Author note- I'm Back! I'm so excited to be posting again.

To those who are new, welcome. This is a sequel to 'Living With The Uncertainty'. This story will pick up right where that one left off. If you haven't read it, it is necessary.

Pairings and warnings encompass the whole story and are not listed for individual chapters. If you happen to see a notification of a previously posted chapter, I'm just editing. Content won't be changed overall. Just fixing my mistakes. Hope you enjoy the story. Leave me a review and let me know what you think.

Pairings- Harry/Draco, Sirius/Remus, Severus/OC, Ron/Hermione, Pansy/Millicent Background George/Oliver, Fred/ Angelina, Ginny/Dean, Luna/Neville, Hannah/Justin/ Ernie, Charlie/Tonks

Warnings- Child abuse (physical, emotional, mental, sexual), child neglect, mental illness (depression, anxiety, PTSD, phobia's, OCD) suicidal thoughts/ideation, self-harm, drug/potion use/abuse, alcohol use/abuse, smoking, sexual situations, swearing, torture, war, death.

Disclaimer- Any recognizable character's, locations, and storylines belong to JKR. This story is mine. Please do not copy or post to other sites.

Summary- Harry returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts. With secrets exposed, guardians in tow, shifting alliances, a crush, and a looming war, he must learn to overcome his challenges and become what is needed. A Hero. Sequel to 'Living with The Uncertainty.'

Song inspiration- Only the Young-Taylor Swift

Chapter 1

The Long Night

Harry fidgeted at the long Gryffindor table as Dumbledore talked about the recent changes this year. He'd read the letter and also knew why they'd checked there bags. Harry had been able to shove all of his thing's in his pocket including his portkey necklace and then ward his pocket. The ward was strong and had allowed him to slip into the school without further checks.

While he was thankful for this, he worried that if he was able to enter school with a portkey, an armory of swords and knives, dark art's book's, cigarettes he'd bought from Jack, and a bottle of firewhiskey he'd found this morning under George's old bed, then he knew other student's may have been able to get past the safety check's as well.

Dumbledore was now introducing the new teacher's and Harry tried to focus.

"We have several new members of staff this year. I'd like to give them each a quick introduction and welcome them to the school." Dumbledore said.

Harry's eyes scanned the table again. The auras of the teacher's always gave him a slight headache. So many adults together in one place who had come into there full magical ability was a little disorienting. A woman near the end stood first. She had tan skin and long dark hair. She wore light tan robes that stood out in contrast to the mostly dark robes worn by the other professors. Harry thought that she was likely in her early thirties, which Harry thought probably made her the youngest member of the staff.

"This is Beatrice Comiso. She will be starting a warding class. This class has not been available at the school for many years. It will be available to those who have passed there Runes and Arithmancy OWL's. Though she will also be opening a class to lower-level student's or those who do not meet the requirements to get a base understanding. Those interested in warding, curse breaking, Auror training, and other similar field's may find her class useful." Dumbledore explained.

Harry nodded as he listened. He found the concept intriguing. Though he did not have the required OWL's perhaps he would sign up for the lower class to learn more.

"We welcome you Professor Comiso." Dumbledore said with a bow. The hall clapped politely, and she retook her seat with a slight smile and a nod.

"This is Andromeda Tonks. We unfortunately lost our previous Muggle study's teacher over the summer. Professor Burbage will be missed. Professor Tonks intends to bring a fresh curriculum to the Muggle study's class. Welcome Professor." Dumbledore said with a smile. Though Harry could see the slight sadness creasing the old man's face.

Harry felt his head spin. Tonks? As in Tonks' mum? Sirius' favorite cousin, Andy?

Harry looked her over then his eyes dragged along the table until they reached Sirius. This only confirmed his guess. Sirius was grinning widely and clapping loudly. Harry's brows creased as he looked back at Professor Tonks. She had dark hair, though Harry noticed it wasn't as dark as Bellatrix's, and her eyes were definitely softer. Harry glanced to Neville and wondered how he was receiving the new member of staff. Neville looked pale and was staring resolutely at his empty plate.

Harry sighed. He would talk to Neville. It wasn't a class either of them was taking but Harry didn't want Neville to be uncomfortable like he clearly was. Perhaps the two could meet. He wondered how many other students were feeling as uncomfortable as he was.

He glanced around quickly and found several averted gazes. Harry's jaw clenched. This would need to be addressed. Harry knew Tonks… Nymphadora fairly well and she was a kind and lighthearted person. Harry was sure that she must have gotten that from her parents. Surely Sirius wouldn't be so fond of her if she was anything like Bellatrix.

Harry shook his head and refocused on the headmaster.

"This is Gabriel Dubois. He has traveled a long way to join us here at Hogwarts. He will be teaching Alchemy to any that are interested in the subject. The classes for the first and second years will be a combined class as will the third and forth years. We welcome you Professor Dubois." Dumbledore said.

Harry studied the old man who had stood. He was thin and frail looking with wispy white hair and wore a dark blue cap that matched his robes. Harry guessed the wizard had to be in his late eighties. The man gave the room a strange flat smile before retaking his seat. He did not seem very friendly.

Harry looked down the table again to gauge the other teacher's reactions. They all seemed mostly neutral to the man's introduction. They clapped politely but none of them seemed thrilled or wary. Harry looked to the far end of the table and saw Snape watching Dubois. There was a look in his eyes that Harry recognized as admiration. This lowered Harry's trepidation a little. If Snape found the man admirable, Harry thought it meant that he was likely deserving of it.

Another man stood and Harry felt uneasy. The man smiled widely at the whole room and bowed a little.

"This is Amon Adder. While Mr. Adder is not teaching a specific class this year, I would still like to introduce him to the school, as I'm sure you will all see him throughout the year. Mr. Adder has come to the school to help fill in any gaps we may experience. He will also be helping out in the hospital wing and elsewhere in the castle. Welcome Mr. Adder." Dumbledore said brightly.

