Harry Potter and the Serpent's Eye

Harry Potter and the Serpent's Eye

Chapter One - A Day to Remember

Harry Potter turned over, half asleep, to switch off the alarm on his bedside clock. When he opened his eyes and had started to wake up a little, he realised what day it was, and jumped out of the cosy warm covers to get changed.

Harry had had the time of his life after leaving school for the summer that year. His godparents, Sirius and Genevieve, had adopted him and they lived in a large cottage in a nice part of the country. This part of the country happened to be less than an hour's drive by car to Harry's friend Ron Weasley's family's house.

It was now the beginning of August, but Harry hadn't seen Ron and the Weasleys, or Hermione, his other best friend, since the start of the summer. The reason for this was Sirius and Genevieve's wedding.

Now, after all the planning, the day had arrived. The guest list was huge to say the least, and included many people Harry was anxious to see.

Harry's new room looked out over the cottage's back garden. It was a beautiful garden; nicely kept, full of colour, a few nice tall trees stood down the bottom and a bench sat beneath one of them. In his room, he had a tidy wooden desk, his bed against one wall, a wardrobe; now containing clothes that were actually his size, his trunk; placed under the window, acting a little like window seat and a small chest of drawers.

After pulling on a pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, Harry left his room and jumped down the stairs, two at a time.

He crossed the morning sun-lit hall and entered the roomy, country cottage kitchen.

Sirius was sitting at the oak table in the middle of the room, drinking what looked like coffee, and reading The Daily Prophet newspaper.

"Ah! Harry! There you are," Sirius grinned at him as Harry sat down and took a piece of toast from the plate in the middle of the table. "I was beginning to wonder whether you were going to be awake in time to be at the wedding!" Sirius chuckled, and turned a page of the Prophet.

"Where's the bride?" Harry asked placidly.

"I think she's in the garden getting the chairs out. She wouldn't let me help. She told me to keep out of the way until she had the seats in the right places, etc," Sirius shrugged.

Harry smiled to himself. Things had been a bit hectic when it came to Genevieve's wedding plans. Harry had helped where he could, but he usually had to stay out of the way like Sirius. Women spent a lot of time planning their weddings, it seemed. Genevieve wanted everything just right.

Harry glanced out of the kitchen window, and saw his godmother putting the last fold-up chair in place with her wand. It seemed she was done as she came in through the back door beaming.

"Everything's ready!" she announced happily. She planted a kiss on Sirius' cheek, making him grin up at her, then she came round and wished Harry 'good morning' and ruffled his already messy hair.

Genevieve had tried to change Harry's unruly hairstyle but this had not worked, and it lay all over the place as usual.

She had, however, changed his appearance dramatically when she had fixed Harry's dodgy eyesight with magic. He didn't need his glasses anymore. Sirius had been greatly surprised at the difference it made.

"The guests will be arriving in a few hours," Genevieve said sitting down, "and then the service will take place once everyone is here. Everyone eats after that, then we're done for the day."

The next two hours were spent in a blur of last minute flower arrangements, an arch under the trees at the bottom of the garden for the couple to stand under being decorated, Harry tidying up the house a little and Sirius checking over the list of guests for a last time.

Harry sat on the bench under the large trees after the house had been successfully tidied. He sat looking at the leaves, his mind wandering.

He traced the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead with his finger, and remembered the events of the last year of school. He shivered.

His mind wandered to the glorious days he had spent over the summer since he fist walked in to the cottage, to the trips Sirius took him on so he could visit the famous Museum of Quidditch in London. He remembered sitting in the cosy sitting room by the hearth while he laughed along with his new godparents. He had never been so happy. He hated to think of how reluctant he would be to go back to Hogwarts.

Harry jumped back to reality as he heard voices at the top of the garden. Then he heard a small cry and Hermione Granger came rushing down the garden and hugged Harry, who was rather taken by surprise.

"Hermione!" Harry gasped.

