All's Fair In Love And WarBy: Shadrac After defeating Voldemort, Harry was hailed as a hero. Soon he was relabled as the new dark lord. Persecution and death followed until only Harry and a few of his friends remained. Using a ritual, they go back to 9/1/91 with a new plan: payback.Rated: Fiction T - English - Adventure/Romance - [Harry P., Hermione G.] - Chapters: 8 - Words: 97,785 - Reviews: 739 - Favs: 2,131 - Follows: 2,669 - Updated: Dec 10, 2012 - Published: Jun 5, 2012 - id: 8185651
Chapter 1
The wards had fallen. Harry could sense it and knew it wouldn't be long before the door was blown in like Voldemort had done when he attacked his parents here all those years ago. He was in the living room of the house in Godric's hollow. Hermione was nearby preparing the ritual she'd discovered that they all hoped would allow them to permanently escape the hell they currently found themselves in. Neville and Luna stood near a window watching for the enemy.
"They're coming love," Harry said calmly to his girlfriend. "How much more time do you need?"
"Not more than a minute," Hermione responded her face tight with concentration. "I just have a few more runes to draw and it'll be ready."
"We'll hold them off," Luna said confidently.
She'd walked away from the window. Neville walked with her holding her hand while his wand was in the other.
"Don't worry," he said echoing his girlfriend's confidence. "We'll give you the time you need."
Hermione momentarily stopped working and gave them both a hug.
"Don't take any chances," she said sternly. "We've lost too many friends already and don't want to lose anymore. Slow them up and get back here quickly so we can go."
"Should I go with you?" Harry asked his friends only to see them shake their heads. He felt rather useless standing around doing nothing while everyone else was taking action.
"You need to protect her while she finishes or none of us are going anywhere mate," Neville responded patting him on the shoulder. "You've got the most important job here even though it seems like you're not doing anything. Don't worry, we won't be long."
With that he took Luna's hand again and headed for the door. They opened it carefully and slipped out. Soon he could hear sounds of battle and prayed they were all right. He kept his wand ready and watched the door as he reflected on how they'd got here.
After he'd defeated Voldemort, he'd been hailed as a hero. He was inundated with requests for interviews and seemed to be the subject of hero worship everywhere he went. It got to the point that he hardly ventured out into public and had almost become a recluse. Hermione seemed to share his sentiments but Ron, it seemed, couldn't get enough and spent more time making public appearances than he did with them. Ginny seemed to love the attention as well causing several fights when Harry refused to take her to certain parties or social functions. The fact that they'd been broken up since the end of sixth year and he'd told her he didn't feel that way about her any more didn't make any difference. She continued to act like they were still a couple. But he'd already given his heart to another.
He and Hermione comforted each other after Ron left them in the tent and had grown closer as a result. After the battle of Hogwarts, they both realized their feelings had changed both for the youngest Weasleys and each other. They took it slow but soon realized that what they felt for each other was true love. They soon began spending a lot of time with Neville and Luna who'd also become a couple after the war and the two couples quickly became close friends. When they told Ron and Ginny about their relationship neither one took it very well at first but after awhile they seem to accept it and they were all friends again. Then things started to change.
Bill and Fleur were murdered and Harry and Hermione were implicated. At first, the Weasleys stood by him but then more attacks occurred. Hagrid, Flitwick and Mcgonagall were all killed in an attack on Hogwarts and Kingsley was assassinated outside the ministry. Suddenly the daily prophet was calling Harry the new dark lord and his friends his deatheaters despite there being no proof that he was involved in any of the attacks. Percy, not surprisingly, was the first Weasley to turn on him and was quoted in the Daily Prophet accusing Harry of trying to take over the government leading to charges being filed and forcing Harry and his friends underground.
Soon there were ministry sponsored attacks on his friends and their families. Augusta Longbottom and Xenophilius Lovegood were killed in their homes although Augusta managed to take a few of them with her. Harry then went into action to protect everyone else he cared about. Many friends joined him and together they tried to evacuate those being targeted but somehow the ministry always seemed to be a step ahead of them. Andromeda Tonks and Harry's godson Teddy died during their rescue attempt along with Lavender brown, the Patil twins, Seamus Finnegan and several members of his old quidditch team.
They failed to save Hermione's parents and lost George Weasley, Susan Bones Hannah Abbott and Dean Thomas in the process. After that they went into hiding as Harry comforted his friends on their losses and tried to figure out how the ministry always knew where they'd be. Hermione checked for tracking charms but found none yet their hideout was attacked the next day. There was only one possible answer, they had a traitor in their midst. Hermione had been learning legilimency and began passively checking their friends to see if she could determine who the traitor was. It turns out there were two of them. Ginny was harder to read but Ron was an open book and gave them all the answers they needed.
Molly and Arthur Weasley weren't happy when they found out that Harry and Hermione had broken up with their kids to be with each other and apparently decided to take actions to stop it. They forged an alliance with the Malfoys and other pureblood bigots like Deloris Umbridge to force the couple apart. The plan was to frame them for murder and force them to marry Ginny and Ron in order to save each other's lives. Hermione would then become a proper house wife and the boy who conquered would have an acceptable pureblooded wife.
The Hogwarts attack was their intended first target but, when Bill and Fleur were approached, they refused to help and threatened to expose the plot. Molly promptly killed her first born son while Arthur killed his wife and that became the first attempt at a frame up. The subsequent attacks served two purposes. First it eliminated potentially powerful allies from helping Harry and stirred up public paranoia making it easier to move against the savior of the wizarding world. Ron and Ginny were willing participants and provided information to the ministry that led to the attacks on his friends and their families. They also found out that George Weasley had had no knowledge of or part in the plot. After Bill's reaction, they'd kept him in the dark because they knew he wouldn't go along and didn't want to have to kill him too.
They quickly fled in the middle of the night and left the two Weasleys behind and were then down to only the two couples. Shortly after that they were tried in absentia and found guilty. They were sentenced to death without any deliberation or any true evidence that they had committed any crime. Realizing that they were running out of time, they began researching a way to escape that would enable them to fix things without having a death sentence over their heads when Hermione came across a ritual in a book she'd taken from the Black family library. They'd all agreed to try it and she'd begun to prepare it when the wards fell letting them know they wouldn't have nearly as much time as they thought they would.
"It's ready," Hermione said bringing him out of his revelry.
He immediately stepped to her side and took her hand as she started the incantation. The runes started to glow slowly getting brighter and brighter until it started to affect his vision.
"Where are they?" She said anxiously. "They've only got another minute before it activates."
"They'll be here," he assured her while pointing his wand at the door.
Thirty seconds later the door opened as their friends burst through. Neville made a beeline for them and didn't notice that Luna had stopped. She closed the door and put a locking charm on it before heading their way. Neville got inside the circle and panicked when he realized that she wasn't with him. She was in full sprint as the door blew in while the Runes got even brighter. She was a few feet away when a figure came through what was left of the door. It was Ron. Harry fired a curse at him but he ducked out of the way then immediately fired a curse that managed to hit Luna in the back as she dove for the circle. Her eyes went wide as her body landed in her boyfriend's arms.
"Luna!" he screamed while Harry pointed his wand at Ron again but, before he could do anything, the Runes activated and they were gone.
