Disclaimer: full credit to JKR. Started before HBP

Green Apple

By WittchWay

Minerva McGonagall stared hard at the cup of hot tea before her, her foot tapping impatiently. It was all she could do to stop herself from pacing franticly in the small immaculate kitchen she sat in. It wasn't her idea to be sitting here at 6am on a Sunday morning. Petunia and Vernon Dursley sitting across from her, drinking their own morning cup, both looking sour and uncomfortably at her.

Though it had been no fault of her own they had been woken up. If it had been her choice she would have collected Harry Potter and left, leaving only a simple note behind.

Only Harry hadn't been home…

Nor had the Dursley's own son.

Though it seemed of little concern to them that either boy was missing….

Apparently their only concern was that she was there, sitting in their pristine kitchen, if it was because she was a fully trained witch or because they simply didn't like people in general she did not know, though she thought it was likely both.

Though it could be her blatant display of magic. Not that it was deliberate…

Lifting the teapot she had conjured earlier, McGonagall poured herself another cup of tea adding a lump of sugar, with her finger pointed at the spoon in the cup she said nothing just gave a wiggle of her finger and the spoon began to stir in her cup. The Dursley's both flinched, the professor suppressed a smirk.

McGonagall's eyes darted to the window that looked out to the back garden. The shadows moved, coming nearer the door.

McGonagall stood. It was a trick she had learned from one of the other professors, standing straight, her head held high, it gave her an imposing look. She only wished she had wore a black robe instead of green.

The Dursley's looked from her to the door.

"Where have you boys been?" McGonagall snapped as soon as Harry Potter walked in the door, Dudley Dursley stiffened behind him, looking slightly peaked dragging the cricket bat behind him. "I've been waiting here half the night."

"Don't you dare yell at our Dudley," Vernon Dursley barked, "Take your boy and leave," he nodded toward Harry.

"To true Mr. Dursley, he is not mine to punish or to question where he has been half the night." McGonagall narrowed her eyes taking in the dirty appearance of both boys, staring especially at the appearance of Dudley, the dried spit caked at the corner of his mouth. The brown stains of vomit on his shirt. She could only imagine what they had been up to; a late night cricket match, drinking in the local park, she remembered being young once. She remembered the adrenaline rush of being out late, the surge of energy, of defiance, Potter was nearly radiating it. His eyes wide, a small smirk on his lips… a brown stain on his pant leg.

"Potter gather your things, we will be returning to the castle this instant and change those pants."

Harry looked at the Dursley's and his cousin. He had expected them to come for him after the Order found the head of Kreacher hanging on the hallway wall with all the others of his family. He had only hoped it wouldn't be so soon. He needed time, at least a day to put in place his next mission.

"Yes professor," Harry gave a charming smile, going for innocent but not quite achieving it. After all it was still fresh in the professors mind that he had been missing when she arrived.

Harry clapped Dudley on the shoulder steering him toward the door. "I'll just help my cousin to bed first…" without waiting for an answer, Harry guided them both smoothly through the kitchen door and into the hall.

Harry dropped his hand as the door swung shut, giving Dudley a shove Harry brushed passed him and moved up the stairs. His cousin moving slowly behind him. He did not care about getting his cousin to bed nor the incessant whining that had been going on since they left Grimmauld Place. It was not what he wanted to hear, he currently had other things on his mind.

Mostly how he was going to lure his next victim to him…. Yes this time they… she would come to him.

Harry had to stop his self from smiling. It would be wonderful what he had planed for Bellatrix Lestange. Harry tried to shake the images from his head of Bellatrix death.

In his room Harry fingered his wand, he was half tempted to pull it and Accio all his belongings to the school trunk that sat open before him. He stood in the center of his room for a long moment toying with the idea, the idea of getting caught right there with one of his professors in the house, taking a deep breath, he knew he it would just cause more trouble than it was worth. He had to be careful right now. He could not needlessly draw attention to himself. Not with all that was going to be occurring in the next few weeks… the death of death eaters, of those that betrayed him or sought to kill him themselves, then there was the justice that he sought for his Godfathers death.

Growling in protest Harry scooped up a large pile of dirty clothes he then dropped in the trunk, kneeling next to the bed he began pulling his school books and homework out from under it. He hadn't bothered hiding them this summer. He didn't see any sense in it. They, the Dursley's, knew what he was, what he was going to school for. Why should he hide who he was, they didn't hide who they were.

