Last time:

"Were you Crab or Goyle?" I had noticed something was up. Draco's eyebrows were raised and he was grinning. "O yes, who was is that had the glasses?"

"Harry," Haku cut in. "Is that Ron?" He pointed out the triangular window at a redhead walking towards the Forbidden Forest.

Later:

"Harry!" Haku sounded alarmed. "Hermione is crying for help! From the Forbidden Forest!"

Ch. 7

Harry strained his ears to hear Hermione's cries, as he did his horns pushed through his skull. He felt a slight pressure but he couldn't tell how horrible it hurt because of the adrenalin rush he felt. Harry's wings erupted from his back, he let out what sounded like a roar as he took to the air and crashed through the window. Haku stood back and calmly released his wings and horns. He nodded to Draco, "I'm sorry I have to see what's causing this trouble she seems really distressed." Haku followed Harry's path. Though he did not show it Haku was just as worried as Harry. This girl was Harry's friend; he would not let her get hurt.

Haku followed Harry's wing beats and Hermione's screaming to a clearing not that far into the forest. Harry stood his wings drooped to the ground, staring at something. Ron was standing with a decorated dagger at Hermione's throat. She was in Hysterical tears. "Ron don't do this," She cried, "It's not you!"

"Ahh…Harry you finally made it. Me and Hermione were just having a little…chat." At the word chat Ron's grip tightened on the dagger leaving a thin cut on Hermione's neck, "And as for you," He looked down at Hermione, "This is me," He laughed incriminatingly. "You don't understand do you Harry?" he cooed, "all this time I've been pretending to be your friend! Taking you to the spiders you were supposed to die then! I was the one the master sent to put your name in the cup! Not Mad Eyes double ME! The wreck in the flying car you were supposed to get smashed! Even if it took me with you!" he was smiling in a way that unnerved Haku. Harry was still standing dumbfounded in the same spot. Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably.

"All this time Ron," was all Harry could mutter. A blue aura began to surround his body; it darkened as it grew to an almost black color. "ALL THIS TIME YOU WERE USING US! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE OUR FRIEND AND YOU WERE TRYING TO KILL ME!!" Harry's aura engulfed half the forest now. Black tendrils began to encircle Ron.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Ron screeched, "STOP YOU'LL KILL HERMIONE!" Ron was terrified he was using anything to stay alive at this point. The tendrils closed in on his hand first making him drop the dagger. Hermione leapt from his arms toward Harry.

Harry shoved her hard toward Haku, "WATCH HER, and PROTECT HER LIKE SHE WAS ME!" Harry growled over Ron's screams as the tendrils began to engulf his entire body.

Haku drew water from the roots of the trees around the edge of the clearing to make a water force field around he and the sobbing Hermione.

Harry walked closer to Ron. "IT WAS YOU THAT FORCED SNAPE INTO KILLING DUMBLEDORE! WASN'T IT!" Ron nodded pleading for Harry to stop this. "YOU SAID YOU'D TELL VOLDEMORT HE WAS A DOUBLE AGENT DIDN'T YOU! YOU KILLED MCGONAGLE BEFORE YOU HUNG HER FROM THE CEILING! YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL! YOU SHOVED SIRIUS INTO THAT PORTAL YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE HE'D TRUST TO LET GET THAT CLOSE!"

"I DID IT ALL HARRY PLEASE SPARE ME, FORGIVE ME!" Ron screamed in agony. Harry's aura flashed and Ron was gone. All that was left was a small puddle of water that would dry in tomorrow's sun and Ron's wand.

Harry collapsed, he used up all the energy he had, and now there was no more. Harry was a true spirit. Harry's wings were covered in mud as rain began falling. Haku let the force field fall and ran to where Harry had fallen. He picked him up and pulled him close to his chest. "I did not want this for you my love," Haku said as he held Harry close. Hermione stood and watched all this happen numbly. Now she would have no one. Harry could only choose one path now. And Ron had already chosen his. She fell to her knees in shock. It was all too much. She to blacked out.

Haku looked around, his tear stained face hidden by the grave amount of rain falling. He saw Hermione ten feet away pass out from all the strain. Haku was losing power he had been away from his river all night now. He withdrew his wings, and picked Harry up bride style gently and carried him back to the river laying him at the shore. He turned back to get Hermione grimly. As he walked back into the clearing he noticed the damage his mate had done. No river spirit Haku knew could inflict this much damage with an aura alone. Trees were torn down, and the grass was missing in patches. The entire place looked like it had been run through by more than one natural disaster. A ghostly fog covered the clearing. Hermione was crumpled in a heap. Haku picked her up gently. He had looked into her past but it was her that had to tell Harry why she was so torn up about this. Haku wanted to ask Harry to stay with him, and Harry would have to now to heal. Hermione would also have to stay for now, so Haku could heal her damage. The emotional part too.

Hermione woke up the next day feeling completely refreshed. She opened her eyes to see a bright blue sky. She smiled it looked just like the farm her family had owned before…Well that was in the past. For some reason she was extremely happy and nothing could make her feel any different. Haku sat beside her.

"Your awake. How do you feel?" Haku asked smiling.

"I…I feel Brilliant," She smiled brighter than Haku had seen anyone do since Chihiro. He smiled back. Then looked away.

"Harry's still recovering, he's still asleep," Haku looked worried.

Hermione looked around her, "where is he?" Haku looked towards the water. Hermione looked in the water to see, a silver river dragon slumbering peacefully in the water. She gasped, "Is that?" Haku nodded silent as ever. Harry was beautiful as far a Hermione was concerned. His silver body glimmered in the sunshine playing on the water. A Navy blue mane of fur traveled down his elongated back. His underside was the purest black Hermione had ever seen. "So do you two look the same?" Hermione asked quizzically.

Haku smiled, "No," he answered softly. He sounded wore out. "Harry is far more handsome than I in my true form. You see the fur running down his back mine is a gray/ green color. I'm not shiny and silver as he is. I'm a simple white River Dragon. He is …He is what we call a Spirit Chief. They are very rare. There is only one per spirit type. Sakura must have perished if Harry is the new Chief. Her and I were good companions in the spirit and human war," Haku looked away. 'No wonder he inflicted so much damage,' Haku thought to himself.

"I've never heard of them," Hermione said still smiling at Harry's form.

"You wouldn't have, we try to keep them as secretive as possible. So Voldemort won't find them. If it was him who killed Sakura, he has his true form back no doubt. Harry's got a large fight ahead of him. More than I think he can handle on his own." Haku looked depressed beyond words.

"Brighten up," Hermione said playfully, "You have a beautiful mate and it's a gorgous day," she suddenly looked down, "enjoy these days why you can before they are taken away from you."

"Hermione," she looked up at Haku, "I know about your past," she looked taken aback, "You should tell Harry as soon as possible, but for now, go back to the school and rest," Haku smiled calmly the way he always had. The way he had taught himself to fake it when he was hurting so deeply inside. He knew Harry could just walk away from the river, and wasn't completely bound to him. He was Chief. Haku wasn't a warrior, or a guardian spirit. He was just a common spirit. He wasn't good enough for Harry. He could never be.