Outside the office window the sun was beginning to set in a multitude of colors. It was this window, and this sunset, that a pair of bright blue eyes stared out of with a calculating look in them. Somewhere in the castle, a pair of teens would be receiving the summons the owner of this pair of eyes had sent for them.

It was no mistake, or coincidence, that this summons was sent at dinner time. The meals at Hogwarts were set like clockwork, and the students depended on them. Children were notorious for being irritate when missing a mean or hungry. Albus Dumbledore was counting on this reaction from the two students he had summoned.

He had been reluctant to call them in together, and have this meeting with the pair, versus one on one with each. After careful observation over the past week the older wizard had decided that it would suit his plans best if they came together. This would show them both that he approved of their friendship and contact. He did approve, so long as the pair put their trust in him and followed his directions.

The knock Albus had expected came, and his eyes transferred from the sunset outside to the door of his office. He put in place his grandfatherly mask. "Come in please."

Skyler had just taken her seat at the Slytherin table in the great hall next to Draco, and was looking forward to digging into a few of her favorite dishes when a note appeared next to her plate. The brunette was hesitant to even open it at first, but she thought it might be Harry's or Ginny's doing so she grabbed it. When she read it, she suddenly wished she had lit it on fire like she had wanted to at first.

With a miserable groan, she dropped her head to the table with a loud bang, the plate in front of her rattling along with the silverware and goblet nearby. The summons from the Headmaster was now crumpled in her fist, knuckles white from the force with which she used to crush it. Lifting her head, she quickly honed in on and narrowed her violet eyes on Pansy Parkinson. If she had gone to the headmaster about the rat army, Skyler would murder her before they made her leave the castle.

The brunette gave a longing look to the food she would no longer be consuming and forced herself to get up and ignore Draco's questioning look. She knew he would only worry if she explained now and she didn't have any answers for the questions he would no doubt ask anyways. She only offered a small reassuring smile before taking her leave and heading out of the great hall and to the headmaster's office, dragging her feet none too gracefully the entire way. She was not in a hurry to face the old man again.

She racked her brain on her way, thinking of any other possible reasons she would be called to the man's office, but each was more worrisome so she settled for just waiting until she got there. It wasn't much of a plan really, but she was good at thinking on her feet usually.

She gave the password to the stone gargoyle and up the revolving staircase she went. Sooner, rather than the later she had hoped for, she was directly outside the door she had only seen once before. The day over summer for her sorting. A sort of dread seemed to settle in her stomach, but the brunette worked hard to wipe any worry, nervousness, and anxiousness from her face and instead replaced it with her usual grin and bright eyes. She thought she was getting rather good at this whole masking her real emotions thing. As long as she was masking it with another emotion instead of a blank face.

The teen had just lifted her hand to knock on the door when she felt a presence behind her and instantly she turned, wand at the ready, only to come face to face with Harry. She rolled her eyes, lowering her wand, but grinned at her friend. "Let me guess. Meeting with the Headmaster?" She questioned rhetorically, only turning back to the door when she had already knocked and opened it before the greeting was completely out of the old man's mouth.

She winked at Harry out of the corner of her eye and waltzed in as if she owned the place, not bothering to greet the headmaster. She knew from her first meeting with the old wizard that this would irritate him, and she was counting on that. She wanted it to be plain that she didn't care for the headmaster at all, and that she respected him even less. He had done nothing to earn any respect from her, and so she would not give him any, regardless of how many times people told her he was brilliant. Something about him was definitely off, and Skyler didn't trust him one bit.

Instead, the brunette strutted directly over to the magnificent bird she was rather jealous that the headmaster had. "Hey Fawkes." She greeted the phoenix with a secretive smirk. Cocking her head, she looked at the bird with a question in her eyes, lifting her hand to stroke his brilliantly colored plumage. He trilled, and she seemed to take that as an answer because she let her fingers come in contact with his soft feathers, now completely mesmerized by the phoenix.

