Harry's P.O.V

The same night

Harry lay under his covers in the Ravenclaw boys dorm listening to Terry talk in his sleep. The other boy was mumbling something about transfiguration and turkeys, so Harry couldn't make heads or tails of his dream.

While Harry lay up listening to the mumbling he couldn't halt the swirling facts that had accumulated since he first arrived. Dumbledore warning students away from the third floor or they would meet a grizzly end, Hagrid telling Fleur and Harry about something Dumbledore was keeping safe for a French wizard named Nicolas Flamel, and now Professor Snape had been bitten by something of Hagrid's that he didn't understand why Dumbledore would let Hagrid keep in the castle.

It was clear to Harry that all of these things must be connected, he personally didn't know who Nicolas Flamel was beyond him making the philosopher's stone but Fleur seemed to be extremely excited by the mention of him. That must mean he's a rather famous wizard, so whatever Dumbledore was taking care of for him, most likely that very stone, must be very important. But for the life of him Harry couldn't figure out why anyone would be mad enough to keep something that important in a castle full of curious children. This stank of Salazar levels of negligence on the scale of Rina the Basilisk.

And despite knowing all of this was extremely dangerous, Harry couldn't push down his curiosity to know what was worth all of the rather minimal secrecy. He knew that it would most likely cause him great trouble later, but Harry was the boy who had followed the odd desire to talk to a snake carving on a sink and found a centuries old marvel. So there was no way he wouldn't investigate all of the goings-on when he had explored the Chamber of Secrets even after seeing Rina's old skin.

So deciding on what he wanted to do even despite how colossally stupid it may be, Harry slipped out of his bed padding over to his school boots then slipped them on along with his robe and wand.

'This really isn't a good idea,' Harry thought sighing and knowing full well he wouldn't be able to hold back his curiosity.

He crept past the beds of the other first year Ravenclaw boys hearing snoring and mutters not unlike Terry's, and as he opened the door to the dorm room it gave a light squeak that made Harry wince. Thankfully none of the others stirred once at the light noise so Harry was able to slip out of the room unseen and unheard.

The common room was devoid of any activity whatsoever, which wasn't much of a surprise to Harry since it was nearly two in the morning and everybody would be sound asleep. Well except for himself of course. Harry made his way out of the common room and down the staircase of Ravenclaw tower to the third floor where he walked along the hall until he found the third floors off limits corridor.

A low rush of air from behind the door made Harry frown,' why would there be air coming from this corridor? It's sealed off and as far as I know it doesn't have any windows.'

Taking a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, and resting his hand against the doors frame he gave it a slight push. The door didn't budge even one inch.

'Locked,' Harry sighed pulling his wand out,' great. Breaking and entering can be added to my ever expanding list of new experiences.'

"Alohomora," Harry muttered tapping his wand to the lock causing it to give a low click. He smiled pushing the door open and stepped inside quickly closing the door behind himself.

The inside of the corridor was much smaller than he expected the hall ended in a strange and abrupt wall of rising and falling furry material. It was an odd wall but it wasn't exactly the strangest thing Harry had seen since coming to Hogwarts, and he had to admit it wasn't an unpleasant material when he ran his hand along it.

Harry swiveled his head around looking in every direction trying to find what made the corridor so dangerous, but all he could find was half of what he could only assume was a trap door. The problem was that the odd fuzzy wall was covering half of the door so he couldn't open it, and no amount of pushing or cursing would make the odd wall move besides it's rhythmic rise and fall.

It was odd Harry couldn't find any sort of large monstrous creature with three heads like Professor Snape had described. The only thing in the room was the… strange wall. That was of course if this thing was a wall, but now Harry was having the oddest feeling that the thing his fingers were knuckle deep in was actually the thing that had bitten the Professor. Now that Harry looked closely he could swear the large furry wall had what looked like a large tail.

"Oh, what is up with this school and having giant animals in it," Harry sarcastically whispered to himself backing quickly to the door a few feet behind him.

Not wanting to turn his back to the giant creature Harry stuck his hand out behind himself and felt furiously for the door handle. In a stroke of luck both bad and good Harry found the handle, but at the same time he accidentally knocked it against the wood sending a dull reverberating thud through the corridor making Harry wince and close his eyes.

With no small amount of horror, Harry slowly opened his eyes looking down the hall toward the wall of fur. The massive shape of a dog glowered at Harry from the far end of the corridor, it's large dark brown eyes boar into Harry's form. The most horrible part about the dog aside from its elephantine stature, was the three massive heads along with the singular one in the middle that was usually by itself on a normal dog.

