005SF
Chapter Five

Someone Familiar

Harry slept for several hours. Mrs. Weasley watched over him like a hawk, and barely let even York enter the living room. Harry was in a dream-like state on the couch, tossing and turning slightly. His scar was a flaming white on his forehead and looked as if it was about to burn the skin around it.

"Please, Mrs. Weasley, I know how to help Harry," York said putting her hand on Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. But she refused her help.

"You've done enough, dear," she said looking up at her, "Harry could have been killed and you saved my family....." Mrs. Weasley was over come with emotion and hugged York tightly.

"That's all right. I shouldn't be thanked; I let them get to close to Harry, I will be punished by my superiors in the long run," York explained, excepting Mrs. Weasley's hug and waiting patiently for her chance to escape, "And besides, if it weren't for Harry and me you wouldn't have been put into danger in the first place, so there is no need to thank me."

Mrs. Weasley let her go and smiled while happy tears ran down her face. York had a large puncture bite on her shoulder that was seeping through the bandages. Voldemort wasn't going to give up trying to kill him. Nagini was sent to retrieve him, Harry's scar had reacted to the presents of the evil force, but before she had a chance to take him away a rooster crowed from outside Ron's window. Nagini crumpled into a fetal little ball and was destroyed.

A small, whimpered yelp from Harry broke caused Mrs. Weasley to jump, she wiped his forehead with a cool cloth.

"Mrs. Weasley, if you could leave the room a moment I know I'll be able to help Harry," York whispered in Mrs. Weasley's ear. Slowly with York's encouragement that Harry would be just fine, Mrs. Weasley left the living room.

"Is Harry all right?" Ron asked immediately, after his mother had closed the living room doors. Ginny stood next to him. She looked like she had been crying, and stared at her mother with unrestricted attention.

"He's still the same, tossing and turning the poor boy," Mrs. Weasley explained. Ron sighed and Ginny had to wipe several more tears from her eyes. Fred and George were leaning up against the wall, muttering to each other occasionally.

Back in the living room, York watched as Mrs. Weasley left and listened for any other voices nearby; there were none. She turned towards Harry and closed her eyes, and lifted her left hand into the air, nearly instantly a long silver feather formed in her hand. She dropped it quickly from above Harry's head and it landed nearly perfectly on his forehead. Without a moment of hesitation York picked up Harry's still trembling body and held him in her arms, "I'm sorry my dear boy, I hope this will help."

A silver tear fell from her right eye and landed on top of the feather. Harry's skin cooled and he grew silent in a peaceful sleep.

"I do hope you forgive me," York said placing Harry back on the couch, "For taking away all of your dreams." York smiled and turned to leave the room, but as she did the door shut quickly and footsteps ran up the Weasley's stairs.

Ron had heard and seen the whole thing, grabbing Ginny's arm he yanked her upstairs towards his room, although he didn't say anything outloud inside he was terrified.

"How did she do that?" Ron asked himself, once he got into his safe haven of a room, "She just made that feather appear in her hand!"

"What did you do that for?" Ginny asked, trying to gank her arm free.

"Did you see her?" Ron asked grabbing Ginny's shoulders with his hands. Ginny looked up at him, frightened for a moment and shook her head, no.

He sighed and grabbed some parchment out of his trunk, "I have to get a letter out quickly," Ron thought to himself taking a quill and some ink, "But who would believe me?"

"Someone smart," he said to himself, "Someone who knows Harry personally." Ron quickly decided to write to Hermione.

Dear Hermione,
I don't have a lot of time to explain, but Harry is here and he might be in trouble. This woman sent a letter to his aunt and uncle agreeing to take care of him until he left for school. But Harry didn't hear about her from anyone at Hogwarts or the Ministry. A follower of You-Know-Who came to my house and nearly killed my mum! We're safe for the moment, but I saw this girl make a feather appear in her hand out of nowhere.
Please write soon.
-Ron

Forcefully grabbing Pig out of his cage, and with little complaints from Ginny about being gentle, Ron strapped the message to his owl's leg and tossed him out the broken window. He sighed a sigh of relief and sat down on his bed.

