It was a decidedly glum and concerned group of students who all crowded back into the Great Hall after the holidays. There was a surprising lack of chatter as the ramifications of the Azkaban breakout sunk in with everyone. "Hey…Harry?" Seamus asked, tentatively sitting on the other side of Ron at the table.

"Yeah, Seamus?" Harry raised an eyebrow, wondering what his dormmate who had ignored him since September wanted.

"Er…well, I figured, you know, since the dementors even mentioned You-Know-Who had returned and the Death Eaters escaped, well…you were probably telling the truth," he said sheepishly.

"You think?" Harry asked in a sarcastic drawl worthy of Snape himself. "Seamus, you've lived with me for almost five years. Why in Merlin's name would you believe I would have lied about Cedric's death? Do you only believe things if you see them in the paper, because I hate to tell you, most of what's in the Prophet is shite."

Seamus sighed and everyone around them avoided his eyes, not planning to help him one iota. "Yeah, Harry. I reckon you're right about that. I'm so sorry."

"See, that didn't hurt too badly, right?" Dean Thomas clapped his friend on his back. "Now that you've pulled your head out of your arse, at least we can go back to all hanging out in the dorm again…that is if Harry actually forgives you now…"

Everyone's eyes shot up to Harry questioningly, Seamus with a look of pleading in his. "Fine," Harry rolled his eyes but smiled at his dormmate. "You better be the first one believing me next time though," he added with a grin at the end.

"Definitely, mate!" Seamus exclaimed brightly. "You say the earth is flat, and I'll be right there drawing new maps for you!"

"I'll hold you to that," Harry chuckled as Dumbledore stood at the head table and a hush settled over the room.

"Welcome back everyone," Dumbledore said with much less of a jolly twinkle than usual. "I'm sure you've all heard the news by now…For once, the Daily Prophet has it right and there was indeed a mass breakout from the wizarding prison. Now, I'm sure you all…"

He never did get to say what they all did or did not know as the doors to the entrance hall dramatically slammed open and the High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge entered flanked by Aurors Shacklebolt and Dawlish. Kingsley looked like he would rather be cursing Umbridge than following her though.

"Hem, hem," she coughed out, causing both Jamie and Harry's skin to crawl. "Albus Dumbledore, you are hereby relieved of your duties as the headmaster of Hogwarts and your titles pending an investigation into the incitement of panic and the suspicion of coercing the dementors away from Azkaban!"

"What in Merlin's name would lead anyone to believe the headmaster would have dealings with the dementors at all?!" Professor McGonagall stood and glared at the toad-woman with a look that would have made anyone else cower in fear.

Shacklebolt winced as he took a step backward. "It has come to the ministry's attention that Headmaster…" Umbridge coughed, and Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Former Headmaster Dumbledore was seen at the gates of Azkaban prison on Christmas Eve. Our source also reports that a dementor left with him at that time."

Harry felt like he would melt and leak through the floor at any time. How in the world did anyone see what happened? It hit him that obviously there were a few human guards at the prison, and one must be stationed at the gate he figured as he mentally kicked himself for the oversight. He looked up to the headmaster, wondering what he should do. He really didn't want to have to explain the dementor was him.

"Ah, that must be very confusing for the ministry, must it not?" Dumbledore mused, a smile crossing his face as he surreptitiously glanced to Harry. "First of all, even if I were talking with the dementors, it's not a crime to tell someone who is working on a defunct contract and whose employers aren't treating them well to seek better opportunities. I think most people view that as common sense. I hope we are teaching some levels of common sense here at the school…maybe in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the pink-clad professor as titters were heard throughout the room. "Secondly, the ministry was given fair warning through two major news outlets and a letter sent directly to them to staff the prison before the guards left. I don't see how that is my problem either. Lastly, I've been explaining very clearly the return of Lord Voldemort for months now. My goal is to raise awareness and action, not panic. I believe the ministry's inaction is a larger source of panic."

Umbridge turned a very unattractive shade of puce as her anger built up higher with every word the elderly man spoke. "You will come to the ministry for questioning!" Umbridge sputtered. "Seize him!" She yelled to the aurors.