Harry scrutinized Adder. There was something off about him. He couldn't tell what it was, but it made him uncomfortable. He had a similar presence to Lockhart, Harry noted. Harry could already hear whispers from some of the students about his looks. With piercing blue eyes and wavy black hair, Adder was attractive. However, the allure dissolved with the smug look on his face. Harry took in his outfit as he bowed a little to the students. He was wearing a form-fitting grey suit with dark purple open robes. It was a little loud in Harry's opinion. He hoped he wouldn't have to interact with the man much.

"Tosser." Ron whispered.

Harry smirked and nodded, adding a roll of his eyes.

Harry was glad he wasn't the only one seeing that. Harry looked at the staff. They mostly seemed pleased. Snape, however, was glowering down the table and Harry wondered what that was about. Though Harry did remember that Snape hadn't liked Lockhart either. Perhaps the professor could tell how pretentious Adder seemed as well.

"Finally, I would like to welcome back Professor Remus Lupin, as well as his husband, Professor Sirius Black." Dumbledore announced.

There were loud mumbles but also lots of loud cheering. Remus had been well liked when he'd been their professor.

"Professor's Lupin and Black will be co-teaching the Defense against the Dark art's class this year. Professor Lupin has also become a certified mind healer and will have an office on the third floor should anyone wish to seek his help. I encourage each of you to do so at some point. The last few years here have all had their share of trauma unfortunately, and I think this is likely long overdue." Dumbledore announced.

Harry couldn't help but agree. The school should have brought in a mind healer years ago.

"Professor Black will also be stepping into the role of Head of Gryffindor house." Dumbledore said, looking over to the Gryffindor table.

There were worried glances and whispers. Harry found many eyes on him. He tried to smile in reassurance but that didn't seem to be placating his housemates. In a moment of panic and wanting to reassure his classmates Harry stood and cheered loudly.

His housemates looked slightly concerned but also began to clap. Sirius took a dramatic bow before taking Remus's hand and sitting down.

Harry felt his face heat in slight embarrassment at the scene he'd just made. He tried to breathe through the panic that began to claw in his chest.

"Why didn't you tell us Sirius was going to be our new head of house?" Hermione questioned from beside him.

Hermione's question was reasonable. Right now, though, he felt like he couldn't breathe and that his heart was going to pound through his chest.

"Forgot." Harry mumbled as he closed his eyes.

He was thankful that his back was turned to Sirius and Remus right now. He knew that they would worry if they could see him. Snape probably would too, his mind supplied.

"You all right mate? You're looking a little pale." Neville said from across the table.

Harry opened his eyes and nodded.

"Fine, Nev. Just a little lightheaded. Must have stood up too quick." Harry brushed off.

Neville seemed unconvinced but looked back up to the headmaster as he continued to speak. Harry tuned out the talking in the room. He was ready for today to be over and knew he was far from it. They still needed to eat dinner. Though he doubted he'd be eating any of it. Then they'd all be headed back to the tower. At some point he'd need to go and talk to Draco. Possibly the Slytherin's as well.

He knew he was potentially walking into an ambush. He just had to trust that Draco wasn't setting him up. Or that Draco wasn't being set up himself.

Harry groaned as he remembered that Mr. Weasley had told Remus about him hurting himself. There was no way that wasn't going to be addressed. He hoped it could at least wait until tomorrow.

With a sigh Harry opened his eyes and found Neville's worried gaze. Harry forced himself to smile slightly. Noticing that the feast had appeared, he took a deep breath as his stomach twisted uncomfortably. There was too much happening all at once again. He also didn't have his potions and certainly wasn't going to go ask for them.

He slopped a little food on his plate and pushed it around as he pretended to be listening to various conversations. In all honesty he had no idea what anyone was saying. He was just nodding along hoping they'd all be excused soon.


Harry bit his lip as he dragged the razor blade across his bicep. His lower arms were already covered in fresh cuts. It wasn't helping and he longed for a calming drought. He thought about the bottle of firewhiskey he'd found. He felt extremely guilty for having stolen it. However, Fred and George no longer lived at the Burrow and had likely forgotten it was even there.

He didn't plan on drinking much, but he wanted to have options if his anxiety got to be more then he could manage. He knew he shouldn't, but until he was allowed to have his potions back, he was going to hold onto the bottle just in case.

With a sneer he wiped up the blood and washed his hands. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and felt disgusted in himself. He'd fought so hard to do better this last year. In the last week he'd completely fallen apart again. He felt overwhelmed and didn't know what else to do.

The war lay heavy on his mind. Every time he turned around there seemed to be some new aspect to consider. He was also worried about how his friends were going to behave, now that they knew so much about him. They'd not explained why they never came back until the end of the train ride. Harry suspected they just wanted to avoid him.

He was also worried about what would happen with Remus and Sirius now. They were going to question him about the self-harm. He quickly raised a glamour. They knew he used them though and would likely make him take it down. What would they do? What would they say? Harry had never had to worry about having a guardian around while he was at school. While he didn't think he needed to worry about them turning out like his aunt and uncle, the subconscious part of his mind still worried. The part of him that said to never trust adults was afraid.

He also knew from his conversation with Snape that they would be talking about his run in on Diagon Alley. Harry didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about that day or anything that had ever happened to him. It was shameful and Harry just wanted to go back to when no one knew.

Harry stomach felt sour like he might be sick. There wasn't anything in it though and if he got sick now, he'd only be gagging up stomach bile.

There was also the matter of Draco that was only adding to his agitation. He felt disgusted by his own attraction to Draco. The other boy would never be interested in him, and for good reason. Harry was broken. Draco didn't even know that but maybe he could tell. Unfortunately, the rest of him seemed to be of a different mind. One that caused his heart to pound and his cheeks to blush every time he saw Draco.

