Okay, it's been a little while since my last update, but life is a constant bother. Job, finishing up school, graduation, preparing for college, all that crap.

So enough rambling. Here's the next chapter. I did my best to make sense toward the end of this part. I completely made up the bit about the elements and the Wizarding race. I apologize if it is confusing. Please bear with me.

Disclaimer: There is no way in any shape or form that I own Harry Potter. The credit should be given to one J.K. Rowling. The only thing I own is the plot.

- - -

I'm dying, Harry thought hazily . He was vaguely aware of a figure crashing through the trees nearby and his name being called.

Then darkness took over as he collapsed to the ground.

- - -

Fireheart

Chapter 3: Fireheart

- - -

"Is he going to be okay? How long has he been like this?"

"He's going to be all right, Miss Granger. He has been asleep for about twelve hours, but his vitals are all steady."

The voices brought Harry slowly to consciousness. A wave of fatigue washed over him; it seemed as if he had been asleep for only an hour or so. But twelve? He also felt very warm, much more than normal, as if he were running a high fever. What happened? Where was he? Intent on having these questions answered, Harry slowly cracked opened his eyelids.

Bright light pierced his eyes, causing them to water. He groaned out loud and reached up to rub his now aching head. Two blurry figures that were standing near his bed (which he had no recollection of lying down in) spun around to look at him.

"Harry!" one of them squealed before enveloping him in a loose hug. The figure then leaned over toward the nightstand by the bed. His glasses were placed on his face a second later, and Hermione came into focus. She stood back and looked down at him with an almost sad smile, wringing her hands nervously. He opened his mouth to question her current behavior, but he suddenly noticed his surroundings.

Harry was in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was standing at the foot of his bed with a couple of empty potion vials in her hands. She looked at him with a critical eye, as if he were about to suddenly develop some kind of illness, before bustling off. Confusion webbed its way through his foggy mind.

"What's going on?" he asked in a somewhat raspy voice, looking between the departing nurse and Hermione. "Why am I here? What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Hermione asked, now looking a little more worried. "Well...I'm not exactly sure of all the details myself. I think you should ask Ron that question. He was the one that found you."

Found me? Harry thought. He cast a pained look at Hermione, who was looking back at him sympathetically. She then motioned toward something behind her. Harry looked around her and saw Ron dozing in a chair. Hermione walked over and gently shook the redhead's shoulder. His eyelids fluttered open, and he looked up at the girl, his blue eyes bleary.

"Harry's awake," she said quietly, nodding toward said boy. Ron suddenly looked more alert as he saw Harry watching him. The redhead got to his feet, walked over, and kneeled next to the bed.

"How're you doing, mate?" Ron asked. He continued before Harry could answer. Taking in the raven-haired boy's befuddled expression, he asked, "I'm guessing that you don't know what happened?" He received a nod in reply, telling him that his guess was correct. "Well, I'm not sure about most of it myself." Ron then hesitated, thinking how he should go about this. "Do you recall being in the Forbidden Forest for Snape's detention last night?" Harry's face screwed up in intense concentration as he tried to think through the fog in his mind. Then he nodded again. "What about being chased by some kind of creature? Don't ask me what it was, though, because I have no idea myself." Harry strained his mind again. This time images revealed themselves to him. A pair of eyes shining through a bush...Him and Ron running through the trees, trying to get away...

"Was that what --?"

"No, that's not what put you in this condition," Ron interjected. "It was a little after that. While we were still running, we got separated. When I realized this, I doubled back, hoping to catch up with you. Then, after a few minutes of having no luck, I heard you yell. There was then a bright flash of light. It sounded as if you were being attacked. I followed your voice to a small clearing. What I saw was horrifying." He paused for a moment and ran a shaking hand through his hair.

"I thought you were dying. You were surrounded by fire and screaming as loud as your lungs would allow it. Then without warning, you collapsed to the ground and became still, and the fire disappeared. Fearing that we were too far in the forest for Hagrid to see them, I shot sparks into the air. Luckily, though, he came barreling through the trees moments later, and we brought you here. Dumbledore arrived not much later. He asked me to tell him what happened, and then he asked me to tell you that he would like you to see him in his office when you are able to. He left after that."

"Maybe he'll know what's going on," Hermione said, taking a seat at the end of the bed. "If he doesn't, I'm sure he could easily figure it out." Ron nodded at this.

"There is something else as well, though," he said. He pointed to the table next to the bed. "Madam Pomfrey found that clenched in your hand. We don't know why, but she wasn't able to remove it manually. She had to use magic to extract it." Harry sat up slowly and looked over.

