Disclaimer: I only own Haley Potter. JK Rowling owns everything else.

Author's Note: This chapter is my favorite one so far. Hope you like it as much as I do.

XOXOXOXOXO

When Haley sat down at the table, she noticed Fred and George sat down across from Harry and Ron. Haley wouldn't look at the two of them, but she knew avoiding them wasn't fair. After all, they didn't have anything to do with what happened to her as a newborn. She decided to apologize to them.

After dinner she asked Harry to stay behind. Ron looked torn between staying and leaving, and Haley said he could stay if he'd like. So he did.

At first, she just looked down at her hands. This was a lot harder than she thought it would be.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting towards you, Harry. It wasn't right of me to take it out on you. It's just really hard to look at you and to know just how close we are." She finally looked at him. "I've never had any family before. And to know what happened to me as a baby, well…" Haley drifted off. Part of her didn't know where she was going with this, and part of her just didn't know how to explain it to him.

Harry half smiled. "It's okay Hales. I know exactly what you're going through. I am forced to live with my mother's Muggle sister and her Muggle husband and son. I grew up living in a cupboard. Believe me; I know what you're going through. At least somewhat. I know what it's like to grow up not feeling loved." Harry's eyes drifted to his hands and his voice softened. "To feel like a freak."

Tears came to Haley's eyes. She reached out with both hands and grasped his. "I'm so sorry Harry. I had no idea what you went through, either." She forced out a laugh. "I guess everything isn't about me."

"You had every right to get upset. Just be thankful you didn't have to live with the Dursleys!" Haley and Harry both chuckled. "Though I would have preferred the company." Harry got a far away look in his eyes. "I would have loved to have had someone to share it with. Maybe we can convince Dumbledore to let you stay with me this summer. After all, the Dursleys are sort of your family." Harry looked hopeful to have someone on his side join him at home. Maybe even help make life there more bearable.

Haley blanched at Dumbledore's name. She was still peeved at him for what he told her. But as she thought about it, she smiled. She would love to spend the summer with her family and not with complete strangers. Or worse, back at the orphanage.

I have family! It sounded weird, but definitely something she could get used to. "I would love that cousin Harry. Ha-ha, that sounds so strange. But I have a cousin!"

Harry smiled as well. "Yeah, a cousin. I like the sound of that."

"Wow, family, huh? That's amazing. You two finally have a family."

Haley and Harry both started. They had forgotten Ron was there. They all laughed as they stood up and walked back to the common room.

XOXOXOXOXO

A couple of weeks later, Neville came toppling into the common room. Malfoy had cast a Leg-Locker spell on him. Everyone laughed at him except Haley and Hermione. Hermione leapt up to help him while Haley glared daggers at everyone else.

"You've got to stand up for yourself, Neville," Ron said.

"Here Neville, why don't you have this? It'll help you feel better." Harry gave Neville a chocolate frog.

"Thanks Harry. Oh look, it's Dumbledore. I've already got loads of him. Here Harry, why don't you keep it." Neville handed Harry the card that came with the frog and left.

Harry gasped and said, "I've found him! I found Nicholas Flamel! Listen to this: 'his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.'" Harry read off of the back of the card.

Hermione jumped to her feet and ran to her room. When she came back she opened the book she carried to the right spot and said, "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!" She explained to them that it meant one could live for eternity, and they all got excited. They finally knew what Fluffy was guarding.

XOXOXOXOXO

A few weeks later, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Haley were in the library studying for their exams when Hagrid came over. He was acting really suspicious and hiding a book behind his back. When he left, Ron ran to the section Hagrid left, and said he was looking at books about dragons. Harry told them that Hagrid had always wanted a dragon. They all just hoped he didn't go and get himself one!

XOXOXOXOXO

An hour later, they went to Hagrid's hut, and sure enough he was nursing a dragon's egg! They went back to visit when Hagrid sent a note that the egg was hatching. Haley got to see a baby dragon being born! She was both fascinated and scared for Hagrid. Dragons were no small creatures, and not ones that could be kept as pets.

Suddenly Hagrid went pale. Harry asked what was wrong, and Hagrid said a student was at the window and ran up to the school.

That student turned out to be Draco Malfoy. Over the next week, Haley, Harry, Ron and Hermione spent all their free time trying to convince Hagrid to get rid of the dragon he'd named Norbert. Hagrid kept refusing. Finally Harry convinced Hagrid to let Charlie, Ron's brother, take Norbert.

Charlie wrote and said to bring Norbert up to the tallest tower and his friends would take Norbert away. Harry and Ron decided to sneak him up taking the Invisibility Cloak. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way they were supposed to.

While Ron was visiting Hagrid, Norbert bit Ron's hand. It swelled up to twice its normal size, and he had no choice but to go see Madam Pomfrey. When Haley, Harry and Hermione visited him in the hospital wing, he told them how Malfoy had stopped by to gloat, and now he had Charlie's letter! He knew about the meeting up on the tower!

