Omnia vincit amor, et nos cedamus amori

Love conquers all things, let us yield to love.

-Virgil

Author's note: If it even needs to be said on a fanfiction site, all characters/world, etc. belongs to J.K. Rolling. A note on canon, this is canon for the first two books except for the following. Time turners don't exist. Time turners are a lot like having two wives. It sounds full of possibilities, but then you think about all the drama and headaches they create (cough, cursed child, cough). Time travel plots are best left to scifi friends, and it never made since that such a powerful item would be needed by every student wanted to take more classes. That would mean Bill and Percy would have had one (both had 12 O.W.L.s; transfiguration, herbology, potions, charms, DADA, Astronomy, History of Magic, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Divination, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures), so the idea that this wouldn't be possible for Hermoine without a time tuner is, well, sloppy. I'll update this note later if I have other canon changes prior to book 3 as I write. - NM

Chapter 1: Blood Wards Broken

Harry Potter sighed as the train came to a stop. His last term was far from ideal. First, he had been accused of being the heir of Slytherin, and then he found himself fighting a 50 ft. basilisk in a hidden chamber under the school. He had saved Ginny but it nearly cost him his life, having been bitten by said Basilisk, and coming face to face with the memory of a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle: The boy who would become Voldemort. Now he would be going back to the Dursleys, the only living relatives he had who, incidentally, hated him. As they all disembarked from the train, they decided to go in pairs out of the platform through the barrier as to not attract too much attention. First to go were Percy and his girlfriend Penelope, then Fred and George, followed by Hermione and Ginny and lastly, Harry and Ron.

Emerging from the barrier, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley beaming at him. She gave him a bone crushing hug

"Thank you again for what you did for Ginny, dear boy. I'm so proud of you."

Harry had no idea how to react to that, in all his time with the Dursleys they never once told him they were proud of him.

"Er thanks, Mrs. Weasley" Harry replied stiffly.

Harry looked over at Ginny who was standing next to her mother, looking at her feet. He felt so bad for her, she had been possessed by a young Tom Riddle, had him in her mind, Harry could only imagine how terrible it must have been. Harry considered her for a moment, Riddle had said that she poured out her insecurities to him, her desire to be Harry's friend but not being able to approach him, and the heartache this caused. Harry decided right then and there that he wasn't going to make Ginny feel like this again. The Weasleys treated him like family, and he had not been overly friendly towards Ginny. Ron had treated her like an annoying little sister and Harry had gone along with this as he didn't want to quarrel with Ron, but now, looking at her, feeling terrible about what happened, Harry knew this would have to change.

Harry walked over to Ginny and spoke to her softly "Ginny, I um…well, after what happened last year, with Tom…If you'd like to write me over the summer you can…I'm sure you need a friend. I've had to face Voldemort before…I'm not saying I know how you feel, but well, if you need to talk about it, you can write me anytime."

Ginny looked him, ran towards him and kissed him on the cheek and then quickly stepped away blushing so much that her skin looked the same colour as her flaming red hair.

"Th-thanks Harry, for you know, everything."

Ron was staring at his sister looking somewhat bemused, Hermione smiling at Harry, touched that he was trying to help.

Ron walked over to his sister and tried to maneuver her away from Harry. "Come on Ginny,stop bothering him."

"Ron it's okay, and I mean it, Ginny, you can write anytime." Harry replied. "well anyway, have a good summer" and he walked away towards his uncle.

After Harry and his uncle got into the car his uncle looked back at him with a sneer.

"Who was that little freak girl who kissed you, that skinny little harlot"

"She's not a freak and she's not a harlot, she's my best mate's sister. There was some trouble at the school and she and I almost died. I rescued her."

"Don't lie boy." Yelled Uncle Vernon as he reached back to smack his head. "Rescued her? Absurd, more likely you were fooling around with her and came up with some excuse and they believed you, you fucking pervert."

