Angel

Original two chapters by Lady Shinigami (minor modifications)

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Angel

Chapter 1

"I do not know why I was watching him. It started more than a year ago, close to two years, it started rather innocently. Really. I wanted to know everything there was about him, especially his weaknesses. What made him vulnerable? I wanted to know that therefore involving a great deal of observation, naturally.

"All I wanted was to know what made him weak, vulnerable. Really! He has undeniable strength, a strength that has continued to defy me at every turn, and I know that I could never win against his strength, but maybe I could destroy him with his weaknesses.

"Then, my interest in him began to change. The hate faded away gradually; not even I realized it, nor do I know when it started. I never realized.

"Until that fateful day three days ago, when I received my wings, flying to save his life, a life I had previously wanted to destroy.

"However, I digress. I watched him since his godfather's death, and I have since punished Bella for that. I watched as his disgusting relatives abused him, and I watched as he entered his sixth year. That year, last year, I did not attack; I was too busy watching him, watching for anything I could use. But, you know, the weakness I did find only made him that much stronger, and more human, and I believe he is the one who truly deserves these wings... well, his mother deserves wings, and sometimes, I can feel her presence around the boy and I can feel the soft, beautiful wings as they brush lightly against my soul.

"Maybe that is why I have changed.

"I watched him as he interacted with his friends, watched as he fought with the young Malfoy boy. That always made me smile; he seems so normal then, so young, like he is.

"I watched him during Quidditch practice, watched as he began his training, watched as he flourished and thrived under the pressure, and I watched him grieve for those he could not save. Those I killed.
I regret it all now, now that I know the truth, but I truly thought, through my misguided vision that I was doing the right thing, at least in the beginning, that I was in the right. Then I went on a power trip and was corrupted, which is what happens with power. That is why your Minister is so incompetent.

"I watched him constantly, no longer out of hate, and I hid when he sensed me nearby. He was always quick to reassure his friends, never allowing them to worry about him. I grew to admire that, among a great many other things about him.

"He is beautiful, isn't he? His soul has such a brilliant aura to it, pure and gentle, strong. His soul glows with a beautiful green glow, identical to his eyes and the curse I once tried to kill him with.

"He truly does deserve these wings of mine. These wings I can't explain. The human body cannot support wings, and would have to be completely redesigned to allow for the muscles needed to support wings, magical or otherwise. In addition, the human body is far too heavy for wings to support.

"I watched him finish his sixth year, again watched as he was abused. The abuse made ME cringe, but he seemed to grow stronger because of it. It amazed me that he could grow in such an environment, that he gained strength in the fact that he is only human, and still be able to accomplish the impossible. I would have drowned in despair in his position... no, wait... I did drown, losing sight of myself in the process.

"I watched, the silent observer, as he entered his seventh and final year, and I knew I had to act, but I chose not to. My followers have overthrown me for my lack of action, although it hasn't been revealed to the public yet.

"As attacks against the public increased, and he started to actively fight in the war, I came to realize that I desperately wanted to fight by his side, if only to keep him alive. I wanted him to live.

"He has continued to sense my presence, and has since grown accustomed to me. Or rather, I'd like to believe that.

"You know, I nearly revealed myself several times this year, but I didn't. One particular occasion comes to mind, the day that is now known as the Christmas Massacre. The streets of downtown London were silent that night... at least until the fighting started. He had been summoned to the front lines, alongside Aurors twice his age. The Death Eaters had attacked an orphanage, which struck a nerve with me.

"My angel, as I had come to call him, was immediately infuriated as he listened to the cries of agonized children, and with everything he had, and all of his power and strength, he went berserk, barreling through enemy lines as he raced for the children. Another example of the kindness that lived within his beautiful soul.

"As you well know, Dumbledore, all the children died. My angel grieved, holding onto the body of a four-year-old girl amidst the snow and debris, for long after the battle was over. Twenty-seven young children died that night, and my angel mourned them all in the darkness of Christmas morning.

"He was the perfect soldier, your perfect weapon, for days after that, and for that, I hate you. He was emotionless, until he once again put up the mask, and in those days I wanted to do anything to make him happy, to see his smile, but of course, I couldn't. I couldn't dare to reveal myself.

"However, three days ago, I couldn't stay in the shadows; I couldn't remain the silent observer. Three days ago, during the dangerously stormy Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match, never did like the game personally, but my little Gryffindor was struck down by two things; a rogue Bludger, barreling into my angel just as he won the game, taking his breath away and breaking a few ribs, and he was struck by a large bolt of lightning that flashed through the sky not even a moment after he took that Bludger to the chest. This bolt was large enough and deadly enough to kill a normal wizard, but not my little Gryffindor.

"He fell, unconscious, with everyone in shock as to what had just happened right before their eyes. I sprang into action, shouting his name as I jumped out from my hiding place beneath the teachers' stands, realizing in that moment that I would gladly die for him, and I remember pain as my wings tore through flesh and fabric, new muscles working naturally, as though I had always had wings.

"Speaking of which, would one of you please heal the wounds already? I AM still bleeding, after a good three days, and I know that none of you are sadistic enough to let me die from blood loss. I am starting to feel a little light-headed. Besides, only he has the right to kill me.

"Anyway, my appearance shocked you into action, Dumbledore, but by then, he was already in my arms, safe from death. I don't think he recognized me at first, but when he did, he didn't lash out as I had expected. He seemed to... relax, I think. It seemed that, for just a moment, he trusted me completely with his life. Maybe it was just my imagination. I don't know.

"You have said, again and again, old man, that because I do not know love, love will destroy me. In a way, you are right. My hatred and thirst for destruction was destroyed by the love that I now feel for him.

"So now, you are left with an overthrown Dark Lord with white wings, who loves his enemy. What are you going to do?

"Do you think he will wish to see me? To question me and my actions? He must be confused greatly. You are confused as well, despite what I've just told you.

"I want to keep him safe. I want him to live. I want him to laugh, to cry, to love, to hate. So long as he is happy, I will be happy. If he wishes my death, then my life I will gladly give.

"I want to see him. My little Gryffindor, my angel. My love, my salvation. I am his, and I wish for him to be mine. Has he recovered? Is he awake?

"No, you wouldn't answer me. You probably hope to be rid of me without me seeing him. He won't panic. He won't break. I've watched him, so I know he is strong.

"I think you've forgotten that, Dumbledore. He is stronger than you and you know it. I love him. I want to hold him in my arms, like I did three days ago. I want to be there for him, and protect him. Even he needs to be protected every now and then, and his relatives don't count.

"My angel will want to know what's going on; no, he'll demand to know, and it is within his right, since I did save his life. He will not accept 'no' for an answer.

"In addition, when he does see me, to gain some answers, I will tell him the truth, just as I have told you. I will not deny him anything.

"I love him. I am truly love my angel, my Gryffindor, and I could never hurt him.

"Who, exactly, do I love with all my heart? You ask this stupid question for the record, of course. Very well, then.

"I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Dark Lord Voldemort, love Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

 My only love from my only hate.

 Consequences be damned."

 

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Chapter 2

On the other side of the castle from where the winged Dark Lord was being held in the prison tower, Harry was healing from the lightning shock. He hadn't woke up once since his enemy had saved him and had allowed himself to be captured by the professors.

Slowly, Harry opened his emerald eyes, blinking at his fuzzy-looking surroundings. Despite his blurry vision, though, he immediately recognized that he was in the Infirmary.

