The Snake and Lion: An Unexpected Tale

Prolouge

Monday 30th July 1995
It was midday and the sun was glaring down upon everything it touched. One of those being the one and only, Harry James Potter. He was currently outside, tending to his giraffe of an aunts garden. Wait... that's offensive to giraffes. Anyway! Point being, Harry was in the blazing summer sun and has been for, how long now? Oh yes, three hours and twenty eight minutes. Usually, he found solace minding the garden. However, when you've been out in it as long as he has - without sun protection, mind you - in temperatures bordering on thirty three degrees, it was safe to say he'd rather hand wash his cousins dirty underwear. It was hell. Like stated before, Harry usually enjoys the company the garden keeps. However, it was just too hot!

Sighing, he pulled, yet, another weed from the flower bed. He supposed though, that it could be worse. His aunt could be standing behind him and ordering his every move. Much like a puppeteer would their puppet. Yes, it could be worse. With that slight comfort, Harry staggered to his feet from his knelt position and brushed his knees off before clapping his hands to rid them of any loose dirt. He was finally done. With a smile, he surveyed the garden to make sure he didn't miss anything. Satisfied that he didn't, he nodded to himself in silent praise. Just as he bent to pick up the bucket he'd used to place the weeds in, something glints in the corner of his eyes.

Blinking, he straightened, yet again, and walked towards what caught his eye. Just a little further and he'd know what it is...just a few mo- "Freak! What are you doing?"
Freezing mid-step, Harry gulped and pivoted to his horrid aunt. Whom of which, was stood menacingly at the back door, glaring hatefully at him. How stupid could he get? Really now, he ought to have known his aunt would have come out eventually. He should have checked before allowing his curiosity to rule him.
"Checking I've not missed weeds, Aunt Petunia."
His voice travelled dead and monotone. He may be a Gryffindor, may be brave, possibly even foolish. However, he wasn't stupid. If he wanted to know what that thing was, he'd have to lie. His only response was the squinting of the eyes from the vile woman, and a huff as she stalked back into her home.

Harry stayed rooted to the spot, just staring into the house a little while longer, just to make sure she wouldn't come back. Once convinced she wasn't going to return, he dashed the last few steps to the small pond in the garden. ((I know there isn't one, but  for the sake the story, there is.)) Peering into the slightly murky depths- he'd have to clean that soon- he saw something glinting in the suns beam, that had become distorted once the light broke the surface. Leaning slightly closer to the edge, he peered closer, in an effort to make out what it was. It looked like some sort of strangely shaped stone. Now, you'd think since the whole Sorcerers Stone escapade Harry would know not to touch something he was suspicious of. Regardless of this, he reached his right hand through the slightly discoloured water and clasped it around the stone, just as a claw to a grab machine would a toy, and pulled it out the pond.

Beautiful. That was the first and only word Harry could think of to describe what he found. Laying in the palm of his hand was a smooth amethyst shaped into a crescent moon. It seemed to almost glow in the light. Attached to it was a golden chain. A pendent, he noted. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that on the centre of the amethyst there was a pentagram engraved within it. As well as this, strange symbols surrounded the outside of the inner circle. Pulling the pendent nearer to his face, he saw that the symbols were the star signs.
"How strange..." he muttered, mystified. Turning the pendant around, so that the moons sharp points face left, he sees something yet again engraved. A name. Uriel SilverStone.

He had no idea how long he spent staring at the amethyst but he was bought out of it by a deep and gruff voice, "Boy! Get in here and clean the kitchen!"
Jumping in slight surprise, he snaps his head around towards the house, worried he'd been caught holding something that obviously wasn't his. To his relief, nobody is stood at the door. His uncle must be even lazier than he thought. Oh well, not that he was bothered. It just meant he didn't have to hand over his new find. Stuffing the pendant into his pocket he runs back over to the weed bucket and then empties it into the outdoor bin, before running back inside, out of the heat and to complete yet another chore.
"Coming, uncle Vernon!"

Little did fourteen year old Harry Potter know, his life was, yet again, about to change. Secrets will be unraveled, unlikely allies made and new problems to overcome. After all, it's not everyday you find a Celestial Pendant in your back garden.

Ok, so, there's the first chapter! I can't believe I'm doing this. Anyway, stay tuned to see what happens next in The Snake and Lion: An Unexpected Tale.

P.S: This story takes place instead of The Order of the Phoenix. It also happens to be my first Drarry fanfic...