Harry thought about answering this but then realized that it was a futile effort, and would only result in a fat lip if he were lucky. Uncle Vernon was not likely to believe Harry about the diary or the basilisk, the hidden chamber or his being a parselmouth, despite having firsthand experience with the later the summer before Harry's first year when Harry accidentally set a python lose on Dudly. Vernon turned on the radio and didn't speak another word to Harry on the entire trip back to Privot Drive.

Harry's summer was starting out as dreadful as usual. Upon arriving home his uncle locked up his trunk so he wouldn't do any magic, which he knew Harry was not allowed to do away from school anyway, or send any letters to his "nasty little friends" or his "red-headed whore." After a few nights, Harry snuck downstairs and picked the lock on the cupboard to get a few text books and his ink and parchment. He had planned to do this once things had settled down, but he knew Ginny needed to hear from him, so he did it sooner than he would have otherwise. Harry stowed these in a floorboard that was loose in his bedroom and would work on his summer homework in the dead of night with a torch. After about a week Uncle Vernon allowed Harry to release Hedwig in the evenings as her constant screeching was driving him mad. That night Harry wrote letters to Ron and Hermione. He told them them about his liberation of his ink and parchment and schoolbooks (this would make Hermoine very cross that he picked the lock and happy that he was studying, and Ron very puzzled as to why he would work so hard to do homework while at the same time impressed he had picked the lock without magic) and his frustration with his relatives. Then he cleared his desk and wrote a letter to Ginny.

Dear Ginny:

I hope you are doing well, as well as can be expected. I didn't talk about Riddle much at the end of term as there were other people around and I didn't think you wanted to talk about it in front of others. Are you alright? I can only imagine having that monster in your head. It bothers me enough to know that something of Voldemort is inside me allowing me to speak parselmouth. Oh I forgot, I asked the headmaster why I can speak parselmouth and he said Voldemort has some weird connection to me, makes me feel dirty. Anyway, you don't have to go into any details or talk about it at all for that matter, I'm not trying to pry, I just want to let you know that I'm sorry I wasn't there for you last year. Riddle told me how you talked to the diary about how you wish you could talk to me and be my friend. I am ashamed that I didn't make more of an effort. Ron was always dismissing you as his baby sister and I didn't want to say anything as you know how his temper gets and I didn't want him or the twins to take the mickey out on you. Had I known how much pain you were in I would have told him to sod off and talked to you more. Would it be alright if we became better friends? I want you to know you can always talk to me about whatever.

Your friend,

Harry.

Harry tied the letters to Hedwig and sent her off. The next day was terrible. After fixing breakfast his aunt Petunia gave him a load of chores to do. His lunch consisted of some stale bread and cold soup, it was almost as if his aunt wanted to make up with two months of starvation for his ten months of being well fed. After dinner at which Harry was given cold toast while they ate steak and baked potatos, Harry went to bed exhausted and hungry. Dispite his hunger and fatigue, his spirits were soon lifted. Hedwig flew into his room with a reply from Hermoine, and moments later Errol, the poor old owl belonging to the Weasleys, flew in and collapsed with two letters tied to his foot. Harry removed the letters and put Errol in Hedwig's cage to get a drink from the water tray. Hermoine was indeed pleased that Harry was doing his homework, Ron teased him about doing his homework and writing to his baby sister "watch it, Harry, don't lead her on, you know she's obsessed with you mate." Harry also saw Ginny's reply. For some reason, he had butterflies in his stomach, he dismissed this as nerves that she might not want to talk about the experiences with Riddle.

Dear Harry,

Thank you for writing to me. You have no idea how much it means to me to have someone I can talk to who isn't going to judge me about last summer. I tried talking to Ron and my parents, but they all talk to me like a small child. I guess it's the curse of being the youngest. Harry, I'm so scared. I have nightmares every night. I didn't have a chance to tell you, but Tom hurt me. He showed me things, things I didn't want to see, things between boys and girls. Sometimes he used you in these visions to taunt me... I am so ashamed. It's so much easier writing this to you rather than speaking it. I was sure you'd stop speaking to me if I told you, but you said I could tell you anything. He also made me dream about him, doing terrible things to me. I would cry in the dream and he would just laugh. He told me that I couldn't go to anyone, that I was as good as a slag and they would all hate me.

