Disclaimer: This story is 100% alternate universe and most, if not all, of the characters in this story are out of character as well. Also I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling and I am not trying to steal her characters, plots, or moments within the books that she has written. This is my own story and I also claim to not copy off of anyone else's work either in the process.

Please note that throughout this story, the characters will occasionally break the fourth wall. These sections will be represented in bold lettering.

What Happened Previously: Harry is upset about returning to the Dursleys for the summer, but is surprised when he and Hermione arrive at the station. Ginny is not enjoying her time at home since she will be homeschooled from now on. Ron is concerned about his new friendship with Harry Potter.

Chapter 7: New Changes

(Harry P.O.V.)

July 25th, 1993:

It's been a week since I came home for the summer vacation and the nightmares haven't stopped. I keep seeing myself inside the Chamber of Secrets and the dreams seem so real that it feels like I'm having visions. Sometimes I can see from my perspective where I try to defeat Tom and the Basilisk but I get poisoned to death, and other times I can see from her point of view where I am on the floor and constantly die from the Basilisk. The worst dreams are when I am projected as Tom Riddle and I awaken the monster of the chamber. Tom sends the massive basilisk after "me" and I always run away but the snake somehow catches me. It doesn't matter how far I go or how well my hiding spot is because it seems like the serpent knows where I constantly am.

When I wake from the nightmare, I seem to be covered in sweat. My throat is also hoarse from the amount of screaming I do. Since these nightmares happen so much, I often find my clothes damp. The feeling makes me feel slimy and disgusting. If the hour is early enough, I will take a shower, but I know that taking one will disturb Hermione so I try my best not to. On the first night back to the Dursleys, Hermione heard me screaming and came in to see what was the matter. I had to tell her what happened, but I didn't like it. I felt weak for admitting that a silly dream could cause me to have a horrific reaction. After the third night in a row of screaming from nightmares, Hermione decided to put a silencing charm around my door. I know she wasn't annoyed, but the screaming could have woken up the neighbors and then they could have called the police.

While I may not be possessed, I feel that these vision dreams are damn near close. I have no idea how she could have survived Tom's control for so long. It was roughly a year since she first received the diary, and the poor girl had to resist this evil soul inside of her. What's more is that she had to do it all on her own because no one helped her. Not her brothers, not her friends, and certainly not me. Tom may have prevented her from saying anything, but I will never know. I know she told me that it wasn't my fault for not noticing what was happening, but I am adamant that it was. I let my anger towards her distract me from the clear signs that something was wrong. I even remember there were times when she tried to tell me something only to run away and I wouldn't see her for a while. What the hell is wrong with me

August 25th, 1993:

My summer was fantastic with my relatives and new sister. Since Dumbledore was gracious enough to put them under our control, I found that Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and even Dudley, would do anything that Hermione or I asked. Thankfully the Dursleys will not remember any of this. They'll just believe they tortured me for another few months.

At first, it was incredibly weird since I'm used to my uncle being on the verge of a stroke from his intense anger, but now he only gives me a blank stare. The spell makes him act like a robotic slave. Whenever I ask him to do something, Uncle Vernon would give simple answers like "Yes master" or "Okay master". My aunt and cousin reacted the same way, but I tended to ask my uncle for things more often because it was absolutely ridiculous to watch him do anything for me. Normally Uncle Vernon is incredibly lazy except when he has to go to work. So whenever he goes to get me a drink, for example, he wobbles over to the fridge, fumbles with his fat fingers trying to get a glass, and then moves robotically with his movements to pour water in my cup.

Hermione didn't think it was as funny as me but laughed occasionally whenever the neighbors tried to talk to my relatives. I remember one instance in particular where our neighbor Mr. Roberts came to the door and asked my aunt if he could borrow their lawnmower. She gave a very basic response which was odd for her since she would normally chat for long periods of time to people. Mr. Roberts asked if she was feeling okay, but Aunt Petunia's response was so robotic it nearly made me die of laughter.

"Yes, neighbor. There is no cause for concern. I am well. Thank you for asking. I will go now. Goodbye." My aunt replied.

The summer went by too quickly for Hermione and me. A few days ago we received an unexpected visit from Dumbledore. The headmaster brought the latest issue of the daily prophet with him that detailed the escape of the murderer Sirius Black. Dumbledore asked me if I knew who he was, but I had never heard of him before. From what Professor Dumbledore told me, Sirius Black was one of Voldemort's most loyal supporters. He gave the Dark Lord information of where my parents were staying because he was their Secret Keeper. That means he was the only one who knew where my parents were because of some kind of spell. I can't remember the name of that spell right now. After he betrayed my parents, Sirius Black went on a short killing spree and even killed another one of my parents' other friends, Peter Pettigrew. When Black was done, the only thing that remained of Pettigrew was a finger. That's not all though. The crazed lunatic decided he didn't have enough bloodlust for one night, and turned his attention to thirteen nearby muggles and massacred them.

How could someone do such a thing? Why would someone do such a thing? I find it unbelievable that anyone could turn out that heartless. After thinking about that Death Eater scum, my blood began to boil and my vision turned red. I hate Sirius Black. I hate everything about him and, if we ever do meet, I don't care if I have to take him down with me. I will avenge my parents and Peter Pettigrew no matter what. I swear it.