But Skyler hadn't forgotten why she was there, and though she refused to give the headmaster any direct attention, she questioned in a less than happy tone. "Is there any specific reason why I'm here, headmaster? Because if there is I'd rather just get it over with. I was kind of hoping to make it back before dinner ended." Thinking on it, she added, "I'm sure Harry here feels the same." This, of course, was a long shot. For all Skyler knew, Harry could be one of those people who practically adored the headmaster. But somehow her impression of the boy didn't fit with that thought. She glanced sideways at her friend, wondering if she was in the wrong for adding that in.

It was no real surprise when the summons found Harry the second he sat down for dinner. He had been expecting some sort of communication since the second he had left the castle for break. That expectation had risen first when he left Privet Drive for Diagon Alley and then spiked again when he arrived at the school. Since that time it had been steadily rising until anytime he had to think he was worried about when the Headmaster would call him in. It got to the point that he was more worried about this meeting than he was about the ghost that was haunting him even more this year.

Harry padded quietly out of the Great Hall, offering a reassuring smile to the Weasleys and Hermione before they could try to get up and follow him. “Private meeting with the man in charge,” he laughed out. Of course Dumbledore had picked the night of Harry’s favorite food, something the house elves were unlikely to reprepare later, even if Dumbledore hadn’t managed to make it where he couldn’t drop into the kitchens for a late dinner after the castle calmed down later. That was a problem that could only be dealt with later, though.

He was still lost in deep thought, to the point that he actually missed one staircase and bounced off the corner of a wall on his way to the Headmaster’s quarters. He was largely unaware of the steps right in front of him until he came to the entrance to those quarters, when Skyler turned around to face him. “Naturally,” he said with a smile, as if this was nothing at all to worry about. “It had to happen at some point. No idea why he’s seeing us together, though.”

By then the door had opened, and Harry followed Skyler in, saying nothing at first and gazing around at all of the magical objects as if he had never been here before. In truth, anywhere but the man’s deep blue eyes would do. He just didn’t want the man to ensnare him again and know exactly what was going on. That would not do.

Harry let Skyler do the speaking until she finished, but then felt the need to address the Headmaster’s left shoulder. “Actually, take your time, Sir. I’m sure we can deal with it if your wise agenda for us causes us to miss one meal, even after a long day in the castle.” He shot Skyler a look that asked her to trust him. He was hoping they could make it look like they were divided, while he actually steered the conversation to their favor. He only hoped the Slytherin understood and would play along.

It was a thing of beauty to see the two enter together. The raw magical power the two teens exuded was intense, even when not trying. They may not be able to sense or feel it, and those untrained to do so might not be able to either, but for the trained eye and mind, it was an incredible show. The mere thought of being able to harness this power to one's own bidding was intoxicating, and was the only thing that kept the grandfatherly mask in place after the young witch's display of obvious disrespect and dislike. It struck a nerve in the Headmaster of the most prestigious magical school that his sole strength of manipulation now handicapped him when it came to this girl, and it made him grind his teeth that she seemed to be aware of it.

Albus wanted to pass it off as preposterous for that to be possible, except for the tiny feeling he got deep down telling him otherwise. Perhaps he had underestimated the young Riddle, and the same thought was running in regards to Harry as well, because while Harry seemed to be more appeasible than he had during their prior meeting, Albus was quick to notice that both teens avoided looking directly at him. Again, he told himself it was impossible for either to know the truth, and that he was an accomplished legilimens, because that was not a widely known fact that either could have gathered from anyone they knew. Especially in Harry's case, because Albus had always made certain of who exactly was friend and foe in that regard.

He felt no shame or sadness about the twists and turns he had caused Harry's life to be, or the lies and subtle manipulations he had built around the boy until nearly his entire life was a fabrication of Albus' design. There was no limit to the number of times the old wizard had crossed lines that any good human being, magical or not, should never cross. Sirius being one of those, but that had been a necessary loss, and what Harry didn't know couldn't hurt Albus. This is what made Albus a dangerous wizard, and just as bad as the current dark lord, who had been made so by the Headmaster himself. Only no one but himself knew that tidbit.

