Summary: Harry remembers Professor Trelawny's prediction when he receives an unusual gift...
Author's Notes: Reading Part 1 first would help!
Disclaimer: These characters belong to JK Rowling, except for a couple I've added.
It was breakfast time, and a hubbub of chatter filled the Great Hall. At the Gryffindor table, Harry was discussing Quidditch tactics with Tony Forest, another of his Chasers, and Dean Thomas, a seventh-year Beater. As Harry reached for a piece of toast, Ron came in, yawning sleepily. He was not a morning person.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked. It was unusual for her not to be down for breakfast before he and Ron were. In fact, Hermione was always telling them that as prefects it was their duty to be on time to meals and set a good example to the younger ones.
Ron looked surprised. "Isn't she here?" He took a seat next to Harry. "Maybe she's absorbed in her Arithmancy notes."
Hermione did not appear for another five minutes, and when she did, she was accompanied by Ron's sister, Ginny. Hermione looked worried, and Ginny looked very subdued. Hermione came to sit with Harry and Ron, but Ginny took a seat right at the other end of the table.
"Where've you been?" asked Ron, through a mouthful of bacon. "Did you oversleep?"
Hermione glanced down the table towards Ginny, frowning. She spoke in a low tone, so that only Harry and Ron could hear her. "I was on my way down here when I heard someone crying in the girls' toilets. So I went in to investigate." Again she glanced down the table. "I found Ginny in floods of tears."
Ron looked faintly concerned. "Why?"
"I don't know. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't tell me anything."
Harry looked at Ginny. Although she was some distance from them, he could see that she was still rather red-eyed. She was pushing some bread around her plate, but not eating much, or talking to her neighbours. "Perhaps she's just had a row with one of her friends."
"Yeah, you know what girls are like. Always falling out with each other and making up." Ron pretended not to see the glare Hermione gave him at this. "Or maybe she's quarrelled with her boyfriend - whatshisname - "
"Torquil. But you wouldn't mind, you don't like him anyway," said Harry. Torquil de Lisle was, like Ginny, a fifth-year. He was thin and dark-haired with a pale face and rather reedy voice. Harry knew Ron had a low opinion of him; partly because Torquil was said to be brilliant at Divination, and was one of Professor Trelawny's favourite pupils.
"True." A little brotherly concern showed on Ron's face as he looked at his sister's drooping figure. "Oh well. If it's just an argument with someone, she'll get over it."
At that moment, a flock of owls burst in and circled the Great Hall, and the discussion about Ginny's unhappiness was forgotten. Everyone looked up to see if there would be any post for them. A number of owls swooped down on the Gryffindor table, dropping letters and packages between the plates. Harry wasn't expecting Hedwig to deliver any post to him this morning - she was probably far away, still journeying to find Sirius with his letter. But to his surprise, a barn owl glided down and dropped a square parcel into his lap.
"What's that?" asked Hermione.
"Don't know." Harry picked up the parcel and looked at it. It was a box about ten inches square. "It's from Sirius!" he said, recognising the energetic writing and noticing the exotic foreign stamps. "It must have crossed with my letter to him in the post." He ripped off the brown paper which covered the box, and carefully lifted the lid. Inside, he saw a mass of crumpled paper which was obviously protecting something fragile. Harry took out the paper, and saw a sparkling cylinder. It was about six inches high, smooth and polished. It seemed to be made from transparent crystal, but a twisted column of gold ran through the middle of it, spiralling upwards.
"That's pretty," said Hermione, leaning over Harry's shoulder for a better look. "What is it?"
"No idea." Harry fished in the bottom of the box and found a note, which he read aloud to his friends.
"Dear Harry, I know you've got a lot on your mind at the moment, and I thought this might cheer you up. I bought it from an old wizard in a street market. It's a Truth-Teller - they're fairly rare, so look after it. And be careful - they're powerful things. Good luck with the Quidditch final - and the exams. Sirius."
"Hmm," said Harry, turning the cylinder in his hand as it sparkled and shone. "I've never seen one of these before."
"Me neither," said Ron, peering at it. "What did you say it was called?"
"A Truth-Teller. Wonder how it works?" They both looked expectantly at Hermione, who was usually a fount of most magical knowledge. She did not let them down.
"I read about them in 'The Encyclopedia of Magical Artefacts'," she said. "Anyone who holds the Truth-Teller in their hand is compelled to tell the truth. They can't lie."
"Now *that* could be interesting," said Harry.
"Hey!" Ron said suddenly. "Remember what you told us last night about Trelawny? She said you'd get a gift."
"Ron, that woman would say anything for effect," said Hermione acidly.
"Yeah, but - Harry has got a gift, hasn't he?" Ron grinned. "Better watch out, Harry!"
Harry had also remembered Professor Trelawny's words. "She said the gift would save my life. How could this save my life?" he asked, holding the Truth-Teller up to the light.
"And she said it would threaten your life too!" said Ron, not sounding as if he was taking the prophecy too seriously. "Don't go dropping it and cutting yourself on the bits!"
Harry grinned and put the Truth-Teller carefully down on the table while he went on with his breakfast. As he ate, he mulled over what Professor Trelawny had said. "...A gift which will both save your life and threaten it." And what else had she said? "...A friend will betray you." Harry shook his head and went on eating.
At the end of breakfast, Ginny had to walk by them on her way to the door. She looked more composed, though the traces of tears were there if you looked for them. "Are you OK, Ginny?" asked Hermione, as Ginny passed them.
"I'm fine," Ginny said, her face stiffening. She looked quickly away from Hermione and caught sight of the Truth-Teller on the table. "Oh, what's that?"
"Good, isn't it?" said Ron. "Sirius just sent it to Harry. It's a Truth-Teller."
"A what?" Ginny asked, looking puzzled.
"A Truth-Teller," Harry explained. "If someone holds it in their hand, they have to tell the truth. You can't lie when you're holding it."
To Harry's surprise, Ginny reacted with horror to his words. She backed away from the table immediately, her eyes wide with what looked like panic. "I - I've got to go," she gasped, and headed for the door, almost running. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who were looking as surprised as he felt.
"What's the matter with her?" asked Ron.
"Perhaps I should try to talk to her again later - or you should, Ron," said Hermione worriedly.
"I hope it's nothing serious," said Harry. "I mean, I hope she's not feeling ill or anything. We need her in the team for the Quidditch final."
This made Hermione cross. "Honestly, Harry, can't you think a bit less about Quidditch and a bit more about people's feelings? Ginny might be really upset about something." She got up and stalked away to tell some first-years to stop arguing and line up quietly.
Harry looked at Ron. Ron looked at Harry. Ron shrugged. "Women."
Harry hurried upstairs before their first lesson of the day to put the Truth-Teller safely away in his dormitory. It was a nice present for Sirius to have sent him, he reflected, but would it really be of much use to him? Picking up his notes for Transfiguration, he forgot about the unexpected gift for the time being, but he might not have done if he had realised how important a part it was going to play in the events of the next two weeks.
End of Part 2.