Death\'s Design, Fate\'s Plan

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all the characters associated there with belong to JK Rowling, Scholastic, and a bunch of people who are not me. I make no profit from this story and suing me would only yield a whole bunch of well-loved books.

Content Disclaimer: This story contains sex, smut, Lemons, Limes; however you want to say it. If you do not like that then keep on looking.

Distribution: Anyone who wants it. Just let me know and give credit where it is due.


Spoilers: Any and All Books through Chapter 37 of Deathly Hallows

Summary: My take on Reptillia 28's Challenge from Portkey, (Really hope no one minds.) Harry dies well before his time and is sent back to clean up the mess he left behind.

Bashing Warning: This story will contain character bashing and eventually death.

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CHAPTER FOUR
*****I'm a Survivor*****


The kiss seemed endless to the couple, though those watching would tell you that it went on for at least seven minutes. Harry and Hermione broke apart only after their lungs began to protest most vehemently. When they came back to reality, Harry looked deeply into Hermione's eyes. Chocolate melted with emerald. He leaned down to kiss her again, only hear Professor McGonagall's brogue, "that might not be wise Mr. Potter. You may want to wait on your next kiss until we can see what exactly happened during your last."

Harry and Hermione both blushed deeply. Hermione looked around and noticed all the people staring at them and buried her face in Harry's neck. "Sirius said something about soulmates…You are mine." He whispered to his embarrassed mate. "If, I mean." He backpedaled.

Hermione leaned back and took Harry's face in both hands. "You are mine, and I am yours." She smiled and pulled him down to kiss his forehead, directly over his scar. "Your Scar!"

"What?" Harry reached up and felt where his once livid lightning bolt scar graced his forehead.

"It looks like a twelve year old scar should." Hermione said excitedly.

"What?" yelled Snape and Remus simultaneously. The two contemporaries raced forward. Remus grabbed Harry's shoulder's and took a long carefully look at the mark, when he finished he turned Harry towards Snape. Severus grabbed Harry's chin and did the same. "Severus, you do the diagnosis. My hands are shaking too badly." Remus asked the Potion Master.

Snape looked askance at Harry and was quite surprised that the boy was willing to allow the 'Greasy Git' to point his wand at his face.

"Hermione has been telling us forever to trust you. If she's right, great…if not, she will hex you until you think you are a five year old little girl." Harry responded to Snape's shock.

A glance at Hermione showed her wand at the ready, trained on the Potion's Master. "I'll let Lavender and Parvarti braid your hair." She smirked.

"I'll wash it for you first, Parv." Ron added as he and the twins joined her. They flanked Hermione, and all also had their wands trained on the Slytherin Head.

With a wry nod of acknowledgement, Snape ran the requested dark magic diagnosis. He ran it twice, but that was all he did before returning his wand to his holster. There was no doubt in his mind that if anyone could have found some obscure spell in some even more obscure library book that would do exactly as they had threatened…Miss Granger was that person. "It's gone. The dark magic that had lingered in the scar is completely gone." Snape breathed in relief.

"What does that mean for Harry?" Hermione asked as she lowered her wand.

Remus gave Harry a HUGE smile. "It means that now you are free of the link you once had with the bastard You-Know-Who."

"Will it make it harder for Voldemort to return?" Harry asked doggedly. He wished he could do legilimency. He really wanted to know what they knew.

"Yes, it relieves him of one avenue of return as well as making it harder for him to do so." McGonagall reassured as she caught up with the thought processes of the two men. Her stern gaze met first Severus's dark orbs, then Remus's honey colored eyes, asking her own questions. Her former students knew she would have her answers.

Hermione was so excited for Harry she pushed the professors out of her way. "Harry, that's wonderful news, simply wonderful." She was unable to resist and pressed her lips to his. This time there was no gong or quake, or breakage, but the couple was once more suffused in the shimmery glow.

From his place next to McGonagall, Professor Flitwick started to jump and squeal in excitement. He tugged on McGonagall's dressing gown to get her attention.

"What?" She snapped, looking down. "Oh sorry Filius, thought you were a firstie. What is it?" The Transfiguration Master apologized.