Lying on the table next to a glass of water was what looked like a highly polished amber rock. It glittered brightly in the morning sun shining through the window next to the table. Harry reached for it and turned it around, looking at it from different angles. Every so often he would see a glimmer of yellow, orange, a deeper red, or even a shade of blue. Due to the coloration and the odd shape, it looked almost like a lick of flame.

"Why would I have something like this?" Harry asked, confusion evident in his voice. More memories slowly trickled through his mind. He grabbed on to one that seemed as if it would be of some help. "I remember holding some kind of stone, but it was rough and had no shape." A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Could it have changed while whatever it was that had happened?" Why, though? he added to himself.

"Maybe Dumbledore can sort it all out," Hermione offered.

"I hope so," Harry replied with a groan. He fell back onto his pillows with a frustrated sigh. He then suddenly gasped as a flare of pain erupted in his chest.

"Be careful, Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey said suddenly, walking up the ward toward his bed. "Don't overexert yourself." In her hands were the two new vials of potion. She set one down before uncorking the other, which was filled with a pale yellow liquid. It was apparently used to relieve pain; his chest felt better instantly after he drank it, and he no longer felt as achy. The nurse then reached for the other vial, this one containing a sky blue potion. Harry gagged on the contents, not because of the taste but rather the biting coldness of it. She then glanced at her watch, apparently waiting for the amount of time the last potion was meant to take effect. When fifteen seconds elapsed, she placed a hand lightly on his forehead.

"Still no change," Madam Pomfrey said worriedly. "That potion is the strongest we have. I just don't understand it." She then cast a few check-up charms before walking back down the ward toward her office, muttering quietly all the while.

"'Still no change?' What was that supposed to mean?" Harry questioned.

"She's been trying to bring down your high temperature ever since you were brought in here," Hermione replied with a sigh. "She was telling me, just before you woke up, that she's been trying various potions and spells at regular intervals, but it doesn't seem to want to go down."

"I don't think I'm sick, though," Harry mumbled, sinking down under his covers. "I don't feel like it, anyway. I just feel warmer than normal. It doesn't feel all that much like a fever." His two friends just looked back at him helplessly, neither having any other opinions to offer him.

"Well Mr. Potter, it seems as if you are well enough to go," Madam Pomfrey said, appearing suddenly by his bed; Harry jumped with surprise, having not heard her coming due to his being in such deep thought. "The headmaster told me it is alright for you to go and see him in his office now." She looked as if she was passing this message along much against her will. Apparently she didn't think he was in good enough condition for him to be released. "Just be sure to come back later. I will give you some potions to take back to your dormitory. I would gather them now, but the headmaster seems rather intent on you getting there as soon as possible." She then shooed the three of them toward the doors. "Just be careful. And you two," Ron and Hermione looked around at her, "please keep a close eye on him." They nodded and she closed the door.

"This is all beginning to creep me out," Harry mumbled quietly as they started down the corridor toward the staircase. "Everything seems to involve fire. First my dreams, then what happened last night..." He trailed off when he saw the looks on his friends' faces.

"Dreams?" Hermione echoed. "What kind of dreams? How come you haven't told us?" A somewhat guilty look crossed over Harry's face. He began explaining the dream and the effects of it before she could question him any further.

"I didn't think they were anything important, really," he explained. "I just thought they were a product of my conscience. It wouldn't be surprising after what happened at the -- you know..." Harry trailed off, not really wanting to bring up the topic. Hermione seemed to realize this and steered them away from it.

"But if you were waking up with pain in your chest and feeling really warm...That doesn't really seem normal, Harry," she said. "You should have gone to Dumbledore or Madam Pomfrey. Now that I think about it, whatever happened last night appears to be linked to the dream somehow because the pain in your chest is worse and your body temperature won't go down." Harry nodded at this. He understood what she was saying. Ron, however, didn't say a word; he just listened to the conversation, unsure of what to say.

"Like you said, though, Dumbledore may be able to tell me something about this," Harry pointed out as they traversed the last staircase to the second floor and made their way toward the gargoyle that guarded the office. "I'll tell you what he wanted to talk to me about, and anything he says about last night, okay?" The other two nodded before heading back down the corridor toward the stairs that would take them up to the seventh floor. Harry then turned toward the gargoyle and said the password. He went up the revolving staircase and entered the office.

"Good morning, Harry," the headmaster offered as a greeting when he saw the Gryffindor. Harry muttered a reply before taking a seat in front of the desk.

