Rating:
PG-13
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Harry Potter
Genres:
Action General
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Stats:
Published: 11/24/2002
Updated: 04/06/2003
Words: 29,340
Chapters: 7
Hits: 8,697

Harry Potter and the Serpent's Eye

Lucy-Liza

Story Summary:
Sequel to Harry Potter and the Magic Within. Harry's sixth year is coming up and things are a little different: he lives with his godparents, Ron and Hermione have feelings for each other, and when Harry reads an ancient myth, things take a turn for the darker. Please read Magic Within before attempting this fic.

Chapter 03

Chapter Summary:
Sequel to Harry Potter and the Magic Within. Harry's sixth year is coming up and things are a little different: he lives with his godparents, Ron and Hermione have feelings for each other, and when Harry reads an ancient myth, things take a turn for the darker. Please read Magic Within before attempting this fic.
Posted:
01/04/2003
Hits:
860
Author's Note:
Heylo reader, sorry this took a while, i hope u all enjoy ch 3. Please review!

Harry Potter and the Serpent's Eye

Chapter 5 -

When he finally left the garden, Harry found Ron and Hermione in the main dining room (there was more than one to chose from), doing what looked like homework.

Ron looked impatient as Hermione was trying to point out interesting facts from the book, which he should include in his essay.

"I have to write two rolls of parchment as it is," he complained, "I don't want to add to it."

"Oh, alright, fine, but you will get no house points for it and probably no credit of any kind at all," Hermione said huffily.

Harry almost wondered if he had imagined the scene upstairs. He couldn't have done, but this was absolutely surreal.

"Harry! What's wrong? You look awful," Ron looked concerned, though it may have been a welcome thing for Harry to look awful when there was an essay waiting.

"I'm fine," Harry said automatically. "You didn't come out to have a walk earlier." Hermione's head snapped up.

"Oh! Oh, Harry, we - um - forgot," she glanced sideways at Ron, who looked down at his essay, not meeting her eyes.

"Forgot? Oh, well, never mind then," Harry sat down feeling extremely tense.

"Um, something wrong, Harry? You do look odd," Hermione peered closely at him as he sat down.

"I am fine," Harry said again, though he put stress on the ' I ' at the beginning, which made him sound snippy.

Ron raised his eyebrows at Hermione behind Harry's back. Hermione shrugged.

Harry couldn't make sense of the situation. The only way he could see any sense at all, was if he figured they had been dating in secret for sometime and they were used to acting normally around other people, like him, who had no idea. It was this revelation that made him feel slightly gloomy. Why wouldn't they tell him? He wouldn't have a problem with them dating and surely they knew him well enough to know that. Didn't they?

He couldn't think about any of it anymore.

He left Ron and Hermione working and wandered out of the house and up to Star Point.

He sat on the summit, looking out over the beautiful countryside. There were no houses for miles. It was a lovely spot and Harry couldn't imagine anywhere nicer, except perhaps Hogwarts.

Harry lay back on the grass looking up at the sky. He closed his eyes, listening to the rustling leaves and the sighing wind. Soon he was asleep.

*~*~*

The room was dark. It seemed that it had no windows. The stone walls looked cold and damp. Shelves stood around half of the room's walls.

Books, old and new, jars containing unnamed things, cauldrons, already holding mixtures all stood on the towering shelves.

Voldemort was pacing the room, a tatty book in his hands.

Every now and then he would mutter something in an annoyed fashion.

He became increasingly impatient, then finally threw the book aside on to a large pile of read books.

"Is there nothing that will allow me to change that flaw in my plans?" he screeched angrily.

He reached out a hand to the other side of the room, and a brown and black volume flew into his grasp.

"In here," he muttered. "In here is the one flaw in my plans to kill that wretched boy! I shall find a way to change the way it works even if it takes years!"

He held the book up to the small torch on the wall. The book's name shone in silver down the spine: Myths and Legends of the Wizarding World.

Voldemort flicked to the page he wanted, and read it through for what must have been the hundredth time.