The wizened old man forced himself to maintain his calm and friendly demeanor and smile openly yet sadly at the teens despite the girl's snub. Albus had to remind himself that teenagers were already difficult to handle and these two in particular required an extra amount of caution when being dealt with. One wrong move and all of his carefully constructed plans could come tumbling down, especially if he lost patience and/or control, and that could not happen.

"Thank you Harry, and I am extremely sorry to interrupt your dinners. I know how hard it is to have to turn away from the excellent meals the house elves prepare." The twinkle in his bright blue eyes was knowing, and gave the appearance that he did in fact know what it was like. The real reason behind this knowing look in his eyes had little to do with having to turn from a delicious meal and everything to do with knowing how irritated it had made them. Or at the very least, her. Harry didn't seem too bothered with it.

Albus made a show of sighing heavily and putting on a grave look, like one who had to deliver a message they wish they had never heard. He looked over his half moon spectacles at the pair looking for all the world like a frail old man with too many troubles. "I have very.." Albus paused, as of searching for the right word, "delicate issues, to discuss with the both of you, and I think it would be best to discuss them with you both here instead of separately mainly because the pair of you are in such similar circumstances and need to hear most of the same information. " He spoke slow enough that they may catch every word and understand his meaning, but not so slowly as of he thought them stupid.

"Before I begin, I must ask the both of you to maintain a strict confidence with what is discussed here tonight." The Headmaster knew Harry would agree right away, because the boy was always so eager for any information, one reason why Albus was able to manipulate him so easily. The girl he knew was a fifty-fifty chance, at best, but was certain in the end she would agree. She would ponder it, weighing her options, and in the end her own want of information would win out. Albus was sure of this. It was a tactic he had used countless times and it had never failed him.

Skyler side glanced at Harry at his words, meeting his eyes briefly but it was enough. The brunette didn't fully understand the need to maintain a low cover on their friendship but trusted her friend enough to go along with it, and gave him a narrowed eyed glare for the Headmaster's benefit. Rolling her eyes obviously in a manner that would seem annoyed, Skyler turned her attention to the old man at his words.

The teen couldn't help it when her violet eyes snapped up to meet the bright blue of the Headmaster's. She did not like the sounds of where this was going. Yet, something in her was suddenly intrigued, even if cautiously so. Could what he had to say have something to do with the dark lord? If so, Skyler felt a dread fill her insides. If she were here and that were the case, it could only mean one thing. And it was the very thing she had been hoping against.

Then there was Harry, who the brunette had her suspicions about why he was here. Rumors flew through this castle at the speed of light, so she had heard many tales of him, none of which she had managed to figure out had any truth to them. But even so, she wasn't sure she wanted him to hear what she was sure was about to be revealed.

Skyler gazed unseeing out the window for a few moments, all of this flowing freely through her mind at a pace she wasn't sure how she kept up with. In the end, she knew that if the rumors were true, Harry would end up knowing whether or not she was present. She didn't trust the Headmaster to keep it from the boy everyone said was his favorite. And if she did refuse to partake in this meeting, it would only raise suspicions about her having something to hide.

The brunette gave a haughty sigh, sending both males in the room a glacial glare for making her life ten times more complicated than it needed to be at the moment and, of course, because she did not enjoy being put in this predicament. She half wanted to refuse the Headmaster's request out of spite, but decided being difficult throughout this entire impromptu meeting would suffice.

"Fine." She spat out through gritted teeth, not caring one lick if she was giving away her agitation. Rolling her eyes again, she planted herself gracefully in a chair in front of the man's desk. Smirking, the brunette took it upon herself to take the breeze out of the old wizard's sails. "Let's get this over with then. You gonna tell me how I'm related to the darkest wizard ever known to grace the world with his presence?" While on the inside her stomach was twisting with nerves, on the outside she appeared as cool and calm as ever, her patented Riddle smirk mocking the Headmaster as her purple eyes gleamed maliciously.

Harry nodded through Dumbledore's opening statement, which is basically what this was, the weird cousin of a trial. That was funny to Harry, considering the last trial he had been involved with Dumbledore had shown up at the last possible moment to save him, while this time it seemed they were on opposite sides of the line. The only thing that was consistent between the two was the lack of eye contact and the strained feelings between them.