I can't tell mum, she would cry and make me feel even worse. Harry, please forgive me, I feel so violated. At one point last year I thought about…jumping from the Astronomy Tower, just to make it stop. I would wake up covered in blood and rooster feathers and when the attacks started, Harry I thought it might be me and I wanted to die. Last night I thought about hurting myself again, and then I saw Hedwig, Harry I'm so glad you wrote, it was light a ray of sunshine at the end of a storm. But I'm scared, scared you will be disgusted with me for what Tom made me see… I understand if you don't want to talk to me, but I had to tell someone. Please forgive me?

Hoping we're still friends,

Ginny.

Harry set down the letter in shock. All at once he had several feelings: Shame that he hadn't talked to Ginny earlier and stopped her from writing in that cursed diary, anger at Tom Riddle, and disgust. Not at Ginny, but that a sixteen-year-old boy would be so cruel to do that to an eleven-year-old girl. It made Harry sick. He starting writing a reply right away, forgetting that his aunt and uncle would still be awake.

Dear Ginny,

I am disgusted, but not with you. I am disgusted with Tom, that he would try to pervert an eleven-year-old girl. I'm so sorry that this happened. Tom...he violated you, forced you to see things. You did nothing wrong! It was all a sick game played out by that monster. Ginny, what I mean to say is that I still want to be your friend, I don't blame you or think less of you, and reading your letter makes me so angry at Voldemort. I wish I could visit y

Harry never got to finish his letter. His uncle had heard the scratch of his quill and had burst into his room.

"BOY, I TOLD YOU NOT TO SEND ANY RUTTING LETTERS" Uncle Vernon bellowed as he ran into the room and punched Harry in the jaw. Uncle Vernon snatched up the letters and ran through them, stopping at Ginny's. His face went a shade of purple, and he glared at Harry and kicked him in the crotch, causing him to double over in pain. Then he read Harry's reply and moved over to him and backhanded him on the mouth busting his lip open, then punched him in the eye.

"YOU PERVERTED FREAK, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, GO LIVE WITH YOUR WHORE. SHE'S DONE WITH THIS TOM FELLOW EH? MAYBE YOU CAN GET SECONDS" he bellowed, before kicking a prostrate Harry in the gut and again in the face, breaking Harry's nose.

Harry's eyes flashed with anger as he began to stand, "SHE IS NOT A WHORE, DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT GINNY LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YOU FAT OLD FOOL"

Uncle Vernon moved to hit him again when all the sudden the window in his room shattered and violent streaks of energy lashed out at him, throwing him against the wall and leaving deep cuts in his face. Uncle Vernon was unconscious, laying on the floor with bright red blood pouring down his face from what looked like deep animal scratches on his face. Aunt Petunia heard the commotion and came into his bedroom. Upon entering she stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at her husband, on the floor with blood on his face, and at Harry, who was bleeding from his mouth.

"VERNON, WHAT DID HE DO?" she screamed as she ran to her husband. She turned to Harry, "YOU, GET OUT OF HERE BOY, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN."

"I'M GOING," shouted Harry, "I SUPPOSE IT WOULD'NT MATTER THAT HE BEAT ME FIRST?"

"GET OUT, NOW!"

"GlADLY YOU FUCKING BITCH"

Harry was getting his things from under the floorboard while Petunia wailed over her husband when a red letter arrived in a flash of fire. The letter rose into the air and Dumbledore's voice, magically amplified, bellowed "YOU WERE WARNED" and burst into flame.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT THAT OLD FREAK SAYS, LEAVE NOW. YOU ARE NO LONGER MY NEPHEW!"

Harry collected his letters, books and Hedwig's cage and went downstairs to get his trunk, his aunt still cursing at him from upstairs over an unconscious Uncle Vernon. He took out his wand, figuring the damage was done, and unlocked the cupboard with "alohamora" and took out his trunk. Dudley came downstairs and looked at Harry.