Harry didn't even know what he wanted. He liked spending time with Draco. It made him feel content. It wasn't even happy like spending time with his friends. It was almost peaceful, he supposed. Like they didn't need to talk about all the big stuff to understand that it was happening. That it was affecting them both. Harry liked that. Draco was also one of the few people that Harry allowed to be physically close to him. It hadn't been intentional. Simply a fact as they had shared music over this last week, but Harry found being close to Draco felt safe. He couldn't explain it but it's how it felt.

Harry groaned at his own annoying emotions. He didn't understand any of it and he frankly didn't have time to work them out tonight.

He pulled his shirt back into place and fixed his tie and robes. Normally he would ditch the robes at this point, but he worried that the blood might seep through his white shirt and didn't want anyone to notice.

Harry rolled his neck and pulled up his shields as he stepped out of the dorm bathroom. He'd been prepared to find his dormmates, but the room was empty. Walking back down the spiral stairs, Harry found everyone in the common room. There were plenty of other students catching up, but Harry's eyes were drawn to the group standing near the fireplace. All of the Gryffindor DA members stood in a circle.

A few eyes cast his way as he approached his friends. Harry swallowed thickly as he joined the group.

"What's going on?" Harry asked worriedly.

Their expressions were stressed, and it was only ratcheting up Harry's anxiety.

"Ron said we were meeting up to make new plans. You agreed at dinner." Neville said in a hushed tone.

Harry's brows furrowed slightly. He didn't remember the DA being brought up at dinner, but he supposed it probably had been. He'd just been too lost in his own thoughts to notice. Pulling his occlumency shields up tighter, he nodded more confidently.

"Right." Harry said looking around the common room.

He noticed a new area that seemed more private and nodded in that direction. Everyone followed his lead and squeezed into the small area. Several people took seats on the couches and most of them sat on the floor. Harry stood with his back to the common room and waved his hand, pulling up privacy wards.

There were several shocked looks as he silenced the small area without a word.

"First, I'd like to say how thankful I am that you have all returned safely." Harry said, meeting Katie, Colin, and Denis's eyes.

He let his eyes wander over Hermione and Dean. He wondered if any of the others had run in's this summer.

His jaw clenched thinking of those he cared about in trouble.

"We're going to train harder and more often this year. I spent the summer learning a lot of new things I want us to try out. I also have some other ideas I'd like to get some help on. I want to say that we can rely on our parents and teachers to get us through the war…but I don't think that's true." Harry said, looking sadly at Katie again and remembering what Remus had said about Katie's training being what had saved her.

Katie got a determined look on her face and raised her chin almost defiantly before nodding.

"Right. I want us to try and expand as well. The more united we are as a school the better. There's a real possibility that the school could be attacked at some point. I don't want us to be blind to that possibility." Harry said.

"Slytherin's." Someone muttered.

Harry's jaw clenched and he shook his head.

"No, I think that the Slytherin's could be an asset. I'm not saying we shouldn't take any precautions, but I'd say that of anyone we let join us. We've already been deceived from within, and it wasn't a Slytherin." Harry said firmly.

Harry watched worry, anger, and confusion cross many of their faces.

"You can't be serious about that. You want the snakes in with us. They're baby Death Eaters." Seamus protested.

Harry was unsurprised it was Seamus voicing his descent. He could see it in most of their eyes.

"I'm very serious. They're children that are no more responsible for this war then we are." Harry said. There was no anger in his voice, but he wouldn't let them see other children as their enemies.

There were some disgruntled sounds and a few unsure nods.

"How are you even going to approach them with this? No offence Potter but you don't exactly have a great history with them either." Alicia asked.

Harry sighed and let his eyes land on Ron and Hermione. Ron shook his head very slightly and Harry knew he was warning him not to bring up Draco. Harry heeded this. They might be slightly understanding but he still wasn't sure he even had his closest friends' support on this. He wouldn't open himself up to claims he was dark or bewitched or some other such nonsense.

"I'm working on it." Harry said instead.

There were many doubtful looks.

"In the meantime, I want to set the first meeting for this Friday. I don't want to wait too long to get started. Reach out to your friends in other houses. If you think it's someone we can trust, try and encourage them to join. We don't have to sneak around this year. Hopefully, that will encourage others to be willing to join us." Harry said.

There were nods of agreement at this statement.

"Are you concerned about Sirius Black teaching us defense?" Denis asked.

Harry smirked and shook his head.

"No, I…um." Harry bit his lip in indecision. He wanted them to trust Sirius, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for everyone to know that Sirius and Remus were his parents. It would spread like wildfire if he told them now. The whole school would know by lunch tomorrow.

Hermione smiled and gave him an encouraging nod.

"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are…well…They were close friends with my parents. I found out over the summer that …They um…Well…They're my parent's too." Harry muttered out.

The silence that followed was deafening, before an unholy uproar took over. There were cheers and smiles as well as many questions flying at him. He felt his heart pound and pushed his arm against his side using the pain to ground him.

"Oi, shut it!" Ginny shouted over the ruckus.

Harry was never so thankful for someone to yell.

Harry gave Ginny a grateful smile. Ginny smiled back and nodded firmly.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now. Just know that I do trust them both. They will help us this year. We are continuing the DA to help ourselves." Harry said with a firm nod.

There were nod's back, then suddenly the noise of the common room filled the mostly quiet space. Harry spun around to find Sirius standing behind him with a smile.

"Hey pup, don't mean to interrupt your war meeting but I need everyone to come out here for a few minutes." Sirius said with a smile.

Harry groaned at the use of 'pup'. It had felt reassuring before but now it was embarrassing. He heard a few whispered repeats as the DA walked passed him. Harry groaned internally.

Walking around Sirius, Harry joined the others in the main part of the common room. He wondered if Sirius had heard what they were talking about or was just joking about his 'war meeting.'