The large and mad rolling eyes of the dog all tried focusing on Harry, but it seemed that not every head could gaze at him because of his small stature compared to the beast. The dog raised one large paw slamming it down toward Harry and then another and another, the dog would clear the distance in no more than one or two more strides.

Not wanting to see the large hound up close Harry turned and scrabbled at the door handle yanking it open, and slamming the door shut behind himself. Harry could hear the sound of thunderous barking and the snapping of three giant jaws.

Harry sat flush against the door of the off limits corridor, his heart was thumping so hard it seemed to threaten to burst out of his chest.

"Painful death. Yeah understatement of the century! What is wrong with these school officials and putting giant dangerous creatures in a castle full of kids?" Harry furiously whispered to himself.

'Well that explains how Professor Snape got that bite on his leg. The only thing I don't understand is why he would be anywhere near that dog. Maybe he would need to be near it if he was creating another countermeasure to protect whatever Dumbledore was given, but that doesn't make any sense especially if he's had it for this long. Dumbledore would've no doubt had all of the protections for the object at or before the beginning of term.'

Harry sighed shakily pushing himself away from the door, he walked on wobbly legs away from the corridor and back toward Ravenclaw tower. The roaring fires in the torch brackets in the halls sent shadows down each hall Harry passed toward the tower, and on more than one occasion he could've sworn he heard Mrs. Norris' hoarse meow that would alert Filch of his nighttime foray but she never appeared.

While Harry had luck on that front he was immediately subjected to his double edged luck and Peeves the Poltergeist crossed paths with him as he neared the stairs to Ravenclaw tower.

"Oooooh what's this? A wee little first year out of bedy at nighty? Naughty naughty, doesn't little firsty know he isn't allowed out after dark?" His voice echoed off the walls with malicious glee.

"Be quiet Peeves," Harry furiously whispered his eyes darting around in fear.

"Bad little Potter hissing orders at poor Peeves, but which one are you? Not Jamesy, he would've been helping Peeves. You have the redheads eyes she wasn't any fun, so you must be their son. Are you gonna be any fun like your daddy? Or boring like your mommy?"

Harry glowered at the poltergeist forgetting about the noise they were making," I'm nothing like my dad, and I don't want to be. Now leave me alone Peeves or you'll regret it."

"Oooooooh. Scary scary little Potter. Fine Peeves'll leave you alone tonight, but he won't be so nice next time. Go to bedy little Potter," and thankfully Peeves shot down the hall away from Harry bouncing off each wall laughing the whole way.

Harry sighed, that threat had been just as fake as Harry's bravado. He hadn't studied any spells or charms to harm or get rid of poltergeists and Peeves definitely could've sounded the alarm on Harry being out of bed. But he couldn't dwell on that fact now, Peeves could just as easily sound the alarm on him when he was out of earshot of Harry.

So not wasting a moment he hurried along toward the Ravenclaw tower stairs, he wound his way up and stopped at the eagle knocker. He banged the knocker as lightly as possible not wanting to let anyone know he was out in the hall.

"Really? At this hour? Very well, at night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

Harry had to pause for a few moments to think, it surely didn't help that the threat of a teacher, Filch, or Mrs. Norris coming along hung over his head.

"The stars," he hurriedly but quietly whispered.

"Just so. And for the love of Merlin go to bed, it's far to late to be asking and answering riddles."

Once the door swung open Harry hurried along entering the common room, striding up the first year boys stairs, and sliding into his quiet and comfortable bed with great relief.

'I'll Have to talk to Fleur tomorrow about that giant dog and what Professor Snape could possibly need with it.'


November, 9th

10:00 a.m.

"So, not only were you out of bed well passed curfew, but you were also nearly killed by a giant three headed dog in a corridor you knew was out of bounds," Fleur fumed at Harry as they ate at the Ravenclaw table during breakfast. The entire hall was chattering and yelling in excitement over the first Quidditch match of the season, it would be Slytherin vs Gryffindor right off the bat, so Fleur and Harry didn't really need to worry about anyone overhearing them.

"When you put it like that I sound kind of stupid," Harry mumbled rolling a bit of sausage around on his plate.

"You don't sound stupid 'Arry. You are stupid, if anything 'ad gone wrong you would not be 'ere right now and we would be 'earing about you being mauled to death in ze third floor corridor," she was glaring very angrily at the side of Harry's head while he tried in vain not to meet her gaze.

"Well just humor me, because none of this adds up. If Dumbledore needed Professor Snape to fix his defense for whatever that dog is guarding wouldn't Hagrid have helped him by holding that dog back somehow? And if Dumbledore didn't tell him to then why would he go anywhere near something so dangerous for no reason?"