"You wanted to see me about something, professor?" he asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied, leaning forward and resting his head on his hand. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night. Do you think you could describe it in detail for me?"

For a moment, Harry looked dumbstruck. He wasn't expecting this to be what Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about. He had thought that the headmaster would be telling him more about the teachers' plans, or just about how he, Harry, was feeling. He thought that he would have had to bring up the subject himself in order to get the information.

"I -- well," Harry began, still feeling a little caught off guard. He wasn't sure how to begin. "I'm not sure of all the details, sir, but I'll do my best to describe what happened." The boy heaved a sigh before telling the story. Dumbledore didn't interrupt once; he just sat there, listening intently. Harry finished, feeling a little self-conscious under the man's gaze; he was still in his clothes from the day before, which were now rumpled and slightly dirty.

"I see," the man muttered, sitting back in his chair. "May I see this stone?" Harry reached into his pocket and dropped the stone into the headmaster's open palm. He turned it over and inspected it, just as Harry had done.

"What do you think this is all supposed to mean, professor?" Harry asked. The headmaster gave the stone back and looked at him in silence for a moment.

"I guess I should start from the beginning," he finally began. "Over the summer, I --"

He was cut off by knocking at the door. The door then opened, and Severus Snape sidled into the office.

"I received your message, headmaster," he said. Then his eyes fell on Harry. A faint sneer appeared on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Should I just wait outside then until you wish to see me?"

"Yes, thank you," Dumbledore replied. "I will call for you shortly." The other man left and the door fell shut. The headmaster then continued what he was saying before Snape's arrival as if there was no interruption.

"As I was saying, over the summer I had the fortune to stumble upon Professor Trelawney once again while she was experiencing the fullest extent of her powers. She made her third prophecy."

Harry suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and a sense of foreboding came over him. He didn't know where this was going just yet, but he had a feeling that he would not enjoy what the man was going to tell him.

"Rather than trying to explain what she foresaw, I will show you." Dumbledore got to his feet and strode over to the cabinet where the Pensieve was kept. He extracted the bowl from it and brought it over to his desk. Harry watched as the substance within swirled, a silver-white glow playing over his face. The man then took out his wand and touched the substance with its tip. Then, just like at the end of last term, a figure rose up and a harsh voice rang out. Harry listened to the voice closely, making sure he didn't miss a word. When the image of Professor Trelawney sunk back into the basin, he narrowed his eyes in confusion before moving them up to focus on Dumbledore's face.

"Sir?" he muttered when the headmaster didn't start explaining right away. His voice seemed to bring the man out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, Harry," Dumbledore replied when he became focused. He moved the Pensieve aside and looked at Harry over the rims of his glasses.

"Now, I am sure that you understood the part in the very beginning, and a bit of the end as well. The lunar eclipse was just the time the magic was released. And I'm sure you know from Astronomy that a lunar eclipse is when very strong magic can occur. The middle of the prophecy, however, is somewhat vague. I am sure that it was describing a person who is feeling responsible for something that went wrong in their past. This guilt may help the individual yield the power mentioned."

An uncomfortable feeling stirred in Harry's chest at these words. Images flashed through his mind: a veil fluttering in a nonexistent breeze, a surprised look on Sirius' face as he... No, I will not go there. He schooled his features and focused on the man before him once again.

"Do you know much about the four elements, Harry?" the headmaster questioned. The Gryffindor shook his head. His mind was still in overdrive, therefore rendering him speechless for the time being. "I will not fill you in on those. I would rather you look them up yourself. That is one of the best ways to learn what the Fire Stone is."

"Sir," Harry began after finally finding his voice and coming to terms with the fact that Dumbledore was implying that he was whom the prophecy was about, "did you know that this prophecy was referring to me? Why didn't you tell me?" He couldn't help but to put this question out there. He hated being left in the dark about anything.

"I did not know that it was you it was referring to, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "But because of the time period it was given in, just after the Ministry incident and seeing how it affected you, I had my suspicions. Also, were you not chosen, though unknowingly at the time, to defeat Voldemort?" Harry just merely looked at him. Some things seemed to be clicking into place, but that didn't make him feel any better about this.

"But wasn't the last prophecy enough?" he questioned. "Didn't that already explain a power that would help rid of Voldemort?"

"I am afraid I was mistaken about that, Harry," the man answered. "I was thinking about that earlier this morning. It didn't seem very likely that the power Voldemort wouldn't know about is love. Surely he would realize that you are capable of caring for other people. I have a feeling that the power it referred to would be the one gained due to this recent prophecy. It seems as if the previous prophecy gave a small foreshadow to this one. Does that make sense?" Harry nodded.