What he read through did not seem to give him any more inspiration on the matter and he threw the book into the air then while it fell, he pointed a finger at it and in a flash the book was in ashes.

*~*~*

Harry jumped. His scar was so painful he couldn't see even though it was barely mid-afternoon.

He couldn't clamp his hands over it because it was burning.

He spent nearly five minutes lying with no idea what to do. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing for the pain in his head to end.

After ten minutes had passed, Harry lightly touched his forehead, relieved that it seemed to have cooled down.

The pain had been just as bad as when he woke up bleeding, but it had lasted longer this time.

Both dreams had been slightly helpful. First he learnt that Snape had got in trouble for trying to put Harry's murder off for a time. He also heard that Voldemort was close to invincible.

Now, it seemed he was caught in a snag. The only way Harry could find out what was holding him back was to read through Myths and Legends of the Wizarding World.

He stood up gingerly, and made his way stiffly down the hill to Stella Athelstan again.

He felt thoroughly drained. Every nerve in his body was tingling with the aftermath of the pain. He had felt the same way after he'd been put under the Cruciatus Curse.

He stumbled in to the house from the back door and walked through the kitchen and the hall before stopping in front of the study.

This study was a huge room that seemed more like a library than anything else.

When Sirius was given the property as compensation for being in Azkaban while he was innocent, all the books were there along with most of the furniture already.

They had no idea how many books were there and hadn't been able to read many since they moved in.

Harry stood on the moving ladder, and started skimming through the covers, trying to work out how they were organised so he could figure out where to start searching.

He began pulling down assorted books focusing on Myths and Legends, determined to find the source of Voldemort's concern.

He soon had a stack of books in his left arm while he tried to pile further books on top of those.

When Harry heard the door open behind him, he was starting to move the ladder along to the end of the bookcase to place the books on the oak desk and start going through them.

"What are you doing, Harry?" came Ron's voice.

Harry slid down the ladder and put down the books without replying.

"Harry! What are you doing?" Ron repeated louder, coming in to the room.

Harry glanced up for a moment. "Research," he muttered.

"Research, eh? Research on what?"

"Voldemort has come up against a problem in his plans to finish me off and it was something to do with a myth or a legend, so I am reading up to figure out what it is," Harry shuffled some books aside.

He hadn't found the volume Voldemort had been reading, but he was determined to find a myth or legend that could get in the way of immortality goals and/or his murder.

Ron looked intrigued. "Need any help?" he asked.

Harry looked up, a little surprised.

"Oh, I thought you were doing that essay with Hermione," he replied.

"Um, no, finished that a while ago. Then I watched some Feletision in the sitting room."

Harry tried not to laugh as he corrected Ron by telling him that it was 'television' not 'feletision'.

Ron shrugged and sat down to go through the books with Harry.

*~*~*

They spent ages sitting, searching the dusty volumes. Ron seemed to be enjoying himself a lot. When reflecting on the times he, Ron and Hermione had done this sort of thing in the Hogwarts library before, Harry couldn't recall Ron ever being so cheerful and yet relaxed while searching.

"Like old times," Ron sighed. "Like we always used to do."

Harry glanced up and saw that Ron looked, no other word for it, suddenly sad.

"Ron, what's the matter? You look like Moaning Myrtle, only sadder," Harry said.

Ron bit his lip. He looked around as though he was checking for eavesdroppers then he looked down at the volume in front of him while his ears turned red.

"What is it?" Harry repeated, moving his book aside and hoping he would get an answer.

Ron looked up slowly; he seemed to be gathering courage.

"I have to tell you something, Harry," he said, sounding very serious and not Ron-like at all.

Harry thought he sounded so serious it couldn't possibly be something as simple as going out with their friend, but he swallowed and glanced back up to meet Ron's eyes. He looked awfully tense.

"Well, what is it? Tell me," Harry said, trying desperately to sound casual.

"I'm in love with Hermione."