Fleur's glare on him lessened a fraction as she turned his questions over in her mind," I will admit, you 'ave good points. I can't think of any reason 'e would need to be near zat abomination other zan at Dumbledore's request, and it seems 'e was not needed because 'e was bitten. So it makes no sense why 'e would be zere."

"Unless, he was trying to steal whatever that dog is guarding," Harry absently said scratching at his head.

"Zat is a 'eavy accusation 'Arry. You should be sure of zat before you begin casting aspersions."

"I know, I know. It's just the only thing I can think of at the moment, and I just can't seem to shake the feeling I shouldn't trust Professor Snape for some reason.

Fleur nodded imperiously," zat is understandable, 'e seems to be an unpleasant connard."

"I still have no idea what that means," Harry sighed rubbing at his face.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Fleur infuriatingly smirked at Harry knowing he'd take offense to that.

Before Harry could retort a large commotion came from the Gryffindor table as their Quidditch team was surrounded by the entire house. The entire table was in an uproar as they jostled and patted at the team while they ate.

Harry watched for a second with an expression of dread and discomfort," I would hate to have so many people all around me, not to mention being that close."

Fleur nodded looking just as queasy as Harry," I would 'ate to 'ave so many people near me and touching me so much."

"Well you're about to be in a big crowd during the Quidditch game. I'd hate to see you immolate anybody for bumping into you," Harry laughed as breakfast came to an end and everybody rushed out of the great hall and toward the Quidditch Pitch.

"Oh please, I am not so petty zat I would burn someone over zat. Now if zey touch me somewhere zey should not, zat is another story."

Harry laughed as the pair walked leisurely out of the hall, students sprinted past them no doubt wanting to get good seats. Harry personally found Quidditch to be interesting, but he didn't think he would have time for dueling club and Quidditch. That was a moot point though since first years weren't allowed on house teams, so Harry would be content with being able to do something he already knew he liked to do.

"Oi, Harry," Ron yelled from beside the doors leading to the Quidditch pitch. He must have been waiting for Harry and Fleur," Hermione went ahead, she said she'd get us good seats. My brothers, Fred and George, are on the team so I wanted a good seat, but I couldn't leave you two."

"That's nice of you. Supporting your brothers," Harry smiled as the three of them walked side by side.

"Support them? No I wanna have a front row seat if they get thrown off their brooms! I'll never let them live it down," Ron laughed rubbing his hands together.

Harry and Fleur looked at one another not knowing how to respond to Ron's evil laugh. It seemed Ron had caught site of their faces.

"Oh don't worry, Fred and George have been playing jokes on me since I was able to walk. Maybe even longer, so it's only fair I get them back," Ron said hurrying toward the stairs leading up the spectator seats.

"So what should we expect? I've heard a lot about Quidditch but I don't know the rules precisely," Harry said looking at the stands surrounding the Quidditch pitch, they were all filled to the brim with milling students. The roar of the amassed crowd made Harry's head vibrate uncomfortably.

Ron slowly and methodically began outlining the rules of Quidditch for Harry starting with chasers, beaters, keepers, and then the seekers. He followed up the outline of the players with their corresponding balls they had to focus on and watch out for, the most interesting position to Harry was the seeker but he didn't particularly like all the opportunities other players had to maim one another.

"Why does it have to be so dangerous," Harry asked puzzled at why anyone would take such risks for a game.

"Its not interesting then I suppose, I mean think about it. Everything else is really dangerous so why wouldn't sports be, dad told me once that in his third year at Hogwarts he accidentally added hedgehog quills instead of porcupine quills to a potion, and he blew up his cauldron and most of the table it was on. If just potions can be that dangerous imagine how bad other subjects can get, so really Quidditch isn't that bad."

"Zat is like saying being stabbed isn't as bad as losing a limb," Fleur said, dryly observing the large crowds of students.

Ron had trouble responding through glazed eyes at hearing Fleur's voice," w-well, I mean I'd rather get stabbed than lose my arm."

Harry could see Fleur rolling her eyes and about to say something to that, until they all heard and saw Hermione jumping up and down at the three of them, clearly trying to get their attention," Harry! Fleur! Ron! I'm over here! Terry is with me too Harry!"

Harry was surprised to see Terry Boot sitting beside Hermione, his cheeks were a bashful pink and he seemed to be mortified by Hermione's hopping and yelling. Harry grinned at his fellow Ravenclaw as they all sat down in the same row.

Terry was first in line and for some reason Hermione had Harry and Fleur sit next to him followed by her, and finally Ron. Harry looked at Hermione quizzically at the seating arrangement.

"I didn't think Fleur would want to sit next to Ron with how he always looks at her, and I figured she wouldn't mind sitting next to you," Hermione whispered making sure Ron couldn't hear the explanation through the noise of the surrounding crowd.