"They've bonded. Soul Mates. Meant to be. Destined!" The Charms professor babbled joyfully.

"Oh My!" Minerva McGonagall breathed happily.

Ron and the twins made their way to the kissing couple. "Oy break it up, we want to congratulate him for getting that nasty bugger out of his head too. Besides, that glowy thing you are doin' is blinding from this close." Ron joked.

Harry and Hermione broke the kiss, but not their hug. Instead they pulled Ron, Gred and Forge into the hug with the. Harry laughed, "This is all wrong. The gingers have us outnumbered. Neville, come on mate…we need another brunet."

"Oh, Okay." Neville said happily. He wasn't sure why Harry was calling him to share such a momentous occasion, but firmly felt that if someone wanted you to share their happiness, you did so without reservation. Neville grabbed Professor Lupin as he entered the hug. Remus pulled a struggling Snape in as well. This caused uproarious laughter to erupt from the dorm stairs and the professors still knotted in the entrance.

Soon after the group hug broke apart, the professors shooed the students back to get ready fro the day. McGonagall then turned to her professors. "Staff meeting in 15 minutes. There is much to discuss." She turned back to the pair of students left behind in the common room. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I trust you can see to the repair of the tower's windows?" At their nods, she smiled, "Thank you."

***Great Divide***

Hogwarts Staffroom fifteen minutes later was the home of an abbreviated staff meeting. McGonagall had purposely excluded several members of Hogwart's staff from this meeting. Included in that number were Filch, and Hagrid, the caretaker would have nothing helpful to add and the groundskeeper was incapable of keeping a secret, Sybill Trelawney rubbed Minerva the wrong way and would be even less helpful than Filch. Poppy Pomphrey had been excluded dimply because she was at St. Mungo's this weekend for an extension course. The rest of the staff were quietly discussing the early morning occurrences when McGonagall called them to order.

"It would seem that this morning we were fortunate enough to witness 'true love's first kiss'. Now usually I would never involve myself in my student's love life, but in this case I feel confident in saying that this case is more different than any we would have ever imagined to confront. You see the joining of these two fated souls, also facilitated the destruction of a horcrux. Am I correct in this assessment, Professor Lupin, Professor Snape?" Minerva McGonagall may be a bit blind in her following of Albus Dumbledore, but she had been born and bred a Scottish Warrior Maiden. She had the intelligence to see that there was more going on than she had guessed, and the fierce determination to rectify that situation.

Snape and Remus exchanged a look. "Yes. That is correct." Snape said cautiously.

"Severus is very limited in what he can say in reference to information he had learned from the Headmaster. Dumbledore has been very rigid in the oaths he has forced Snape to take. I've figured out most of the pertinent information and in order to spare our time and Snape's oath's I'll just lay it out." Remus stated looking around the table. "Last year the Chamber of Secrets was opened by a piece of Voldemore's soul possessing Ginny Weasley. Harry thwarted that attempt of Voldemort's to return to power. He also destroyed the horcrux Voldemort had created while still a student here. Today saw the destruction of the horcrux that bastard created the night he killed James and Lily…the night he tried to kill Harry the first time."

"Have we any clue how many he created?" McGonagall asked.

"It would have been 3, 5, 7 or 13." Professor Vector answered. "There is evidence to support the theory of 3, 5 or 7, but no way would his soul have been able to be rendered into 13 pieces. The first Horcrux would have been one half, then one fourth, then one eight, then one sixteenth. There is no way even a magical soul could have been divided past one 128th. And all that remained would have been insanity. It wouldn't bear even the slightest ability for rational thought or human compassion. We'd best hope that he stopped at three or five." The Arithmancy professor finished with a shudder.

"Given that we have now seen the destruction of two, it is our best guess that considering the psychotic behavior of the bastard by October 1981, we are looking for four others and the wraith that Harry disembodied during his first year." Severus explained, since this theory was a byproduct of his recent conversations with Remus, he could finally be a part of the conversation. "Perhaps it is best to plan as though we are facing the worst case scenario, and should we be wrong, it will be a pleasant surprise."