Harry snapped his head up; Ron lowered his eyes as though he had just admitted murder.

Harry found he was surprisingly un-surprised.

"Um -" he began, but Ron cut in, suddenly talking at the speed of light.

"I didn't plan on it. I still remember when we hated her. I know it's useless, she probably doesn't like me anymore than just friends -" then Harry cut him off.

"I don't think she would kiss you like that if she didn't feel the same way, Ron," he said matter-of-factly with an eloquent shrug.

Ron's mouth fell open.

"What - how did -"

"That's not important," Harry said hastily, not wanting to re-see the scene in his head that much. "What is important is that no one kisses someone like that unless they mean it."

Ron was still looking struck at how Harry had known about the kiss.

"Does she always kiss you like that, Ron?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised.

"No - we - we only kissed once. We were -"

"- In my room," Harry finished.

He had wondered if that was the hundredth kiss but he was obviously wrong about that. Ron looked as though his eyes would pop out.

"Harry - what on earth - how did -"

"Ron, focus," Harry interrupted. "You have to talk to Hermione."

"What on earth would I say? No, Harry, I can't. I was scared to tell you. Let alone her."

"What happened after the kiss?"

"She blushed. I stood like a lemon, and then she turned and left in a hurry. I figured she hadn't meant for that to happen."

"I think she is probably thinking you think the same -"

"But I don't! I wanted to kiss her." Ron turned beetroot red.

Harry smiled. "Then tell her that," he said.

Ron bit his lip and sighed. "I can't. I just can't." With that, he got up and started pacing. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times.

"Of course you can tell her." Harry stood up and took Ron by the shoulders. "Just do it and get it over with. You will be happy if you do. She likes you as well, Ron, I know it."

Ron half smiled. Then Harry turned him around to face the door.

"Go tell her. Sirius and Genevieve are still out, and I won't bother you." Harry started marching Ron to the door and when Ron got there he turned to face Harry, who stood smiling behind him.

"Um - thanks, Harry," he said, ears going red again. Harry nodded and Ron left the study.

Harry sat back at his desk to continue his book search thinking, "About time".

*~*~*

An hour or two later, Harry had a headache and strained eyes, but was no closer to finding out what Myth or legend was interfering with Voldemort's plans.

He focused on both of Voldemort's goals, his murder and immortality, because he was not exactly clear which was being a problem.

It could be either or both for all he knew. He just didn't want to miss anything.

Now, he was feeling increasingly frustrated with the whole thing. If only the study had a copy of that book Voldemort had been reading in his dream.

He had seen no sign of Ron or Hermione since Ron left with the intent to tell Hermione how he felt about her.

When he felt he could not face another page of pointless reading, Harry left the study with the vague intention of passing through the parlor and in to the kitchen to get something to eat as he had undoubtedly missed dinner.

Upon walking in to the parlor, however, food was driven out of his mind when he saw Ron and Hermione kissing in the furthest armchair. Hermione was sitting sideways on Ron's lap and Harry closed his eyes so he would not have to see their kiss.

"Ugh!" he said. "I was going to the kitchen but I'm not all that hungry anymore."

Hermione screamed and jumped out of the chair. Ron stayed where he was and his ears turned pink.

"Oh, Harry! I didn't know you were there!" Hermione said, flustered, and wringing her hands.

"That much," Harry said, smirking slightly, "is obvious."

"Harry - I mean - we just - well - oh no - oh dear -" Hermione covered her reddening face with her hands.

"It's alright, Hermione, calm down," Harry laughed.

Hermione turned to Ron, a puzzled, questioning look on her face.

"He convinced me to come and talk to you. But he seemed to know an awful lot more than I told him already. I reckon Harry's psychic or something," Ron said, squinting at the boy in question.

"I am not psychic, Ron," Harry said exasperatedly.

"Well, you knew I was going to be a Prefect, and you knew me and Hermione kissed in your bedroom. You also said I would be happy if I told her, and that she would feel the same, which was all true," Ron said standing up and putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders as he talked.