"What happened to your face?" Dudley asked.

"Your dad, though I got him back. I'm leaving, don't you dare try to stop me" Harry replied, holding his wand out at Dudley. Dudley ran upstairs as Harry left Number 4 Privot Drive for the last time.

Harry knew he was in trouble; he had no muggle money, only a few galleons, it was the dead of night and he was homeless. Not only that, but he had broken the law by using magic on his uncle. What would they do? Would they snap his wand? Make him live as a muggle? Send him to Azkaban? He started down the street, dragging his trunk and Hedwig's cage, when he saw none other than Albus Dumbledore walking down the street towards him. Harry had a sick feeling in his stomach, he was sure he was about to receive news that he was expelled. Dumbledore walked towards him.

"Wait here Harry," said Dumbledore softly. He could see the fear in Harry's eyes. "And no you're not in trouble…well that is to say by the look of you I don't think we will have any issues with the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic. The evidence of your face seems to indicate you were defending yourself. Wait here, I need to speak to your aunt."

Dumbledore walked into the house. Harry felt relieved, he was certain Dumbledore had come to break his wand, though now he felt that he would have to go back after all. He could only imagine how life with the Dursleys would be after this. After about five minutes Dumbledore left looking troubled.

"There is nothing for it, Harry, they refuse to take you back in, come with me."

Dumbledore opened Hedwig's cage and told her and Erol to go to the Burrow, and then he waved his wand and Harry's trunk disappeared. "I've sent your trunk to the Burrow. Before I came here I flooed Arthur and informed him that you might need somewhere to stay." Dumbledore took out his wand and Harry could feel his nose and lip healing, though his eye and head still ached. Harry was thrilled by the news that he was going to the Burrow, but was somewhat puzzled when they walked down Privot Drive and turned to Wisteria Walk to Mrs. Figg's house.

"Sir," Harry said, "Why are we going here? Mrs. Figg watches me sometimes as a favor to my aunt, she's a muggle"

"Things are not always as they seem, Harry," replied Dumbledore, "Mrs. Figg is a squib. She moved here eleven years ago after you came to live with your aunt and uncle, to keep an eye on you. I need to have a few words with you before I send you on to the burrow, and Mrs. Figgs floo is connected to the floo network."

Harry wondered about this. Why had he not been told this before? And Why didn't Mrs. Figg tell him anything about the wizarding world? A few minutes later Dumbledore was knocking on Mrs. Figg's door. Moments later the door opened and Mrs. Arabella Figg opened the door.

"Albus?" she said, looking alarmed. "and young Harry? It's past eleven in the evening, Harry dear what happened to your face!"

"It appears that Mr. Potter is no longer welcome in his family's home. This has seriously jeopardized Harry's safety but has also undoubtedly increased his happiness to an even greater degree. May we come in? I need a few words with Harry before I send him to the Weasley's and if we could trouble you to use your floo?"

"Of course Albus, come in, come in. I'll get some tea if you'd like"

"That would be most welcome, Arabella."

Mrs. Figg went off to her kitchen to get the tea, and Dumbledore motioned to Harry to sit down on the sofa. A large cat jumped unto Harry's lap and purred loudly. Dumbledore sat on a couch opposite Harry. "I suppose, Harry, that you are wondering why I am here at this hour, and why you have not received a warning from the Ministry"

"Yes, sir, last time it was not long at all before I received the letter. When I saw you I thought you were here to snap my wand"

Dumbledore looked at Harry a moment, then he started. "Harry, when you were in my office do you remember the silver instruments in my office? No doubt you do. They are monitors Harry, they monitor, you."

Harry gasped, why would Dumbledore monitor him?