"Oh! I missed you, Harry! And, oh, where are your glasses? And, oh! I saw Ron and Mrs Weasley at the house! Ron's even taller! Oh, I missed you both so much! Sirius and Genevieve seem awfully happy! Oh, I hope you have had a good time! You have haven't you?" Harry took the moment Hermione had paused to take a breath in, to sit her down and try to start answering her chain of questions.

"I have had a wonderful summer so far, thank you. My glasses? I don't need them now. Sirius and Genevieve seem very happy, yes. Ah! We should go find Ron." Harry grinned.

Hermione was looking at Harry hard, her brow furrowed as though she was trying to work out a hard math's sum.

"What?" Harry asked her.

"Nothing - just -. Well, you do look awfully different without your glasses," she smiled at Harry's bewildered look.

"Harry!" came a familiar yell from the top of the garden. Ron's red hair was visible from a mile off.

Harry waved to him and he came beaming to meet them.

"Alright, Harry?" he said, still beaming.

"Yeah, fine. How has your summer been?"

"Oh, great. You'll never - hey! Where are your glasses?" Hermione laughed.

"I don't need them anymore," Harry explained for the second time in five minutes.

"Looks different, doesn't he, Ron?" Hermione commented.

"Yeah, very. We'll walk by him without recognising him," he laughed.

Genevieve called to them from the back door and so they all trotted in to the cottage.

Most of the guests already seemed to have arrived. They were all standing (for moving was rather difficult) in the kitchen and hall.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione came in to the crowded kitchen, the first person they met was Remus Lupin.

He was dressed in fancy dark blue dress robes. It was a great change from the shabby robes they had previously seen him donning.

"Harry! How are you? Ron, Hermione, nice to see you both." He smiled at them all, but, before they managed to have a proper conversation, Sirius was ushering everyone out to the garden.

Ron left to take a seat with the rest of the Weasleys, but neither Harry, nor Hermione, were in their dress-robes yet. Hermione had, of course, adorned her Muggle clothing while her parents drove her there, and Harry hadn't been wearing smart clothes for he had been clearing up the cottage in the morning.

Harry showed Hermione upstairs and showed her into his room so she could change in there. Harry went to the green fitted bathroom to change.

When Harry emerged, he was wearing deep green robes with gold lining. Hermione came out of Harry's room wearing dark red robes that fitted her very well indeed. Harry remembered the Yule ball in fourth year. Her hair was up in the same way.

By the time they hurried out to the garden, most of the guests were seated. Flower petals were appearing out of nowhere and fell by the trees and the flower covered arch under which Albus Dumbledore stood, waiting to make Sirius and Genevieve a married couple.

Hermione took a seat near the back, and Harry edged his way around the seats to the to stand up at the front next to Lupin, who was Sirius' best man.

On the other side of the arch stood Genevieve's maid of honor, Minerva McGonagall. Harry had never seen her smile so widely as she did now. She wore heavy black and blue robes. A cousin of Genevieve's named Ashley stood by McGonagall's side. She had dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. She was a few years younger than Genevieve but they had always been about as close as sisters.

The grand harp that stood wreathed in more flowers past Ashley started to play itself. The low enchanting tune announced the arrival of the couple.

Sirius, in robes of midnight black, was walking out of the back door arm-in-arm with Genevieve, who had never looked so lovely, in flowing robes of white and shimmering silver. The robes matched her silvery gold hair wonderfully.

Harry smiled as he watched them walk down the isle. Harry then turned to look at the guests. He saw Mr and Mrs Weasley, and all of the Weasley's children, even Percy. He caught sight of the whole of the teaching staff of Hogwarts, even, with a jolt of surprise, Severus Snape.

To Harry's left, Hagrid stood, almost bending over to fit beneath the trees. He had a red and white spotted hanky and was blowing his nose on it.

There were a number of people Harry didn't know at all, and turning his attention back to the ceremony, he saw that the bride and groom had reached Dumbledore at the arch.

