Come Back to Us

************CHAPTER THREE************

As the Professor stood up, he looked angrily at Harry then with the phrase "Potter, this means war!" he turned and walked away.

Harry couldn't help but smile at Snape's words. Yes, this would be war, and Harry would be the victor. 'Just wait until you find out how things have changed in my favor,' was all he could think. Feeling a warmth on his shoulder, Harry turned around quickly and came face to face with what he had most dreaded coming back to.

"Hello Hermione. What are you doing here? It's not good to go walking through the corridors at night. Someone might think you were trying to get involved in something you weren't supposed to."

Harry's words had a chilling effect on Hermione's spine. She wanted so much to know what was wrong with him. She had talked to him at his house before, but she could never quite get him to say why he left in the first place. He was never one for letting out his emotions, but she felt that things would be a lot better if he would just confide in someone.

"I was looking for you so we could talk, then Professor Snape decide to pull the kidnapping stunt. I'm glad you came back Harry, everyone is."

"Not everyone Hermione, I'm not. I wish I could go back."

There was a strong silence between them for sever minutes. Both of them had the same thing on their mind, but neither of them wanted to bring it up. Finally,

"Harry, I meant what I said two months ago."

"I know. I just don't want you to have to get involved...." and he continued while trailing off.

"I'm already involved Harry, and besides that, I can decide quite well for myself. Is it the two months age difference between us that makes you so much wiser and older and better equipped to handle my life?"

"I just, I just couldn't handle it if anything else happened because of me."

"Harry, what do you mean anything else? Please talk to me Harry, why did you leave? Why don't you like it here?"

"I'm just so tired of all of this," he accidentally blurted out. He hoped that maybe Hermione hadn't caught it but unfortunately,

"Harry, what do you mean you 'tired' of it? What are you tired of?"

He couldn't keep it in any longer. After storing in his emotions for almost all his life, he decided to let it all come out. Even if he hadn't wanted to, he probably would have found that that wouldn't stop him.

"I'm just tired of fighting. I'm tired of being strong. I'm tired of my forehead being looked at. I'm tired of people wishing they were me. If they want my life so damn badly then they can have the pain in my scar and my nightmares of Voldemort. They can have it all."

And with that, Harry did something he rarely did. He began crying like a baby. He just couldn't keep it in any longer.

Hermione knew it wasn't right to be almost smiling ear to ear when her best friend was sitting in front of her bawling, but she couldn't help but feeling relieved. He was finally letting it out. She pulled him in and for several minutes, they sat in one huddled mass with Harry sobbing into her shoulder.

After a few minutes, he realized what he was doing and pulled himself back to Earth.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I don't know what got into me. It felt good to get it out though."

"It's alright, I'm just glad you finally let some of it out." And with that, another awkward silence entered the room.

"Harry," Hermione started quietly, "If you let others help you, you wouldn't get so tired."

"But they'll get hurt."

"I think we've already proven that by you trying to do it yourself, that people are getting just as hurt. You may be tired of fighting, Harry, but quite frankly, I'm tired of losing. Please stay here a while. Whether you want me to or not, I do love you."

Harry sighed. "That's the problem. I love you, too."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Then I fail to see the problem. Let me handle myself, Harry I've done so quite well without you for too long. At least let me be able to be with you while you're here."

Harry looked into the her deep chocolate eyes and gave in. He couldn't live any longer without her. He just plain loved her too much. And with that, Harry leaned in and kissed her passionately.

For hours the couple sat there and kissed and talked and kissed a little more. Harry had to admit that it was most definitely one the best days of his life. Finally, Hermione decided it was time to go back to her room. Harry gave her her wand back and they reluctantly said their good nights.

After Harry closed the door he turned around, put his back against the wall and placed a huge grin on his face. Yes, things were definitely looking better.

*~^~*

The next three days were wild. Harry went to classes and found that he was ahead of everyone else in his year. Everyone was quite surprised. Everyone but Harry.

Since it was a Tuesday, and Gryffindors didn't have potions until Friday, Harry luckily didn't have to worry about Snape's little war during class. However, that didn't keep him from trying to hex Harry at every chance he got. It was an unspoken agreement that none of the 'attacks' would happen in front of students, neither of them felt that giving away Harry's ability would be to the benefit of the cause.

Thirteen times Snape managed to surprise Harry, and thirteen times Harry blocked each hex and to his own amusement, hex Snape. After the last time, the professor was getting quite annoyed at his loss, so he decided to step up the program. 'Any curse he said, any curse is what he'll get.'

On the last day, he quietly sneaked up behind Harry, pulled out his wand, and yelled CRUCIO!

