TRIGGER WARNINGS!

This one has some trigger warnings! The details are at the bottom of the page for anyone who wants to check them.

If I put them here they'll contain spoilers for everyone.

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Later that evening, after their rounds in the forest, Harry and Hagrid were heading back when they come across a unicorn. Harry hadn't seen a unicorn in person since that night with Quirrellmort back in first year, and just the sight of it threw him right back to that night.

He remembered walking down the path, and Fang suddenly let out a yelp and bolded. Startled Harry had hurried forward, stupidly, only to catch sight of the blood. He followed it, only to stop when he caught sight of the unicorn. Her pearly white coat was glowing almost in the darkness. It was the most beautiful and heartbreaking thing he had ever seen.

After being sick, Malfoy freaked out and ran, taking the lantern with him, running screaming after Fang, leaving Harry alone in the dark. (Really fang had sensed something, Harry should have paid more attention to him.)

But Harry was so overcome with compassion for the unicorn, who was grunting in pain, it's golden foal nearby. Unable to help himself, Harry ran up to the mother, spooking the foal. It snorted in alarm and gangled off into the trees out of reach.

Harry had desperately tried to stem the flow of blood, ripping off bits of his pants trying to patch her up. But it didn't stop, and he didn't know any spells. Just a warming charm that he used to keep the mother warm, and one on the foal too, which had crept fearfully closer. Harry had tried to reassure it that things would be okay, that its mum would be fine, but Harry hadn't believed it himself.

But Quirrellmort came out, not that he'd known it was Quirell then. Harry stood wand out, trying to defend it, but he didn't know anything, and his head hurt. Quirrell had used Expelliarmus to blast Harry back and he hit a tree. Quirrellmort drank the blood. Then Firenze had come galloping in, and chased him off.

Harry had crawled over to the unicorn. He'd been crying then, as he had pressed his hands to the wound, trying desperately to stop the still sluggish blood flowing from the now dead Unicorn, too overcome by the sight. The foal was nowhere to be found and despite Harry's pleading, fighting, Firenze wouldn't let him go back for the foal. He'd told Hagrid though.

It took ages afterwards to get the blood off, Harry recalled now. He never wore those robes again. They had been folded up, in the bottom of his trunk, he meant to burn them but hadn't gotten around to it. The Gryffindors had taken care of that Harry thought bitterly. He'd had nightmares for ages after that.

He blinked when the unicorn in front of him let out a nicker, a soft, low, throaty sound. The unicorn was not quite white yet, a pale silver, with hints of gold in its main still. Its horn was still gold.

Hagrid put a hand on Harry's shoulder, making him jump and said, "slowly, they don't like boys usually. Just girls and virgins, the innocent mostly. But he remembers you 'arry. He's the one who's mum died, back in ye' first year. You're warming charm was still on 'im when I found 'im" Hagrid said.

Harry stared at the unicorn. It didn't seem to mind Harry, thought it was hesitant. It let Harry take a step closer however. It was so beautiful. Harry carful reached out to pat its warm, velvety nose.

It smelt sweet, like fresh rain, and a summer breeze. It nudged Harry, its head butting against Harry's shoulder as if itchy. Harry reached up to scratch its head, and it leaned into the touch, letting out a long sigh of content, making Harry scratch a bit harder. Harry panicked a moment when the horn wobbled, however. It was gold still, though the coat was silver, the base of the horn had started to silver now too.

Harry try to stay away from it, but the unicorn has a mind of its own and seemed to want him to scratch at the loose horn. It looked slightly Darker around the horn, as if slightly inflamed. It wobbled, Harry was really worried and turned to ask Hagrid but the unicorn just head-butted him again when he stopped scratching and started using Harry's chest as a scratching post.

The horn wobbled again, got caught in his cloak and fell off. Horrified Harry catches it without thinking and pulled his wand casting 'episky,' over and over again trying to heal it, to fix it, worried he'd broken the unicorn. He seemed to break everything he touched at the moment.

But Hagrid was laughing, and the unicorn was still scratching quite vigorously against him. Slowly Harry calmed. He can see a small white stub of the new horn underneath now. He tentatively ran a finger over it. It was cool and smooth. The unicorn made a content sound, and he obligingly scratched its head some more, a but much harder this time, know he knew it wouldn't hurt it.

