Snake Ring

William clutched the snake ring to steal his shaky hands. The emerald eyes of the reptile looked at him with malice.

It's for Daphne , I'm doing it for Daphne.

The portkey activated , the room started spinning until he couldn't distinguish anything. William Greengrass closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was no longer in the his comfortable office at the Ministry but in the middle of a swamp. Just they had told him.

Was he even in England anymore?

Now he had to walk, if he really wanted her advice the Seer would find him.

William Greengrass walked further into the forest until darkness swallowed him. He used lumos to light the path but the spell faltered. It was like the forest sucked his magic.

The thick, humid, air smelled like rotten eggs; it cling to his nose and throat choking him. As he advanced the sound of the enchanted forest enveloped him. The wind made the trees sing. To William Greengrass it was like a death march. An Augurey sang in the distance, with each step he took the song grew lauder.

William Greengrass shuddered, he looked back but couldn't see the trail he had used to enter the forest. Now his only way out was the portkey. He heard a slithering sound at his feet. He recoiled, but his back collided with a tree that wasn't there before.

He heard the leaves around him rustle. "Hello!" He called, Indah?" He asked. He walked further into the forest until no sun light entered the shield of trees. "Mr. Parkinson sent me. I seek your advice," he said showing the ring. Parkinson had said that was the only thing that would prevent the enchantress from killing him.

"What do you want to know?" A woman's voice asked behind him.

"You see, I have a daughter..."

"Daphne," a feminine voice whispered in his ear. William Greengrass trembled.

"Y-yes. T-there's a prophecy concerning her."

"She will be marked to fight the Dark lord." A naked woman wobbled of the vapours of the swamp. Her facial features betrayed oriental ancestry. Her eyes were black. as if her pupil had leaked into the white of her eyes. Her whole body exuded magic. It wrapped around him suffocating him.

William Greengrass fell to his knees "Yes! I-is there something you can do?"

"Did you bring the prophecy?" William Greengrass started trembling.

"No, I-it broke," he said. William Greengrass hung his head. "please, there must be something you can do."

"There is, but why would I?"

"I'll do whatever you want!"

A delicate finger lifted his chin. William found those black eyes peering inside him.

"She hasn't been marked. There's still hope, but you must do exactly as I tell you..."

Harry rose and stretched his back. Done. Three days had passed but he had strengthened the wards around the Greengrass manor. He now knew what and where its stronger and weakest parts where. He could even imagine how an assailant would enter, and if he could so could any Death Eaters that planed how to attack the Greengrass family.

He would have to talk to the family about basic steps they could take to protect themselves and be on the lookout for threats. He would also give them portkeys to a second secure location just in case.

Harry felt a warm sensation on his chest, it grew by the moment and it was reaching the point where it became uncomfortable. Harry opened his robes and grabbed the enchanted mirror. The mirror cooled the moment he touched it. Harry pushed some magic into it and a familiar face appeared.

"I heard you are guarding my Goddaughter."

"Aren't you supposed to be on a mission right now?" Harry said.

"It's going slow. Now, Potter, if I ever hear y-"

"Save it old man. Last time I wiped the floor with you."

"Insolent brat, just like your father." The man on the other side said.

"I'm busy, if you call me just to insult my dad..."

"Damn it Potter! I don't have time for this! I want to know if Daphne is safe!"

"Fine, fine I'll tell you, but first..."

The other man sighted. "Just tell me what you want, you insufferable brat!"

"If you insist; say you wouldn't happen to know how a Hogwarts student came to know about a prophecy do you?"

"How would I? I don't work there anymore, remember?"

"Still, you are on good terms with the headmaster, and you are good friends with William Greengrass."

"You know how much the headmaster likes his damn secrets, and William didn't tell me a thing, which is not that uncommon."

"What an useless spy." Harry said.

"Stop taunting me and tell me; how is my goddaughter doing? She can be a bit foolhardy at times."

"You mean like, for example, running away at night with the daughter of a known Death Eater?"

"What?!"

"Yeah, I caught them right on time. She even confronted me the next morning. Had to duel her, she used one of your little tricks."

"I apologize for that. I did all I could, but in the end she manage to convince me."

"I bet you did Severus, I bet you did. It's just that Daphne has you wrapped around her little finger." Harry laughed.

"Fuc-" Harry stopped feeding magic to mirror and Snape's face faded away. Harry stuffed the mirror back into the inside pocked of his robes.

He should go inside to check on the family, but it was such a nice day that Harry decided to stop for a while and meditate. It would help him recognize the different magic signatures of each one of them.

Harry sat on the grass and took a deep breath.

"I want my wand back."

Harry had been meditating for a little over half an hour when the oldest Greengrass sister interrupted him. Harry opened his eyes.

"And I want to be a pro quidditch player, but none of those things are going to happen."

"It's mine, not yours!"

"You lost it in a duel; that makes it mine according to magical law, go ask your father if you don't believe me."

"You know I can't."

Harry shrugged. "Then you'll have to take my word for it."