Hermione could see that I was understandably upset, but she kept her distance from me for a few hours after Dumbledore had left. One of the things that really bothered me about Hermione for the last few years was that she never knew when to stop prying right away. Now it seems that over this summer she has started listening to my request. When I had taken the time to calm down, Hermione came over and gave me a hug. I happily returned it.

"Harry, I can't imagine what this must be like for you, but I want you to know that I'm always here to talk and listen. We're siblings now. Brothers and sisters help each other with their problems. I won't ask you to tell me how you're feeling, but I would like you to confide in me at some point. Okay?"

I only nodded back. I could tell Hermione would have liked me to say what I was feeling immediately, but I'm glad she didn't ask. I didn't mean to be rude, but I don't think she's the right person to talk to about Sirius Black. What I need is someone who was Sirius' friend, and can explain why he turned to the darkness. I don't think I will find that person soon. If anyone out there was his friend, the smart thing to do would be to never mention him at all. They'd probably be too upset or embarrassed to say anything.

Hermione decided not to say anything more about Sirius Black for the rest of the summer. We would usually get ahead in our school work for the next term, or go out on walks around the neighborhood. We'd talk about everything and anything, which was just fine with me. It's nice to have a true friend I can rely on and be around. I know we're family now, but I will always think of Hermione as a best friend first, and a sister second. Maybe this feeling is only temporary.

September 1st, 1993:

A week after Dumbledore's visit, I was sent back to school on the Hogwarts Express with Hermione. This time was a little different from the other train rides because aside from Professor Lupin sleeping in the corner, I had two other people join us in our compartment: Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. It may have sounded strange for us to let Ron inside our space, but things have changed. Last year I hated this guy's guts for how much he would pick on Hermione and me. Thankfully the both of us got to know one another a lot better over the summer. He's actually a pretty okay bloke, but a little rough around the edges.

I don't know much about Neville Longbottom, but he seems to be okay. The only thing I would like to fix is his confidence because there doesn't seem to be much. It's strange that he would be sorted into Gryffindor while being extremely shy. Hermione has spent time with him in the library before, so I suppose he can't be all bad. I did notice that Neville would stare at Hermione often when he thought the rest of us weren't paying attention. I can tell he has a crush on her. Am I upset about this? No. I'm not my sister's overprotective brother and I'm not going to tell her what she can and can't do. If Hermione and Neville do end up going out someday, then I'll give him one warning about hurting her, but that's all.

At first, Hermione was a little uneasy about having Ron in the compartment with us, but as the trip continued onward, she started to ease up. I don't think Ron and Hermione will ever be the closest of friends since their personalities are complete opposites, but I'm grateful that my sister is at least giving him a chance. Hermione didn't seem to mind Neville being there. I don't think they're really good friends yet, but I think she's starting to warm up to him. I wonder if Hermione feels the same way about Neville? Maybe I should give Neville that talk soon.

The four of us had a pretty great time. Well, Ron, Neville and I did. Hermione eventually tuned us out and read one of her massive books while us boys played a lot of exploding snap. My sister did join us a few times, but she would get frustrated frequently and return to her book. I don't know why, but Ron saw this as annoying. If she wants to read her book, then he has no right to stop her. I had to tell Ron to knock it off a few times, but he eventually got the message. Hermione seemed grateful each time I stood up for her. I'm guessing she still has some self-doubt from the way her parents treated her.

At the welcoming feast, Hermione and I watched as the new students were sorted into their houses. I think the Slytherin House got the least amount of students this year with eight, while the Ravenclaws had twelve first years. Twelve new students? Wow, that's a lot of geniuses. During the ceremony, I did get a little bit upset. I saw a first-year girl with an insane amount of red hair that reminded me of ... well ... it doesn't matter. She won't be coming back to Hogwarts, and it's unlikely I will ever see or hear from her again since her parents refused to let her return. That and she can't even send me a letter. Hermione did see my discomfort when that little girl went up to the front and put her hand on my shoulder as if to say "I'm sorry Harry." What's really sad is I can't even say her name anymore. If I do, I wallow in my sadness for hours and usually snap at anyone who wants to talk to me.

I'll admit it did hurt seeing someone who reminded me of her, but I'm going to try and take Hermione's advice. Since she isn't here, I have to try and put my best foot forward every day. I think Hermione is having a hard time without her too but tends not to show it. From what I learned, the two of them became friends at the end of last year. It's unfair that she's gone. I thought she would return next year, now being this year, but Dumbledore informed me that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were adamant on her staying home from now on. Hearing that information really hurt me. I thought that Dumbledore could do something to help me, or even help her out, but since she was a minor, the headmaster had to respect the elder Weasley's wishes.

The sorting ended shortly after that red haired girl was sorted. She was placed in Hufflepuff by the way. I honestly don't even remember the little girl's name, nor did I care to. As we began to eat, Hermione started talking to me about which classes she was taking. I'm sorry. My mistake. Which classes we're both taking. Over the summer, Hermione and I were able to talk to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape about me switching one of my classes from Divination to, well, anything else really.