Harry sighed as he settled himself to stand behind Ron and Hermione who were now sitting together in an oversized chair.

"Welcome. My name is Sirius Black, and I will be you're new Head of House." Sirius said to the quiet room.

Harry could tell Sirius was nervous by the way he was wiping his palms on his robes. It was a little strange to see the man in robes at all. He looked nice, but Harry was used to seeing him more laid back. He wondered if Sirius intended to put on this appearance all year or if this had been at Remus insistence for the welcoming feast.

"I know there has been a lot said about me over the past few years, but I want to reassure those who may still be hesitant. I am not, nor have I ever been a Death Eater." Sirius said as he pushed the sleeves of his robes up and showed his forearms to the gathered students.

Several of his housemates leaned forward and looked at all the tattoos but seemed mostly placated by the absence of a Dark Mark.

"Now, moving past that, I want you all to know that Professor McGonagall will still be available to you if need be. She loves her lions." Sirius said with a cheeky smile.

"Things this year will be a bit different as far as my position. I will be meeting with each of you on a regular basis. Starting out, this can be about how your summer went, what classes you plan to take, anything you'd like to talk about. As the year progresses, we'll talk about how you're doing at school, classes, dormmates, teacher's, any concerns." Sirius said in a practiced way.

Harry smiled. He supposed they had taken something from the way Snape did things. He wondered what that would look like in practice.

"Additionally, starting tomorrow every student will be getting a check-up with Madam Pomfrey…" Sirius was cut off by several loud groans.

Harry agreed. He'd had enough poking and prodding this summer, thank you very much.

Sirius raised his hands to silence the room again.

"I know many of you probably had a regular exam over the summer with a healer or doctor, but we want to make sure nothing is missed. This will also be an opportunity for you to bring up any concerns you may have." Sirius said in a softer tone.

Harry wanted to roll his eyes. He knew why they were doing it, and he was part of the reason. He wanted to groan.

"You will be called in groups by house and year. After your check-up, healer Lupin would like a quick word with each of you. He's available to any of you if you have need. His office is on the third floor near the defense classroom." Sirius added.

There were more mutters but mostly Sirius got nods.

"I'm available anytime as well. A reminder that curfew is at nine and I expect you all to be back in the common room by that time. Quidditch tryouts will be next week on Saturday. Sign up is on the notice board." Sirius said as if mentally ticking off a list.

The room remained mostly silent, and Harry felt a little sad for Sirius. He was an upbeat and likeable person. Unfortunately, it was obvious that despite his pardon, people were still suspicious of him.

Sirius lowered his head a little and shook it slightly.

"That will be all. Have a good night. Class sign up is tomorrow. I will be in the common room starting after breakfast. Classes begin on Wednesday." Sirius said.

The room went back to its chatter and Harry bit his lip.

"Siri." Harry called out as he walked closer to him.

Sirius smiled and Harry returned it. He didn't like seeing Sirius upset. His familiar name for Sirius also had drawn some attention. Unfortunately, it was exactly what he'd hoped for.

"Hey pup." Sirius said softly.

"Hey, I'm glad you guys are home." Harry said, forcing himself forward and hugging the man.

Sirius chuckled softly and wrapped Harry in a tight hug.

"Good to be home. We missed you." Sirius mumbled into Harry's hair.

Harry wanted to claw his own skin off. He was doing this for Sirius. He hoped that if the others saw him hugging Sirius and being friendly, they would understand that they didn't need to worry. He knew that the news of them being his parents would spread and that would help. Harry though was feeling completely overwhelmed and pulled back with a forced smile.

Sirius smiled brightly back at him. Harry saw the light in his eyes and knew that the hug had made Sirius feel better.

"Come on kid. I'm sure Remy would like to see you too. I can show you our new rooms." Sirius said.

Harry hesitated. He really didn't want to be alone with Sirius and Remus right now. He knew he was in trouble.

Sirius groaned.

"Damn." Sirius said as he stopped.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot. Moony and I have patrol tonight." Sirius said looking down at his watch.

"Sorry Pup. I need to go. Let's meet up tomorrow though, okay?" Sirius said.

Harry felt his body relax a little. He was going to be saved from those interactions, at least for the night.

"No worries, Siri. We've got all year to hang out." Harry said with a reassuring smile.

Sirius smiled back and ruffled Harry's hair.

"Don't stay up to late. You look like you could fall asleep on your feet." Sirius commented, a little worry seeping into his voice.

Harry shrugged.

"The Burrow, you know." Harry said as if that explained it.

Sirius snorted.

"I'm sure your friends kept you busy. Just try not to be dead on your feet tomorrow, yeah?" Sirius said.

Harry gave Sirius one last smile and nodded.

Sirius gave him a firm nod before his eyes glanced over the common room and he headed back through the porthole.

Harry sighed and turned back to the room. There were way too many eyes on him. Harry rolled his neck and walked straight through the crowded common room and up to his dorm. He needed a shower.


His shower had been shorter then he'd hoped but he needed to find Draco. He wished they'd made more of a plan. With no one in the dorm room yet he was able to pull the curtains on his bed and make it look as if he'd gone to bed. Hopefully, no one would check. He tossed his cloak over him and lamented the loss of the map. It would be easier to find Draco that way. He supposed he should be thankful they had returned the cloak.

His finger's tightened on the fabric a little and he sighed.

He hoped that Sirius and Remus weren't going to use the map against him. He knew the cloak wouldn't hide him from it.

He wished he could shift into Akela. His mind felt too busy. It would also be easier to track down the Slytherin's in that form.

He looked at the cloak in his hand in consideration before he shifted. He found that he was not under a pile of cloak as he had expected. Looking down he couldn't see his feet. He padded quietly to the mirror on the bathroom door and was pleased to see that he wasn't there.

His tail swished excitedly. This opened a whole new world of possibilities. He was an invisible dog. He felt like yipping but contained himself. He still had things to do and someone hearing phantom barks would not help him sneak out.