To any bystander, it would have looked like Harry completely blocked the curse. After hearing the CR- Harry spun around and held his hand directly in front of him. After the curse was finished, Harry felt a familiar, yet horrendous pain throughout his entire body. He closed his eyes, and using all the rest of his strength, deflected the pain away and disarmed Snape.

After catching his breath, Harry finally spoke. "There, are you happy? You finally got me."

Snape was a little bewildered by his words. It didn't look like he had felt anything. "What are you talking about Potter? I think you've finally gone mad! You blocked it! But how?"

"I didn't block it. It's called a poker face."

"Poker?"

"It's a muggle game. Never mind. Now that you managed to curse me, can we call a truce, I've got somewhere to be and it's not standing here talking to you."

Deciding that if Harry could pull that last stunt off with out even him knowing about it, he decided "Yes, Potter. Truce." And with that they glared at each other for another few moments, then turned around and walked away.

*~^~*

A few hours later, Harry found himself in front of the familiar gargoyle guarding the headmaster office. 'This is it,' he thought. 'Just get this over with, then you can go back home.' "Butterbeer Lollipop" he said and the stone statue moved out of the way with a nod. As he went up the stairs he felt a little scared. He couldn't help but things would never be the same after he got involved in this. 'But I'm already involved! How can this change this any?'

When he finally got up to the giant wood door, he slyly knocked. "Come in."

When he opened the door, the setting looked exactly as it had 3 days ago.

"Ah, Mr. Potter! I'm glad you could join us!"

"Hello, Headmaster."

"So let's get this meeting started. We all know what we are actually here for, so let get on with it. Severus, what the verdict? Can you trust Mr. Potter here to handle himself?"

"Not completely, sir, but I will not object." Harry could have sworn that at the end of that comment Snape muttered "As much."

"Well, that's good enough for me. Does anyone else here have any objections?"

There was a fleeting silence from the peanut gallery.

"Very well, then. Harry, would you please come forward?"

And with that, Harry walked to stand in front of the elderly wizard.

"Harold James Potter, do you solemnly agree to preserve, protect and defend the Light in the name of the Order of the Phoenix, until death beseeches you or until the Order is no longer needed?"

"I do."

"Do you further agree to trust and defend the other members of this Order and treat them with respect and honor?"

"I do."

"Then welcome Harry, to the Order of the Phoenix."

As Dumbledore completed the oath, an enchanting song could be heard filling the room.

"Most peculiar..."

"What is professor?"

"It seems Fawkes here wishes to welcome you to the Order, also."

"Why is that so peculiar?"

"No reason my dear boy, no reason... Shall we get back to business then? If my memory serves correctly, we have a full moon in three weeks, and during the attack on Azkaban, and we will be one Order member short, due to circumstances beyond our control. Does anyone have any ideas on how we might achieve a victory in this battle?"

And for the rest of the night, the Order discussed, planned and plotted their side in the giant chess game of good vs. evil.

***********************

The morning after the meeting, Harry could not help but feel relaxed through and through. As soon as his head had hit the pillow, he had fallen into an undisturbed deep sleep.

The next morning after he got up and ate a nice breakfast in his room, Harry could not help feel but a little zealous about the day he had waiting for him. His professors had been impressed with his exemplarily skills in charms, transfiguration and even divination, but today he had a class he didn't know if he could handle.

Potions. Not just Potions, but Double Potions. Not only Double Potions, but Double Potions with the Slytherins. The irony of it all was quite funny. He had gone away hoping for a change, and while yes, a lot had changed, some things could not help remain the same. Dumbledore would always put Gryffindor and Slytherin together. The Gryffindors could be cats and the Slytherins could be dogs and they would still be put together. If there were two groups of people that hated each other more, than Harry didn't know where to find them. But through it all, Dumbledore still saw it fit to throw the poor Gryffindors to the dogs.

Had Harry not decided to go away on that day he probably would have felt that Potions was the worst and most useless class on the face of the Earth. However, after accidentally purchasing a beginners how-to guide on how to mix potions, he began to discover that there was a benefit from this class. There was a logic to potions that he, dare say it, actually enjoyed. It still could not hold a candle to DADA, but he understood how someone might want to spend their life dedicated to colorful and smelly mixtures. Nonetheless, even with their current truce, Harry felt that the potions master could take away this newly found joy. So it was with reluctance that he made his way down to the dungeons.

When Harry made it to the classroom, he saw that time hadn't changed much of anything. He was 10 minutes early and as he looked around the room, he could see that all of the Gryffindors were already sitting down ready for class on the right side of the room. The left side was completely empty. Harry looked around the room. Sitting in the front was a familiar red head and his girlfriend. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty for leaving one of his best friends. Since his return, Ron hadn't even tried to talk to him. He was putting that reunion off until another time. 'How about never?' He was inwardly shocked by his cowardliness.