As the runes activated, the light became blinding then Harry found himself in total darkness. It felt like he was floating slowly through space. He also knew he was alone. That wasn't much of a surprise because he knew if it had been successful, he would arrive in a different place than the others. After a while, he stopped floating and soon began to feel aware of his body again. It felt like he was sitting in a chair and he could hear noises around him. There were car horns honking in the distance, people talking a little closer but they sounded muffled and a car radio that sounded like it was blaring right into his ears. A voice he instantly recognized caused him open his eyes and jump in surprise.
"Wake up boy! We're here. I haven't got all day let's get your trunk out of the boot so I can go!"
Harry didn't respond to his uncle he just got out of the car and headed to the back. Vernon met him there and helped him get his trunk on a trolley then looked at Harry and laughed evilly.
"Good luck finding platform nine and three quarters." He said with a sneer. "And don't bother calling me to come pick you up either. You aren't allowed back to my house until next June and if I had my way, you wouldn't be back then either. Now go on, get out of my sight."
With that he got back in his car and drove away without waiting for a response. The ritual had worked. It was September 1st, 1991. He was on his way to Hogwarts for the first time again. He hurriedly made his way to the platform before the Weasleys made their appearance as he had no desire to run into them this time around and quickly boarded the train. He searched through the train until he found who he was looking for. Hermione and Neville had already secured a compartment and were sitting across from each other. Both were looking out the window he hoped watching for him. He opened the door and entered pulling his trunk behind him. He closed the door and was immediately attacked as Hermione threw her arms around his neck and started kissing him. He immediately responded confident that this was his Hermione and heard her moan against him. After a few minutes they parted.
"I guess it worked then," he said smiling at the girl in his arms.
"For most of us at least," a distraught voice behind her responded.
Harry and Hermione immediately parted in embarrassment and turned toward their friend.
"We don't know that it didn't work for Luna, Neville." Hermione said trying to comfort him.
"Ron hit her with a curse and she fell into my arms!" he said anguish evident in his voice. "And I don't know if she was still alive when it activated. I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I will kill him!"
Hermione immediately moved to his side put an arm around him comfortingly and looked to Harry for help.
"Ron will get his Neville," Harry said with certainty. "They all will. We'll find out as soon as we can if our Luna made it but no matter what, Luna is here. If it's not the same Luna we were with a few hours ago, she'll still be our friend and will still eventually fall in love with you. For now, though, we need to plan our next move unless you need more time Nev?"
Neville shook his head.
I'm fine Harry," he said hesitantly. "I-I just need to know as soon as possible okay? I'm going crazy not knowing."
"How does tomorrow sound?" Harry answered him giving him a tentative smile. "Tomorrow's Saturday so after we get our schedules we should be free all day. We can go visit her and find out if she made it or not."
Neville nodded and managed weak smile. Luna had approached Hermione with a special request during the planning stages of the ritual. She wanted to know if it would be possible to send her farther back than the rest of them were going. If they were going back in time to fix things, there was something far more important to her than sorting out the Weasleys that she'd like to fix. It further complicated things but Hermione's intelligence was up to the task and she soon had it worked out. If Luna made it, she'd have been back for over a year now waiting for the rest of them to arrive and probably desperate to see them again especially Neville.
Hermione stood up and placed locking and silencing charms on the door and added an additional one to make people think the compartment was full of nondescript students that no one would recognize or want to bother then sat back down beside Harry.
"Ok, it's safe to talk," she said softly. "What should we do first?"
"Decide on a house I guess," Neville answered. "I really don't want to be in the same house as the Weasleys."
"I don't either Nev," Harry replied. "But I think we need to stay in Gryffindor."
"Why?" He asked.
"Pettigrew," Hermione said simply and Harry nodded his head.
"I aim to catch him early this time," Harry continued. "We'll need someone we can trust to help us at some point and Sirius is at the top of my list of trustworthy people after you two and Luna. But that's not the only reason. There's Fred and George and the Marauder's Map. They really were our friends and the map would be a useful tool while we're at school. Also, it would hopefully keep Dumbledore's overly large nose out of our business for as long as possible."
"B-But Harry," Hermione said looking shocked. "Dumbledore was a-"
"Manipulative old coot who took way too much interest in my life," Harry responded cutting her off. "As a result my childhood was a living hell and my Hogwarts years weren't much better. I figured it out love. My whole life was a setup completely orchestrated by the old bastard so that I would follow his master plan. From meeting the Weasleys to sacrificing myself in that forest and once you became my friend, yours was too. Didn't it strike you as odd that he constantly pushed you to spend more time with the Weasleys during holidays than with your own parents while leaving me to rot with those horrible people?"
"That is strange Harry," Hermione conceded. "But the wards-"
"Were just a good excuse to convince me to go back," Harry interrupted again. "He could have sent them into hiding as soon as he found out how they treated me and let me live with the Weasleys or Sirius or he could've let Voldemort have them for what they did but no I had to go back there for the bloody greater good. God, I hate that phrase. Well, not this time. This time I'm calling the shots on my life and the old coot along with the rest of the wizarding world can kiss my arse."
Hermione put her arms around Harry to comfort him. Any argument she might've had died when she saw the pain in the eyes of the man she loved.
"I won't let them hurt you again Harry," she said softly then kissed him in hopes of lightening his mood. He responded to her kiss and gave her a smile before turning serious again.
"He used you too love," he continued stroking her face lovingly. "I don't think he wanted us to be close at first. I think that's why Ron was so mean to you early on. Once it became obvious you were here to stay he decided to use you as best he could. He used your natural tendency to respect authority and impressed on you the need to watch out for me. As a result you constantly advised me to talk to him thereby keeping him in the loop on all our activities. Then later, we became his payment to the Weasleys for their loyalty to him and helping to guide me on the path he'd laid out for me. That's why they came after us when we had the audacity to choose for ourselves. We belonged to them. Sold to them like cattle by Dumbledore and they refused to give us up."
Tears filled her eyes as his words sunk in. He wasn't sure if he was convincing her or if was just the memories of the world they'd just left until she nodded.
"You're right Harry," she said finally her eyes widening slightly at the realization. "I don't know how I didn't see it before"
Then her expression turned angry.
"Well they can kiss my arse too!" she yelled releasing her fury.
Harry laughed out loud at hearing his girlfriend curse memories of 'Harry! Language!' that she'd said to him countless times echoing in his mind. He then reached down and lightly caressed the area she'd just mention before meeting her eyes.
"If it's all the same to you love," he said flirtatiously. "I'd prefer it if I was the only one who got to touch your lovely bum."
"I feel the same way about yours," she responded saucily while returning his caress with one of her own. The sound of a cleared throat brought them back to reality and reminded them for the second time that they were not alone. They turned toward their friend grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry Nev," Harry apologized. "Dumbles used you too. You were his backup weapon in case I failed since the prophecy could have fit either one of us. But did he prepare you or me for that matter? No, he left us hanging and what information he did give us was in the form of riddles like it would have killed him to just give it to us straight."
"I agree Harry," Neville responded seriously. "And I don't think we have any other choice. We have to walk in there tonight and kill the old fart straightaway."
