Title: How to make friends and win a war
Author: Anonymous
Prompt Number: 10
Rating: T
Word Count: 5.3k~
Warnings: Dumbledore Bashing, MCD,
Summary: After the Tri-Wizard tournament and getting nothing from his friends over the summer Harry decides to go on the offensive rather than return to school for his fifth year. He wants names, he wants places, he wants to know how the other side functions and he's got the perfect way to find out, or so he thinks.
Author's Note: There are no, I repeat, NO horcruxes in this work of fandom. Also sorry prompter I know you wanted NC-17, but I'm sadly not to good at that, but I hope you like it anyway.

It had taken him days, weeks even to get to this point, but Harry was finally here. It had taken trailing after known members for a while until he found an unknown, or rather relative unknown, so they wouldn't be missed and then taking their place. He of course had to keep the other dark haired male close to know when he was summoned, but that had been easily solved by taking over the other male's house which had been far more simple than he thought it would have been. Here he was though in the house of his enemy ready to put into practice what he had spent last year working so hard on.

This wasn't his war and he had never wanted to be a part of it, but the tournament and the results of it made it clear he was being given no choice so Harry had spent the summer deciding what to do. Come time to return to hogwarts he had decided he didn't care what anyone thought he wasn't going back, he was being dragged into something and he was going to spend his time actually getting ready for it. He had been amused when he found the first paper and saw that the Ministry was dragging his name though the mud worse than the Dursleys ever had, or at least they were trying. The Minister really needed to take some lessons from his family it seemed he really wasn't very good at this, though somehow he didn't think Dumbledore was helping things.

Harry had been out of the house the night the Order came to get him, his oh so loving family had decided to lock him out when he had been out cleaning the lawn. Not that it mattered much to Harry he had decided to spend the night in the shed and heard most of the racket in the house from there, but hadn't bothered to inform them where he was. Not a thing all summer and then they thought he would just be all peaceful? Not bloodly likely. Harry had been pissed and after that had decided to once again find somewhere else to spend the rest of his summer. That was how he had ended up on the Knight Bus again and staying in the Leaky Cauldron and how he got said paper.

The mud slung at him did not make him happy, but it had only gotten worse when he had overheard the so called 'order of the phoenix' talking to Tom from under his cloak. Dumbledore thought he had been protecting him? He didn't know how Dumbledore thought he had so much control, but after last year well Harry wasn't sure who he could trust. It would be the day he should have left for the train that he got the news of Dudley and his friends being kissed by Dementors that finally made up his mind. He didn't know why his cousin had suffered such a fate, not even the Dursleys deserved that in his mind, but somehow he didn't think it was going to stop on its own. So Harry had decided and had come up with this plan.

He spent what should have been his fifth year at Hogwarts in the Leaky learning from Tom, from books, from any person in the Alley that would teach him. He was sure Hermione would have been proud of him, but didn't really care what she thought anymore, not by then, not when she hadn't written to him even once. None of his friends had written, well most, he got updates now and again from the Twins. He had managed to get messages to all of his friends saying he wasn't coming back this year, but couldn't explain and they had been the only ones to write back. So he took heart from their letters and told them in as vague of terms as he could about what he was learning, and he thought it cheered them some to hear about things he was doing.

If Harry had been at school he would have been there to save Arthur, but without the vision that he could have gotten things hadn't gone well and the eldest Weasley had died alone and remained undiscovered for several hours. But that was another Harry, this one had learned meditation of sorts from one of the people he had talked with over the summer because he was told it would help him to better control his magic. Neither Harry nor the Twins knew why Arthur had died, no one was tell them anything, and it spurred Harry on more and caused the Twins to rebel, they were living over their shop in Diagon Alley. Once he had learned they were so close Harry had been tempted to go visit them in person, but he had to be careful and he knew it. Dumbledore had sent more Order people after him and he had wondered if his messages to and from the Twins weren't being read so he had tested it telling them a time and place to meet him only to find the Order there and no Twins. After that meeting he had slipped a note into their store carefully as he could explaining what had happened and their letters and his became carefully worded after that.

It was seeing Tonks that had originally given Harry the idea of how to try and get somewhere with this. It had taken some testing, but he found what he was hoping for: Metamorphmagus abilities. He had wondered after seeing Tonks change her hair and remembering how his always used to be right back to this even if his aunt cut it and of course how he had never really needed a haircut. It had taken lots of work to get the ability worked out at all, but a plan had been forming before he had complete control, a plan to finally get some information.