"Good call," Harry whispered back," I'm not sure Fleur wouldn't set him on fire if he looked at her for to long."

Harry and Hermione grinned at one another, just picturing Fleur chasing Ron around throwing fireballs.

"Be careful what you whisper about 'Arry," Fleur whispered in his ear," I might just set you on fire, on accident of course."

Harry scooted away from the rapidly heating witch beside him," Fleur, you're going to catch the benches on fire."

Thankfully the rapidly rising heat around the group subsided, but Harry instantly missed the heat as the November chill began to set into his skin. He quickly became rigid as a pair of hands wrapped around his waste, but almost instantly relaxed as Fleur's familiar smell slid slightly behind him and her chin rested lightly on his head. Harry's cheeks burned when both Hermione and Terry gave him crooked grins.

"Get bent," Harry mumbled glaring down at the Quidditch field where the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were beginning to gather. Meanwhile, Harry could see Ron giving him an unidentifiable look that seemed oddly familiar somehow.

"So who do you think will win," Terry asked Harry and the others as he rubbed his cold hands together.

"Obviously we're rooting for Gryffindor," Ron said breaking free of Fleur's passive allure at the mention of Quidditch.

"I'd rather see Gryffindor win than Slytherin," Harry said leaning further into Fleur's warmth," I don't want to see Malfoy happy if at all possible, I don't think my stomach could take it."

"I've heard a few older Gryffindor's saying that our team is better than Slytherin's when it comes to keepers, beaters, and chasers. But the Slytherin team has a better seeker so it all comes down to how long the match lasts," Hermione rattled off, she had no doubt gathered a lot of information about each team with just as much fervor as her studies.

"I 'ope it doesn't last zat long, I can only tolerate zis cold so long," Fleur complained her arms tightening slightly around Harry's waste.

Their conversation about the match was interrupted when everyone saw both teams starting to congregate in the air at the middle of the field. A brief speech from Madam Hooch ensued in which she reminded each team to play a clean game, then the captains of both teams shook hands, and finally Madam Hooch blew her whistle throwing the quaffle into the air. The match had begun, and the announcer Lee Jordan began commentating on the match.

"And the match begins! Gaining possession of the quaffle is second year Katie Bell, she's really giving the Slytherin chasers a run for their money with her quick flying. Here she goes approaching the goal, she winds up, and… Yes! She scores ten points to Gryffindor! Slytherin now in possession Graham Montague blitzes past the third years Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, to approach the Gryffindor keeper Oliver Wood. Montague readies a throw aaaaand. Wood saves it! Gryffindor back in possession now!"

Harry found the fast pace of the match to be rather exciting, and seeing each player zoom around on their broom made Harry want to fly just as fast. He could see two red haired blurs with short bats knocking a couple fast traveling balls toward Slytherin players that would get to close to the chaser, who was holding the quaffle at any given moment.

'That must be Fred and George,' Harry thought watching the pair skillfully guide the bludgers into an unsuspecting chaser that had nearly wrestled the quaffle out of Angelina's hands. Then one of the twins went to swing at the other bludger but just before his bat would've made contact the ball made a quick left turn heading toward none of the other players in particular. Then, with a jolt Harry could see that the bludger was rocketing straight toward the stands he and his friends were sitting in.

In fact the rogue bludger was headed right for Harry and Fleur, if he didn't think quickly they would both be impromptu Quidditch players, and their roll would be rather short lived.

"Down!" Harry roared leaning hard back into Fleur who tumbled with him backwards off of the benches, the bludger slammed into the stands where their heads had been moments ago.

The fall that Harry and Fleur had gone into was far longer than Harry had thought it would be, but thankfully the pair had twisted midair leaving Harry to painfully land on his back with Fleur on top of him.

"Je déteste le Quidditch," Harry heard Fleur moan from her position on top of him.

Harry wheezily took a breath in," a-are you alright?"

" 'Arry! Are you okay?" Fleur frantically exclaimed fumbling off of him and pulling his head into her lap as she sat fretting over him.

"M'fine, just knocked the stuffing out of me," Harry grinned up at her very stupidly.

But just as fast as the smile had come onto his lips it disappeared, he could see overhead just to the left of Fleur's worried eyes that the bludger was coming back around from above. If he did nothing it would slam right into the unsuspecting girls head.

"Out of the way," Harry yelled pushing Fleur away yet again. He frantically raised his wand from his sleeve and cried out the first spell that he thought would be the most useful," decrusto!"

The bludger was a scant few inches away from the tip of Harry's wand when the disintegration charm slammed into it, the ball burst into a fine maroon powder that showered Harry covering his dark hair and the surface of his glasses.