"Any idiot could tell you liked each other," Harry snapped.

Hermione looked thoughtful.

"Shush, you two," she said curtly. "Stop bugging Harry, Ron. And Harry, thank you for talking some sense in to Ron. He was braver than I was. If he hadn't come to see me, I wouldn't have had the guts to do what he did instead. Now, Exploding Snap anyone?"

All three agreed, and while they played, Harry filled Hermione in on his research mission.

"Myths and Legends of the Wizarding World," Hermione mused. "I think it's in the Hogwarts library."

"Well, you would know," Ron muttered, grinning. Hermione hit him on the arm.

"Really?" Harry looked up from the pack of cards. "It would be great if I could find it. Bit it would have been better if I hadn't wasted all the afternoon and evening searching for it in the study."

*~*~*

When Harry and Ron were getting ready for bed, Harry couldn't help but feel uneasy when he wondered whether he would be able to sleep without waking up with a burning, bleeding, or unbelievably painful scar.

He lay back on his bed, looking at the moonlit patches on the ceiling and before he could help it, he was asleep.

*~*~*

The last days of the summer flew by too quickly for Harry's liking.

He had, however, been lucky in that he had no awful dreams since he fell asleep at Star Point.

When he told Sirius he planned to find out about whatever snag Voldemort had run into, he'd warned him to be careful and always take care. Harry had the feeling Sirius had not been listening.

Genevieve did listen and supported his idea but she did caution him as well.

"Knowledge can be a useful tool, but it can also be an awfully powerful enemy," she had said in a wise sort of voice that made Ron snigger.

Ron had, in fact, been insanely cheery ever since he and Hermione sorted themselves out.

Genevieve said she thought it was sweet, Sirius said he thought it was about ruddy time.

Hermione seemed to blush a lot, and often changed the subject when the conversation turned to her and Ron.

Soon, however, it was the night before term started.

While the trip to Diagon Alley had been fun that day, Harry had never stopped thinking with a heavy heart that he would be leaving Stella Athelstan the next day.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had met the other Weasleys while they sat in the Leaky Cauldron after shopping.

Fred and George were there looking at an empty shop free to let.

Ginny came to sit at Harry, Ron and Hermione's table while Mr and Mrs Weasley were talking to Genevieve.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe what new broom is in Quality Quidditch Supplies," she said lightly. "It's like a new version of the Firebolt but it has a gadget on the back for checking speed and a built-in compass. My friend Hannah got one."

"Ah," Ron said, eyes misting over. Harry had an idea.

While everyone else talked and had a butterbeer at the Cauldron, Harry went back out to the Alley.

He came back in to the Leaky Cauldron some time later with a large package. He managed to ask his godmother to shrink it small enough to fit in his pocket before anyone noticed it.

As it was, the air was thick with gloom as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in Stella Athelstan's kitchen with Sirius and Genevieve.

"Oh, come on you three," Sirius said, trying to cheer them up by acting merry, "how about some wizard chess?"

"No thanks," Harry, Ron and Hermione answered simultaneously.

"We just don't want to go back yet," Harry said with a sigh.

"Yeah, summers seem to go so quickly," Hermione said sadly.

"I would have thought that you would want to get back to school," Ron said.

"I'll have you know, Ronald Weasley, that I enjoy summer as much as you do."

Harry started to laugh at the face Ron pulled at Hermione's back. The laughter spread infectiously and they didn't stop for a good few minutes.

*~*~*

The trunks were collected up and Sirius fit them all snugly in the boot of a small saloon car, which Sirius had been given along with the house and gardens.

Harry sat in the back with Ron and Hermione on his right. He stared sadly out of the window to his left at the house he would not see for so long.

The white painted door, the plain stone walls half hidden by a climber plant with lovely purple flowers that covered as much of the front as it could. The small cosy windows and the thatched roof, tidy and well maintained, gave it a lovely country cottage feel.

The car started to pull away, and soon it was out of sight.

Ron and Hermione looked half-asleep.