His face remained serious and Harry started to get worried he meant it until his face broke into a grin. Harry laughed in relief and Neville laughed as well. Hermione joined them and when they were done all the tension had been released and they were more relaxed.
"Thanks Nev," Hermione said when they'd calmed down. "We needed that."
"No problem," he replied smiling then turned serious again. "But all kidding aside, If Luna didn't make it back, I will kill them all or die trying starting with Ron Weasley."
Harry returned his serious expression as he met his eyes.
"If she didn't make it back," he responded. "We'll help you."
He understood how his friend felt. If it had been Hermione that'd been hit with a curse, he was quite sure he'd have waited for the Weasleys at the platform and killed them on sight. Hermione nodded her agreement as well. They wouldn't be playing around with stunners anymore. Their enemies would lose a limb or their lives but, either way, once they were down they would stay there.
"Trust me Nev," he continued. "I expect that, eventually, we will kill them either way but I think a quick death is too easy for them. I think we need to make their lives a living hell first like they did ours then finish them off like they tried to do to us."
"Have something specific in mind?" Neville asked.
"I have a few thoughts," he responded. "But I think the two of us along with our brilliant girlfriends can come up with even better ideas."
A brief shadow of fear passed over Neville's face at the mention of Luna but then the smile returned. The rest of the trip went by without incident. Thanks to Hermione's charms, Draco and his goons passed right by their compartment as did Ron. Neville tensed up momentarily when he saw the redhead but calmed down after he was gone.
"He's probably under orders from the old coot and his mother to befriend me on the train." Harry said of his former best friend. "Unfortunately they're going to be terribly disappointed."
His friends laughed and they spent the rest of the trip acting like the kids they appeared to be. They played several games of exploding snap along with gobstones. Harry once again bought out the snack cart and, without Ron there, He actually got to eat some of it as did the others. He actually smiled at the thought of Ron having to eat the sandwich his mum had sent with him.
Soon it was time to put their robes on. Hermione went to the bathroom to change while the boys changed in the compartment. When she returned they chatted pleasantly while they waited for the train to arrive at Hogsmead. Harry thought about Hedwig who was down with the trunks waiting to be taken to the castle along with all the other student's belongings when something occurred to him.
"We can't use Hedwig for any 'official' letters," he said to his friends. "She's too recognizable. We'll have to use school or post owls and just use her on letters to your parents," he said to his girlfriend. "Or your gran, Nev or any letter we're not worried about being intercepted or recognized as coming from me."
"Harry! My parents!" she replied ecstatic. "They're alive! I can't believe it didn't occur to me before. I can't wait to see them again."
He smiled at his girlfriend and noticed Neville was smiling too and seemed to be carrying a little less weight than he had been earlier. Harry figured he'd been too preoccupied with Luna, understandably, to realize his grandmother was alive as well. "You can use Hedwig anytime you want love," he told her and was rewarded with a passionate kiss. He made a mental note to try and earn as many of those rewards as he could.
The train finally arrived and they disembarked. When they stepped off the train there were a lot of people staring at them and Harry figured it was because they hadn't seen them on the train. He smiled at how well Hermione's charms worked but wasn't able to dwell on it as a familiar voice rang out through the crowd.
"Firs' Years this way!"
Harry turned to see Hagrid, the first friend he ever had and smiled. It took all his self control to keep from running up and hugging him. Instead, he walked up to the gameskeeper and smiled.
"'ello Harry," Hagrid said smiling. "Got ter the train okay I see."
"Thanks to you Hagrid," Harry responded returning his smile. "These are my friends; Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom."
"Good ter meet ya both," he greeted them both kindly. "You should stop by sometime fer tea. I live on the grounds you know."
"We'd be delighted to Hagrid," Hermione answered him and Harry knew it had to be hard for her to pretend she didn't know him.
"Good. Well my door is always open ter Harry and his friends." He replied. "Now you'd better find a boat cuz it's time ter head over ter the castle."
They found an empty boat and climbed in. Harry noticed a familiar redhead making a beeline for their boat and quickly pushed off before he got there
"Harry! Wait!" came Ron's voice as they moved away from the dock.
"Well, I guess that answers my question about our meeting being staged." Harry whispered to his companions.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"When Ron and I first met," he responded. "He introduced himself and when I told him my name he acted like he had no idea. Yet, just now, despite never having laid eyes on me today much less being introduced, he knew who I was and called me by name."
"That bastard!" Hermione replied her voice rising slightly before she caught herself. "I'm sorry Neville, but when it comes to that git, it may just come down to which one of us is lucky enough to hit him with a kill shot first!"
Neville just smiled.
"As long as he's dead," he said cheekily. "I'll be fine either way. It's him continuing to breath that I find unacceptable."
They shared another laugh and chatted about nothing important the rest of the way to the castle.
When they got to the castle, Harry got out first followed by Neville. He offered a hand to Hermione as she got out and she gratefully accepted then they joined the crowd of students making their way up to the castle. He heard bits of conversation concerning the exact nature of the sorting along with several theories and was momentarily taken back to the first time he was here. Professor McGonagall's greeting pulled him out of his revelry and he pretended to listen to her speech as if it was new to him.
When she left them in the small room across from the great hall, he and his friends had a conversation like many that were going on around them so they wouldn't raise suspicion when suddenly Neville was pushed out of the way. Neville immediately grabbed the offending arm and twisted it forcing the owner of the arm to his knees. They may be eleven again but that didn't mean they'd forgotten their training. Unsurprisingly, it was Draco Malfoy. Harry immediately pulled out his wand and pointed it at his two goons. Beside him he noticed Hermione do the same thing a no nonsense expression on her face. He knew that if Crabbe and Goyle so much as twitched, they'd regret it. Draco yelped in agony as Neville leaned down until he was close to his ear but the crowd around him had gone silent and everyone heard what he said.
"In polite society it is considered rude to push someone and interrupt their conversation. I would think that even a pathetic excuse for a wizarding family like the Malfoys would've taught proper manners to their children. In the future, I would appreciate it if you displayed appropriate decorum and requested an audience with us like a civilized person should."
With that he gave his arm one more twist then released him and pushed him towards his friends. Malfoy got to his feet and rubbed his shoulder then sneered at his attacker.
"Like anyone would want to talk to a squib like you Longbottom!"
"I would," Harry responded. "In fact, I was until your intrusion a moment ago and I don't appreciate you insulting my friend."
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you there!" Draco replied holding out his hand while indicating Neville. Harry just looked down at his hand then met his eyes again.
"Seeing how easily he just took you down," Harry answered him. "I don't think I could pick a better person to watch my back. You'd probably stab it the first chance you got."
He stepped closer until he was right in Draco's face.
"Now let me make this clear." He continued. "Neville is my friend and I will have his back just like he had mine just now. Anyone who messes with either of us or our other friend Hermione here will force us to become unpleasant. We hope that doesn't happen and we can enjoy our time here but you have been warned. There won't be any others, just consequences."
It was said loud enough that everyone heard and understood that the message wasn't just for Draco but for everyone.
"You'd just better watch your back Potter," Draco sneered in defiance.
Harry rolled his eyes. Clearly the git didn't listen.
"I just told you Malfoy," he replied. "I have Neville watching my back so it should be plenty safe from the likes of you."