"Of course, sir," he said with an air of gravity. He would promise to anything the old man said in order to get information. In the old days, he would have even done anything the old man said, without a question or a doubt. Now, well, promises held little weight without mutual respect behind them. He would decide whether to follow his end of the agreement based on what benefited him, as well as what Skyler had to say afterwards.

He cast a significant look at the Slytherin when she took a while to respond, hoping to convey to her that they needed to go along with whatever the headmaster had in miond for now and that Harry would make sure they got it sorted out afterwards. He had no idea how deeply she trusted him at this point, but he did have more experience in this office, surely, so hopefully she would go along with him on this one.

He needn't have worried, as she eventually went along with it, even if it didn't seem entirely willing. He followed her over near the desk, making an effort to sit where he was a little farther away from her than was strictly necessary. He was just wondering if she was understanding his looks and acting as a result, or if this was what she would have done anyway, when she opened her mouth again and made Harry's drop.

"Merlin," he muttered to himself, forgetting that he was supposed to be playing the Gryffindor who hated all Slytherins and shooting the girl next to him a look of deepest pity. He had heard the rumors, had even had his own suspicions at the back of his mind, but Harry had really hoped that his initial impression was right; that Voldemort had no relatives, Riddle was a fairly normal name, and there was no tie between the two at all. Apparently this wasn't the case. Why hadn't Skyler told him so when she figured out who Harry was and what his life so far had been like?

All of this passed through Harry's mind in mere seconds, and then he composed himself and addressed the headmaster's shoulder again. "Is this true, sir?"

The girl was going to be the difficult one, that much was obvious. Harry, on the other hand, seemed just as willing as ever to look to Albus for information and direction as he always had been. Albus would have been lying if he didn't admit to himself that after the way the summer had turned out he had been a tad worried about the Gryffindor, but now it seemed like that worry had been for naught. Except for the lack of eye contact, things with Harry were just as they always had been, and Albus passed it off to some teenage way of revenge for the lack of attention he had paid the boy the previous year. It had been all for good reason, of course.

The young Riddle seemed determined to make this process as difficult as possible, and Harry didn't seem in any way interested in making allies. It would be difficult to proceed with his plans for the pair if they refused to get along and cooperate, though the old wizard was sure Harry, at least, would fall in line. There was just no telling what the young witch would do. As it were she stole his thunder and in that moment the look on her young face made her appear all the more like Tom himself. This was reason for concern but Albus kept his face a wall of gravity, his blue eyes peering at the girl over his half moon spectacles as he answered Harry's question aloud.

"I am afraid it is." The wizened man leaned forward on his desk, looking from vibrant violet to sparkling emerald. "I am also afraid that he has already been made aware of your connection Miss Riddle, and has already launched his first attack." With a sad look upon his face like one who was about to deliver the most depressing news, Albus slid forward across his desk toward the pair the following day's edition of the Daily Prophet. On the front page was a picture of a beautiful marble manor marred by the floating green skull and snake image above it that signaled a death eater attack. "I am truly sorry. It seems Voldemort has targeted your family. None of them escaped."

His words were calculated to deliver the most devastating blow he could manage to the young girl, and his voice was the most heartfelt and sorry tone, his entire face falling in his faux sadness. No one could ever guess that it had been he, Albus, behind the death and slaughter of the girl's family and not Tom. "There are few people who can keep you safe, and it will only be a matter of time before the reason behind this attack comes to light and the papers run with it. I can help you, but you will need to decide where your loyalties lie."

Skyler enjoyed her friend's reaction for a good moment before the Headmaster had to go and ruin everything. Her eyes snapped back to the old man again. Attack? What did he mean? Apparently his meaning was hidden within the newspaper he now slid across the desk. With a suspicious look, Skyler reached forward to take it, but she didn't lay eyes on it before he was telling her what she would find in it.