Dumbledore beamed, eyes twinkling. He slid a hand into his silver-star patterned robes to retrieve two small boxes.

"Sirius Black and Genevieve Argent," he began, "have been so lucky as to fall in love and wish to be married. I was, I admit, surprised when I heard Sirius wanted to settle down. I wouldn't have imagined it of him-" Harry and the guests laughed "- but here we are and I am honoured to be officiating the happy event.

"So, Sirius Black, do you take this woman to be your wife, forever and ever, until death do you part?"

"I do," Sirius smiled.

"And you, Genevieve Argent, do you take this man to be your husband through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, all of the other such things, until death do you part?" Dumbledore turned his twinkling gaze to watch her.

"I do," Genevieve grinned and she and Sirius turned to face each other.

"Then I have the pleasure of announcing you man and wife!" he whole ceremony clapped and cheered and the harp played an upbeat merry tune as flower petals fell all around the newly weds.

Sirius took the two boxes from Dumbledore and he and Genevieve placed the rings on their left hands.

Harry grinned widely. Hagrid was crying next to him.

The bride and groom started back up the slope to the cottage, as did everyone else from their seats.

Harry hadn't moved, however, and he saw Dumbledore wave his hand as a mass of beautiful butterflies flew around the guests and the newly married couple. They disappeared with a faint pop a moment or two later.

Harry then saw that everyone was standing at the back door to the cottage and Dumbledore, smiling vaguely, moved his hand in a sweeping gesture causing the rows of seats to disappear, then reappear around white clothed tables laden with silver plates and goblets.

The guests moved back to the tables, chatting and talking, laughing and socializing. Harry took his seat between Sirius and Lupin.

He caught Ron and Hermione's eyes and smiled as they waved to him. He found it odd to not be sitting next to them as he was used to.

Everyone told their plates what they wished to eat, and started to dig in as soon as their requested meal appeared.

When everyone had finished, Lupin, as best man, made a speech and toasted the married couple.

Soon after, a band of musician house elves began to play a waltz and there was some enthusiastic dancing.

Sirius and Genevieve took to the floor, and Harry watched as Hermione convinced Ron to get up and dance with her.

As he watched, Harry lost count of the times Ron stepped on Hermione's feet.

Harry knew perfectly well that Ron and Hermione both wished they were more than friends, though neither seemed to admit it.

The afternoon passed pleasantly and the guests all left as the sun began to set.

"So, you're coming tomorrow by floo powder, yes?" Ron confirmed as he said goodbye to Harry at the front door.

"Yes. About lunch time. Sirius and Genevieve are setting off for their honeymoon in the morning," Harry said.

"But you'll be coming to my house soon," Hermione put in, "my parents and I are coming to pick you up in two days time. It's all sorted with your parents, Ron."

"Excellent! We'll see you very soon then. Bye bye!" Ron followed Fred and George down the small path to the front gate and waved back as he left.

Hermione appeared a moment later. She had her bag with her again, now holding her muggle clothes, and she bade Harry goodbye as she walked to the end of the drive where her parent's car was parked. Harry shut the front door as her car vanished around the corner.

Harry didn't see much of Sirius or Genevieve that evening.

First they were clearing away the chairs and tables and mounds of flowers in the back garden, and then they were rushing to get their bags packed for their honeymoon trip to Greece.

Harry was eating a sandwich for dinner when Sirius and Genevieve walked in to the kitchen looking absolutely worn out.

"Oh, I am the tired-est bride that ever lived," Genevieve sat by Harry.

"But at least you are also the most beautiful bride that ever lived," Sirius put in with a grin.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sirius Black." Genevieve and Sirius fell about laughing. Harry soon started laughing as well. It seemed his godparents' laughter was infectious.

The whole house fell asleep as soon as heads hit pillows that night.

The next morning, Harry woke to find Genevieve sitting on his bed.

"Good morning," she said.

Harry blinked, yawned and sat up.

