A.N: The story might change to Horror/Angst later in the story... Just so you know! Look at my yahoo group HP(underline)CotP for a picture of this chapter.

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Ch10: THE SNAKE AND THE EGG

They continued on to the Binding charm. That one wasn't so easy, Harry quickly figured out. One thing was to conjure the ropes, but there was a completely different thing to tie the ropes around an object. Dumbledore instructed Harry in how he was supposed the make circles with his wand and say 'Incarcero', but Harry didn't manage it as fast as he would like to. It was like something was holding him back.

"Oh, come on! Incarcero!" Harry huffed and made circular movement on the chair they were practising on. Rope sprang from his wand and wrapped itself around the chair. For a moment there actually seemed like he had made it, but then the ropes loosened up and fell on the floor and disappeared. Harry moaned.

"Patience, Harry!" Dumbledore commanded.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said and tried again with no greater success. Both Dumbledore and Harry sighed at the same time.

"I think this is enough for today," Dumbledore said.

"No!" Harry begged. "Please, let me do it first!"

"Very well."

Harry took a deep breath and collected himself. He was going to do it this time! He started to do the circular moves with his wand and shouted:

"Incarcero!" The ropes once again sprung from his wand and around the chair. This time it stayed put for about ten seconds. Harry smiled; at least he was doing some progress. He turned to the Headmaster. "Okay, now I feel comfortable to take a rest! Oh! Uhm –thank you for helping me, professor. Sorry if I was rude..."

"My pleasure," Dumbledore nodded pleasantly and left with an encouraging twinkle in his eyes in Harry's direction.

-

Harry, however, only rested in ten minutes before deciding to try again. He wanted to manage it better; he wasn't going to give up. He has powers Voldemort has not... Right! Harry thought sarcastically to himself. Voldemort wouldn't have any problem conjuring some stupid ropes around a chair!

It took one more half an hour before he finally felt like he was doing it right. The ropes could cling on to the chair for two minutes now. Finally, deciding he had enough for the day, he went up to take a shower.

On his way up he walked past Mrs Weasley, who seemed shocked, Hermione who looked up at him oddly, and Ron, who didn't seem to notice him. Harry frowned. He had to smell really bad.

"We are going to Diagon Alley soon, do you want to come? And why are you all sweaty?" Mrs Weasley asked, and Ron finally looked up. Harry carefully avoided his eyes.

"I've been practising," Harry answered. "I guess I can come, if I'm allowed to take a shower first. But what about Parvati?"

Hermione, who had raised an eyebrow that Harry had been practising, frowned. Harry sent her a reassuring smile.

"Lupin asked me to take care of her."

"She's asleep," Mrs Weasley said, answering Harry's question. Harry nodded, and went up to take the quick shower.

-

When Harry was done and came downstairs, Molly came and grabbed his arm gently.

"There you are!" She said and guided him to the fireplace, where the others already were lined up.

It didn't take long before they were walking in a group in the unusually quiet street of Diagon Alley.

"Why is everything so quiet?" Ron asked incredulously. It was all Harry could do to not roll his eyes.

"Honestly Ron, do you really think people want to draw attention to themselves now as they know Voldemort is back?" Hermione snapped, and Ron actually kept his mouth shut rest of the time after that.

They got their school supplies, new robes, and (in secret,) a gift for Hermione as quickly as they could. Harry also got many stares, but it wasn't so bad as it could be.

After they were done shopping the things they needed they went down to Weasley Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George new joke shop. The twins were delighted to have their family over for a visit, and, especially Harry. They said it was good public relations.

Harry browsed and bought a lot. He had a feeling they would need some laughs in the following year. He actually felt a little better in the shop, like the real world only existed outside the wall of the shop.

"We got to go, Harry," Hermione said from the door to draw Harry's attention. Harry huffed and followed Hermione and the rest out of the door. Fred and George waived cheerfully after them.

Ginny came up on Harry's left side.

"Hi," she said, blushing slightly.

"Hi Ginny," Harry said, but couldn't help to look around him all the time in case some Death Eaters were approaching. The tense atmosphere in Diagon Alley made him feel more alert for each step he took.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, grabbing his upper arm. Harry startled, and Ginny quickly withdraw her hand as if she were burned.

"Auch!" she said, massaging her hand. "What did you do that for?"

"Did what?" Harry asked in return.

"You burned me!" She exclaimed. They Weasleys and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks, and Harry suddenly felt like he had been caught spying.

"I did not!" Harry denied.

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

"You did!"

Harry sighed. "In that case: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"That's okay," Ginny said quietly, but she kept a good distance to Harry after that.

"Just trying to stay alert, that's all," Harry mumbled. Mrs Weasley didn't seem to know what she could say to that, and kept quiet.

-

They didn't stay long in Diagon Alley. Even though Diagon Alley had a lot of guards and security arrangements, Death Eaters could still attack, especially if they knew Harry Potter was there.