Hagrid was still laughing, and Harry turned curious.

"They're meant to shed their horns, 'arry. They take 4 years too mature, they grow horns from 6 months. When their fully grown, they shed their childhood horn, and they then shed their horns every few years (like deer shed their antlers every season." Hagrid explained still chuckling.

In hindsight, Harry figured it was pretty funny.

"its an honour and a gift. He remembers you, 'arry," Hagrid went on, handing Harry a sugar cube, from one of his endless pockets, to feed the unicorn, "what you did to try and save his mum, how you tried to go back for it. I went back after I dropped you lot off, Firenze showed me where you lot had been. I found him, still warm by your charm by his dead mum. I burried her good, and took him home with me, raised him myself."

Harry felt his walls crumbling. He'd all but given up on being able to make the potion to free himself. And now this unicorn, this bright, vibrant, innocent creature had come to help him. The compassion of it hit Harry like punch to the gut, and he seemed to tilt forward until his head was resting on the unicorn's strong neck, and he had wrapped an arm around the animal.

Its warm spring scent. Its fur was soft and warm, and Harry could feel it breathing, and he absently stroked his hands along his flank. The unicorn seemed to nibble at his hair a bit but seemed content to let Harry cling to it for a moment longer.

Eventually, he took a deep breath and stepped back, reaching out a gentle hand to stroke its nose.

"Thank you, I don't know how you knew, but thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. Or maybe you do," he murmured into its ear.

The unicorn butted its nose against Harry's chest before turning and cantering off into the tress with a swish of it's bright silver tail.

Feeling honoured and with a renewed sense of determination to free himself, Harry started the potion that night. Up in his new little potions lab. He timed it carefully so he could stir it in the mornings and evenings, around his classes.

Harry's weekend passed in a blur of studying. Studying in the forest with Firenze and Hagrid, practicing his knives, and archery, studying with Bill, studying languages trying to work out the egg, duelling with Fred and George, and catching up on both his school work and WEA work as well as tackling the books on the old ways. It kept him busy and distracted him from the fresh set of nightmares the unicorn had reawaken.

The following week passed in much the same manner as the previous, spending most of his time when not in class, tutoring the first years, having Slytherin lessons or in the forest, in his cupboard studying or working on the potion. He'd not made any headway with the egg, but he'd read enough of the language book to know it wasn't a banshee or any other human language, nor was it a goblin dialect. Though Goblin was a very interesting language but seemed harder to teach himself that Latin and French were.

Rita Skeeter showed up to Care of Magical Creatures on Tuesday and interviewed Hagrid, after a particularly trying session with the skrewts. He had another Slytherin lesson on Wednesday night and started brewing the middle stage of the potion. So far, despite the fact that it was complex and time-consuming in nature, it was going well. Harry was finding he was really enjoying it.

It was on Thursday in the transfiguration double that Harry was jolted out of his dead numbness.

"I have something I need to say to you all," Professor McGonagall said, making Harry look up from where he was in the back corner of the room copying down their homework essay on Cross-Species Switching.

"The Yule Ball is approaching. It is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests," she went on, and Harry felt a spark of dread light up in his stomach. This could not be good.

"The ball will be open to fourth years, and above only. However, you may invite a younger student if you wish-"

Brown and Patil let out a shrill giggle, Professor McGonagall ignored them, and continued, "Dress robes will be worn," Harry's heart sank, he didn't have any anymore, they'd been burnt. Even then, there was no way in hell he was going to a ball. Too many people, too much attention, too many people touching him. And no ball was more important than getting free of the magic and spell on him. He needed to be at Gringotts.

"The ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Eve, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then-" Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.

"The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to," she pursed her lips disapprovingly for a moment, "let our hair down."

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on when the giggles had subsided, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang, and he had almost made it out of the room when she called above the noise, "Potter a word, please."

Biting back a grown, Harry proceeded reluctantly back in into the classroom. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, after shooing Hermione and Neville out. This did not help the sinking feeling in his gut. Only then did she say, "Potter, the champions and their partners -"

"What?" said Harry, there was no way he was going.

