Harry Potter and the Emerald Raindrop

AkashaWinters

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter world. JK Rowling owns the Harry Potterverse anyone who doesn't know that should be exiled to Mars, I make exceptions only for poor penniless people in remote corners of third world countries, who cannot read and don't have the money to buy the overly priced one – thousand paged books. I make no money from my poor attempt at fanfiction. A necklace of raindrops was written by Joan Aiken, I do not own any of the rights etc.

AN: I'm putting the rating up to M; this is for future chapters and also for some things that are mentioned e.g. mention of rape etc. Just to be on the safe side.

Chapter 15

Questions Answered

Harry woke to the sounds of voices. He was laying in fairly hard bed, with soft clean sheets, a bed he knew far too well. Cracking open one eye confirmed Harry's Suspicions. Great! Lessons hadn't even started yet and he was already in the hospital wing. The voices were coming from the far side of the hospital wing, it sounded like Madam Pomfrey and Snape, discussing potions no doubt. Harry opened his eyes fully and quickly slipped out of bed, he was still wearing his riding clothes, although his boots and chaps had been removed and his shirt undone. Buttoning it up he wandered over to the cornered off bed further down the wing, pulling back the curtain he peered inside. Old Grandma Thyme lay asleep in the bed. She looked very pale and her breathing came difficultly. As he approached her eyes flicked open and bight emerald met pale blue.

"Hello Harry", she wheezed coughing slightly. Harry slipped into the chair next to her. "I've been thinking about that dream of yours."

Harry nodded, "the one about the flying tigers came true. It was just like I dreamed."

"Hmmm, I suspected as much." Grandma Thyme replied thoughtfully "But my dear, I was referring to your other dream, the one about the voices in the mist."

"I hadthat oneagain last night, the same dream as last time", Harry added sitting forward on his chair.

"Yes, my dear. I remember something, an old folk lore about a young girl named Laura, I think she may be relevant to your dream." Grandma Thyme replied and a twinkle very much like Dumbledore's entered her eyes.

"You think she's the girl from the dream?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Hmmm. I think she may have a very important message for you, but we will not talk anymore now." Grandma Thyme replied quietly.

Madam Promfrey burst through the curtains, Snape only one pace behind her. "Mr. Potter, I have not cleared you to be out of your bed yet and I do not want you tiring Mrs.Thyme out, she is extremely unwell!"

"Ah, Poppy. Leave the boy be, he was merely asking after my welfare, but you best be off now I think Harry." Grandma Thyme spoke strongly, though the sudden strength in her voice did not fool him. "I was wondering my dear boy," She added as Harry turned to leave, "If you have the time, I would very much like to see my granddaughter quickly this evening".

Harry nodded, the sad look in her eyes unnerved him, he would make sure he had time to take Megan to see Grandma Thyme before the funeral this evening he decided.

Potter had been asleep for several hours now, Madam Promfrey had assured him that the boy would unfortunately live, not only that but he had not sustained any damage from his incident; he was merely drained of energy. Madam Promfrey abruptly finished there conversation and made he was towards Potter's bed and huffed as she found it empty.

"Hasn't even been here a day!" She muttered, before making her way over to a bed correctly taken by one of the gypsies; an old lady. She was very ill and he was surprised she hadn't already snuffed it. Peering over the mediwitch's shouldered. Severus watched the proceedings with silent contemplation.

Potter was thoroughly checked and the pronounced well and the boy began pulling on his leather boots. "Mr. Potter, the Headmaster requests that you join him in his office, now that you have finished making a scene." Snape sneered, looking down at the boy who was now zipping up a leather chap. He quickly pulled his eyes away when he registered just how well his riding trousers hugged his lower body. Potter straightened up and gazed back calmly. Waiting for Severus to make the first move. He sneered again for good measure and the swept out of the hospital wing, black robes billowed out behind him, leaving the insurable brat to catch up.

