I decided to look at my story, only to realize I hadn't uploaded the last chapter. I am so sorry. Let's get this going! I can't hardly wait for Tom Riddle to show up to claim Harry. So much fun to be had! Not my characters, obviously, since Harry is smart and Dumbles is going down. Not to mention, we have a tasty Dark Lord to release on the world.

Buckle-up! It's time to ride!

Dumbledore took his time heading to the Great Hall, thinking about the trackers in his office. Their magic reserves were all full, but they just weren't working. He had carefully checked the wards around them, then Hogwarts wards as well, but both sets of wards said Harry was accounted for. They just couldn't find him. Since that was impossible, maybe it was time to make new ones. It would be a bit inconvenient, since they were blood based and he would need more of Harry's blood, but an accident could be arranged sometime soon to give him the amount he would need. The boy was a trouble magnet after all.

Getting Madam Pomfrey out of the way was problematic, it always was, but he thought she could handle another obliviate. After all, there was no lasting harm done if done right. Albus Dumbledore took the time to do everything right.

Dumbledore entered the Great Hall through the entrance behind the professors' table, hands clasped behind his back, the perfect picture of grandfatherly benevolence. He looked up toward the ceiling, smiling again at the beauty of it, knowing he had the power to change it at any time. He wondered if other Headmasters had been tempted to make the sun shine all the time. Dumbledore wondered if constant sunshine would make all the children happy, keeping them calm. Might keep them out of trouble, make them pliable, easier to mold. Some years were harder than others when it came to influencing their young minds. Since the Weasley twins had started, it had became a bit of a chore.

Dumbledore glanced around at the students in his little kingdom, feeling contented with how things were going. If only the trackers….

Harry was not at his seat at the Gryffindor table.

Harry must follow routine, that is how the magic Albus had cast on him would have a chance to settle in. It was an intricate casting of slow moving spells, twisting around each other, soaking into the boy's magical core a bit at a time, to appear completely natural. His first year here, he would need to follow a perfect routine to keep him calm, or otherwise the spells would slough off and they would have to be recast. Too much trouble, best to put the boy back on track.

He needed Harry's heart, his love, his complete trust, to be able to make the sacrifice that the Headmaster needed. He needed Harry to follow the routine of the perfect Gryffindor, now more than ever, since Harry had been told about returning to the Dursleys. That bit of news had made him unhappy, and Harry had questioned him. Unacceptable.

Albus cast his eyes over the tables, looking for his wayward weapon, when where should he be found? At the Slytherin table! Oh my! Not where he needed to be unless starting a fight. Perhaps he was trying to…

Harry and Hermione had both sat down. Beside the Malfoy boy, in the middle of the first year Slytherin group. It looked like they were talking. Absolutely not, must put an end to that. Harry should hate, and fight with, all Slytherins.

No problem, he would just wander over and stir things up. Remind Harry about how many of them had a death eater in the family, ready and willing to kill him. Sometimes Dumbledore was convinced the heart of the boy was too soft. Must see about having Severus harden it. Only towards all Slyterins, of course. After all, needs must.

The Headmaster played up being old, getting to his feet and stretching a bit, as if he didn't really want to but had to. Then he slowly moved around the table, heading to the Slytherin section of the Great Hall.

Draco Malfoy threw his head back and laughed.

Albus Dumbledore felt a chill run down his spine.

Blaise Zabini saw a bright splash of canary yellow out of the corner of his eye, and made a motion to Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting across from Draco Malfoy. She traced a pattern on Draco's leg with her toe of her boot, causing him to lean toward Harry and whisper, "Dumbledore to your right." Harry had to make a decision quickly, whether or not he wanted Dumbledore to know they had made peace, or if he wanted the Headmaster to think they were still fighting. He knew this heads-up was his new friends giving him the chance to make that choice.

He liked the easy talking, the understanding, the knowledge these kids who didn't know him were willing to share. The acceptance. Did he want to fake the fighting, just for a day or two? Surely by then his Grandfather would be coming to set things right. Why should he worry? There was no way to change it, Mr. Malfoy just said his Grandfather was tying up every possible way for his claim to be challenged.