"I was just coming to say 'bye'. We are just leaving. You will be going soon as well. Sirius is just grabbing our brooms to ride on."

"Oh! I meant to be up earlier and say 'goodbye' properly," Harry said ruefully.

"Never mind, we'll be back before you know it and I daresay that between the Burrow and Hermione's house, you will have plenty to do," she smiled, kissed his forehead, and waved as she left the room.

Sirius appeared a moment later and sat with Harry for a moment to say 'goodbye'. He was about to insist Harry leave first, but Harry knew he could take a while and disagreed. They then left, and Harry started to pack some things in a handy little backpack to be ready to floo to Ron's house.

*~*~*

Shortly after midday, Harry fell out of the fireplace into the Weasley's kitchen.

"Harry! There you are," Ron grinned at him as he wandered in with Ginny, who looked taller than Harry remembered.

Harry put his backpack down in Ron's room. It still looked as it always did - very orange.

"What's this?" Harry asked, tugging at a bag in the middle of the floor.

"That's my bag for when we stay at Hermione's," Ron replied. "Should we go down for lunch?"

They did. Mrs Weasley made a fuss and cooked some of her lovely home cooking.

After they had eaten, Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Bill and Charlie all trooped up the hill with their brooms and tried to make an even game, which didn't happen as there was one to many to people anyway.

When they got back to the Burrow, tired and sweaty, Mrs Weasley ordered the garden to be de-gnomed.

Harry joined in as the Weasley children grabbed the small grubby creatures by their feet and threw them over the fence.

In what seemed like no time at all, Mr Weasley and Percy were home and dinner was being served on two long tables in the garden.

"So, what's it like living with them?" Ron asked Harry. He was, of course, talking about Sirius and Genevieve, Harry's new family.

"It's wonderful," Harry smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah," Ron sighed, "I think you deserve a family after fifteen years, don't you?"

Harry shrugged a little, too tired to get in to a complicated conversation.

When he fell asleep that night, he dreamt things he didn't remember and woke up the next day to go to play Quidditch again, to play chess (and lose) with Ron, exploding snap was also an option and Mrs Weasley's meals were always a pleasure.

The morning after, Harry woke to see Ron running around the room.

"What are you - doing" Harry asked groggily.

"We're going to Hermione's, quick, get up. We're going soon!" Ron grinned as he threw a pair of trousers in to his backpack, once owned by Fred.

"Soon? We're leaving soon? How soon?" Harry started pulling his socks on. He didn't realise they were going to be picked up so early.

"About two hours," Ron answered, still packing. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"You're packing rather early then. Keen to get to Hermione's are we?" Harry smirked a little.

"Mm," Ron didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything Harry said. He was, instead, trying to choose between packing a pair of red socks or a pair of blue socks.

Harry was packed in no time, as he only had to re-pack his first outfit of jeans and a t-shirt.

He and Ron played wizard chess until they heard a car pull up outside.

The Grangers stood nervously by their car. Even after Hermione having gone to Hogwarts for five years, her parents had very little contact with the wizards apart from the few times they met the Weasley's in Diagon Alley.

Hermione threw the backpacks in to the boot while Mrs Weasley kissed Ron and Harry, told them to be good and to be careful.

"Take care, Harry dear. Be good Ron, both of you actually. Stay out of trouble."

Soon, they were all in the car and driving to Hermione's house.

"Where exactly is your house, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously after they had been in the car for almost an hour.

"It's in a seaside town called Tattenbury," Hermione said with an eloquent shrug. Harry was very surprised.

"You live by the sea then?" he asked. Ron looked as surprised as Harry felt.

"Uh-huh," Hermione nodded.

For two whole hours, there was no shortage of conversation. If at any point they did start to quieten down, it was filled with Hermione talking about a book she had just read; most of them interesting wizarding history books, designed to send Ron and Harry to sleep.

They drove through a pretty little village called Westbrook and then, after passing a few fields and scattered buildings, they came to a 'welcome' sign informing them that they were now in Tattenbury.