Dumbledore continued, "There are still death eaters out there who wish you harm. When your mother gave her life to save yours, it created the protection that saved you from the killing curse. When I placed you with your aunt and uncle, the lingering magic your mother cast to protect you created a blood ward around your residence. Blood wards are powerful magic created by an act of love, as long as you lived here and were underage, no one with ill intent could use magic against you there. When your aunt decided you were no longer welcome in her house, these wards lost all power. I was notified immediately and called the ministry and instructed them to hold off on any disciplinary action until I was able to investigate. As chief warlock of the Wizzengromet, my request was heeded, why don't you tell me what happened.

Harry hesitated; he didn't want to reveal the contents of Ginny's letter. He hoped a vague answers would suffice. "Sir," he began, "I was writing a letter to Ginny when Uncle Vernon came into my room. He was furious that I was writing to my friends and he hit me. Then he read my letters, I was on the floor trying to get up, and something Ginny wrote, it made Uncle Vernon hit me some more and say some very unkind things about Ginny and kicked me a few times, and I lost my temper. The next thing I knew his face was bloody and Aunt Petunia was shrieking at me to leave."

"What was your uncle responding to in the letter?"

"With respect sir, it's rather private, about her experience with Riddle"

"Say no more Harry, so it seems you used accidental magic, and it was due in part to an unprovoked attack by your uncle, I will report this back to the committee with the recommendation to not pursue charges, which I'm sure will be accepted. Now as for your living arrangements, first I should clean you up."

Dumbledore stood and walked over to Harry, and waved his wand a few times and the blood was removed from Harry's shirt and face. Satisfied he sat back down. "Harry, now that the blood wards are no longer able to protect you, I feel you are in even greater danger. That being said, I know you were unhappy with the Dursleys. I knew they didn't treat you well, but I had no idea that Vernon would become violent. How long has this been going on?

"Off and on sir, my whole life, though never this bad, usually just a single blow, maybe two, or whipping me with a belt."

Dumbledore had pain etched on his face. He hadn't known. I should have checked on him.

"I am sorry Harry," said Dumbledore, "I should have been by more, but I knew my presence would only infuriate your relatives. I am angry with them though, my letter to them told them to love you and to care for you. They have been barely adequate on the latter and never made an effort for the former. But I digress. There is no longer any point in you staying at the Dursleys. Even if they change their minds in a few days, it's too late, the wards are already banished. I'm afraid with the lack of a proper guardian you will be a ward of the state until such time as someone can adopt you. This is problematic though, as you are quite wealthy. I haven't told you this but your vault is only a trust vault set up at your birth by your father. This was set up to be funded for school needs and pocket money. The Potter family has its own vault that contains much more gold as well as family heirlooms and documents as well as some real estate. Any legal guardian would also have access to those funds under the claim that it was for your benefit, hence I have not told you of this before, for I feared your uncle would attempt to gain access to it. There are many who might feign affection for you in order to gain that wealth. The Weasleys, of course, would never dream of this nor accept any charity, and I know they would love to have you, but I'm not sure they could win a custody hearing. Lucius Malfoy has a great deal of influence with many members of the Wizengamot, including the Minister, Cornelius Fudge. I dare say Mr. Malfoy might try himself to win your custody, and I needn't tell you that that wouldn't be a very pleasant turn of events. I think it best, therefore, to argue that being you are four years and a month away from your legal majority, it would be best if you remain a ward of the state under my supervision. You are; of course, welcome to live with the Weasleys as the school is quite lonely during the summer holidays. I have already arranged this with Author."

"Sir," replied Harry, "I think I would like that, living with the Weasleys I mean. How would it work being a ward of the Ministry?"