Harry looked down at the mark on the older male's arm, they were being called. It would of course be easier if he was marked, but even if he could blend in enough for that he refused to do so. Steeling his resolve he turned himself into a copy of the man at his feet and was away, once more glad for the twins and their ability to find or make such remarkable things. It was them who came up with the band on his arm the one that let him follow the 'signal' from the Dark Mark back to the meeting. by linking to the one on the actual Death Eater.

Harry did his best to mimic the others and blend in, glad when he managed it enough to avoid punishment for apparently not finding himself. It seemed everyone was looking for him: the Minster, Dumbledore, and even the dark tosser. As the meeting broke up though with everyone being told to keep looking, he thought he had gotten away with it only to feel a hand on his arm which was joined by a voice far to close to his ear.

"You should not be here."

Harry couldn't help freezing at those words, he was sure the man he had taken was summoned, but had he somehow been wrong? What would that voice do with that knowledge? This was not a friend, they weren't even on proper speaking terms, so what would he do with the knowledge? But what if the man whose place he had taken was on good terms with the other man? What was he supposed to do?

"Keep walking Potter, unless you want to get caught."

Harry swallowed hard at those words, so he had been found. The other man wasn't talking to the person he looked to be but to the person he actually was. Forcing himself to walk Harry found himself pulled along by the other man the second they were outside and found himself falling on his face into a wooden flood. He quickly turned over and pushed himself onto his hands at stare at his most hated professor wondering what was going to happen now.

"You were lucky Potter. You escaped being caught because none of those people there tonight have had to watch you for years while you made blunder after pathetic blunder in class."

Harry swallowed hard once more. Had he really been that obvious? He hadn't thought so, but the look on Snape's face told him all he needed to know, it was that look that said he was being more of a dunderhead than normal or so his potions professor thought. "If you were the only one who saw me I can't have been too bad." he didn't know why he was even trying it never did him any good with the dungeon bat, but he couldn't help the snapped words.

"It wouldn't take them long. Edric doesn't wear glasses and has short hair. If you are going to be playing in things you shouldn't at least learn what you are doing first." Snape hissed at the boy on the ground "I suppose this is where you've been then? Off playing in things you shouldn't? I should take you directly to Dumbledore."

Harry had flenched at the hiss, but the look was quickly turned into one of fear at the mention of the Headmaster "NO!" he had yelled out before he could even think not to, but the look on Snape's face was nearly worth it. "I mean why does it matter where I am. He is just a headmaster at school, what makes him think he gets a choice in my life. I left the Dursleys and I've done fine so far, I'm never going back there and they won't miss me. I know I need to finish school but I can't…"

"Potter!." After only a short moment Severus already couldn't take the rambling and the look of fear had been unsettling "I don't need your excuses, your going to the Headmaster."

Harry reacted nearly without thought after so much practicing and activating the bracelet on his wrist he was gone before Snape could move.

The meeting with Snape had forced Harry to finally meet with the Twins in person deciding he would probably need someone to help him break habits. He hadn't even known what the Professor was talking about until the Twins pointed it out. He had a habit of pushing up glasses that weren't there and trying to run his hands though to short hair and it was giving him away. He was determined to fix it though and spent as much time as he could with George and Fred over the next days.

It was several days later when they were again summoned and off Harry went again, hoping that it would be enough. The Twins still caught him some, but they said he was lots better, so maybe it would be enough to get through this meeting without it being followed by another one with Snape. After several rounds of questioning and pain the meeting was over and somehow Harry had escaped unscathed once more, at least unscathed by the dark tosser, but again he found himself dragged over merlin only knew where. He stared up at Snape once more from the floor wondering if he would ever be able to manage to travel by magic and stay on his feet while the Potions Master gave him a sneer.

"Been working on it have you, but it still wasn't good enough and won't be. Even if you manage that you've still got that look on your face, the one that said you are a dunder head and don't belong. I don't know how you escape last time, but you should find it impossible this time and Dumbledore should be on his way."

No! Harry refused to go back! He had gotten better Snape said so himself! Harry gritted his teeth watching the older male unable to help narrowing his gaze. Snape didn't know how he had escaped last time so he had probably assumed it was a portkey or something, but would he have taken the twins into account? Somehow Harry didn't think so. Focusing his magic he reached out though the bracelet on his wrist for the matching one grinning at the dungeon bat when he realized no Snape hadn't considered the Twins. Hearing a pop Harry activated the magic in the metal grinning at Snape and Dumbledore as he disappeared once more.