On the other side of Lavender, Harry saw a sight for sore eyes. A beautiful bushy headed girl No- woman. She has truly grown in the time that he had been gone. He didn't know how it was possible to be so blessed. Yes, he did feel a little hesitation towards pursuing a relationship at this time in a war, but Hermione would hear nothing of waiting. And what was this? An empty chair next to her? Seizing his chance, he made his way towards her.

"Is this seat taken?"

"Yes, it is, I'm sorry. I'm saving it for my incredibly handsome and loving boyfriend."

"Hmmm... I guess I'll just take my chances on the forbidden side of the room then."

"Oh no you don't. You sit down. Professor Snape's going to have a hay day with you, you know. A year an a half with no Potions classes. Your going to lose Gryffindor all of our hard earned points."

"Thanks for the faith, love. Just wait and see. You might be surprised by your idiot boyfriend."

And with that he winked at her and got out his supplies.

"Well, it looks like Potty has gotten himself a girlfriend."

"Shut up Malfoy."

"What, to ashamed to own up to it?"

If it hadn't been for the slam of the door and the billowing of robes heading up to the front of the room, Draco Malfoy would have found himself sporting a very ferret-like look. 'Damn Snape and his bad timing.'

"Provoking my students already Potter? Five points from Gryffindor."

'And Damn Snape for, well, being Snape.'

"Everyone please sit down so we can get started. NOW!"

Within seconds everyone had found their seats.

"Today we will be studying a potion that can counter most sleeping potions. It is called the Awake Again potion. Can anyone tell me what the main ingredient in this potion is?"

Harry inwardly chuckled. Just as always he thought as he scanned the room. Hermione was the only one with her hand raised.

"Potter, why don't you enlighten us with the answer?"

"But Professor, he hasn't been here! He can't answer that."

"Silence Granger! Ten points from Gryffindor. Potter, answer now."

"The main ingredient is the eyelash of a faerie. The other ingredients are a thinly chopped newt's tail, a finely ground manticore's claw, and the extract of a dandelion. When finished, it comes out to be a yellowy color."

Professor Snape could help but be awestruck of the Potter boy's knowledge. The ingredients (besides the main one) weren't in the text book, neither were the directions. That's why he had chosen this potion. In fact, it was rare to even find a potion master in training that knew how to make this potion. Very odd. Very odd indeed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. I only asked for the main ingredient. Now this potion was first concocted in 1272 AD when a wizard named...."

'So much for a truce' he thought when the points were taken away. Harry didn't really want to listen to the teacher. He knew he was right when he thought that Snape could take away all interest in the subject. Harry instead was thinking about something that had been discussed the night before at the order meeting. Dumbledore wanted to know if anyone had any ideas on how to determine where a person's loyalties in the war lied without just walking up to them and saying "Hello stranger, can I see your left arm please?" None of them thought that would go over very well. Harry had actually thought of this many times before. He had a theory on how to do it, but never a place to actually try it out. 'Now's as good a time as any he thought.'

Harry looked discreetly around the room to make sure everyone was still paying attention to the irritating Potions Professor. When he was sure that he would go unnoticed, he closed his eyes and started to push all thoughts from his mind and tried to feel the magic around him. He then focused on the magic and cautiously opened his eyes. Looking up to his teacher, he saw and off-white color with a little black around his arm. The size of the aura was pretty thick, so Harry assumed he was looking a wizard with fairly hi magic content.

Harry then looked over at the bushy brunette next to him. She too was glowing an off white color. He aura was not nearly as think a Snape's so he assumed a medium level of power. Then he drifted his eyes further around the room. Ron, a little less thick than Hermione, off-white; Lavender, way less thick than Ron's, off-white; Neville 'Well what do we have here?', his aura was as thick as Snape's and it was a shade whiter than any he had seen. 'Time for the Slytherins now.'

Harry looked over at Pansy Parkinson. Definite black aura, about as thick as Ron. Crabbe, black, hardly any aura at all; Goyle, same as Crabbe. 'Those to never differ, do they?'

Harry could feel his energy draining from him. 'This takes a lot out of you!' There were only two more people he wanted to look at though, so he decided to go on. Next Harry decided to look at Draco. "What the hell!" he yelled. Surrounding Draco was not a good white aura, not an evil black one either, but a royal blue color with specks of silver and an pure looking black. As he felt the world spinning around him after the last outburst, Harry looked down at his hands. Instead of the white he was expecting, there was a crimson scarlet color with flecks of gold. "This was definitely not the outcome I expected," he whispered then all the world turned black.

To be continued....

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