Chapter One

Harry James Potter stared out the window of Professor Jones', the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, classroom window thinking about all the changes that Voldemort coming back had brought and his summer. Subconsciously he touched the scars on his wrists. They were a constant reminder of his attempt to kill himself.

The summer had started out bad and just got worse. As the weeks had wore on he thought more about suicide, not able to deal with Sirius' death. A week before his birthday Sirius was set free. Peter Pettigrew had been caught and the whole truth had come out. Harry couldn't take knowing he had lost his only chance at a real family and had slashed his wrists open. He hadn't known it then but the Order had placed extra charms around the house to alert them if he tried anything like that. The Order was there in an instant and rushed Harry to St. Mungo's. He hadn't lost much blood and left the hospital two weeks later and spent the remainder of the holiday with Remus Lupin. Those first few days were hard on both of them but very slowly Harry had improved. Harry met a psychiatrist once a week in Hogsmeade and would for years to come. He was doing better now that he was in school and had things to do to keep his mind busy. He still had nightmares and there were days when he didn't want to get out the bed but Ron and Hermione forced him to function and go to class and he got through those days.

He looked across the grounds to where the additions to the school were. Voldemort had started attacking Muggles and half-blood families over the summer. He had attacked Hermione's house but thankfully none of her family were injured seriously. The situation had become so dire that Dumbledore had added additions to the school to house Muggles who knew about the wizarding world, and some who didn't, along with half-bloods and anyone else who realized the threat Voldemort posed. It was one huge building about half the size of Hogwarts. They had a day care program for the parents/parent who worked and didn't have anyone to watch their kids, a Preschool program, and a teacher for each grade for the Muggle children. It had sports also for those who wanted to and numerous other activities to occupy the children. There was a separate building for the library that all students were allowed to check out books from, much to Hermione's delight

Harry was brought of his musing by the bell ringing. Harry gathered his stuff and followed Ron and Hermione out the door.

"What would you two do if I didn't let you copy my notes?" Hermione said apparently annoyed with them.

Harry and Ron weren't concerned; they both knew it was dry threat and she didn't mean it.

"Hermione," Ron said pouting slightly, "you wouldn't really stop us would you?"  Hermione's face softened as she looked at Ron but she stayed silent.

Harry had been delighted and surprised when he found out he got all the grades he needed to become an Auror. Hermione had gotten an Exceeds Expectations in Astronomy and Outstandings in everything else. She had fussed about the Exceeds Expectations saying it ruined her grades but had eventually shut up about it when she realized no one really cared. Ron had gotten an Outstanding in Potion much to his and everyone's surprise. Harry and Ron got to drop Divination, History of Magic, and Astronomy while Hermione kept all her classes.

"Guys come on. If we don't hurry we'll be late for potions and Snape'll kill us. He will especially kill me since I'm still on probation or whatever you want to call it Hermione, and he would love the opportunity to report me to Professor Dumbledore," Harry said. This was true and he wanted to avoid Hermione and Ron kissing. The two had started going out during the summer after having revealed their true feelings for each other. He always felt awkward when they kissed. They ended up kissing at the closed door to the potions room despite Harry's efforts to stop them. No one took all that much notice of the couple as it was common knowledge they were going out. None of the Slytherins made any cracks about them, too afraid to.

On the first day back to school Malfoy had made a crack about Sirius and Harry, it was one of those days when he didn't want to get out of bed, cracked and did everything he could think of to hurt him. Professors Jones and Snape had broke the one sided fight up. Harry was sent to see Dumbledore and Malfoy to the hospital wing. Malfoy had ended up with a concussion and Harry had got suspended for a week. He had gotten a very long lecture from Remus when he was called to come and get Harry from school. Harry was amazed the man hadn't yelled at him, Harry almost preferred he had, but Remus Lupin could control his temper very well. Normally fighting wasn't punished by suspension but Malfoy was still in the hospital wing recovering when Harry came back a week later. He got detention with Flich or Snape if we was late for class, didn't do his homework, or was caught out past curfew which was now eight instead of nine and Professor Dumbledore wrote to Remus. He had been late once and after talking with Remus, two or three words from Harry all the rest from Remus, he had vowed not be late again. Malfoy still had some scars that would probably stay there forever. It would have been an even bigger problem if Lucius Malfoy hadn't walked out on his wife and son. The Death Eaters that had been captured at the end of the previous school had escaped a week later. Lucius Malfoy hadn't been seen or heard from since. His mother had been furious and had considered taking Draco out of Hogwarts but in the end had decided against it. She knew Hogwarts was the safest place for him and didn't want him getting killed by Voldemort by switching him to some other school. Harry had been surprised when he heard this and wasn't sure what it meant.

Professor Snape opened the door and they all filed in taking their regular seats. Snape set them to work on a complicated potion that would erase memories. Harry left the room an hour and a half later laden down with homework, felling he done alright on the potion. They dropped their stuff off at Gryffindor Tower before going to the Great Hall for dinner.

When they arrived not a lot of people were sitting down but were watching a small brown headed boy, who looked about three, and Mrs. Warner one of the people who helped with day care program. The little boy was screaming and crying backing away from Mrs. Warner looking terrified. His eyes roamed around the Great Hall obviously looking for an exit. Mrs. Warner was slowly approaching the child, talking in a sweet voice trying to persuade the child to come to her. He just screamed louder and cried harder. He suddenly turned and ran pushing through peoples legs. Harry couldn't see him for a few seconds and he came back in his line of vision when he collided with Harry's knees. On instinct Harry reached down and grabbed the child before he could hit the floor. Harry held on to the frightened child until Mrs. Warner came over and took him from Harry. She carried him out of the Great Hall his cries echoing. Everyone slowly took their seats talking about what had just happened. Harry's mind was on the belt shaped bruise he had seen on the child's back.

