Chapter 2

The Ring

Later that night Harry sat up in his room talking to Sally.

"Ooh. Harry it'sss cold in here." Harry smiled.

"I like it breezy. But your cold blooded aren't you?" She nodded. Harry went over to his desk and took the chair from it. He took his reading light off his bed and clipped it to the back of the chair. Turning it on he laid Sally down on the chair. "Better?"

"Yesss, thank you."

"So do you hibernate?"

"Yesss, but I don't need to. I won't mate unlesss I hibernate though."

"I think that's a good thing. I'll get you a cage when I get to Diagon Alley."

"Thanks. Can I sssee your broom and wand and ssstuff?"

"Yeah," Harry pulled his trunk out of the corner. It was thank to Sirius that he had his school things in his room this year. The Dursleys were afraid to lock them away. Harry showed her his broom.

"It mussst be amazing to fly," she said looking at the broom. "I've ssseen birdsss do it." her voice sounded almost longing.

"I've got an idea!" Harry grabbed a quill and started a letter.

Dear Ron,

Thanks for the picture. I'd like to come and see you in two days, if that's all right. If it is I'd just stay for the day though. There's somebody I want you to meet. Write me back as soon as possible, I'll need Hedwig to show me the way.

Hope to see you soon,

Harry

Harry gave the letter to Hedwig and she flew out the window. Sally looked at him puzzled.

"What are you all excited about?" she asked.

"I can't tell you. Can you read my emotions without trying?"

"Well if I really don't want to know, I just avoid your eyesss."

Harry showed her his wand, books, and the Marauder's Map. Then, saving the best for last, he dug his most prized possession out of the bottom.

"This was my dad's, an invisibility cloak," Harry told Sally.

"Put it on," she instructed. Harry draped the cloak around his shoulders.

"Wow!" she said as Harry took it off again and spread it out on the floor.

"I think there's a pocket somewhere you can go in," he said as he looked. "Here." Sally crawled in.

"Now I can come with you when you, Ron, and Hermione sssneak around the ssschool," Sally's muffled voice came from inside the pocket. "Wait there'sss sssomething in here." She emerged with a glinting object in her mouth. She dropped it in Harry's outstretched hand.

It was a ring. All gold, except for a small heart shaped ruby embedded in it. Harry studied it for a while, then it dawned on him. Feeling like he was grasping straws, he dug a leather bound book out of his trunk. It was the photo album with pictures of his parents.

He turned to the pictures of their wedding day. One was of his dad slipping a wedding ring on his mum's finger. It had been blown up, so all you could see where their hands. Harry looked at the ring. He was shocked to see his guess had been right, it was all gold with a small red dot. This was his mother's wedding ring.

Harry grasped the ring as though he felt that if he loosened his grip he would lose it. He had never had anything that belonged to his mother. He never had really let himself think about her. 'She died to save your life!' a tiny voice said in his head. 'And you repay her by not thinking about her?'

Harry was overwhelmed guilt and regret all at once. Tears filled his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "Dear God, Harry. What isss it?" Sally spoke up from the bed.

"My mothers wedding ring," he answered, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.

"Then, Harry, why do you feel ssso guilty?"

"Sally, just leave me alone." Harry retorted, looking away. Cutting a piece of leather of an old book cover, he stringed it on his neck and climbed in to bed.

"Goodnight Harry," Sally's voice sounded from the chair. Harry didn't answer, and it was a long time till sleep finally claimed him.

The next day was very slow. Harry made himself not think about what he had found last night, even though it was still on his neck. Instead he busied himself with homework. When he went down for dinner he was greeted as usual, by being ignored. He filled his plate, but before he started eating he let Sally come down off his neck and try the food.

"I'm going away tomorrow," he said to none of them in particular. "I'll be back 'round nine."

"And how do you plan on getting where ever you're going? There better not be any freaks coming near this house!" Uncle Vernon roared.

"Careful Vernon, screaming isn't good for your blood sugar." Uncle Vernon looked ready to explode, but Harry pretended not to notice. "If you must know, even though it's really none of your business, I'm flying by broom."

"But people will see you," Dudley said frowning, trying to comprehend a flying broom.

"No they won't. And that's to bad to, I'm pretty good on a broomstick." Harry took his diner up to his room, leaving confused expressions on the Dursleys' faces.

As Harry ate his dinner in his room Hedwig flew in. Harry took the letter of her leg.

Dear Harry,

Yes! I'll see you soon,

too bad your only staying a day though.

Until tomorrow,

Ron

"We better get some sleep Sal. We need to be up early."

"Why?" she questioned.

"Secret," Harry answered as he set his alarm clock for 4:30 and crawled in to bed.

(A/N: Hey! If you like it I'll post the next two chapters. I have them all written, It's just a matter of typing them. I leave the 30th for New Orleans, and sadly, I don't own a laptop. If you love my story that much, go buy me one and I'll post much faster. Just a note, my penname, Lily Rose Potter, is NOT Harry's mother. You'll probably figure it out in um… chapter 6 I think… I dunno. Trust me it gets much better, I promise.)