Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character's from the author J.K Rowling

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. A big thank you to my co-writer Costalfirebird

Ravenclaw Common Room

Daphne was worried; she had not seen Harry since he ran out of the Great Hall during the troll incident. Daphne curled up next to Tracey with tears in her eyes. Just as she was crying the entrace door opened up revealing Professor Flitwick and Harry. Daphne leapt off the sofa and stormed towards Harry. Her tear stained face had turned to one of anger and worry. She walked right up to him and slapped him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and cried into his chest.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Harry James Potter; I thought I had lost you!"

Harry brought his arms around his betrothed waist and pulled her into him. He slowly lowered his head and whispered sweet nothing in her ear; trying to calm her down. He then pulled back and led her towards one of the vacant sofas. Harry sat down pulling Daphne onto his lap. He watched as Daphne laid her head in the crook of his neck; content on just being with him.

Harry waited until Flitwick had left the common room; then whispered into Daphne's ear. "Someone else knows my secret now."

Daphne's eyes shot open and pulled back so she could look at him, "What did you do to reveal your secret Harry?"

Harry grinned then said, "Well, after I left the Great Hall, I used my panther to catch Hermione's scent. I then raced towards the girl's bathroom on the second floor. I had hoped to get her out before the troll came along. Of course nothing ever goes my way. Hermione had just come out when the troll spotted us. I knew trolls were very resilient to magic, so I decided to take him down with one of my animal forms. I was going to try my basilisk, but there would have been too much collateral damage. So I decided to use my panther. The only problem was there was nowhere I could transform in private; so I had to transform in front of her. She promised not to reveal my secret, but you just don't know with people these days." Harry said this with a grimace thinking of Dumbledore.

The two of them sat cuddled up on the sofa until the prefect decided to tell them it was past curfew and they needed to be in bed. Harry kissed Daphne goodnight and then they both went to their dorms.

Harry changed into his sleepwear. He was about to get into bed when he saw a package on his bed. Harry opened it to reveal a small round stone; seeing a note attached to it with only three words on the paper:

Resurrection Stone

-Death

Harry opened his trunk and conjured a small sized box to place the stone in. He brought out one of his frozen rats he had decided to send off for, so Rex had something to eat each week. Harry hissed, "Rex, dinner time." Rex rose up out of Harry skin and slithered to the edge of his bed. Harry put the rat down in front of the serpent and used a heating charm to defrost its dinner. He watched Rex slither towards it and swallow it whole. Harry drew the curtains and placed silencing charm and locking charm around him. He then climbed into bed he heard an eerie voice in his head.

"Do not worry, child of fate, I will continue assisting you."

Harry drifted off to sleep wondering what was so special about him that would have Death taken an interest in him.

The Burrow

Molly had just finished reading Charlie's letter and could not wipe the smile off her face. Charlie was paying for their trip to see him over the holidays. Molly heard the door open, and she could only smile. Arthur was going to talk to that felonious LordGreengrass today, and maybe he would have information she could pass on to Dumbledore.

"Have a good day at work, Arthur?" Molly asked as she wiped off her hands and approached her husband.

"Yes, dear, I did, but I have some bad news." He sounded simultaneously angry and sad.

"What is wrong, dear?" she asked. The concern in her voice was quite clear. Perhaps the Greengrass framily were abusing Harry and if so that would be enough to get Harry out of their custody and into Dumbledore's care, and the loving arms of his real family.

"Dumbledore lied to us Molly." Molly's heart sank. "The Greengrass' are Harry's legal guardians, and he is betrothed to their eldest daughter." Arthur clenched his fist. "Why would Dumbledore lie to us Molly? We have never had the desire to force the boy into a life he doesn't want. In fact, the 'loving' aunt he is supposed to have is not even allowed to raise him."

"Says who?" Molly asked vehemently.

"The Potters' will. It's are public record now, and it says clearly that Petunia Dursley is to never be allowed near Harry Potter; stating that her extreme hatred of magic would only endanger the boy's health and well-being."

Molly felt her heart sink. Albus had promised her that if Harry he lived with his relatives Harry would see the Weasleys as family, and that by staying with them at the Burrow he would also see their daughter, Ginny, as the perfect girl to marry. And now it was clear as to why Harry would respond that way: he would have been so mistreated that he would see anyone who showed him kindness as a potential family. The headmaster had some answers to give her, and she would not take "the greater good" as an answer anymore.

"I am going to shower before I eat; I feel disgusted just thinking that we listened to the man." Arthur walked up the stairs with his head hung down in defeat.

"Hi Dad," Ginny said with a smile on her face. "Mum, has Ron written about Harry yet?"

This explanation was not going to be easy, but it had to be done. "Ginny, there is something I need to tell you."

"What is it Mum?" Ginny's smile grew wider.