"Tea?" Dumbledore asked sincerely. Harry shock his head in annoyance, he really hoped this wouldn't take too long. There was nothing he wanted to share with the headmaster, his head of house or the greasy git in the corner. He had much better things he could be doing like taking Megan to see her Grandma, or helping prepare for the funeral this evening. On the other hand, they may be able to provide him with some useful information or maybe even give him something to use against them (when had he become so Slytherin?) and this would be the perfect chance for a little Snape batting.

"Perhaps a Lemon Drop?" The old coot asked in the same sincere voice, you'd think the lemon drop was the most important thing in the world. Harry sighed.

"I believe you asked me here to discuss my little magic display in the great hall this morning, Sir." Harry stated, ignoring the offer of a lemon drop, he was sure they had an illegal form of calming potion in them anyway. "How is Malfoy by the way?"

The headmaster sighed and set down the bowl of lemon drops. "Quite unscathed."

"What a pity."

"Potter! You are already looking at a months worth of detention for releasing dangerous magic outside a classroom, another cocky comment and it'll be six months!" Snape yelled, his face extremely pale.

"I take it you didn't like Jacob's artistic flare? I thought his alterations made you look quite fetching, Sir." Harry smirked openly.

Snape snarled and lunged for Harry. "That's enough both of you!"

They both sat down scowling at Dumbledore's order. "Now Harry I think we should start from the beginning. Your Uncle and Aunt took a trip to South Manor in Scotland for a week, is that right?" Harry nodded not looking up. "Now tell me about how you met with Oldmoore Gypsies and what happen."

So Harry explained how he had met Jacob and then the rest of the group and over his stay at the Manor had got to know the group well and had agreed to travel with them to Scotland. He told them about the journey and the attack from the Death Eaters as they arrived at Hogwarts. He left out the magic he had been taught and the dreams he had had as well as his conversations with Old Grandma Thyme.

Dumbledore looked at him carefully, his blue eyes drilling into Harry, he looked straight back challengingly. "And how did you come into procession of the Wizard's Underground?"

"Jacob gave it to me, his Uncle, Gavin, subscribes to it. Is it true, Sir?" He glanced at Snape, who was seething, remembering the article about his parent's death's and the suspicions surrounding Snape. Snape seemed to pull himself together and looked at Harry carefully before answering.

"My mother did indeed commit suicide, probably because she was fed up with my father beating her and my father did die shortly after, but that was because he spoilt a young prize meant for the Dark Lord who took it as an insult." He replied slowly.

"A young prize?" Harry inquired; he was surprised that Snape was speaking so openly.

"A young muggleborn boy who had been forced to watch his family die; a popular weekend entertainment for the Death Eater. The Dark Lord of course, gets first pick of the spoils." Snape sneered. Harry cringed at the horrific image.

"If that's true then why did the newspaper suggest that evidence was found against you?" Harry asked surprised.

"Because the press will always seek to disrepute any with even the slightest smudge on their record, as I'm sure you must know." Snape sneered once more.

"Now Harry," Dumbledore said interrupting his train of thought. "From you 'little scene' earlier, I would take an educated guess and say that you have been learning some elemental magic from are Oldmoore friends, am I right?" Harry nodded, by way of reply.

McGonagall sat forward in surprise. "But elemental magic is extremely difficult and not compatible with a wizards magic!"

"Ah yes Minerva, but since when has our Harry been normal." He replied with a twinkle. Harry scowled, as much for being called 'their Harry' as for being called 'not normal'. "Now Harry I think its about time you showed us what you can do, something a little less explosive than this morning, perhaps?"

Harry scowled again but sat forward and stuck out his hand, he breathed slowly and shut his ignoring the three pairs of eyes boring into him. He imagined a rose in his palm and a lightweight appeared there, the he imagined it opening then its leaves falling to the floor. He let his hand fall and imagined the petals on the floor lifting in a light breeze and scattering about the room then as they rouse into the air bursting into flame. Harry opened his eyes to see the three teachers sat entranced, Snape recovered first.

"And water?" He prompted.