Harry didn't waste a minute when they had flooed back to Grimmauld Place 12. He ran straight to the library, and began searching for a book about Occlumency. After ten minutes he found a book that looked like could contain any information. The cover was dull brown, and Golden letters with the text: 'A Path To The Mind' shone up at him. Harry suspected that also this book contained Dark Arts, but there weren't exactly many other books about Occlumency he could choose from. He sat down in an armchair and had just opened the book to read it when Hermione came in. Her eyes widened at the sight of Harry, but then she smiled and came over. Harry put away the book and greeted her.

"What are you reading?" she asked curiously, and cocked her head in a very cute way.

"A book about Occlumency... 'A Path To The Mind'" Harry explained.

"Oh!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. "Can I read it with you?"

"Sure," Harry said, moving to the floor so both of them could read at the same time. Hermione settled down beside Harry, and Harry felt a wave of gratitude towards her for being his friend. She seemed to notice and gave him a quick, warm smile, before Harry opened the book again so they could start to read.

-

The book was very informative. It explained everything from how to empty your mind to enter an others. I.e. the fact that meditating had helped a lot of wizard, and how candles in a circle could help you relax and get more aware of yourself and your thoughts. It also explained that to just empty your mind wasn't enough. You also had to get rid of all emotions, or else it would be very easy for an intruder to manipulate him- or herself in. Several times Harry found himself frowning. If only Snape would have bothered to tell him some of this, then perhaps it wouldn't have been so difficult!

"Do you want to try?" Hermione asked suddenly, and Harry startled.

"Huh?"

"The candle-thing?" Hermione asked again, and sat up.

"I dunno..." Harry said, he couldn't help but feel a bit stupid of the thought. "Do we have any candles?" he asked, not wanting to sound like a coward.

"I think so, down in the kitchen. Should I get some?"

Harry hesitated; he didn't really feel up to it. What if somebody walked in on them? That would be so embarrassing...

Hermione scowled at him. "What's the point of reading that book if you doesn't want to try anything? You-"

"All right, all right, get the candles then!" Harry snapped, and Hermione disappeared. Harry felt bad about snapping at her, so he quickly apologised when she came up again with the candles. She just smirked at him and began to arrange the candles.

Harry still didn't felt good of the idea.

"Okay, all set," Hermione said and lit them. They both moved inside the ring and sat on the opposite side of each other, holding hands. Hermiones' hands, Harry noticed, seemed to be a bit damp. They both tried to relax and empty their minds.

To empty his head was one ting, Harry noticed, but there was something else to get rid of the feeling that where soaring through his veins. He felt very uneasy and self-conscious, and at the same time he felt warm shot from his fingers to his shoulders, reminding him of how he felt after casting the Avada Kedavra. No, he thought, this is not the time to think about it. Empty yourself now...

Harry regained his composure, and after a while he felt more comfortable. Hermione seemed to be utterly relaxed, to Harry's irritation.

He sighed heavily, only focusing on a black wall and nothing else.

-

After a while Harry lost track of time, actually, he wasn't aware of anything anymore, the blackness was overwhelming. Harry was certain that not even Snape or Dumbledore could force themselves into his mind right then. His head felt oddly disconnected with his body, and it had begun to throb slightly, as if he was getting a headache.

Satisfied, Harry decided he could end it, but to snap out of it wasn't so easy as he would have liked it to be. It was like he was swimming to the surface from a very deep ocean. Suddenly, he felt someone shaking his shoulders, and he inhaled sharply, and opened his eyes. Ron was standing over him with a very annoyed expression. The candles had gone out.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, looking from Harry to Hermione and back at Harry again.

"Practising Occlumency," Harry answered truthfully, carefully keeping any resentment he felt for Ron at the moment out from his voice.

"Really?" Ron asked, arching an eyebrow, as he didn't quite believe him. "Funny, I didn't see you do anything like this last year. It looks more like you're having a ritual or something!"

Harry looked over to Hermione, who now had her eyes open, staring intently at him. Harry was suddenly aware of that he still held her hands, but stubbornly he held on to them. If Ron didn't like it then it was Ron's problem, not Harry's.

"Right then," Ron said, clearly trying to draw attention to himself. "Eh, Hermione?" Ron asked when he saw Hermione looking at him. "Can we talk?"

Hermione hesitated, but then nodded slowly. "Sure." She gave Harry an 'I'm sorry' look and followed Ron out. Harry sighed as the loneliness washed over him again. He had a feeling that Ron was trying to steal Hermione from him, and he didn't like it.

Harry really wished he could have someone to talk to, even a snake could do right now. If he only could conjure- Harry suddenly stopped his train of thoughts. He could actually conjure a snake; he had seen Draco Malfoy do it in his second year. Harry stood up, pointed the wand at the floor in front of him and shouted "Serpensortia!"

A big, golden snake shot from his wand and landed with a hiss in front of him. Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"Can you hear me?" Harry asked in Parselmouth. The snake turned its head and looked at Harry with bright, emerald eyes that could match Harry's own.

"Yesss," the snake hissed.

"Hi," Harry said, not really knowing what else to say. The snake only glared at him and took its tongue in and out to smell him.

"Do you have a name?" Harry asked politely, and lay down beside her. He felt totally safe with the snake.

"Name? No, I have not."

"Why not?"

