A/N Parseltongue will be in italics ONLY around other people. Otherwise it'll be straight text.

Soothsayer

Harry picked himself up off the floor and took stock of himself. Broken collarbone, he thought, running his finger over it gently. He moved his other arm back and forth gently. Hairline fracture I think, he mumbled. Rubbing his fingers over the breaks he slowly mended the bones. Thank goodness his legs were ok. He wobbled to his feet. They took forever to heal, and hurt like hell.

Harry thanked whatever God there was that the Ministry of Magic couldn't detect it when he did this. It was something inborn and didn't show up on their scans. Climbing out his window, he swung into a nearby tree and dropped to the ground.

He heard a hiss off to the left and turned toward the sound. A medium sized garter snake was slithering toward him. "Fish!" he said happily. The cheerful hissed greeting in the snake's tongue went easily unnoticed by his aunt and uncle, who would have almost certainly heard him if he had been talking with someone human.

"How many times do I have to ask you not to call me by that humiliating nickname? My name is Efreitish. Stupid human," the snake hissed back.

Harry grinned unrepentantly.

"They hurt you again," said Fish his tongue flicking back and forth. "I can smell the magic. Your arm and collarbone this time?" he asked without waiting for an answer and twined his way to Harry's shoulder. "You should turn them into something nasty."

"You know I can't. "

"They're going to die anyway. You said it yourself."

"Not all of my predictions come true you know."

"Yeah, yeah," the snake flipped his tail back and forth carelessly. "If you ask me they aren't worth saving. Just leave them for that snake faced bastard."

"You're snake faced too," said Harry with a grin.

"Yeah but I was born this way, and besides I'm much more handsome," He stuck his nose up in the air and dared Harry to disagree with him.

Harry wasn't disagreeing. He was too busy snickering into his hand. Fish was just too much.

They had stumbled across each other completely accidentally when Harry was pulling a large clump of crabgrass out of his Aunt's flowerbed. Harry was shaking the extra dirt from the roots when he heard a bunch of loud cursing nearby. The dirt covered snake made his way out from under a dahlia and glared in the best way a snake could. Harry apologized profusely and offered Fish a bath and one of Hedwig's mice. He passed on the bath, but did take Harry up on the mouse.

Fish turned out to be a little more than your average garter snake, and maybe that was what drew him to Harry's house in the first place. For one thing, he could smell magic, which was how he knew harry had been hurt earlier and where he had done the healing. Also, and this was even more impressive, was that he was a bit of a chameleon. With a little effort he could turn himself gold, climb up Harry's arm and wrap around it, making himself look like nothing more than a fancy decoration.

Other colors were more difficult, and Fish simply said that no one was interested in purple snake decorations. Harry grinned and said that he better start practicing orange and lime green for the Halloween party that year. Fish replied that there was no way he'd lower himself to something like that, and from there on it descended into another argument.

They argued fairly often, but neither took it seriously. They both found it a good way to release pent up frustrations. Harry, because he rarely got to vent his feelings around his aunt and uncle, and Fish because he spent too much time alone and wanted his opinion to be heard.

"I'm going back to school tomorrow," said Harry out of the blue.

"You don't sound nearly as excited as you were last week. You should be happy to get away from those people." Fish said 'those people' in the same way you'd say 'I stepped in cow manure'.

"I know," said Harry. "I really am!" he added when fish gave him a pointed look. "It's just that something unexpected is going to happen this year. I saw something when I was cleaning the bathroom this morning. For a second I thought I knew what it was, but it didn't make any sense and then it was gone. It worries me."

"Are you trying to tell me you had a vision in the toilet bowl?" Fish was hissing in full blown snake laughter.

"Not exactly the pool of knowledge or a silver divining bowl," said Harry. "But it's water. It's not like I chose it you know."

Fish was still snickering and Harry gave him a full on glare. "It's not that funny." Harry touched his hand to the ground. "Come on. We're leaving early tomorrow and I won't have time to go look for you."

Fish twined his way up and wrapped himself around his usual spot on Harry's upper arm.

Harry stood before the archway to platform 9 ¾. "Go through it quickly," Fish whispered from his place on Harry's arm. "I don't like the way it feels."