"I really do have a new power then?" he asked. The last thing he needed was yet another burden on his shoulders.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "It is already taking effect on your body, if what Madam Pomfrey had to say about your body temperature is anything to go by. And while we are on the topic of this power -- Severus!"

Harry jumped at the sudden shout. He then heard footsteps making their way up the stairs, and the door opened once again. Snape strode in and stood next to the desk.

"It is obvious that you will have to be taught how to use it properly," Dumbledore continued. "Fire can be uncontrollable at times and can have devastating effects. That is where Professor Snape comes in."

Harry's jaw fell open. Was this man insane? "But sir! I don't think -- Don't you remember last year? Those Occlumency lessons were a nightmare! Surely this will be --" The Gryffindor fell silent at the look on the headmaster's face. He gripped the edges of his seat.

"I remember all too well, Harry," he said. "I would do it myself, but that is not possible. Professor Snape is the only one who was trained in the art of physical combat, and that sort of fighting is what you will need in order to use this power."

Harry felt that he didn't have to ask where Snape had learned the art. If he was the only one who was trained, and if he was the only one who had once worked with the Dark Lord... Well, then it was pretty obvious.

"Did you tell him about the --?" He sent a pointed look in the Pensieve's direction. His anger rose. If Snape knew about this prophecy... How did they truly know that he was on their side? Harry refused to trust him.

"No, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "I only told him that you needed to be taught how to control this new power. That is all I mentioned." The Gryffindor could now detect a hint of warning in the man's voice. It was as if he knew where Harry's trail of thought was headed. Harry ignored the warning all the same.

"But how can you trust him? How do you know he wasn't listening to what we were tal--"

"Harry." Now he sounded mad. "Time and time again we have gone over this. I have my reasons for trusting Professor Snape. Now enough of this. There are more important things to discuss."

"Besides, Potter, the headmaster is a better Legilimens than I," Snape muttered with a sneer. "If he had any doubt, I would open my mind to him, just to prove you wrong."

"I still don't trust you," Harry spat with a glare.

"The feeling's mutual."

"I don't believe that you're not a Death Eater anymore."

The moment the words left Harry's lips, he knew he had gone too far.

"That's enough!" Dumbledore shouted, getting to his feet. "Mr. Potter, we will continue this discussion later, after you learn to show some respect. You may leave my office."

"Gladly." After sending a sneer in the Potion teacher's direction, Harry got to his feet and stalked out of the office, slamming the door shut on his way out. Many of the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses rattled, causing the occupants to grumble agitatedly.

"That boy rattles my nerves like no other student," Snape mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"He just has a very burdensome life," Dumbledore offered as an explanation for Harry's behavior. He wished he hadn't lost his temper with the Gryffindor, but it couldn't be helped. "But I wish he would keep a reign on that tongue of his. Speaking so rashly only gets him into more trouble."

"However, maybe the training you were speaking of will help him have control not only over his power, but his temper as well. If he doesn't rid himself of it, we're all in danger." His eyes were set on the chair Harry had vacated only moments before. As if drawn there, Dumbledore's gaze followed.

On the edges of the chair, where Harry had gripped it in his anger, were two areas of blackened wood in the shapes of handprints, both smoking gently.

- - -

"Harry! Surely this could wait! I have to get back to --"

Hermione shut her mouth at the look Harry threw over his shoulder at her. He looked positively livid. What had made him this angry was beyond her, however. She just kept her thoughts to herself as they raced down corridors and staircases, finally coming to a stop in front of the library. Hermione leaned against one of the doors, clutching at her chest, while Harry impatiently waited for her to catch her breath. Then they went through the doors.

"What is it that you need my help finding?" Hermione asked as they wandered between shelves full of books of varying thickness and states of shabbiness.

"I'm not sure exactly," Harry confessed, pausing and choosing a book at random. He flipped through it briefly before discarding it, a dark look on his face.

"So you interrupted my studying for a pointless escapade to the library?" Hermione hissed, now beginning to feel angry herself.

"I never said it was pointless!" Harry snapped. He received a few shushing sounds from nearby students, but with one smoldering glare sent in their direction, they fell silent. "It's actually very important."

"Wait," Hermione muttered, something dawning on her. "Does this have anything to do with what Dumbledore had to tell you?" She received a nod in reply. "Well why didn't you say so? What did he say?"