Draco stood impatiently outside Severus' office door. Severus made a point of talking to the whole common room and then inviting any student that needed anything to follow him to his office. They queued up outside the door and he talked to each of them. Usually there were anywhere from five to fifteen students on the first night. Severus would talk to every Slytherin in the next couple of days, but this helped sort out any immediate problems.

Draco had purposely dragged his feet to be the last in line. He was thankful not to see any of the seventh years. He wanted a chance to warn Severus before he was face to face with any of them alone. Draco knew most of the kids in line would only be in the office for a few minutes.

Some had forgotten or lost something on the way to school. A few of the younger years would be asking permission to use the floo to call home. And unfortunately, a few would be injured or ill. Severus would make sure they were all taken care of.

Leaning against the wall next to a fidgety first year Draco considered how long the day had already felt. He'd told his friends to stay in the dorm. After he talked to Severus, he would find a way to contact Harry.

Draco looked down at the first year. He had long brown hair that curled around his ears. He kept staring across the hall at the blank wall and Draco could see by the tension in his shoulders he was nervous. They were the last two in the hall.

"How did you like the train ride?" Draco asked casually.

The boy's head swiveled to look for anyone else in the hall before looking up at Draco with big blue eyes.

"Me?" The boy asked.

Draco frowned when he noticed the boy had a slight bruise sticking out just above the collar of his shirt. Draco grit his teeth. He wondered if the boy had already been harassed for being a Slytherin or if he'd come from home with the marks.

"Yes, you? You're a first year, right? How are you finding Hogwarts?" Draco asked slipping into a neutral tone.

The boy bit his lip and looked away from Draco. It painfully reminded him of teddy as a first year. His stomach twisted at that thought. He thought of Harry as well and wondered how many of his classmates had been forced to endure cruelty from there family.

The boy nodded.

"I like it. It's really big. It's kind of cold down here though…I…Er…I don't have slippers. One of the other prefects said I should ask Professor Snape." the boy said, staring at the pin on the front of Draco's robes.

Draco nodded.

"Yeah, he'll help you out. Your toes might fall off without them. This is about as warm as it gets down here." Draco said with a smirk.

The kids' eyes got bigger, and he nodded.

"Is that all you wanted to ask about?" Draco asked softly.

Severus met with his prefects each year to remind them of things they should look out for with the other students, especially the younger ones. Unexplained injuries were near the top of that list.

"Yep." The boy nodded with a little smile.

Draco smiled back.

"I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco said holding his hand out.

The kid smiled.

"I know. I heard your name earlier. Draco, like the constellation, right?"

Draco smirked and nodded. He also considered what the boy had said. Clearly, he didn't recognize the name Malfoy. Draco supposed that meant he might be a half-blood or Muggleborn.

"What's your name?" Draco asked.

"Oh…um. Quinn." Quinn said taking Draco's hand.

Draco smiled and shook his hand.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Quinn." Draco said.

He had no idea if Quinn was the kids' first name or last. The informal introduction just further solidified him as not being a pureblood. Draco tried to remind himself that none of that mattered. Though he supposed it would matter to others in their house. He'd keep an eye on him.

Draco was debating asking the first year about the bruise when the door opened and one of the third-year girls walked out. She had long red hair that was nearly as wild as Grangers'. Draco couldn't remember her name. She had a smile on her face and nodded at Draco as she left. Draco gave her a curt nod.

Draco nudged the first year a little and he looked up at Draco with trepidation in his eyes. Severus was imposing, though he thought his welcome speech may have been the kindest one yet. Still the kid looked worried.

"Nothing to worry about." Draco said softly.

Quinn bit his lip and went to follow the third year back to the common room. Draco reached out and gently put his hand in front of Quinn.

"Would you like me to come with?" Draco offered softly when the boy's worried eyes met his.

Quinn bit his lip again and nodded.

"Okay." Draco nodded.

Once the child turned around and faced the door but still made no move to head to the office, Draco laid his hand on the boy's shoulder and gently guided him in.


Severus rolled his neck as Ms. Boyd left his office. She was a chatter box and had only been looking for a misplaced scarf. Severus had given her a spare and she'd been happy to stop her incessant chattering. Severus hoped she'd be the last for the night. There were a few students who usually came to see him that hadn't. He wasn't sure what to make of that. He wondered if his outing as a spy had affected the trust his Slytherin's had in him.

There was a voice outside his office, and he groaned. He looked up and found his godson guiding a new first year in. Severus raised an eyebrow. He'd been expecting Draco but usually the first years didn't come to him the first night. If they had issues, they were usually sorted out over the next few days.

"Hello Draco." Severus greeted.

"And you are?" Severus asked studying the child. A first year to be sure, but he couldn't quite remember the name that had been called.

"Elizabeth Quinn." The girl said.

Draco's brows furrowed and he looked down at the child. There was confusion on his face. Severus wasn't sure what the confusion was, but he let it pass for now.

"What can I do for you Ms. Quinn?" Severus asked.

The child gripped the long sleeves of her robes tightly and looked down. Severus brow creased. Some of the shyer student's took a while to warm up to him. Some never did. He tried to make them all feel welcome though.

"Um...She…" Draco frowned again and looked down.

"She needs some slippers." Draco said.

Severus nodded and stood from his desk. He opened the closet next to his desk and searched for a moment. Though his salary wasn't extensive he made sure he had a few basic supplies for students. There was something of a small wardrobe in there as well as secondhand textbooks, spare parchment, and quills. He knew what it was like to return to school without what you needed, and he didn't want his students to be forced to go without or feel ashamed that they didn't have everything. Not every family could afford it.

Severus grabbed a pair of slippers that were miles too big for the small child. A quick charm would shrink them down to the right size.