He let out a shaky breath starting to gaze down at Fleur with another grin on his face that she was returning. But as soon as he lowered his wand a hard force slammed into his right side from the direction he hadn't been paying attention to, and everything went black just before he had a very unhelpful thought.

'There are two bludgers.'


Fleur's P.O.V

Fleur looked on in horror as Harry's face turned an ashen color and she heard a low snapping sound from the small boys side. His eyelids fluttered closed and the bludger slightly ricocheted to the left bouncing off the stand walls. The ball bounced it's way violently around the stand supports leaving cracks and craters in the beams, it seemed to be turning back around, this time aiming for Harry's head.

Fleur felt her hair rush up into a roaring fire of swirling silver as she shifted into her Veela form. Her hands burst into blue flames and she threw the two intense balls of flame at the bludger almost instantly reducing it to ash. She kicked at the dust pile that the bludger had been reduced to and flowed over to Harry extinguishing her hands running them through Harry's hair.

"C'est bon, je vais prendre soin de toi Harry."

Fleur swept Harry's small frame into her arms striding down the isle of the stands supports, and walking down the steps to leave the Quidditch pitch. Harry's breathing was coming more and more laboriously as she tried to hurry to Madam Pomfrey without jostling him to much.

"N-not upstairs! Don't take me u-up stairs, I'll be g-good," Harry moaned through ragged breaths.

"It's alright 'Arry, I'm taking you to ze nurse. We will get to ze school soon," Fleur whispered pulling him closer to herself as she struggled along with his weight. Halfway to the school along the path she could hear three sets of feet running up to her from behind.

"Is he okay," Ron asked looking at the unconscious form of Harry in Fleur's arms as they rushed along.

" 'E will be fine I'm sure, but 'e as at least a few broken ribs. Madam Pomfrey should be able to 'elp 'im."

Hermione seemed very green at the news as they all sped along with Fleur toward the hospital wing," what happened? One minute we were all watching the match then you and Harry fell backwards, Fred and George flew over us chasing a bludger, and then we see you running down the stand with Harry in your arms."

"Ze bludgers were going after 'Arry on purpose," Fleur grimaced," 'e destroyed one of zem, but zen ze other one looped around and 'it 'Arry in ze side knocking 'im unconscious. I burned zat one."

"But why was it going after Harry," Terry Boot asked very confused.

"Telle est la question, I do not know. But I will be finding out," Fleur simmered as she felt her hands wrapped around Harry threatening to turn into talons. Thankfully she smothered the urge and just rubbed Harry's back with her left hand.

The group hurried along the corridors bursting into the hospital wing greatly startling Madam Pomfrey who had been organizing a potions cabinet in the corner," I say! Don't burst into the hospital wing so loudly, I swear you gave me such a fright."

"I am sorry Madam Pomfrey, but 'Arry was struck by a bludger during ze match. I think 'e 'as broken ribs," Fleur worriedly said rushing over to the mediwitch who motioned for Fleur to place Harry on a bed.

"He's a Ravenclaw isn't he? Why was he hit by a bludger it's Slytherin and Gryffindor playing today, I expected some students from those houses but not yours," the nurse said fretting over Harry as she ran her wand over his abdomen. A few words floated in the air for her making her frown," your initial assessment was right miss Delacour, he has two broken ribs and bruising on another five."

Fleur paled at this looking at Harry in worry," 'ow long will it take for 'im to be fully 'ealed?"

"I can't expect it will take longer than through the night, thankfully mending bone is a fairly quick process. I suggest you all return to the Quidditch game and then return to classes as normal."

"No, I will stay 'ere with 'Arry until 'e wakes up. I am well ahead of my classes and I can miss a single day," Fleur stubbornly said turning her nose up and brushing her hair behind her ear.

This seemed to greatly annoy the nurse who huffed heavily, but she nodded shooing the other three out of the infirmary. Once they had left with no small amount of complaints and cries of indignation, Fleur was able to watch over Harry in peace as Madam Pomfrey cast multiple charms over the boy and poured potions down his throat.

By the time the nurse had finished, an hour had passed and Fleur had adjusted Harry's pillows and bed sheets almost ten different times separately. She was now taking on the futile task of trying to fix Harry's ever wild hair from sticking out in odd direction.

"Pourquoi est-ce si têtu," Fleur mumbled to herself as she flattened his hair against his head for a few seconds, let it go, saw for a few seconds that it stayed down, and then sighed in defeat as it sprang back into place almost as if by magic," wait. Is it magic? Was 'Arry cursed some'ow?"

"What are you mumbling about young lady? Need I remind you this is a hospital you cannot be disturbing Mr. Potter's recovery."

