In The Morning:

Harry woke up to find Ron starring at him. "Hey sleepy head, does your back still hurt?" Ron said leaning down and attempting to turn him over. His touch burned. Harry grunted, but turned over. "Madam Pomfre told Hermione to change your bandages when you woke up but, Hermione has been gone for about an hour. She came up to check on your earlier. You were still asleep so she asked me to do it."

"She did where is she now," Harry attempted to sit up, and Ron helped him. There was that burning again. Grabbing a roll of bandages Ron began to remove the old ones, which were now crusted with dark red blood. Ron pulled a face.

"She went to the library, where else." Ron said.

"Did she say why?" Harry asked knowing the answer.

"My your talking a lot this morning aren't you?" Ron took the bandage off completely.

Harry took one look at it and almost fainted, "Ron can you get that out of here please," Harry held a hand over his mouth as bile rose on his throat.

Ron looked at him and quickly took the old bandages to the trash. He came back in the room with a bottle of what looked like rubbing alcohol. "No wonder it burned so much last night," Harry thought.

"All she said was she was going to do some research. Ok Harry we will get this done, then Madam Pomfre wanted me to take you to the hospital wing after breakfast," Harry nodded. Ron gently poured some of the cool liquid on to Harry's back. Noticing him cringe as he touched him. Ron blew on it. "Is that better?" he asked.

Harry looked at Ron and for a moment he thought he saw something in the boys eyes, but it soon faded as the bell to signal breakfast sounded.

In The Library:

"I don't believe it," Hermione whispered to herself as she flipped through a book called, The Binding Rituals of Spirits and Other Non-Living Beings. Hermione was looking at a certain page that read,

River Spirit:

The River Spirit is most likely the strongest spirit known of other than the Wood Spirit, see page 209, both pull their power from the Earth.

River Spirits usually take the form of a dragon or fish. A River Spirit is commonly bound to a river at birth, but can occasionally loose it's connection with its river, causing it to take human form and search for a river that needs a guardian spirit. For most River Spirits now a days that is not and easy task. Most have to wait 100 to 200 years to find and abandoned river. Then the spirit will have to draw years of reserved energy into work on begging the river to take him/her for their new guardian. This process can take up to a year leaving the spirit vulnerable (He Who Must Not Be Named killed many river spirits to take there blood.) River Spirit blood acts like phoenix tears, as an antidote after the spirit has been dead for more than 24 hours. Taken before then and it is highly poisonous. In cases where the river spirit owned an extremely large river like Hajji of the Nile River in Egypt, their blood can even bring someone from the dead. That's why river spirit blood is a class ten non-tradable substance.

There have been numerous recorded cases where a human has fallen into a river when a river spirit was being accepted as its guardian, somehow turning the human into a half river spirit, the human in most cases will die, and so will the river spirit having also been bound to the human as a mate, but in some cases where the human is strong willed and powerful the binding does not kill them, though they are still bound to the river spirit and want to be there mate, causing all the known survivors we know of, to choose to leave the human life and decide to live the secluded life of a river spirit, with their mate.

In the cases where the person has River Spirit blood coursing through their veins they will become a full river spirit. Growing horns, this rarely ever happens as most pureblood wizarding families despise the thought of enter breading. The horns should be very small unless the half ling feels threatened. In which case the horns shall become very large. When the horns are protruding some strong river spirits can read people's thoughts.

6 Ways to tell if someone you know has been bound to a river spirit:

The new half ling would have had a dream of the river spirit that turned him or her, and a very arousing one at that. The spirit will show them the ways of the river and most will understand, then the change begins.

Most half lings will grow wings, silver wings in the dominant spirit, blue in the submissive, and the ones that have not found out yet will be almost swirled with the two colors. The wings like the horns will not be visible until the half ling feels threatened. Many people kept fakes of these wings since they are very beautiful

A burning sensation will occur if someone other than their mate touches them

Change of color in eyes, hair, or other facial features

Drastic weight loss or gain

They will constantly feel the urge to go to their river and be with it and the spirit they are bound to. In this case you should let them. River Spirits can become very lonely when they are not near the place they are bound to. The River Spirit who bound the person you know, will also feel an empty spot for the other they have bound with them to their river.

Hermione ran down to the hospital wing. Both boys were talking about what had happened last night. Harry refused to tell Ron what had gone on claiming he couldn't remember. "Harry can I speak to you, for a moment," she said in a hushed voice. Harry looked at her and nodded half knowing what it was going to be about.

Hermione grabbed his arm, it burned savagely and Harry cried out. Hermione gave him a strange look and let go knowingly. He followed her to an all-to-familiar bathroom, Moaning Myrtles. "Harry why didn't you tell me about the dream," Harry blushed, and looked away. "Well anyway," Hermione looked around and stood on her tiptoes to pat Harry's head, She recoiled quickly. "I knew it Harry you had the river spirit blood on your mums side I checked it out. Why didn't you say anything about her? You could have at least told me. How long have you been with her, and I wan't..."

Hermione was cut short as Harry whispered something.

"What?" she asked also in a hushed voice.

"I said...I said...I think she is a...He," he spluttered trying to get it out in one breath.

"Well can I meet him?" Hermione asked apparently unfazed by this announcement.

"Don't you care?" Harry asked a little astounded.

"Actually most of us..." she blushed, "most of us just kind of assumed you were gay, I mean you could have any girl you picked and you totally ignored them."

Now it was Harry's turn to blush, "It wasn't on purpose and no, I'm not gay!" he exclaimed.

"What wasn't on purpose did you...," Hermione's eyes grew wide.

Harry gasped, "No, no, no not what I meant," If possible the Potter boy turned a darker shade of red, " I meant getting bound to him, wasn't purposeful, I don't even know his name, or anything about him, except that he's a dragon."

"That's normal Harry most river spirits take the form of dragons or fish. I have an idea, lets go talk to him." she said putting her fingers to her chin.

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "What are you on Hermione, I can't talk to him. I probably just ruined this guys whole life by falling into his pond!"

"River," Hermione corrected still pondering, "We should still go. Do you think he even knows your his mate yet?"

Harry looked like he was about to faint, " Hermione he is not my..." Harry felt horrible about what he had almost just said yet tried again," He's not my..." and again he couldn't finish. He looked up at the mousy girl horrified. "He's my Mate."