They had no choice but to continue as scheduled. Besides, they would be invisible. Because Haley and Hermione were small, the two of them plus Harry were able to just fit under the cloak with Norbert in his crate. Between the three of them, it still took them a long time to get up to the tower. When they did, they whipped off the cloak in time to see Charlie's friends land on the tower. They took Norbert, and the three of them were so happy to see him go, that they left the cloak on the tower, and got caught by Filch.

All in all, Harry, Hermione and Haley got detention. Malfoy was caught sneaking around and was also serving detention with them. Professor McGonagall also took one hundred and fifty points away from Gryffindor. That put them in last place for the House Cup!

The next day when students found out, they all were suddenly the most hated people in the House. Plus, they had to serve their detention at midnight.

That night, when Haley went to her room to change, she noticed Parvati, Lavender and Shelby all suddenly stop talking. They were all sitting on Parvati's bed, and when she walked in, their excited chatter ceased. Haley was used to this. Ever since she came to Hogwarts people had been talking about her behind her back. From what she could tell, it was because she looked so much like the famous Harry Potter. Now it was because of all the House Points she helped lose.

When she left the room, she put her ear up to the door to see what this was about. Sure enough, it was about her looking like Harry and about her losing so many points. Nobody knew she and Harry were cousins, so speculation and rumors were still flying around as everyone guessed at their relationship. People had some wild imaginations.

At eleven o'clock, Harry, Hermione and Haley left Ron and made their way to the Entrance Hall where Filch was waiting with Malfoy. Filch led them outside and towards Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. They sighed in relief when they found out their detention would be with Hagrid.

Hagrid and his hound Fang led them towards the forest. Malfoy panicked and refused to go in.

"Stop being a baby, Malfoy," Haley snapped at him. Malfoy looked shocked and everyone else laughed.

Hagrid explained to them that they had to find a unicorn that had been badly injured, and that it was dangerous in the forest. Hagrid carried a crossbow and said as long as they were with him, they would be okay. He then split everyone into two groups. Harry and Hermione would go with Hagrid, and Haley and Malfoy would go with Fang.

Haley didn't want to be paired with Malfoy. Especially without Hagrid there to protect them. Haley had always prided herself on how strong she was, but walking into a dark forest filled with dangerous creatures with nothing but a lantern, Malfoy, and Fang, well, even she was scared. She, like Malfoy, tried not to show it. Fang was walking in front of them, and Malfoy was holding the lantern. Haley couldn't help but walk as close to Malfoy as she could. Part of it was so she would be in the light, and the other part was so she could be close to someone. She tried not to get close enough to touch him, but she couldn't help it. Their arms would brush against each other every so often. She noticed he also wanted to be as close to her without touching her.

They walked on for what seemed like miles with nothing but trees around them. They followed a trail of silver blood, but every once in a while they would jump at the noises all around them. Even Fang was acting scared. Haley couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"This is all your fault, Malfoy! If you had just minded your own business, none of us would be here right now."

Malfoy snorted. "My fault? If you hadn't been sneaking dragons around the castle, I wouldn't have had to tell anyone."

"See, there's your problem. You can't mind your own business. You have to stick your big fat nose in everything, don't you?" Haley said.

"Big fat nose? Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?" Malfoy said. Haley could hear it in his voice that he was grateful to be talking as well. It was almost like a distraction.

"You don't scare me Draco Malfoy. You are a spoiled, rich, arrogant little baby! You always have to have everything your way! And when you don't, you whine like a baby! Whine, whine, whine!"

"Well at least I have a family, unlike you. What do you have? Besides looking like and being a Potter?" Malfoy said.

Haley was furious at him. "And what's so wrong with being a Potter? Why do you even care? It's not like you actually knew my father. You know nothing about me or my family. What gives you the right to judge me or them?"

"My father-" Malfoy started to say.

"My father! That's all you ever have to say isn't it? Don't you ever have anything to say that doesn't have anything to do with your father? Don't you have a brain of your own? Can't you think for yourself?"

Malfoy was furious. Haley hated being this way. But he just got under her skin like no one else had before. Never had she bickered with anyone before, though it felt good.

Before Malfoy could retort, they heard a snap from the side that sounded like a gunshot going off. They both jumped in shock as Fang gave a yelp. Malfoy dropped the lantern in surprise and the light went out. Without even thinking about it, they both grabbed each other and held on tight.

"You idiot!" Haley hissed without moving her lips. The noise was getting closer. Fang was whimpering and backing up until he bumped into the two of them. He cowered and tried to burrow his way in between them. Slowly, Haley bent down and felt around for the lantern. Malfoy was holding onto Haley so tightly that he was forced to bend with her as well. She felt around for the lantern and grabbed it. She lifted it up and mumbled, "Repairo" just as the noise stopped in front of them.