McGonagall returned ending any further conversation and led them into the great hall. The sorting went pretty much like it did last time and soon they were sitting at the Gryffindor table chatting with their fellow first years. Harry and Neville sat on either side of Hermione making sure no one that they didn't like could get anywhere near her. She was a bit annoyed at the over protectiveness but touched by it all the same. Across from them sat Seamus, Dean and Lavender Brown. Parvati Patil sat on his other side and he was enjoying getting reacquainted with some of the friends who'd stood by him and lost their lives over it. He was having a pleasant chat with Parvati when a voice he didn't want to hear sounded in his hear.
"Oi! Girl!," came Ron's voice in its usual rude tone. "Move so I can sit by my mate!"
Parvati looked up nervously and started to slide over when Harry stopped her and stood up. Ron, not realizing he'd made a mistake, smiled and stuck his hand out like Malfoy had done and Harry wondered how he was ever this guys friend before.
"I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." He said kindly.
An image of Luna falling into Neville's arms flashed in his mind and he found himself wanting to rip the git's throat out right then. He noticed Neville tense up but Hermione had put her hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"Well Ron, Ron Weasley," Harry responded sarcastically. "How is it that I'm your mate when we've never met?"
His smile faded and his mouth started moving like a fish but no sound came out. After a few moments Harry started to sit back down.
"You go ahead and work on that," Harry said finally. "Apparently it's a difficult question at least for you anyway."
There were some giggles around the table except for Neville who was now being physically held in his seat by Hermione.
"While you do," he continued. "Let me put this as plainly as I can. It'll still probably be over your head but we can hope. Parvati is my friend and the seat next to me, for this meal, belongs to her. There will never be a place next to me for you. Not now, not ever. We are not mates and in the future I won't be nice. So approach me at your own risk."
With that he sat down and resumed his conversation with Parvati and ignored the redhead. Eventually, Ron's hunger got the best of him and he found another seat and started eating. Once he was gone Harry turned to his friends.
"All right there Neville?" He asked his friend.
"It's hard Harry," Neville answered the pain and anger from before back in his voice. "It's driving me crazy seeing him and not knowing if she made it."
Hermione put an arm around him as her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry Neville," she said. "I did it as fast as I could."
"It's not your fault Hermione, it's his." Neville responded soothingly.
"Not knowing is killing me."
"Not knowing what?"
They looked up to see Seamus staring at them and realized they weren't alone and had nearly said too much in their emotional state.
"We're worried about a friend," Harry replied quickly. "She's sick and we had to come here so we don't know how she's doing."
They quickly changed the subject and soon it was forgotten. Once the feast was over Dumbledore gave his speech and bade them good night. They followed the prefect who unfortunately was Percy up to the common room and hung out until it was empty. Harry kissed Hermione good night and watched her walk up to her dorm before he and Neville headed up to theirs. A familiar snoring sound could be heard as they entered the room. He cast a silencing charm on Ron's bed and the room became quiet. He climbed into bed knowing tomorrow they would know for sure about the missing member of their quartet and God help Ron once Neville got a hold of him if she wasn't here because he wouldn't.
Chapter 2
Harry and Neville woke early the next morning and met Hermione down in the common room. They headed out to the lake together and went for a run. Their eleven year old bodies were in nowhere near as good a shape as they had been in the other world. It wasn't long until they were all wheezing and out of breath. They weren't surprised and knew it would take time to get back into shape and committed to doing so. Once they were done, they headed back up to their dorms to cleanup before heading to breakfast together. Neville was jumpy and Hermione had to practically force him to eat. He ate mechanically while watching the head table trying to will their head of house to bring them their schedules. When she did it was all they could do to keep him from jumping up and running out of the great hall.
They headed up to the third floor corridor and stopped at the statue of the one-eyed witch. Harry tapped it with his wand while saying 'Dissendium" and the hump opened. Carefully watching to make sure the coast was clear, he sent Neville down first followed by Hermione. He waited a few moments then climbed in and closed the hump behind them. When he arrived in the passage, his friends were waiting for him with both wands lit. They followed the tunnel until they were passed the wards then apparated.
They arrived on a country road that was familiar to all of them. One direction would lead them to the Burrow, the other to their destination. They followed the road and soon Luna's odd looking house came into view. They left the road when they came to the path to her house. As they drew close they spotted a blond haired little girl picking flowers and humming to herself. Harry and Hermione stopped and let Neville go on ahead. He stopped a few feet away from them and just stared at her for a moment. Tears came to his eyes and he looked like the original Neville who was afraid of his own shadow as he stood there watching her. When he spoke his voice was soft and full of fear.
"Luna?"
Harry knew what he was afraid of. If this wasn't his Luna, he would have to win her heart all over again and since he wasn't the same Neville, she might not like who he was now and he'd truly lose her. She looked up and noted their presence then her eyes locked on to him. She set the flowers in her hand down and walked toward him. With every step his eyes filled even more until tears were running down his face. As she got close, Harry noticed she had tears in her eyes as well. She stopped when she was within arm's reach of him. Reaching up, she caressed his face letting her own tears flow.
"Oh Neville," she said giving him a small smile. "You should know Ron is far too pathetic of a wizard to be able to take me from you."
That was all he needed to hear as he pulled her into his arms and began to weep in relief. She held him tightly as he cried and Harry and Hermione let them have their moment. Once Neville calmed down they too gave Luna a hug. They'd all made it. Now the real planning could begin.
Albus Dumbledore sat at the head table eating lunch and trying to figure out how his carefully laid out plan for Harry Potter had failed so miserably. He'd intended for the Weasleys to meet young Harry at the train station and ingratiate themselves to him by helping him get through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters. Somehow they missed him and even more surprisingly, he had somehow made it to the platform despite never being told how to do it. He'd questioned Hagrid when he got back and confirmed that the groundskeeper had left out that particular and rather important piece of information.
Hagrid had been beside himself with guilt until the headmaster assured him he would see to it that the boy made it to the train on time and be given any additional assistance he might need to adjust to his new life. He was secretly glad that the half giant had messed up because it solved a problem he hadn't been able to come up with a solution for before then: How to get the boy close to the Weasleys. He wanted Harry under the influence of a light side pureblood family that was loyal to him and the Weaselys were a perfect fit. It would keep him grounded in the light and hopefully very trusting of Dumbledore who was, after all, the leader of the light. The fact that it was a title that he had given himself had never entered his mind.
They were an affectionate bunch even if a bit overbearing, but after 10 years with the Dursleys being half starved for food and completely denied love of any kind, he would likely see them as the perfect loving family he never had and embrace them with open arms. But they hadn't seen him at the station and Ronald Weasley, the youngest boy, had been unable to find him on the train. The headmaster had been afraid he'd missed the train entirely until he walked up to the sorting hat when his name was called. He was then left to ponder how the boy had gotten through the barrier without help and determined that one of his new friends, the Longbottom boy or the Granger girl must have helped him.
He wasn't sure he liked the idea of those two being his closest friends. Longbottom, from everything he'd heard was little more than a squib while Granger was muggleborne and while from all accounts, very intelligent, was not an appropriate companion for the boy who lived especially if that friendship were to grow into something more in the future. It wasn't something he was concerned about at this point. They were, after all, only eleven years old and wouldn't be thinking about such things for a few years yet at least. Nevertheless, he would need to keep an eye on the situation and have things in place so he could act quickly to end such a relationship should the need arise.