Professor McGonagall looked at him suspiciously, as though he was trying to be funny. He was not being at all funny. There was nothing remotely funny about this situation in any way shape or form.

"Your partner for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your dance partner."

Harry's insides seemed to curl up and shrivel, his hands started to go numb. Dancing meant touching and being stared at. Dread pooled in his gut, and it was all he could do to get out the words, "dance partners? I don't dance. I have holiday plans," he said quickly.

"Oh yes you do dance," said Professor McGonagall irritably, "and no, you do not have plans any more. You will be staying here for the break. Now pay attention. That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions with their partners open the ball."

His skin crawled, and itched, felt much too tight, his stomach rolled.

"I'm not dancing," he said again, trying to remember how to breathe.

"It is traditional. You don't have a choice," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "You are a Hogwarts champion. You will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter."

"But- I don't-" he stuttered, his hands shaking now, his legs starting to feel like jelly, "please ma'am."

"You heard me, Potter," she said in a very final way, "you will be at that ball. You will have a partner, and you will dance. If you cannot do so competently get one of your housemates to teach you. I do not see why, after 3 years of not leaving the castle once, you have the need to now."

"But ma'am, I can't-"

"You and the other champions are opening the dance! You will have to ask someone." She said clearly getting exasperated with him.

"I'm not a champion!" He spat out, "I'm an unwilling participant! I don't want to be your bloody show, pony!"

"20 points for your language and disrespect, Potter," she snapped. "There are plenty of girls in your house, ask one of them!"

Then suddenly he had a thought, and it really irritated him, "so are you telling me I have to ask someone to the ball or that it has to be a female?" He asked suddenly, her comment distracting him momentarily from his panicked irritation and he latched onto it.

"I didn't know you were gay Potter?" She said, clearly surprised.

'You don't know a lot,' he wanted to spit out, but he didn't, instead, "that, is beside the point professor. Are you saying that not only do I have to go to a ball against my will, but I also have to dance and be in a semi-intimate embrace in front of other people, against my will and it has to be with a girl?" He asked, trying not to snap.

"Ms Granger's a girl, you know her well enough, ask her." Professor McGonagall snapped.

"I am starting to see that if not you, then someone else will force me to go to this ball whether I agree or not, But I have no intention of fooling myself that I will like it. I won't. This whole tournament has been hell. Hermione deserves to go with someone who actually wants to go with her and wants to be there. Hermione is my dearest friend. I love spending time with her. She is not a last resort. She deserves better. I won't do it. I won't go."

"another 20 points for your cheek. You have to Potter. You will take a girl or if you insist on a male, and you can get him to agree, take Mr Weasley for all I care. You will dance. You will do so graciously, or you will be in detention for the rest of the year, champion or not and more points lost! I will not have you disrespecting me like this, and you will not make a fool out of Gryffindor or of Hogwarts. I had enough of this attitude of yours!"

"I wouldn't take Ron if it was between him and the giant squid!" Harry spat.

"So you're not gay then!" She cried out with satisfaction.

"That's not the point! I won't do it!"

"You'll do as your told!" she snapped back in an uncharacteristically harsh snarl.

Panic rising again, Harry stormed out.

He made it to a nearby bathroom before his knees gave out. He pressed his face into the floor and tried to breathe, gasping, and his lungs seemed to tighten and not cooperate at all. She was going to make him stay. She was trapping him here, and making him dance in front of everyone. Making him touch people.

Petunia had tried to teach Dudley to dance once. She'd made Harry be the girl. Dudley had teased him mercilessly about it for weeks and had taken the opportunity to pinch Harry and stomp on his feet. Gods it had hurt, and it had been so humiliating. He shuddered as his skin crawled, and he heard Dudley's laugh in his head.

He was trapped here. He'd never be free. He'd never get out. The walls were closing in on him, and he gasped for air. All he could see was nameless faces staring at him, peering at him like a bug under a microscope, staring at him, pawing at it, clawing at his clothes like they had that first time in Diagon alley, like they had when they grabbed him and threw him out of the tower.