"That's your life's philosophy, Snapey." Madame Hooch teased. "Do we know who we are dealing with? I don't know what's stupider, Lord Voldemort, or he who must not be named. Can't we just call him what his parents named him?"

"Actually, Harry told me that Voldemort's name is actually Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was head boy of the class of 45." Remus answered.

"That gives us a great place to start. I remember him, a year behind me and a Slytherin. He was Muggle raised; I only remember that cause there was a huge scandal of a muggle born being sorted into Slytherin. It happened more often back then, but it was still very rare. I remember that eventually he claimed to be the last of the Gaunt family, descended from Salazar Slytherin himself. We must find out more…every piece of information we can arm ourselves with; I have a feeling that we are just scratching the surface of this." McGonagall said wisely.

"We'll have to make sure that we keep the headmaster out of the loop." Remus said…he waited calmly for the objections to cease. "He cannot be trusted any further. I don't know if he is senile, or just so certain that he is the only one who can decide what's best for the Wizarding world or what, but if he performed the fidelius charm; then he KNEW Sirius wasn't the secret keeper. It was he who suggested Caradoc Dearborn as the secret keeper of the Longbottoms, and we see how that turned out. He put Harry in the worst possibly environment and never once checked on him. Something is very wrong with Albus Dumbledore."

"The most important thing we need to know right now is exactly how many of those abominations Riddle created, what they are, where they are, and how to destroy them." Sprout spoke up for the first time. "We also need to start thinking about better protections for the school. I helped Albus with protecting the Sorcerer's Stone, but you all know that I was against having it in the school in the first place. If we can no longer count on the Headmaster to do what is best for the school, then we must." The Hufflepuff Head of House stated emphatically.

"I agree whole heartedly with Pomona, but we must also find out how to destroy the blasted things, and whether Riddle will know that they have been destroyed." Filius said forcefully.

"I for one would like to know exactly why both Albus and Riddle are so obsessed with Harry Potter." Hooch said testily. "He's a great kid and one hell of a seeker…but what is it about the boy that has Riddle trying to kill him time and time again? And why would Albus basically abduct him from Sirius, and put him with Lily's sister. I only knew Lily for a few years but I know she hated her sister, as much as Lily Evans ever hated anyone. And you can all think what you want but that was an awful lot."

McGonagall cut that argument off with a look. She had like Lily Evans more than most of her students, but the Transfiguration professor acknowledged a lot more of her faults than the men in Lily's life ever had. Lily Evans could hold a grudge better than anyone Minerva had ever met, other than Alastor Moody. "Charity, please look into Tom Riddle's life and history. Filius, you begin looking for more information on Horcruxes and how to destroy them. Severus and Remus, I'm charging you with putting together a training regiment for Harry, Hermione, and I'm assuming the Weasley boy. If Riddle comes after him again, I want him better prepared." She turned a rare smile on her former students. "I'm proud of the two of you for finally putting the past behind you and working together." Looking at the room at large once more she asked them for their oath that they would not speak of the morning's discussions with anyone not currently in the room with a few exceptions. Those exceptions did not include one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

***Because of You***

While Monday morning began much the same as always at Number 4 Privet Drive, Vernon and Petunia Dursley woke and had breakfast. Vernon left for work and Petunia spent her morning cleaning. As Petunia cleaned, she wondered what gossip Mrs. Peterman next door would have today. Petunia, herself, only had a few juicy tidbits. When she heard sirens approaching her neighborhood, all she could think was well surely that will give us something juicy to talk about. She smoothed her skirt and went to take a peek out her front window, she hoped to be able to see where the bobbies had gone…

A look of sheer horror crossed her face as she watched the cars park in her drive, and a bobbie approach her door. When the officer knocked on her door, she was completely dazed as she answered the knock. She was sure that the presence of the bobbies at her door could mean only one thing. She opened the door convinced that she was to be told she was a widow.

"Petunia Flora Dursley?" The officer at the door asked.

"Yes, Good Morning Officer. How can I help you?" She asked.