Dumbledore smiled at the students. "Minerva, I trust you'll keep an eye on things for me," he addressed the woman to his right who looked murderous. "Winky!" He called out next as the aurors made their way, slowly and deliberately, to the front.

"Headmaster, sir?" The little elf responded when she popped into the Great Hall beside him.

"Plan C," was all the headmaster needed to say before she grabbed a hold of this hand and they both immediately popped out of the room.

"Oh well," Kingsley shrugged with a smirk. "Can't win them all," he further commented wryly to Dawlish who chuckled.

Harry sighed in relief and also resignation. The headmaster got away.

He'd promised not to abandon Harry, but well, it's not like Harry really expected him to keep his promise anyway. No one ever did. "Ergh! Headmistress Umbridge…kill me now!" Seamus hissed under his breath as the woman in question fumed and yelled at the aurors.

"Welcome back, Seamus," Harry smiled at him sadly and speared a potato with a fork. There was nothing left to do but eat a decent dinner and handle tomorrow when it came. Merlin, he was hungry though, but everyone was too upset for him to let his dementor eat and not notice. He had refused to feed from Sirius and Remus, so he hadn't eaten since the Order was over on Boxing Day. Everyone would get back to normal, and he could eat soon. Maybe tomorrow…

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The next day was worse than the one before, if that was possible. The new headmistress immediately implemented a whole slew of new rules and "Educational Decrees." Quidditch was officially suspended until further notice, the DA was officially against the rules even though no one knew about it.

Like Seamus, everyone believed Harry now, but that caused more sadness and anxiety, and Harry wasn't sure what was going to happen to Remedial Potions. Day two went into effect with Harry also unable to eat as a dementor. Any less happiness and Madam Pomfrey would have to start handing out cheering potions.

Hungry, depressed, and resigned, Harry made his way down to the dungeon for Remedial Potions that evening…if it still existed. He opened the door, surprised to actually see almost everyone already there.

Harry took a deep breath and walked into his one safe place in the school. He stopped between Graham and Draco, raising an eyebrow. "Inquisitorial Squad? Really?"

Draco shrugged. "I'm me…what else would I do? It would hurt my image if I didn't. Besides, we need some people on the inside with that toad to make sure she doesn't find out about the HSMC."

"Dad insisted," Graham sneered. "He sent an owl this morning. Hey, you think Umbridge is a Death Eater?"

"I wouldn't put it past her…we've already had two Death Eater DADA professors," Harry nodded.

"She's not," Snape drawled as he walked past looking like he'd just been given a lemon to eat. "I don't think the Dark Lord would even take her."

"Is the club going to be ok, professor?" Neville asked, his glamour flashing in and out in his nervousness, showing green skin quickly before it turned back to pale.

"Calm yourself, child," Snape warned the high elf. "Yes, this club is registered as academic, so it does not fit under any of those inane decrees yet. The last thing you need is for Umbridge to learn you're a creature. Any of you," he said in seriousness. "You may not realize, but that woman's life goal has been to eradicate creatures from our world. You are more in danger now than you ever have been before at the school. So, keep calm, keep your heads down, and keep your glamours up at all times, even here in the club."

The atmosphere in the club decidedly dropped and all emotion flipped to worry and fear from then on out. Draco and Graham assured everyone that they would keep the Inquisitorial Squad away from the HSMC members. It was all they could do though even with more power now. Snape promised the same, but he couldn't get around Umbridge completely either.

"Matthew…how's your mate?" Aurelius spoke up, trying to boost the mood some.

Matthew sighed in frustration. "I still haven't found her. I know she's here though…I just need to be in the same room without a whole school of people confusing my senses. It's giving me some ridiculous mood swings. She's going to think I'm crazy if I ever do find her."

Aceline patted his hand in sympathy. "You will…just maybe don't tell her with Umbridge in the same room."

"That woman had our father  arrested on trumped up charges just because he was a werewolf," Aurora commented with a vicious glint in her amber eyes. "We haven't seen him since."

"Guys, it's going to be all right. She's just a pink toad," Graham growled, his eyes flashing yellow.

"Besides, it's Harry she's going to go after anyway," Hestia crossed her arms and sneered. "You have to watch your back. I really hope you aren't something all fluffy and squishy like Draco."

"Hey!" Draco protested with a sharp glare.

