Chapter 7

Slowly three weeks already passed for Anna, the snow begun to lift from Hogwarts and the sun was in her view more and more commonly.

Severus became ever grateful for the sun; it seemed to give the girl a boost. At times when she had been down she had often had to take pepper up potion to keep her afloat sometimes.

Mostly though she seemed to be happier and happier.

Ever did she bloom under the wing of her father who had caught her up with her work quickly. He knew the child in her heart was still and would ever grieve for Jane but at the same time Annabelle had to go on and she knew that.

She had also made better friends with the Gryffindors and she spent less and less time with her god brother as she had friends of her own now.

She had found an especially good friend in the girl named Hermione granger.

Because of all the work she had had to do to catch up Anna and her had bonded well in the library and her and Hermione were best 'girl' friends as appose to Harry and Ron who were also getting more used to the presences of the potions masters daughter.

But sometimes she didn't know why but Annabelle got the feeling they were hiding something from her. She didn't know what it was but it was the way when she went in to the room and they fell silent sometimes like they didn't want her to know what had been going on but, maybe she was just being a fool.

But she had caught some of the conversations, sometimes but the day of the twenty eight of January was a definite turning point.

She had heard a bit of what they were saying again. The philosopher's stone, what ever that was. So she went to her easiest resource. Her father.

"Puss I do not know where you heard about the stone but I can not stress enough how important it is that you keep the fact you even know there is something called that exists."

"But why dad, what's the big secret?" She asked him.

"Don't push me girl," he said to her.

Sighing she knew her father wouldn't take any more.

"Fine," she said to him. She'd just go to the library.

"Don't speak too me that way Annabelle," he said to her.

Sighing, she nodded. "Sorry dad."

Going off to do her own research was easier than she thought.

Though it took her four hours hard study in the library. She got the answer she had foriganally4 been looking for.

The Philosophers stone was the elixir of life. If you had one, you would never die.

That of course bought the question to her mind, what did Harry, Ron and Hermione want it and why was her father being so caged up over the entire thing.

Confusion took her but she decided to stay in on case if nothing else it was a good distraction from thinking about Jane.

Her nights had been getting harder, if she wasn't dreaming about the night of the fire she has dreams that her mother was alive just to wake to fin d she wasn't.

In attempt to find a little peace she headed down to the lake once again where she found her lone god brother.

"you don't know any thing about the philosopher's stone do you?" she asked.

"What the hell," said Draco.

"I'll take that as a no," she said to him dryly reminding him of his dear old godfather strongly. "How are you?" she asked.

He just shrugged "Alright I guess." he said. "You?"

"A bit tired," she admitted to him. "But good otherwise," she said giving him a smile.

"I'm glad," he admitted to her equally. "You had been so down over Christmas," he said.

Smiling, she nodded, "Thank you."

"Good to see you feeling so together again," he said. "Do you want to go and get a snack from the kitchens?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded. It was good having so much time with him; she hadn't had the chanced to see him so much before ever.

"come on then." he said putting arm round her and leading her on to the kitchen.

The ret s of that day after the snack was spent in the library researching however it proved to no avail. She was missing pieces of the puzzle and with out these bits of information she had no idea what the st9onne was.

So until she did it was back to the library.

Until she did find out was it was all she could do was wait.

However in the passing weeks she looked for clues all over her father.

Quirrell and her fathers strange behavior around him was a cause for her to ponder as well. The defense professor seemed to get thinner and paler all the time. The other three what ever mission they were on they had to go to the third floor forbidden corridor a lot. This was all fishy. Almost too much so for there friends liking.

As well as all of this Hermione was already badgering her and the two boys in to revising.

"Between you and her father the girls going to have no life at all, "Ron had told her at the time in which he had got a grateful smile from Annabelle.

With out what seemed tows days passed they had reached the Easter holidays not that it felt like home work with all the home work the teachers had put on them.

The four some decided to hit the library for some help where they found a friend who they wouldn't expect to see in there.

"Hey Hagrid!" the half giant heard Annabelle say to him. "What you up too."

"Jus lookin." he told them. "And what're you lot up ter? Year not still looking for Information on Nicholas Flamel?"

The three of them looked guilty at Annabelle.

"No," said Ron quickly. Too quickly.

"Good," he said and went off but the foursome couldn't help but wondered what he had been clearly hiding behind his back.

"I'm going to go and see what section he had been in," said Ron and went off but soon returned to the group.

"Dragons," he said. "Hagrid has been looking up dragons."

"What would here want to know about them for?" asked Hermione.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know but he told me the very first time I met him he wanted a dragon." He told the group.

"The question is: what's he up to now?" said Hermione.

Anna shook he r head. "Not a clue."