He blinked, confused, before everything rushed back as he remembered the Quidditch game. Another blugger a bolt of lightning, excruciating pain, strong arms holding him, white wings, a handsome face framed by black hair, a gentle, loving smile, and crimson serpentine eyes. He remembered whispered words, softly spoken in the sexiest baritone he'd ever heard, soothing, calming, and loving.

However, how could Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord of the century, know anything about love, let alone showing emotions even remotely resembling love?

Something wasn't adding up.

Slowly, Harry reached for the side table he knew was there to retrieve his glasses as he started planning his escape from the Hospital wing. He figured he wasn't in too much pain, and he desperately needed some answers.

On alert for Madame Pomfrey, or anyone else for that matter, Harry got out of the hospital bed and quickly found his school robes, all folded neatly at the edge of the bed. After changing into his robes, he grabbed his bag from beside the bed and left the Infirmary.

Removing the Marauders' Map from his bag, he used it to avoid everyone in his path as he searched for the Dark Lord, including Ron and Hermione. He didn't want to deal with them now. He'd talk to them later, if need be.

Scanning the Map, he quickly located his enemy, and was faintly surprised to see that the Map identified the Dark Lord as 'Tom Riddle' rather than 'Voldemort', although, it did make sense. He did note that Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were also in the tower cell with Voldemort. No doubt trying to interrogate the Dark Lord.

Resolutely, he continued his way to the prison tower, taking every short cut he could find, not allowing himself to hesitate. He knew that if he allowed himself to hesitate even in the slightest, he would falter and run.

Reaching the closed door of the cell, Harry paused for just a moment, hearing Voldemort's voice through the wood of the oak door.

"... Ask me this stupid question for the record, of course. Very well, then. I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Dark Lord Voldemort, love Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived. My only love from my only hate. Consequences be damned."

Then there was silence in the cell.

Harry stood in front of the door, frozen in place as his mind tried to process the new information. Voldemort loved him? Voldemort loved him? A small part of his mind told him that it did make sense, actually.

But how could that be? How had it happened? What had changed? Harry's mind reeled, and he steeled himself before knocking on the closed door, hiding the Map, and taking out his wand.

Dumbledore opened the door almost immediately, startled to see Harry there. He blocked the rest of the room from Harry's sight, resting an old hand on the younger wizard's shoulder.

"Harry, what are you doing here? Has Madame Pomfrey cleared you from the Hospital Wing yet? You're shaking, Harry; go back." The old Headmaster tried to steer Harry away from the cell, but the Gryffindor shook away the once-friendly hand from his shoulder.

"No. I have questions, and there's only one wizard who could answer those questions. Where is he?"
Dumbledore seemed taken aback at the coldness in Harry's voice, but Harry didn't care. The old wizard recovered his composure quickly.

"Harry, you still aren't well."

"Old fool, let him see me if he wishes to. I am still under the effects of Veritaserum and that strong calming drought of Severus'. I can prattle on in truth with ease! Besides, I have said before that I wish to see him. I mean him no harm; I couldn't, even if I wanted to. He is safe with me." Voldemort's voice drifted to Harry's ears from behind Dumbledore.

Harry pushed past Dumbledore and avoided the stares of his other professors, focusing his gaze on the tall figure in the dark corner of the cell, hands chained to the stonewall. His face was concealed by the shadows, but Harry would have recognized him anyhow. Red, serpentine eyes glinted fiercely. The smell of blood was thick in the air. Harry could faintly see the white wings drooping down behind his toned body. The older wizard's black long-sleeved shirt was in shreds, and feathers, blood-covered, were scattered idly at his feet.

"You're still hurt, aren't you?"

"Yes, little Gryffindor. I am still hurt. You are confused."

"Yes."

"You wish to talk. Alone."

"Yes."

"You heard him, Dumbledore. This is his right. I will not deny him."

Dumbledore stared at Harry's back for several minutes before stalking from the cell. McGonagall followed and Snape closed the door on his way out, leaving the two wizards in darkness.

"Lumos."

The light from Harry's wand illuminated the cell. Neither wizard wanted to break the silence that settled between them, but as Voldemort continued to watch Harry, the younger wizard realized something.

"I recognize you. You've been close to me for a long time. You were there, a comforting presence when I needed one. How long?"

"Since your godfather died. In the beginning, my intentions and reasons were different. I wanted to hurt you. Now, my only wish is to protect you. I want you to live. I want you to love. I want to protect you when no one else is able to. You know that there is a very fine line between hate and love. I have crossed this line and I can never go back. What are you going to do about this?" Voldemort's voice was low, full of hidden emotions. His eyes nearly glowed with longing.

Harry ignored his question. "How did this happen? The wings and your appearance? Why did you save me?"

"You know the answer to that question, little one. As to your other questions; I don't know why I, of all people, have the wings of an angel. You deserve them. Your mother already has her wings. I can see her, sometimes. She's always by your side, giving her support. But, as to my appearance, this is what I look like naturally. My snake face is just a partial Animagus transformation." With a pain-filled sigh, Voldemort leaned back against the wall, grimacing.

Harry came closer, lighting a few candles as he knelt down beside the older wizard. He reached out, hesitantly, fingertips ghosting across Voldemort's shoulder. "You're still hurt."

Voldemort glanced at him. "Do you wish to heal my wounds?"

"Yes." Harry's response was immediate.

The older wizard smiled briefly, nodded and leaned forward, wincing at Harry's soft gasp. "It's not entirely as bad as it looks."

"You're still bleeding! Hold still a moment." A whispered healing spell closed up the torn skin around the wings' base, and a cleaning charm washed away the red blood. The Dark Lord sighed in relief.

"Thank you, little one. Now, what do you wish to do with me? I will gladly give my life if that is what you wish."

Harry shook his head. "No."

One long slender black eyebrow arched in response. "No? Then what is your wish?"

It was then that Dumbledore returned to the cell, four Aurors following behind him briskly. With an irritated sigh, Harry stood from his position beside Voldemort, eyes flashing. The Aurors spread out in the small cell, wands pointed at the Dark Lord, glaring hatefully as they did so.

"Harry, step aside. Voldemort will receive the Dementor's Kiss immediately after the Ministry Aurors escort him from the castle in chains. He will be as good as dead. You will be free of him. Now move aside." Dumbledore's tone spoke of a demand, and there was no twinkle in his blue eyes.

Harry frowned. "I want to be free of you. You've manipulated my life for so long that I've forgotten I had one. No longer. I claim him as mine. He will be my responsibility. I will deal with the consequences," he looked down at the winged wizard, meeting the serpentine gaze. "He has been my guardian angel for close to two years now. I will deal with him."

Dumbledore's face tightened slightly in anger. The Aurors glanced at one another uneasily at the fierce defiance in Harry's eyes. Voldemort stood slowly, hands up in a passive surrender, his chains clinking slightly.

"Harry..."

"No, sir. I claim him. He is now my responsibility. End of discussion." Harry released Voldemort from his chains with his wand and without another word; they left the cell and the prison tower, leaving Dumbledore and the Aurors alone.

"The Minister is going to blow a screw loose when he hears about this," One of the Aurors said. The others agreed silently.

"This is how this is going to work; you will remain with me at all times. You will keep any negative comments to yourself, and you will remain like a shadow, completely out of the way. You will obey everything I say, until I deem it otherwise. It would be the safest route for both of us. However, this is more for you sake than mine. Things will be unsettled for a while, obviously, and I would rather avoid any riots and such. Do you understand?" Harry asked as he led Voldemort through the castle to Gryffindor Tower.