" 'Is 'air will not sit flat on 'is 'ead no matter 'ow 'ard I try, I was wondering if 'e was possibly cursed. No matter 'ow 'ard I think about it 'is 'air just does not make sense," Fleur quietly said to the nurse who was slightly shaking her head.

" I can say with certainty he inherited that from his father," the nurse smiled slightly looking at Harry," he looks extraordinarily like his father. James had that exact same messy hair, he often came to me asking if I had any potions or remedies to fix it when he was in his final years at Hogwarts. But truthfully nothing ever worked not even growing his hair out with a charm worked, it would only stick out in the usual places with more added because of the length. After a while he just had to come to terms with it."

" I wonder if zeir family was cursed for some reason," Fleur pondered rubbing a jutting lock of Harry's hair between her fingers.

" Who can say? I've certainly seen families cursed with the oddest curses for very petty reasons, and the majority of those odd curses stayed for a few generations because it was such a slight modification to the bloodline it just never went away. Some skip a few generations or even only affect a few of the family for some reason or another."

" 'Ow fascinating," Fleur raised an eyebrow in amusement thinking of why one of Harry's ancestors might have been cursed with eternal bed head," I wonder if someone 'as done lengthy studies on ze subject."

"To my knowledge no one has bothered, and at this point dear I imagine most of the families affected by it would have little to no information on why they had been afflicted with the cosmetic curses. And I almost certainly wouldn't trust most of the families accounts, wizard families tend to love embellishing stories."

"Zat is true," Fleur giggled smiling fondly at Harry," I rather like ze 'air now zat I think about it."

Fleur could feel the nurse staring at her from the other side of the room but ignored her in favor of pulling out her partially finished dueling club flyer she and Harry had made together.

"You really care for Mr. Potter don't you, miss Delacour?"

Fleur blushed heavily gazing at the flyer harder than was strictly necessary," oui, 'e is my first true friend. I 'ave 'ad a few but zey all left after my Veela traits became pronounced late in my first year at Beauxbatons. Some because zey were afraid or jealous of me, others because zey only wished to know me for one reason, but not 'Arry. 'E 'as seen me at my ugliest and still stands by me, 'e can see past ze allure and know ze real me. 'E is ze greatest friend I think I will ever 'ave, and I want to 'elp 'im in ze same way 'e 'as 'elped me."

Madam Pomfrey gazed at Fleur with soft eyes wiping at her cheek subtly," I'm glad the boy has such a good friend like you, he's had a hard run of it what with his parents and all. Please be sure to look after him dear, and for the love of Merlin try to keep one another out of the infirmary."

Fleur laughed lightly rubbing at her own moist eyes as she nodded," oui, I will try to keep 'im out of trouble."

The nurse nodded gratefully then disappeared into her office for the next few hours.


Harry's P.O.V

7:45 p.m.

Harry groggily opened his eyes and was greeted by the usual blurry smudges that swirled in his eyes when he woke up. Looking to his left and then his right, Harry caught sight of the usual glint of his glasses, and placed the worn spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

"What the-" Harry was deeply confused, he was in the hospital wing for some reason. And then he seemed to remember the very unhelpful last thought he had before he passed out. Harry didn't bother looking at his side where the bludger had struck him, at this point he knew the limits of his natural healing, and a few broken ribs would usually only leave him out of commission for a day.

"tempus." Harry muttered, seeing that it had been a little over nine hours since the match he frowned,' is my healing time getting faster? Or is it because Madam Pomfrey helped me?'

As he pondered his thoughts the cloud covering the rising moon illuminated the room around him and highlighted the head of silver hair by his side. Fleur was daintily resting her head on the side of Harry's hospital bed, her back rose and fell with each soft breath she took. The position looked extremely uncomfortable so Harry decided to switch positions, he shakily rose from the bed, his bare feet taping lightly on the stone, and he lifted Fleur with great difficulty onto the bed so she could rest comfortably.

As he sat in the chair she had vacated, Harry gazed at the ascending moon through the hospital window marveling at its splendor.

"You were meant to rest," Harry heard Fleur groggily say from his position under the covers.

"Like I said, I've always healed quickly, and I bet Madam Pomfrey helped it along even faster."

A long pause fell over the pair leaving Harry to think Fleur might have fallen back asleep but the girl surprised him while he was nearly dozing off," I wanted to tell you about something zat 'as worried me ever since we met, and more before your duel with ze Malfoy boy."

Harry frowned wondering what she meant," what? What is it?"

"I-I always see something circling your magical core when I open my senses fully around you," she hesitantly said, her sparkling blue eyes creased in worry.

