Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, as it belongs to J.K. Rowling. I also do not own the concept of the Abhorsen, Mogget, Clayr, the Charter or anything related to them, as they belong to Garth Nix.

Chapter Three

About three weeks into school Harry still hadn't found anything. One night, as Harry searched up and down the aisles of the ristricted section for anything that had the tiniest connection to the Abhorsen, something caught his eye. It was a silver book marked up and down the spine with something that resembled ancient runes. He instinctively grabbed it, opened it, and thumbed throught it, only to stop on a page marked as a chapter on "Warriors Against Death."

"The Abhorsen, Clayr, and Charter," Harry whispered, placed it down on a nearby table, and searched for more books.

Harry now had key words to look for besides Abhorsen. After searching for hours, he found only three more books and, barely containing his excitement, he sat down to read them. He read the few chapters in the books very slowly so he wouldn't miss anything important.

He reread the chapters twice more before placing them back on their respective shelves. When he left the library, it was quite late. No one would stop him though, him being a Prefect made sure of that.

As he climbed the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, his mind buzzed with all the information he now knew. He slunked into a chair in the common room with a sigh of contemplation. As Harry sat, think about what he was, he realized that it explained how he had survived the killing curse. He had read that Abhorsens weren't allowed to die until there was another fully-trained one to replace them. Harry shot up, that meant his mother was still alive.

Suddenly he heard a noise and he sprung into action by taking his wand out of his pocket. He thought it was a student since he had gone into the regular common room and not the Prefects' common room. A small shape ran by him, making him jump, but suddenly that same shape came up to his seat. It was purring and Harry immediately recognized Hermione's pet cat, Crookshanks.

"Wait a moment," Harry suddenly exclaimed, as it had jumped into his lap, and got a better look at the cat, "You have Charter marks on your color and a miniature Ranna. You're not a regular cat, your Mogget."

"Very good," the Free-magic creature that resembled a cat replied, "But I do say that it took you long enough Abhorsen."

"I just found out who and what I am," Harry replied, "Will the last Abhorsen be the one to train me?"

Mogget purred as it thought for a second.

"Yes, then she will pass on through the nine gates to rest with the Abhorsen from beyond her time and with her love. You on the other hand, cannot die until someone of your blood is a fully-trained Abhorsen."

"You mean that once she trains me, my mother will die?!" Harry cried out, shocked and partially sickened.

"Shh!" Mogget hissed, "Yes, as it has been for centuries. She will pass on after you are trained."

"It's not fair!" Harry exclaimed softly, "To find out that, after all these years, she's alive, only to loose her once I finally get her back."

"Listen Abhorsen," Mogget started calmly, "Why don't you get some sleep? We'll pick back up on our conversation tomorrow night."

Harry numbly nodded and watched the cat jump from his lap. He watched it go up the stairs and knew it was headed for Hermione's bed. Harry followed, only he took a left and went into the sixth-year boys' dorm. Harry never noticed a certain shadow standing in the corner, watching him with hurt chocolate brown eyes.
~~~~~~~~~

Harry went to slip into bed, but tripped over something and landed with a loud thud. Ron, woke up and sat up in bed, groggily looking around.

"Harry-wha-Why are you up? Why ya on the floor?"

"I fell out of bed, Ron, just fell out of bed," Harry replied.

"Okay," Ron replied and instantly went back to sleep.

Harry was glad that Ron was too sleepy to notice that he was wearing his robes, shoes, and glasses.
~~~~~~~~~

The next morning found Harry waking alone, even Ron was already gone. Harry eyed his clock and saw that he had exactly thirty minutes before Breakfast ended and first period began. He quickly dressed and ran down the flights of stairs and into the Great Hall. He silently slid onto the bench, right next to Hermione and across from Ron.

Hermione saw him out of the corner of her eye, humphed, and went back to eating. Harry scratched his head in confusement and Ron shrugged before continuing eating his food. Harry was unaware that Dumbledore watched his every move. Harry ate breakfast rather quickly after getting a summons to Dumbledore's office.

Hermione watched him go, confused. She wanted to know what was going on. Why was Felicia always around if she wasn't a teacher? Who was Harry talking to last night and why did they call him Abhorsen? What was the Abhorsen? Lastly, she wanted to know what the mark on Felicia, Harry, and Dumbledore's forheads were.
~~~~~~~~~

After the meeting over his progress in finding out about the Abhorsen, which he had lied about, Harry wandered the hall. He pondered as to why Hermione was mad. Then it hit him as hard as if he'd walked into a brick wall. In all his excitement, he had forgotten to tell her and Ron.

He mentally kicked himself and ran towards Transfiguration. He went through the class, trying to concentrate. Today they were reviewing transfiguring frogs into a bouncing ball and back.

Ron was amused to see Neville chasing his hopping frog with his wand. Hermione was turning hers back and forth in sync with each hop/bounce. Harry was anxious to tell Hermione and Ron and ended up turning his frog into a bouncing frog ball. Finally the day flew by and Harry managed to catch the two, just the two of them, in the common room after dinner.

"Moine, Ron, I need to tell you something that I've been meaning to tell you for three weeks now," Harry started, "No one else can know about it, but I'm the Abhorsen."

"Abhorsen?" Ron repeated, "What's that?"

"It's a person who is sort of like a Necromander. Except, instead of raising the dead, the Abhorsen sends the raised dead back to sleep. Once trained the Abhorsen can walk in death unharmed. The Abhorsen carries a sword and seven bells forged by the Wallmaker.

"When they are born, a Charter mark is drawn upon their forheads. If it glows, the Charter accepts the child, and the child will usually have Charter magic. One other thing, the Abhorsen cannot die until there is another fully-trained one to take their place. My mother was the Abhorsen before me, as my grandfather before her, and on up to the lines of King Touchstone and The Queen and Abhorsen Sabriel."

Hermione's eyes were huge by the time Harry had finished. She had read about King Touchstone and Queen Sabriel. The remembered parts came back to her in a flood. If Harry was what he said he was that would explain how he survived the killing curse. It also meant that Harry's mom was alive.

"Woah," Ron yelped.

"Yeah."

"Um Harry?" Hermione suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Harry replied softly.

"Who were you talking to last night?"

"You overheard?"

"Yes, but I only heard voices, not actual words."

"I knew I forgot to mention something," Harry muttered, "Where's your cat?"

"Crookshanks?"

"Yeah."

"Up-" Hermione was cut off as the cat leapt onto Harry's lap out of nowhere, "Right here."

"Mogget, what brings you to our conversation?" Harry asked the cat.

Hermione and Ron stared at him as if he were crazy.

"I was awaiting the talk we were to have tonight. But it seems that you brought these two into it."

Hermione and Ron looked around for the source of the voice, only to lay eyes on the cat.

"Y-You're not Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh but I am," the cat replied, "And at the same time I am Mogget."

"You see, Mogget has been the helper and servant of the Abhorsen."

And the small group talked far into the night, not noticing a cloaked figure walk up to the entrance of Hogwarts. Dumbledore greeted it and let the figure, a woman, inside the large castle. As she passed a torch, in the hall just inside the door, a flash of light is reflected from emerald green eyes.