"Yes, little Gryffindor. I understand completely."

"Good. You and I will be spending a great deal of time together, in which you will be explaining to me why you saved my life until I understand. Also, when I go into battle, you will be there. And yes, I know a few months ago that you were no longer leading the Death Eaters."

Harry didn't look back once at the Dark Lord following him silently and he couldn't help but feel comforted by the winged wizard's presence at his back.

"Thank you. I don't deserve your kindness, but thank you nonetheless."

Harry shook his head. "No, you don't deserve it." He led Voldemort to the Gryffindor common room, reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, just as Ron and Hermione did. Both of them seemed extremely agitated and worried.

"Harry! What are you doing out of the Hospital Wing? Madame Pomfrey will have your head the next time she sees you!" Hermione cried, scolding Harry in her usual manner.

"Harry, who's this?" Ron's quiet question cut Hermione's lecture short. The brilliant witch paused and stared at Voldemort, as though seeing him for the first time. Harry smiled ruefully.

"Meet Voldemort, Dark Lord, and my guardian angel." He said quietly, waiting for their reactions.
Hermione fainted. Ron blinked and backed away slowly, until he met a wall, his eyes never leaving the Dark Lord.

"They took that rather well, little Gryffindor." Voldemort said quietly.

"They did. Ron, its okay. He's completely harmless. Trust me."

"Harry, you're crazy. This is the bloody Dark Lord, for Merlin's sake! He murdered your parents! And what about the prophecy?" Ron's voice was hoarse from fear as he spoke. "You're supposed to kill him."

"Who cares about that stupid prophecy? How the hell do I know that Dumbledore didn't make it up and stage the whole thing? He's certainly capable of it! And, Voldemort could have killed any number of times since Sirius's death! He could have killed me at Christmas, but he didn't. He has been silently protecting me since Sirius died, or sometime around that time. He is my responsibility now; if you don't like it, shut up, and deal with it." Harry sighed and led Voldemort into the common room and up to the Head Boy's room.

"You will make a lot of enemies because of me, little one." Voldemort said quietly after watching as Harry fumed for a good twenty minutes at the window.

"I know."

"I will be there for you, if you wish."

"I'd like that, actually."

Voldemort smiled gently. "You truly are remarkable."

"I don't want to be."

"I don't understand."

"No, you wouldn't," Harry turned away from the window, moving to recline on the large bed. "I will never live in shadows, mostly because of you. I want to be normal, Voldemort, but that could never happen."

Voldemort sat down beside Harry on the bed, wings rustling. "You are an extraordinary wizard, regardless of anything I have done in the past. You would still be great, regardless of the past. You are still a great wizard, simply because of who you are in your heart."

Harry looked at him, a small frown wrinkling his bow. "That... actually makes sense. But I still hate it."

"I know."

"How could you know?"

"In my school years, I was much like you. Grindelwald was waging war through the wizarding world, and I was the weapon Dumbledore was molding for his purposes, but I was already too jaded, and I went Dark." Voldemort said, looking away from the younger wizard. Harry stared at the Dark Lord, curious.

"And yet, you have the wings of an angel." He said.

Voldemort nodded.

"Yes. That I cannot explain. Maybe, you are my redemption. Not that I deserve redemption, but I now have a second chance, and I will not waste it." Voldemort said quietly.

"That's very wise of you. It will be difficult, you understand."

"Yes, but that does not matters so long as you are content. I will do anything to see you happy."

"Why?" Harry had to ask.

"Because I love you, little Gryffindor. It does not matter to me whether the feelings are returned, just so long as you are happy. I love you and you will just have to deal with that." Voldemort said, meeting Harry's gaze fully, never shying away.

Harry looked away first, eyes clouded over with his silent thoughts. "This is too strange. The only love I can remember is my mother's love, and just barely that. Goodnight." He sighed and turned over, blowing out the candle facing him.

Voldemort smiled in the darkness. "Goodnight, Harry. We will talk again soon, and I will explain all I know."

He stood from his place on the bed and sat down across the room, leaning against the wall. His wings settled and ruffled, wrapping themselves cleanly around his shoulders and he settled into a peaceful sleep.

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Chapter 3

Harry began the climb to consciousness with the feeling of fingers running through his hair. Harry unconsciously leaned into the hand and smiled silly. He rather liked that feeling, made him feel all wanted and loved.

'Wait….who would run their fingers through my hair….Siri…no….he's gone….not Remmy, he gives hugs and that's it…..then who….' Harry thought as he worked his eyes open.

"Good morning Harry, did you sleep well?"

"Yes Thank you, Tom," Harry said with a big yawn that made Tom laugh gently.

"You know Dumbledore will continue to try and force you to hand me over to Fudge and him."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but I'm tired of them trying to control me while expecting me to kill you. They can try all they want to force my hand, but it won't work. I'll tell you a secret, Tom."

Tom leaned in, instinctively knowing Harry was going to whisper this and that it had to be big.

"I've been emancipated since a month after Sirius died."

"How?"
"Siri was my godfather you know, he was also legally my guardian and he named me his heir in his will. Dumbledore tried to keep me from going to Gringotts that summer, tried to tell me it was a Death Eater plot to curse me via the envelope. Funny though I had already received the letter from the bank and it obviously wasn't cursed. He just didn't want me to know about Sirius' will and start thinking for myself. Well, I had a …friend… pop me over to the lobby of Gringotts shortly before the reading of the will. Sirius left me most everything, gave Remus some gold and a property, reinstated Tonks and her mum to the family and gave her mum her dowry vault back and gave Tonks some gold too, disowned Bella, hehe, and seized her vault, and set a provision for Narcissa to get property and gold only if she left Lucius. Along with everything else Sirius left me he also left me emancipation papers and made me his heir. So while I became emancipated, I'm not stupid, I realized in fourth year that I was being used, and gained control of all my family vaults and properties."

"Well, at least they can't try and force you as 'under age'. Do they know you are emancipated?"

"No, I'm sure those papers are somewhere in the Ministry but Dumbles doesn't know yet. I've been holding off on showing that card, I don't know what he will do once he knows he has no control over me and I am no longer his 'pawn'."

"Oh, it won't be pretty, trust me."

"How do you know? I mean it's obvious he'll be pissed but…well…it almost sounded like you were talking from experience, but I can't see how that is."

"Who do you think was his 'pawn' in taking down his lover and best friend Grindelwald?"

"You are going to have to tell me EVERYTHING!" Harry said with wide eyes.

"Haha, yes I suppose I will have to, but now you need to get ready for the day, don't you?"

Harry groaned and pulled himself out of bed.

---

A short while later found Harry double-checking that all four of his wands were in their holsters after casting the strongest protection charms in layers around Tom. Harry knew it was going to be hell walking these halls and going to the Great Hall today. Tom just stood there patiently, too patiently, as Harry worked his courage up to leave the room.

*Sigh* "Ok, let's do this, it'll be hell, on both of us, but we can't hide here forever, well we could but…I'd rather just get this over with," Harry said more to himself than to Tom, who just smirked in response.

Out they went, down the stairs from the very top of the Gryffindor Tower all the way down to the Gryffindor common room. That room held the first hurdle, all those Gryffs looking murderous.

No one said anything to Harry or Tom as they passed every member of all seven years of Gryffindor. Some were giving open hostile looks, some looked betrayed, some confused, and every other emotion it seemed. As Harry and Tom approached the portrait door, Neville Longbottom approached Harry, watching Tom warily.

"H-Harry?"