Harry didn't know why, but somehow it was like this was a challenge now. Something set before him that he had been told he could never manage, and he had to do this. So back to Fred and George he went again for more help determined to break those habits that gave him away to the professor. They hadn't been sure what to offer for the 'look' as Snape called it and instead they told him to try to remember if Edric had always looked a certain way maybe. He hadn't come up with anything in specific by the time the summons came again so Harry knew he just had to return and hope again to not be caught.

These meetings were giving him more and more names. Name of people to avoid, of people to help, of people who could help him, and of just people in general. They were showing him the way the enemy functioned, or rather made him question how they did function. He wasn't sure how the dark tosser kept so many followers around with all the curses he tossed at them, but he was sure it had something to do with the Dark Mark. Harry thought he had been rather impressive this time, but apparently Snape didn't agree as he found himself once more staring up at the older male from his sprawl on the wooden floor.

"Better."

The word sounded forced, but Harry would take would he could get especially from Snape. His work with the twins was paying off it seemed, though he wasn't sure how much. He frowned up at the Potions Master remembering the last meeting and wondering how long before Dumbledore got here this time.

"You managed not to touch your hair or the glasses you don't have, but you still look out of place and that walk has your name all over it." Severus didn't know why he kept giving the boy these tips or how he kept using them to get better at this, he supposed he just couldn't let the boy be caught if he could help it. He didn't know how Potter kept escaping, though he did think he knew where he went to, but he knew he had to make the effort to keep him here now that he had found the boy.

Harry clenched his jaw and resisted the urge to demand to know what he meant, but knew better than to think he would get an answer even if he did. Still he stared at Snape until he heard the pop once more and Dumbledore appeared, that was his cue than. He activated the bracelet and was gone once more this time catching an odd look on Dumbledore's face before he disappeared.

Again Harry called on the Twins glad that they were willing to put up with all this. He didn't know if he would have lasted this long if he hadn't had them to talk to and he ignored the small part of his mind that told him that Snape was trying to help too. Even if he knew it was true, he wasn't about to give the dungeon bat any credit for all his hard work. He was the one who put in the hours of work to get decent at this.

The next summons came far quicker than Harry would have liked and he found himself nearly alone this time in front of Voldemort. Apparently he had a task for a small group and Harry or rather Edric was meant to be part of that group. This was one of the things he had feared when he came up with this plan, but he couldn't back out now, he would have to start all over again or find some way to keep Edric under control while he went to do what ever task neither of which he wanted to do. He followed the others, oddly wishing for once that Snape was here, but quickly pushed the thought away to focus. He knew what they were doing and he was sure going to do his best to prevent it, but how to do that without giving himself away?

As the small group appeared on the dim muggle street it hit him, Dumbledore. Harry resisted the urge to smirk and concentrating flared his magic hoping it would work, he didn't know for sure, but he had a suspicion that Dumbledore was watching him and to his mind the best way to do that would be his magical signature. Harry just hoped that it was the case and that Dumbledore was quick to get here with help.

Harry couldn't help being relieved when moments later he heard the sound of others and the first spell went right past his head. Forcing back the grin that it had worked he turned with the others firing spells at the gathering of Order members, or at least Harry thought that they were order members, and if he accidently stunned one of the others in his group well so long as no one noticed he was safe.

The battle didn't last long, but it was more than long enough. Harry found himself wounded as he quickly activated his bracelet and went back to Edric's home catching a glimpse of Snape and meeting the older male's gaze just as he disappeared.

The next day Harry oddly found himself missing his 'usual' meeting with Snape. When he realized he was having the thoughts though he quickly shoved them to the back of his mind realizing how stupid they sounded, missing Snape? He must have hit his head or had been spending too long playing at being Edric. What ever the reason he found himself distracted when Edric was summoned that night and hadn't been properly on guard or paying attention. He might have been ok if he hadn't been called on directly, but as it was his answer to the dark tosser cost him and for the first time in one of these meetings it was him writhing in pain.

