Harry stepped out of the Prefect Bath feeling refreshed. There wasn't much he could do right now. This summer was when things would really kick off. All he could do now were side projects. His first stop off was the Room of Requirement. The diadem sat in the center of a table waiting for him.
He summoned his sword and sliced it in half. The blade slipped through the diadem, as well as the table that it rested on, with ease. Three horcrux down already, four to go. The sword vanished as he stepped back out into the hallway. He could get to the locket once Sirius was back. The cup was in the Lestrange vault, but the goblins were a wildcard. That left the ring and the snake.
Last time, Dumbledore couldn't resist the pull of the ring. It led to his death, which Harry was fine with. Unfortunately, that would mean he would have to wait a few years for Dumbledore to finally do something. Harry wasn't sure he could take the old man in a fight, even with access to the entirety of his magical power.
Of course, that was his Gryffindor side talking. Running headfirst into danger was going to get him killed. Harry needed to be patient, to plan things out. He had to wait to capture Wormtail until next year. That little voice in the back of his head that pushed him into action was silent. Harry hated to admit it, but Dumbledore knew what he was doing. He had never once thought to question the impulse to jump to action. It was as much a part of him as the color of his eyes. People knew him for acting first and thinking later.
Harry knew there was a list of people who needed to die. Not just for revenge, but to better the world.
He stopped.
Shit.
For the greater good and all that? Was this how it all started? His choices were clearly the best. But then how did that differ from him killing the basilisk, or Quirrell, or Voldemort? He wasn't trying to manipulate things to give himself power. He didn't have a personal agenda to push, or an ideology to force on the world.
Harry was cleaning up a mess that Dumbledore had made. After all, he was the chosen one. Now it was his turn to actually have some choice in his life.
Dumbledore needed to die because he played with people's lives. Voldemort needed to be put down because he was a rabid dog with less sense. Umbridge needed to die because she was pure evil. The Death Eaters wouldn't go without a fight. He had spent quite a few years after the war hunting them down. In fact, things would go a lot easier now with all that he knew and since they wouldn't be expecting an attack.
Once they were all dealt with, he would be done. His life would finally, truly be his own.
"Harry, mate!" Ron yelled.
He looked up to see the gangly redhead running toward him.
"You did it!" Ron yelled. "You saved her."
Harry nodded, allowing Ron to pull him along. He had been wandering around without paying much attention, out of habit he must have found his way closer to the infirmary. It was one of the places in Hogwarts that he could get to while half-dead, that he knew from experience.
He paused for a moment, seeing the petrified students. That was something he had forgotten about. Dumbledore had sent everyone home before the students had fully recovered. He felt a small tug of worry when he saw Hermione.
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no telling when her betrayal started. Not only had she been his best friend, but she had stood beside him when even Ron abandoned him. Then again, Ron seemed to do that a lot.
His train of thought was interrupted as a swarm of red hair surrounded him. He felt arms pulling him into a tight hug. From what he could hear, it was Molly, but the sweater and her chest muffled things.
"Misses Weasley." Harry managed to say. "I need to breath."
"Of course, Harry Dear. Thank you, thank you so much for saving my little girl." Molly pulled him in for another hug. "The thought of her alone with that monster. You brave boy."
Harry took a step away and was finally able to see the entirety of the Weasley family had gathered. Even Bill and Charlie had shown up. They wouldn't be introduced for a couple of more years, but he could vaguely recall them last time. To be perfectly honest, with all the Weasleys in one place it was easy for one or two to get lost in the shuffle.
"She needs a mind-healer." Harry said. "A cursed item was draining her. It was using her as fuel. There is no telling what that was like for her. Everyone saw she had been acting strangely through the year."
"There's something different about you." One of the twins said studying him.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry shot them a devious smile.
The pair went rigid for a moment. Molly pushed them out of the way, giving the duo a hard look.
"Harry, my dear." Molly pulled him into another hug. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. To our family."
Harry let his mind wander as she continued to hug him. This was a life debt. They had to know. The Weasleys weren't influential Purebloods, but they were still Purebloods. He could call it in right now and demand payment. The only choice they would have would be to hand Ginny to him. She would become his property for all intents and purposes.
The thought of being saddled with Ginny for another lifetime wasn't appealing. He had no idea how long it would take her this time to find the right poison to do him in.
"Mister Weasley, Misses Weasley." Harry slipped out of yet another hug. "This is a family moment. Even though you have been incredibly kind to me, I will step away. The Farewell Feast is only a few hours away and I need to pack my trunks."
Molly studied him for a moment.
"Thank you, Harry." Arthur spoke up in the momentary silence. "Once we get settled in at home, we will send an owl. We don't want you to have to spend one moment more than you must with your Aunt and Uncle."
Harry gave a practiced smile and nodded. He had forgotten about his aunt and uncle. That was an issue that needed to be handled right away. He wasn't going to allow them to treat him like they had in the past.
Before Molly could recover, Harry dashed out of the infirmary. At first, he headed toward Gryffindor Tower. He slipped into an empty classroom once he was far enough away. Harry slumped into the nearest desk. Dealing with Molly Weasley was emotionally draining. Not to mention that holding in his newly unbound magical energy was starting to wear him out.
He took a deep breath and let it out. As he did so he let a bit of his magical power loose with it. Instantly he could feel his energy return. The soreness in his muscles and the tender patches where Molly had gripped him were gone. Dozens of little aches and pains that he had acquired through his childhood had vanished. His vision, however, was blurry.
Harry took off his glasses and began to wipe them on his robe. His vision sharpened once they were clear of his face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his magic had healed him. Not only that, but it also healed him on a level much grander than it ever had before.
Suddenly not having his glasses would cause unwanted questions. He poked out the lenses before setting them back in place. After the war he had seen a specialist that made some enhanced glasses for him. They weren't on the same level as Moody's eye, but they were still impressive. Harry made a note to see the specialist again… for the first time.
Harry took a moment to set a shield over his magical output. It allowed him a little bit more room to work with. He took a couple of deep, calming breathes before stepping out into the hallway. There was a feast to attend.