Severus came around his desk and set the slippers on the floor before kneeling in front of Ms. Quinn. Severus noticed that the child in front of him was wearing black slacks and boys dress shoes. Severus looked up at the child's face and smiled slightly. He assumed this was Draco's confusion. The girl was in a boy's uniform and at that age Severus found most children just looked like children.

"If you'll step out of your school shoes and into the slippers, I'll resize them to fit." Severus said.

The girl nodded and did as she was asked. Severus swished his wand, and the oversized slippers shrank.

"Thank you." Quinn replied in awe.

"Your Welcome." Severus said, before standing.

Quinn quickly switched her shoes back to the ones she'd been wearing.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Ms. Quinn?" Severus asked.

There was a slight blush on her cheeks as she shook her head. Severus looked up to Draco and noticed him pointing to the collar of his shirt and then looking down at Quinn.

Severus studied the girl for a moment and nodded when he noticed what Draco had seen. There was a bruise at the collar of her shirt. It was almost hidden, but not quite. Severus sighed. He'd been thankful that so far this evening he'd only had one injured child. One of his problem cases. A fourth year with a mother high in politics who liked to take out her disappointments on her son. Thankfully, the boy only had a few mild injuries. Severus had fought to have the child removed but after a quiet investigation there had been no movement. Severus had checked in every year and thankfully the issues hadn't worsened.

"Ms. Quinn can you tell me what caused that bruise?" Severus asked gesturing to her.

Quinn looked down at her hands and turned them this way and that and then looked back at Severus in confusion.

"What bruise?" Quinn asked.

Severus watched Quinn. She did seem nervous, but Severus wasn't sure if it was the conversation or just being a new student in a new place.

"The one sticking out near your collar." Severus explained.

Quinn looked away and pulled on the collar of her shirt in an attempt to hide it.

"Just played too rough I suppose." Quinn said vaguely.

Severus could see the anxiety creeping into the girls' eyes though. It was a lie. What the reason was, wasn't clear but it was obviously a lie.

"May I take a look? I have some salve that can heal a bruise." Severus offered calmly.

Quinn bit her lip and shrugged a little.

"Sure." Quinn finally answered.

Severus sent the nervous girl a smile before collecting the salve. He took a seat in one of the student chairs and pointed for the girl to take the other. Severus noticed that Draco was standing firmly by the door. He half wanted to send him away. He never addressed a student's home life in front of another student. However, He remembered what Harry had said about being alone with adults. She seemed comfortable enough with Draco here, so he'd not ask him to leave unless it became obvious that it was making Quinn uneasy.

"Will you loosen your tie and unbutton the top button please." Severus said, once they were seated across from one another.

The girl hesitated and eventually did as he'd asked. Severus noted that the girls' hands were shaking and that she was anxiously looking through her wavy brown hair at him but not intentionally looking up at him.

Severus teeth clenched when he saw the extent of the bruise. It was obviously bruising from a hand. From the angle Severus would guess someone reached out and grabbed her nearly around the neck.

Severus got a little of the salve on his finger and raised it for the girl to see.

"May I apply this?" Severus asked.

Quinn studied the finger for a moment before nodding.

Severus quickly and gently applied the salve. He noticed that the bruise went back farther but he was not in the business of reaching into a student's shirt.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Severus asked.

There was a long pause before Quinn nodded. Severus sighed and nodded.

"I think maybe it might be best if we take a walk up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey can get you fixed up in no time." Severus said gently.

Quinn bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder at Draco.

"Will you come with me?" Quinn asked.

Draco nodded and Severus was proud of his godson for the warm yet neutral mask he was wearing.

"Very well. Draco was there anyone else waiting to see me?" Severus asked.

Draco shook his head.

Severus was relieved. He usually had a least one student that he had to take to the hospital wing. It certainly made it easier if it was his last. For several years it had been Draco's friend Theodore Nott. Though Severus imagined, despite how the rest of his summer might have gone, the last few weeks had likely been peaceful without his father.

Walking out of the office, Severus was relieved when the two students quickly followed. He knew Draco needed to talk to him as well. He hoped that the girl's sudden attachment to Draco wouldn't prevent him from stepping away for a few minutes while Poppy looked her over.


Harry loved being invisible as Akela. His nails made a little noise as he walked along the stone floors but for the most part, he seemed to go completely unnoticed. He'd seen Sirius and Remus walking in the corridor. Harry was happy to see them chatting. They seemed to be in good spirits. Harry hoped that their trip to the states had gone well.

As he rounded another staircase he nearly ran directly into Snape and Draco. He skidded to a stop and let them pass. There was another student with them.

Harry quietly followed as they made their way to the hospital wing. They weren't speaking and the silence of the hall had Harry wishing he'd cast a silencing spell over himself.

With some quick maneuvering, Harry was able to slip in the door just behind them. Harry sat near the door so as not to intrude. Obviously, Draco was busy, but Harry could wait.


Severus pulled Draco aside as Poppy bustled over to take a look at Ms. Quinn. They walked to the far end of the wing and Severus gestured to a pair of chairs. With a quick wave of his wand Severus pulled up a privacy ward and turned to Draco.

Draco was holding himself stiffly.

"What's going on?" Severus asked worriedly.

Draco sighed and brought both hands up to run through his hair.

"I had a bit of a run in on the train." Draco said softly.

Severus felt his chest tighten. He didn't want to think about another child in his care being hurt.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked, looking Draco over for signs of injury.

Draco nodded slightly.

"Yeah, just faced with a lot more then I was expecting, I suppose." Draco said staring out across the hospital wing.

Severus waited for Draco to elaborate.

"Pansy dosed me with Veritaserum at the prefect meeting. They pulled me into a car when I was doing my rounds on the train." Draco said hesitantly.

Severus grit his teeth. A student certainly shouldn't have access to those kinds of potions.

"What did they want to know?" Severus asked.

Draco didn't know a lot of what was happening with the Order, but it wasn't none.

