Well I was going to wait until next week to post this chapter but reading all the great emails I have gotten so far for chapter nine…well I couldn't resist giving you guys another chappie. Thanks to all you unbelievably amazing people! Especially for those offers to kick the nasty "reviewers" butts for me! Your all so supportive so don't worry I could now never even think of abandoning this story. The show must go on and all that.

To Chibikat the Canuck, I meant to get back to you in chapter 9 Sorry! Thank you for your offer to beta my story I may just take you up on that offer yet for future chapters.

Well as before not much really transpires in this chapter there is the introduction of a new character though, but don't worry he wont be taking over the story though he is important for the plot I hope no one hates him too much. It's always risky adding new characters. No one kill me!

Right so if you guys can put up with yet another boring chapter I promise everyone's favorite ghost will be back in chapter 11.

Disclaimer: Still no luck, I'm never gonna own *cries*

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By the time he had arrived at his destination it was going on seven in the morning. He wasn't particularly concerned though, Edgar had always been an early riser, ever the Auror that he was.

Since Dumbledore's passing Harry had found a close friend and mentor in his head trainer, while in Auror training, Edgar Boulrich.

The now retired Auror had taught Harry everything he had needed to know, spending countless hours with him, drilling facts and techniques into his brain until he had learnt and perfected it all. Harry had never been a complete natural but it was thanks to Edgar that he had managed to get grips on any of it. It was needless to say that Harry had owed a large thanks to the man for the successful career he had now.

Among the many things that Edgar had accomplished during his working life was a large and detailed study on ghosts and the supernatural, he had even written several books on the subject and this was the main reason Harry was at his home now.

If anyone would be able to explain what was happening to him it would be Edgar.

Harry was hoping his visit wouldn't be too much of a bother for the older man today though, he had sent Hedwig with a message on ahead of him while he got ready at Ron an Hermione's, the two had been most reluctant to let him leave without them, but bless her, Hedwig was not the young and vibrant owl she had once been and she now tended to get her bearings muddled up from time to time. Harry knew the time would soon come to retire the old girl but every time he saw how eager she was to deliver bits and pieces for him he just couldn't do it. He loved her far too much to take her away from work when she was so happy to do it. Plus she would get jealous if he bought home another owl.

As it was Harry didn't even get the chance to knock on the dark wooden door as it was opened just as he raised his knuckles to rap on the surface.

Edgar beamed when he saw Harry.

"Harry so good to see you, I was worried you had gone and forgotten all about me."

Harry laughed, shaking his head playfully at the fake hurt expression Edgar had on his face.

"Course not! How could I? So I take it Hedwig got to you alright then?"

"Yes, yes I as going to send her back to you but the poor thing was exhausted so she's still here. I figured you would be right behind her anyway." Edgar said waving him inside. "Come in come in!"

Edgar led them both through the lounge area into a small kitchen, Hedwig was perched atop the kitchen counter and she let out a delighted hoot at seeing her master.

Harry strolled over to her and clucked at her quietly, holding out his wrist to her. Taking the cue the white owl hopped neatly onto his wrist and he stroked her soft feathers lovingly.

"I'm sorry to bother you so early in the day." Harry apologized taking a seat at the oak kitchen table.

Harry loved this house.

When Edgar wife had passed he had moved into this small little cottage on the outskirts of London. It had been lovingly decorated with the various ornaments and antique wooden furniture his wife had collected throughout her lifetime and the soft colors on the walls really made this place a perfect old cottage; it was like being in another time.

"Don't apologize, you know I'm one of the rare breeds of morning people, I've been up for ages. Tea?"

Harry shook his head in polite declination.

"Tea it is then." Edgar replied cheerfully busying himself with making two cups from the freshly boiled kettle on the old fashioned stove.

Harry rolled his eyes playfully as the steaming cup was placed in front of him; he carefully transferred Hedwig from his wrist to his lap. She settled herself comfortably and buried her face into the fabric of his shirt, nibbling affectionately on the material.

"Drink" Edgar ordered taking a seat across from him "you like you could use some, your looking quite pale."

Harry took a small sip and couldn't help but savor the warm, sweet liquid as it ran down his throat.

"Anyway your message said you had something that you wanted to discuss? Something important?" Edgar asked mildly sipping at his own tea.

Harry nodded as he continued to absently stroke Hedwig, the bird made a soft sound akin to a sigh, gently being lulled into sleep by Harry's ministrations.

"Yes I do need to talk to you…about some things that have been happening to me lately. I figured you might be able to help."

Edgar took notice of Harry's nervousness though he chose not to comment on it instead he merely motioned for him to continue.

"What can you tell me about ghosts?" Harry suddenly blurted out then mentally smacked himself, what a stupid way to start off.