It all came down to he liked this new life, and he wanted to keep it. He didn't want his new friends to think he was going to change his mind. Plus he just plain hated Dumbledore.

Harry nodded his head just a bit at Draco, letting him know he got the message. Then he smiled at him, with just a bit of mischief. He knew his message had been received when Draco gave him a slow, steady, and very bright smile back.

Harry carefully raised his voice, making sure he could be heard. "Oh, Draco, thank you so much. Accepting my offer of friendship should make our school days so much easier." Harry beamed at all of the Slytherins sitting around him, letting them in on the fun. "We may learn more! Learn better! Maybe even start a new age of co-operation between the Houses!" Harry wondered if Dumbledore would try and take credit for this. Maybe even let the Headmaster think it was all due to his magical twinkly eyes! If Harry laid it on pretty thick… "We may even earn a special award for services to the school! What do you think?"

Harry saw motion out of the corner of his eye now, so he turned to face his quarry and keep the ball rolling. "Headmaster! So happy to see you! Look, I took your advice," Harry hoped someone was watching Snape's face, he would love to hear a play-by-play since he couldn't see the look on it right now, "and decided that if I couldn't really tell the difference between love and hate, perhaps my fighting with Malfoy was all my fault!" Did Dumbledore just grimace? Harry must be doing something right! "Imagine my surprise when he accepted my apology, and agreed to start over!" Boy, Dumbledore needed lessons from Slytherins too! He was too easy to read, and right now he seemed a bit stunned. "We plan on making a meeting room for all of the houses to mingle, where we can all learn how to get along, differences and all! And we owe all this to you. Thank you so much." How did this man get to be where he was? You could see the calculating glint in his eyes. The Headmaster was going to take the bait. He was being led around by the nose, and didn't know it.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and pompously started taking the credit.

"I am so proud of you, dear boy, I knew you had it in you!" This was perfect, Dumbledore could calm Minerva down with this, she would believe him next time when he said he knew what was best for young Harry. "I know the perfect room for this meeting place of yours!" The Headmaster started making wide, sweeping hand gestures to help explain himself. "There is a big room, right down the hall from here, that would be perfect with just a few changes. I will get the house elves on it right away!" He didn't realize he was nodding his head in agreement with himself. "Must be going. Need to get this done by lunch! Afternoon tea could be had by all houses then, right in their new meeting room!" He wandered off, still talking to himself. He wondered if grooming Harry to take over for him instead of sacrificing himself was the better option.

Harry, relieved his quickly laid plan worked so well, turned back to Draco to see a look of admiration on his face. As he scanned the faces of those around him, he realized they all shared the look. He didn't know that he had fulfilled a dream of theirs, born at the knees of their parents, to put one over on the manipulative Headmaster.

"I should have let the hat put me in Slytherin." Their reaction to Harry's simple statement was priceless. Nott slipped off the bench, Pansy said "I think I'm in love," and Draco said, "I just turned gay." Blaise leaned forward and licked his lips.

"Think we could look forward to more of that from you?" Then Zabini winked at him.

Harry sighed. Maybe it was just as well he was a Gryffindor.

Midmorning, about the time Harry would be in his first class of the day, Tom Marvolo Riddle strode out of the doors of Gringotts and into the crowd. He walked with pride and grace, turning heads in appreciation of his form as he went.

He could safely say there was no way Dumbledore could take his prize from him.

Lord Slytherin had invoked old family magic in the ritual room provided by Gringotts, reclaimed the title that went with it, and filled out all the paperwork making Harry James Potter his legal and magical Heir. Only one ritual left, and that was of blood. It was only used when an heir was claimed who wasn't in the main bloodline. Since Harry was his grandson he didn't need it, but he was taking no chances. He wanted Harry, so he was going to make sure no one could take him away. Ever.

The Dark Lord smiled as he turned into the owlry, looking for an express owl to deliver a letter to his grandson. He needed Harry to be ready by supper to perform the ritual, so he needed the boy to start practicing his lines to be perfect. Tom would accept no less, nor wait longer than that.