Pulling a robe from the jumbled pile that was his school trunk he pulled it on, wiggling his nose at the smell. At least returning to the school would get him clean clothes courteous the schools house-elf's. Tucking his wand in his robes pocket, Harry knelt pulling up the loose floor board taking out his photo album of his parents.

Next he unlatched Hedwig's cage door. Harry held out his arm for her to perch upon. "Go to the castle girl, I'll be there shortly." he stroked her feathers lightly, taking her to the open window. She nipped affectionately at his fingers and took flight.

He watched her for a moment soaring through the air, her wingspan impressive.

He turned to see Dudley watching him in the doorway. "Problem D'?"

"They know… don't they."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "They know nothing. If they did, they wouldn't have sent a professor but an Auror, policeman, to arrest me… us." Harry moved toward him, pushing Dudley out of the room and down the hall into his own room. Once in Dudley's room Harry shut the door behind him, trying not to look at all the toys and video games in the room.

"What's wrong Dudders, I thought murdering a defenseless little creature would be right up your alley."

His cousin said nothing. Wouldn't even look at him.

Harry scoffed, opening the door. "Just keep your mouth shut, Dudley. I'll be contacting you if I need of your services again. So for now don't offer any information to anyone about what we did." Harry shut the door behind him only to reopen it poking his head through, "Oh, and Dudley someday soon I will become a fully qualified wizard… a wizard allowed to cast spell outside of school… I wouldn't try my patience by blabbing our secrets."

Harry shut the door silently behind him. He touched the length of the wand in his robe pocket.

Back in his own room he picked up the handle of his trunk, dragging it down the hall and down the steps. It was a slow process as he also had the owl cage in hand and the rucksack upon his back.

McGonagall was waiting in the hall for him. His uncle and aunt stood not to far off. They had been surprisingly quiet of the whole situation. It was unlike them, yet he didn't want to push it.

Harry looked between both his professor and his aunt and uncle unsure where either stood on the current situation or what either party knew of their night out. Though he doubted his relative knew much of the nights tribulations.

"Ready Potter," McGonagall pulled a set of keys out of her pocket searching through them, her fingers finally plucking free a brass colored key, oddly shaped though it was Harry instantly knew it was the portkey that would transport them to Hogwarts.

"Come quick Mr. Potter, hold tight of your trunk."

With barely a look to his aunt and uncle Harry did as he was told, he barely touched the key just as a blue light glowed from it, Harry suddenly felt the familiar pull behind his navel and the pair disappeared.

Harry Potter and Minerva McGonagall reappeared in the headmasters office with a clatter. Harry stumbled into McGonagall nearly knocking her to the ground, catching her just in time, "Sorry Professor."

Harry watched as she straightened her witches hat, "Um, professor…. How long do I have to stay here… I usually go to the burrow at the end of the summer."

She looked at him frowning, "There was an incident Potter, Dumbledore will be along in a moment to speak with you regarding it. I'd leave it up to him if you can go to the burrow."

Harry watched her leave and slumped down in one of the chairs, he had the distinct impression he would not be allowed to leave the castle, not even to go to the burrow.

Harry sat there silently looking around the office, he didn't particularly like the silence of the room, it felt as if it was penetrating his mind, it felt as if the very walls were looking at him and he didn't mean the portraits. It was something more reaching out to him, trying to touch him…

Harry sat up suddenly, Legilimency, it had to be, someone close by was attempting to enter his mind. Looking around wildly Harry made a quick attempt to block his mind but he was out of practice all he had was his anger that someone would dare attempt to enter his mind. Clamping down on his thoughts as best he could, Harry stood eyeing the door.

It was long moment that he stood there but alas the feeling came, a calm settle over him, it was a pure moment, his thoughts were easy to control, he could almost feed the thought he picked to the prying fool, he realized he finally got what Snape was trying to teach him.

But as quickly as the feeling came that someone was attempting to enter his thoughts the feeling was gone. Harry sat slowly down in his chair, touching the handle of his wand. He instantly began to doubt what he had felt. He knew his paranoia was high at the current moment. The rush he had felt earlier in the morning was over, he was coming down from the adrenaline high and was moments from crashing. All he craved at the moment was the comfort of a warm bed.

Harry sat it was a long while before the office door opened. "Hello Harry," Dumbledore said cheerfully. Though Harry noticed the smile he cast did not reach his eyes.

Dumbledore took his seat behind the massive desk picking up the tin of candies but did not take one. He fiddled with the edge of the tin, twisting and re-twisting the lid.