"He was very vague about the whole thing," Harry replied. "I'll tell you the full story when Ron is here too. I left a message with Ginny for him to meet us here when he gets back from lunch. But I can tell you now that Dumbledore wanted me to research something to help me understand what he told me."

"What was it?"

"Have you ever heard of a Fire Stone?" he questioned. He sounded almost desperate.

"I can't really say that I have," Hermione replied hesitantly. She didn't want to let him down. He obviously needed to find this information. She racked her brain to see if anything that vaguely fit the title of Fire Stone stirred in her memory, but she got nothing. "Are you sure he didn't mention anything else that could be a clue?"

Harry turned his gaze toward the sky outside the window they were now standing next to. His eyes unfocused slightly as he thought back. "He did, actually," he said after a moment. The boy turned back to look at his friend. "He said something about four elements. What are they?"

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief. She was so glad he finally said something that was familiar to her that she was going to bypass the reprimand he should get for never paying attention in History of Magic...for now. He could have gotten all he needed to know about the elements from that class in their fifth year. That course wasn't all about just goblin rebellions and giant wars, like many students believed.

"Water, fire, earth, and air," Hermione replied. She refrained from showing her disbelief that he didn't know what they were. "They are the four elements. They are an ancient form of magic that was used millennia ago. Elemental magic is actually what started the entire Wizarding race." At this statement, Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, if you only opened a book, or at least paid attention in class..." Hermione closed her eyes, her face set in a pained expression. "This primitive magic was actually discovered by accident. A man was meditating by a river, calming both his mind and spirit. It is claimed that he was swaying rhythmically when he noticed a strange pattern in the water before him. It was moving with him in the same backward and forward motion, despite the current. And that calmness he felt is important.

"Each element has specific characteristics and is associated with specific Zodiac signs. I'm sure you at least know what the Zodiac is?" Harry nodded. "Okay. You are a Leo, which happens to be one of the signs for fire." Harry nodded again. "As I was saying, though, water is associated with healing and calmness of the conscience. The man was healing his spirit and mind in a calm manner. This allowed him to unknowingly harness the power of the element of water. This led to many different experiments. It took a great amount of trial and error to figure out what other elements would allow such a thing to happen again. It was finally figured out that personalities and Zodiac traits influence who will be able to control an element. But not everyone was able to fit to one. That is why there are some who can't do magic as of today. Magic eventually evolved into different forms after new mediums were found; that is why wands are used. Someone discovered that the use of certain types of wood and a bit of a magical creature would allow for a more accurate way to channel magic. But the four elements are what started it all. They are why there are different types of magic, such as healing and physical magic. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Harry mumbled with a brief shake of his head. His mind was jumbled. It was clear that he really would have to do some research on his own if he was to understand all of this.

"Hey, did I miss anything?"

Both Harry and Hermione jumped. Neither of them heard another person approaching. They turned to see Ron standing beside them.

"Just a long-winded lecture on elemental magic," Harry replied with a sigh. "But I'm glad you made it. I need all the help I can get." Ron looked at him with a confused expression. "Oh, sorry. I guess I should explain since both of you are here now. Dumbledore just told me that there is a new prophecy." He ignored the shocked looks on his friends' faces. "It said something about the power of the Fire Stone being released at the time of a lunar eclipse, and only a person feeling remorse can control that power. He wants me to find out about this stone and this power, which is supposed to help defeat evil." He reached into his pocket. "This must be the Fire Stone." He held the stone up to the light, casting an amber light onto the bookshelf next to them.

"Wait a second," Ron muttered, a look of intense concentration on his freckled face. "You have a new power that will help kill You-Know-Who?"

"It seems so," Harry answered. "Dumbledore said that's why my body temperature is so high. Rather than controlling an element outside my body, it's as if it's on the inside. The stone must have channeled it somehow. And the pain in my chest must have to do with the remorse I feel." A dark look flashed over Harry's face. He knew he shouldn't feel remorse for what happened last year, but he couldn't help it. "Now come on," he said after a moment of tense silence. "I want to find out what this all means." He turned away from the window and led them toward the section on ancient magic.

-­ - -

"There's got to be something in one of these books," Hermione muttered a couple of hours later. She rubbed her eyes, which were bleary after poring over old, faded books with tiny print. Ron gave an unintelligible response and leaned backward in his seat. A low snore escaped his lips. Harry reached around a stack of books he previously discarded and prodded him awake.