He had sent house elves to prepare Slytherin Manor, restoring it to its former glory, which had been lost in the madness that had invaded the proud and powerful line. After the ritual was completed, he would take Harry to their new home, and tell him who he was and what he was going to do. His grandson needed to come to terms with their past, hopefully better than he had.

As he watched the owl fly away, the greatest Dark Lord to have ever lived felt greater remorse. His own daughter! How had Dumbledore managed to hide her, and produce such a ruse to convince him to kill her? Surely if he had been sane, he would have seen the ruse for what it was. Treachery! Never again. Dumbledore would never again lay a hand on his family.

Once he had Harry safely secured with magic from all sides, he would start again on taking over the wizarding world. His sanity restored, his looks returned, Lordship title claimed, an Heir procured. Nothing could stop him now.

Oh yes, he was ready. As Tom Marvolo Riddle spanned his gaze across the sky, feeling the wards in the air humming to him, telling him what they created for, he made a promise to magic. To make the changes he had originally wanted, and save magic from being forgotten, and letting the old ways disappear. To keep her from losing her strength, from losing contact with her children. The balance was fading away as the 'light' made its changes, disregarding the dark, and magic was becoming displeased. She knew Tom was back, and everywhere he went she whispered to him her secrets.

All of the imbalances could be blamed on the so called 'leader of the light.' It was impossible to believe the old man had no idea he was killing magic. The only assumption Tom could make was that Dumbledore was doing it on purpose. To level the playing field? To make them all equal in his eyes? Perhaps he felt no one was responsible enough to wield magic.

Dumbledore, you have made your last mistake. This snake was ready to inject enough poison to kill you, only slowly, no need to rush the show. One must surround oneself with friends, sit in front row seats, for proper enjoyment. And popcorn. It was time to destroy all you have done, restore the magical world the way it should be, pleasing magic enough to strengthen and return to our lives the way she had intended from the beginning.

Magic had told him how she wanted things done.

It all starts with Harry James Potter. Time to retrieve the game changer.

Draco Malfoy entered the new House Hall, looking for the reason of its existence. His eyes found Harry Potter reading a letter on a group of sofas by a fireplace. The young Malfoy caught the attention of his friends, and motioned them over to Harry. He needed to know what was going on, because this day was the most interesting day he had ever had, and he knew there was more to come.

Harry looked up as the Slytherin group settled around him. He gave them a big, toothy smile. "I'm waiting for Hermione, she should be right back. Just had to go to the library for a quick minute. Then, the big reveal, phase three!" he swung is arms wide with a flourish as Hermione took a seat in the circle.

"Just back, the traffic in the halls was horrible! It seemed as if there were students everywhere. What do you think they were all doing? There has never been such a mess at any other time since we've been here." She was genuinely curious. You could feel the vibrations of magic in the air, the feeling that something was happening. Maybe they knew something she didn't, something only magically raised children would even have a clue about. She hated not knowing something.

"Come on, I know you Slytherins know. This is something only that only if you grew up around magic you would know, right?" They just had to share, Harry would be vulnerable if it was another set-up by the Headmaster.

Pansy looked proud of Hermione. "Very good, Granger. We will make you a first class First Generation yet." She gave Hermione an encouraging smile. "That is actually one of the reasons we came here all together, to present a united front to the student body. We are hoping it will slide under the notice of the teachers, and especially the Headmaster." She leaned back and crossed her legs, trying to get comfortable. "The Headmaster is not a pure-blood, so would not be familiar with some of our history."

Here she paused, handing control over by looking at Draco. Draco shifted, leaning forward a bit, and began. "There was once, at the beginning of the magical age, two brothers born who were gifted with great magic. They were the First Born of Magic herself, hand-picked by her and blessed with her gifts. One preferred direct sunlight, and the chirping of birds in the trees. The other, preferred to sit in the shade, feeling the direct sun too hot, and enjoyed the sound of running water. Both loved each other, and spoke to one another in a language their muggle relatives couldn't understand, because Magic taught them herself."