The so-called professor of Divination, Trelawney, consistently found it necessary to predict my death on a daily basis. Most people said that she was a fraud, but I had a different experience than others. It was getting a little insane because the details she described were from past attacks that already happened. For example, one day she had foreseen that I would be killed by a giant snake. Well, I almost did, but that prediction was just a coincidence considering it didn't happen at the time. Sometime later, Professor Trelawney said a spider and its children would try to eat me. Again this hadn't happened at the time, but this was getting scary now with how accurate she was. Finally, the professor said that someone I cared about would be abducted, and to try and find that person would surely lead to my death. I wanted to get the hell out of that class at the end of the second year. If I had stayed, the professor would have said something ridiculous like me falling off my broom in a rainstorm and die. I shuddered at that thought. Thankfully Hermione agreed with my decision to let drop the class. I think my sister only said this because she did not have the gift of sight at all, and this aggravated her to no end.

Dumbledore was able to transfer me into Ancient Runes with Hermione. Since I missed two years of work, it will be a struggle for me to catch up, but since Hermione is a genius and extremely thoughtful she volunteered to help me. It took all summer to be caught up with the other kids in that class, but I was able to take the placement exam, and pass, right before I came back to Hogwarts. I thank all that is Salazar that I passed.

Hermione told me during dinner that she was given the chance to receive a time turner, by Professor McGonagall of all people, to take extra classes this year. It sounded like a good idea at first, but after thinking it over, Hermione would have an extra 1-2 classes a day and it would kill her with the homework load. This would also give her a loss of sleep, and possibly take a toll on her sanity. She reluctantly agreed with me, but I could tell Hermione was disappointed. I don't care honestly. I will not stand by while she pushes herself too hard just to learn more. There's always time for knowledge, but never enough time to enjoy being a kid.

I was surprised when Dumbledore asked me to join him in his office after the welcoming feast. When I arrived, the headmaster tried to give me a lemon drop. I really don't care for those candies. After talking about the new year a little, Dumbledore went straight to business. He apologized to me.

"I don't understand, sir. Why are you apologizing?" I asked.

"I am apologizing because of what I did, Harry. You've had such a hard life, and most of this is because of me."

"You mean the Dursley's, sir?"

"Yes, Harry. I thought that by placing you with your aunt and uncle, you would be safe from any attacks from dark wizards while you were away from Hogwarts. I did not realize you were being mistreated by your own family until it was too late. By then you were already twelve. That's a lot of years I have to make up for, Harry."

"Why was I sent to live with them, sir?"

"Are you familiar with blood wards, Harry?" Dumbledore asked me. I shook my head in response.

"Blood wards are the best protection ever discovered by magic. The wards are created using a small amount of blood from the parent to protect the child. With these wards in place, no one could touch you from the outside. Since your mother was a curse breaker for Gringotts, her blood was stored on record. I used that small amount to create the strongest wards possible around the Dursley's home so that you would be safe."

"A lot of good that did me." I said as sarcastically as possible.

"I do realize the seriousness of my actions, Harry, and I hope that we can put this matter behind us."

I sighed and looked directly at the old man. The usual twinkle in his eyes was gone. That was odd to me. He seemed genuinely concerned about my well being, so I decided to not make him squirm from the guilt.

"I understand, sir. You were only trying to do your best for me."

"Thank you, Harry. Now that we have that mess cleared up, there is something else I wish to discuss with you."

"And what would that be, sir?"

"I want to talk to you about Miss Weasley."

"What about her?"

"I don't know if this is my place to say, Harry, but since I do have a lot to make up for, I will do my best to keep communication between you both as open as possible. Please realize that I will be going behind the backs of Arthur and Molly Weasley, so I urge you to keep this information to yourself."

"Even from Hermione, sir?"

"Yes, Harry. Even from Hermione."

I thought Dumbledore would tell me something earth-shattering, but that didn't happen. He told me that he had tried everything possible for her to stay, but was pulled out anyway. There was nothing Dumbledore could have done to change their minds. I already knew this. The headmaster somehow found it necessary to mention it again, and I found it to be a little annoying. The old man then muttered something about her getting a less than acceptable education since she will not be at Hogwarts any longer. I'm not worried about her education. From what I heard from Ron, his sister was getting private tutoring until she "graduates". Heh. Yeah right. Her parents will never let her go because of what happened in the Chamber.

I was starting to wonder why the old man would even mention he would keep communication between the two of us open when Dumbledore finally got to the point. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Weasley did remove their daughter from the school, there may be a way for her to come back. The chances of success would be slim, but he wanted me to know regardless. When I asked what that idea was, Dumbledore chose to remain silent. I guess that was to be expected. Dumbledore does use a lot of riddles to express his point, so why should this time be any different?

While none of this was my fault, I can't help but feel responsible for my friend's outcome. I should have done more and noticed that she wasn't acting like her normal self since the first day. But no. I had to sulk and just assume she was constantly mad at me and Hermione for everything. How could I have been so stupid? She was never like that before ever. I know her to be a sweet, sensitive, and downright amazing girl. If I could have just stopped and thought about it for one second, then she would still be here.