"You are pretty squishy," Kara smirked at him. "Not that anyone in Slytherin would believe that."

"Ha, ha," Draco deadpanned as Neville just squeezed his shoulders.

"Nope, they're bony not squishy," Neville informed everyone very seriously.

"Only you, Nev, only you," Harry shook his head as Draco would have hexed literally anyone else.

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Snape sneered at Harry while everyone trickled out of the room at the end of the night, looking more concerned than ever before. "Po—ergh, Harry, you will come with me. There is an issue with your Potions grade we must handle tonight."

Harry was confused as he followed the professor from the room. Neville shot him a sympathetic look and Ginny squeezed his hand on her way out as well. "Er…professor? I don't understand," Harry questioned as he trotted along behind the swiftly gliding vampire. He really wasn't doing that poorly in Potions. Frankly, Ron was doing worse, so he really hoped no one seriously questioned his place in Remedial Potions.

Snape mumbled something about idiots and old coots and what Harry thought might have been some French swear words, but he wasn't able to make out what the man was grumbling. He stopped abruptly just past his office in front of a picture of an elderly witch stirring a cauldron and grinning evilly. "Potter, I swear to Merlin himself, if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, where my personal quarters are located or the password, I will skin you alive! I know at least four curses to do it, and I'm willing to try all four to see what they do to a dementor!"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he realized where they must be. "But…why?..."

"Aconite!" Snape sneered at the witch as the portrait swung forward.

"Harry!!" A rush of pink and green dressing gown exclaimed before Harry was bodily dragged into the Potions Professor's quarters.

"Headmaster?" Harry sputtered as Dumbledore pulled him to the sofa like it was his sitting room instead of Snape's. It was obviously Snape's though if the potions equipment, shelves of books on dark arts, defense, and potions, Slytherin banners, and black robes hanging on pegs could be believed. Frankly, Snape was a bit of a slob…Harry was surprised in a pleasantly amused way.

"Well, Harry, I'm not really the headmaster right now, so I think Albus will do just fine," the old man twinkled at him brightly. "Now, you didn't think I'd leave you now, did you? I just had to relocate a bit."

"Relocate, my arse," Snape grumbled from where he was hanging his teaching robe from one of the well-used pegs. "More like moved in and took over!'

"Oh, Severus, I made tea," Dumbledore motioned distractedly to the little kitchenette.

Harry jumped at a loud squawk in the corner. "Bloody bird," Snape grumbled as he walked past Fawkes on a stand in the corner looking sulkily into the kitchen.

"Oh Harry, I had a long conversation with Fawkes about not attacking you and respecting your feelings," Dumbledore, no Albus, told him with a smile and a glare over to his familiar who just huffed and turned his head away. "Phoenixes apparently aren't too fond of dementors…"

"Er, no worries, sir," the teen just stared in shock around him, not sure what was going on. "I'm sorry, by the way, for you getting caught coming to get me at the prison…"

Albus just shook his head and laughed. "The ministry was going to get me no matter what, Harry. If it wasn't that excuse it would have been something else. How are you doing though? I know you've only been back a couple days, but how are the students taking everything?" He asked in interest. Obviously, the new plan seemed to have Harry placed in a role of informant on the student population.

The dementor sighed. "They're very anxious and worried. I feel it from everyone. If it isn't Voldemort it's Umbridge taking over. Sir, I hate to say it, but…I'm hungry. There just aren't any good feelings anymore. It used to not affect me if people weren't happy around, but I got used to feeding, and I feel it more now. I can feed off their negative emotions, obviously that's possible or the dementors in Azkaban couldn't live, but they would notice. I can't just skim the surface of those."

Snape looked worried from where he was pouring himself some tea and Dumbledore just looked very sad. "Oh dear…they'll perk back up soon, I hope," the headmaster sighed.

"Maybe if she lets quidditch start up again," Harry shrugged, hoping as well.

"Seriously, Harry, you need to be careful, as well as your fairy friend Ms. Weasley, and you as well Severus. That woman is the embodiment of hate towards creatures," Dumbledore shook his head sadly with real worry in his eyes. You'd think it was Voldemort that took over the school instead of a ministry official by Dumbledore's expression.