Draco looked closely at Harry and Hermione, making sure they were listening to every word. "They were considered wise children, and were sought out by all for help, because they were able to 'wish' things to heal, to mend, to change; which they did out of love and compassion for the people who had such faith in what they could do. The boys had an innate sense of right and wrong, and always tried to find the truth in all they did, be it for an animal or a human." Draco noticed how closely the others were listening to his telling of this historical tale. He gave a smug smile, of course he could tell it better than any other.

"Now, you must understand, the people did not know anything about magic, they just accepted what they could see the brothers do, not thinking of what they were doing as being right or wrong. They considered the boys to be gifts from their gods, rewards you could say, for being faithful worshipers. Today, after having separated what they could do into categories, we would see them as dark or light."

Harry looked surprised, then commented. "Like Yen and Yang, two halves of the same whole. There are stories of this in every society!" He turned pensive. "Does that mean, that there has to be both? You know, light and dark, to keep a balance?"

Draco looked proud. "Very good, Harry."

Hermione cleared her throat, leaned forward and softy asked, "So what happens, exactly, when things become unbalanced?" She sounded a bit worried.

Draco smiled his best smile at her. "Now we get to the important part of the story. You see, the villagers became greedy, and started to ask the brothers to do things that both boys felt to be wrong. They did not want to curse a man's neighbor with bad crops, or bless another with abundance. In those cases, they wanted to leave nature alone, say if the crops were growing well to leave them alone, or help nature to be at her best by helping a good crop become even better. To make something terrible happen on purpose, made the boys feel bad." Here he paused, to make sure he had his Griffindor's full attention. "The brothers explained how they felt, and refused to do these things. What they couldn't explain, was that going against the flow of their magic made them sick. You see, magic rewarded the boys for being responsible with her gifts, and likewise punished bad behavior, by making the brothers' well-being dependant on following her wishes. This was impossible to explain, because the people did not know magic, the boys were the first she had ever graced with her powers."

"A few of the elders had children who saw the brothers as a chance to make themselves wealthy, and bring status to the village at the same time." Draco leaned back, relaxing a bit, and took a sip of the pumpkin juice Pansy had set in front of him. "Now these children, some legends say there were three of them, some say seven, no one really knows; decided they wanted to take over leading the village from their parents, charge to have the boys do anything for anyone, and set a list with a price. Say, to curse your ex-lover would cost you so much, etc. They had presented this idea to their parents, and were told no. The parents respected the boys, and listened to what they said about pleasing the Mother, and would not go against them." Draco sipped his drink again, and then continued.

"These children decided their parents were too stuck in their ways, bowed down with the weight of tradition, caught up in pleasing gods, and could not see the chance for riches. Surely to be rich was a blessing from the gods too, and was something everyone had a right to become. So in the dead of night, they snuck in the house of the brothers, and stole them away." Draco could tell by the look on Hermione's face that she had figured out that part already. Harry just looked mesmerized.

"The boys would not obey the children, so the children began to torture people in front of them, to force them. The boys could not stand the suffering, and tried to do what the bad children wanted, but wanting something bad to happen to make something bad stop happening was more than they could take, and they sickened and died." Draco gestured to Pansy.

"The next day," she spoke clearly, "the villagers from the other side of the valley came seeking a healing for an elderly man, only to find the entire village wiped out." She gestured to Zabini.

"Speculation was rampant, at what could have happened, but concern for the boys was the most important. They turned over bodies, rooted through houses, until they were found." He gave Harry and Hermione his best creepy smile. "They were shriveled up, and when the villagers touched the bodies, they bodies turned to ash and drifted away on the wind."

Blaise gestured to Nott, who began to speak in his soft voice. "Magic cursed them all. That is, she gave them what they wanted. Now magic cannot be used only for the good of all, but has been split. One side of magic is good, and good only. The other side is bad, and bad only. Magic will not work unless both sides are at work, and working together." He stopped speaking when he saw the look on Hermione's face. She got it.

Hermione Granger felt the weight of the knowledge when it clicked for her, and she turned her head slowly to look at her friend. She hoped he figured it out, because there was one thing she was sure about.

He would not be happy about it.

Harry sat there with a stunned look on his face. He paled, and began to take deep breaths. He forced himself to calm down, and focused his attention on Draco.