It wasn't her fault for opening the Chamber of Secrets! Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are absolutely wrong about what their daughter was going through. How would they have fared if they were the ones possessed by Voldemort? I'm guessing they wouldn't have lasted anywhere near as long! Besides, that diary was pure evil. Even I could sense how dark it was. Didn't that mean the Weasleys could as well? Those blind fools are going to lose their daughter in the end, and maybe then, they'll see the error of their ways! I wasn't going to hold my breath, however.

I was starting to get a little uncomfortable in the headmaster's office while thinking about her, so I asked to leave. As I was about to walk out of Dumbledore's office, the headmaster told me to wait. The old wizard almost forgot to give me something. He reached inside his desk and gave me a letter from her. It apparently came with a gift because the envelope was heavy. I opened the letter and read what was written down.

I could scarcely believe what I read. I already knew that her parents had withdrawn her from Hogwarts, but to learn that they blamed me for their daughter's corruption made my blood boil. How was any of this my fault? Tom was the one using her, but the Weasleys decided it would be better to blame it all on me instead. It figures they would do such a thing because their minds apparently label all Slytherins as evil. The letter continued to say it may be a long time before we see each other again, and I had expected this. Her parents were going to do everything possible to keep us apart. At the bottom, she signed her name and gave a final mention that she would never forget me and hopefully someday we can be with one another soon.

When the letter finished, I looked inside the envelope to see what was given to me. The gift made my heart sink. I saw the phoenix flower bracelet that I made for her almost a year ago. With my emotions in distress, I clutched the bracelet in my hand as I walked out of Dumbledore's office complete in silence. I didn't tell anyone what she had said to me in that letter. Not even Hermione. I know I made a promise to Dumbledore to not mention what was discussed in his office, but I still wouldn't have told Hermione anyway. When I arrived in my dorm room, I finally put the bracelet on my right hand. I stored the letter away for safe keeping so that I could always read it. I've read that letter at least once a day ever since then.

September 3rd, 1993:

I've only been a few days back at Hogwarts, and I'm already getting the feeling that this year is going to be extremely dangerous for not only me, but for most of the other students as well. Some lunatic in the Ministry of Magic thought it would be a good idea to bring the foul creatures known as Dementors into the school to keep a lookout for Sirius Black, the mass murderer who escaped Azkaban prison. Those things make me shiver with fear. I've heard from our newest professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus Lupin, that Dementors make you relieve your worst nightmares, and in some cases, suck out your soul from a kiss. I believed him since it already happened to me.

At some point during our train ride, we were unexpectedly stopped and everything turned cold. The lights stopped working and all of us were surrounded by darkness. Then, from out of nowhere, a boney hand pulled our compartment door open and we could all feel the creature's presence. The Dementor focused most of its attention on me and I could feel him trying to suck out my life force. I was saved by Professor Lupin after he muttered some kind of spell. I, unfortunately, relived the experience of seeing my parents die when I was only one year old. The last thing I remember before I woke up was my mother screaming from the pain.

Professor Lupin explained that Sirius Black is the reason why the Dementors were on the train and would be around the school. He claimed it was for our protection but I don't think anyone would be safe with those creatures around. I have no idea why Sirius Black would even bother to come to Hogwarts anyway. Hogwarts is extremely safe for us because of all the security wards around the castle. Or at least it should be. That's what Dumbledore says anyway. To imagine someone getting in past the wards of the school is ridiculous to fathom. Then again, crazier things have happened around here. In my first two years of school a possessed professor tried to resurrect Voldemort, and then the memory of Tom Riddle tried to come back to life. I guess fighting a Dementor is going to be the crazy thing that happens this year. Either that or Sirius Black will kill me somehow.

The next two days passed by pretty quickly. Nothing much happened on either day, except for this morning when Ron received some mail from his parents. I could tell that he was excited to get this mail, and when he opened it up he ran right over to Hermione and me to show what it was. He then threw the item near our seats at the Slytherin table.

"Told you!" Ron exclaimed at me. He then sat down in front of the both of us with a huge smirk on his face.

My sister and I looked at what Ron was talking about. Wow, I guess I was wrong. Ok, let me back up. On the train, Ron said that his family won a contest over the summer for one thousand galleons, and they used that money to go on a trip to Egypt to visit Bill Weasley, the oldest son. Since they won the contest, the Weasleys were pictured in the Daily Prophet. That's the item that Ron threw at us by the way.

The picture in the paper is not entirely what I am referring to though. I believed Ron when he said their picture was in the Daily Prophet, but the other claim about it sounded maddening to me. On the train, Ron stated that the Chudley Cannons Quidditch Team were having a skirmish match not far away from their picture location. You could see the faint shapes of brooms and players near the upper horizon. In case that wasn't enough, the next page of the Daily Prophet detailed how the Chudley Cannons had taken a short vacation in Egypt before their upcoming match at the time.

Naturally, Hermione and I didn't believe him, so we scoffed the idea as Ron trying to show off. Ron kept persisting it was true, however, and eventually, I gave in and bet him five galleons that this was exaggerated. It seems we were both wrong, however, since Ron just provided the proof. Great. Now I'm out five galleons.