Severus sat and listened to the story of Draco's interrogation. His heart clenched hearing that his snakes had been marked. He knew he needed to have them all checked over. The Dark Lord wasn't above doing a lot of damage to those that followed him.

"I told them Harry would remove their marks." Draco said, turning worried eyes to Severus.

Severus took a deep breath and nodded. He was sure that Harry would be willing to, but he didn't want to force him to. Harry had a lot of his own issues to worry about. If Harry was unwilling though, he imagined it would be the end of whatever tentative friendship had been built between the two boys over the summer.

"Have you spoken to Harry about that?" Severus asked neutrally.

"Yes. He…he was going to try and meet with me tonight." Draco admitted.

Severus turned to Draco and gave him an unimpressed look.

"It's past curfew." Severus said flatly.

Draco blushed slightly and looked away.

"I know. I'm just worried about the seventh years. I don't want them to hurt you…or Harry. My friends are afraid. They want the mark off of them. I thought if we could just meet, then it might just be done. At least this part." Draco said.

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't allow the student's to be sneaking around after curfew. There were rules for a reason.

"Not tonight, Draco. I can call Harry to my office tomorrow and we'll see what he is willing to do. For tonight, I think you should probably head back to the common room." Severus said firmly.

Draco made a frustrated noise but said nothing before nodding his agreement and standing.

"What about Quinn?" Draco asked worriedly.

Severus looked over at the screened off bed.

"I'll make sure she's returned when Madam Pomfrey is done." Severus said with a sigh and stood.

Draco nodded and headed to the door.


Harry saw Draco leaving the Hospital wing and followed him out only to run into Remus and Sirius.

"Mr. Malfoy it's after curfew. Are you on patrol tonight?" Remus asked.

Harry backed up against the wall to avoid them.

Draco huffed.

"No Professor Lupin. Professor Snape asked me to walk with him and another student to the infirmary." Draco explained.

Harry could feel his heart pound in his chest as Remus approached him. He didn't want to get in trouble on his first night in the castle. Nor did he want to talk to any of them right now. As Remus went to open the door to the hospital wing it swung open and Snape and the Slytherin student stepped out.

Harry flinched but wasn't able to get out of the way of the door before it hit him hard in the side. He felt pain radiate from his side as he slid sideways, only to end up in the middle of the adults. A foot kicked out and caught him in his other side. Harry felt the bone crunch and a pain rip through his side.

Harry whimpered and ran away from the adults who had raised their voices. His panicked mind just screamed to run.


Thankfully, the student didn't seem to be an abuse case. Simply a rough and tumble kid, who'd picked pants over skirts to keep rather scraped and bruised legs out of sight. The girl had animatedly explained some sort of muggle contraption she'd been learning to ride over the summer. The bruise at her neck had been a friend keeping her from flying out into traffic. She'd shyly admitted she'd been grounded for the last week and was worried she'd somehow end up in trouble at school as well.

Poppy had gotten her cleaned up and Severus intended to take her back to the common room.

He was frustrated with what Draco had said. He'd need to talk with Albus tonight to update him on the risk of having marked students in the school as well as the threat to them both and Draco.

He took a little of his frustration out as he threw the door open.

Severus was assaulted with a yelp as the door swung open.

"What the hell was that?" Remus said in alarm jumping back.

"What are you doing wolf?!" Severus barked, not in any mood for whatever it was that had the mutts standing outside the door.

"I kicked something." Remus growled back as he looked around the empty hall.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked looking around and pulling his wand.

Severus also allowed his wand to drop into his hand. He didn't see anything, and it was likely nothing but better to be safe than sorry.

"Draco, walk Ms. Quinn back to the commons." Severus instructed.

Draco nodded and the small girl skipped over to Draco with a smile. Severus rolled his eyes before looking back to Sirius and Remus. When the students were near the stairs Severus raised a privacy ward.

"What do you mean you kicked something?" Severus asked.

Remus shook his head.

"I went to open the door, and the door opened just about the same time my foot connected with something solid." Remus said confusedly.

Severus brows creased.

"Did you kick the door?" Severus asked flatly.

Remus gave him an unamused look.

"No." Remus answered, shaking his head.

"Homenum Revelio." Sirius said with a wave of his wand.

Nothing appeared as the spell settled. There wasn't anyone in the hall except the three of them.

"No one is here." Sirius said, stating the obvious.

Severus had a slight knot in his stomach. They hadn't been back in the castle a full day, and already things felt unsecure. He hoped Albus and the staff could complete the safety measures this week.

"I'm sure it was nothing. If you'll excuse me." Severus said sweeping past Sirius and Remus.

Severus heard a muttered 'git' said behind his back. He was sure it was Black. He wasn't interested in getting into a spat with them though. With a shake of his head, he continued to Albus' office.


Harry ran in a blind panic up to the seventh floor. He thought at one point he had heard feet following him and it had only frightened him more. He skidded to a stop in front of the blank stretch of wall. Quickly he popped into human form and paced in front of the wall. His only thought was somewhere safe.

When the door appeared, he threw it open and collapsed on the floor. The door closed softly behind him, and he tossed the cloak off of him and sobbed into the floor. His ribs screamed as he sucked in deep shuddering breaths.


Remus' eyes ran over the map again in confusion. It didn't matter how many times he looked; Harry wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere.

When he and Sirius had finished their rounds, they'd walked up to the astronomy tower to enjoy the evening. Remus couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in his stomach. Something didn't feel right. He'd pulled the map from his pocket and had looked near the hospital wing and only found Poppy. He'd looked at the halls and hadn't found any students.

The halls were empty minus a few of the staff making their rounds as well as pairs of prefects.

"Don't worry Moony. I'm sure it was just Peeve's pranking us." Sirius said leaning gently into his side.

Remus shook his head.

"I can't find Harry." Remus said softly.

Sirius looked down at the map and shrugged.

