ONE

Harry Potter had never been so angry about anything in his whole, long and frustrating life. At age twenty seven, he had been forced to go on another Auror raid. You might wonder why he would be forced to do a job every Auror attends at least once a week. That was because Harry Potter wasn't an Auror.

It had taken four months in the job, where he was either treated like an all knowing god of defence, or as someone everyone had the right to test at any moment (on or off the job), before he had quit. He had spent his whole life trying to prove himself and had no intention of putting up with the pleading eyes or subtle sneers every time a problem came up. Unfortunately, the wizarding world hadn't taken kindly to that, and in the middle of the night he had been captured and whisked away where he was forced to sign a legal contract stating he would always work for the ministry of magic in any capacity. He had not been best pleased, and when they had finally caught up with him (he had taken out just under thirty Aurors and was the first person to ever escape the ministry holding cells) he had already gotten himself a goblin lawyer, and had a new contract ready to sign. He had also convinced the goblins to take him on as a friend of the goblin nation, meaning if the ministry didn't sign the new contract, they would be breaching the 1482 Goblin treaty against goblin slavery, and would be declaring war. Minister Shacklebolt had grudgingly signed.

Unfortunately Harry couldn't get out of all of it, due to the magic binding him, and could only get them to sign to say they would only call on him under duress. The goblins and the ministry had happily debated for two days about exactly classified as duress.

But it wasn't being called out on another raid that had Harry in such a towering rage. In fact, he had actually turned around and let Aloysius Nott free from his bindings, after binding everyone else. Nott had turned to face him wand drawn, but the amount of negative magic pulsing out of Harry, practically visible in the air and rolling against his skin had Nott tremble for a moment, before turning tail and running for the floo. The others in the room weren't so lucky. A unique spell Luna had shown Harry (supposedly used for the rounding up of Teriwinkles) kept everyone else bound to the spot purely by his magical signature.

The cause of Harry's rage was about fourteen years old, and was trembling in the centre of the room, her glamour flicking in and out.

'Drop it.' Harry growled, not caring that he was scaring the magic out of a child.

'I- I-…'

'Drop it or face the consequences.' Harry liked to think that he wouldn't really hurt a child, but at that moment he just wasn't sure. The girl whimpered and the glamour dropped. She was the spitting image of Lily Evans, her green eyes looking up at Harry with fear. Harry snarled and turned to face the five other 'victims' that the Aurors had been called to rescue. There was an older child, another girl, Harry guessed about nineteen or twenty, a small baby, two parents, their heads hanging in shame, and an old man who was trying everything he knew to break Harry's spell. Harry could even feel pressure on his erected wards where a phoenix was being called. Unfortunately Harry suspected he'd learnt to ward against that from the man now trying to break it. Rage swelled up in him again and he turned his wand on the mother.

.:Revelio:. He hissed. He still rarely used parseltongue, as it reminded him too much of the past, but it tended to override most magic. He wasn't let down. The woman now standing in front of him whimpered but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

'Well, well mother, we meet at long last.' Harry growled out, causing the last of the Aurors to finally grasp what they had found. Derlling always had been a bit slow.

'H- Harry, I can explain.'

'You will have to call me sir. You have no right to use my first name, and I rather suspect I will soon be changing my last, so it wouldn't do for you to get used to it.'

'Now look here son…' James Potter dropped his glamour with an angry noise and tried to defend his wife. Harry just turned to him with a sardonic look and silenced him wandlessly. James whimpered.

'Come on Dumbledore, you too. I can only imagine how you managed the Kings Cross incident, but it has been bothering me for some time, as I would probably have chosen the chamber of secrets.'

'Why the chamber, my boy?' Dumbledore had never been one to fight losing battles it seemed, as he dropped his glamour with no further argument.

'Because it was slamming a sword into the mouth of a sixty foot Basilisk that made me realise that for all the talk, I was really on my own in the wizarding world. I crossed over then, and have never had a chance to look back.'

'I see.' Dumbledore said, nodding gravely.

'Oh, and one more thing.'

'Yes?'

'The next time you call me 'my boy' or anything similar, I will eviscerate you.'

Harry silenced Dumbledore as well, mainly because he knew it would frustrate the old man. He then turned to the older girl, who was looking at him with curiosity.

'Name?'

'Daisy. I know it's not the best time, but it's nice to finally meet you.' She said in a quiet shy way.

'Hmm. Yes, well. I am going to free you to move in a moment, you will collect your baby brother and sister and floo them to St. Mungos. Your sister isn't saying anything, but I saw Nott's curse hit her early on and she must be a great deal of pain, the baby should get looked over as well.'

'And my… our parents?'

'So long as they are truthful they shall come out alive. You should probably wait for them at St. Mungos.'

'No! Please, don't hurt them.' Within a moment of Harry freeing them she had run forward and thrown herself at him. He quickly disabled three pranking spells and shoved her harshly to the floor. He crossed the room in an easy stride and took the baby from Lily's arms. He gave it to the younger girl without a word, and the three children found themselves magically pushed towards the fireplace. With no other choice they called out 'St. Mungos' and disappeared in the green flames.

Harry had been holding in his anger while the children were there, but now the room grew heavy and cold, and Lily began weeping.

'Explain.' Harry spat out.

'We- we-…'

'NOW!' Harry was furious and magic cracked out across the room hitting James Potter across the chest and slicing through his shirt leaving an angry welt.

'The Dark Lord was chasing us! You could be famous. We could take on new faces, new lives. Professor Dumbledore said…'

'Mr. Dumbledore gave up the right for that distinction the night he faked his own death. You have approximately three minutes to explain, and then we will never see each other again, I hope you feel this is enough time to atone for your actions.'