"Harry will be OK, Ginny, you don't have to be upset," Ron said. Ginny smiled weakly and sat down next to him.

"I know he'll be fine," Ginny said boosting her confidence.

Footsteps from down the hall averted Ron's gaze. Percy came banging into Ron's bedroom, puffed up with anger and a sense of nobility.

"What was all that racket?" he questioned putting his hands on his hips.

"You moron, someone nearly tried to kidnap Harry!" Ron spat out, angry that Percy hadn't even noticed that he family was nearly killed.

"What? Harry's here?" Percy questioned, "And someone tried to kidnap him?"

Ron and Ginny nodded simultaneously and Percy gasped in shock.

"I didn't even notice!" Percy mumbled to himself, darting out of the room and hurrying down the stairs.

"He's been so busy lately he's probably forgotten to eat," Ginny said, with a laugh, even though she was rather worried for her older brother. Ron laughed silently and looked down at her.

"He'll be just fine," Ron reassured her.

His bedroom door creaked and Ron nearly jumped to his feet. York stood there leaning over the door frame. Ron clenched a protective gasp on Ginny's shoulder and watched her carefully as she entered.

Her footsteps were slow and Ron was growing tenser as she walked closer. She paused when she reached them, and kneeled on the floor in front of Ginny.

"Here, take this, Ginny," York opened her hand to reveal a small silver pin in the shape of a feather.

Ron glared at her as Ginny took the pin out of her hand, and pinned it onto her shirt.

"Thank you," Ginny said, looking down on it. Without hesitation Ginny leapt forward and hugged York tightly.

"Thank you for helping Harry," Ginny whispered in her ear. Ron began to grow furious. Once York released Ginny, Ron pulled her back towards the bed. York looked up at him and saw the anger in his eyes. She paused and moved back several inches. Ron still shot daggers at her, and she caught the message.

"I see," she said quietly, getting to her feet and turning to leave.

"Wait," Ginny yelled, running towards her, "Please, stay awhile. Will you?"
Ron looked like he was going to protest, but when York sat back down he didn't bother opening his mouth.

"I'd love to stay longer. Harry's doing well, and he'll be waking up soon," York said, encouraging Ginny to smile. Ron scowled, got up and left silently.

"I don't think he likes me," York said to Ginny, watching Ron exit.

"He's just scared of you," Ginny said, giggling, "I don't see why though; you just saved Harry."

They both seemed to enjoy each others company, and giggled to themselves ever so often at stories of when they were little.

"I remember once, when I was baby-sitting this little boy with one of my friends. We had to feed him lunch right. Well, anyways, I ended up having to wash six different types of baby food out of my hair," York said, remembering one of her favorite times.

Ginny laughed rather loudly at this, and York joined her. They laughed until tears came to their eyes.

"I really miss that friend," York said sighing, as she went into a dreamy state and looked down at her ring.

"What was that friend like?" Ginny asked, while York was staring off into space.

"Well if you'd like to hear," York said taking her ring off her finger, "He was extremely smart, head boy when we were both in school, and I used to compete with him in everything. The only thing were weren't equal at was Quiditch; he always seemed to beat me, and I envied him for it so much! I did beat him, once, though in a fair match, one of his friends released the snitch, and we were blind- folded until it was out of sight. Then we took off. The match lasted a long time."

Ginny seemed to be listening with a great interest, so York continued, "It was rather funny actually, I saw the Snitch for a second and drove towards it, without realizing it, it had flown up my sleeve and a put it in my mouth so I could land safety."

There was a pause then they both burst into laughter, footsteps headed upstairs and Ron appeared in the door frame.

"If you're finished talking, Harry's waking up," Ron said rather coldly, staring at them as they stood up to follow.

"Whatever happened to your friend?" Ginny asked as they walked down the stairs.

"I was getting to that part. You see, he gave me this ring and I still wear it all the time," York said smiling. Tears flooded her eyes a moment later and she had to wipe them away quickly.

"What's wrong?" Ginny questioned, noticing her tears. York put her ring on her finger as they climbed down the stairs.

"It's nothing really," York said, looking down at her finger, "I just miss him a lot, that's all."

