtle section of a black tattoo protruding from his left sleeve which had ridden up his arm.

"I have my own business to discuss" he replied calmly. "So if you wouldn't remind releasing this lady and leaving, it would be much appreciated" he suggested.

The man turned and looked at the clearly teenage boy and shook his head.

"You have no idea who you are messing with kid" he warned dangerously.

"Oh, I know exactly who I am messing with" Harry replied coldly nodding towards the exposed black ink on the man's arm.

At Harrys' observation the man turned his wand towards him but before he could even aim the wand Harry, as fast as lighting, had released his and launched a bludgeoning hex at the man, hitting him in the face and sending him flying into a display of potions ingredients.

The woman screamed and threw herself to the floor in an attempt to avoid any curses exchanged between the two. She needn't have bothered; the man was clearly unconscious and would not be fighting back.

"Are you ok Ma'am" Harry asked helping the woman to her feet.

"I.. I think so" she replied checking herself over. "Thank you" she said gratefully.

Harry acknowledged her gratitude and approached the man who was heaped on the floor. He raised his left sleeve to confirm his suspicions causing the woman to let out a stifled scream.

"Oh no, this can't be happening" she sighed beginning to breathe heavily.

"Ma'am its ok I can fix it" Harry explained attempting to calm the woman and began going to work on the man.

In less than two minute Harry had finished and placed a conjured ice cube on the body that caused the man to disappear.

"What did you do?" the woman asked suspiciously.

"I modified his memory so he will think he had gotten drunk and can't remember anything" Harry explained. "He won't remember you, me or even the shop" he explained further.

The woman was clearly taken aback at the high level magic the young man had just performed.

"I am sorry about the mess" Harry said sheepishly, breaking her from her thoughts. "Here" he added handing over a bag of Galleons. "This should more than cover the cost".

The woman at first refused to take the gold until Harry insisted that she did. She was confused by the young man in front of her. Not only had he saved her but he had dealt with any problem that could come from the situation.

"Thank you, young man" she spoke again gratefully. "This is my husband's shop and he's away buying more ingredients, I work at the ministry usually" she explained.

"Well I suggest that you close until your husband returns" Harry said. "Times are getting darker by the day and it will only get worse" he added seriously. "You saw the mark on his arm?" he questioned.

At the womans' nod he continued.

"Remember there is always some truth in rumours" Harry confirmed with a nod.

"So he is back then?" she asked clearly concerned.

"Undoubtedly" Harry replied darkly.

"But won't he come for you if he finds out?" she asked in a panic.

"I very much doubt he will find out and even if he does it doesn't matter" Harry explained with a dark chuckle.

"You're not concerned about him coming after you?" She questioned disbelievingly.

"Ma'am, he should be concerned about me coming after him" Harry replied coldly and disappeared silently leaving behind a very confused but grateful Ophelia Greengrass in his wake.

Ophelia did as had been instructed by the young man and closed the shop. She headed home lost in thought about what had happened and concluded that the day had been very strange. She had of course heard the rumours and had been more vigilant but she had not expected to be attacked in broad daylight in a shop her husband had owned for many years.

The young man that rescued her was clearly still a teenager, of that she was sure, so why was he not at school? He was very non-descript also and that baffled her. He looked completely average, too average if truth be told; brown hair and blue eyes and no markings whatsoever that would make him stand out in a crowd. The only defining feature about the young man was the unusual wand he carried. White wood and black crystal was not a mix she had ever come across and she knew by the wand and the magic she witnessed alone that he was not the average wizard his appearance alluded to.

Ophelia Greengrass could not be sure but she was under the impression that she had just met someone very significant, particularly the way he showed no fear in regards to You-Know-Who.

He was either very stupid and deluded, or he was very brave and very capable. This was something she needed to discuss with her husband when he returned and he would not be a happy man learning about the events of the day.