'Three minutes but…'

Something in Harry's gaze must have shown his determination, because Lily Potter bit back her tears and talked very fast.

'It was for your safety. Even when the world thought the Dark Lord dead we knew otherwise, we saw his spirit leave and knew he would come for you again. We knew he would be after you, and that he would want us dead. We would have been used as tools of manipulation against you. Taken as hostages forcing you to do horrible things. You needed to not have even the slightest liking for those raising you. Do you think it was easy giving up my only son?'

'I think…' Harry took a deep breath and turned to face Dumbledore. 'I think that our decisions make us who we are, and I think that we are often placed in situations where we have to chose between what is right, and what is easy.'

'Are you in a situation like that now? I would like to get to know my son.' James Potter sounded hopeful. Harry stared at him for a long moment, envisioning all the questions he wanted to ask, all the things he wanted to know about his parents. What was their favorite colour, their favorite movie, who inspired them, and which foods they hated? All of the little things that people didn't or couldn't tell him. For a long moment everyone in the room held their breath, every Auror had remained silent, despite the giant discovery they had stumbled across.

'No.' Harry breathed out a long sigh. 'No, now I am in yet another crazy situation. It is one of many that I have been placed in, in my life, and I am sure there will be many more, however this will not be one where I have to choose. This situation is not at all easy, and not at all right, but my decision is both.' Harry ran his eyes over both parents greedily, soaking up every small detail, then, with a heavy sigh, he turned and walked away.

'Don't you want to ask Pro-… Mr. Dumbledore anything?' Umbridge (her niece, not the toad) asked quietly.

Harry paused, but did not turn around. 'There is nothing that man could say that would make it worth hearing.' He paused again, then just for spite added, 'But by the way old fool, I released the phoenix ward ten minutes ago, Fawkes just won't come to you and I doubt he ever will again.' And with that Harry Potter disappeared into the night with a small pop.

Harry first apperated to the spot he and Hermione had been captured by the snatchers during the war. The tent was still there, and he and Hermione came here occasionally when their lives got to be too much. They had started coming here again after Ron died. It had been a freak Quidditch accident, which the Weasleys had blamed Hermione for despite her being on the other side of the globe on conference. She had port-keyed back a mess. Harry had acted as a barrier between her and the Weasleys for as long as possible, but in the end he had snapped, Hermione had snapped, Molly had yelled, Ginny had slapped him, and Harry had apperated them both out of there to the first place that came to mind. They had dueled each other for almost an hour before they ended up kissing, then having sex. He had felt terribly guilty for weeks until Hermione finally snapped and informed him of the two-foot-long-scroll of all the names of people Ginny had slept with. They hadn't spoken of it since, but Harry still came here when things got too stressful, and he now had several wards up to stop anyone else from disturbing him. Now, he simply started cursing anything in sight. He lasted almost four hours before collapsing on the ground and crying himself to sleep.

Harry didn't know how long he'd slept, but it was evening when he woke up and he had come to terms with his world being turned on end as much as possible, and had a clear plan. He stepped into the tent and leaned himself up as best he could. He collected all of his most treasured things and placed them into his bottomless satchel, another thing left over from the war. With one last sigh he looked around and folded down the tent with a wave of his wand, packaging it tightly before wrapping it and labeling it to be posted to Australia. Ha then apperated to the edge of the forest, walking calmly to the nearest muggle postbox and pushing it in. Hermione had moved back in with her parents, who it turned out were quite happy in Australia, and was now a world-leading psychologist for all magical people and sentient beings. She had got her muggle degree in one and a half years and had her own little house-elf retreat. She had given up on the idea of freeing them, and had simply saved, and bought, as many as possible to ensure they lived happy lives. They had never slept together again. However they sent letters twice a month and visited twice a year. Harry was sure she would know what receiving the tent meant.

Already feeling lighter, Harry apperated to the middle of Black forest before apperating again to near Ottery Street Catchpole, thus avoiding the wards, then walking calmly inside to say goodbye to one more person.

'You're leaving.'

Harry looked up, and saw tears running down her face.

'You could come with me.'

'If I did, you would leave all of your memories behind, and it would all be for nothing.'

'I would do it anyway if you would come.'

'But I wouldn't make you live that life again.'

Tears were streaming down both their faces now, and Harry stepped forward and swept Luna into a crushing embrace.

'I won't go then.'

'You have to. I want you to… even when I don't.'

'I love you beyond the moon and back.'

'That's not very much, I'm not that far away.' Luna replied with her usual taunt.

'I would give you anything.'

'Even a crumple-horned snorkack?'

'Especially a crumple-horned snorkack'

'Well okay then.'

Luna stepped onto tip-toes and pressed her lips against his forehead as her hand pressed a small purse into his hand. 'Don't forget me.'

'Impossible!'

'I love you.'

It was small and quiet, and the first time she had admitted it out loud, even after six years, and Harry had hoped she wouldn't have tears in her voice at the time, but it still meant the world.

'I love you with all my heart and being my sweetest moonchild.' Harry too was crying, but with resolution turned and strode out towards the stone circle at the edge of the Rookery's fields. He didn't have the heart to turn back and watch Luna crying on the doorstep, but he knew she was there.

Okay, so I know I've dropped more than a few bombs in this first chapter, but I wanted these big ones out of the way before he goes back, and we will get more (gradual) information about his life post DH throughout. Btw: JS, AS, and LL Potter weren't ever born so don't get all antsy as this is a fanfiction, and not canon, even if it is canon up until the end of school the first time around.