"Were you going marry him?" Ginny asked as they entered the living room. York blushed and ignored her.

"Glad you see you're awake, Harry," she said, changing the subject. Ginny ran towards him and hugged him, much to his surprise.

"I hope you get better," Ginny said forgetting her previous question. Harry looked rather weak but still stood up as straight as he could, his hair was, as usual, untidy and he was soaked in sweat.

"Harry be careful now," Mrs. Weasley said acting like his own mother, "If you're still weak sit down. Oh, that reminds me," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching into her apron pocket. She pulled out 5 letters three in brownish parchment two is teal parchment each had emerald green lettering, "Your school letters have arrived, and we can all go to Diagon Alley the week before schools starts. I'm going to make some more dinner, it'll be done in about twenty minutes."

Mrs. Weasley passed out of letter to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, then paused and looked at the address of the teal envelopes before handed them both to York, then she dashed out of the room and into the kitchen.

"You're going to school to York?" Ginny asked reading her own Hogwarts letter.

"You bet! I have to watch over Harry as much as I can, and even if Dumbledore is there, there are possibilities of things happening outside so you'll see me there even often," York explained unfolding one of her letters.

Harry didn't bothering opening his letter. He'd just get what he needed like every other year, "Let's go upstairs," Harry said, hoping to get off the settee. No one objected as they exited the living room. Ron shot a glare at York she followed them into his room.

"Can I borrow a piece of parchment to send a letter to Snuffles? He ought to know about...." Harry asked motioning towards York Ron nodded. He didn't know whether he should tell York about Sirius or not, since she was protecting him.

York didn't seem to be paying attention, so Harry could write without having to worry about her reading it.

Dear Sirius,
Something very strange has happened. A woman sent a message to my aunt and uncle, and she said that she would take care of me without a fee of any kind. She's a witch, so I'm not living with the Muggles anymore. She seems to be powerful. She saved my life today from Nagini, Voldemort's snake. So I'm sure she can be trusted.
But I haven't heard about her from anyone before she came. I don't know where she's come from, and my aunt and uncle aren't likely to take me back. I'll tell you if anything happens while she's here. Please don't worry about me. I'm at the Weasley's for the meantime, but she mentioned a safe house where she was planning on taking me. I'll keep you informed.
Please don't be upset
-Harry

Ron read his message over his shoulder and nodded with improvement.

"She's not to be trusted I think," Ron whispered in Harry's ear glancing at York who was staring at Ron's Chudley Cannons posters on the walls.

"But she saved me today, and she saved you too," Harry insisted looking back up at him. York had gotten the rooster to crow outside of Ron's window killing Nagini.

"I suppose so," Ron said giving her another glance, "There's just something about her that I don't like. She made a feather appear out of thin air."

"A feather?" Harry questioned, extremely curious. He remembered the feather he found in his bedroom at his old house. Harry got up from the floor which he'd been writing his letter on, went over to his trunk and pulled out the long silver feather, "Did it look like this?"

"Yeah! Where did you get that?" Ron questioned, turning to make sure that York wasn't listening.

"It was in my bedroom the morning she showed up," Harry said, gesturing in York's direction. She was staring out of Ron's broken window. This gave Ron even more reason not to trust York.

York suddenly made a noise which sounded like an owl call, and Hedwig flew immediately through the broken window and onto her wrist.

"Here, if you're finished with your letter," York said, holding Hedwig on her hand. She stepped towards them and lowered Hedwig to their level, smiling with her bright green eyes. Harry gasped as he looked at her eyes. They looked a lot like his, bright and shining, same shape, relatively same size.

He froze for a moment as Hedwig hooted quietly on York's hand. Slowly, he lifted his hand, and his snowy white owl hopped onto it. With another smile York turned and headed for the door, "I'll be unpacking in Ginny's room, hope you don't mind Ron," with a wave she exited.

Ron scowled at her as she left, and Harry remained slightly frozen.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron questioned, once Harry had completely gone off on a cloud.

"It's nothing," Harry confirmed to himself and to Ron, "I just thought she looked like someone I knew."