When the light went on, they both screamed out in fright. Malfoy had Haley in a bear hug as he slid behind her so the creature was now in front of Haley. The creature was half human, half horse. From the waist down was the horse part, and from the waist up was human.

"You do not belong here," The half horse, half human creature said.

"We, uh," Haley started to say, but her voice seemed to have failed her. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Please, we're students from Hogwarts. Hagrid brought us to look for the unicorn that's been hurt."

"Hagrid should know better than to let students wander around alone." He then looked up towards the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."

Haley and Malfoy glanced at each other, partly in shock and partly in terror. They still didn't know if this creature was friend or foe.

The creature looked back at them. "The forest hides many secrets." Then it left.

Malfoy and Haley were still clutching each other while Fang whimpered from in between them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they let go of each other and continued to walk.

Haley decided to break the tension. Without being noticed, she stopped walking and hid behind a tree. Malfoy kept walking on for a few paces, and finally noticed he was alone. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked around.

"Haley?" he whispered.

She tried not to laugh.

"This isn't funny. Where are you?" Malfoy was backtracking and getting closer to her. When he passed her tree, she crept up behind him and snatched him as she screamed.

Malfoy threw both his hands in the air and screamed like a little girl. The lantern smashed once again as he sent red spark up into the air.

Haley had to hold onto her stomach because she was laughing so hard. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she struggled to control her breathing. She could hear Malfoy fuming beside her. She knew he was trying to control his breathing as well, but entirely for a different reason.

When they were able to control themselves again, Malfoy started yelling at her as she bent and picked up the lantern. She lit it again and was about to answer Malfoy back, when the ground started to shake.

Terrified, the two grabbed each other again as Fang barked and ran towards the shaking. Without Fang to protect them, not that he did any protecting, they were beyond petrified. Thinking quickly, Haley grabbed Malfoy's arm and ran behind the tree she had hid behind a few minutes ago.

As the shaking grew closer, they could tell it was something big running towards them.

"Please don't let it be another troll!" Haley said softly.

As the shaking grew closer, it also seemed to become less. Almost as if the creature was slowing down. Like it knew they were close by. It stopped and they could almost make out the creature talking to someone.

Haley turned terrified to Malfoy and hissed, "The lantern! Put it out or it'll find us!"

Malfoy was panicking. "How?"

Haley opened the little door and blew on the flame. Instantly it went out. They turned back towards the creature, and it spoke.

"Haley? Malfoy? Where are yeh?" Haley and Malfoy almost passed out in relief. They jumped out from behind the tree and shouted, "Hagrid!"

Malfoy lit the lantern, and Hagrid came into view. "Wha' happened? Why did yeh turn out that light?"

"We didn't know what was coming at us! Oh, Hagrid, you scared us to death!" Haley said as she wrapped her arms around Hagrid and held on for dear life.

"Who sent up the sparks? Are yeh hurt?" Hagrid asked worriedly.

"It's all Haley's fault. She jumped out from behind and startled me," Malfoy fumed.

Hagrid grabbed Haley and looked down at her. "Is this true?" Hagrid looked mad as well.

Haley realized she made a mistake. "I'm sorry, Hagrid. I was trying to be funny. I didn't mean for him to send up sparks."

"Did yeh at least find anything?" Hagrid asked.

Haley hung her head and shook it.

"Les' go back," Hagrid mumbled angrily the whole time until they finally reached Harry and Hermione. Hagrid told them what happened and said he was switching groups. Harry and Malfoy were now going to be with Fang, and Haley and Hermione were going to be with Hagrid.

Haley felt ashamed as she followed behind Hagrid. They walked for almost forty-five minutes until they heard someone running and screaming. They ran towards the sound, and by Hagrid's lantern's light, they could make out Malfoy and Fang running away screaming. Without thinking, Haley took off after Malfoy. She could hear the others cry out to her, but she just kept running.

She followed him until they reached the forest's edge. Malfoy and Fang didn't slow down until they reached Hagrid's hut. Huffing and puffing, Haley followed them inside. She found Fang under the table and Malfoy curled up in a ball on Hagrid's bed trying to catch his breath. She walked up to him and sat down next to him.

For ten minutes they continued to get their heart rate and breathing under control. Finally, Haley spoke. "What happened? What did you see?"

Malfoy was looking at his hands in his lap. For once he was exceptionally quiet. He refused to answer her.

Finally, Hagrid showed up with Harry and Hermione and told them they should head back up to the school.

The four of them walked back up towards the school. Malfoy went to his common room, and the rest made their way towards theirs. Ron was asleep when they came in, and Harry shook him awake. He then explained to them what he had seen. He was pacing the room and was shaking as he retold the tale. Haley couldn't believe that Voldemort had returned, and was now after the Sorcerer's Stone.