OH GODS! 2 years? Has it really been two years since I put word to page? It is the return of the incredible... yeah no I can't even bluster through guys slapping on a dark content warning for the next bit of the Author's Notes so for those of you who are reading this the following discussion it's talking about unhealthy life choices and bad ways of dealing with dark parts of yourself and bad brain days, so slip ahead to the double line and the start of the story from here:

WARNING WARNING WARNING

I've been gone for several reasons all bad, worked to much(wound up sick and almost in the hospital for that one), depression(we'll get to that bastard) and several other stupid and asinine reasons why I was doing stupid things like not allowing to let my outlet of writing be an outlet, I'm like many, dozens, I can actually say hundreds of you who read and like this piece(No clue why you crazy kids), that I used... use I can say that again now, neat... use writing to look at inspect deal with and absorb and come to terms with aspects and characteristics of ourselves that we aren't always a fan of. to the number of you who have me as a Favorited Author(again why?) I'm working on some new and old RWBY Pieces and will probably pick up my teen titans and Kim Possible/Campione crossover at some point soon as well as A new Harry Potter Piece. Anyways not what I'm talking about here for this. So writing as an outlet and coping mechanism. funny thing about that, once you put it out and people like or hate it it shifts from an outlet for many to a responsibility... this story has almost constant positive feedback and I'm not going to lie when I say there's some pride in that... but there's also fear... I've had some messages telling me how much they love this or some of my other stories and how much that it means to them that I do those stories... at that point there's expectations and people have feelings and views on my stories... I had someone in a review for a storry of mine drop a full story line for how they thought my fic should go. I had people asking about commissions and some people wanting me to use them or their characters in my stories... it was a lot to much. I had also recently thrown myself heavy into my rl job and school for going into a new carrer field that barely left me time to sleep much less spend the time with people I love or care about, or behind that write. I was so focused on what was going to happen in the future and how much better my future could have been I forgot about the now. And I lost because of that, I lost hard and in many ways I needed that, even though I finished the course and am now in a new field of employment I understand how much I lost... anyways... take care of yourselves, if you write in order to vent or decompress do it, just don't stop...

-Potter Manor-

Harry looked out the window into the blushing skies of the early morning, he'd need to get back to the Leaky soon… Rebecca had left shortly after finishing her warning. The mostly empty tumbler of amber liquid he held loosely in his left hand swirled lightly as his wrist gently rocked back and forth he hadn't slept since the day before, but he was used to that at this point he had many sleepless nights being the Head of the Auror's department in what was quickly becoming another life. Raising the liquid to his lips he drew a small taste into his mouth letting it bloom slightly as he closed his eyes and let the flavors coat the inside of his mouth as he sucked in a bit of air and swallowed. The heat of the drink filling his chest as he continued down the winding train of thoughts that led him to his current place of watching the sun wash over his grounds… how odd to think that, grounds. He had grounds… he barely had enough space for Ginny and the kids in his old life and now he stood in one of the largest homes he had ever seen, a home that he owned and no one to share it with, well his niece… who was a version of himself? But born later in time and a girl? He downed more of his drink. Or niece, he could go with niece. He knew how to deal with niece's… kind of… he had Rose before. Niece… Harriet Potter was his Niece. And one he needed to go and retrieve to her new home…

"Pen." Harry spoke the name calmly his intent reaching out to the elf and summoning him to his side. After Dobby, Harry was astounded by how much healthier and admittedly sainer his elves were. He wondered if Harriet would try and call Dobby to her… he had always wondered what life would have been like after the war if Dobby hadn't died.

"Yous be called Lordsy." Pen was a dignified creature with purpose and an honor to him, old probably Kreacher's age but unlike the haggard and bent loin clothed creature of Grimmauld Place Pen stood tall and broad for an elf almost reaching Harry's hip his garment though obviously made from a pillow case was unlike the billowy tunic like garment that Dobby wore instead cut and tailored to fit properly the crimson silk clean and patch free. His voice while in the accented and broken english that all elves seemed to use was clear and understandable. Pen, if there was such a thing, was an elf of class and distinction.