*~*

Harry was sitting in the Gryffindor common room trying to do his homework but was failing miserably. His mind was on the small child and the bruise he had seen on the child's back. Harry attempted to do his homework once more but have up and turned to looking out the window, letting his mind wander. He was brought out of his thoughts by someone laying their hand on his forearm.

"Harry, are you alright? You've been staring out the window for a while now," Hermione said in a concerned voice. She knew it wasn't good to let her best friend to brood. "What are you thinking about?"

Harry sighed. "Not what you think I am. You know that little boy that was in the Great Hall today? The one that was screaming?" Harry said.

Hermione nodded. "Poor thing looked terrified."

"Yeah well when Mrs. Warner took him, his shirt rode up and I saw a bruise that looked like a belt buckle."

Hermione was silent for a few minutes before saying, "Are you sure about what you saw? Maybe you were mistaken."

"No, Hermione I'm sure. It was in the shape a belt buckle. I know what they look like having had plenty when I was younger," Harry said, shocking Hermione into silence.

"Harry, I'm sorry," she said regaining her voice, "I didn't know you went through that. You shouldn't have."

"Yeah, well I did and there's nothing you can to do to change it. Like you said I shouldn't have but I did and if we can get this kid into a good caring family he won't have to suffer with it for the rest of his life. Will you help me to come with a plane?" he asked, his eyes begging her to say yes.

"Of course I'll help. You could volunteer to help Mrs. Warner with the kids after classes and get to know some about his background. That way you'll have some background information before rushing headlong into this without knowing anything. She's always looking for people to help. Little kids, especially their age, can be a handful. I've been planning on volunteering for a while now but haven't got around to it."

Harry looked at the clock. If he hurried he could make it. "I'm going to go now and hurry so I won't get in trouble, stupid probation." He said good-bye and then left.

It was common to see students going to the additions and no one paid much attention to Harry. He had been there on several occasions with Hermione to see her parents. He knew where the wing that held the day care center was and set out. He knew Mrs. Warner would be there since some of the parents didn't get off work until nine-thirty at the latest and it was seven-thirty. Harry had thought he knew how to get to the wing but now doubted himself. He continued walking down the corridor hoping to see something he recognized. He was about to turn the corner when he heard something that sounded like sobs and screams mixed coming form the opposite direction. As he walked on he didn't hear the mummer of people's voiced behind doors and the sobs/screams became louder. He paused as he came to a fork and listened to see where the sound was coming from. He turned right and continued walking down the long corridor. He again was faced with the choice to go left or right but the choice was made for him. As he looked to the right he could see a man standing over a child, hand upraised with a belt in it, about to strike the child. The man brought the belt down hitting the child across the chest. As he walked toward them he recognized the child as the one who had been screaming in the Great Hall earlier.

He came up behind the man and grabbed the belt as he raised it to strike again. The man noticed Harry for the first time. He pulled the belt form Harry's grasp. He hauled the belt back and before Harry could react the belt was wrapped around his arm, the buckle biting into his bicep. He gave a gasp of pain and surprise. The man pulled the belt back and it let go of Harry's arm.

"Who are you?" the man asked breathing heavily.

"My name's Harry Potter. I'm a student at Hogwarts. I was going to see Mrs. Warner about volunteering to help her with the day care when I heard sobs or screams. I followed the sound and found you beating him," he said angrily, pointing a finger at the child now huddled on the ground.

"I wasn't beating him and how dare you accuse me of doing that to my own son! I was merely teaching him a lesson."

Harry snorted. "That wasn't 'merely teaching him a lesson' that was a beating and it's illegal. I know what beatings-" Harry broke off seeing the smile on the man's face. "Why are you smiling?"

"You, or anyone else, can't do anything about the way I choose to punish my child. Do you know what Diplomatic Immunity is?" the man asked still grinning. Harry nodded a sense of dread filling him. "Then you know that someone who has it can not be punished for doing something that is considered wrong by a culture that is not their own. For instance, what you call beating a child. What you saw me doing is not considered beating a child where I'm from and since I don't know the laws of your culture I can't be punished." With that said he picked his sobbing son up off the floor and walked away.

Harry stared at the ceiling of the sixth years' dormitory, rubbing his sore arm. He finally had gotten to Mrs. Warner at eight thirty, thirty minutes after his curfew. She had immediately accepted his offer of help and had written a note saying that it was her fault that he was out after curfew. He felt absolutely defeated. How was he supposed to help the child when his father had Diplomatic Immunity? Hermione and Ron had outraged when they heard what had happened. Ron hadn't see what the big deal was about his dad having Diplomatic Immunity at first but when Hermione explained it he was even more outraged. Hermione had tried to get him to go to Madame Pomprey to see about his arm but he had refused. He had asked her if she knew of any countries where it was legal to beat children but she didn't know of any. He had planned to go to the library and ask his professors what they knew about Diplomatic Immunity and if there was any way to check to see if someone really did have it. He sighed, pushed all these thoughts out of his head and fell to sleep.

*~*