"Me either," Harry said aloud. "The magic is too forced." He grabbed the handle of the cart and went through the portal at a run. He went through so fast that he nearly knocked George over on his way through the gate.

"Careful Harry," said George who had kept him from falling on his face.

"Hey mate," said Fred's voice from behind him. "So nice to see a fellow all geared up and ready for another year of school." Fred slapped him on the back cheerfully and Harry nearly fell over once more.

"Fred, don't kill our Quidditch Captain, "said Ron coming over to where they stood.

"It's not like that Ronniekins," said George. "Yours truly saved him from a fate worse than death."

"Tried to suicide through the barrier." Fred added.

"How is that a fate *worse* than death?" Asked Ron in exasperation and pulled Harry away.

Harry could still hear Fred and George debating behind him. "Well he could have fallen into Draco Malfoy's arms," said one. "Or Pansy Parkinson's" replied the other. That was followed by a disgusted noise from both of them.

"I bet you're glad to be away from those muggles," said Ron as they sat down in an empty compartment in the train. "I'm sorry we couldn't have you come visit this year, but with Percy working at the Ministry, and Dad's problems…" Ron trailed off. "Hey, what's that thing on your arm?"

"Thing!" hissed Fish outraged. "I'll have you know…"

"It's a good luck charm I found in one of the shops in London." Harry cut in quickly. "I figured I'd need all the luck I could get. "

"I wouldn't think the muggles would let you go to London," said Ron.

"Uh…" Harry scrambled. "Yeah it was just the one time. Dudley had to go to the dentist and they agreed to let me go with."

"Well, that's great Mate." Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "I think you're pretty lucky already though. But take my advice and change it to some other color. The gold makes you look like a pansy."

This brought another barrage of swears from Fish, and Harry was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Ron, don't say things like that," came a voice from the doorway. "I think it looks very nice on you Harry. It's a beautiful ornament."

"Hermione!" The two boys said cheerfully.

"Finally someone who appreciates my true value," hissed Fish feeling vindicated.

The three of them chatted about the coming school year. Harry was still forced to take potions because he needed it to become an Auror. He was starting to think that he might go into magical medicine instead, but it didn't make any difference as far as the potions class was concerned.

Ron went over the events of his summer, and both Harry and Hermione had to concede that it had been pretty rough. Percy, it seemed was taking his work a lot more seriously than the family had realized. He told one of his superiors about his father's muggle "collection" and they had come and searched the house. The whole thing had been taken care of fairly quietly, but his job was in jeopardy, and his mother walked around the house like a ghost. Percy's name had been blacked out of the family tree and that was probably the hardest on her. Ginny and Ron took on a good part of the family responsibilities and did a fairly decent job after one or two major disasters.

"Where is Ginny?" asked Harry.

"She's staying home this year to help Mum," said Ron. "Said she can make it up next year."

"So how about you Herm," Harry turned to her with a strained smile. "What did you do this summer?"

Hermione understood that Harry was hoping to change the subject to something more cheerful and smiled more naturally than Harry had managed to do. Without a second thought she started explaining the history of the region her family visited during the hols and within five minutes both Ron and Harry were grinning conspiratorially and pulling out a pack of snap cards from one of the bags.

The bang from the snap deck corresponded with the bang from the carriage door being thrown open. The trio looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway.

"And here I was hoping we wouldn't have to stare at your ugly mug before reaching Hogwarts this year. " Ron said in his most insulting manner. "Guess I was wrong."

"What do you want Malfoy?" asked Hermione.

"Just looking to see how the lower class lives," said Draco, and the Crabbe and Goyle laughed from behind him.

"Well you've seen it, so get out," said Harry and turned back to the game.

Angry at being ignored so blatantly he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry. Before his arm was completely raised, he saw 3 wands pointing back at him, and none of their owners looked happy.

"Well that was pretty dumb Malfoy," said Harry pulling Draco's wand from his hand. "I always assumed you were brighter than that. "

"Bright enough to know not to wear tacky accessories," replied Draco who had just noticed Fish wrapped around Harry's arm.

Of course this produced an angry hiss from fish.

"Shut up." Harry hissed back in a whisper. He turned back to Draco. "Malfoy, insulting me probably isn't the best way to go if you want to get out of this with your wand intact."

