Written by: Foosa
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters in any way or form.
Authors Note:Hi everyone... I've just been fixing my story up so that it's easier to read, these 4 chapters are exactly the same as the 2 chapters that I had up here before. Hope you enjoy my next two or three.
The night before the last day of school was cold and windy, three Slytherins crept quietly up the owlery stairs in the darkness. Once at the top two Slytherins stood guard at the door while the other silently walked inside and placed a small white envelop on the edge of an owls empty nest, then turning around walked out past the other two Slytherins who followed and continued back down to their dorm rooms.
Harry sat on his bed in the Dursleys house, going through the photos from the year just ended at Hogwarts School of Witches and Wizardry, watching his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger fool about with others. Hearing a light tap on his bedroom window, Harry looked up to find a postal owl on the ledge.
Letting the small animal in and taking his owl mail, Harry absently gave the creature a treat and said thank-you to it. Opening the letter and reading it Harry had to sit down and read it again. Reading it twice more he looked up and found another owl sitting on his windowsill looking annoyed at being ignored for so long. Noticing the letter that looked somewhat similar to the one Harry had just read three times over, he laughed at the realization that one of Ron's brothers must have been playing a prank on him.
All through the holidays Harry continued to get strange letters that were unsigned and when he went to visit Ron, Harry confronted Ron's older brothers about them, Fred and Gorge swore that they had nothing to do with it – although admitted that they were now starting to wish that they had because of the look on Harry's face!
Hearing the commotion in the Wesley's den Hermione walked in to see Fred and Gorge prancing around Harry (who looked completely peeved off) and singing "Harry has a girlfriend, tralalala - and doesn't know who it is, tralalala…" upon hearing this Hermione pulled poor Harry out of the house and sitting under a tree asked Harry "What was all that about? Why were Fred and Gorge saying that you have a girlfriend?"
Realizing that he really had no choice Harry told Hermione "Ever since the last day of school, I've been get these really weird letters. I though that Fred and George where behind it but they said that they weren't…" . Passing the letters over to Hermione, Harry sat fiddling with the edging of his shirt. "Harry… do you know what these are?" Hermione asked, when Harry shook his head she continued giggling, "Harry, these are love letters, someone has a crush on you! And look it's on Hogwarts parchment, every single one of them, Hehehe…oh; wow this one is sooo sweat! This girl really must like you Harry!"
Every week with out fail Harry received no less than four letters, and now school was about to start again. Standing on platform 9 ¾ waiting to get on the train, Harry groaned aloud "Watch out every one, Malfoy's coming our way!"
"Bloody hell, you'd think that he'd get the hint and bugger off wouldn't you?!" Ron mumbled under his breath just as Draco Malfoy came to a stop directly in front of Harry with his customary bodyguards Crabb and Goyle.
"Well, if it isn't Potter and his weaselie little mudblood friends" Draco sneered looking Harry up and down slowly, not even bothering to glance at Ron or Hermione.
Before any of them could speak, Draco shoved past brushing up against Harry firmly enough to make him stumble back a little bit.
"Come on, lets' get on the train and find a seat" Hermione said tugging on the boy's arms to get them moving. Walking half the length of the train the trio finally found an empty cab and sat down closing the door behind them. "I wonder what Dumbledore has install for us this year!" Ron said excitedly remembering the different ways they had approached the castle since starting there.
When it was finally time to change into their robes Hermione left to seek out other friends leaving the boy's in their cab. Taking his jacket off Harry noticed a scrap of parchment fall out of his pocket and land on the floor, picking it up he read two simple lines: "see you soon, oxoxoxo" before it burst into flames.
Three weeks later Harry sat eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table in between his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger when owls started to flock in through the windows with mail clutched tightly in their claws. Not expecting anything for him-self, Harry watched Ron open a package from his mother, and started to silently laugh when Ron groaned out loud like he was about to die for Molly had sent him a brand new sweater to replace the one that Ron had conveniently lost somewhere between the train-station and school. Hermione on the other hand was squealing delightfully at the just opened package from her parents, which was a brand new set of school books that she had been waiting for ever since Dumbledore had agreed to let her take on three more classes this year. Harry jumped unexpectedly when Hedwig, his snow-owl landed on the table in front of him holding out a little green box with a white ribbon tying it shut.