Snape sputtered into his tea, choking in his shock. "Excuse me?!"

"Oh please, of course I know you're a vampire. I'm not blind," the older man huffed. "I didn't catch Ms. Weasley as a fairy and Harry as a dementor though…so maybe I am. I wonder what else I've missed…"

"Um, Professor, may I ask, what's Plan C?" Harry jumped in before Snape could start yelling as he was getting paler by the second, which is very hard for a vampire to do.

"Ah, well Plan A was for me to retain my position and convince the ministry to take back Delores, Plan B was to make her life so difficult she left on her own, Plan C is my escaping and the house elves looking into whatever dirt we can get on the woman to get her discredited. This one was actually their idea. They really are very ruthless, you do not want to know what their Plan D is," Dumbledore actually shuddered.

"The headmaster will be staying here," Snape sneered in obvious protest at that. "And working with the Order and the professors behind the scenes to make sure she doesn't do any permanent damage and to maintain the wards against the Dark Lord."

Harry gaped at that. "I hadn't even thought of the wards! What would she have done if they just kicked you out and there wasn't anyone here to maintain them?!"

"I'm sure Minerva would have figured something out," Dumbledore patted Harry's hand with a smile. "Now, is there anything else you need from me tonight? I asked Severus to give you the password in case you need to stop by to tell me anything. I do hope you'll keep me informed on what's happening with the students."

Harry nodded that he did in fact know the password and would pass along information. "Actually, I do have a question that's on the subject of dementor food that I've wondered for a while now."

"Oh really?" Albus grinned broadly at Harry, obviously loving to talk about magical creatures.

"Yeah, uh, is it common for a wizard to chop off bits of their soul and put them in objects or people? Is it a regular practice or something?" Harry asked as he spun the bracelet on his arm nervously.

Dumbledore stared at him in stunned shock and Snape looked horrified. "Do you realize just what it is you are describing?" Snape growled, not noticing the last of his tea was dripping out of his forgotten teacup in his hand. "Where the hell did you learn about horcruxes, boy?!"

"Sooo…not a good thing?" Harry asked with a relieved smile. "Good, I was worried I had been eating bits of people's souls that were important."

"No, that's the vilest piece of dark magic available. Of course, it is not a good thing, you idiot boy!" Snape exclaimed.

Dumbledore had to clear his throat while the vampire looked ready to have a stroke. "Harry…may I ask where and how many of these objects you have found?"

"Well, Hea—er, Albus, I got to thinking. The diary in my second year. I think it might have been one of those horse-things…."

"Horcrux," Snape corrected automatically.

"Yeah, that," Harry nodded. "Anyway, since then, I've eaten the soul out of my locket and my bracelet," he lifted his bracelet for them to see it. "The bracelet started out as a tiara-thing that may have been Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Ginny transfigured it though since she said I'd look silly with it on my head."

"Indeed," Snape answered automatically again while Dumbledore took Harry's hand to stare at the bracelet.

"Yeah, so with the diary, the locket, the diadem, and me, well I'm thinking they might all be bits of Voldemort's soul. The locket and the diadem tasted the same anyway and Drake, one of the dementors, described the one in me the same way," Harry explained his reasoning.

"You?" Dumbledore asked in almost a whisper as his hand tightened in shock around Harry's wrist he was holding.

"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention the dementors said they took one out of me when they pulled me from my body," Harry shrugged unconcernedly. "It sounds creepy, but I got over it. I actually feel much better and freer without it latched onto my soul. Actually, that's how they got around the ministry's order to eat my soul."

"The ministry?" The headmaster's hand tightened even more to where it was just a bit painful.

Harry shrugged again, causing Snape to sneer at him. "Apparently, they want me dead too. I figure they need to get in line behind Voldemort though. He called dibs."

Dumbledore finally let go of Harry's wrist and shook his head, looking every year of his age. "I had assumed Tom had created a horcrux or two that had kept him from dying, but that would be at least four if you're correct. The ministry…I don't even know how to react to that right now. I'm so sorry, Harry."

"That's inconceivable!" Snape sunk into his armchair after finally setting down the empty teacup. "Four? Four horcruxes?!"

