Radix Acclaro

19 - Scales

On August thirty-first Tom, Lucius and Severus went to Diagon Alley one last time before the start of the school term. While they had put on the act that Harry was fine after the 'unfortunate incident' at his Muggle relatives', they had all decided that Harry would have to be officially withdrawn from Hogwarts and be receiving private tutelage before taking his O.W.L.'s.

While that route would limit their ability to lure their enemies out in the open there was no way Tom could polyjuice himself daily and stay sane, not to mention that because they were having to use skin cells instead of Harry's hair for the potion the effects did not last as long as the standard mix.

Harry had also stated that one bout with insane-Tom was more than enough for him.

Hermione sat on the couch in their joint common room cuddled up next to her Drake watching Harry sleeping in his Muggle recliner – ugly things, recliners, but the chair allowed her friend to comfortably spend time outside his bedroom.

She worried about the brunette constantly.

He was handling this whole affair so well- or seemed to be, anyway – in usual Harry style. She was sure that if it had been her in his shoes, she'd have cracked by now. It was laughable really, in a twisted way; a sixteen – now seventeen – year old boy magically bound to two men, one a man old enough to be his grandfather and that had been the one to orphan said boy, an act that had resulted in years of both physical and mental abuse from his relatives, and the second man the right hand man and general to the first. Not to mention the five years of rabid Death Eaters trying to kill him off, the destruction of his home and the death of his only blood kin, an unexpected pregnancy, a near death experience and a prolonged convalescence.

All of this and Harry Potter barely blinked... until it came to the small mater of Lucius and Tom trying to lure out the boy's attackers, then Harry became anxious and depressed. But that was her friend to a 'T' – once he cared for someone he gave everything for them. It was a good thing that the two Slytherins realized this about their Gryffindor... otherwise Hermione would have to kill a few people.

That, of course, would in turn upset her own Slytherins. Somehow she didn't think Draco and Severus would condone the murder of their leader. Luckily Tom and Lucius had been exemplary husbands to her best friend, so she wouldn't have to test her mates in that regard anytime soon.

For now all she could do was pray to Circe that the three men returned safely – she didn't think Harry could survive it if they didn't.

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Tom paraded through Diagon Alley wearing his mate's delicate figure followed by a polyjuiced Lucius and an annoyed looking Severus Snape. Severus was looking annoyed because, well, who wouldn't be annoyed after following what appeared to be two active sixteen year old boys through Diagon Alley; especially someone who had a reputation for despising children, no matter his personal history with these particular two children.

Except for the handful sent to guard Hogwarts, every member of the Order of the Phoenix was stationed throughout the Alley. His own people, the Death Eaters he'd found loyal, were even now infiltrating the Ministry of Magic. Information gathered by both groups all pointed to the same thing: Fudge was going to have Harry Potter assassinated today.

Or so Fudge thought.

Today the Dark Lord was going to make sure his little mate never had anything to fear ever again.

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The first curse in what would historically be known as the final battle of the 'War of Ascension' was thrown at precisely a quarter-to-two in the afternoon and while Tom would have preferred to conduct the fight in his own, larger form he decided that wasn't exactly prudent with so many of his former enemies present. They might know intellectually that he was no longer their enemy... Well, better not to chance it.