Mrs. Figg came in with the tea at that moment. "Here's your tea, I'll be in the next room if you need anything"

"Thank you Arabella, your hospitality is without equal." As Mrs. Figg left the room Dumbledore began again. "What it means Harry, is that all major decisions regarding your welfare would be left to me and subject to review by the Wizengamot. In practice, this is a formality, as I don't believe you will need any guidance that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could not assist you with. I should also mention that you inherited two house elves, Fibly and Pipsey, they are currently working at Hogwarts, as well as tending to Potter Manor, which is sealed until you are seventeen. I had your house elves come to Hogwarts after your parent's death as I judged the Dursleys would not take kindly to them and would give them clothing. This would impoverish all of you, for you would lose your servants and they would be heartbroken and devastated. You may call them if you wish but I would ask that you not make it widely known at school that you have two house elves in the castle. I have a rule that no house elves that are not under the control of the school are allowed at Hogwarts. This is due to their magic which can be formidable, and the temptation for students to use their elves to unfairly further their academic careers. In your case, Fibly and Pipsey are already at the school, so I would ask that you not call on them during term, lest I should have to release them from service at the school. This would leave them without meaningful work for years until you inherit Potter manor, and that is not good for them. I will call them now to introduce you."

Dumbledore called for Fibly and Pipsey and they appeared with a crack. Like all Elves they were bald. One had a small sheet drapped about him like a toga, the other a tea towel as a loin cloth.

"may I introduce Fibly" Dumbledore noded to the elf with the tea towel, "and Pipsey" and motioned to the elf wearing the toga.

Fibly and Pipsey bowed low "We is pleased to meat young master Harry, will young master be moving into Potter mannor?" Asked Fibly

"Not at present, I'm afraid," answered Dumbledore, "the Manor remains sealed until Harry comes into his inheritance at seventeen."

Harry was stunned, he thought his family home was in Godrick's hollow, he just learned that he had a large manor and two house elves.

"I, alright, thanks, It's a pleasure to meet you."

"If you would be so kind as to return to the castle," said Dumbledore, "Harry and I have a lot of business tonight. Remember what I said about conduct at school, be patient, you've waited almost twelve whole years to pamper Harry, I ask you to wait but four more."

The elves bid them farewell and disapperated.

"Sir, I thought my family lived in Godric's hollow in the cottage where Voldemort murdered them?"

"That Harry, was a safehouse and under the protection of the fidelius charm. It's a complex bit of magic. It involves a secret keeper who knows the location of the property charmed. Only those who the secret keeper has told the secret to can see the location, anyone else wouldn't be able to see that the property existed. The Potter Manor was well known and would have been harder to place under the charm. The size of the property doesn't matter much, but the more people who know of the property; the harder the charm is to place, as esentialy the charm is placed on each person who has knowledge of the location put under the charm. Also there is an issue of getting to the place, as you can't apperate into a building that is under the charm, and the floo network had been compromised by Voldemort. It was decided to use a little known cottage in Godric's Hollow that your family owned, originally it was a house for relatives to live in if Potter Manor got too crowded, but hadn't been used in decades due to smaller families being born to the Potters; your grandfather, father and yourself were only children."

"Professor, if the house was under the charm, how did Voldemort find it?"

Dumbledore looked pained. He sighed and continued. "Harry I had hoped to keep this from you, as it would be painful and do you no good to know, but the secret keeper betrayed your family. I offered to be your family's secret keeper, but your father insisted on using his best friend, Sirius Black. Black evidently betrayed your family. We knew there was a spy in our midst but we didn't know who it was. Then Voldemort killed your family, and Sirius caught up with another of your father's friends, Peter Petigrew. Petigrew tried to take Sirius in, but Sirius murdered him and twelve muggles in the process, all that was left of poor Peter was a finger. Sirius is now serving a lifetime sentence in Azkaban."

Harry's head was spinning; his parents had been betrayed by their best friend? He tried to imagine if that could happen to Ron or Hermione, it seemed absurd. Harry didn't know much about the wizarding prison Azkaban, but judging by Hagrid's face when he had been sent there, it was apparently a terrible place.

"Well Harry, I think that's all I needed to tell you, let's be off to the Burrow" Dumbledore stood and walked into the next room to bid Mrs. Fig farewell, and came back into the sitting room. He took some floo powder out from a pot on the mantle and threw it into the fire and stepped in. "The Burrow" he said, and disappeared in a flash of green flame. Harry did likewise and found himself in the Weasley's sitting room.