"Well Harry I know lots of things about ghosts but it might be easier to tell me what you want to know about specifically." The older man suggested calmly, he could sense how anxious Harry was, it was practically emanating off of him in waves.

"It's a rather long story." Harry said choosing to focus on his lap while he talked "I'm not sure how much of it you're going to believe."

"Why don't you tell me and I'll judge for myself?" Edgar proposed.

So Harry did.

He told him everything from the first moment they had met Edith to the first encounter with Draco, the dreams and the voices in his head. He finished up with the latest dream and how he had woken up bleeding and holding a knife. All the time he had been telling his story he had been too afraid to look at his old mentor, too afraid to see the look on his face that would clearly show how nuts he must think Harry was. He was positive that he wasn't going to be believed and he mentally cursed himself for even thinking this was a good idea.

"Well…from the sounds of things you've certainly gotten yourself into a bit of a fix." Edgar said once Harry had fallen silent. Harry slowly looked up the meet the older mans eyes, relieved once he saw the compassion in them.

"So…you believe me then?" He asked tentively.

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Edgar asked looking surprised "Have you forgotten that we're wizards? Anything is possible for us so why not this?"

"So what do you make of it then?"

"Well" Edgar began "It sounds as if young Malfoy has some sort of connection with you."
"A connection?"

"Yes it's very true that spirits cannot travel from their places of death unless they have a host. They form a connection or bond with the mortal and then use their energy or life force to manifest themselves into a more or less tangible being. With this form the spirit is then able to pick up objects, walk and speak in a fashion, usually mentally with the host rather than orally."

"So you think Malfoy has made a connection with me then?" Harry asked.

"Well it certainly sounds like it from what you've told me." Edgar answered

"So…how are these connections made?"

"Well that's just it no one really knows how it's done exactly but it's believed to be the ghosts that instigate these connections and it's usually done while the chosen host is asleep or unconscious."

Harry nodded slowly trying to absorb everything he had just heard. Could it be that when he had fainted at the Manor that night that was when Malfoy had created this connection? He shuddered, it was a creepy thought.

"So Malfoy made a connection with me and…he uses my energy whenever he wants to show up?"

"Yes" Edgar clarified "Maintaining a realistic form or even just communicating with you requires massive energy which Malfoy gets by tapping into your supply. This is why during those moments when Malfoy appears to you, you can experience sudden feelings of coldness, dizziness, nausea and fatigue because, essentially, you're being drained."

"Could he kill me?" Harry asked, feeling somewhat alarmed.

"If he stayed manifested outside of the Manor for too long it's a definite possibility."

"Ok." Harry swallowed heavily, the thought not sitting too well with him at all. "Now knowing this is there anyway to make it stop?"

"No." Edgar replied "not until the reason for the connection has been satisfied I'm afraid."

"So Malfoy is just going to continue to harass me until I do what he wants right?"

At the mans nod Harry couldn't help but slam his fist down on the table in frustration making the cups rattle and alarming Hedwig who took off from Harry's lap landing atop some cupboards. She twittered angrily at him, scolding him furiously at having woken her up.

"Why me?" He asked of Edgar helplessly.

"That Harry, I can't give you an answer for."

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He arrived home much later in the evening having spent a good deal of his day at Edgar's, who had also given him a healing potion for his stomach before he left, and then he spent even more time at Ron and Hermione's trying to convince them to let him go home for the night. In the end they only agreed when he promised to check in with them in the morning. Harry hated being treated like a child but he would take that over them forcing him to spend another night at their house to keep an eye on him.

He placed the vial Edgar had given him on the counter top then went to the kitchen window to open it so Hedwig would be able to get back inside after she had finished hunting for the night.

He sighed quietly to himself, feeling much more tired than he should have at this time of night (it was still reasonably early after all.) He padded back over to the counter and picked up the potion, his stomach had been dully throbbing all day he would be glad to get rid of it, he paused however just before swallowing it. He vaguely thought he remembered the potion being green in color before now it was more of a blue…

Shrugging he passed it off as merely a slip of the memory, it hadn't been working at its best lately so for all he knew it had always been blue.

Tipping the vial back he swallowed it in one gulp, grimacing somewhat at the nasty after taste. Feeling the familiar tingle, spreading throughout his body, of a good healing potion doing its job, Harry decided to go for a nap he was starting to feel tired, even more so, all of a sudden.

Perched atop the counter Malfoy's grey eyes tracked the raven haired man as he headed for the bedroom, the spirit waited until the door closed before slowly fading out until he completely vanished and it would seem that there never had been anyone else there.

Sitting in one of the Harry's potted plants was an upturned glass vial that was almost exactly like that of which Harry had just drunk from.

Green liquid slowly dripped out to land upon the soil, the dirt absorbing the potion and feeding its contents to the roots of the plant.

The leaves slowly started to turn brown…