Harry remained silent not wanting to interrupt Fleur's explanation.

"It is a malicious snake with ze most 'ateful red eyes I 'ave ever seen. Ze worst part is zat it can tell when I gaze at it, and it 'as never been 'appy when I do. I do not think it is a part of you 'Arry but when you were arguing with ze Malfoy boy your eyes, 'Arry zey turned red for a brief moment. Zey were just like zat snakes, and your core it turned so cold," Fleur shivered noticeable even under the covers at the memory," I do not know what to do 'Arry."

Harry had to absorb the information Fleur had dumped on him for a few seconds as a few things clicked into place for himself. The voice he had heard in his head for the longest time and the snake around his core blurred into one no doubt being one and the same.

"I've been able to hear the thing for a while now," he whispered to Fleur.

She covered her mouth in shock," 'Arry does it speak to you regularly? Zat thing can't be anything good."

"No, it doesn't. Honestly it only ever speaks to me when I'm mad, at my lowest, or when my guard is completely down while awake," I haven't heard it as often as I used to at privet drive since coming to Hogwarts, but it never completely goes away. Just when I think it does and I relax I starts whispering in my head."

"What does it say?"

"Nothing ever good," Harry grimaced.

" 'Ave you ever tried speaking with it?"

"What, like actively? No, never. I've never wanted to start a dialogue with that thing, it's always so… hateful. I honestly don't think it knows anything more than hatred and loathing," a low hissing rattled around in Harry's head making him shake it back and forth violently.

"What is wrong 'Arry," Fleur asked worriedly sitting up in the bed.

"It's mad, it's started the hissing again," Harry complained smacking his right ear with the flat of his hand.

"Again?"

"I tried talking to another kid about it once in my old muggle school, and when it found out it kept making a low hissing in my head for a week straight. It got annoying real quick, I don't think it likes me talking about it with people for some reason. But it didn't start this up when I was talking about it with Sal- er I mean my great grandpa."

"Zat can't be 'ealthy 'Arry, a low hissing for a week straight 'ow did you not go insane?"

"Believe me sometimes I think I have, you've seen some of the questionable things I've done," Harry laughed," the good thing is that it can't do stuff like this for long anymore, I think it can only do stuff like this when I'm feeling really negative emotions. So the rest of the time I think it's usually dormant, the hissing is already going away and it hasn't even been a minute."

"Well Zat is good at least, but we need to do something about it as soon as possible. It seemed it nearly took over you somehow during your argument with Malfoy. Perhaps Dumbledore would-"

'No!' The voice yelled nearly splitting Harry's head in two. He had to clutch at his skull as the voice screamed in rage.

"What is it 'Arry?"

"My head!" Harry cried through clenched teeth and bloodshot eyes. Harry could feel Fleur's senses wash over him as she no doubt gazed at his magical core.

" It is rampaging about! Smashing into your core and harming it!"

"What do we do?" Harry asked digging frantic fingers into his hair willing to do anything to make this horrible pain stop and he rose to his feet to try anything.

"I can try putting it to sleep using my aura infused voice, but it may put you to sleep too," Fleur said raising her hands to try and comfort Harry but only letting them hover slightly out of reach due to his phobia of touch.

"D-do it," Harry whimpered the feeling of an ice pick being dug into his brain intensifying, before suddenly disappearing as a deep warmth spread through his body.

Fleur's melodic voice resonated through his head as she sang a song in French, the syllables rolling from her tongue as if made of honey. Harry could feel his eyelids drooping and he knew he was beginning to fall forward onto Fleur. Thankfully however, she easily caught him not wavering on a single verse as she placed his head onto her shoulder so that he could rest comfortably.

Once the song had ended and Harry's body felt supremely heavy he could only stay awake long enough to hear Fleur whisper to him," when you wake up 'Arry we will start researching what ze thing could be, but for now get some rest."

"O-okay," Harry whispered closing his eyes and falling into Fleur's pleasant scent.


December, 20th

1:00 p.m.

A month had passed since the first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and while not much had happened Since Harry and Fleur had talked about the terrifying apparition around his magic core. They had decided that for dueling club sign ups, they would hold it in the great hall today while all of the tables were out of the way for Hagrid to begin setting up the twelve Christmas trees.

They were both sitting on the lip of the raised platform the teachers table was on, the pair were going over books outlining possessions and similar cases in wizards or witches.

"Ah, see 'ere a wizard in Ireland reported zat 'is wife was acting strange ze night before, and she said it 'ad to do with the ghost of 'er ancestor possessing 'er making 'er act odd. But wait, no. It turns out ze witch 'ad just put a wig on a banshee and wanted to give 'er 'usband a fright," Fleur threw the book down huffing in annoyance as she leaned back on her hands," zis is getting us nowhere! Almost all of zese cases are witches and wizards playing jokes on each other."