September 20th, 1993:

I am constantly being followed by Kaitlynn Weiss. She's the first year girl that was sorted into Hufflepuff at the end of the sorting ceremony. She was also the same girl who reminds me of "her" thanks to the noticeable freckles and vibrant red hair. Yes, it's still hard to say her name.

Ever since the second day of school, I've found Kaitlynn around a lot more than I should. It took a week or so, but I started to pick up on her habits of following me. It also helped that her shoes were incredibly noisy. It was starting to get a little irritating that she was becoming almost like a shadow. A few days ago I decided to put an end to this, and confront her about following me.

At first, Kaitlynn denied it but told the truth when she saw that I was not kidding around. When she admitted to following me, I asked why. She told me her name and explained that she had never met a celebrity before. That made me a little-pissed off. I can't stand it when people gawk at me for being famous. I realized that she is a little girl and probably doesn't know any better, but I don't want this kind of attention from anyone. I told Kaitlynn that I was not going to let her continue to follow me, or I would report her to Professor Sprout. She seemed sorry and went on her way after that.

The second Kaitlynn left I felt bad for her. I know I had just told her to stop following me, but she seemed sweet. Maybe I'll talk to her again when I get over the fact that she only saw me as a celebrity. I could use more friends that see me as just Harry Potter instead of Harry Potter: the Boy-Who-Lived.

I tried to stay focused on school work for the last few weeks, and not just wallow in my own depression all the time. I think Hermione noticed my actions because she would often give me a smile that clearly hinted as saying: "I'm proud of you, Harry.". On the surface, I was doing my best to stay attentive and just put my best foot forward. It wasn't working. Whenever I'm alone, I just try to sleep off my feelings. It never works.

November 1st, 1993:

Something really scary happened last night, and this time it didn't happen to me! Look I know that was a little rude, but you have to admit that I am attracted to danger even if I don't go searching for it. The incident happened last night in the Gryffindor Common Room of all places. Apparently, Sirius Black had found a way inside the Hogwarts Castle and tore up the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. I don't understand. Why would he even bother going there if I was his target? It was pretty much common knowledge that I was in Slytherin, thanks to the stupid Daily Prophet, and my house common room is in the dungeons underneath the castle. Ok the more I talk like this, the more it makes me sound like I have a huge ego. Just deal with it for now.

Anyway, Sirius Black was able to escape with something from the Gryffindor Common Room. It turns out that the Weasley Twins, Fred and George, had a special piece of parchment called The Marauder's Map. When activated by a certain phrase, the map revealed its contents and showed an entire layout of the school. With the map, you could see anyone at any place in the castle no matter what they were doing. Along with that, the map could also show every single passageway and secret exits out of the castle. Now while this map is pretty interesting, it's extremely worrisome that it's now in the hands of that murderous psychopath.

You're probably wondering why I know any of this. The answer is simple. The Weasley twins told me. Since I was getting along pretty well with Ron, the twins warmed up to me a little. Percy is still lost to me because he always gives me a look that reads "You're nothing more than pond scum". I do try to talk to him sometimes, but he always ignores me. It's completely obvious he will never see me as anything more than a snake worshiper. Fine Percy. I never liked you anyway.

The really strange thing was that Sirius Black was originally trying to go after a pet rat that was owned by Ron Weasley. Ron noticed that Black kept asking for Scabbers over and over again, but he refused to hand over the family pet. As soon as other students started to arrive, Black escaped but took that special map with him on the way out. Why did he want Scabbers? Was he just hungry or something and wanted to eat the rat? I'm sure staying in prison made him insane and he just broke in looking for whatever he could find. Man, this guy is a sicko.

Regardless of what happened, Dumbledore ordered an evacuation of the dormitories and made all of the students stay in the Great Hall for the night. We were told to sleep in sleeping bags and that classes would be canceled tomorrow. While that was nice of him no one felt safe because we were all on high alert. A serial killer somehow getting into the castle tends to make people nervous. Also not to mention that Sirius Black took the Marauder's Map, and it doesn't matter now if Hogwarts was on lockdown. So if anything it was probably a better option for us to go to class so we wouldn't keep thinking about what happened last night. That's just my opinion anyway. Hermione actually agreed with me and was a little shaken up from last night too. We both decided not to mention our thoughts to the other professors because surely everyone would hate us if we get all the students to go back to classes on a day off.

Over the past few weeks, Kaitlynn and I have become better acquainted with one another. Like before, I found her sneaking behind me a lot and then cornered her one day about it. Instead of telling her off like I promised to do last time, I decided to hear her out.

"Okay, Kaitlynn. Why are you following me around? I told you if you did this again I would report you to Professor Sprout." I asked.

"Harry, please don't do that. I know I'm not supposed to follow you around but I wanted to thank you in person. I just couldn't do it because I was afraid, so I followed you instead." Kaitlynn admitted.

"Thank me? Why would you want to do that?"

"Last year my parents were convinced that going to Hogwarts was a bad idea. The Daily Prophet was reporting that students in Hogwarts were being petrified and no one was stopping it. They even had the nerve to blame you for it all!"

"Yeah, I remember. I can't stand reporters."