"We need to find out if he made any more," Albus nodded his head and looked fierce, despite his pink and green dressing gown. "I need to think about this. If the diary was a horcrux, he made it while he was in school, maybe he talked to one of the professors. He had to have learned about them from somewhere."

"Slughorn would be a good one to ask," Snape nodded in agreement. "He was always too loose of lips around his 'collection.'"

Harry was lost at this point. "Er, is there anything I can do?" He butted in on the conversation.

"Not right now," Dumbledore shook his head. "We may call you to dinner if we find another one though. Will that be acceptable?"

Harry smiled broadly. "It'll be my pleasure! You know…the eviler a person is, the better their soul tastes. Voldemort's soul is exquisite…like spicy chocolate cake or hot chocolate." The two men stared at him incredulously.

"Please eat Bellatrix," Snape requested suddenly.

"You know… Sirius asked me the same thing," Harry smiled mischievously. "You two really aren't that different."

Snape sneered and stood to leave. "I don't have to take this in my own quarters," he remarked before disappearing into a side room.

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Harry was accosted by Ron and Hermione before he was able to make it back to Gryffindor Tower. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Oh good! We were worried about you!" Hermione sighed while Ron just shrugged, conveying he definitely wasn't as worried.

"Ok…why?" Harry asked with a chuckle.

Hermione looped an arm through Harry's and started leading him away, surprisingly not towards the tower. "Well, Neville got back from your Remedial Potions class a while ago, and he said that Professor Snape had kept you behind to talk. With Umbridge about and with more power, we started getting worried."

"You are her favorite thing to torture," Ron nodded as he followed along behind them.

"I'm fine guys…I do actually have some news on that though. May I ask where we're going?" Harry wondered as they headed up some stairs.

"Somewhere to talk," is all Hermione said as he finally realized they were heading towards the Room of Requirement.

Ron was the one to pace three times in front of the room, causing Harry to raise a questioning eyebrow. They were obviously in on this together, whatever it was they were doing. The room was a duplicate of the Gryffindor Common Room when they entered and they all sat in their favorite chairs by the fireplace. "Would you like to start with your news?" Hermione asked, making it very clear they had an agenda and would be getting to it.

"Er…sure. Well, Dumbledore isn't quite as gone as he made it seem," Harry said, causing Hermione and Ron to sit forward and actually look interested. "He's hiding out in Snape's rooms, and believe me, Snape isn't very happy about it," Harry laughed.

"They are so going to kill each other," Ron grinned broadly, obviously hoping that Dumbledore would win that fight.

"Thank Merlin he's staying around. Umbridge creeps me out!" Hermione shuddered. "You did say she couldn't bring in another blood quill, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure she'll find something else," Harry sighed. "So…what is this meeting for? It feels like an intervention to me…" He asked suspiciously.

"Well, mate, you lucked out that the entire Order was at your house for Boxing Day, so I couldn't throttle you, but you're all alone now," Ron glared at him, causing Harry to shift back in confusion.

"What'd I do?!" He protested.

"When you ran off at the beginning of break, who do you think the first people Dumbledore reached out to were?" Hermione asked with a stern look and raise of her eyebrow. "We've given you months to tell us what's going on with you, and you still haven't. Now you run off for days and don't even tell us!"

"Oh, er, I overreacted to something I guess," Harry said sheepishly. "Things just kind of spiraled."

"Harry, you have to give us something," Hermione shook her head. "You don't have to tell us everything, but you can't just keep everything bottled up. What's been going on with you?"

Looking at the faces of both his friends, Harry knew he wasn't going to get away with brushing them off. They'd stuck by him for too long and deserved better. "Fine," he sighed. They both seemed to relax, happy to not have to fight for the information. "I was attacked…well, I thought I was attacked this summer. It turns out that wasn't the intention."

"What?!" Both Ron and Hermione exclaimed.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Hermione added in quickly as she seemed to be studying Harry to see if there were any injuries she hadn't noticed before.

"I'm fine now, really," Harry smiled at her and reached across to squeeze her hand comfortingly. "It was a bit of a shock and trauma, but I'm gotten used to it…you see…"

He trailed off awkwardly, not knowing how to talk about the next part. He didn't want to give too much away all at once in case they couldn't handle it. "Well…I was attacked by a magical creature, and well…I was turned into one as well," he winced as he rushed out the ending.