"I do not belong here," the snake answered.

Harry said nothing.

"What isss troubling you, human?" The snake asked.

Harry rubbed his forehead. "It is my-" Harry tried to say 'friend,' but there didn't seem to be a word for that in Parselmouth. "My –brother," Harry tried, and continued: "He is jealous in something both he and I have, but he want it for himself."

"I sssee," the snake said. "Doesss he ssshowsss fangsss?"

"Kind of. He- tries to keep me away."

"What 'thing' are we talking about?"

"A –female," Harry was a little embarrassed of the word, but there didn't seem to be a word for 'girl' either.

"Do you want thisss female?"

Harry felt himself go red. "I do not know," he confessed.

"Isss ssshe worth fighting for?"

"I think so," Harry answered, "but I can risk losing my –brother -in the process."

"What about an other female?" The snake asked.

"I do not know," Harry said again and sighed.

"You are frussstrated," The snake said matter-of-factly.

"Yes."

"I need to go sssoon."

"Why?" Harry asked; he didn't want the snake to go.

"Asss I sssaid, I do not belong to thisss world."

"Can I summon you again?"

"Yesss, but I would not remember anything of thisss."

Harry felt even sadder. The snake seemed to notice.

"I can give you something of mine. Ssso you have someone to talk to that would not leave."

"You can?"

"Yesss. You ssseem worthy. Not everyone can talk our language."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, but what exactly is it?"

"An egg. Our sssort can only give away one egg, so you have to take good care of it. Keep it warm, and feed my baby when ssshe isss born."

"Yes, of course!" Harry's heart hammered wildly in his chest.

The great, golden snake studied him for a moment. Then she began to coil around herself, much faster than Harry would have thought were possible for a snake her size. She span faster and faster until all Harry could she was a whirl with fire, and some small sparkles... and then she was gone. All that remained was a golden egg with the size of a chicken egg.

Harry carefully crawled over to it, and took the cool, smooth egg up in his hand. It was simply perfect.

He remembered what the snake said about keeping it warm, and he wondered how he could do that. He couldn't simply take it in a cauldron over the fireplace, like Hagrid had done with the Dragon Egg. He wondered if Hermione would come back, but it didn't seem like she would. Harry wondered if she was worth fighting for. If he did, he would probably lose Ron's friendship, and it wasn't even certain if Hermione even liked him that way, or even if he liked her that way, and if both of them did, it wasn't even certain that they could work it out.

But on the other hand, he didn't like the thought of Ron having her either.

Harry thought back in how it had been in forth grade, when he and Ron had argued because Ron refused to believe that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet. It had been awful, and he was glad he had Ron back. But still, he couldn't help but feeling a bit hurt of the memory that Ron didn't believe him. That Ron actually thought Harry was just seeking more attention to himself by risking his life again.

Harry sighed heavily and put the egg in his pocket. At least there it wouldn't get cold.

-

Harry didn't see Hermione before the next morning, when he came down for breakfast. She looked very sad and tired, and wouldn't meet his eyes. Harry wondered what Ron had said to her and felt a flash of anger that threatened to boil over. It was so close to the surface those days...

Almost instantly he felt a sharp tug in his right arm, and he jumped in surprise. Nobody seemed to notice, but Harry froze in his spot and felt very uneasy. The feeling ended as soon as it had came, and Harry shook his head for a moment. Maybe he had just slept in a bad position or something?

Parvati came down for breakfast, but she didn't eat anything. Harry felt bad for her, and he wondered how it would have been like for him if he had lost his parents now, instead of when he was one year old, when he didn't understand much. He guessed it would have been terrible, but on the other hand he wouldn't have to live with the Dursleys. Harry shivered. If only Sirius was alive...

-

After the breakfast Harry went for a run, the egg in his hand all the time so he wouldn't lose it. He actually missed boxing a bit because it felt so good to just punch the energy out, but there was hardly anything he could do about it now. After he was done he went up to the library, so he could study more in the Occlumency book. On the way he ran into Ron.

Both of them stopped immediately, and shared an uncomfortable silence.

"What have I done, Ron?" Harry finally asked, glaring daggers with Ron.

"Huh? Nothing –mate," Ron said and tried to get past Harry. Harry pushed him back.

"Tell me!" Harry demanded, getting impatient.

"What have Hermione told you?" Ron asked, red on the ears. Harry thought back.

"That you wanted to date her," Harry answered truthfully.

"She did, did she? Was it before or after the article in Daily Prophet?

"What article?" Harry asked, but when Ron gave him a look he remembered. "Oh, that article? Right..."

"What did you do, anyway?" Ron asked. "Did you kiss?" Now it was Harry's turn to go red.

"Uh, -no?"

"You did!" Ron exclaimed. "How could you?"

Harry didn't answer, but instead he said: "Hey, Ron, we agreed that there couldn't be anything more between us! I don't wanna lose you!"

Ron shot him a murderous look and left. This time Harry didn't try to stop him.

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Out of curiosity... Who do you want Harry to get together with? It's probably not going to have any effect in the plot, but it would be interesting to know what kind of shippers that reads my story... :)