"Yeah, I guess you would, Harry. Anyway, I was sure that I would not be attending school up until a few months ago when you killed the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone found out about it, Harry. I'm not sure who leaked the story, but I'm glad they did. It was a complete surprise to see you defeat that monster in the Chamber, and because they knew you would be here to watch out for all of us, my parents agreed to let me come to school." Kaitlynn admitted while acting a little shy around me.

"Well … um … that's great Kaitlynn, but I didn't do anything to get you here. You shouldn't be thanking me for being accepted to Hogwarts." I said while trying to sound confident on the outside, but on the inside, I felt like I was being praised too much.

"Yes I do, Harry! You proved to everyone that Hogwarts is safe again. The dangers of the school are now gone." Kaitlynn stated to me.

"I suppose, but now there are Dementors everywhere. How is this safer than the Basilisk?"

"Harry, Dementors only attack someone who has something to hide, or those that have painful memories. So we should be fine."

I just started to realize why the Dementor attack affected me so much. There were a ton of painful memories from my past. These were not just from Voldemort, but from my loving relatives as well. I need to stay away from these monsters at all cost.

"Thanks for the tip, Kaitlynn."

Kaitlynn and I have met often each week after that. It got easier each time to talk to her since she was slowly getting over my fame. I now consider her like another sister; one that isn't constantly trying to get me to study every minute of the day. Don't tell Hermione that. I'm glad I know her, but I fear for her safety. She's only eleven years old and people that are associated with me tend to get hurt or die. I don't think her parents would be very understanding if they were to find out that their daughter died because of me.

January 2nd, 1994:

Ever since Halloween, Sirius Black hasn't tried to get into the castle. That was surprising since he has a tool that basically allows him to get in undetected. I'm guessing Dumbledore decided to add more wards to Hogwarts, and he did add more Dementors than usual. If I ever do work for the Ministry of Magic, the first thing I'm doing is banishing those wretched things. I know how horrible they are since they made me relive the deaths of my parents earlier this year.

I decided to stay with Hermione at the castle for Christmas. Even though Dumbledore could have just made the Dursleys our slaves again, we both decided not to abuse this power and only reserve that for the summers. It would have been really funny though to have personal slaves at Christmas time. I can see it now: a warm fire, Hermione and I having fun in the snow, and Uncle Vernon waiting on me hand and foot while I use Dudders as a footstool. Maybe next year.

Christmas was actually pretty great for me. I got a great present from Hermione: a copy of Hogwarts, A History. Ha! Yeah right. She would never give me that. Actually, I got a special kind of remembrall. Normally a remembrall lets you know if you have forgotten something, hence the term, but it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten. The little ball I got was different because, on top of what it already does, the item was enchanted to let me know what exactly I had forgotten. For example, if I forgot to do my homework, the remembrall would tell me in my head that I forgot to do the assignment for potions class. I have no idea how Hermione got this ball to tell me all these things, but I was extremely grateful that I got this gift. Oh, she also got me some chocolate frogs. Almost forgot about that.

My gifts for Hermione were not as impressive as hers to me. I'm ashamed to say that all I could get her was chocolate frogs, a new quill, color changing ink, and a rare book about magical plants from other countries. Neville helped me with that last one. She seemed happy and did thank me profusely, but it wasn't nearly enough for her in my opinion. She deserves much more.

After opening presents, we had a few hours of fun in the snow. Then before it got too dark, Hermione led me over to an area that could see the top of the shrieking shack. I wonder what that house looks like up close. Maybe Hermione and I can check it out before this year is over.

The rest of the day was pretty dull. We both went down for dinner and sat with a few of our other classmates that stayed behind. During dinner, Professor Trewlany shrieked about there being thirteen people at the table and someone would die. Yeah right. She really is an old fraud. Hermione heard her as well and rolled her eyes in annoyance towards the crazy teacher. I'm glad I dropped her class.

There wasn't a lot of people who stayed behind during the holidays. I wasn't surprised considering that most people aren't like Hermione or I. They actually have families or loved ones who actually care about their well being. I know it's terrible to say, but its times like this when I wish I wasn't alive to feel all this pain. No, I'm not going to kill myself. I could never do that to Hermione, or Ron, or Neville and ... yeah.

My parents died trying to save me, and I got stuck with my abusive relatives. Hermione's parents deserted her just for being different and she had no way of supporting herself until Dumbledore came in and offered some assistance. Why us? Why did we have to endure these kinds of lives? I don't understand, and I'm sure I never will. Even though my parents gave their lives for me, I can't help but feel that I'm being scrutinized for living instead of them. Most of the professors in the school have said at least once, how I look like my Dad and have mentioned my Mum also. But every time I learn something, the person I hear it from gets sad and eventually becomes distant during our conversations. It was really starting to get on my nerves.

I guess the most surprising person I learned information about Mum was from Snape. Who would have guessed that they were childhood friends? Apparently, they had a falling out because Snape said some hurtful things to her before she started dating Dad, and it damaged their friendship.

I can't imagine how things would have turned out if Snape didn't insult Mum. Could he have been my father instead? I don't think I would be comfortable with that. Snape is great and all, but there are times where he stares at me with some hatred in his eyes as if I did something to upset him. Thankfully he's never yelled at me or has got on my case unless I blew up a potion or something. Someday I'll ask him why he gives me that look, but not any time soon. He's a pretty great guy though. It could be that I'm just biased since he's my heard of the house.