"Oh…" Hermione looked thoughtful. Harry could almost see her running through all the magical creatures in her head to figure out which one he was.

"Oh no! Did Remus bite you?!" Ron exclaimed in shock. "I'll learn to be an animagus, I promise! It might take me a bit, but I'll do it. Hermione will help, right?"

Harry laughed in relief. Ron's worried rambling brought his fears that he wouldn't be accepted to a standstill. Ron was continuing in his rant though. "I promise, Harry. I'm no Seamus. I learned my lesson last year. I'm here for you…"

"Ron!" Harry stopped him, a grin breaking across his face. "I'm not a werewolf. Thank you though."

"So…you're a vampire?" Hermione cocked her head to one side. "That doesn't seem to fit really well though either. What's with the shiny thing and being cold all the time? That doesn't fit any creature I can think of."

"Er…not a vampire either," the dementor smirked, remembering Snape (a vampire) had thought the same. "Look, I'm cold all the time because I have a strong aura that I have to pull in or people will notice, and I really don't understand the shiny thing either, but others of my kind seem to be the same way. That's where I went over break. I went to see the others, and they explained why they attacked me, that they were really just trying to help. And…they actually did! I feel so much better now than I did before."

"Two questions…are you going to tell us, and does Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus know?" Hermione held up two fingers with a questioning look on her face.

"You're killing me with the curiosity over here!" Ron punched him in the shoulder playfully.

Harry took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'm worried I'm going to freak you out," he finally said as he opened his eyes again. "Yes, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus know. They have either accepted me or are working on it. I just don't want to scare you two."

"Mate, I've been sleeping in the bed next to yours for months now," Ron crossed his arms. "Whatever you are can't be bad or I'd be dead by now." Hermione shot him a glare. "I'm right!" He responded. "Besides acting a little eccentric, you haven't done anything to me, and I'm with you all the time. If we're not, Neville and that stupid Ginny..."

"Ginny's not stupid," Harry grumbled, turning red. Hermione smirked at him knowingly, which caused Harry to throw his tube of lip balm at her. "Quiet you!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "The whole school knows you like her, you aren't subtle." Ron said. "Now, you going to tell us what you are?"

"Fine, I'm a dementor!" Harry huffed, but looked at them both nervously.

Hermione looked at the tube of lip balm she was now holding while Ron's brain seemed to have stopped working. "I guess that explains the lip balm then, and I guess Dumbledore really did take a dementor with him from Azkaban…" she shook her head. "How do you still look like you? Also, dementors can turn someone into one of them?"

"Yeah, they don't do it often. They said it's extremely difficult," Harry shrugged as he took the lip balm back and nervously applied it. "And, er, well I'mkindofwearingmyoldbodylikeasuit…"

"What? I speak Ron with food in his mouth, and I couldn't understand that," Hermione said.

"So…the dementors left me my body, and I can kind of wear it like a suit," Harry said slower and with a glance towards his still dumbfounded friend. "I've been kind of thinking of him as a pet. Er, I named him Jamie. That's where the name came from."

"That explains a lot," Ron snorted, seeming to finally come to himself. "Mate, I knew you were strange, but this takes the cake. Keeping your soulless body as a pet…that's just, wow. What do you eat though? And, really, Sirius knows?"

Harry smiled broadly at his friends. He knew he was strange, so that conclusion didn't bother him one bit. "Yeah, he probably would have taken it worse if he wasn't so worried that I had run away," he explained. "For food, I can skim the emotions off people when they are feeling strong, positive emotions. The problem is, no one's emotions are positive right now. I can't take the other ones without it being quite obvious. I'm so hungry!" He said dramatically at the end with a bit of a whine thrown in.

"What's the worst that could happen if you can't eat soon?" Hermione asked in concern. "Could Ron and I just take a cheering potion maybe or read a funny story?"

"I don't eat from you two if I can help it," Harry smiled at her. "And, no, I don't think that would be enough right now. Worst case scenario…I might 'accidentally' eat Professor Binns," Harry wrinkled his nose. "He wouldn't taste very good though…too boring."

"Eh, wouldn't be too bad," Ron shrugged and then laughed when Hermione hit him upside the head.