"Professor McGonagall tells me you weren't at home when she arrived."

Harry chewed the inside of his mouth. "Yes sir."

Looking over his half moon shaped spectacles Dumbledore waited, when no answer was forth coming he went on. "Yes, perfectly normal that, out exploring, visiting with your cousin and friends you left behind when you came to school here."

Harry nodded. Both he and Dumbledore knew that was a lie.

"Well then Harry, I do have some distressing news, the Black family house elf Kreacher has died."

Harry frowned, unsure what it was he was expected to say to such a half truth. Why he wasn't being told it was decapitated and its head stuck on the wall he wasn't sure. "Oh, okay…" Harry nodded, "He was quite old…"

"Yes, though its slightly more complicated than that. We believe there was a breach of security at the orders headquarter."

"Oh,"

"It's quite a serious matter Harry. The reason I'm telling you this is that your Godfather has left you the entirety of his estate. It all has become your property, the house, the gold in his Gringotts account and one house elf."

"Oh," Harry sat back staring at a place just behind Dumbledore, he hadn't been prepared for that. Hadn't been prepared for the softness of Dumbledore's words, he could see the old man was trying to protect him, to save him from a harsh blow. .. but he had reached a stage in his life where sugar coating was no longer necessary, sugar could be licked off.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, "Oh indeed Harry, it makes you a very wealthy wizard… I dear say the Order will have to move its headquarters though."

Harry stared out the windows, "You can still use the house if you want… I don't care." He couldn't ever imagine living there, it would always be his godfathers house.

"Thank you Harry that's very kind of you but as there was a breach of security there I can't safely let the Order to continue to meet there. I'm sure you understand."

Harry said nothing, he understood, he knew the headmaster was pushing toward something, or perhaps even knew what he had done in that house over the course of the night. But he wasn't going to let his self feel guilt over what he had done. It had been the right thing to do. He had put the trader out of his retched misery. It had been for the safety of the Order that he had done it.

"Can I stay at the burrow," he said suddenly.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, "No, I think the school would be best place for you. After all we wouldn't want to put the safety of the Weasley's at risk."

Harry looked innocently at Dumbledore, "Are the Weasley's safety and the breach at Headquarters connected?"

The headmaster sat back steepling his fingers before him, a small smirk on his lips. "I don't know…"

There was something left unsaid Harry Potter didn't like. Something accusatory.

Something that pointed the finger at him. Dumbledore knew, the old man knew what he had done. Harry was sure of it…. Snape told him. Yes Snape…. Well it was only a matter of time before Snape got was due him.

Harry was banished to Gryffindor tower a short time later with strict instructions not wander past the castle gates.

His school trunk was already at the end of his bed by the time he ascended the tower stairs.

Harry climbed onto the bed pulling the rucksack from his back pulling his folder and chocolate bar form it. He began the process of pulling rubber bands from the folder, the blue ones first the pale ones and then the reddish rubber bands. He placed each band on his wrist letting the elastic tangle and cuts into his skin, the hairs on his arm pulling as well, it should have hurt but he barely noticed the pain.

Opening the notebook, extracting a muggle pen and pencil from between it covers, he looked again at the list he had memorized, names of people he didn't trust, yet whom had done nothing to him. On the next page there was a list of people that had betrayed him, people that required revenge to be inflicted upon them, people whose punishment was just a matter of time. Punishment… Harry said it again, "punishment".

He liked that word, it was a word he could appreciated. He had been punished over the years, by his aunt and uncle, by the professors, detentions, scrubbing cauldrons, trophies. Punishment with its long boring moments of silence. Oh, he got that meaning of it, one was suppose to think of what you had done wrong. He rarely had, he use to think of how much he hated that person that was overseeing his punishment.

Harry ran his ringer down along the spiral seem of the page, picking up the red ink pen and crossed out the first name "Kreacher" he hissed. Inhaling deeply Harry smiled, he had a great sense of accomplishment with what he had done in the last 24 hours. He had gotten rid of one of the betrayers. He had eliminated the enemy with unexpected help.

"Snape," Harry ran his finger back down the page. The last name listed , Snape. It had almost been an after thought that he had added the mans name.

Harry frowned, he didn't know what to make of Snape, the way the man had touched his neck, stroked his long fingers over it, the way he had touched his cheek… that gleam of… what Harry did not know… in his eyes, something fierce.

Harry lay back in his bed, his notebook pulled to his chest… his mind racing with thoughts of Snape, Harry didn't even notice when he fell asleep.

TBC

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