For almost an hour, Harry sat looking out of the window feeling exhausted while he listened to Sirius and Genevieve talking about various things and Ron snoring. Hermione was asleep as well, but she, luckily, didn't add to the noise.

When they finally arrived at King's Cross station, everyone got out of the car and took out the trunks and cages before placing them on trolleys and wheeling them down to Platform nine.

They walked inconspicuously to the barrier between platforms nine and ten, then, when no one was looking, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Genevieve all passed through it and came to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

After putting their trunks in a spare compartment, Harry, Ron and Hermione jumped off the Hogwarts Express and got back on to the Platform.

Ron went to find his mum to say 'Bye' to her, Hermione went with him, and Harry was left with his godparents.

"Well, you have a good term," Genevieve said, patting down Harry's hair with tears in her eyes.

"Don't do anything stupid," Sirius put in, ruffling his hair up again.

All three paused for a moment, then all moved forward and hugged. Genevieve had started crying.

"Oh, you promise me you'll be careful, Harry," she cried.

"I will, I promise," Harry answered then backed away as the train issued steam.

He waved from the compartment window when he sat down. Watching Genevieve crying while she waved made it harder for Harry to go.

Ron and Hermione watched from the compartment door as Harry watched his godparents out of sight as the train moved and turned away from the platform.

"You'll see them at Christmas," Hermione said softly as she sat down with Ron opposite Harry.

An awful voice in the back of Harry's head replied, 'Maybe.'

Out loud Harry said nothing and just nodded.

When the trolley came round, Harry bought chocolate frogs and plenty of most other things for them to eat.

Hermione fell asleep lying across Ron's lap, and Ron was asleep leaning against the window when Harry felt his eyelids drooping.

*~*~*

Voldemort sat on his throne of darkness, a cloaked Death Eater kneeling in front of the Dark Lord's feet.

"You have news for me?" Voldemort said coldly.

"Yes, my Lord," replied the Death Eater.

"Tell me then, or I shall have you sent away in pieces, Severus," the harsh reply came.

"Yes, my Lord, I know that Harry Potter has found the Serpent's Eye," Snape said.

"What!?" screeched Voldemort. "That is meant to be mine! He cannot use it, surely, he cannot!"

"The powers you passed to him must have a bearing on this matter, my Lord," Snape continued, "and from what that fool Dumbledore says, the boy may become more and more like you until he is another Dark Lord. He may turn to the Dark side in spite of everything opposite so far. That Serpent's Eye can show him glimpses of the near future at times. It may only be a matter of time before he starts to turn in his ways."

"Interesting," Voldemort said softly. "What about that myth business?" he added sharply.

"From what I can tell, what you suspect is true. It is indeed true that if-"

*~*~*

"Harry!" Ron yelled in his ear. Harry jumped and woke up with a yell. His scar was stinging as though red-hot pokers had been banding his forehead.

"Harry! Harry! Are you okay?" Ron's face swam before Harry's eyes.

He had the memory of the dream vividly clear in his mind. So clear, in fact, that he could still hear the last unfinished sentence pounding through his head.

His scar hurt more again. He tried to focus on Ron's red hair and Hermione's face that seemed to be shouting frantically, but he didn't hear what she said and he fainted.

When he opened his eyes his mind seemed less fuzzed. That was probably because the pain in his head was all but gone.

He blinked a few times but his sight was still very blurry.

He caught a splash of red colour and then saw some of Hermione's bushy hair.

Slowly, his vision cleared and he found that his ears were working properly again.

"Harry! Oh, Harry, you're awake. Oh, thank goodness, are you alright? Can you hear us, Harry?" Hermione's worried face came in to sharp focus and he turned his head to see Ron looking frantic and anxious.

Harry could feel the surface he was lying on shaking, but he couldn't put his finger on where he was meant to be.

"W - where am I?" he said softly, looking past the faces to the ceiling.

"Oh, he's awake, Ron," Hermione said in a hushed voice, with a relieved look. "The train, Harry. We're still on the train," she replied, raising her voice.