Taking the small box from Hedwig, and promising to bring her an owl treat later on in the day, Harry started to mumble to himself about not finding any letters with it, which caught Hermione & Ron's attention.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Ron demanded with his mouth half fool while leaning in closer to get a better look at it with Hermione doing the same from the other side of Harry. "Of cause I'm going to, but there isn't a letter or note with it!" Harry said quietly "It must be from Black, Harry! Quick hide it in your cloak and then open it later!!" Hermione whispered so that only the three of them heard it.
Just then Dumbledore stood up at the teachers table and called for everyone to quiet down, and said "Welcome everyone, before we start on this fine morning I have something to say, due to an… unexpected explosion in Professor Snape's lab last evening, all students who have potions first thing today are to go to their common rooms or the library to study until it is time for their next class. Enjoy your breakfast!". Once Dumbledore had finished talking there was a loud pop as lavish food appeared on the tables and a huge cheer arose from all of the students who had just received the best news of the day.
When Harry and his friends had finished eating they headed up to their common room, once there Harry said "I've just got to get some books from my room, be right back!" and continued to run up the stairs leading to the boys rooms, leaving the other two to get settled in front of the fire.
Diving onto his bed Harry retrieved the little box and opened it, looking inside he found a small but pretty stone that sparkled. When Harry touched the stone however, it liquefied and ran up his arm to the curve of his bicep and sank into his skin when it had finished moving it was in the shape of a small sleek Falger, shocked as Harry was he wasn't prepared for the little image to move, and subsequently jump, yelping as it moved towards his heart where it simply curled up and fell asleep purring gently.
Jumping up and calling to Ron and Hermione, Harry ran off to the closest bathroom, where he then paced worriedly back and forth until his friends arrived.
Bursting in Hermione asked "What? What's the matter Harry!" and Ron yelled "Bloody hell Harry what's gotten into you?" both at the same time.
Taking his shirt off, causing Hermione to blush furiously Harry asked in a very shaky voice "What the hell is this?!" pointing at the Falger and then continued on when Ron & Hermione started to giggle, "WELL WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S IT DOING??"
"Calm down Harry or you'll upset it. It's ok, it's just a love stone!" Ron told him, having a blank expression on his face Harry looked at Hermione. "A love stone is a magic stone that you can buy in Hogsmead and give to the person you love, if that person loves you back the stone will liquefy and ultimately turn into a …well basically a tattoo of the givers animagus. This tattoo is attached the body that it is on and is in tune with the emotions of said body, if you get to upset Harry it can come bounding off of your body and protect you against those who it sees as a threat to you." Hermione went on to explain to an obviously distressed Harry, who in turn went pitch white and needed to sit down all of a sudden.
"Obviously it can't be from Sirius Black then. Well?" Hermione asked Harry, in which the reply of "Well, What?" came from one still very pale boy-who-lived.
"Who do you love?" Ron asked him, Harry just shook his head sadly and asked Ron "How big dose this thing get when it comes off my body?" Ron and Hermione looked at each other and answered Harry's question "It's only as big as what the tattoo of it is, but it can fly and do quite a lot of damage to anyone who try's to harm you… Harry do you even know who it is that you love?" Hermione asked.
"No" mumbled the very unhappy boy, suddenly thinking of something Harry asked hopefully "If it's the animagus of the one who I love, will it react when I'm in the presence of the one who gave it to me?"
"No Harry, unfortunately there has never been a case of a love stone reacting around the giver, that's why a lot of people buy them, for the privacy they give, it's kind of like an anonymous love letter, the person who gives the stone can find out if the other loves them back or not with out embarrassing themselves. If they do love each other the love stone animagus will stay, but if they separated and didn't love one another the image would disappear." Hermione said sadly at the crest fallen look on Harry's face, feeling very sad and sorry for herself as well.
Harry started to walk back towards the common room with Hermione tugging on his arm trying to keep him inside the bathroom and whispering something in Harry's ear, when Ron said loudly "Don't worry 'Arry, no-one will find out about your love stone animagus, right Hermione?"
"Ron you idiot!! You just told everyone!! Not that they can't see it for themselves!" Hermione whispered furiously at both of them, Ron and Harry both looked around and for the first time noticed that everyone was looking at them. More specifically they where looking at Harry, who had forgotten to put his shirt back on and was walking through the corridors half dressed. Turning bright red Harry quickly put his shirt back on while running back to the Griffindor common rooms, where upon arrival everyone was already leaving to go to their next classes, which meant that everyone at Hogwarts would soon know about the small white tiger with black wings that rested on his chest right where his heart was.