He mentally cursed himself for his inattention as he was helped out of the room, and cursed himself again when he found himself sprawled once more on a wooden floor looking up at Snape. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to get himself out of here this time, not when his entire body felt on fire. Snape was oddly silent for a long moment though before helping him sit up enough to take a potion. It tasted like dirty socks smelled, but he felt the pain in his body easing.

"You can't get distracted if you plan to live."

Harry couldn't help flenching at the words, they were nearly whispered and somehow that just made it worse. He was used to the normal treatment from the potions master, not this … this whatever it was. Despite the urge to snap at the older male though he still couldn't manage it, some part of him was glad to be able to see him like this again instead of being on the other side of his wand like the previous night had ended. "What happened to the others?" Harry wasn't sure why he was asking, but some part of him wanted to know what had happened to the rest of the small group from the previous night.

"They were captured. They will probably be free again by the end of the day."

Harry couldn't resist the urge to snort at that "Does he even try? He catches them and then they get away again the next day." he resisted the urge to shake his head not sure how much the potion had actually helped. He didn't feel on fire anymore, but he wasn't sure what would happen when he tried to move. Still it did make him feel a bit better to see the look on Snape's face, the one that said he agreed even if he wasn't about to say as much. Sighing he let his eyes close "No other comments this time?" he couldn't help prodding for them, he didn't know why, but he needed this challenge.

"This is the first time Edric has suffered that curse, so no your distraction made it believable. I will warn you that I doubt he could fight the Imperius though."

He only just managed to resist the urge to groan at that, how was he supposed to pretend that one if the dark tosser tried it? Before he could even think to ask he hear the pop and knew without looking that Dumbledore was here "Guess that's my cue again." he grumbled, missing the slight smirk on Snape's face at the words with his eyes closed, before quickly activating his bracelet.

Over the next days Harry once more found himself visiting the twins, but this time it was full of complaints about Dumbledore and once he even found himself telling them he wished he could see Snape sooner. He didn't entirely realize he had said the former, but the latter he couldn't help not with the latest information from Snape namely knowing they would be free again soon. He knew he would have to be glad for it when he saw them again, but right now Harry could be and was pissed about the whole thing.

Standing at the next meeting more than a week and a half after the 'botched' plan to kill the muggles Harry found himself nervous. He didn't know how he knew, but he was sure that Severus wasn't here and he didn't like it. Had he been found out? The dark tosser hadn't said anything about it, but well he had learned in these weeks of watching that his royal darkness didn't say much of anything about anything. And at that though Harry had to force back a snicker as he decided that was his favorite name so far for the snake man.

He blinked forcing himself back to the meeting at hand and the random news on death being spouted his royal darkness. He could think on Severus and names later, for now he had to pay attention especially as he very suddenly realized it was him being called. Ambush the train? Well that wasn't good and Severus wasn't here so he couldn't pass it on. Wait he wasn't here, did that mean Voldemort really didn't trust him? Did he want Severus on the other side?

Harry found his mind running faster than he could hope to keep up with. The second they were dismissed he was gone and heading for the twins. He knew it was late and that they were probably sleeping, but he had to talk to someone now!

Harry found himself pacing in the twin's room for some time after relaying everything from that night. Eventually they forced him to go back to Edric's house, but he just found himself pacing again once he got there. Harry wasn't sure how long he ended up pacing and worrying and honestly being tempted to go drag up the real Edric for some stress relief, but he eventually passed out dead asleep when he paused for a moment in a chair.

Harry tried hard to remain where he needed to be, but as the passed he kept getting more and more wound up. He needed to move, needed to work, needed to do something! It was maddening and it made him tempted to go straight to his royal darkness and tell him exactly what he had been doing these past months. He knew it was a 'dunderhead' move, but the urge was there all the same if for no other reason than to give himself something to do.

When the summons finally came Harry couldn't have more glad of anything in his life. He didn't want to be anywhere near Voldemort, he didn't want to be near the Death Eaters, and he didn't want to be in this little 'raid' but he had to go along with it at least some. He wasn't sure if there was a way to force him out of his shape, but he did know that his royal darkness didn't take well to failure and he doubted he would take any better to a traitor.

Sighing Harry was off to the meeting and very soon on the train platform, for the first time he found himself glad of the robes and masks the Death Eaters wore. When things got bad it would give him a chance to take some of the others out and then hide by disappearing into the crowd, or at least he hoped it would.