He hoped the issue would resolve itself once Harry and the Weasley boy made friends but so far it hadn't happened. Ron had told him about his offer of friendship being rebuffed during the welcoming feast but had left out some pertinent details. Fortunately, the boy's mental defenses were nonexistent so it was easy to extract the truth from his mind. The boy clearly lacked tact of any kind or manners for that matter if watching him eating lunch as Dumbledore had unfortunately done while searching for Harry was any indication. It was therefore understandable that Harry took offense at young Mr. Weasley's actions and turned him away. He had no doubts, however, that if the Weasely boy could control his natural tendencies and avoid offending him again, they would quickly become close friends then he could drive a wedge between the boy and his other two friends eventually driving them away altogether.
He looked up and noticed that, while he'd been lost in his thoughts, the hall had emptied and the food had disappeared. Lunch was now over and he hadn't seen Harry or his two friends at all. 'Perhaps they ate out on the grounds' he thought to himself. 'It is a lovely day today'. He looked down at his plate and realized that at some point he'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd stopped eating. He picked up his napkin off his lap and wiped his mouth before dropping it onto his plate. He pushed away from the table deciding he'd had enough to eat and stood to leave. Wherever the boy was, he was probably fine and Dumbledore would see him at dinner. If not, he would look for him then. In the meantime there was a mountain of paperwork waiting for him in his office and he began to think of how he could go about handing most of it off to Minerva as he left the great hall and headed up the stairs.
Harry and his friends spent the morning acting like the kids they now were physically. Actually, they were acting a little younger as they played games like hide and seek or tag. None of them could say they were reliving this part of their childhood since none of them had ever been able to play like this the first time around. Harry spent most of his childhood locked in a cupboard under the stairs. He never was allowed to have friends or toys or anything remotely connected to a normal childhood.
Hermione was an outcast who lived in books and never had friends to play with either. She was bullied mercilessly for being smart. During recess, while other kids played, she sat on the school steps reading a book ready to dash inside to the safety of the classroom should the other kids come after her. She lived in fear of the walk home from school as she was beat up several times while her books were damaged or in some cases destroyed. She was never invited to a birthday party nor did she ever have one of her own because no one would come. She was invited to play hide and seek once and picked to count first. She stood there hiding her eyes while she counted to one hundred a smile on her face displaying her joy at finally being included only to find that they hadn't hidden they'd just left. It had all been a cruel joke and she'd never tried to play again.
Luna had had no friends growing up and watching her mother die had caused her to withdraw into a kind of fantasy world fill with the fantastic creatures her father always talked about. That became a defense mechanism that she used to hide her feelings and protect herself from pain. She used it to endure the endless bullying she received from her fellow Ravenclaws despite being nicknamed 'Loony' because of it. She'd never had a real friend until she met Harry in her fourth year and being pureblooded had never heard of the muggle games they played.
Neville spent his childhood labeled a squib until a horrible prank resulted in a burst of accidental magic. Squibs are not well thought of in the wizarding world and never have any friends. Add in a domineering grandmother, and his childhood was spent in solitude with only his gran and the house elves as company. None of them could or would play any wizard games with him much less the muggle ones.
They were four adults who now had the bodies of ten and eleven year olds. They had been denied a normal childhood by fate and misfortune. Even their Hogwarts years weren't normal as they found themselves stuck in the middle of a war they didn't start but were called upon to finish only to have the society they saved turn on them once more. Despite the huge tasks that now lay in front of them, they decided to set their eighteen, nineteen and twenty year old minds and spirits aside for awhile and experience a part of childhood none of them had the first time around.
They played hide and seek in the woods and tag in a clearing they'd found. They got creative while playing tag after Luna reacted to a near tag by apparating to the other side of the clearing on accident. Hermione immediately realized the tactical implications of well timed apparations during battle and conveyed them to her friends. Soon they were all apparating instead of running around the clearing as the one who was it tried to anticipate where the others might end up and catch them there.
One of the funniest moments happened when Neville was it and had successfully apparated to his girlfriend's side. He was about to tag her when she suddenly turned and pointed into the woods.
"Look! A Blibbering Humdinger!" she shouted
Caught off guard, Neville turned to look and before he realized what was happening, she'd apparated again reappearing beside Hermione who gave her a high five for the cleverness of her escape as they both laughed. Harry laughed too until Neville suddenly disappeared and they all knew the game was back on. It was the first time Luna had mentioned one of her silly creatures since shortly after the battle of Hogwarts. After being branded as dark by wizarding society and then watching loved ones die while being hunted, their hopes, dreams and even their defense mechanisms quickly became meaningless. Their hearts that had once been filled with hope and love had been replaced with anger and despair. They'd grown cold and weary trusting only each other. But now they were starting anew and, if Luna was any indication after a year with both her parents having managed to save her mother this time around, hope may soon burn in them once more eventually thawing the icy cores their hearts had become.
By mid day they were worn out from all the running and apparating. Luna went into her house and came out a short while later with a picnic basket. They decided to eat under a large shade tree on the bank of a creek that ran near the house. There were three big rocks that sat together along the bank. Harry and Hermione shared one rock while Neville and Luna shared another. The food was placed on the center rock between them so both couples could have equal access to it. They all tucked in and ate in silence for a few minutes just enjoying the food and the relative peace of their surroundings. The constant ripple of the creek was relaxing while the quiet was comforting. No one was eager to disrupt this new found peace but they all knew they needed to make plans and this was as a good a time as any to do it. It was Hermione who finally spoke first.
"I guess we should decide what to do first."
"The diadem should be first I guess since its right there," Harry responded.
The others nodded in agreement as Hermione got up, went over to the trunk of the tree where her bag was leaning against it and took out parchment, ink and some quills before returning to her seat next to Harry. She started writing and they all knew she was starting a list.
"What's next?" she asked to no one in particular as she stopped writing.
Neither Neville nor Luna answered. They just looked at Harry and waited for him to answer to the question. That was how it was. Harry was the leader and set the agenda. Hermione was the planner and the best researcher of the group. Neville and Luna were the backup. They ran cover and provided extra man power. It's not that they weren't capable; Luna was in Ravenclaw after all. She could and would help Hermione with the planning and they both helped with the research but it was Harry who decided what direction they took and they were comfortable following his lead. Even Hermione had instinctively looked at him for the answer to her question.
"Well, I guess we should focus on one year at a time," he answered after a few moments. "So we'll start with this year and worry about the others later."
There was a loud hrummph and Harry turned to see Luna sitting with her arms crossed and an unhappy look on her face.
"Great," she said unhappily. "That leaves me out since I'm stuck here."
"Only from the things that happen while we're in school Luna," he said comfortingly. "When we go after the ring, you'll be right there with us."
"When did you want to do that?" Luna replied.
"During the Christmas holiday or early next summer," he answered and noticed Hermione writing as he spoke. "I don't want to sneak out of school in case something goes wrong. I don't want anyone asking any questions we don't want to answer. Dumbledore died getting that ring. Even if Snape eventually finished him off, he was going to die anyway from that curse. It's going to take all of us and I don't want to have to worry about trying to sneak back into school on top of it."