The blow was too hard to not allow it to effect her, and for a minute Skyler couldn't breathe as her mind went blank. Had she heard him right? She couldn't have. Could she? With the wheels in her head turning again, the brunette looked down to meet the horror the Headmaster had said she would. It felt like her ears were ringing for hearing it, and now that she had seen it, her eyes were burning. She quickly closed them, forcing back the tears that would eventually spill over. But not now.

The agony and rage she felt over the loss of her parents, and even her grandmother, was too much to try and hide though. Her hands balled up into fists with white knuckles from the force of it, ruining the paper in her hands and her body seemed entirely too stiff. The very air around her seemed to electrify, and things in the room started to shake.

Skyler knew her magic was getting out of control, reacting to her emotions as it always did. But she knew she had to reign it in. She forced herself to draw deep, steady breaths, until things settled back down. Only after a couple of minutes had passed did she lift her eyelids to reveal smoldering orbs. It was clear the brunette was not going to mourn her parents now. Skyler was much too angry to be sad at the moment.

She had had just about enough of the fool before her, and wanted nothing more to do with him if she could help it. Sky was sickened by the very thought of him using this as some sort of leverage to pull her to whatever side of the war he wished, and he had made ear he was doing that himself with his words. Maybe it was time for her to make herself clear. She tossed the newspaper back on the desk, rising slowly to her feet, and her full height, fire burning in her eyes as she glared hard at the Headmaster. "My loyalties are to myself, and those who deserve them." Skyler announced, her tone one of conviction and never wavering. The brunette lingered for only a few more moments, making sure her message was clear, before she turned her back on Dumbledore and strutted from his office, slamming the door in her wake. She had nothing more to say to that old fool and would never willingly visit that office again, or that man, again.

Harry’s first reaction was to reach out and take the paper away, both to read what had happened for himself and to protect Skyler from the painful truth that it contained. He managed to restrain himself, remembering that he was her enemy as far as Dumbledore knew, but he couldn’t help the look of sympathy that reached his eyes. He knew what it was like, both to be an orphan and to have someone you loved ripped away by Voldemort and his followers. He really wanted to comfort his friend now, but the time for that would be later, when the Headmaster couldn’t see what was going on. Still, it took every bit of will power Harry had not to blow his act.

Harry took calm, deep breaths as the majority of the room started to shake. He was hoping his friend would notice and mimic his behavior. Harry doubted Dumbledore would be as understanding as he had been the last time if his office was smashed up for the third time in a period of a few months. Harry suspected that the old man wasn’t as fond of Skyler as he was of himself and Harry.

Skyler eventually calmed down, though Harry wasn’t sure if he had been any help or not. Still, he did not speak, waiting for someone else to. He found himself utterly confused as to why he was here. What game was Dumbledore playing that required Harry intruding on this most private of moments?

Skyler stormed out, and while he wished she hadn't set herself so openly against the Headmaster, he was glad she was gone before things got any worse than they already were for everyone involved. He gave it a few minutes to make sure she wasn't going to come back to shout some, something Harry was prone to, before he addressed his confusion to the Headmaster’s ear.

“Sir, I can’t really see how this news was vital to me. Was there something else you needed to share with me, and if there is, do I need to go fetch the Slytherin girl before you can say it?”

"Much too much like Tom.." Albus muttered under his breath, though he made certain it was loud enough that Harry would hear as he shook his head sadly with a look of deepest regret on his face. He was crowing on the inside with glee, his plan having worked successfully, but on the outside he was a sad and regretful old man. The wizard heaved a great sigh, pinning his bright blue eyes on the teen still in the room who looked properly confused.

"No, my dear boy, we will leave Miss Riddle be. For now." He motioned to the paper now on his desk, waving a hand at it to indicate the boy take it. "I understand why you would be confused Harry, allow me to explain. This news is vital to you because this puts you in even greater danger." Albus paused, knowing each word was carefully planned to bring the boy to the correct conclusion. "This attack, I am afraid, and as you have seen, has turned Miss Riddle from the side of the light. In choosing not to join with the light side, Harry, Miss Riddle can not be protected from Voldemort's plans for her. Oh, he will not kill her. She is much to powerful for that. But he will use her to come after you. Now that her family is dead, he is her only living relative and guardian."