Right after the winter holidays started, I was asked by Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, to see him in his office. I was scared at first since I hadn't ever been asked to come to a teacher's office during a break. Not even during the short Easter break. I thought that I did something wrong at first. I liked his class and he had interesting homework too, but I never acted out. Maybe he wanted to commend me instead? Nope. I was wrong. Putting one foot in front of the other, I shortly joined Professor Lupin in his office.

December 20th, 1993:

"Ah, Harry! Thank you for coming. Please take a seat." said Remus Lupin.

"No problem, professor. What did you need to see me for?"

"Well, Harry, I wanted to apologize. I could have come and talked to you sooner, but I could never find the right time."

"I talk to you all the time in class, professor. I don't understand what you mean."

"No no, Harry. This has nothing to do with academics. We are on winter break, and I'll not have anyone in this room discuss school work. Also, Harry, we aren't in class, so please feel free to call me Remus."

"Okay, Remus. What did you need to see me for exactly?"

"I am not sure if you are aware, Harry, but I was a close personal friend of your parents. I heard from Hermione that you don't know much about them. Is this true?"

My first reaction was to scowl. I didn't want Hermione to start blabbing about my personal history to professors around the school without telling me.

"Actually that's not entirely true, prof … I mean Remus. Almost every teacher here has said something to me already about Mum and Dad." I said with some bitterness in my voice.

"Hermione didn't tell me simply to betray your trust, Harry. It turns out she found a plaque that mentions your dad, myself, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew and wanted to know about it. After seeing it, she happened to mention that you don't know much about your own parents. Now tell me, Harry, is there anything you want to know about James or Lily from me?"

"I could spend hours asking questions about my parents, and I would never be satisfied. I would always want to know every single detail, every flaw, every moment you could ever remember about them, but it would never be enough. They're dead and never coming back. Then after they died I was dropped off at a house that neither loved or cared about me at all. I feel if did learn more about Mum and Dad, I wouldn't be happy. I would only ever feel more pain from their deaths. Not to be rude Remus, but I have no wish to learn anything more about Mum or Dad."

Remus Lupin looked like he had been slapped several times in the face after I told him that, but I don't care. As I said, I'm getting sick of people talk about my parents. It only hurts me because they're dead because of me.

"Oh. Well. I must say I thought this would be going a lot different than what actually happened. Is there nothing you want to know about them, Harry? Even if you say no now, you could always change your mind and ask later?"

"I thank you for the offer professor, but for right now no. I have no wish to be in more pain around the holidays, but maybe I'll ask about them later."

"Very well, Harry. Even though you did make it clear about your intentions, my door will always be open in case you want to talk. Also please remember to call me Remus." Professor Lupin expressed.

"Sorry, Remus. This will take some time to get used to. There is something I did want to know though."

"What's that, Harry?"

"What can you tell me about Sirius Black?"

"Sirius was a great friend, Harry. In school, he liked to prank others a lot, and somehow always had it easy with the ladies. He was your dad's closest friend, and it was hard to ever see one without the other. It disturbed me greatly when it was revealed he killed Lily and James. Not only that, but he killed another friend of ours, Peter Pettigrew, and thirteen muggles that very night. I honestly couldn't believe it myself."

"Why did he join Voldemort?"

"Back then, Harry, the world was a much darker place. Voldemort was in power, and he had a ton of followers who killed witches, wizards, and even muggles without a single thought. There was a group of us that stood against Voldemort, with Dumbledore as the leader, that gave the Dark Lord a run for his money. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough because more people were joining the Dark Lord every day, and we were often outnumbered. I think Sirius joined Voldemort because he felt we would lose, and eventually be killed. Joining the Death Eaters would be the only way he could save himself. Thankfully he was captured by the Aurors and sent to Azkaban for thirteen years."

"But none of that matters, Remus. Sirius Black escaped from prison a few months ago, AND he has the Marauder's Map! If he can get into Hogwarts undetected, how can anyone stop him?"

"While he is a slippery one, Sirius Black can't get past everything. I was a little angry with Dumbledore when he didn't make the castle more secure at the beginning of the year, but he has since corrected the problem. I'm surprised he even got into Gryffindor Tower before someone noticed him. As for the map, it's not going to do him any good unless he can get inside the castle at all. For now, don't worry about it."

"But why did he go into the Gryffindor Common Room at all? I thought it was common knowledge that I was sorted into Slytherin? The Daily Prophet definitely made sure that everyone knew afterwards."

"I'm not sure, Harry. Sirius was a jokester, a hit with the ladies, and a very intelligent young man. Details like this would not have escaped him when I was his friend. When we were at school the four of us were proud to be in Gryffindor, and so was your mother. I am guessing all the time in Azkaban twisted his mind into thinking you would be sorted into Gryffindor like your parents. It's the only thing that makes any sense to me"

"Okay, but why did he try to get ahold of Ron Weasley's pet rat?"