Gods what was he going to do, he didn't mind Bill and Charlie touching him when they didn't startle him, but they weren't students, and they weren't here. And even then, he didn't think it would go down at all well. The last thing he needed was more attention and more scandal. Hermione was okay, and Hagrid was manageable but a teacher. He clenched his fists in his hair, trying not to shake as his skin crawled at the thought of such scrutiny and attention; of having to be touched for so long.

"Hermione," he gasped out. He'd have to pray she would agree to do him the favour. She deserved better, but if he had to go, she was probably the only person he'd manage to dance with and was his only hope of surviving the whole hellish idea. Gods he'd have to find a way out, he'd have to write to Rodgrip.

There was a pop. He startled, shot out a stunner without even thinking about it. There was a squeel, and Dobby popped away again.

Hermione looked up startled when she heard a popping noise and something tapped her knee. Frowning, she glanced around before peering carefully under the table. Dobby was there, tapping her knee. He raised a finger to his lips in silence and pointed to the entrance hall before popping away again. Frowning, she hoped Harry hadn't gotten himself into trouble without her. She gathered a couple of sandwiches before turning to Neville who had been sitting next to her.

"I have to go. I'll catch up with you later?" She said hurriedly.

"Sure, everything okay?" He asked, worriedly.

"Don't know, I'll find out. Don't let them bully you while I'm gone," she said before hurrying from the hall.

Dobby joined her and lead her to one of the boys' bathrooms by the Transfiguration classroom. Her heart sank, and she hopped Harry was okay.

Harry was on the floor in the corner, next to a puddle of sick, clearly panicking.

"Harry?" She asked, cautiously stepping into the bathroom.

He glanced up at her, eye's wide, "don't want to dance, to be stained at, to be touched," he shuddered, his skin crawling, "hate it. She's going to make me. Can't leave for Christmas, have to go to the ball." He stuttered out, "don't know what to do."

"Take a deep breath Harry," she said, sitting next to him, after vanishing the sick. She was carful not to touch him.

Harry took a shallow shuddering breath.

"And another one," she said, talking him through it, putting one of his hands on her upper chest so he could feel her breathing and mimic it.

"Feel my breath, copy it. In slowly... Hold it... and out," she said slowly and calmly, "you're doing well, keep copying my breath."

Slowly he calmed down, and when he realised, he pulled his hand back as if burned. She rolled her eyes at him, snorted "boys."

He smiled, weakly, "Thanks, Hermione."

"Don't worry about it," she said handing him a sandwich, "I had panic attacks in primary school, the teacher would have to talk me down, I'd forget how to breath" she explained that unasked question, "now, what's up? What did Professor McGonagall want?"

Harry's eyes filled with dread again, and he said, "I have to dance at the yule ball. The 'champions," he sneered, "have to open it. Everyone staring at me, too much touching. I'm so sorry Hermione, I'm so sorry to ask this. You deceiver so much better."

Hermione looked puzzled but let him continue, "She says I don't have a choice." He took another calming breath. "I would be very relieved if you would consent to go with me, please Hermione, as my friend."

He all but begged, hating himself for it, "I don't want to go, if I'm brutally honest, and I don't want to dance. Being stared at and touched so closely; it honestly sounds like a nightmare, but you're my best friend, and it might make it bearable if it's with you."

He grimaced slightly, not the most flattering way to asked, "sorry," he said, "I know girls seem to like balls and find them exciting or romantic or something Brown and Patil said, so I understand if you'd rather not... its not that I don't think your pretty, and attractive and wonderful. I just don't like you like that. Oh gosh, I hope I haven't made this all really weird! I don't know if I like anyone like that. I think that bit's broken.

"Oh Harry," she said, "I'll go with you, of course I will. Yes I'd like to be asked out by someone who fancies me, it would be really nice, and maybe romantic, but there's time. There will be other times for that, and I'm more than happy to go with you as your friend and support you. Don't worry, I don't like you like that either.

But you're not broken Harry, some things take time, and you're not there yet. You have plenty going on, and that's okay. It will happen. And if it doesn't, that's fine. Charlies single, and happy with just his dragons, and Bill's not into girls at all. It's fine. Don't worry about it yet."

"Oh, thank the gods."

"You want a hug?" She asked carefully.

"Erm yes? Maybe? Just a little one?"