"Yes, Neville?"

"Um…that's that's HIM isn't it?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of? What do you mean?"

"Was he born Tom Marvolo Riddle? Yes. Did he lose his mind at some point and make himself into Lord Voldemort? Yes. Is he Lord Voldemort anymore? No. Why? Because he regained his sanity, more sanity than he had as Tom Riddle before he lost himself."

"Oh, why….why does he have wings, Harry?"

"*sigh* Because he not only regained his sanity, but he also was willing to do the one thing no one else is ever willing to do without an alternative motive, care about me FOR me. He saved my life at the Quidditch match. If he hadn't done what he did I would be dead. I don't know if that's the ONLY reason he has wings or not, but I am sure that has at least something to do with it."

"….Oh, so….he owes you a life debt then, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess he does."

"THEN KILL HIM ALREADY! DON'T YOU KNOW YOU CAN DEMAND HIS LIFE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HIM KILLING YOUR PARENTS AND GODFATHER BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIFE DEBT TOO!" yelled Hermione.

Harry glared at Hermione, his ex-friend now, before glaring around the room.

"Kill him? Why should I? He has offered his PROTECTION from EVERYONE and EVERYTHING! I have accepted this; this is how he will repay the life debt. He is attempting what everyone should be allowed to do, REPENT! You 'noble' Gryffindors who only see black and white disgust me!"

With that last jab, Harry whirled around and exited the Gryffindor Common Room followed by Tom and Neville.

Tom glanced at the boy who had followed them out. He wasn't really surprised the Longbottom boy was supportive of Harry, but at the same time, he was. Bella and Barty had caused this boy to be basically an orphan in an attempt to find him after he had lost his body. He just figured that the Longbottom boy, Neville, would hate him because of their actions. Tom was very surprised by him apparently not hating him.

Harry looked back as he stepped off the last step of the large staircase.

"Neville? You do realize that siding with me will make you ostracized again, right? Not that I don't appreciate it, but you don't have to do that."

"I know, Harry. I'm your friend and I'll stand by you no matter what. It's just like second year, third year, and fifth year, they're all going to start calling you dark again and you will only have Luna and me…oh and Tom too."

"Yeah, I know, I don't care…only a little bit longer until graduation, thank Merlin!"

"You may want to put the same protections around Neville. I'm sure those who are unhappy with you will attempt to hurt you by hurting those who have sided with you," Tom advised.

"Yeah good point. Hold still, Neville, this will take but a minute."

Harry spelled Neville with the multilayer protection wards the same as he had done Tom and himself earlier.

---

Just outside of the Great Hall Harry, Tom, and Neville found Luna waiting for them.

"Hello Harry, Neville, Tom."

"Hi, Luna," Harry said. Tom gave her a head bow and Neville just smiled shyly.

"Well, I hate to be rude but I've already had to deal with my whole house on this so let me just ask. Luna….do you hate me now too? Do you feel like I betrayed you? Do you think I'm going dark just because I'm giving someone a second chance?"

"No Harry, I think what you are doing is rather noble and as long as Mr. Tom here behaves himself and truly tries to change than you have done the right thing. I can see that the nargles aren't troubling the three of you as much as they used to, especially you, Mr. Tom," Luna answered Harry in her trademark airy voice.

"Just Tom, Miss Lovegood" Tom replied to Luna.

"Only if the three of you sit with me at Ravenclaw, and you 'Tom' call me Luna."

---

Throughout the day, the four of them found that the vast majority of students, staff, and faculty were VERY unhappy with Harry. They did find out though that besides Luna and Neville, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, Anthony Goldstein, and Professor Snape were on their side and felt the same as Luna. Professor Snape's last doubts were washed away when Tom wrote out how to remove the Dark Mark and promised to teach Harry how to do it since it could not be removed by the wearer of the Mark.

It took Harry's two free periods but he had the incantation and wand movements down so that he could remove the Mark from the Professor's arm. Tom, Harry, Neville, Basil, Luna, and Daphne who had all been in the Room of Requirement together trooped back down to Professor Snape's office. Once they were admitted Harry got to work removing the Mark from Severus' arm. After twenty long minutes, Severus' arm was unmarked for the first time in twenty years.

They all made a point to ignore how Severus' eyes shone with restrained tears as he blinked and swallowed rapidly as he stared at his unblemished arm.

They did notice that all the ghosts, excluding the Bloody Baron, followed Harry and Tom everywhere they went. The portraits watched them and they saw a few of them dashing off from time to time to no doubt to report of their activities. Harry had decided that morning, since he pretty much lived out of his 'Moody style' trunk, just in case they needed to leave suddenly he would carry his trunk shrunk in the protected pocket of his backpack. Harry had sent Hedwig off the night before to go back to Potter Manor, where he had been living every summer since Sirius' will reading in the summer after fifth year. Harry had sent his snowy off to protect her. He didn't doubt some sadistic bastard would hurt, or worse kill, Hedwig just to get at him; there was no way he was allowing that to happen.

By curfew Harry's 'side' had found their Houses quite hostile towards them and had packed up what they had there at Hogwarts to carry in their pockets as well. The friends talked and decided though the Room of Requirement could provide them with what all they needed, too many people knew where it was so sleeping there as not an option. They decided to see if Professor Snape had a spare room or two they could crash in and that they would fix up the Chamber of Secretes the following day by way of Winky and Dobby – Harry's two bonded house elves. They would not be using the girls' bathroom entrance, which was really meant only as an entrance or exit for the basilisk but the hidden entrance that Salazar had created in the dungeons to use.

Professor Snape was obviously shocked to find one winged ex-dark lord, the now 'fallen from grace' hero of the wizarding world, and five other students outside his office door (since they did not know where his private quarters were) just shy of curfew. Once they explained the situation the professor allowed them entrance and led them to his private quarters.

"I only have one guest room, I suggest the girls take the room and you boys, and you Tom, camp out here before the fire. No one can get into my rooms, even my office, as of now. I have activated my 'away' wards so that only my house elf can enter. Harry, are those two house elves that are mad for you here?"

"Yes sir, my two elves are here. If I call them will they be able to get through these wards you have up like your elf can?"

"Yes Harry, they will be able to. Tom, whatever happened to Nagini...or do I want to know?"

"She is in the Chamber, Severus, I instructed her to go there and if I did not come to her in a few days to go to Harry here."

"Ah I see, do you boys know how to Transfigure cushions into furniture or conjure what you need to sleep with?"

"I do, what about you Neville, Blaise, Anthony?" Harry asked.

"I know how," Anthony answered.

"Same," came Basil's simple reply.

"Um...I'm not the greatest at Transfiguration and I've never tried to conjure stuff like that," was Neville's embarrassed reply.

"I've got you covered Nev," Harry said.

"Well, ladies, into the room with you. You can lock it from the inside if you so desire. Gentleman, I expect you to act with honor. Good night all. If you need me, please knock, unless it is an emergency like someone trying to tear down the wards then feel free to barge in, but that is about the only reason I can think of for you to enter without knocking on my bedroom door," Severus ended his farewells with a pointed look at Harry and spun on his heel to billow out of the room.

"I always wondered how he manages to do that...my robes are usually made of material that easily does that...but he can make just about anything billow..." Tom said as he followed Severus' form down the hallway with his eyes.

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Chapter 4

The next morning found Harry and true friends once again eating at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. All of the Claws except for Anthony and Luna were still siting at least eight feet away from them. 