"I just read about one where a wizard was seemingly possessed and levitated in front of his friends with no one present brandishing a wand, but it turned out him and his cousin had decided they wanted to give their friends a good fright. So the cousin hid behind a building using the levitation charm where no one could see him, and he levitated the supposed possessed wizard. Honestly I think a lot of these recorded cases are going to end up being something along these lines," Harry said laughing.

Fleur didn't look especially happy with Harry's mirth, so she sent a glare his way," you are awfully cheerful given ze circumstances."

"Well… it's five days away from Christmas, and this will be my first one away from the Dursleys. So can you blame me? Oh, and we're holding sign ups for dueling club which, might I add, is something we've been preparing for for months!"

Fleur sighed in irritation but smiled at Harry as a line of students began to accumulate in front of the pair," I suppose we should begin taking down names."

2:15 p.m.

By the time every student had been able to give their name and year, almost an hour and a half had passed. There were a total of twenty one students who wanted to attend but a few of them were Quidditch players, and that meant they would need to work the dueling schedule around the Quidditch one.

Dueling Club Roster:

First Years: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, and Blaise Zabini

Second Years: Katie Bell and Cho Chang

Third Years: Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Cedric Diggory, and Roger Davies

Fourth Years: N/A

Fifth Years: N/A

Sixth Years:N/A

Seventh Years: Nymphadora Tonks

Fleur had said it wasn't odd for years four through six to not really apply, because those were typically the most test heavy years. She had also said it was a miracle at all a seventh year had joined, because they typically either slacked off until it was time to take N.E.W.T's or they stayed in a constant state of panic while studying. So Harry cast his gaze around for the seventh year who had applied and found her in the crowd near the front and beckoned her forward.

The girl was a few inches taller than Fleur with chin length purple hair, and scuffed looking knees and palms most likely meaning she was very clumsy.

"So why did you want to join the dueling club Nymphadora," Harry asked her quizzically," I mean you're in your last year and this club will be ran by two underclassmen one of which is a first year."

"Firstly, don't call me Nymphadora it's just Tonks, secondly I thought it sounded interesting and I wanted experience dueling other people. I'm aiming to become an Auror so I reckon it'll be better if I can get as much experience fighting other witches and wizards as I can."

Harry had no idea what an Auror was, but he assumed it was important if you needed practice fighting other wizards, so he'd defer to Fleur later on. Currently he was more worried about the mass of students both the same age and older than him staring at himself and Fleur.

"Well I'll definitely try and find a few students who seem rather good at dueling so you can have a go at them," Harry laughed.

"Thanks Harry," Tonks chirped her hair turning an odd vibrant pink.

"Uh, no problem. Hey Fleur could you maybe outline the Dueling Club schedule we decided on," Harry said nervously gazing around at the crowd of students.

"Of course 'Arry. May I 'ave your attention," Fleur called out turning the full intensity of the gathered students gazes on her," now zat everyone 'as put zere names down we will outline ze schedules for club activities. Ze first club meeting will be January the ninth and from then will be biweekly on Thursday's, exempting significant test days of course. But as long as at least 'alf of ze club members can attend ze meeting it will continue and zose who missed will be caught up at ze next meeting. Does everyone understand?"

A chorus of affirmations rang out from everyone but Crabbe and Goyle who scratched at the top of their heads, like a pair of confused baboons. After a severely dumb downed explanation from Malfoy the pair nodded and everybody began to disperse, except for Ron, Hermione, and Terry.

"Have you two found a room to hold the Dueling Club meetings in yet," Terry asked watching the milling students leave in a mass of shuffling feet.

"No, we've looked but we can't find anywhere that's big enough for so many people and that will still have the space for a dueling platform," Harry sighed.

"Why don't you just ask the teachers we can ask Professor McGonagall and you can ask Professor Flitwick," Hermione beamed most likely excited at the idea of learning how to duel.

Harry opened his mouth in protest but quickly shut it frowning," why didn't we ask any of the teachers," Harry asked Fleur who grew very still at the question.

"I- I did not think to," Fleur said very abashed at the stare Harry was giving her," you didn't think to either, so stop starring at me like zat."

"Alright, alright. You're not exactly wrong, so that's on both of us, but it's a brilliant idea Hermione. I guess Fleur and I are far to independent to rely on others for help, so we probably would've stubbornly kept looking for a room on our own," Harry grinned at the bushy haired girl hopping off of the teachers platform," so let's go ask, hopefully we'll be set before everyone gets back from Christmas break in a few days."