"We all know Umbridge is a creature-hater, so don't do anything to bring her attention to you," Hermione glared at them both. "Eating the history professor included."

"I'll try," Harry beamed at them both, feeling so much better than he had in a long time with his friends in the know again. He them remembered something he wanted to ask Hermione. "Oh, Hermione, would you possibly be able to make me some more of those coins you made for the DA…and not ask what they're for? It's not my secret to tell, but I have a few friends who could use them as a safety measure. You're just sooo amazing at Charms."

"No need to lay it on that," the genius rolled her eyes. "Of course, how many do you need? All linked to one or each other?"

Harry thought for a minute. "Eighteen, and I think linked to each other is best."

"Now, we need to get back before curfew," Ron stood quickly. "We don't want Harry to have to find out what Umbridge is going to try next."

"Amen!" Harry stood and laughed.

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The next morning at breakfast a familiar looking, dusty gray owl regally spiraled down to the Gryffindor table in front of Harry. "Abaddon! What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise as the owl who looked haughtier than Lucius Malfoy held out a talon with a letter attached as if it was degrading itself to do so.

"Who would name their owl Abaddon?" Hermione laughed at the owl's antics while Harry untied the letter and pushed his plate with several pieces of bacon over for the owl who looked as if he were lowering himself with much difficulty to accept the unnecessary kindness out of pity only.

Harry glanced around, but there were too many people around them. "Erm, you know my friends that I spent some time with over break…it's their owl. That's not exactly his name, but it was the best translation I could come up with."

"Oh," Ron's eyes widened in shock as he realized who sent Harry a letter. "What do they want?"

Harry read the letter with a confused expression on his face that ended with an evil smirk and a chuckle. Before he finished, Ginny was sitting beside him. He blinked a couple times at the surprise of her just appearing. "Something from the Caribbean?" She guessed with a grin. "How are they?"

"Good," Harry shook his head and grinned as Ron gave him an 'I told you so' look about his interactions with Ginny. "Here," he passed the letter to Ginny who read it with similar expressions to her dementor friend before he then passed it on to Ron and Hermione.

"Oi! They know now!" Ginny jabbed him in the ribs. "You're supposed to tell me these things!"

"Sorry, I just told them last night," Harry protested the mistreatment of Jamie.

"Wait…Ginny knows? So that means Harry knows about the whole fairy thing too?" Ron asked as Hermione snatched the letter out of his hands. Ginny gave him a look that clearly called him daft if he thought she didn't.

"Are they serious?" Hermione looked up in surprise at the letter that read in spidery script:

Dear Harry,

How are you doing? Are the humans treating you better than they were before? You know, you're still welcome here with us whenever you would like. The island is wonderful and warm! It's a bit too cheery for us, but we're working on making the prison more homey and less bright. We were pained to hear of what happened at the prison there in our absence. Has the escape caused you any difficulties? It is a personal affront to us that it was allowed to happen when we warned the ministry every way we knew how. We cannot let this pass without a response though. Whether we are still there or not, we took great pride in our work.

We are sending…well, there isn't a written translation of their names, but I believe you called them Drake and Ronnie, anyway, two of us will be heading back to Britain. We would appreciate it if you would be willing to meet up with them to explain everything that has happened and any additional information you may have. Drake and Ronnie will be rectifying this mistake. We cannot allow prisoners to roam free. They should be back and will meet you in the Forbidden Forest in a little over one week's time if you agree.

We miss you. Write back your answer,

The one you call Mina.

"Hermione…they are obsessed prison guards whose instincts scream for them to eat the souls of those who are evil," Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure they are not only serious but looking forward to a large dinner instead of actually capturing anyone."

"I wouldn't want to be Bellatrix Lestrange right now," Ginny said as she stole a piece of bacon from Abaddon who gave her a death glare, but Ginny just glared right back.

"Abaddon, head on back. I'll send Hedwig with a letter. And knock it off you two," Harry instructed Ginny and Abaddon. The owl huffed but took off in flight immediately. Ginny smiled in triumph and took the other piece of bacon.

"Wierdo," Ron rolled his eyes, causing Ginny to smirk at him as she ate her bacon.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please vote and comment!