"You can get your handbag and come with me." He said calmly. He waited patiently on the front step.

Petunia assumed she was going to have to go and identify the body, or at least be taken to Vernon at the A+E. Instead she was taken to the side of her front yard and informed of her rights by a large female office. She was agog. While she was handcuffed in front of her neighbors, she watched as several investigators entered her home.

She stood there, handcuffed, where anyone could see…and everyone was watching. She could feel their eyes on her. She could feel them laughing at her. It went on like that for 45 minutes, the humiliation she felt was more than she had ever felt before, and each of her neighbors could see that. As she stood there, wishing the earth would open up and swallow her down, the investigators took photos of many areas of her home. Several times they came out with evidence bags and gave her horrible glares. When they, finally, finished with their evidence collection; the officers came over and read her the list of offenses with which she was charged.

"Petunia Flora Dursley, formerly Petunia Flora Evans, you are being charged with eleven counts of Child Neglect, equal counts of child abuse and endangerment. You are also charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault; all charges pertain to your nephew Harris James Potter." The officer said.

"What What?" Petunia spuddered. "We took him in out of the goodness of our hearts. He got food and a roof over his head."

The Amazonian female officer gave a snort. "I've seen the boy's medical reports from his school. He's almost 3 tod underweight. He's had more broken bones than your average rugby player, and we have evidence that you were excluded in your own sister's will from having any unsupervised contact with any child of hers. That would preclude you from having custody legally." Officer Melanie Delaney hated many things in this world including the fact that her father thought it was the cutest thing to rhyme her first and last names. But there was nothing she hated more than someone who would abuse a child of any sort, let alone one's own blood kin.

Officer Harold Donovan felt much the same as his colleague, so following the request of the child's legal guardian to make sure that the entire neighborhood was privy to the non-essential details of the case was a pleasure. Especially since so many of them had been involved, when they noticed things they collected evidence themselves, and been very helpful with giving statements as to the abuse they had witnessed. "I believe that the Head Solicitor is actually seeking to add child abuse charges for her son as well. Apparently Dudley Vernon Dursley is over a hundredweight over the advised weight. Looking around the place that kid never heard the word no, any more than the nephew heard yes."

They loaded Petunia into the squad car, locked down the house, making sure to put up Crime Scene tape cross the door.

*Meanwhile at Grunning Drill Company, London*

A well dressed, handsome man approached the front desk receptionist and asked to be directed to Vernon Dursley. The little blonde was so startled by the handsome man, she simply gave him the assistance he requested. She was shocked when she saw 3 uniformed bobbies follow him towards the office of Vernon Dursley.

Vernon had just returned to his office from the morning staff meeting when his secretary buzzed him to let him know that there were four policemen to see him. "Show them in," he said immediately, certain this was about Dudley.

"Mr. Vernon Kurtis Dursley?" The officer asked.

"Yes, I'm Vernon Dursley, what is this about officer?" Vernon Said cautiously.

"You are under arrest for the abuse, neglect and endangerment of Harris James Potter as well as kidnapping, assault and false imprisonment."

Vernon's face took on an angry visage, and turned a shade of purple usually only witnessed by the child he is currently being arrested for abusing. "We took that boy into our home, and gave him food and a roof over his head." He said defensively.

According to the man chosen by his parent to raise him, who he was wrongfully taken from; all you gave him was barely enough food to survive, and his cousin's cast-offs." The officer growled.

"Well, where was he? Where was this 'man' the freak's no account parents wanted to raise him? Boy was dropped on our door step in 81. Where what this gent then?" Vernon blustered.

"He was sent to jail without a trial by a crooked judge of your wife's acquaintance. And considering how wealthy the boy's father was I sincerely doubt he was a lay about. "The suited officer said snidely. The file on this case had been started by another department. MI-7's file was in depth and very complete.

"Actually, sir, Harris James Potter is the name of one of the people who own Grunnings. He owns 51 percent all by himself. The other owners are a Remus John Lupin, Sirius Orion Black and the Board." Vernon's secretary said pseudo helpfully. She had an MBA and because Dursley couldn't be fired without the approval of the firm's primary owner, she was stuck shilling the walrus's coffee.