"Yes Pen I did, I need a room setup for Harriet, I'll be bring her here today. She's James' baby girl and the Heir of the House." the small creature nodded it's head and poofed out of existence to get started on the changes to whatever room was needed. Harry was still weighing his options… did he interfere… he could, so easily Crouch… Diggory… stopping Harriet from entering the tournament… she could have a life where she didn't have to fight tooth and claw to survive. Riddle… he could stop Riddle… he could never return… there were several things he needed to do… the Horcruxes… if he could gather them and destroy them… Harriet, there had to be a way besides her death to remove that sliver of Tom's soul from her.

He'd have time, he knew several of the Horcrux locations… some of those would be harder to grab then others but he could do it: the diary was already gone, probably, he'd make sure Harriet put the basilisk fang through it's damnable pages; the locket would be easy once he got into Grimmauld; he'd need to get the cup from the Lestrange Vault but that might be easier than he thought depending on how he worded things to a few people; the diadem was in the Room of Requirements he'd been planning a Hogwarts trip anyways; the ring though… he didn't know where the Gaunt shack was but he'd most likely be able to find out; the last one the snake, he was too late to stop the death of Bertha Jorkins, the paper already mention her missing. Then it was a matter of making sure that he was at that graveyard. But that would involve putting Harriet through the trials… and letting Crouch Jr's plans work to completion. It was a risk running through his head the entire night, he had thought of it early in the evening, right after Rebecca left actually. With a sigh and downing the last of the glass. His brain had run in circle a hound after a hare for hours. Could he allow himself to also sacrifice some of Harriet's happiness in order to end the threat… could he let himself become another Dumbledore… another Fudge… even if he did it to ensure that she would forever after be free of the shade that haunted his life...

A tapping on a nearby window caught Harry's attention he turned to see a powerfully built elegant owl, he didn't know where it was from but he if it found him here it must have been sent for him, walking over to the window that was made for such things he opened it and the creature flew over to a perch by the large desk that Harry knew that there was more to than beautiful scroll and detail work. It was a puzzle for another time though as he pulled the scroll of parchment from the birds outstretched leg. A bowl of bits of meat and cool clear water winked into existence on the perch and the owl greedily ate as Harry unrolled the letter.

"Well Henri, your mistress is a clever one."With a smile Harry leaned back as he read the note another two or three times imagining how this had to be another universe. His eyes shifted to the clock in his office and he cursed making a note to reply as soon as he got back with Harriet. The owl hooted indignantly at the wizard as he moved to leave.

"Shush you silly thing, I'll write a reply to your mistress on my return. I'm late as it is. PEN! I need to be at the Leaky Cauldron this instant!" the elf appeared in an instant touching his new masters leg and pulling them straight through the weave of magic to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry cursed as he went up the stairs to the room he had left Harriet in. It was still well before what most would consider civilized hours but if Harriet's life was anything like his he was already too late to be back before she awoke how could he do that to her, he had promised to be there when she woke. Pen felt the anxious and self-deprecating thoughts rolling off of his master but didn't know how to stop it or their source.

Harry stopped slipping a bit of Hardin back into his personality in order to keep the mask on for Harriet. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him. Harry had the realization that he had no idea what it was like living with a girl who was turning 14 years old in almost two months time… Teddy wasn't even that old when everything went to hell with Voldemort. That actually made Ms. Markova's agreement to enter into his service as more of a blessing. Sure the women in his future became a powerful head of a very dangerous criminal enterprise but that was then… hopefully. He must have been tired for that of all things to pop into his mind. Shaking his head he knocked lightly on the door t the rented room. He was a 29 year old bachelor in this world… not the 29 year old married man who was father to 3, uncle to dozens and godfather to a crafty child that he was in his other world. A very wealthy powerful bachelor a part of his mind that felt both his and not his owned remarked. Knocking again Harry shook his head slipping into Hardin fully he heard a voice from the otherside.