Albus explained slowly, in a pitying tone. The old wizard had always been step ahead of Tom in this chess match and now was no different. He only needed to flip things around to make it seem like he was the good guy as he always did. "Young Skyler is much too like Tom was at the age for there to have been much hope to begin with. You must exercise extreme caution this year Harry. Voldemort will now have followers in the castle if I am not mistaken. And if Miss Riddle follows in his footsteps.." He looked out the window, as if seeing something the boy couldn't. "Then I fear things are about to get a lot darker."

Harry’s head almost immediately dropped from the Headmaster’s ear to his own feet. He did not have to fake being deep in the thought or act at all this time, because he really was deep in thought this time, trying to decide what all of this meant, for him, for Skyler, and potentially for the world in general. He had to assume he was working with limited information, both from the paper and the Headmaster. Still, he owed it to his friend to figure out all that he could.

He also needed to watch Skyler, or possibly have someone else do it who could do so more stealthily than Harry could. While he very seriously doubted that her uncle murdering her parents would make the girl someone more likely to join the Dark Lord, losing a parent, or in this case two, could do funny things to a person. No one understood this better than Harry, especially after the summer he had just struggled through. Harry also had no idea how Dumbledore knew Voldemort would suddenly have school aged followers, but he could keep an eye out on his own and mostly worry about that later.

When he finally spoke, his voice was still thoughtful and his eyes were still aimed at his shoes. “Sir, surely there is something that can be done to ensure she has some guardian besides Voldemort. He is the most wanted wizard in Britain after all. There has to be some safe way that we could keep an eye on her, even if she doesn’t directly side with us. Neutrality until she calms down and sees reason would have to be better.”

Harry was afraid that he had said too much. Not that he had tipped his own hand, he was sure he had been careful with his words. Harry just rarely said more than a few words to the Headmaster unless he was directly asked to do so. He had no idea how the ancient wizard would react to Harry having actual ideas. “Isn’t that right sir?”

"In that, Harry, you are correct. However, I think we both know that grief can do strange things to a person, changing them into something else." Albus peered at the younger wizard over the top of his half moon spectacles with a knowing look. This, he knew, would hit home for the boy.

The headmaster slowly pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head slightly and looked deep in thought for a moment. "I have said it once to you I believe Harry, that it is our choices more than our abilities that show who we truly are." The old wizard made his way to the window and peered out of it across the grounds of the school he had complete control over for so many years.

On the outside he looked like a man with far too many troubles for an already troubled mind but on the inside he was a devil with only gaining power at whatever the cost on his mind and was gleeful with how things were progressing. Albus would have preferred to have the pair on his side but this might be even better.

He sighed and and a somber yet grave look took place as his mask for the time being and the shadow that was cast across he his face added to the effect. "I do not worry that Miss Riddle will side with Voldemort Harry. It is far more worrisome that his descendant is far more like him than I could have imagined. She is no more capable of claiming neutrality than you yourself are Harry. Fate has decided that. If she is not brought to the right side, I am afraid we will end up with a new enemy in the near future."

Harry nodded thoughtfully along with all that the Headmaster said. In his usual way, the old man was making things both clearer and more confusing at the same time, and like normal, Harry had far more to think about now than he thought his brain could actually hold. That generally meant they were nearing the end of the meeting.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how much the Headmaster knew, or at least guessed, about Harry’s own plans. He seemed to already be guessing that Skyler was capable of forming her own side, though he seemed to think it was an extra evil side to deal with. Harry didn’t really think his friend was capable of such a thing, but it would bear watching carefully. That seemed to be the everlasting theme of this year. Harry needed to watch absolutely everything and everyone carefully, all the while saying very little and doing nothing to tip his hand. Being something different from what you publicly said was exhausting. Harry had no idea how Snape had survived for so long.

“Maybe I can find someone who can stomach talking to her and convincing her onto our side,” Harry finally managed. “If not, I’ll bite the bullet and try to be her friend myself, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.” His face showed a general distaste, or the little bit that the Headmaster could see with it pointed at the ground did. In truth the distaste was for this conversation, but it made more sense for it to be pointed at the departed Riddle from what the Headmaster would know, so Harry didn’t worry about hiding it.