The color drained from Vernon's Face as he caught the implications of what the bobbie and his secretary had said. The police obviously believed that they had kidnapped Harry in some attempt to get their hands on his money. Vernon Dursley was a bully. He knew it, he had been one even as a young child. He was not someone who stood up to those stronger than he, and the four bobbies definitely had the position of power here. Hearing that Harry was rich to boot, had taken all the fight right out of him. "My wife?" he asked.

"She'll meet you at the station. She should beat you there." The suited officer said as the uniformed bobbies moved behind the walrus of a man. It took four sets of cuffs to restrain the large man. The lead him out and all his co-workers were pointing and laughing. Vernon Dursley had not made many friends while working here, though he had made MANY enemies. He was determined that they would not have the satisfaction of watching him cry. He managed to stave off his tears until he was seated in the back of the black and white vehicle.

***It's Not Over***

Albus Dumbledore considered himself not only the leader of the light, but the leader of the entire Wizarding world. Not only has he led the Wizarding world's premiere bastion of education for half a century, but he also controls both the national and international parliaments. So as he sat in the Chief Warlock's office this morning, he was desperately trying to re-fortify his hold on the Wizarding world. Unfortunately the fates seemed to be conspiring against him. Barty Crouch Sr. had turned the Department of Magical Law Enforcement over to Amelia during the scandal about Black's incarceration. He was still working in the Ministry; however he had transitioned over to the Department of Mysteries, and was therefore no help at all to Dumbledore.

Fudge was currently in quite the battle of his own. Apparently the bribes he had taken from several 'imperioed' former Death Eaters had come to light in the last seven days as well as the blatant disregard of civil rights Fudge had shown in the entire Sirius Black debacle. Dumbledore made the attempt to be nice to Fudge's undersecretary Deloris Umbridge, but the woman was as unpleasant to converse with as she was to look at.

Having made little to no progress within the ministry, Dumbledore made the decision to return to Hogwarts. However as soon as he entered the school, his domain, he felt that there was something different. Something had changed. All around him the students were making their way to the great hall, as they should, for lunch. And yet they seemed somehow both more subdued and at the same time more boisterous. As he made his way to the dais he noticed that his staff appeared to have been hit with the same behavioral affectation as the students. He tried a bit of passive legilimency, but his staff was for the most part bundled up tight, and the students and the rest of the staff simply seemed confused.

Finding the emerald green eyes of Harry Potter, Dumbledore tried a more directed legilmency probe. He was shocked to run into a HUGE stone wall. The wall was made out of the purest white marble, and seemed to go up infinitely. Albus pulled back, shocked. Not only at the fact that Harry had somehow mastered occlumency in a week, but also at the fact that the boy had the best shield Dumbledore had ever in his life encountered. When Dumbledore met Harry's eyes naturally, the young man was glaring at him fiercely. And Albus knew he'd been caught. He wondered if he should make another attempt at Miss Granger's mind, but remembered that that was a waste of time. Her mind was as organized as any he'd ever seen…and that card catalogue thing gave him a huge headache. As soon as lunch was over, Albus retreated to his office to contemplate this new development.

***Girl Who Has Everything***

Hermione PoV

This day has been intriguing. It began with one of the best wet dreams ever. I was shocked when I awoke covered in male cum. I could even taste it. After I showered, I noticed that the hickey dream Harry had given me was as present outside the dream as the other evidence of our time in the dreamscape. And while I am a Gryffindor, it was all too fantastical. I was scared to believe it. Yet, true it was. Harry and I had shared a dream of such magnitude; I cannot find words to express it. Even more when we kissed in the real world, we created this wonderful magical event. And best of all Ron was even happy about it and even was willing to help me defend Harry against Snape.

Whatever event the kiss created, destroyed the dark magic in Harry's scar. I cannot wait until I can get to the library to research all this. But classes come first.