Harry's next class was Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, so he hurried to get there on time without anyone noticing him. As Harry approached Ron and Hermione he had to pass by Draco, when Harry was a few feet away still his Falger that had been sleeping fitfully up until now started to move restlessly. "Why Potter, I didn't know you liked me enough to start purring!" he heard Malfoy say quietly as Harry drew in line with him. "Sod-off Malfoy" was the only response Draco received, as Harry continued by, rubbing his chest and trying to get the little Falger to settle down again.
Through out class every time Draco got a few feet away from Harry his love stone animagus started to purr and move about, circling his heart and sometimes even crawling up onto his shoulder near his neck and peeking it's head out of the robes collar to look around and purr even louder into Harry's ear when it spotted Draco.
By lunchtime every one was talking about Harry's secret love and how cute his animagus tattoo was - this of cause included the teachers. As Harry sat eating with his head bent low Hedwig landed on the edge of his plate and picked up a thin slice of chicken that Harry pushed towards her. Taking the proffered leg and untying the letter, newspaper, and Quidditch Monthly magazine, Harry popped another slice of potato into his mouth and opened the letter. Stopping mid-bite Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione's attention then showed them the letter, while they read Harry found a small ring made up by a silver snake entwining with a golden one studded with small green and red stones in the envelop.
Showing Hermione the ring while Ron still read, neither of them noticed a tall Slytherin girl stop behind them "Oh, how sweet you're proposing to the mudblood in front of the entire school! HEY EVERY ONE, THE MUDBLOODS MARRYING POTTER!" Pansy shouted out causing every one to look their way, and Ron to say "'Arry? You didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me?" in a small hurt voice.
"But Ron, I'm not! The ring came with that letter!" Harry swore to Ron.
After a week of Harry's Falger purring in his ear every time Draco Malfoy was near and "Potter and Granger sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Potter with the baby carriage" from the Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses, Professors all over the school started to take 30 house points from anyone they caught. Harry asked "'Mione… you said that love stone animagus tattoo's don't react to other people unless they are a threat to me remember?"
"Yes Harry that's right, why what's wrong?" Hermione replied with her noise still stuck in her textbook.
"Well, my animagus tattoo… it reacts every time one particular person comes near me. But it PURRS of all things…" Harry trailed off not understanding why it only ever done this around one tall, slim blonde-haired boy.
"Hmm, I'm sorry Harry. But I still haven't been able to find anything more about love stones…maybe we should ask Hagrid about them, they are a type of magical creature after all" Hermione suggested, then thought to ask "Harry, who is it that your Falger reacts to?"
Harry was about to answer when a post-owl came crashing through the open common room window, landing ungracefully at Harry's feet. Taking the letter and reading it Harry raced upstairs to retrieve his invisibility cloak grabbed Hermione and ran outside to the whomping willow where he waved his wand and shouted "IMOBALISE!" and continued down the small tunnel that it protected.
Emerging into the shrieking shack, Harry ran into the arms of his godfather, Sirius Black who said, "Harry, it's so good to see you again. Unfortunately I have some bad news for you." Barely getting the words out Harry asked "What? What is it?"
"Harry, Lucius Malfoy… Harry what's that sticking out of your robes?" Black asked getting distracted and looking curiously at the collar of Harry's robes, looking down Harry said, "Oh, that…it's a love stone animagus, unfortunately I don't know who it's from…" Harry trailed off unhappily
"Well now that's easy enough to find out Harry, you just find someone at school who's animagus is exactly like that one and you've found the girl who gave it to you, Hermione I'm surprised that you didn't figure that one out!"
"Yes well… you were saying something about Lucius weren't you Black?" Hermione snapped back. "Oh yes, well it seems that Lucius Malfoy has been over heard making… well…arrangements for you Harry, not very nice ones either. Apparently his going to try and lure you to You-Know-Who" Black told the young wizard.
Heading back to school after saying good-bye to his godfather, Harry asked, "How do you suppose he'll try and do that Hermione? I wish I could stay with Sirius …"
"I don't know Harry, but I do know that someday we'll free Black. You just wait and see!" Hermione replied.