"Aren't you going to stay at school for Christmas?" Hermione asked.
"Well," he responded. "I'm hoping to spend Christmas with Sirius if we're able to catch the rat quickly enough. If not, I was hoping I might be able to come home with you. Do you think your parents would let me?"
"I'm sure they would Harry," she replied excitedly. "I'll start writing to them about my new friends then, when we get closer to the holiday, I'll ask them."
"So how are we going to catch Pettigrew?" Neville asked.
"I have a half an idea on how to do that Nev," he responded. "But hopefully you guys can help me figure the rest out."
He told them his idea and they all liked it. There was a brief discussion between Luna and Hermione ironing out the finer points of the plan while Hermione continued to write furiously. Seeing the two women interact made him smile and as they talked he came to a decision.
"Luna," he said during a lull in the conversation. "I'm momentarily jumping ahead to next year. I don't care if you have to threaten it with complete and utter destruction; you are not to let that bloody hat put you in Ravenclaw again. In fact, I want you to insist on being in Gryffindor with us."
Luna gave him a mock solute while smiling.
"Aye Aye, Sir," she said humorously. "Like I'd want to go back there or anywhere else but where you guys are."
"Good, it's settled then. As for you love," he continued turning to look at his girlfriend. "I have no intention of fighting a troll again so stay the hell away from the girl's bathroom on Halloween. You know that git will probably open his big mouth again so don't let him upset you this time."
She looked at him with a horrified expression before responding.
"Harry! I'm not the little girl that was easily hurt by that prat's words anymore! You don't have to worry about me running off crying. I'm more likely to hex him to hell and back for his lack of gratitude for my help. Rest assured, I'll be with you and Neville at the Halloween feast not sharing the loo with a smelly old troll."
"That's all I wanted to hear love," he replied smiling. "Okay, back to business. The locket will have to wait until we have access to Grimmauld Place. The Diary until it's passed to Ginny. I don't know what to do about the cup yet so that will have to wait until we figure something out because I don't want to try breaking into Gringotts again. Nagini is another one that will have to wait since I'm not even sure if she's been created yet or where she'd be at this time so that only leaves one more we can take care of right now. This one"
He pointed to his scar as he finished speaking and their eyes all went wide.
"B-but Harry?" Hermione was the first to recover enough to speak. "You're not just going to let Quirrell-"
"No, I'm not Hermione," he responded cutting her off. "Nor do I plan on waiting seven years and walking out into the forest again either. I want it taken care of now. I don't want the headaches or the visions and I especially don't want him to have any access to my mind."
"B-but how? Who-?" She started to ask but stopped as she met his eyes.
They'd always been able to communicate silently and she saw what he wanted in his eyes. Her eyes widened and filled with tears as the realization sunk in of what he expected her to do. Her face became fearful as he stared at her resolutely.
"No! I can't!" she replied her voice rising as tears started to run down her face. "What if you don't come back? What if was the elder wand or Voldemort using your blood that saved you before? I could kill you Harry!"
She started sobbing and he pulled her into his arms and caressed her back in a comforting way while speaking softly into her ear.
"I think that was just more of Dumbledore's rhetoric love. It was the soul fragment that saved me because the curse destroyed it instead of my own soul. It needs to be done and you're the only one I can trust to do it right. Please Hermione, I know it's a lot to ask, but I need you to do this for me."
She calmed down as he spoke then looked up at him. He met her eyes and smiled while wiping stray tears off her face.
"When-?" she started but stopped as the words caught in her throat.
"Whenever you're ready Hermione," he answered her. "The sooner, the better, as far as I'm concerned but I know how hard this will be for you so you take all the time you need to prepare. Once you're ready we can decide on a time and place ok? Trust me, you can do this. I know you can and I'll be just fine you'll see."
She looked down then looked around at their surroundings as if expecting to find some answers lurking nearby before meeting his eyes again. She nodded her head and managed a weak smile but her eyes clearly indicated she wasn't nearly as confident as he was but he'd asked her to help him and that's what she would do. She'd always been there for him and she would be there now no matter how much it frightened her. His smile widened as he pulled her in for another hug while whispering thank you into her ear. When they separated, she picked up the parchment and quill as Harry turned to their friends while keeping a hand on her back. Within a few moments, they were back to normal.
"What's the plan for Quirrell?" Neville asked.
Neville and Luna had sat quietly and Let their friends talk it out. Despite their shock, they quickly realized that Harry would turn to Hermione with this and it would be up to those two to work it out.
"I'm not sure yet," Harry answered him. "But I'm not going to go after the stone this time that's for sure."
"But won't that mean Quirrell will get it," Hermione asked her curiosity overwhelming any residual feelings that might have remained from the previous topic.
"I don't think so," He responded. "The first time, it was me who managed to get it from the mirror not him. If I hadn't shown up, I doubt he would have ever come close to getting it. This time I'm not giving him that opportunity. As long as the stone is safe, Quirrell will be little more than a minor distraction and a horrible teacher."
Hermione was writing furiously again while the others simply nodded in agreement.
"Well, I think that covers the major issues," Harry continued after a few moments. "Now we can move on to the minor ones. Nev, you're going to have to lose your remembrall again so I can make it onto the quidditch team."
"Fine," Neville responded. "But do I have to break my wrist again? That really hurt."
"Not necessarily," Harry replied. "But we will need to come up with some other way to get Madam Hooch out of the way if not."
"I think I can come up with an alternative by then," said Hermione while continuing to write. "But why do you need to play quidditch?"
"It'll help me get close to the twins," he answered her. "I'm not friends with Ron this time so I need another way to build a relationship with them. Once we've become friends, I can approach them about the map. That, along with the cloak, will make it easier to move around the castle when we need to. Plus, it's just plain fun to play."
Hermione and Luna shared a look before they both rolled their eyes while Neville just smiled and nodded.
"Beyond that," he continued. "I say we try to have as much fun as we can this year and aside from our exercise routine, try to be normal kids for once since we didn't get to the first time around."
They all nodded their agreement. Hermione wrote a few more things down then put the parchment and everything else back in her bag. They finished lunch then spent the afternoon just enjoying each other's company before bidding Luna goodbye and returning to the castle in time for dinner.
The first few days of classes went pretty much the same as last time. McGonagall gave lots of homework and Snape took lots of points. Neville received his remembrall just like before and, true to her word, Hermione came up with a plan to get Madam Hooch out of the way. Thursday found them standing outside in front of a line of brooms along with the rest of the first year Gryffindors as well as the Slytherins. Her instructions were the same as before and soon they were all yelling 'up' at their brooms. Ron had muscled his way to Harry's side. Hermione was on his other side while Neville was next to her. He didn't want the redhead next to him, but it played well into their plan so they went with it.
As the professor turned to instruct another student, Hermione carefully pulled out her wand and point it towards Ron. She quickly cast a charm giving her control of the broom along with a sticking charm so he couldn't let go or fall off accidentally then tucked her wand back inside her robes. Madam Hooch finished her instructions and began her countdown. Right as she got to three, Ron's broom took off with him on it and screaming for help. The professor yelled at him to come back down for a few moments before grabbing a broom and taking off after him. Students soon began moving in the direction of the chase to keep it in sight. Hermione and Neville followed them. Hermione to maintain control of the broom, Neville so the next part of the plan could unfold.