"There! That's my house!" Hermione grinned as the car stopped in front of a reasonably modern looking house with ivy climbing the front.

Ron's mouth was open as he stepped out of the car. Hermione's house was rather big and in a far more upright position than the burrow.

Harry was quite astonished, but then, he reasoned, dentists were paid rather well.

Hermione led them into a large comfy hall, then showed them into the guest room.

"Your house is really nice," Harry said sitting on one of the single beds. Ron nodded mutely.

"It's only a short way to the beach from here," she smiled. "Perhaps we should go down after lunch, you think?"

"Yeah!" Harry and Ron said loudly, standing up.

"Let's go and eat then," Hermione left first.

After eating a mound of cheese sandwiches, Harry, Ron and Hermione went upstairs to change into some swimming gear, and collect towels, etc.

Harry wore some green swimming trunks with a T-shirt and Ron wore similar trunks of a light blue with a purple shirt.

Hermione, however, shocked them both when she came out wearing a bikini top with a skirt.

"Are you ready?" she asked, grabbing her towel from the banister.

Harry nodded and started towards the door, Ron looked like he had been slapped with a stupid stick and only moved when Harry grabbed him by the arm and turned him around and down the steps.

Hermione had been right; it took them less than a five-minute walk to get to the beach.

Harry had never been to a beach ever and was blown away by the sight. It was high tide, the sand was littered with shells and pebbles of all description and the sea was a royal blue colour.

Hermione lay on the sand with the ambition of earning a tan while the sun was still high, Ron and Harry got each other soaked when they splashed water at each other while standing knee deep in the sea.

Hermione laughed loudly when she caught sight of Ron tripping Harry up and causing him to go right under and come up spluttering.

Some time later, Hermione joined Harry and Ron on a walk along the beach.

"Look at that," Ron pointed at a load of large rocks. The waves clashed against the first rocks' sides. "Have you ever climbed over those, Hermione?" Ron added.

"No, I always think I'll slip."

"Oh, we won't let you slip, will we Harry?" Ron grinned.

"Definitely not," Harry agreed, and the three of them started to climb on the lowest rocks to hand.

Harry and Ron got to the highest rock in a matter of minutes. Hermione arrived a moment later. All three looked out over the clashing waves.

"Shall we go to the rocks at the front? The ones closest to the sea?" Ron asked, still having an eye for adventure.

Harry nodded, still grinning, but Hermione shook her head and wouldn't go forward.

Ron reached the closest rocks to the sea a moment later, Harry arrived a minute after.

"I wonder what would happen if I pushed you in," Ron wondered out loud, an evil grin on his face.

"I suppose I would drown as I am an awful swimmer. So, I wouldn't recommend pushing me in as a joke," Harry grinned, Ron was laughing.

He seemed to be finding Harry's swimming skills, or lack there of, very funny.

"Perhaps we should go back to Hermione," Harry said while Ron was still laughing.

"Yeah, I guess," Ron, still chuckling, turned to leave. Harry also turned but foot got caught on a snag in the rocks. He tugged at his trainer but he couldn't move it an inch.

"My foot's stuck!" he called. Ron turned, came back, and pulled it out in one swift motion.

"Easy," Ron smiled, then he held out his hand to pull Harry up. Harry took it.

It was at this point that Hermione had started to get impatient and yelled for them to stop messing about and hurry back.

Ron jumped on being yelled at and Harry slipped from his grasp.

One moment Harry was standing on the rocks, the next he was nowhere to be seen.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione screamed simultaneously. Hermione rushed to where Harry had fallen and knelt by Ron.

They both felt like they were utterly helpless. All they could do was yell Harry's name and call again and again though there was no reply.

"We have to look under water!" A splash announced Ron diving in to the sea.

Hermione looked around frantically. There had to be something she could do.

She watched Ron bobbing up and down, diving and reappearing. Harry was just not in sight.