Shortly after Harry, Tom, Luna, Neville, Basile, Daphne, and Anthony had sat down the owls carrying letters and the Daily Prophet came swooping in. Harry looked up and say all the Daily Prophets and just knew it wasn't going to be good for him. Harry accepted his copy of the Daily Prophet just as the majority of the Ravenclaws did, opened the paper to the first page and wanted to scream.

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He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Life Saved by Harry Potter!

By: Vincent Viper

In an amazing and despicable act of treason Harry Potter stepped in to prevent the destruction of the greatest Dark Lord of our time. The delusional and unstable Boy-Who-Lived prevented the Dark Lord from being kissed by the Dementors and saving our world from darkness and evil and saving the lives of countless innocent people. Potter, who has been considered dark by many due to his ability to speak to snakes, an ability he shares with his good friend the Dark Lord, has proven beyond all doubt he is Dark and a threat to the Magical World. 

Dark Lord Potter has been thought of as a hero and figure of hope by the people of the Magical World and has, until now, been treated with the up most care and affection. Dark Lord Potter has also been considered the "Chosen One" destined to destroy the forces of darkness. He is now confirmed to be part of it thus being beyond redemption. For the sake of our world both Dark Lords should be kissed at once with all their assets going to the Ministry to help atone for all the deaths and suffering both have caused!

Dark Lord Potter is an orphan, it is likely he killed both parents and was enough of a threat to the Dark Lord of the day to be marked for death. Using his natural talent with the darkest arts Potter defeated the Dark Lord and was immune to the Killing Curse something no other person has ever done. From there he remained hidden from our world and was considered a mystery until he went to Hogwarts. From the time he entered Hogwarts bad things have and continue to happen to the students and our world. Potter brings death and misfortune to all those around him. Several students have confirmed Potter has been angry and tends to brood then lash out at those around him. 

It has also been confirmed that his friends have suffered repeated injury and trauma no doubt the result of him practicing the Dark Arts. Former friend Ron Weasley states, "Potter loves his fame and attention and it's clear to me that despite my best efforts to save him he is a dark wizard. Ever since I met him on the train he has caused me nothing but trouble." Another former friend, Hermione Granger, continued on, "Potter has shown he is dark since first year corrupting all those around him. His skill in defense, ability to talk to snakes, and his ability to throw off the Imperious Curse all show he is not normal. It was my greatest and only mistake to think Harry Potter was a hero for the light and I wish I had never known him." Scion of the Malfoy family, Draco Malfoy, said, "I offered him my hand when I first encountered him and offered to teach him about our world and our ways. He rudely declined my generous offer. Ever since then he has attempted to attack and hurt me!"

Potter is the godson of notorious Death Eater Sirius Black, it appears the godson is following in his godfather's footsteps. Even the Dementors are aware of the wickedness of Potter given how he suffers in their presence it is clear they want his dark soul.

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Harry hissed out a curse in parseltongue as he balled up the despicable rag of a paper without realizing what he was doing until Luna touched him on his arm. Harry slowly looked up realizing the whole Great Hall had gone painfully quiet, even the Weasley children were not gulping and slurping down food.

Harry said, "Fuck! Um..sorry..paper-cut...come on you guys lets go!"

As they proceed across the Great Hall Tom whispers to Harry, "Harry, please, I need to speak with Ms. Weasley"

"Why do you want to talk to Molly?"

Tom sighs, "No not MRS. Weasley, Ginny...I need to speak with Ginny..now please."

"Oh ok," Harry replies feeling like an idiot and leads his band of misfits down the Gryffindor Table to where Ginny was sitting a short ways from her brothers. 

On seeing that Harry and 'The Dark Lord' were approaching their little sister the Weasley boys found their feet and attempted to guard Ginny as she stared in awe at Tom with his wings and Harry at his side.

"Stay away from our sister Potter!" screeched out Harry's once friend Ronald Weasley. Harry only glared at the red head and glanced at the pretty brunette he once considered a sister sitting next to Ginny and beside Ron, of all people to turn on him he could not believe Hermione had.

"Ms. Weasley, may I call you Ginny?"

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Tom clears his throat, he was at least expecting a 'no' if she didn't want to be on first name terms with him, "Ms. Weasley, I would like to apologize for my, for my sixteen year old self in the form of a Horcrux' behaviour. You see I was a very angry young man, I had been angry really as far back as I can remember. I do feel a great deal of guilt for how badly my Horcrux self treated you, lying to you, possessing you, trying to kill you and all that. …. Well I just wanted to say I'm truly and deeply sorry and I know you have no reason to believe that I have changed and mean it but I do, I'm sorry. I hope some day you will find it in your heart to forgive me for my Horcrux' action."

Tom, Harry, their friends and pretty much everyone in the Great Hall waited to see Ginny's response. The Headmaster and the Gryffindor Table were rather pleased when Ginny continued to play 'statue' and ignore Tom and his (obvious to even them though they wouldn't admit it even under Veritaserum) sincere apology. After what seemed like an age of waiting for Ginny to at least nod to show she was alive and had heard them Tom finally gave up, gave a large sign and looked at Harry like 'lets go now'.

Harry glared around at the people he used to consider friends, disappointed in them all but especially in Ginny, and turned on his heel and led his true friends including the winged Tom out of the Great Hall.

Harry was seething from how rude his once friends were to Tom and by extension him when Tom tried to do right and apologize for his former horcrux' action. Harry wasn't fool enough to think that things would be easy to fix. Tom had done a lot of bad as the Dark Lord and people were not going to forgive overnight, but Harry was still foolish enough to hope his friends would be the first to see the change that had occurred in the once 'Dark Lord' to render him this new man 'Tom'. Harry was also still very annoyed, to be honest pissed off, at the Daily RAG for its libel statements about him in today's papers and had plans to contact his lawyers straight away to see that they pay for their lies.

Harry and his band of misfits made their way quickly through the halls of Hogwarts and down the far reaching recesses of the dungeon to their new favorite room, the dueling room of Salazar Slytherin which also holds, of course, yet another secrete entrance to the Chamber of Secretes – this one being a truly secrete entrance rather then in a bathroom. 

Once they were all in the dueling room Harry resealed the room as well as put up silencing charms before heading to the secrete entrance to the Chamber and opening it allowing his friends entrance once more. Harry had to enter first to assure the the basilisk did not kill anyone on accident with her gaze.

Once everyone was inside the Chamber and the entrance was sealed and silencing charms (going out not coming in so they would know if anyone had broke through Salazar's dueling room) were in place Harry was started to find him self in the coils of a large snake who was laughing at his shocked face.

"Hello Nagini, I see you find it funny to startle me by wrapping your self around me," Harry said to Tom's familiar.

"I was COLD and I can't easily wrap my self around Tom now can I with those wings. I might break them and that would be bad if he needs to escape in a hurry like I think you all will need to soon," Nagini answered.

"Why is that?" Harry asked in concern.

"Do you really think Dumbledore is going to allow you to continue to disobey him and allow me to be in this castle much longer?" Tom answered.

"Guys, please, not all of us are as talented as you two," Blaise said in annoyance at the obviously important conversation going on that he couldn't understand.

"Oh, sorry Blaise, guys, I'm still not used to having anyone to talk to in Parseltongue so I still have yet to realize when I am talking in it," Harry replied sheepishly.

"That's quite alright Harry, here this sweet little snake...Nagini right Tom?..had been holding this in her tail the whole time," Luna said in her typical airy voice as she handed Harry the wand that Nagini had released to her as she stroked her in oh so the right spot.