She laughed softly, opened her arms and slowly and gently wrapped them around him loosely, so not to startle him. He was stiff as a broad.

"What am I meant to do again?" He asked nervously, his mind going blank

She let out a soft huff of amusement again and said, "just relax into it and enjoy the warmth and companionship of a good friend that cares for you. It doesn't need to be complicated. It's just meant to feel nice."

"Oh," he forced himself to relax. It was weird still, being so close, even if it was Hermione, but the warmth was kind of nice. He wasn't sure, he put his arms around her tentatively.

She leaned back after a moment, "Its okay Harry."

"You deserve better," he said, "you deserve that romance dating thing that girls, and people seem to want."

She laughed lightly, "I do, but there will be other balls, and I'm happy to help out a friend. It's not as if I don't like spending time with you. If you're opening the ball, maybe you can slip away after that. There will be other dances, I can dance with other people after you're free to go. It's okay Harry." She said, and he sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Hermione, don't know what I'd do without you."

She nodded, "and if you have to stay, we'll just have to make sure you can get out for easter."

He nodded glumly, "gods I don't want to go. I don't want to dance and be stared at like a freak show!"

"I know and you're not. I can teach you to dance, that way it will at least be a bit more bearable," she said.

"You deserve better than this," he said, "I'm really sorry."

"I do, but that's not your fault, I could have said no. You're my friend and asked for my help. I chose to give it to you." She said firmly, "there is not much I wouldn't do for you, Harry, just as you would for me."

Harry nodded, she was right, she often was. He would have done the same for her.

"I'll check the charter and see if I have to stay, if there is anything keeping me here of the holidays," he said making a decision, "I'll talk to Rodgrip and see if its in the contract too. Maybe I can get us both out of this then you'll be free to find a proper date."

She blushed and elbowed him but instead said, "I've missed you these last few weeks. You've been avoiding me."

"Yeah," Harry sighed, "but it's better if they don't see you around me, they know we're close."

"No, actually," she said matter of factly.

"What?" He asked frowning

"It's not better," she said bluntly, "they hex me as much as they hex you now, but I live with them. They hate me just as much. It's no safer for me alone than it is with you. They hex me we're together or not. At least when we're together, I have someone to watch my back." She said matter of factly, "and I'm not letting it go, because even if you don't, I think you deserve better than this."

Harry swallowed thickly and nodded, resting his head on her shoulder.

He wrote to Rodgrip, Bill and Charlie that night. He had finished up studying in the library with his friends, and Harry had returned exhausted to his cupboard. He'd started reading the Hogwarts charter. It was much too long for him to read cover to cover in one sitting. It was not only long but also a complex document, that seemed to have little order to it at all, as if it were really a bunch of different rules and sections just strung together.

He'd had to resort to using searching spells to find all of the sections pertaining to staying or leaving school over the break. Thankfullu, nowhere did it say that he had to stay at school over the break. Not if he didn't want to, not if his guardians didn't object.

He wrote to the Dursley's too. He hated it, but he wrote to his aunt, begging her to give him permission to be away from the castle over the break. He bribed her with the potential for him to stay somewhere else during the summer if he could find somewhere else now. He also added a note that none of the neighbours would notice him there, thinking that if she didn't have to worry about his freakishness, maybe she would be more inclined to help him out.

He did not have high hopes.

Friday passed achingly slowly, but desperate for a break from study and worrying, Harry took Hermione and Neville down to Hagrid's at lunch. Hermione had, as usual, been right. It was much better when they all stuck together, and Harry led Hermione and Neville through the lesser-known secret passageways, and the snake passages, to get through the school without being hexed. It was nice hanging out with Hermione again. He hadn't realised how much he'd drawn away, and how much he'd missed her.

The five of them originally went to ask him about Skeeter's interview and to interrogate him about the lake. They were still planning on exploring it with Gillyweed in the summer but were worried about the Giant Squid.

"Surprised you didn't end up in the paper," Harry said as Hagrid poured them all tea.

""She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry," Hagrid said. "Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said me. 'Never played you up in lessons, has he?' I told her no, an she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry."

"'Course she did," Harry muttered, "anyway less about her and what about the lake Hagrid?"