He'd surreptitiously dropped his remembrall as he walked away making it look like it fell out of his pocket. Now it was a matter of waiting for their prey to take the bait. They didn't have to wait long. Draco wasn't as interested in the chase as the other students but saw his chance to get back at his enemies and took it. He picked up the remembrall and announced to everyone what he'd found. Harry played his part perfectly since he'd done it before and demanded he give it back. Just like before, Draco took off and Harry followed. Words were exchanged and the ball thrown with Harry catching it just in time in full view of McGonagall. Harry landed and gave it back to Neville just moments before their head of house made her appearance. As he walked away with McGonagall, he saw movement inside Hermione's robe and knew she was ending the chase.
At dinner, all his classmates were shocked to find out he was now on the quidditch team instead of on his way home. Harry gave Hermione's hand a squeeze under the table in gratitiude for her plan and how well she pulled it off. She turned to him and smiled in response. She was sitting on one side of him while Neville was sitting on the other. Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati were sitting across from them. They were having a pleasant meal until they heard a familiar voice speak behind them.
"Enjoying your last meal Potter?"
Harry casually turned around and noticed Neville and Hermione do the same. He turned to see Draco standing there with his two goons behind him.
"I am enjoying my dinner Malfoy thank you for asking," Harry responded evenly. "But I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by last meal though."
Draco looked puzzled as he looked at all three of them in turn to see if Harry was telling the truth.
"McGonagall didn't expel you?" he asked finally. "She caught you flying Potter! I know she took you away to punish you."
"There was no punishment Draco," Harry responded looking genuinely puzzled. "She did see me flying though and complimented me on it. In fact, she thought I was so good, she made me seeker on the house team."
"What!" Draco sputtered angrily. "You on the quidditch team? You're not that good a flier and anyway first years aren't ever on the house teams!"
"So I'm told," he responded allowing his voice to cool a few degrees. "Apparently I'm the first one in over a hundred years. According to the Professor, catching the remembrall was quite a feat of flying. Not that I know about such things having grown up in the muggle world. But you were raised wizard and should know good flying when you see it. Perhaps you missed it while you were racing back to the ground and the safety of your bodyguards"
"I don't need them to deal with you Potter!" Draco sneered. "I'll take you on anytime, on my own. Tonight if you want? A wizards duel wands only no contact. What's the matter never heard of a wizard's duel?"
"Course he has," It was Ron who spoke having appeared out of nowhere taking the seat next to Hermione. "I'm his second. Who's yours?"
Draco looked at his two friends but, before he could answer, Harry spoke up quickly.
"There will be no duel," he said forcefully then pointed at the redhead. "He does not speak for me nor would he ever be my second! Frankly Malfoy, I have no further interest in wasting my time with you so, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to my dinner in peace. If you're smart, you'll leave now and take your friends with you."
"Well there's no way in hell that will happen," Hermione said shaking her head. "Inbreeding erodes intelligence and, with their families, they'll be lucky if they have two functioning brain cells between them."
"How dare you talk about my family that way you filthy Mudblood!" Draco yelled while pulling out his wand.
At that moment several things happened at once. Harry, who been sitting in a relaxed pose, exploded off his seat at Draco. His right hand grabbed him by the throat while the other grabbed the arm holding the wand and lifted it so the wand was pointing at the ceiling. Whatever curse Draco had tried to use shot harmlessly into the ceiling and dissipated. He then pulled the arm down as hard as he could while lifting his knee. There was a loud crack when Draco's arm made contact with Harry's knee and the wand went flying as Draco let out a strangled cry.
Meanwhile Neville had also made it to his feet as Crabbe tried to throw a punch at Harry. Neville caught hold of the arm and twisted it behind the Slytherin's back so hard that there was a sudden pop then grabbed his head by the hair and proceeded to slam his face into the table. When he pulled him back up, blood was running down his face and he covered it with his free hand while staggering. Neville turned him loose and he fell to the ground whimpering his arm hanging in an odd angle.
Hermione had also moved quickly to get behind Goyle who was also trying to attack Harry and aimed a kick up between his legs hitting him where it really hurts. Goyle fell foreward onto his knees his hands covering his privates. Unfortunately, For Goyle that is, it took him too close to Neville who aimed a kick at his face. There was yet another crack as his foot connected with Goyles jaw sending him sprawling to the ground. Most of the onlookers suspected his jaw was broken but either way it was clear he was out cold. They both returned to Harry's side as he focused his attention back on Draco while still holding him by the throat and now broken arm.
"You were warned that if you didn't leave us alone we would become unpleasant," he said firmly looking the struggling Slytherin in the eye. "This is us being unpleasant. Next time, we'll be downright mean. Trust me, when I tell you, you won't like it."
"Potter! Release him now!"
It was yet another unwelcome voice; Professor Snape. Harry ignored him and maintained his hold on Draco for a few more seconds before releasing him. He immediately fell to the ground and started coughing while catching his breath then laid there whimpering as Harry turned to face the potions master. Neville turned as well and stood in front of Harry. Hermione did likewise and moved to stand next to Neville. All three looked at the professor defiantly. Snape regarded all three of them with his trademark sneer then looked at the three Slytherins on the floor.
"That will be a hundred points from Gryffindor," He said with an evil smile. "And a month's detention for each of you for an unprovoked attack on another student."
Harry and Hermione didn't say anything. They just continued to glare at him while Neville gritted his teeth then he suddenly lunged forward with the upper half of his body like he was going to launch himself at the professor before standing back up straight in the same place and glaring like his friends. Snape involuntarily jumped back at Neville's actions before catching himself. Several students tried to stifle their laughter but were unsuccessful. The sneer was soon back on his face as he looked directly at Neville.
"Make that two months for you Longbottom." He said menacingly.
"There will be no points or detentions for these students Severus!" Professor McGonagall said behind them.
She'd arrived along with Madam Pomfrey who immediately started checking on Draco and his friends. Snape turned around to argue but McGonagall didn't give him the chance.
"Unprovoked in a pigs eye!" she continued with a full head of steam. "I was sitting right next to you so I know you saw the same thing I did. Mr. Malfoy pulled out his wand and attempted to use it against Miss Granger. Harry defended her and she and Mr. Longbottom defended him when Mr. Malfoys Friends tried to attack Mr. Potter. I will not allow you to hand out punishments to help your students save face!"
Snape started to turn to Dumbledore who'd finally arrived for assistance but she would have none of it.
"Don't look to Albus for Help Severus," she said even more loudly. "I'm not speaking to you as a fellow head of house but as assistant headmistress your superior! From now on you will run every point you take and every detention you hand out through me and only the ones I approve will stand and believe me I will thoroughly investigate every instance!"
Snape gaped at her in shock then looked to Dumbledore for help. Dumbledore didn't step in as he'd hoped but instead turned to the nearby tables.
"Can anyone tell me what happened?" he asked with that twinkle in his eyes.