"It's about Harry, dear, he is betrothed to someone else; so I am afraid that you won't be the next Lady Potter, but I am sure you will find a another nice boy at Hogwarts."

Ginny's smile, suddenly vanished, her face went red with anger, as she laid into her mother, with a verbal assault that Molly herself would have been proud of.

"No, no it can't be! We were to be married, you promised me! Since I was a little girl you have said that one day I would be Lady Potter. You raised me; filling my hopes and dreams with stories of his heroic endeavours. Now you're telling me he is promised to someone else; that I will never have my fairy tale wedding, or knight in shining armor. No, I don't believe you!"

Ginny ran into her room and slammed the door; she slid down and cried. Her one dream shattered in minutes. Ginny raised her head. She wouldn't allow this to happen. If need be, when she reached Hogwarts next year, she would force the Boy-Who-Lived to love her. And if that doesn't work, then she would simply remove his betrothed, after all no one but her was going to be Lady Potter.

The next morning

Library

The next day Hermione was in the library reading every book she could find on animal transfiguration; she slammed her fist on the table in frustration as she was nearing the end of her patience. Just as she was about to give up she opened the last book. Scanning through the contents until she found a chapter on animagi. Hermione then began to read the chapter.

For a wizard or witch to have an animal transformation is a rare gift; an animagus is rare enough to be almost unheard of. The first known animagus was believed to be Merlin himself. An animagus is a witch or wizard who can morph him or herself into an animal at will. It is a learned rather than a hereditary skill, unlike those of a Metamorphmagus.

Hermione was too busy reading to notice a certain raven haired boy was sneaking up on her. "So doing some research on me are you?"

Hermione jumped and turned to see Harry grinning at her. Hermione glared, then said, "I was curious that was all. Anyway, now that you're here you can explain to me what you are exactly."

Harry slid into a chair at Hermione's table. He raised his wand and placed some privacy wards around the table

"Alright, before I tell you I want you to take an oath that you will not tell anyone what I am about to reveal. Also, you promise to study Occlumency, to protect my secret."

Hermione looked at Harry with a scowl but sighed in resignation said "I, Hermione Jean Granger, hereby swear on my life and magic that I will not reveal what Harry James Potter has to say today without his express permission first." Harry nodded, now that the oath had been spoken he felt more comfortable revealing his secret to her.

"Okay, I am a multi-animagus. I know it's extremely rare, but that's what I am. Any animal I have seen or touched I can assume their form at leisure. So far I have over twenty forms; ranging from a rat to a panther. I also have several magical forms: a griffin, basilisk, unicorn, Hungarian Horntail, and Pegasus. Only six people know my secret and now that includes you: they are Lord and Lady Greengrass, my guardians, my betrothed, Daphne Greengrass, her little sister, Astoria, and our friend Tracey Davis The reason I want you to learn Occlumency is because two professors like to use the art of Legilimency on us students."

At that moment Hermione's mouth fell open. A professor reading a student's mind was major violation of privacy. Harry noticed she was about to argue, so instead of giving her chance, he decided to continue.

"These professors are Snape and Dumbledore. There are a few things you can do to avoid this until you have your own mental shields in place. Most important among them is to avoid eye contact. It is harder for someone to read your thoughts and memories if you're not facing them directly. Now that you know about me; would you like to be my friend? I can introduce you to Daphne and Tracey at lunch if you would like."

Hermione smiled, she didn't have many friends; maybe being friends with Harry Potter will help her come out of her shell. After all, she can't spend all her time in the library. She looked at Harry and nodded. "I would like that Harry, thank you. I do have a question though; is there any way you can teach me Occlumency? I have looked at some books in the library about mental shielding, but could not find anything."

Harry laughed to himself. "Why does that not surprise me; most likely Dumbledore removed them all so students can't study the art. After all, if we all had shields then he and Snape could not read our thoughts." Hermione looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't trust the headmaster. Every year he has tried to have me removed from a loving family. Sometimes I wonder if he wanted me to learn magic at all."

"Very good child, you are truly beginning to impress me. Keep it up and the elder wand will be yours before you know it."

Harry quickly spun around trying to locate the voice. He noticed Hermione giving him a worried.

"Harry is everything alright? You seemed to have just spaced out."

Harry turned to Hermione. "Oh, it's nothing. Anyway I would be delighted to help you. I have a few books you can study as well in your spare time." Harry casted a quick tempus spell. "I'm sorry we have to cut this short, but I promised to meet Daphne. I look forward to seeing you at lunch Hermione".

With those last words Harry removed the wards and made his way out of the library. As soon as Harry left her line of sight Hermione felt this cold chill in the air. Looking around she could see a cloaked figure leaving the area; she felt as if she had just caught a glimpse of Death itself.

A/N: Chapter 8 done. Thanks for reading, and please review, if you like this new version.

Big Thank you to HowlnMadHowie for proof-reading this for me.