The wait wasn't a long one, but it was an unexpected one. They were supposed to arrive the same time as the train, but the train ended up being oddly late and the longer they stood there the more twitchy Harry found himself becoming. It wasn't a good feeling, this waiting, if only because he knew the more they waited the more twitchy the others would become and that could turn out very bad for the kids.

Finally the train was there though and Harry nearly felt his heart stop as the first person got off the train. What was he doing here? A glance at the dark tosser said this wasn't part of the plan and suddenly he knew, they had forced the older male's hand and the only thing Harry could think of was 'please don't die'.

Harry didn't know how long they fought on that train platform, the professors trying to take down the Death Eaters, the Death Easters trying to take out the professors, and him the the 'middle' trying not to get got by the professors and to take out some Death Eaters while not looking like he was doing so. It was more than a bit annoying and Harry was nearly ready to blow his cover when out of the corner of his eye he saw Severus go down, but he forced himself not to give in. He knew the potions master was strong and have lived though plenty, he could live through what ever this was.

The glee filled cackle from Bellatrix was more than Harry could take though, especially with her added taunting, and he made special effort to get her taken out. The Death Eaters were considerably thinner in numbers as they retreated and Harry truly did pull a dunderheaded move. He wanted this over and he wanted it over now! The second he had his feet he cast the first spell that came to find against Voldemort grinning under his 'borrowed' death eater mask at the look on the dark tosser's face when their spells collided. He had to win this time, he couldn't afford to let this go longer, there were too many being hurt because of this mad man and Harry would take him down before he could do more damage.

Harry didn't know why he was so sure he could and would win this time. Maybe it was all the days of watching the snake man and seeing how truly nasty he was. Maybe it was hearing a mad won cackling as she took down her supposed comrade in arms. Maybe he was just tired of all the pain and suffering. What ever the reason Harry knew he could win this fight and he was going to do it.

The second the fight was over Harry activated the bracelet and found himself as Edric's and despite his want to check on Severus he found himself passed out on the floor where he landed.

It was several hours later when he woke up again and managed to drag himself to see the twins knowing Fred and George would be the best place to get information. They were nearly giddy with happiness, in fact he hadn't seen them this excited since he gave them the money to start their shop two years ago now. It was actually rather nice to see after how down they had been, not that he didn't blame them for their lowered mood after what happened, but it just seemed unnatural for the twins to be sad. The story going around was that Edric had killed Voldemort and that the remaining Death Eaters were looking for him, it made Harry chuckle. He hadn't planned to move the 'blame' to another person, but it worked for him and it meant he could let Edric go now and would not have to worry about the other male. He didn't wish death on Edric, but if hunting him kept him and the other former Death Eaters quite Harry would take it.

The party, if you could properly call it that, was nearly two weeks later at Hogwarts. It was a mostly somber affair, but there was plenty of cheer and lots of spirits the former mostly supplied by the twins and their antics the latter passed around to drown out the pain. Harry wasn't sure how many drinks he had had when he finally got around to talking to Severus, but it was at least three though he didn't think he was enough to really impair him or his judgement yet. Either way he didn't care as he looked at the potions master "I'm glad you're safe." he informed the older male "I made sure to take her down, she wasn't nearly as smart as she thought she was." the grin that came with his words was a little twisted, but considering he had spent two years living alone and interacting with virtually no one other than Death Eaters, he could be forgiven for some oddness.

It was alot easier than Severus thought it would be to ignore the looks being sent their way from various sources. He knew he was one of only three people to know the truth behind the Dark Lord's death and felt rather smug in that knowledge too. As he listened to Harry talk he couldn't help wanting to be out of here, away from everyone else, somewhere where they could be alone. He didn't know how what seemed like simple conversations had caused him to see the green eyed youth differently, but somewhere in the midst of trying to keep the boy alive he had found himself trying to learn more.

Harry wouldn't say he knew a lot about the older male, but he did want to learn. After what they had been though he knew it would be worth it.

Fred and George watched Harry and Snape sneak out of the party grinning at several people around the hall as they collected their winnings. Ok so maybe it might have been a slight bit wrong to bet on them getting together, but the reactions for even suggesting it had been to funny to turn down. It really was a shame no one else had talked to Harry since he disappeared or they might not have questioned. Despite the grins though some of those same people would still be losing more money when Snape and Harry didn't turn up at any meals the next day, and while the twins could only guess at what the pair was doing in Snape's rooms for so long they sure planned to tease Harry about every second of it being naughty.