Draco paled. He hadn't considered the idea that Harry would go so far as to break his wand. He thought Potter was too much of a goody-two-shoes, but what if he was wrong?

"Do it Harry," said Ron from the side. "He deserves it after everything he's ever put us through. Remember last year in potions? You could have died!" Ron grabbed at the wand. "I'll do it!"

"What about you mudblood?" asked Draco, digging his own grave. "Don't you have anything to add?" If he was going to go down, he wasn't going to do it begging and scraping to these people. He was going to do it as a Malfoy with his pride and convictions and…oomph... Draco's internal monologue was interrupted when Harry punched him so hard that he slammed back against the far wall in the hallway. Blood dripped out of his nose, but before he could reach up and wipe it, Harry was in front of him and his own wand was pressed right up against his throat. Choking, he tried to move away, but Potter was holding him in place. Harry hit him once more, knocking him to the floor. Tossing Draco's wand on top of his prone body, he turned and walked back into his compartment, slamming the door behind him. Malfoy's bookends stood there with the usual stupid look on their faces wondering what had just happened.

The school year started much like every other school year. Harry dozed through the opening ceremonies, and ignored the sorting hat's bad poetry. Finally the food was served. It was the smell that woke him. This summer he had existed on the most basic of foods. At the Dursley's this meant a whole lot of peanut butter and jelly. His stomach gave off an appreciative grumble and he began to help himself.

Harry and Hermione left for the dorms ahead of Ron who was still working on desert and as he told them, 'I might even have one more Mate'. Suddenly Harry had a vision of part of the wall crumbling and falling on Hermione.

"Hermione!" He said quickly, and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"What is it Harry?" she asked. She was looking at him in concern and when nothing else happened he tried to blow it off as nothing.

"Do you think we should go back and wait for Ron?" he asked. Harry never told them about the fact that he could see the future *sometimes* he qualified mentally. He had also never said anything about his other *gifts* feeling that he was enough of an anomaly as it was. The two of them were his best friends, but he didn't want Ron feeling any more jealous that he already did, or for Hermione to try and use him as an experiment.

"I'm sure Ron will be thrilled if we're not there, because that way he'll be able to have thirds of that granola crust pumpkin pie." Hermione was saying when Harry came back to himself.

The two of them walked up to the dorms, but even when Hermione left to go to bed, Harry couldn't help but feel anxious.

"You can't be with her all the time," was hissed into his right ear. Fish had uncurled himself from Harry's arm and slithered up to his shoulder.

"You don't even know what I was thinking," Harry hissed back.

"I figured you were worrying about something idiotic like you usually do, since I know you don't think of her in any romantic sense."

"How do you know I don't think of her in any romantic sense? She's pretty enough," said Harry, feeling the need to defend Hermione's honor, although he wasn't sure from what.

"I don't know anything about human beauty," Fish said. "But I know that the reason you were out in the garden at 5 am, at least 3 times a week had less to do with your aunt and more to do with the guy that jogged by every morning at that time. Telling me that you had some extra work to get done only will only work so long, especially when you took a nap every afternoon."

Harry blushed.

"Your body heat is rising," said Fish. "I knew I was right."

Harry blushed even more.

By the time Ron got up to the dorms Fish had slithered away to find his own dinner. Harry was in his own bunk staring up at the ceiling and wondering if he was over thinking things. Hermione would be fine he was sure.

The next morning Harry was pushed out of bed by Ron who looked even more tired than Harry felt. With a big yawn he followed the redhead to the showers. Trying not to fall asleep and drown in the warm spray he grabbed a bar of soap and began to wash. Suddenly a loud wolf whistle broke the air startling him. Startled he looked around to see who might have done it, but he didn't see anything unusual. He was wondering if he imagined it when hissing laughter echoed in the showers.

"Don't think I won't tie your scrawny little body into a knot and flush you down the loo," said Harry in annoyance, the hissing hidden by the sound of water hitting tile.

"You would never hurt me," said Fish confidently. "I don't think you even *could* hurt me."

The stupid snake was probably right, thought Harry. He wasn't sure if he could hurt any living thing. It simply went against his whole existence. "Keep it up and we'll find out," said Harry.