“At least we’re prepared and on guard though, sir. Is there anything else you need from me?” Harry was very ready to get out of there, but he would never leave the Headmaster’s office without specifically being told to. Disrespecting a wizard of Dumbledore’s stature in that way could be the dumbest mistake of Harry’s life.

Bright, twinkling blue eyes found the form of the younger wizard and observed the young man cautiously. Harry was both different and the same, and that made Albus a little worried. While the younger wizard spoke and addressed him much as he always had, there was something off about his presence, and the way he did not meet the headmaster's eyes. Perhaps now was the time to address the issues that had risen between them.

But first Albus needed to dig a little deeper because there was something not right about the pair that had been in his office tonight. Something about the way the young Riddle looked to take her cues from the wizard before him and addressed him by first name that made the wizened headmaster suspicious to the fact that they may be less than enemies and it was important that he knew if that were so, and why they would choose to keep that a secret. Albus gave the boy a pointed and intense look. "Harry, I know it has been a rough summer, but I hope you have found yourself above holding my mistakes against me. I only have your best interests at heart and only want to help you in the path that has been laid before you. However I can't help but feel that there is a certain distance between you and I. Is there anything you would like to tell me Harry?" Albus gave the boy a searching look.

Harry had to work hard not to smile. It always seemed to come back to this. Him sitting in Dumbledore office, the same way that Voldemort had once sat frequently in Headmaster Dippet's office before, always knowing more than they should and more than they were willing to let on. At this point, Dumbledore probably knew the dance by heart and knew that Harry wasn't going to tell him the truth. It wasn't even really a matter of trust, not in this case. It was simply a matter of handling things the only way he knew how.

"No sir," he said, eyes back on the floor. Part of Harry wanted to start shouting again, like he had back in June. His interests and the path laid for him only led to people dying. The Headmaster didn't seem to care in the least about that. If he did, he wouldn't be so calm about all of this all the time. Harry seethed silently, waiting to be dismissed before he said or did something that he would later feel bad about. Not that that would be abnormal for him here. His anger seemed to often get the best of him in connection with the same situation that led him to these lovely chats in the Headmaster's office.

The response given was no more or less than what was expected, though it did nothing to change Albus' opinion that there was more than met the eye going on with the pair of students and with Harry in particular. It was times like these the headmaster wished he could shed the skin of the grandfatherly man he portrayed and become the man behind the mask he truly was in order to gain the information he needed and wanted. Albus was certain a few well placed spells would have the Gryffindor singing quite a different tune. This only served to remind him just how handicapped he was by the mask he had hidden behind for so long and it did little to quell the frustration he was feeling. Indeed, it was time to bid the boy a goodnight before he gave into his desires and ruined his plans entirely. As it stood now he needed to reevaluate a few that had already been put in motion.

He peered over at the young man with a look that showed he knew there was something Harry was not telling. In truth he needed little for the boy to tell him himself. There were plenty of other ways to gain the information he wanted without using the young wizard at all. "Very well then Harry. I shall wish you goodnight. There is much that needs to be done however, and now that you know of the prophecy and it's full details, I believe it wiser to keep you in the loop of things. I suggest we meet again next Friday night. It is time you prepare." Albus had made his way back to behind his desk as he had spoken, and had taken his seat again. By the end his face carried a very grave look for the boy's benefit and he waved his hand in the air, and the door to his office opened, signaling the meeting had finally come to an end.

Dumbledore knew that something was going on. Then again, Dumbledore seemed to know almost everything that went on in the castle, so keeping him to just knowing that something was going on and not exactly what was going on was probably a large victory for a student, even one as experienced in these things as Harry.

He rose quickly, flashing the Headmaster a small smile as he made his way out of the office. "I'll see you next week, then, sir. I look forward to staying involved in the war against Voldemort more than ever this year." With that he turned and made his exit. Only a week until he would be back here, and there was so much that Harry needed to do between now and then and even more that he would want to do. Apparently this year was never going to slow down for him.