Almost immediately, all the students spoke at once and, to a tee, supported McGonagall's version of events. The headmaster took it all in as best he could then turned to Snape.
"It would appear Severus, that you may have acted a bit Rash in assigning punishments," he said calmly.
"A bit Rash," Neville said sarcastically. "That's like saying a dragon is a bit dangerous."
"Or a troll is a bit ugly and stupid," Harry chimed in smiling.
It was the twins who spoke next never being ones to shy away from trouble. They continued the joke and soon all the students were talking at the same time trying come up with a better response than what had already been said.
"You guys are all wrong about the professor," Hermione broke in causing everyone to go silent surprised to hear her defend him. "His house is full of the inbred children of deatheaters who don't know their arses from holes in the ground. If he didn't keep helping his students out then it would quickly become apparent how pathetic his house and their head has truly become."
The students erupted in laughter while Snape looked murderous. The laughter continued on until a loud voice shouted out causing immediate quiet.
"Silence!" yelled Dumbledore.
The students immediately quieted down as fearful expressions appeared on their faces. Harry, Hermione and Neville stopped talking but didn't appear afraid, in fact, they just stared unflinchingly at the head master.
"If that was meant to scare us into fearful silence Headmaster," Harry said quietly. "I'm afraid it fell short of the mark."
There were gasps from the students at the gall of the first year to talk to Dumbledore like that. They looked at the headmaster expecting an explosion but he merely smiled condescendingly.
"I was merely seeking quiet Harry not fear," he said his eyes twinkling again. "Now as to-"
"Excuse me headmaster," Harry interrupted. "But only my friends are allowed to call me Harry."
Again there were gasps from the onlookers while a look of shock momentarily flittered across Dumbledore's face but was quickly replaced by another condescending smile.
"Very well Mr Potter," he responded putting emphasis on the 'Mr.'. "Seeing as how you were apparently acting in self defense there will be no punishment."
He then turned to Pomfrey.
"Poppy?" he addressed the healer. "How are they?"
"Mr. Malfoy has a broken arm and bruised larynx," she responded. "Mr. Crabbe has a broken nose and dislocated shoulder. Mr. Goyle has a broken Jaw and soft tissue injuries to his groin. I won't know the extent until I get the swelling down. If it's okay, I'll transport them to the hospital wing and start treating them."
He nodded and she conjured three stretchers, levitated the three students onto them then left with the stretchers following her. Dumbledore then turned back to Harry.
"In the future Mr. Potter," he said firmly. "I recommend that you get a member of my staff involved in any dispute rather than taking matters into your own hands."
"No," Harry answered simply.
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked unable to hide his shock this time.
"Headmaster," Harry responded. "If I'd run to the head table when Malfoy pulled out his wand, he have been able to hit my friend with whatever curse he tried to use. The same if I'd have just sat there and done nothing given how long it took the first member of your staff to get over here."
"Neverless, I must insist-" The Headmaster started to reply but was interrupted again.
"No!" Harry said more firmly this time. "If this is the level of protection I can expect, I would be a fool to comply. I will not give up the protection my friends offer me nor will I deny them mine. I will defend myself and my friends whenever the need arises."
There was no missing the change in the headmaster's expression. It was cold and hard. The twinkle was long gone. It was clear his patience with this first year had run out.
"I will remind you Mr. Potter," He said in a tone that clearly indicated there would be no negotiation on this point. "That I'm the headmaster of this school and you will show me respect."
"I will show you and your staff respect when you've earned it headmaster," Harry responded maintaining his defiance. "At this point, only two members of your staff have done so; Hagrid and Professor McGonagall here. I have no doubts that, in time, most of your staff will earn it but there will be those," he looked pointedly at Snape. "That never will."
"Detention Mr. Potter!" Dumblerdore snapped his face now red with anger.
"No you don't Albus," McGonagall said moving to stand between the students and the headmaster.
"Minerva, need I remind you that I'm your superior," Dumbledore responded coldly.
"Need I remind you of the governing rules of this school regarding fair and unfair punishments Albus?" she replied nonplussed. "Mr. Potter has just been attacked by another student who has not been punished while now two members of the staff that failed to protect him have tried to punish him; first for defending himself then for voicing concerns about his safety. He spoke honestly without malice. He didn't yell, threaten or use foul language. If that's not enough Albus, I'll finish by pointing out that there is no rule that says a student can be punished for hurting the headmaster's pride."
Dumbledore momentarily looked like he was going to explode again but regained control of himself when he remembered that he had an audience. He also realized that antagonizing the boy would make it harder to gain his trust. He took a few moments to gather his thought before turning back to Harry the twinkle back in his eyes.
"My apologies Mr. potter," he said in his grandfatherly way. "For letting my pride get the better of me. As I said before, there will be no punishment and I will endeavor to earn your respect and trust. You have my word that Mr. Malfoy and his friends will be punished for their actions this evening."
With that he turned and headed back to the head table. Snape was beside himself but one look at McGonagall kept him from saying anything and he too left. She then turned to her three students and regarded them sternly.
"I allowed your disrespect this time Mr. Potter because I felt like you had just cause but don't expect me to back you up next time." She said in full lecture mode. "I'm honored, however, to have earned your respect. My door is always open should you have any further difficulties. You and your friends may carry on with what you were doing now."
"Thank you professor," Harry responded smiling. "For everything."
She returned his smile and gave a slight nod of her head then she too left and it was over. Neville and Hermione both smiled at him then they all sat back down and started eating again. Soon everything returned to normal and they were able to enjoy the rest of the evening.
Later that night, Dumbledore sat in his office contemplating the events at dinner. He'd expected the boy to be weak, fearful and desperate to please but he was wrong. Instead young Harry was defiant, disrespectful, angry and violent if the state young Malfoy and his friends were left in was any indication. His two friends were already displaying similar behavior and that was alarming as well. He'd seen similar traits before in a student and his friends. That student and his followers ended up wreaking havoc on the wizarding world before being stopped by a baby. His blood ran cold at the thought of Harry ending up the same way. He was the baby that had stopped the previous student after all. The worse part for the headmaster was the thought that this could be his fault. He'd been the one who decided to put the boy with his relatives.
He wanted the boy broken and desperate to be saved from his horrible life so he would look to the magical world in general and the Headmaster in particular as his rescuers. He wanted the boy to feel indebted to the wizarding world for saving him from his horrible relatives so he would willingly sacrifice himself for it when the time came. For it would surely come to that, Dumbledore was certain. He'd studied Riddle's life and figured out that he'd created several horcruxes. More importantly, he was sure he knew what the last one was; Harry himself. In the end, Harry would have to die to destroy the dark lord once and for all.
But if Harry turned dark they could join forces and all would truly be lost. It was not an exaggeration to say that keeping Harry from going dark would be the most important thing Dumbledore would ever do. He would need to keep an even closer eye on him from now on. He would also need to check into his home life. Hopefully being here at school would change the boy and undo some of the damage his relatives had apparently done to him. If not, Harry turning dark would present too great a risk to send him back to the Dursleys at the end of the school year.
He would watch the boy as the school year progressed then decide where to send him for the summer. He decided he'd better have another option in place should the need arise and made a mental note to start working on a list of possible host families immediately. Things were not going as planned and once again he was left pondering what went wrong.