"Who is it?" judging by the sound she was off to a side, good instinct, though having learned it this young drove another edge through the heart of Hadin.

"Hardin, I thought you'd be up by now, I'm sorry for taking so long to get back but if you're ready to go I have a surprise for you I think you'll like." Hardin's voice was heavier than Harry's not deeper but there was a weight to it that Harry's never had. One of the many tricks of working undercover was learning these things about your covers. The door opened with a click a moment later, Hariet looking out first at the man who had saved her last night, then disappeared… but then he dealt with the emergency meeting… before disappearing again. Harriet was dressed and ready. Looking next to the man Harriet's eyebrows scrunched up as she took in the elf. He looked very different from Dobby. Not as much physically floppy ears and bulbous eyes were still there but unlike Dobby the creature before seemed… strong wasn't the right word. It almost felt as if the elf was a reflection of the man who stood next to it.

"You keep elves?" having been only exposed to a limited number of elf owners Harriet's eyes narrowed lightly. She wasn't sure if she trusted him as much if he was a slave keeper.

"It's a new thing, Pen is the head elf of House Potter and in many ways the steward of the Family home that I've been looking over and making sure was safe all night. Now then. Are you ready to go home?" Hardin smiled at the girl offering her hand as Pen seemed to walk in and pop her trunk and different odds and ends. They'd still have to do shopping for the school year but they had time, it wasn't even July, much less the August rush to get everything together. Harriet nodded her head and moved next to her uncle, she was still curious how Sirius and Remus never knew that he existed… maybe he was sent away before her father started Hogwarts? Putting his hand on the girls shoulder and smiling Pen rejoined Hardin's side and again they were pulled through the weave of magic to the front door of the Potter estates.

Harriet was astounded by the grounds around her trees and land manicured gardens and clear open skies, no look of suburbia or pressure of the city around them. Taking in a breath the teenager could almost taste the openness and safety on the air. The grounds were astounding. And the house, her house? Her new Home? It was one of the largest buildings that she had ever seen that wasn't a public facility.

"Woah…" She was speechless. Stunned even.

"I know much better than a cupboard under the stairs right?" Hardin almost kicked himself as the words left his mouth. Thankfully in her shocked state all the girl did was nod her head understanding on some level but not absorbing what he was saying. That was a mistake he couldn't afford to repeat at the moment without a story in place. Hardin reached forward opening the door, Pen was already gone from sight, and had been since they entered."Ready to go in and see your new home?"

Harriet's slight nod as Hardin opened the door. At this point Harriet had decided that she had died. She was dead, her Uncle Vernon had finally killed her and she was now in heaven where a family member had come to get her to bring her to a better life. It had to be, a number of elves were there and bowed as the two of them entered into the main entrance of their home. Hermione would throw a fit and a half over this, but then judging by how clean, healthy and happy the elves looked maybe she wouldn't. Harriet was overwhelmed, there was no way that this was actually her life now. One of the elves stepped forward the voice lighter and more feminine than Dobby's.

"Breaky will be served in the gardens in 40 minutes if the Lord and young Missy would likes to get themselves cleaned up and thereses. I's be Linny, I's be showing the Young Missy Herri to hers rooms." Looking over her shoulder to her uncle she saw him smile and nod his head to her.

"Sounds Like I'll be seeing you in a little bit then Harriet, I know that this is all newer to you then it is to me, but I'll ask you to trust me here, here you are safe from everything in the outside world. None but those I say are allowed even onto the grounds. We can meet for real and ask each other questions over breakfast and the next few days." Hardin smiled and Harriet nodded her head as she started to move away.

"I look forward to it."