Harry handed Tom his wand, they had already discussed this and decided it would be best if Tom had his wand back and Harry could tell through their odd connection that Tom was truly a changed man and could be trusted with a wand, ex-Dark Lord or not.

"Harry I would hate to tell you how to run this band of misfits we are but, well, it's disgusting in here," Daphne said with a huff that caused everyone to laugh because they had all thought the same.

"Right sorry, let me call our help. DOBBY! WINKY!"

*POP* 

*POP*

"Master Lord Harry Potter! Master Lord Harry Potter sir! What can Dobby, and Winky do for Master Lord Harry Potter sir?" Asked the ever so enthusiastic Dobby.

*sigh* "Dobby, we have gone over this, just call me Harry generally unless we ever have guests show up at the front door of the Manor ok?"

"Dobby is sorry Mas- Harry sir but Dobby forgets...is Dobby to punish himself?" Dobby asked with droopy ears.

"Dobby, no, don't punish yourself just try and remember. Now Dobby, Winky, we need your help boxing up all this discarded snake skin. Once it is all packed away it is to go to Professor Snape and is a secrete between us here and Professor Snape understand? Also we need help fixing the weaknesses in the columns and any other structural issues going on down here and Dobby I want you to sneak up to the other entrance of the Chamber and see if you can't use your elf magic to close it up for the time being," Harry replied.

"YES HARRY POTTER SIR!" Dobby exclaimed happily followed by the meeker "Yes Master Potter," of the stubborner Winky who Harry had long since decided was not EVER going to call him Harry.

The two elves went to work quickly cleaning up the floor of the great chamber. The kids seeing the elves were not going to allow them to help clean up followed the winged Tom off to what he said had been rooms designed to be an emergency living quarters for Salazar and his family if the castle was ever attacked. Salazar Slytherin had not only been a Master Potion Maker, Master of Duel and Defense, and Master of the what is now called the 'Dark Arts' but he had been a knight of the realm as well and was very aware of the need to protect the people of a castle in case of war or siege thus the making of the Chamber and the installation of the Basilisk.

The kids were impressed by the size of the living quarters that were down in the Chamber, it was obvious that while this was emergency quarters Salazar was not going to live in anything less then opulence. There were enough rooms there for all of them, Professor Snape, and each of them to have four kids and those kids have their own rooms! It was obvious the the "Potter band of misfits" (as they were being called by some in the castle) that Master Slytherin had a very large family.

"Tom, where is everything that was here? Was there anything here still when you found these rooms originally?" Harry asks.

"Yes all the artifacts, books, furniture, well everything are now in Slytherin castle. I had originally smuggled everything out of here the year I found the Chamber, that horrible year I made that horcrux after our sweet basilisk accidentally killed that girl, shrunken in my trunk. I kept everything with me, much like you do Harry, until I could find the location of Salazar's castle. By the way, the castle is known only to me and is ten times more secure than Gringotts, possibly more so," Tom answered as they walked through the rooms together.

"DOBBY! WINKY!"

"Yes Ma-Harry sir?" Dobby asked once they had popped in.

"Dobby, Winky, once you are done with what you are doing can you bring us furniture that wont be obviously missed, maybe from unused parts of Hogwarts, to make a sitting area and bedrooms for us all? As well as the necessary furnishings," Harry asked the two attentive elves.

"Yes sir right away Harry Potter sir!" Dobby answered as he and Winky popped back out to finish their work and get their 'family' situated as fast as possible.

"Well I don't think the elves are going to let us do anything Harry as rightly they shouldn't," Daphne stated after seeing how excited the elves were.

"Daphne, please, I know as a pure blood princess you are used to seeing elves as servants but these elves are my friends and I didn't grow up a wizard so it's hard to let them do all the work so please watch how you speak of my elves," Harry replied.

"Sorry Harry, habit," Daphne responded embarrassed.

"It's ok. Well since this room is reasonably lets transfigure a few of these loose stones into chairs and sit and talk about our situation," Harry replied. 

 

After the elves got back with furnishings for the sitting room Harry and friends settled in to talk about their situation. They were not naive to doubt that they would not be able to stay at Hogwarts much longer. The fact that Harry saved Tom from the Dementor's alone is enough for them to get run out of the school or worse but the fact that the wizarding population was beginning to turn on Harry (via the Daily Prophet) was an indicator of just how short they were on time left at Hogwarts.

Neville reveals to the group that Madame Longbottom had sent him a letter telling him not to every show himself around her again that morning, but since he was the scion and in a few months she couldn't do much of anything and couldn't disown him. Technically his father was still considered Lord Longbottom though due to his condition Grandmother Longbottom had been running things until Neville came of age. The goblins had the family rings at the bank except for the scion one he wore and once he was of age he could claim the lord ring . Neville, being a true Gryffindor he is told Harry he was willing to leave Hogwarts if things got to bad.

Luna said her father always thought Hogwarts was a general waste of time and had always thought the only good thing of it was it was a convent place to receive your OWLS and NEWTS. Luna informed Harry that she would leave Hogwarts if Harry, and thus Tom, had to leave. 

Anthony said he was going to have to leave Britain when he graduated anyway since half bloods or muggleborns (he's a half blood) can't find much if any work and he wasn't going to let his education go to waste. Anthony also vowed to leave if Harry had to leave, even recommended leaving asap due to the political climate. He knew of a school in Italy he had already been in communication with that would happily take all of them if they wanted to transfer but since it was so close to graduation for all but Luna and him then everyone could home school the rest of it. Anthony and Luna could easily finish with them as far ahead as they were due to their own desire to learn ahead.

Daphne informs Harry and Tom that though her family has remained neutral and desires to not be on the side of Dumbledore or the Dark Lord Voldemort she has heard word from her parents that as the heir to the Greengrass estate they would support her decision. They had hoped when Harry was incognito as a child that he would have been being trained in 'gray' magic (both light, dark, and the areas in between of magic) and come back to the Wizarding World as an independent agent since Harry was now acting as a third party and as long as he remained neither a pawn for the Dark or the Light he had their backing.

Harry had to fight back tears and the big lump that had suddenly developed in his throat managed to croak out, "Wow..guys..you do know you don't have to do any of that right? I have nothing here but Tom and Hedwig you all have families that you are basically abandoning and likely going to cause 'black balling' by standing with me." 

"We know Harry but that's what friends do," Neville responded.

"No, that's what supporters do," corrected Daphne with a roll of her eyes.

With a smile at Daphne's antics Harry said, "I do agree it is very likely that we will have to leave very soon and in a hurry. If you haven't started doing so to keep from finding your things burned I suggest you start carrying all your belongings you would want with you when you go on the run with me on you at all times. I have a bad feeling that in the next few days, at most, we will find Hogwarts far from welcoming anymore."

"Tom, we need Nagini to be less obvious if she is to be carried with us at all times. I can't exactly move the way she likes to 'cuddle' with me and we can't just carry her around or have her follow us around at her present size. Do you think you could talk her into allowing us to spell her smaller?" Harry asked Tom in English so his friends could understand.

"Shrink Nagini?" Tom asked with a lap full of Nagini.

"Yes, I figure one of us could wear her..well..as a bracelet or necklace except down here until we get someplace we know we wont have to leave in a hurry and risk loosing her," Harry explained.

"Oh well we can only try," Tom replied with a sigh knowing this would not please the large proud Nagini.

"Nagini love, Harry and I have a quessstion for you, it's rather important," Tom said to Nagini knowing this would be an uphill battle.