"I need it in case we are attacked!" Daphne said.

True. But she didn't need to know that. "Like you would know what to do in a real attack."

"What?!" Daphne said.

"You heard me."

"I'm a duelling champion!"

"Yeah, I saw your skill yesterday." Harry smirked.

"Fuck you!" Daphne muttered.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You heard me." Daphne walked away.

" If you want your wand so much we could trade..."

"What do you want," Daphne said, her back facing him.

"Information. How did you come to be in the Hall of Prophecy?"

"How do you..."

"I'm an Auror. The other day you said the prophecy flew into your hands, that could only happen in the Hall of Prophecy."

"I can't..."

"Fine then." Harry rose and walked away.

"Ok, Ok! I'll tell you!" Daphne's look told him she wanted to curse him, it made him smile. "but you have to tell me how you managed to immobilize me so fast yesterday."

"You don't understand the game Greengrass. I'll only give you your wand if you tell me all I want to know and answer all my questions. Otherwise I'll give your wand to your father and tell him why I have it."

"You wouldn't dare. You would be in trouble with your bosses."

"Try me."

Harry could see Daphne clenching her firsts.

"Fine," she spat, "it happened almost at the end of the school year. I was part of the Inquisitorial Squad..." Harry raised an eyebrow, "I thought it would give me some power ok! Anyway, I overheard some Gryffindors talking about pulling the biggest prank Hogwarts had ever seen. The four Weasleys were in on it so I took it seriously. I could have told Umbridge then, but I wanted proof, so I decided to follow them. Only their joke was going to take place on the Ministry. I should have stopped then. I didn't. Before I knew what was happening Death Eaters were attacking us. We ended up in the Hall of Prophecy and that blasted glass ball flew into my hands."

"How did you get to the ministry?"

"Is that important?" asked Daphne.

"No, but I want to know."

"Brooms, we used brooms."

"Ah, shame you didn't use thestrals.

"the- what?"

"Never mind," Harry said, "there were Death Eaters there when you arrived or they arrived after you?"

"I'm not sure...I don't know. What does it matter?"

"You are right it doesn't," Harry said, but it did. "Did you hear de prophecy then?"

"Yes."

"You said there were other people with you, why are so sure they didn't hear it too?"

"They're Gryffindors, they wouldn't be able to hide their emotions even if their life depended on it. I guess it did." Daphne said the last part in a whisper. "Is that all. Can I have my wand now?"

"Yeah," Harry searched in his pocket and handed her her wand. "You should take better care of it, she's not very happy with you."

"What?" said Daphne laughing.

"She said something about you always practising with a fake wand and not paying enough attention to her."

"C'mon wands can't talk."

"Well, yeah, but they can tell you many things if you listen." Daphne rose an eyebrow, sceptical, "give me your wand, I'll show you."

Reluctant, Daphne gave Harry her wand.

Harry tried to bend the wood but it would not let him. He then measured it using his own fingers. "Hazel, inflexible, long. It says you are strong headed, opinionated, intelligent and organized. You collect information and know when to relay it to others. the fact that it almost correlates with your height tells me you have great goals, but realistic ones."

"That's kind of cool. how come you know so much about wands?" Daphne said.

"I considered several employment options before being sucked into the family business, but, I'm not done." Harry said, "underneath all that I found a Green Welsh heartstring; the dragon with the most powerful flames. Not what I was expecting at all. Are you perhaps hiding you true personality?"

"That's enough!" Daphne snatched the wand from his hand and walked away.

"Daphne! Daphne honey... Harry heard William Greengrass say; the Greengrass patriarch seemed agitated.

"Leave me alone!" Harry walked into the house. William Greengrass was grabbing Dapne by the arm.

"Daphne wait, you have to wear this ring it will help you..."

"You are not making any sense dad."

"It will fix your problem."

"I don't have a problem! You have it!"

"Mr. Greengrass what's going on? "Harry asked. William Greengrass ignored him.

"Listen to me Daphne! The only thing you have to do is put this ring on!" William Greengrass got a snake shaped ring out of his pocket.

Harry grabbed the ring first. "Wait! It could be cursed, or a portkey!" Harry wiped his wand out.

"Don't get in the way Potter! We don't have time for this."

"Where did you get this?" Harry didn't get any answers. "Answer me!"

"A seer! A seer gave it to me! I asked around. They assured me she could take care of Daphne's predica-"

"What seer?! Who told you about it?"

"Indah! Her name was Indah."

"Who told you about it?!" Harry said.

"Some colleages from the ministry! What does it matter?!"

Harry grabbed him by the collar of his robes. "Who?!"

"Parkinson! It was Parkinson! No let go of me! I'll have you fired for this!"

"You, bloody idiot! Fucking imbecile! What did you tell him?!"

"How dare y..."

"What did you tell him?!"

"Nothing! Not much just that I needed to see a seer! I might have let slip that it was about Daphne..."

"And the seer?! What did you tell her?"

I didn't have to tell her much...what does it matter?!

. At least a dozen apparition cracks answered William Greengrass' question.