"Harry, you alright? Can you sit up?" Ron then said.

"I'm - I'm fine," Harry said weakly, trying to sit up.

"Hmm, well, you don't look anywhere near fine," Ron said, "so stay lying on this seat for now. Don't try to get up."

Harry had no energy for arguing, so he complied.

He heard Snape's words in his head again. He heard him telling Voldemort about him, Harry, turning bad!

He felt instantly ill.

And, apparently, his odd pendant was once Voldemort's and would show him the future as he had already realised.

Ron leaned over him.

"What happened in the dream, Harry?" he asked quietly.

"How did you know -" Harry began confused.

"Your scar," Ron said simply. "It started bleeding while you were asleep. Lucky we laid you down and cleared it away. Then, when you started to shake, we woke you up."

Harry's stomach churned. He couldn't tell them what Snape had said.

"It - It doesn't matter," he half whispered.

He couldn't remember ever feeling so awful, both in mind and body.

Ron and Hermione were watching him anxiously. They also seemed to be sure that whatever had happened in the dream, had not been something that 'didn't matter'.

Harry stayed laying down where he was for some time. When he felt a little stronger, he sat up, ignoring Ron and Hermione's cautions.

"Maybe we should go to the hospital wing when we get to the castle, Harry. You still look awful," Ron bit his lip.

"No!" Harry said firmly, having sat up and rubbing his scar and feeling the cut.

"Oh, but Harry, honestly. This is getting worse!" Ron looked far more worried than Harry could remember him looking for a long time. Hermione nodded fervently.

"No point going to Madame Pomfrey," Harry said shaking his head. "She can't cut off the link between me and Voldemort." Ron winced at the name but overlooked it.

"What about Dumbledore then? You could go mad if nothing is done about these dreams! You have already started bleeding in your sleep for goodness sake," he said, trying to reason.

"Dumbledore can't do anything about it either, and I don't want to make a fuss or bother him. Now, let it alone."

And so they, reluctantly, did leave it alone. Harry could not help but notice the worried looks they kept throwing at him.

Harry was staring out of the window watching the scenery through the spitting rain, when the Serpent's Eye in his pocket twitched.

He instantly saw Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle outside the compartment door.

"Now, we open to door and we cast the hexes straight away before they get a chance to counter it or get out of the way. This will be great fun. And it's before term starts so we shouldn't get in much trouble," Malfoy said smugly.

The other two laughed stupidly. Then Malfoy flung the door aside and all the hexes were cast. Some of them sounded awful. He hated to think what they were.

He blinked and saw the grass verge by the train tracks again.

Hermione was calling his name.

"Harry? Harry! What are you doing? Are you okay?" He turned back to her looking dazed. "Harry? Something wrong?"

"Yes!" he said suddenly, remembering Malfoy outside. He stood up, turned and saw the door begin to open.

"Get down!" he yelled behind him.

Ron and Hermione did so, though they were in the dark as to why.

The compartment door flew open, three voices yelled out hexes; Harry tried to duck aside, didn't make it in time, fell over and cried out in agony.

Ron jumped up, torn between wanting to get to Harry, who now lay still on the floor, and wanting to rip Malfoy up, not to mention a slight disorientation at the whole situation.

He chose to jump on Malfoy, as Hermione had rushed to turn Harry over and check him to see how hurt he was.

Malfoy was knocked backwards, and Crabbe and Goyle were slightly unprepared as they expected all three of the others to be unconscious by now, so they couldn't help Malfoy as Ron tried to punch him until he bled.

"Ron! Please, stop it!" Hermione had appeared in the corridor. She looked white as a sheet. Ron stopped to tell her that he would do no such thing and would keep beating Malfoy to a pulp, but at the sight of her face, he stood up and took her arm.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. Perhaps she felt ill? He wondered. Or maybe Malfoy or one of the other two had caught her with a hex.

"We have to get Harry to the infirmary," she said softly, with a sigh.