"Don't ssstop..DON'T SSSSSTOP ssscratching... yesssssssssssss...there..WHAT? What could be more important than you ssscratching the dry ssscaless off me? YOU ARE the one who hasn't gotten another bottle of that sscale lotion for me from Sssseverussss..I can't help I have unusually dry sscaless..blame my magic."

"Nagini, as you ssaid earlier we are in danger here and will likely have to leave very ssoon very quickly. Tom and I, nor the otherss, want to loosse you if we have to leave ssuddenly. I was wondering if ….if you would be will..to allow uss to...well...ssshrink you..."Harry trailed off at the look Nagini was throwing him, it was as good as some of the glares Professor Snape gives.

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSShrink me? Me? Beautiful, deadly, powerful Nagini? You want to sshrink me?"

"Yess my love we need to do you want to be posssibly left behind if we have to run for our livesss? Sseveruss will be coming with uss when we do go and without at leasst him here to protect you you could very well be killed. We are not saying you cannot protect your ssself my darling but we would feel better knowing we had the powerful, deadly, beautiful Nagini with uss," Tom answered trying to sooth the disgruntled Nagini.

"Well...in that casse..yess..but NOT a bracelet or a necklace..what do you take me for little ssnake? I will allow my self to be sshrunk to the ssize of a belt for Tom."

"I'm ssorry Nagini I was not implying you were anything other than deadly, powerful, and beautiful. I would have never thought of belt ssize. Just belt sssize not a belt yess?" Harry asked the last as a tease.

"No not a belt! Not funny little ssnake!" Nagini responded with another impressive glare.

Tom did the honors of shrinking his beloved Nagini and allowed her to slither into his shirt and wrap herself snugly around his body just above his belt. The whole time she grumbled about feeling like an egg again being so little but was willing to do it to stay with her master and her favorite little snake, Harry.

---

Once the issue of ensuring Nagini would be able to stay with them no matter what. Harry and company made their way back to the Great Hall for evening meal. Shortly after the meal was served Hogwarts started whispering to her three heirs to run that death was imminent. Tom being the only one that Hogwarts had spoke to before was the least surprised to hear her but no less disturbed.

Suddenly the sky over head began to turn black, the temperature dropped a good twenty degrees, and ice began forming on everything.

Harry looked at Tom and then at Severus seeing the same realization cross their faces and stood at the same time the doors to the Great Hall banged open.

Harry and his friends sprinted down towards the Head Table where their elves, Severus, and his elf Ophilia, had begun to form.

"STOP! I AM CORNELIUS FUDGE AND I TELL YOU TO STOP! AURORS DO SOMETHING THEY ARE GETTING AWAY!" The pathetic puppet, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge screamed.

Harry slid into the pile of his friends and elves and turned to look. He was shocked and disturbed that Fudge would bring a pack of Dementors and two squads of Aurors with him. The Dementors were desperate to get free but Harry wanted to hear Fudge say just what he knew he was there for.

"Fudge! What do you want?" Harry yelled.

"Give me that winged MONSTER! You may be fooled BOY to think that he has changed or maybe he has indeed changed YOU! He is to be kissed forthwith and if you do not turn him over to me you and anyone who aides and abets you will be considered in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and will be kissed on sight!" Fudge yells thinking that will scare the fool boy back into line.

"NEVER! Try and catch me!" Harry yelled, immediately knowing he sounds foolish.

By that time both his elves were attached to his person, Tom had patted himself to make sure Nagini was in place, Ophelia had attached herself to her master Severus and they had made a tight grouping. They were about to follow Severus out of the Great Hall when they turned around and found Dumbledore smiling evilly at the lot of them with his wand pointed at them. Suddenly his wand (the elder wand) jumps free of his grip and with his seeker reflexes Harry caught the wand that was about to poke his eyeball. The next moment the merry band of misfits find themselves standing in the Shrieking Shack.

"How...?" Tom asks.

"Hogwarts," Severus answers for all of them as he pats down his pockets.

Harry went from staring at the wand that was telling him ALL KINDS of secretes to staring at his potions professor in wonder.

"...Sir..."

"WHAT Potter?"

"Sir...what are you doing?"

Severus looks up through his hair that was nearly as long as Lucius' now and answers, "I am checking to make sure Hogwarts in her wisdom allowed me to leave with the potions stores (evil grin) as well as the rest of my personal effects Potter."

"Oh."

"Oh and as much as it pains me to say this...thank you...for the Basilisk skins earlier. You have made me a very rich man," Severus stated with a smirk.

"Your welcome sir," was not the answer Severus was hoping for from Harry but the one he received non the less.

"Is everyone here? Nagini? Elves? Yes? Good. We should go before they think to look here," Harry says as he turns so he isn't watching Professor Snape pat himself down more.

"Ok sorry this is going to be tight, elves you keep a hold of us good, Nagini keep a hold of Tom good, ok everyone take hold of my pendent," Harry states as he holds his emerald pendent out for everyone to take hold of.

Said pendent had been in the Evans family, and later found by Harry in the one of the Potter vaults, and had been made into a port key to the lovely Potter Manor by his late mother. Why she didn't have it on and use it the night she was killed one will never know.

They all feel the distinctive feel of the port key activating and just as suddenly they find themselves on a heap on the ground including the always elegant Tom and Severus. The port key was designed to work fast and effective, not gentle like most, so they did not have a chance to orientate themselves before contacting Mother Earth again.

The elves quickly disengage themselves and snapped everyone's things to them and pop off with them to the wizards and witches new rooms. Harry showed everyone around. As can be expected both Tom and Severus fell instantly in love with the massive potions lab and the equally as massive library. Luna and Anthony also planned to take up residence in the library. Neville nearly drooled when he saw the massive grounds and massive greenhouses. Harry informs Neville he is more than welcome to them. Once everyone has been shown to their room Harry dieters outside of the door to Severus' new chambers.

"Fool boy just come in already your going to run a hole into your own floors," Harry suddenly hears from the other side of the door in the distinctive voice of the one and only Severus Snape.

Harry blushed a bright red and quickly enters the room, "Sorry sir..I don't mean to bother you I know we have all had a terrible day and you are trying to get settled in..it's just...I was just wondering..."

"Spit it out Mr. Potter I do not have night."

"Sorry sir. I, I was wondering if you needed to get anything from anywhere else...you know from your home or vaults or anything..I would hate for you to loose everything because you sided with Tom and me."

Severus was stunned that the boy would (a) be so nosey and (b) somehow manage to be concerned at the same time.

"For your information, I got into the practice during the last war to hid assets. I have found that when the British Ministry of Magic decides you are guilty regardless of if you get a trail or not they will seize anything of any worth in the British magic community you own. As such I have all my assets, other than the small amount of them on my person, hidden in muggle banks in places like Switzerland to ensure that the ministry nor any other ministry can rob me of what is rightfully mine. As for my property at Spinners End, that is not in my name or any of my alias' but in someone else's name, to ensure that the ministry cannot touch it if it somehow figures out a way to get the British muggle government to work with them. As much as I loathe the place I'll be damned if I let them get a hold of it. As for my mother's ancestral home, Prince Manor, the ministry has thought it was destroyed for two hundred years now but rather it is VERY well hidden probably about as well hidden as Slytherin Castle. So you see Mr. Potter, you are not the only one, other than The Da- TOM, who has for thought to secure ones assets. And I assure you Mr. Potter that the ministry cannot get a hold of even a Knut of my money, which I have plenty of."