"I believe he was trying to go after another rat that could have looked like Peter." Remus saw that I was confused by what he said, so he explained that Peter was an animagus and his form was a rat.

The conversation seemed to die at that moment, so I took my leave from Remus' quarters. Before I left he wished me a Merry Christmas, and I returned the same gesture, even though I was not feeling particularly festive at the time.

I never sent anything to "her" for Christmas. I'm sure her parents would have found out and burned whatever I gave her on the spot. It was either that or they wouldn't let Hedwig return and keep her hostage. (Sigh) No, I don't think they would actually do that. I am willing to let her parents explain themselves before I get angry by their actions. I only wish I knew the reason why we are forcibly separated.

January 4th, 1994:

Classes have started up again today. Yesterday was the last day of winter break and most of the students had returned to the castle by lunch. There were a few stragglers who came in at the last moment, but no one seemed to mind. The prefects even seemed to be fine with the arrival of the final students. Classes don't seem to be any harder than normal which is great because it gives us a little time to take it easy from the break.

Hermione and me had double Potions Class this morning which was actually pretty good. Snape only gave us a simple review of the potions we made from the last term. We didn't even brew anything today. Charms class was the same; just a bunch of reviewing and studying from the previous term. We did some wand work and a few bits of demonstration of how to perform each spell. After lunch, I had begun to walk to my Ancient Runes class when Professor McGonagall found me and asked that I head to Dumbledore's office immediately. I wonder what was so important?

I climbed the endless amount of stairs leading up to the Headmaster's office. I was out of breath when I reached the top. There has got to be an easier way to get up there, but there was nothing I could do about it now. Maybe I'll mention this to Dumbledore when I see him. As I finally reached the top floor of the school, I found myself in front of the statue that blocked the entrance. It was then I realized McGonagall didn't give me a password to use. I was about to start guessing passwords but sighed in relief when the statue just opened on its own. Thank Godric.

I climbed the next set of stairs to the Headmasters office and reached his door about a minute later. I knocked on the door a few times, and was given permission to enter. When I opened the door, I realized that Dumbledore was not alone. There were a few people in the room that were older and both had … oh no.

"Welcome, Harry. Please have a seat and join us." Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Hello, sir." I said as I moved closer towards the older man and woman. I really didn't want to sit next to them. Their expressions were angry and they never took their eyes off of me. My anxiety was shooting to new heights because I knew who these people were even though we had never met, and I could only guess why they were here. I sat down in my chair and was unable to meet the eyes of the people next to me. I could feel their glares on me.

"Harry, I would like you to meet …" Dumbledore started to say but was interrupted by the older woman.

"This is YOUR fault you little brat! It's your fault this happened! I want you expelled from school immediately!" the older woman screeched at me.

"Molly calm down! We need his help and you know it!" the older man said to his wife.

"I don't care anymore! We Weasleys have never needed help from a dirty lying snake, and we aren't about to start now! There must be another way, Arthur!" Molly Weasley said.

I knew it. These two people were her parents. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that wouldn't go away. I have no idea what they could possibly want now.

"Mrs. Weasley please restrain yourself! You know there is no other way! We have exhausted every option and this is your last hope! I suggest you ask him for help!" Dumbledore said to Molly Weasley.

"But he's from Slytherin, Albus! All witches and wizards from Slytherin are pure evil. Just look at You-Know-Who and all who followed him!"

"Calm down, Mollywobbles! Harry is our last hope! Calm down so we can ask for his help!" Arthur Weasley said to his wife. Mrs. Weasley wisely decided not to speak.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Dumbledore said as he turned to me. "Well, Harry I bet you're confused as to why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are here, correct?"

"Yes, sir. I'm have no idea why I'm here."

"We have a problem, Harry, and we need your help. Over the break, it seems that Miss Weasley has gone missing. She …"

"Wait. What? Ginny is missing! What is going on here?" I thought.

"SHE'S GONE BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU DID THIS TO HER!" Molly Weasley yelled towards me.

"BE QUIET MRS. WEASLEY OR YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THIS OFFICE!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed with a ton of angered power in his voice that made the room shake a little bit. Mrs. Weasley stopped talking after that.

"As I was saying, Harry, Miss Weasley has been missing for several days. The Weasleys have used many options to try and find her, but have all been unsuccessful. We are down to our last hope, my boy. We feel that you are the key to finding Miss Weasley's whereabouts." Dumbledore said towards me.

"Please, Harry, you have to help us. We aren't particularly happy about this, but if it means getting our daughter back, then we have no other choice in the matter." Arthur Weasley stated to me.

"Ginny is missing? What happened to her? How long has she been gone? Was she taken?" I asked quickly.

"We don't know, Harry. Ginny has been missing for a week and we have no idea where she went. The aurors have found nothing, and that is not acceptable for us!" Mr. Weasley told me.

"We need to find her immediately! What can I do to help you?" I exclaimed.

"Since you and Miss Weasley are good friends, Harry, we need you to tell us everything you can about her. We think it's the key to find Miss Weasley and bring her back safely." Dumbledore stated. "Now we are going to ask you some questions, and we need you to be honest."

I nodded in response.

"Okay, Harry. Please tell us everything you know about Ginevra Weasley." Dumbledore asked.