Okay. It is really hard to concentrate today. And I've found something really cool about the event this morning. Somehow it has created a link between Harry and I. I don't mean I can read his mind or any such drivel, but I know where he is…even more than ever before. It is wonderful. You'd have to have a friend as danger prone as Harry to understand how much I worry about him but now I don't have to I can just feel that he is safe, and so is Hedwig. I wonder if he can feel Crookshanks like I can too. I wish classes were over so I could go research this.

If only I hadn't promised that I wouldn't use the time turner to excess. Oh great and here comes another distraction, what does Ginny want?

"You whore. You just had to take my Harry!" She yelled at me. Someone should really tell her that Weasley red face is really unbecoming on a girl. "You knew how I felt about him and you couldn't stand to let me have him. He was to be mine. I love him."

"Oh please. You haven't said a total of twenty words to him in the entire two years you've known him…and most of what you have said is unintelligible babbling. You do realize that he is a human being with thoughts and feelings of his own?" I couldn't help but ask. Really 'her Harry'.

"I've loved him since I was six years old." She started.

"You didn't know him when you were six years old." I interrupted.

"Oh please. I know more about Harry Potter than anyone." She said smugly.

"If you are talking about the 'hero' in those rubbish books your mum read you as bedtime stories; then yes you are probably right. But if you are talking about Harry, my and your brother's best friend…then you don't know anything." I rejoined. Shoot and Heck. We were starting to draw a crowd.

"Harry is a hero. He saved me in the Chamber. And he saved us all from You Know Who!" Ginny said loudly.

"Harry isn't a hero. He is a boy who always tries to do the right thing. He is an orphan to whom your family has been wonderful. He saved you from your own folly, not for your sake; but for the sake of your Mum and Dad. For Fred and George, and most of all for Ron. He killed the basilisk because it was hurting people and they were going to close Hogwarts." I said as calmly as I could. She was really starting to annoy me.

Ginny looked superior and smug. "You don't understand anything. Harry and I are meant to be. I'm beautiful and he will need a woman like me on his arm when he takes his place as a real hero. You aren't even pretty…you are just a boring bookworm."

"Maybe I'm not beautiful…but it has been this boring bookworm who has helped him survive Voldemort's shade twice…while you can't even call him his ridiculous, made up name. You might be the kind of woman he could have on his arm as some sort of brainless bauble…but me I'm the type of woman who will have his back every step of the way. I won't need to latch onto him to gain fame and glory. I'm talented enough and smart enough to achieve those for myself. You are just like the rest of the stalkers and fangirls. You just get closer because of his relationship with your family." I said and turned to walk away. I haven't the time for her juvenile theatrics any longer.

I suppose I should say I was surprised when I felt a spell wiz past my head. But I wasn't. I couldn't keep the smirk off my face. I think I scared the people who saw it. I turned around and looked at her as I let my wand drop into my hand. "I see you learned your lessons well last year. Did Tom teach you to hex people when their backs are turned? Or did the truth hurt so much that you forgot everything your parents raised you to believe in?" I gave her a long measuring look. Letting the assembled masses note that she wasn't brave enough to strike while I was facing her.

"You know nothing!" She snarled.

"I know enough to really hurt you, should I choose to do so…but really Ginevra, I am not like that. I care too much about people who it would hurt if I hurt you. So I will give you this warning; that light show this morning means that Harry and I belong together. We are meant for each other, far more than your prepubescent little mind could even understand." I may have been goading her. I'm not sure which I was hoping for…her to run off crying, or her to actually try me. And even that lead me to more indecision…did I want to use my wand or my fist.

"I look just like Lily Potter and Harry is the image of his father." She said in her defense.

"Which actually is kind of sick! You do realize that you look exactly what any little sister he might have had would have looked like? But you don't care that your pursuit of him could lead to rather severe psychological damage. You want what you want, and you are determined to have it. GROW THE HELL UP!" Higher road or not; I'll be damned if I would let her hurt Harry in her pursuit of her petty, childish crush. I turned and walked away as quickly as my legs could take me. She didn't have time to hurl another curse at me. I disappeared into the crowd before I could turn around and resort to physical violence for a second time this year.