Hardin had made his way up to the master's study where the Eagle Owl sitting on the perch was glaring at him as he opened the door. It hooted once to let its displeasure known

"I know, I know give me a moment and you'll be on your way back to your mistress." Hardin sat and as he picked up one of the many wonderfully weighted dip pens on the desk, a glass piece of red and gold. It took him two tries to write the letter and sealing it with the tip of his wand attached it to the leg of the owl realizing he was going to most likely need to procure one or two of his own. A mated pair maybe.. sitting for a moment and enjoying the feeling of comfort in the office he heard the sound of a throat clearing in front of him. The sound was deep, human. Looking up he saw a face he had only seen once on the Wall of the family tree of Grimmauld Place. His grandfather… no not grandfather, his father Charlus Potter.

"Hardin Joseph Potter, welcome home my son." The man bowed his head lightly. "I see you've already meet your uncle Phineus, man was always a master of fabrics."

"Father." Hardin almost dropped into Harry mode out of surprise. Though really it shouldn't have been. "I'm surprised you didn't speak to me last night, I was here for several hours."

"Ah but you hadn't woken me," the man looked like all Potter males in the face but the eyes were the realm of the mother's touch. In this case a deep ocean blue. "I spelled the portrait to awaken once the next Lord Potter sat in that chair. But how did you end up here? What happened to James?"

So Harry, no... Hardin, right now he was Hardin and the mask felt more comfortable then his own face at the moment, told his father what had happened. How James and Lily died and how he had only been back in Britain a few days. Meeting Phineus and the confrontation with the Wizengamot. A moment after he finished he was about to continue before he noticed the time and in a curse bid his father farewell. He made it down to the doors he had seen before when Pen was giving him a tour just as Harriet was walking in from another direction she looked better cleaned up and in a deep cobalt tea dress that she was obviously not used to wearing but seemed to almost be fitted to her.

"You look nice." Hardin smiled as he opened the door leading them onto the terrace the breeze was light and slightly warm as they made their way to the table set under a pavillion. It was a small table, set for two a boot of tea and a french press of coffee already waiting with fresh fruits and baked goods. A jar of clotted cream and small pots of different jams littered the surface of the table. Hardin pulled out Harriet's chair and allowed her to sit before walking to the other side and sitting himself. As he did he felt a letter fall into his lap and turned to see the same eagle owl.

"Henri. Good to see you again so soon." Hardin popped open the note saying that Jacqueline and her troop would be there before three, and she agreed to the other duties he asked about a blessing there. "You can return to your Madam, I'll make sure that we're ready to receive them."

"We're receiving someone today? But we just got here…" Harriet looked confused and slightly concerned at her supposed uncle's words.

"We are but they're going to be new members of the Household, not family but they'll be living and working here as well as assisting you and me with a small number of things. Mainly house guards and a tutor/assistant she'll be teaching you and helping me." Hardin judged the coffee to be done enough to press the plunger down and pour himself a cup Harriet taking her que and pouring a cup of tea for herself with two cubes and a splash of milk. "So I know you have questions but so do I, would you like to trade them?"

Harriet took a second and nodded her head, meekly and waited. This man was new yes he'd done nothing but try and help her so far but she knew how dangerous new people… especially new strong people could be. She wanted to know more but she was afraid of asking the wrong thing better to have him start the questions and she could gauge familiarity from there for right now. Hardin waited for a few moments before guessing she was waiting for him to go.

"I'll start then. What's your favorite subject at school?" Hardin sipped his coffee and smirked at the stunned look of his niece.

"Ummmm," for whatever reason Harriet wasn't expecting such a benign and mundane answer. It took her a second to go through her classes in her head. "Well this past year it would have to have been Defense Against the Dark Arts. We had a really good professor. I'm sad he won't be returning this year, he… had a problem that caused most of the parents to want him out. But other then that I like Charms, Flitwick… did you go to Hogwarts"

She stopped the way only a curious child could in the middle of an explanation. While he knew why she asked he couldn't say that he knew Flitwick if he went to Highwood like was now the story.

"No, I went to school in the States* Highwood Academy of Sorcery and Spellcraft it's one of the four schools in the States like Hogwarts Highwood was divided into houses by personality,"Hardin tapped the grinning fox on his cane. "Mine being Foxcrest."