"It's me, isn't it. Dumbledore couldn't possibly be the good half anymore, if he ever was. Things have been going downhill in the magical world for a hundred years. Voldemort is the bad, and I am the good." He turned to Hermione with a desperate look. "It is me, isn't it."

She gave Harry a gentle, loving smile. "I think so. I have never met anyone like you, so perfect. No one who meets you can help it. Dumbledore is known as a light lord, so I believe he must have been the balance." She raised an eyebrow at Draco, looking for confirmation.

Draco sighed. "The old families believe so. We thought Grindelwald was the dark, but he was defeated by Dumbledore. So it was passed from Grindelwald, onto the next most powerful Dark Lord to ever live. Since Dumbledore did not balance Grindelwald, but defeated him, he lost the mantle of light. We don't know who had it after him, if anyone, but now, we are all sure it is you."

Draco gave Harry his most compassionate look, hoping to head off an outburst. It seemed to work, Harry relaxed a bit.

"Dumbledore knows. He has to. He had to have set up Voldemort to come after me that Halloween, only for the dark lord to lose his life. Now, we need a dark to balance the light." Harry ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up. "That is, me. The light, I guess." He exhaled forcefully. "This is so messed up. Has a new dark been found by the old families?"

"You sure are taking this well, Potter. I am proud." Theodore gave Harry an encouraging nod. He was always overflowing with emotion that way.

"Well, it makes more sense than believing a baby was powerful enough to stop Voldemort, who was so powerful people are still afraid to say his name in case he hears them, and he's dead. I don't think there is any way a baby could have done it, I think there was some spells, or something, placed on me, my parents, my house; had to be. I believe the only one powerful enough to place such spells to defeat a dark lord had to be someone who already had defeated a dark lord, so it had to have been Dumbledore."

Well, it seemed there was hope after all, if Golden Boy could figure it out. Draco was proud, as if he had managed all of this by himself.

"So, now you know. What would you like to do?"

Harry just handed the letter he had been reading at the beginning of this crazy mess to Draco, waiting while he read it to make a decision. "Nothing," Harry said as Draco lowered the letter, "I don't want to do anything until I am safe from Dumbledore. That doesn't happen until after I learn this chant and I do this ritual with my Grandfather. Tonight! It happens tonight! Then, I am safe, Dumbledore can't touch me, and I can tell my Grandfather that I have to find whoever is the Dark Lord now, and hope he believes me." Harry ran his hands through his hair in his frustration, and snorted. "I hope my Grandfather believes me! What do I do if he doesn't?" Would that mean magic would die? Or that she would take back her gifts from her ungrateful children?!

"Draco, do you think your Father would like to be here when my Grandfather comes? Maybe he could explain things better than I could, surely he knows all of this and can explain it in a way that won't make my Grandfather decide I am too much trouble." Harry turned wistful, shining eyes up to Draco's face, and batted them a few times for effect. "Pretty please?"

The young Malfoy heir sighed. "I'll send him an owl."

Neither Harry nor Draco felt the guiding touch of magic as it subtly guided their thoughts and emotions, nor feel its approval at their words.

The children sitting around Harry conferred while their friend seemed to be in another world, agreeing to help him learn the chant in the letter, and to run interference with the teachers if they needed to. No one was going to ruin Harry's chance at a family, or their chance to help save magic. They could see history was happening, and they were getting to be a part of it.

Dark children raised in dark families knew a lot of family protection magic, based on things like blood, and auras, and were impossible to cancel by normal means. They were taught to them as a way for them to protect themselves and each other, should someone try and hurt them. Some were painful, one caused the draining of a magical core (it wasn't permanent), and all of the spells were forgotten by the one they were cast on, as a further means of protection. Harry's new friends were going over their favorites in their minds, hoping to get a chance to cast them today. They were going to protect Harry at all costs. May Merlin have mercy on anyone who tried to stop them, because they wouldn't.

Dumbledore stayed busy, but he did notice the absence of his favorite boy from the halls. As a matter of fact, he did not see Harry anywhere, and that was unusual. He made it a point to check on Harry's progress through the day, everyday, to make sure the magic around him was still forming the way he wanted.