"I'm sorry," the redhead mumbled, trying in vain to stifle a yawn. "This is just so boring. It doesn't seem like we're going to find anything on this Fire Stone."

"Thanks for sharing your optimism, Ron," Hermione grumbled. She went back to perusing her book, which was titled The Four Elements: Light in the Shadows over the Centuries. She handled the brittle, yellowing parchment with care, losing heart in what she was doing with every turn of the page. But just as she was about to deem it useless, a phrase caught her eye. Hermione read on, her heart rate increasing in excitement. She then let out a tiny shriek; Harry's book fell to the floor with a loud thud and Ron slipped off his chair in surprise. "I found something!" she whispered excitedly. Harry jumped out of his chair, knocked it over, and almost tripped over his fallen book in his haste to get to Hermione's side. Madam Pince shushed them from behind her desk, waving her feather duster in a threatening manner.

"What? What is it?" Harry urged.

"Well, it's not about the Fire Stone specifically, but look at this," Hermione replied. She pointed to a spot in the middle of the page. Harry read it in whisper over her shoulder.

Many centuries ago, three ancient Seers foretold of four beings who will each harness the power of one of the Four Elements; the Air Mage, the Earth Chanter, the Water Charmer, and the Fireheart. Their use of these powers will aide in the defeat of the evil of their time.

These powers are gained by handling one of the four Stones, which work the opposite way of the ancient elemental magic by drawing it into the body ("Ha! I was right!" "Harry, keep reading!"). The Stones were formed where there was a high concentration of magical energy of a specific element.

"How do you suppose this one was formed?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Where exactly did you find it?"

"In the knothole of a very old tree. It was in a small clearing somewhat deep in the forest."

Hermione was quiet for a moment as she thought. "Maybe there was a bad fire many, many years ago. If the trees around that old one are a good deal younger, then maybe they were all lost, but this one was spared somehow. The forest holds a large number of magical creatures, so maybe their magical energy was lingering in that area, and the elemental force fused with that energy to form the Stone. The trees would've grown back over time due to the magic, and everything would thrive again. But that's just a theory. We'll never know what really happened. But it was convenient that it was so close to where you were, Harry. I don't know what would have happened if it were somewhere else. Maybe someone else would have gained the power." Harry and Ron merely looked at her, their mouths hanging open. She heaved a sigh. "Harry, would you like to continue reading?" The raven-haired boy nodded slowly before clearing his throat.

As of the year 1896, only three of the four Stones have been discovered: the Air Stone, the Earth Stone, and the Water Stone. It is predicted that the Fire Stone will be found around the year 1996 -- it appears that the findings are within spans of 100 years.

With every Stone, the user has had a specific peculiarity. The Air Mage could not sneeze without creating a tornado. The Earth Chanter could not laugh without causing an earthquake. The Water Charmer could not weep without creating new rivers. The Fireheart's peculiarity, if he or she will have one, is unknown, but it has been predicted that it will be either dangerous or sensual.

Ron laughed at this. "No offense, mate, but I can't imagine you being sensual. " Harry smacked him in the side of his head before continuing.

Each of the first three chosen ones has been marked in some way, as proof of their elemental power.

Harry turned the page and was met with three different images. The first one was two wavy lines that were parallel to one another, which signified air. The second was what appeared to be a teardrop shape, which was water. The third was a diamond, which portrayed earth. The book stated that each image appeared on a different part of the body for each of the three, depending on where the focal point of their magical energy was at.

"I wonder where mine is at," Harry muttered aloud. He looked closely at his hands and arms but saw nothing. Hermione was looking at him thoughtfully.

"Harry, lift up your shirt," she said suddenly. Harry stared at her.

"What?"

The girl merely rolled her eyes. "Well, for water, the mark is on the forehead, since it deals with the conscience. The mind is the focal point for water. Your element deals with emotions. And it's Fireheart. I'm wondering if it's on your chest." Harry turned red, but he nodded in understanding. He stood up and walked behind a bookcase that would conceal him from the rest of the library. Ron and Hermione followed curiously. After making sure no one was looking, Harry gripped the hem of his shirt and lifted it. Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Look for yourself," she said. Harry looked down. His eyes widened when he saw his chest.

Right over his sternum, in the middle of his chest, was his mark. It was only a few inches length wise, but it was the clarity of it that stunned him. The yellows, oranges, reds, and dashes of blue were so clear that the image looked real, despite the fact that it wasn't moving. Harry let his shirt fall.

"Well, that leaves no doubt," Hermione said quietly. "You're the Fireheart."

- - -

Please review! Please?

To be continued...