"Probably in the dorm. You know you can't see all the names when they're all in there." Sirius tried to reassure.

Remus knew Sirius was right. He couldn't see Dean's name either. The labels were all too close. Still, he felt unsettled. He'd hoped to talk to Harry tonight. Check in and make sure he was all right. Harry had had an upsetting week and being back at school might be stressful.

"Tell me again how he seemed in the common room?" Remus asked as he folded up the map.

Sirius sighed as he leaned against the half wall and folded his arms.

"He seemed fine. He was with his friends in the space I added. He'd cast some heavy wards around it. Not sure what they were talking about, but everyone seemed pretty serious. They all came out and I talked to all the Gryffindors. They all seem unsure about me." Sirius said with a shrug.

Remus knew the cold welcome was upsetting Sirius. Remus' heart hurt for him. Sirius might not make the best head of house but not for the reasons the students were rejecting him. Sirius was more likely to join a party then break one up. This was just another way he was being punished for a mistake over a decade ago.

"Harry came and gave me a hug after. I was going to bring him back to our rooms, show him the room we made up for him. Tell him about our trip, then I remembered we had patrol." Sirius said.

"Honestly he seemed fine." Sirius finished.

Remus sighed and tried to relax. He would check in with Harry tomorrow.

"He's fine Remy. We have a lot to do the next couple of days and I'm sure when it's all over we'll be able to have an evening with Harry." Sirius said, wrapping his arm around Remus' waist and pulling him close.

Remus hoped Sirius was right. Tomorrow they would be helping the students get signed up for their classes and walking them all through a check-up. Remus felt slightly overwhelmed at the idea of meeting with all of the students, but he knew he was prepared. He'd made a folder for each of them and planned to take notes so that he could familiarize himself with the students.

"We should head down. We only have an hour left of patrol. We'll make another loop and head back." Sirius suggested.

Remus nodded and let Sirius guide him out of the tower.


Harry woke with a gasp. His hand came to his right side, and he whimpered at the pain radiating from his ribs. He kept his eyes closed and just listened. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he should be able to hear some noise in the house. Vernon snoring or Petunia making breakfast. When only silence met his ears, he slowly peeled tear crusted eyes open. His brows furrowed in confusion. He was back in his room at Spinner's end.

With a wince he pushed himself up into a sitting position and leaned against the wall next to the door. His head felt fuzzy as he looked around. Slowly what had happened came back to him. Leaning his head against the wall he sighed. He was at Hogwarts. He'd been breaking the rules and got hurt.

He felt tears prick his eyes. He'd been so afraid last night. A soft sob left his lips as he thought about how messed up everything felt. He'd hoped for the comfortable familiarity of the school but too much felt different. He was different. This summer had changed him too much.

He wrapped his arms around his stomach and cried in earnest. His friends knew too much. The adults knew too much. Now he'd gone and messed up on his first night. He wondered if they had known he was there. They had the map, maybe this had been punishment. He deserved the pain. Due punishment for all that he'd done this summer.

Harry cast a tempest and saw that it was four in the morning. With a pained groan he stood and pulled up his mental wall. Carefully tucking the physical and emotional pain behind it. Tossing the cloak back over himself, he opened the door and looked down the hall. There was no one around so he stepped out and closed the door.

He considered his options for a moment. He didn't want to go back to the tower. He needed more time. With that thought he paced in front of the wall until another door appeared and he stepped back inside.

He found a large bathroom and sighed in relief. He needed a shower desperately. He pulled the cloak off and removed his bag from his pocket. With a few quick spells he had his trunk open and was quickly digging for his toiletries and a fresh uniform.

He stripped off the dirty clothing and left them in a pile near his trunk before spelling the water on and stepping under the scalding spray. Harry closed his eyes and just focused on the water for a moment. Opening his eyes, he grabbed his soap and began to lather his body. He grimaced at the mess he'd made of his arms. He scrubbed harshly at the red marks only further aggravating them.

Harry tried to push down all the other warring thoughts in his head, but it felt useless. He let the thoughts swirl around him as he washed.

When he finally stepped out of the shower, he felt exhausted. He glanced at the mirror and winced at how red his skin was. He had dark bruises on both of his sides. The side where the door had hit him had a harsh line in it. Harry touched his other side gently and thought a rib might be broken. He shook his head. He was used to starting out the year with a few bumps.

His shoulders fell when he remembered the twins weren't here. He wished he could talk to them. He shook his head. It didn't matter now.

When he was dressed, he quickly slipped out the door under his cloak and wandered through the castle. It was dark and empty, and his thoughts felt so loud he wondered if he could hear them echoing off the walls.

When he reached the front doors, he quickly looked around before slipping out and onto the grounds. The barest hint of light was starting to shine through the trees. He walked quietly to the edge of the lake and sat on a large boulder.

This had been an unbelievably long night. He was thankful that today should go by quickly. Schedule day usually did. He already knew which classes he was taking and was ready to submit them. He'd had an exam with Poppy and talked to Remus over the summer. Hopefully, he could just find something enjoyable to do. Perhaps going to visit Hagrid with Ron and Hermione. Harry smiled at that idea. It seemed like the perfect way to spend his first day back at school.

He blew out a deep sigh. He had a lot of work to do. His friends had listened when he said that they needed to be prepared but he didn't think they fully understood that they might be on their own. Harry also wanted to believe that the adults would take care of them. However, he had his doubts, especially after last night, he thought with a grimace. Adults couldn't be trusted.

He knew Dumbledore's main focus was bringing down Voldemort.

Harry swallowed thickly. That was his job, but he wouldn't let it blind him to the pain and suffering around him. It wouldn't overshadow the need for them to train. He felt the determination he'd felt last night well back up. It was darkened at the edges now though. He felt more alone in his mission then he had all summer.

Closing his eyes he felt the first rays of warm sun wash over his skin. He wished he could just stay here in this peaceful moment.