Chapter 5

The Painting

Hermione was telling Harry to let go of the ring all day, and not to keep it, no matter how many times Harry told her, she still doesn't understand that he can't take the ring off. "How am I supposed to know that it would glue to my finger?" he said, defensively. "You should have known better Harry, you should have checked it before wearing it" she would always say in response. "I told you…" Harry said to her, "I'll study the ring very well tonight, so don't push it any more".

Now, it was ten o'clock in the evening, and Harry and the others were eating dinner. Harry wanted to start his study right now, but the problem is that Mrs. Weasley would think that there's something wrong, because it would be the third time that Harry would want to leave dinner. "Is there something wrong Harry?" Hermione asked, in the past few hours, she's been trying to make Harry speak to Mr. Weasley about the ring. "No… Hermione, I fine thank you" he answered, looking angrily at her; she frowned and went back to her food. Ron looked at Harry and pointed his head towards the stairs, Harry nodded. This was the sign to go upstairs. He got up from the table and headed quickly towards the stairs, and went to Ron's room. It was dark in there; Harry opened the lamp in its lowest amount. He sat down and looked at his ring. "I'm going to get you…I'll work you out…I will" he told the ring, nodding. He began to think quietly. "You have a snake on top of you…how can you help?" he asked, looking at the snake closely. He spent the next hour pondering, how could a snake help? How could it help to open the ring? He was beginning to get bored, when it hit him. He sat up straight, his eyes wide open. "Wait a minute" he said, looking at the snake, "you are supposed to stay sealed for everyone…except me" he said, "because it's my gift…I should know the password……I should know the way to open you" he said. His heart was racing now, he was so excited. "And who better than me…who is better than me to open you…no one" he looked at the snake hungrily…as though expecting something to happen. Suddenly Harry felt a strong well to speak to the snake…to say something. His mouth opened slightly…and the words came out of it. "Open up" he heard himself say it, but he knew it was said in a different way.

And to his amazement, the snake glowed bright green, the light blinding him, and Harry saw it slithering, and it was forming a full circle around the ring. And as soon as the tail touched the tip of its face, the lid of the ring opened slowly…and slowly. Harry was breathing fast, he couldn't believe it, he did it.

"Who do you think had sent the ring?" Hermione asked Ron. "I don't have any idea" he replied, frowning. He and Hermione were sitting on the table and drinking cold lemon juice, the others finished their dinner and went to their room, the living room was empty. "Do you think Harry should keep the ring?" she asked. "No…and yes…I mean we don't even know what it does…It might be some use for Harry" Ron answered. There was silence…and then they heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and they saw Harry come into view. "Harry" Hermione said, jumping to her foot, Ron stood up, "so?" he asked, looking at Harry. Harry looked stunned…his face was shocked and surprised. "I……I did it" he said, somewhat with difficulty. Ron's mouth fell open; Hermione stood there, her eyes wide. Then Harry came over to them and took some lemon juice too and drank, it made him feel relaxed. "So? Did you...I mean…what was inside?" Hermione said, as she and Ron sat back on the table with Harry. "Well……the lid opened, and there was…as I expected…a picture" he said, "a small painting more like it". "And?" Ron said, the eagerness etched in his face. "It's a girl" Harry said for a start. "A girl?" Ron repeated, "I didn't expect that" he said, Hermione frowned at him, and then said to Harry, "Can we see it?" Harry thought for a moment, and then he hissed something…and the snake moved. "What the…?" Ron said, astonished. Hermione looking at the snake, as it circled the ring and the lid opened. She and Ron leaned forward, as they peered inside the ring. Hermione gasped at the picture, as Ron's mouth fell open again. "This girl looks familiar" she said in a whisper, looking at the picture, her eyes narrowing. The girl inside was beautiful, she had long, black hair, and light brown eyes, there was sadness in her face, and Harry saw that she was wearing a fur coat. "Do you know her Harry?" Hermione asked, looking up at him. "No…I never saw her before" he said, frowning. "What did the note say again?" she asked, "oh…it said that she hopes we'll meet soon" he answered, looking back at the girl. "Wait…how did you open the ring?" Hermione asked. "Will isn't it obvious…a snake?" he said, looking at them both for an answer. "Wait a minute..." said Ron, "you mean…no way…Parseltongue" he said in disbelieve, as Hermione gasped. "You spoke to the snake?" she said, horrified. "Yeah" said Harry, nodding. The three of them sat there in silence, the lemon juice stood aside, forgotten, as they looked at the painting of the girl inside the ring.

After 4 hours of sitting and telling the story again, Harry was fed up, he went upstairs, leaving Ron and Hermione trying to figure out the initials, and entered the room closing the door as he did. He sat on the bed, "I want to know more about you" he hissed to the snake, looking at it, as though expecting an answer, "I think that Hogwarts has many books, and there must be something mentioned in one of them…" no answer came from the snake like before. "but…" he sighed, lying on the bed and continued talking to it, "the school is so far from now, and if only I could go there tomorrow and break into the library, running towards the books" he laughed at the thought, what would Hermione think if she saw him tumbling inside the library and heading to the books, she'll think he'd gone mad…or she'll probably race him to the books. He laughed again at the thought, as he went to sleep.