He wondered if Harry's new friends had anything to do with it, but they just weren't powerful enough to hide a person Dumbledore wanted to find.

Dumbledore would not have believed it even if he had known, that Hogwarts herself was hiding the orphan that touched her heart, or that Harry was going to save her by becoming the new Lord of Light. Dumbledore considered the world of magic his very own chessboard, and he himself to be the King. The pieces were all lining up, just like he wanted, just not in the way he wanted. Not anymore. The endgame had changed, and Dumbledore did not know it yet. His awareness was going to be painful, and Hogwarts was going to keep this a secret from him no matter how he tweaked the wards, until it was too late for Dumbledore to pull any more of his tricks. The Headmaster was going to be terribly surprised at supper in the Great Hall.

Details.

Tom Riddle strode up the steps to the grand doors of Hogwarts, and paused to greet her. He had recognized her sentience since he was a child, and would always love her as his first home.

She greeted him, while forming a picture in his mind of the Great Hall, and Harry seated at the Slytherin table with his friends. Harry seemed a bit fuzzy, but Hogwarts let him know she would clarify him for Tom, that she was just protecting Harry to make sure Tom could get to him first. It was possible that Dumbledore would figure things out, or try to get to Harry before Tom to lay claim to what he thought was his, if he saw Tom coming. Hogwarts did not want Harry in Dumbledore's hands, and she let Tom know she expected him to keep Harry out of them. She knew he could do it, she just did not know if there would be trouble first.

No matter, Tom had a right to his grandson, and Harry had a right to his Grandfather. Hogwarts lowered the wards Dumbledore had placed over her to keep the Heir of Slytherin out.

Lord Slytherin felt the wards wash over them, and again heard magic whisper to him what their purpose was, what they were supposed to do. The smile that came over his face was quite nasty. He looked forward to Dumbledore's reaction.

As if he could keep a founder's Heir from their rightful place. Pathetic, really.

Maybe he would allow the old man a job scrubbing toilets somewhere, after he removed his magic, of course. No need to let the soon to be displaced Headmaster have any hope at all.

Lord Slytherin paused as his Right Hand came up to him, and bowed a formal bow. "My Lord, my son has requested my presence on behalf of his new friend, Harry Potter. It seems that the young Lord is worried that Dumbledore might try something underhanded, and hurt his new Grandfather." Lucius smiled, knowing his Lord would find that thought amusing. "I will be sure to have your back, my Lord, so your Grandson may be at ease."

Lord Slytherin was touched. After Harry met him, he would know there was no way Albus Dumbledore could touch him. Or Harry again, ever. "Thank you, Lucius, I will be happy for you to witness this delightful moment." Tom Riddle gave his Right Hand a secretive smile, then returned to his coup.

Tom Riddle strode up to the doors of the Great Hall, setting his hands on the doors with affection. He was ready to start the Magical World anew, with acceptance for all magical beings. He had everything worked out, the laws rewritten, amenities for those magical beings who needed them written down, like the Wolfsbane for those werewolves who want to live within the magical communities, and an isolated land for those who don't so they can run free. All of the laws were ready and waiting for him to reconvene the Wizengamot, which he would do as soon as he had complete control.

Then he would simply dissolve the antiquated Wizengamot, and place a simple panel of his most trusted, both dark and light, with a representative of each of the other magical communities seated as well. He already had Magic's blessing, she had been most appreciative and had given him a boost. Now he could see magic in everything, and immediately knew if an object was naturally magical, and what if any spells had been placed on it. Seeing runes was a pleasure. He would easily be able to see what needed to done, who was telling the truth, what someone's motives really were. Oh, how he loved magic.

He intended to keep things headed in the direction he wanted, but before the Magical World would fall at his feet, he needed Harry. He worried if the child would be able to accept that Harry himself was going to be the center of the New World. He intended to make Harry the figurehead, and when he becomes old enough, to help him rule.

Harry was truly a Prince among wizards.

Time to make him see it.

Tom Riddle, Lord Slytherin, with Lord Malfoy at his right, pushed open the doors to the Great Hall.

As the doors to the Great Hall swung open, many things happened at once.