Harry nodded and returned his gaze to the floor. A puddle appeared there the rose slightly and pulled itself together into the shape of a rose that froze in that position. Finally for a finale Harry lifted his hand and aimed at the rose and let out a bolt of lightning that stuck the rose and shattered it into a hundred pieces, leaving them to melt on the floor.

A loud clapping brought Harry back from his trance. "Very good Harry, very good indeed." Dumbledore said, smiling broadly. "I am most impressed. While I know of several wizards through the ages who have been able to wield the magic of gypsies, I only know of one, other than yourself, who learnt to wield it so advancely in scarcely two weeks. It has been speculated that he too held one of your rare traits." He replied with a twinkle.

Harry frowned confused, while Professor McGonagall snorted. "Honestly Albus, you don't really believe Sprout do you?" Dumbledore simply smiled.

"You mean Voldermort?" Harry asked confused.

It was Snape's turn to snort. "I do not believe the headmaster was referring to you ability to speak Parseltongue, Potter. The man in question is the Great Wizard Merlin and I believe the trait in question was the one brought to our attention this morning by Miss Granger's ever-quiet voice." Snape smirked evilly as Harry felt his face beginning to flush, then ran his eyes over Harry's body suggestively, making Harry turn a shade similar to that of a beetroot.

"This does bring us to the question of what exactly happened this morning." Dumbledore interrupted. "I thought you had learnt to keep better control over emotions and magic Harry, what did Malfoy say?"

Harry scowled again, sitting back in chair. "Nothing, just a snide remark. I was upset about the attack" He replied, it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either and he had no intention of telling Dumbledore what had really upset him.

"Now Harry, I know that was very upsetting seeing people you got to know so well die at the hands of the Death Eaters. But you have had good training in keeping your emotions and magic under check. Do you need more training; have you forgotten it all over summer? Or was there something more that triggered you outburst this morning?" Dumbledore asked carefully his eyes gazing right into Harry sole. Harry wrenched his eyes away; Dumbledore was not going to use legimency on him!

"There is nothing." He replied in a bored tone.

Dumbledore sat back with a sigh defeated, "In that case I would like you to continue your training with professor Snape on a night convenient for you both. You will be continuing with occlumency as well as homing your knew magic and learning to control your emotions." Dumbledore looked up at Harry once more. "I want you to work hard this year Harry, I believe the final war is not far off and you will need as much knowledge and power as possible to help you. Remember Harry; if you should ever feel the need to talk my door is open to you, as is Professor's McGonagall's and Snape's." Dumbledore signalled that Harry could leave and waited in silence as Harry closed the door and fled the castle.

The meeting turned to other topics such as Quidditch training and Halloween as Harry returned to the Gypsy's camp. Snape watched out the office window as a figure rode back towards the castle on a black horse. He knew it was Potter. He had watched from a window as the man had ridden the horse the horse around the grounds as the light was just coming over the horizon, he seemed to enjoy riding so much and they made a magnificent pair. He was sure as soon as the man was spotted on the horse by the other students half the school would be in love with him and he was sure it wouldn't just be the girls. Much to Potter's delight, no doubt.

As horse and rider came nearer Severus noted that a second person was sitting in front of Harry, a small person with blonde hair. An admirer already, Snape smirked, he would take great joy from teasing Potter this year. He watched as Harry jumped down carefully lifting a small blonde girl from the horses back, she must be the old lady's grandchild, Severus thought as the pair disappeared into the castle. This year was going to be an interesting one, Severus through smiling. Yes, very interesting.

Chapter 16…. Silent Night. A sad chapter. The funeral etc, then onto the beginning of lessons.

For those of you who are interested, I've done two fanart drawing to go with my fic. One is currently being up loaded to the detention Severus/Harry slash website (Google it) under my penname. If its not up loaded yet, you can't find it or you'd like to see them both, then say so with in a review and leave an e-mail address or a way of contact and I'll send them to you!

Special Thanks go to:

Hailmags

dancing monkey

Never Odd Or even

Glad you're enjoying the fic! And….

mateja007

Susan Potter

Nemi Jade

Again! Thanx, you three are the best!