"We want to go exploring in it with Gillyweed when the lake has thawed, when it's warm again," explained Hermione, casting a look out Hagrid's window at the snow-covered grounds. It had started snowing early this year, and it looked like the lake was going to freeze over.

"But we're worried the squid will eat us." Neville said succinctly, "we were hoping to find all sorts of aquatic plants and animals down there. Harry said you might be able to tell us."

"Ah well. He won't harm no one he won't," Hagrid said, "e's harmless."

"Aragog harmless?" Harry asked, "or Unicorn harmless?"

Hagrid laughed, "unicorn," he said. "You want to watch out more for the Grindylows in the kelp forests, but you know all about them from Defence, don't you?

"Yes, Professor Lupin went over them with us," Hermione said

"What else is in there?" Harry asked curiously.

"We'll there are merpeople down their, their defensive of what's theirs, don't like wizards much. So don't go causing them trouble." Hagrid warned.

"Merpeople? In the lake? What are they like?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well, their friendly enough if you can talk to them, and leave them alone. But they don't like having to go up to the air, to speak to people. Of course, it's harder to understand Mermish on land, sounds like screeching, don' it?" Hagrid continued, and Harry froze.

"what?" He asked.

"Mermish," Hagrid said, "it sounds like screaming. It's only in the water you can understand it. There it ounds like the singing it truly is then." Hagrid said frowning at Harry.

"You okay Harry?" He asked

"That's it!" Harry said, standing up, dropping his teacup in his hurry, "the egg! It's in Mermish! You're a genius Hagrid!" Harry said, tearing out of Hagrid's hut leaving a bemused Hagrid, Neville and Hermione behind him, talking more about the lake.

As much as Harry wanted to, he didn't skip potions to work on the egg. He contented himself with flicking through to the Mermish section of his language book and reassuring himself that it did indeed sound like Mermish should.

Potions seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly, and he worked alone at the back of the room diligently, despite his agitation. It seemed that Snape had plenty to distract himself with instead of Harry. Ever since the announcement of the ball, everyone seemed to have an inability to focus, girls giggling mainly at every turn, and it seemed that Harry wasn't the only one irritated by it. At least it provided them with a good distraction from hexing him.

He went straight back to his cupboard after potions and took the egg down to one of the long-forgotten bathrooms in the lower dungeon. It was dusty and abandoned like everything else, but with the help of Dobby, Winky and a good few cleaning spells, he managed to get the large stone bathtub working.

Once the bath was full, he hesitantly got in. He didn't like baths. He'd almost drowned too many times as a child either due to Dudley pushing him into a pool or holding him under in the bath. Even alone like this, it made him weary. Not weary enough that the idea of going into the lake to explore with his friends didn't sound exciting. But enough to make him realise he really did need to learn to swim.

Maybe the Room of Requirement could come up with a pool? Maybe there was one here in the dungeons somewhere. He noted that this level wasn't on the map. He kept meaning to read up on how they made it and see if he could add to it.

He got into the bath and nearly jumped a mile when the Bloody Barron appeared out of a tap.

"No-one has been down on this level for an age, young snake." He said

Harry shivered as the Ghost's presence started to chill that water, and he sank deeper into the bath, "sorry sir," he said.

The Ghost chuckled, and while it made his chains klink, it made him seem much more human and less intimidating.

"I did not expect you of all people to make themselves at home here in my domain."

Harry forgot how to breathe, "it's nice down here, safe and quiet. Please don't tell anyone! They'll kick me out,"

I have nowhere else to go, he thought, hopelessly. He did not want to get unhomed again.

"You're Harry potter," the Ghost said, then peering at him closely

"Unfortunately," Harry said bleakly.

The Ghost laughed again but said, "they are trying to un-house you young snake."

"Yes," he said bleakly, "I won't stop them. Better off without them."

"Spoken like a true snake. It is said that you should have been one of ours, snake speaker."

"Yes sir," Harry said

"There are snakes in this dungeon. It holds many secrets," the Ghost said before drifting off through a wall. Harry wondered if he was talking about the Parseltongue passages or if maybe someone else was secretly hiding down here too.