Dumbledore stood up at the Head Table, in shock. His eyes did not believe what they were seeing. It wasn't possible, he had set the wards himself! The Headmaster reached out with the authority that came with the post of Headmaster, to feel the wards and see what had happened. He was surprised when he felt no change in them, it was if the person in front of him did not exist. He might have believed himself to be seeing a mirage, if all in the Great Hall not turned to see who had arrived to supper late.

Harry sat facing the doors to the Great Hall, and he looked up with anticipation when they swung wide. His eyes fell on a man who radiated power, whose very presence commanded respect. Harry could see magic all around him, and felt a bit of awe. Harry really really really hoped this man was his Grandfather.

Harry's friends all prepped their magic, pulling it to the surface of their bodies, ready with the wandless calming spell they were all taught as children, to use on the students if they needed to. Time to protect Harry, so they started their spells under their breath, ready to cast them at the first sign of danger. When the power flowed from the stranger over the Great Hall, they all sighed in relief. Maybe they wouldn't have to show their secret magics after all. Who could possibly fight that strength and win? Since the stranger was with Lord Malfoy, there was no doubt who he was. How could Dumbledore possibly contend with Him?

Even Hermione was able to figure things out, after her history lesson, but then she was always quick. There would be no searching, or convincing Grandfathers to search for the Lord of the Dark.

No matter what, and she fully believed he would make the right choice, Harry was going to be a very pissed-off Potter, if only for a moment. She relaxed in her seat, and leaned back as she brought her pumpkin juice up for a sip. It was going to be fun to watch.

Tom Riddle stood proud, giving a quick look around the Great Hall, letting his magic flow. He knew all those who were aware of their history would feel the truth of it, and would not interfere. It was only those raised in ignorance, and Harry himself, that he worried over. For absolute protection, Tom asked Hogwarts to protect Harry from harm. In the Great Hall, the heart of Hogwarts, nothing could breach her wards, or overcome her love of her heirs. He felt the gentle caress of Hogwarts, chastising him for doubting her, since she had already promised to do so. Tom sent a quick apology.

Lord Slytherin gave his full attention to he Headmaster, and cast a wandless spell to make sure the ready-made audience of the Great Hall would hear every word.

"Greetings, Headmaster. I am here to retrieve my Grandson. No need to get up." His smile was almost feral.

Dumbledore looked as if he had seen a ghost. In a way, it was almost true. "How are you here?" He was feeling his age at the moment, there just could not be a way for this man to get past the wards he had erected. What was going on? How had he gotten a body? He had not planned on Riddle being able to get a body for at least four more years!

Then it sunk in, what Tom Riddle had said. "Grandson?" Grandson meant an heir to the dark, which meant he would have to kill another child; no, now he had Harry, and he could trick him into killing for him. Or he could have Harry befriend the Dark Heir! Yes, the savior of the Wizarding World was shaping into a good puppet, he would do as he was told. Maybe it was a good idea to have Harry take over for him instead of become a martyr, he was getting to old for this maneuvering anymore, and the magics he had set up would keep little Harry firmly under his control. Yes, soon he would be ready to take a backseat and run the world from the sidelines. He could crush Tom Riddle by stealing away this grandson.

Time to put on his persona. "You cannot hurt any of these children, Tom, I will not let you." He had to sway all of them to his side, make sure these impressionable minds were his.

"Do not worry," it was so obvious Dumbledore was trying to make them all see him as a caretaker, "I have no intention of harming the hope of the Wizarding World. I came today to collect what is mine. If you have no more objections?" He smile became lazy, he knew already that Dumbledore would not make a scene about this, that is, not until he knew who his grandson was. Just a bit of rope, take it, Dumbledore.

The Headmaster knew this was not the place for a fight, he could always gather the school governors and tell them who Tom Riddle was, and explain that Hogwarts was the safest place for the heir of the Dark Lord. Better yet, convince them that the boy might not be safe in the care of one so evil, perhaps Dumbledore would make a better guardian. How it would upset Tom to lose to Dumbledore again!

