To Kill You With a Kiss

Chapter 6

"That's the Shrieking Shack over there," explained Orion cheerfully. "The most haunted house in Britain. There are all kinds of horrible howls and screams coming from over there; no one dares step near the place. Set one foot in there, and you might never come back."

Harry glanced at the familiar dilapidated house, shrouded in gloom and shadows. The most haunted house in Britain? This desolate old house will hide many secrets, but ghosts will not be among them. Wait a minute - How can there be shrieks in the Shrieking Shack in this time? I thought the ghostly howls will come from the Marauders when they are in their animal forms? So what could be shrieking in there now?

"You are not scared of ghosts?" At his side, Orion seemed a little disappointed in his lack of terror.

Harry shrugged. "Nah. Probably just some unregistered animagus romping around in there."

"What?" Orion stared wildly at him. "How... how do you know? Merlin, Elias, how did you find out about that? It's not possible. No one knows..."

Aha! Do you have a little secret, Orion? A little furry problem, perhaps, like you future son? Harry smiled at his agitated companion. "Oh, it was just a hunch. Don't worry, Orion, I won't tell a soul. Er... Just out of curiosity, what's your animagus form? Dog?"

"Black bear." Orion's voice was shaking, and he looked like he was going to be sick. "Please don't tell anyone. My parents will freak out."

"Of course not. Your secret is safe with me. I don't see what's so terrible about being an animagus, anyway. I've known others like you. My father - he was an animagus, too. That's one of the few things I know about him. I don't think he told a lot of people either, just his closest friends." Like your unborn son.

"Are you-?" Orion glanced at him uncertainly.

"What? An animagus?" Harry shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. That would have been fun, though, wouldn't it? We could have chased each other around the Shrieking Shack!"

The delighted grin that spread over Orion's face made his seem more like Sirius than ever. "Really? That would have been something! It gets a little lonely in the Shrieking Shack sometimes, but it's a good place to hide when I can't resist transforming." He sighed wistfully. "Are you sure you can't transform? Maybe if you focus really hard? Maybe after a good breakfast?"

Harry laughed. "Afraid not. Trust me, after I learned that my father had been an animagus, I spent a whole summer trying till I was blue in the face." He glanced down the winding path that led to Hogsmeade. No one else was within earshot. "I do have a different sort of secret, though. I suppose it's only fair that I tell you my secret, since I accidentally discovered yours."

"You have a secret, too?" Orion lit up. "Wait, are you the secret love child of Phineas Nigellus Black and a Veela princess, like Abraxas is saying?"

Harry sighed. "Don't be absurd, Orion. Have you ever seen the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black? Do you really think a Veela princess would fall for that old curmudgeon?"

Orion considered for a moment. "No, I suppose not. What's your secret, then? Were you involved in espionage during the war in Europe? Secret missions among the Transylvanian vampires, that sort of thing?"

"No, no espionage." Harry hesitated. I want to tell him something, but not too much. "Sometimes I know things about the future, about things that will happen years from now."

"You do?" Orion's dark gaze studied him intently. "You are a Seer?"

"I suppose so. I don't know everything about the future, of course, but I see some things very clearly, some things that won't happen for years and years."