"Sir!" Harry called out, making the ghost pause and stick his head back out of the wall, "sir, thank you for the advice, but you won't tell anyone I'm here will you?" He asked

"Snakes stick together," was all the Barron said before drifting off, leaving Harry confused but somewhat reassured.

Puzzled, Harry frowned and reached for his wand and cast a lot more spells on the door and reheated the bathwater. When the water was once again, almost too hot, he reached for the egg and dropped it into the bathwater before opening it.

He took a great breath and slid under the surface. The egg was producing an eerie chorus of voices singing:

"Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you're searching, ponder this:

We've taken what you'll sorely miss,

An hour-long you'll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour- the prospect's black,

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

Harry let himself float back upward and broke the bubbly surface, shaking his hair out of his eyes. Dread filled his stomach. He took a great breath and slid under the surface to hear it again, memorising it.

It was indeed Mermish. meaning that they lived in the lake like Hagrid said. And were going to steal something of his... Or someone else would and give it to them to hold hostage. He wouldn't put that past Dumbledore. He'd have to find a way to tighten his wards. Again.

They would take something he had to get back. But what were they going to take?

He frowned. He can easily put everything he owned of importance in his warded bag again. It would be easy enough, and he could get his bow and his broom in there now too. He could have Dobby pop it over to his vault overnight so no-one could take it in his sleep. It will be safe in Gringotts. He could keep his possessions safe.

But would they do that, or take someone, he thought frantically.

Two things he had noticed about the tasks in the past. They used the elements. With dragons being the fire element and air, it made sense that the second task would be water, and therefore, the third had to be earth. The other thing he had noticed was that the first was often a creature task, the second was a hostage or rescue of some kind and the third was often some kind of challenge or quest.

Hermione. They would take Hermione. They wouldn't take an object, that was too easy, too little risk.

Hermione was his best friend. That or maybe Bill or Charlie, or Fred or George or Neville or Hagrid. Somehow he didn't think it would be an adult. Noone knew he was close to Dobby and Winky, and wizards so often dismissed them, so he didn't think it would be the elves. They were safe.

It would most likely be Hermione. He shuddered. He'd have to find a way to protect them all. He'd have to work doubly hard on that shielding wrist band. Maybe put some kind of tracker in it.

He had to get Gillyweed, enough for both he and Hermione, to have some regularly as a backup. They'd need to learn to fight and fight dirty if someone was going to try and get either of them. He'd need to research other methods of breathing underwater. And, he'd need to learn to swim. He shuddered. He'd nearly drowned last time.

Fuck.

He called Dobby and Winky.

They popped in with a bow and a curtsey, "you know you don't need to stand on formality with me," he told them.

But the elves just shook their heads, horrified at the prospect, so he continued, "the second task is a hostage rescue. Either something or someone important to me. I can keep all my things in my warded bag, would you be able to take it to Rodgrip or into my vault if I needed?" He asked.

"We is not able to take it into the vault, Mr Harry Potter sir," squeaked Dobby, "I is not bonded, and Winky only partly, but we is able to take it to Miss Goblin sir, she be putting it in the Vaultses."

"Right, that would be brilliant." Harry said relieved, "the other thing they may take is someone. I want you both to be very careful, no-one knows you work for me, so that should keep you safe. But if anyone asks, please say no. I do not want you at risk. Of course, I don't think they will ask, they will probably just take. Please be careful!" He begged.

Both elves burst into noisy tears, overcome by his caring but agreed. They also agreed to keep an eye on these things and on his friend.

He headed back to his cupboard after that. He had a potion to finish and breathing underwater to research. He paused a moment. It was in February. It had already started snowing, and the lake was showing signs of freezing over this year. He shuddered, there was a foot of snow outside! He'd have to look up heating charms and maybe ways of using runes on his skin to keep him warm. He had three shirts on, two jumpers and a cloak on and he was still cold.

0o0o0o0o0o

TRIGGER WARNINGS!

Panic Attacks

Thoughtless teachers

0o0o0o0

The unicorn bit that was originally meant to go in before the first Gringotts trip but the centaurs ran of with my plot!

Yes I changed the date of the ball. It was more convineit that way

(Note no homophobia intended, mcgonagall is just being oblivious and throughtless. She's not a homophobe, she just doesn't know Harry.)