Dumbledore relaxed his stance a bit, and went for the misunderstood look. "As if I would come between family. Of course, you may collect your grandson. Would you like a private meeting room?" He would try and keep them from leaving the grounds, he could monitor them easily from his office if they stayed on Hogwarts' grounds. He looked to the Slytherin table, for surely the grandson of the Dark Lord was a snake. As his eye fell on Harry he was reminded that he would have to keep an eye out, to push Harry at the Heir of Slytherin while keeping control would be hard, but he had done harder things. Much harder.

Tom Riddle also looked to the Slytherin table, and smiled a real smile as his eyes landed on his grandson. He felt a thrill, his own Heir, his own blood. His grandson. Harry was looking at him too, with a smile full of hope. Lord Slytherin spoke one word. It was all that was needed.

"Come." And Harry stood, rounded the table, and had almost made it to the man whose magic he could almost taste before Dumbledore noticed who had answered the Dark Lord.

"Stop!" Dumbledore shouted, infusing his magic into this command. He could not believe what he was seeing! This could not be true! This meant that Lily was a bastard of the Slytherin line. He should have looked up her lineage! He would have the Dark Lord as his puppet if he had, as well as Harry. Everyone knows Lords are not allowed to kill their Heirs! He had to salvage this travesty somehow.

But Harry had had enough. Enough worry, enough abuse, enough manipulations. He had friends, he had a chance at a new life. Harry wanted his new life. He turned to Dumbledore, looked him in the eyes, and pushed all he was, all his magic, all his desire for a better future into his command.

He spoke two words. "You Stop."

Magic took the meaning of his words literally, she was waiting for just such a chance. Dumbledore reached his right hand over and placed it on his heart as pain shot down his left arm. And Albus Dumbledore stopped.

As the Headmaster fell, he saw the look on Harry's face, and wondered when he had lost control. When he felt what was left of his magical mantle of the Lord of Light leave him, he knew he was dying. When he saw it rise up in the air, and join the rest of the mantle on Harry, he knew he had lost. No one could change the mind of magic, that was why he had been trying so hard to control who had it, he had wanted to keep the mantle despite the will of magic, to give the mantle to whom he chose, both Dark and Light. He kept his secrets too close, no one knew about his work, and it was doubtful there would be any who would see things his way now. It had all depended on the magics to control Harry. His last breath was a sigh of total, utter defeat.

Harry was moved over Dumbledore's plight, but when he glanced from Dumbledore's still form to his Grandfather, he smiled and crossed the distance still between them. Harry stopped right in front of him, basking in the look of satisfaction on his Grandfather's face.

Tom Riddle, wasting no time, reached out to Harry. Harry reached back, only to freeze in pain as Lord Slytherin quickly sliced his palm open and grabbed Harry's now bloody hand with Tom's own bloody hand. When had that happened?

Tom chanted the claiming ritual, holding tightly to Harry's hand as their blood mingled.

"I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Slytherin, Dark Lord of Magic, do claim this boy, Harry James Potter, Lord Potter, Light Lord of Magic, as my Heir. By birth, by blood, by Magic. By magic herself I do so claim."

The backlash was enough to overwhelm all of the Great Hall, and even those who lived in Hogsmead. All of those present would attest till the end of their days that it was the greatest taste of magic they had ever had. It became the story of legends, that the balancing of the world happened right before their very eyes. Being present at such an auspicious occasion was used by some to advance their careers, since everyone who witnessed this blessing by magic received a boost to their own power levels.

Harry realized he had been had. They knew, all of them. Probably even Hermione. They knew, hadn't warned him, setting him up. 'Wonder if my grandfather will help me search', oh how they set him up. They probably knew from childhood who the Dark Lord was! And never even hinted at it to him! He turned to the Slytherin table in anger. Letting him figure out he was the Lord of Light, (for sure now, he felt and saw the mantle settle), his anger led him to aggressively approach his new best friend. Letting him to come the his own conclusions... His angry steps slowed, as he faced a very worried blonde Slytherin. His gaze wandered to Hermione, then to all of the Slytherins. Not one offered an opinion, letting him decide for himself. Letting him make up his own mind…

Harry smiled, as he came to peaceful terms with all that had happened.

He looked Draco Malfoy in the eyes, and said all that needed to be said.

"Thank you."