"Oh well...good..I just want to make sure no one looses anything they value because me," Harry responded surprised at how civil Professor Snape had been about that. He expected to loose his head for asking.

"Mr. Potter no one here is here under duress. Everyone here believes in you, and by extension Tom, and has chosen their side. Will things be easy for us? No, far from it we are now exiles in our own community and if we are lucky only our magical community. However we have made our choice by free will not by fear, threats, or propaganda as most of the other two sides have."

"Yes Sir, I know sir...thank you sir I'll make sure that Dobby and the others have something in the works for us I'm personally getting rather hungry," Harry responded as a way to get out of there, everything was getting weird to him.

"Very well Mr. Potter send Ophelia for me when the meal is ready if you don't mind."

"Of course not sir."

---

Harry called Dobby and make sure the elves had food underway which of course they did then went in search of his young guests. Harry asked Neville, Luna, Daphne, Anthony, and Blaise if they would like to send messages to their families to let them know they were ok and what was going on. They all agreed, even Neville though he figured it might just get burned or turned over to Dumbledore so he kept his location secrete and put an anti-backwards tracking charm on it. Dobby took the notes and dropped them off, with Neville's note being last just in case, within the hour without being seen and returned.

During which time Harry, Tom, and Severus had worked together setting up even stronger wards on top of the preexisting wards that would be totally impenetrable against the ministry, Dumbledore, and the Death Eaters, even if they combined their forces to try and break in.

By the time Tom, Severus, and Harry were done with the wards the other children were done settling in and the elves had the meal prepared. Everyone set down with growling stomachs to a lavish meal fit for a king and his court and enjoyed the meal before going and passing out on their respective beds. Many of them face first (Harry, Anthony, Blaise, and Neville).

Nagini checked each room out completely in her new re-full sized form before being sure her 'eggs' were safe and going to curl up with her master for the night with the thought in mind to decide if she wanted to eat any of the elves tomorrow or be nice.

Lily's pendent turned port key

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Chapter 5

Dear Wizarding World,

I have asked the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler to both run this letter. I have my doubts about the D.P. running it but am sure that the amazing staff of the Quibbler will do me the honor of running this for all to see. You know, I had high hopes of finding my true home among my magical brethren once Hagrid convince me that I really WAS a wizard and told me the brief history of my life up to where I was abandoned on the front step of my muggle aunt and uncle's house. I had until that time lived a life of abuse and neglect. I was treated not much better then my good friend Dobby the House Elf was by his prior family (I am not naming names they know who they are and this is my one and only attempt at an olive branch to what I have come to find out as a branch in my family tree). Dobby and his brethren are treated very poorly in most wizarding homes. House Elves have been breed, some would say even twisted, to be the servants of witches and wizards rather then able to live independently of a bond to a witch or wizard. Regardless of how twisted wizarding kind has been to elves I am saying that in my muggle relatives home due to their fear and jealousy (my aunt and cousin), and hate (my uncle) I was verbally, psychologically, and physically abused by them until I left their home two months after my INNOCENT godfather Sirius Orion Black died in a battle in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry at the end of my fifth year. On my late godfather, ask Dumbledore or the Ministry for transcripts of his trail. That's right there wasn't one so how could they imprison him for so long WITHOUT a trial as is his right under the law regardless of any babbling he was doing that they took as a confession.

But back to the topic at hand, when I re-entered the wizarding world at eleven I had hopes to be treated well, loved and respected, and all that jazz for once in my life. Sure there is a lot of people who loved 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' but the vast majority of people I have met in the wizarding world (from the U.K., France, or Belgium) have only liked me BECAUSE I was The-Boy-Who-Lived not because of ME Harry Potter.

I forced the Sorting Hat to place me in Gryffindor because I was afraid to be like Voldemort or turn out like him. I should have let the Hat place me in Slytherin, I would have been better off. See the boy who grew up to be Voldemort was a lot like me. He grew up in a muggle orphanage, was considered a freak by everyone there for his magic and abused for it, and had an over whelming desire to prove his self. The one thing I had on his when I cam to Hogwarts are a few memory fragments of my parents and everyone telling me how great they were and how they died, especially my mum, to save me. Tom, I don't think, realized his mum did the same thing. She died so he could have life – be born. In second year everyone found out I was a Parselmouth and assumed I was evil for a natural magical ability. How is that different from a certain lovely lady I know who is a Metamorphous? Is she evil because she can change how she looks? No, of course not. How is it I am automatically evil for being able to talk to snakes? How is that different from being able to talk to someone in Chinese or any other language? It's not.

Third year, well we all thought my godfather was coming to Hogwarts to kill me but instead he was coming to kill Ron's rat Scabbers who was ACTUALLY Peter Pettigrew in his animagus form. The dementors tried to kill me several times and nearly succeeded in killing Sirius and my self once. Peter managed to escape. The following year when I was FORCED to participate in the Triwizard Championship thanks to the NOW deceased Barty Couch, Jr (Fudge called in the dementors and had him executed at Hogwarts, ask Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore if you don't believe me) some loved and some hated me for being a fourth competitor. Barty also helped Pettigrew ensure Voldemort’s resurrection at the conclusion of the tournament. Summer of fifth year my cousin and I were attacked by dementors. To save my cousins (and my) life I had to use magic in a muggle area and was nearly expelled. All of that summer and the school year the fast majority of the wizarding population thought I was out of my mind, not to mention most of Hogwarts did too. At the end of fifth year the Minister saw first hand that I was not lying and that Voldemort was back and called his pink pig off the case of Hogwarts. The summer after fifth year Dumbledore tried to hide my godfather's will from me to ensure I did not find out I was considered a Lord in wizard society and of the wealth my parents and godfather left me. Sixth year was all quiet, that's because Voldemort was stocking me...and changing.

The man that WAS Tom Marvolo Riddle that BECAME Lord Voldemort is, well he's the Angel Tom now. He's no longer evil, he's no longer demented, he's no longer in charge of the Death Eaters, he is no longer yours OR my enemy. You see watching me, learning what it's like to feel, to have friends, to have compassion, to have love healed the wounds he had had since he was a boy and had festered until they soured his soul and made him into a mad man. He is MY friend now. He is under my protection. The prophecy that said I was to destroy the Dark Lord Voldemort is fulfilled. I may not have destroyed the Dark Lord Voldemort in combat but I DID destroy him. The man who had turned evil has found out the power he knew not: love, friendship, compassion, empathy, regret.

Regardless of what Dumbledore or the ministry tell you I am not evil, nor is Severus Snape, nor is Luna Lovegood, nor is Daphne Greengrass, nor is Blaise Zabini, nor is Neville Longbottom, nor is Anthony Goldstein, nor is Remus Lupin, nor is my Angel Tom, nor is anyone else who decides to side with me. I am no longer part of this war, nor are the above listed individuals. All the above listed individuals are under MY protection. Let me make this clear I WILL NOT FIX YOUR PROBLEMS! You want the Death Eaters dealt with, do it your selves. It is not my job, it never was my job, I WILL NOT be your savior.

I am sorry if all this scares many of you. I'm sorry if you are to afraid to stand up for your selves and what you believe in and fight. I've fought. I'm tired. I should never have had to. So my friends and I are going to go go away and no matter how much trying or crying or shouting you do we will not come back and help you. To those I hold, or held, dear that did not stand by me or have not decided whom they will believe, your forgiven.

Sincerely,

Lord Harry James Potter

Head of the Noble House of Potter

Head of the Most Noble House of Black

-the end-