Later that night Hermione told Ron what had happened in the shrieking shack while Harry relaxed in a hot bubble bath in the prefects' private bathroom. On the ledge next to him was the silver and gold snake ring, as Harry was looking at it and wondering whom his secret love was, the two snakeheads lifted and said, "Hello Harry, why haven't you worn us yet?" Hearing the voices Harry jerked up right and looked at the ring again, sure enough the snakes where withering around each other and talking to him.
"Y…you can talk?" Harry asked the ring in parcel tongue, "Of cause we can talk, we are real snakes after all." Once this was said the two snakes separated and slide closer to Harry, looking up at him they asked, "You don't know what we are, do you Harry?"
At this he shook his head no and said, "What are you?" the snakes slithered around a small puddle of bath water and told Harry " We are the True Guardians, one for true power and one for a true bond of strength. When we sleep we make this ring, you may talk to us when ever you want even if you wear us on your finger we will wake and do our best to help you."
Nodding that he understood Harry thought of something and, brightening up a bit asked, "Do you know who sent you to me? Is that someone really in love with me? Who is it? Is she nice? Is it someone from Slytherin?" seeing the two small snakeheads nod in unison, Harry continued to watch the ring snakes earnestly waiting for a reply. "Yes Potter we know who it is, but we can not directly tell you all we can say is this: the one who loves you is in Slytherin, and has a heart that is locked under thick walls of iron. This person is someone who you bump heads with often. White and Black, theses two will become lovers, White and Black!" at this the two snakes wound themselves around one another hissed once more and then went back to sleep
Harry was just starting to dry his hair as he walked into the Griffindor common room, where Hermione spotted the ring on his finger. Wispering "Harry, do you really think it's wise to wear that thing right now? After what Sirius told us?" as she approached him with a worried look on her face, to this Harry just shrugged and told her that he was going to bed now.
Once the curtains around his bed were shut the little silver snake lifted it's head and said "Harry, the one who loves you, wants you to go into the potions lab this time, three days from now" then settled its head down next to the golden ones face and fell asleep again.
All the next day Harry was looking for blonde haired Slytherin girls and asking everyone he trusted weather-or not they knew if the girls had a Falger animagus amongst them.
Three days had passed and Harry was waiting in the potions lab under his invisibility cloak watching for the girl who had sent the love stone and guardian ring to arrive.
Half an hour later the door slowly opened and in walked Draco Malfoy and his father, Draco walked over to the desk Harry always sat at and seeing that the room was empty let out a small silent sigh.
"Draco, if you truly wish to become a servant of the Dark Lord, then this is your chance! I need you to get Harry Potter to follow you out into the middle of the black forest; there you will find a large cave. You must get Potter into it so the Dark Lord has a chance! And it must be done before the end of next month " Lucius spoke softly but underneath, a tone of anger towards his son showed, for Draco had not turned around at all since walking into the room and was looking directly at the spot where Harry was standing.
Not knowing that Harry was there, Draco had been letting his emotions show on his face while his back was turned towards his father and as Lucius spoke, he stood stroking Harry's desk like it was a lost lover, soft and gentle.
With a small 'POP' Lucius disappeared leaving the two boys alone. Draco, still thinking that he was alone heaved a sigh and sat in Harry's chair, still gently stroking the desk Draco whispered vehemently and in a pained voice "I don't want anything to do with the Dark Lord. Father, I love him! …Dam it! But I have to…. no…No I won't put the person I love in danger like that, I can't" at this Draco slammed his fist down and stood up. Noticing the time and realizing that it was past the allotted hour for Harry to meet him there, Draco marched out and headed up to the Gryffindor tower with Harry quietly trailing behind in a daze.
At the stairs Harry raced up in front of Draco to the Fat Lady where she slept and whispered in her ear "Orange Apples" then slid into the common room and sat in front of the fire.
Taking his cloak off and surprising Ron, Harry stared into the roaring fire waiting tensely for the portrait to ask for him and ignoring Ron's questions. Sure enough a few minutes later the Fat Lady said from another portrait quite grumpily "Harry, there's a nasty Slytherin outside wanting to talk to you! Said something about dragons or something, stupid boy woke me up!"
Ron jumped up at this information and ran to get the other boys in their year to come down incase they had to defend their dorm rooms.
Swinging the Fat Lady's portrait open, Harry saw Draco standing alone in front of him looking extremely uncomfortable. Ron who was directly behind Harry demanded "What do you want Malfoy?" and aimed his wand at the blonde Slytherin.
CONTINUED…10