"Cool," Harriet hadn't thought about the different places around the world when it came to schools. Of course the States would have more than one school, with a population of almost 5 times the size it'd be stupid to only have one school. "Well Flitwick is part goblin he's an amazing professor though. He likes helping us learn."

"I see." Hardin teased out small bits of facts to put together a bigger picture. Ron and Hermione were her closest friends. Hermione actually invited her to go to France with her and her family. To which Hardin's response was we'll see and talk about it. He did ask about interactions with Voldemort and Harriet opened up crying and explaining, everything. She had kept it bottled for so long, everything really from first year.

She hadn't had an adult who she felt safe to talk to outside of Dumbledore before this moment and the Headmaster's response was always stiff upper lip and carry on… it wasn't the same... it wasn't what she needed. Sirius she could have opened up to, Remus also but they weren't here… they were gone and she knew that they needed to be for now. Until and if Sirius got himself cleared there wasn't anyway for him to be around long enough for her to unload all of it. She started in the forbidden forest. The sheer fear of dealing with that thing that was both Quirrell and Voldemort, the challenges and trials to get to the Philosopher's stone. The Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk within it. How the entire school turned against her and thought she was the heir of Slytherin just because of parselmouth. Then last year and the roller-coaster of Sirius Black, the Werewolf DA-DA professor and how he might have been the single best teacher she's ever had. The Dementors and jumping in time… it was so much… to much in case.

Harry thought back… if he was that young again and some one he had trusted had asked him about what happened he probably would have broken down also... but only now, only this moment would he had been able too. After this summer it became too serious, too real, too dangerous for him to break. There was at that point a dead body, a dead friend on his conscious, and Riddle was back from the dead. He wouldn't have allowed himself to break, he hadn't, couldn't have, he felt that his niece would likely be just the same way if he let it come to that. He wouldn't.

"You have been so very brave, you've seen and experienced things that so few would understand and fewer still would be able to function after. I know we've only known each other for a short time but I am so very proud of you, just as I assure you your mother and father would be if they were here." Keeping small words of encouragement and praise to the girl Hardin brought her back to the house and Linny had appeared and helped to guide Hardin and Harreit to the heiress's suite. Leaving her in the elfs care after several assurances from both the girl and the elf that they'd be ok from there Hardin walked away and processed what he had been told, the truth for him… hearing fully what had happened and knowing that she hadn't even entered into the worst of it… Hardin… Harry needed to make the decision for his plan, the only way to ensure Voldemort's location was to let Barty Crouch Junior's plans reach fruition. He'd figure that out, he needed to. But for the moment as much as he wanted otherwise in order to maximize the chance of disposing of the Want to be Master of Death and Heir of Slytherin was to for now let things go as they were supposed to for key elements… Harriet would enter into the Tri-wizard… but she'd do better this time, he'd train her and prepare her for it. He returned to the Lord's his father… grandfather… it was all running together… Charlus was his father… no he was his grandfather… the office was his! In an act of desperation Hardin slammed his fist into the center of the desk causing a raddle. Looking in a nearby mirror Harry stopped and looked in fear. A bisected reflection looked back at him… he didn't have to guess which side was which… closing his...no his… their? HIS! His eyes for a moment and taking a breath Harry Potter looked into the mirror again this time seeing only himself.

Approaching the Manor home of her new lord and lady Jacqueline Markova looked intreigured at what she knew was the window of the Lord's Study such an interesting expulsion of power, two beings made from one were throwing themselves against each other in a torrent of fear and power only for them to mix together again. How very interesting… smoothing her red dress and shaking her slender neck sending her bouncing black curls into a wave of motion the Gypsy Witch smiled. This was bound to be an interesting arrangement. Her Owl Henri ruffled and set it's feathers as it looked in the direction of his mistress. Like the future Henri's gaze was unknowable and full of danger.

Read. Review. Eat Pancakes.