Chapter One: Anonymous Letters
Everyone else thought it was just an ordinary Monday, but it wasn’t a typical day for Harry Potter. He was being watched, though he did not yet know this. It all began at breakfast.
“Harry, who’s that letter from? Has Snuffles written to you?” Ron asked, as the morning post was delivered to the students in the Great Hall.
Harry picked up the light green envelope that Hedwig had dropped on the table beside his goblet of pumpkin juice. “Dunno,” he said, shrugging. “It’s got no address on it. It just says my name… but Snuffles doesn’t write like that.”
“Well, aren’t you going to open it?” asked Ron, stabbing at his sausages with his fork.
“Yeah, but I don’t know who it’s from,” Harry replied, flipping the envelope over in his hands.
“Well, why don’t you open it? Then you can find out,” Hermione said sensibly, as she flipped through The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Harry gingerly tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of yellow parchment. Unfolding it slowly, he read:
Dear Harry,
I’ve got my eyes on you. You have been randomly selected as the target for a special task. Return to your dormitory, where you will find another letter under your pillow, sealed in an envelope much like this letter. Make sure you are alone. Follow the instructions carefully.
Do not tell ANYONE about this task, regardless of who they are. If you do not carry out this task by midnight, you and your best friend(s) will face the consequences, which may possibly involve Peeves, chaos, Umbridge, and other unpleasant things.
Remember, I’m watching you.
Before Ron or Hermione had a chance to question him about the sender of the letter, he instinctively slipped the piece of parchment into his lap under the table, where he quickly crumpled it into a ball and stuffed it into the pocket of his robes.
What is this? Harry wondered to himself. Of all the students here at Hogwarts, they had to pick me to be the target for this task. I don’t think I’m going to believe this. Is it some kind of prank from Fred and George?
He glanced over at the Weasley twins, who were chatting animatedly with Lee Jordan and a few other seventh-year students. Nah, it probably isn’t them, he decided. But who could the sender be?
“So,” Hermione said conversationally, closing her textbook and stuffing it into her bag, “who wrote you that letter?”
“Dunno,” Harry replied, shrugging.
“What do you mean? Didn’t they sign their name?” asked Hermione.
“Uh… no, actually they didn’t,” Harry said casually. “In fact, it was just some silly advertisement for a new store in Hogsmeade that sells… second-hand boots.” He tried hard to keep a straight face.
Ron seemed to be convinced. “Oh, that’s odd,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Funny how you seem to be the only one at this table who got one of those ads.”
Harry shrugged and forced a smile, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, the bell rang at that moment.
“Well, I guess it’s time for Transfiguration,” he sighed as he, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall and headed to class.
****
All day, Harry found it difficult to concentrate. He constantly found his mind drifting off. What is task that I need to carry out? If only I could get out of class now and read the letter when no one’s around…
“Harry… Harry!” Someone prodded him sharply in the ribs.
“Wha-what?” he spluttered, rubbing his side.
“Your cup, mate. We’re supposed to be creating legs on these teacups, and all you’ve done is smash the handle off with your wand,” Ron said.
“Oh,” Harry said sheepishly, looking at the broken pieces of china in front of him. “But why did you have to poke me so hard?”
“Sorry,” Ron said apologetically.
Harry tried to concentrate for several more minutes, but his burning impatience to find out his secret task soon overwhelmed him.
He stood up abruptly, clutching his stomach. “Professor Flitwick,” he said with an air of fake pain, “I’ve got a stomach ache. Can I go to the Hospital Wing?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Potter,” squeaked Professor Flitwick. “Class will be over in fifteen minutes, so you can pack up your belongings as well. Hopefully you will feel well enough to join your classmates for dinner.”
Fifteen minutes. By the time he made his way back to Gryffindor Tower, he’d have about ten minutes to read the letter before dinner. Hopefully nobody would be there. At any rate, that didn’t leave him much time to devise a plan.
“Harry, d’you want Hermione or me to come to the Hospital Wing with you?” Ron asked worriedly. “You don’t look too well.”
Good, Harry thought to himself. I’m supposed to look sick.
“No, it’s okay,” he muttered, unable to look Ron in the eyes.
He hastily shoved his textbook into his bag and left the room, still grasping his stomach so as not to arouse suspicion. Once he was sure that he was out of sight, he ran through the long, empty corridors, detouring to the bathroom on his way back to his dormitory.
As he pushed open the boys’ bathroom door, he noticed another light-green envelope lying on the floor at his feet. Crouching down to pick it up, he realized that it was addressed to him in the same handwriting as the letter he had received at breakfast. Carefully, he tore open the envelope and pulled out another yellow sheet of parchment. The message was fairly short this time. It read:
Dear Harry,
I’ve still got my eyes on you. In case you think that this is a stupid joke, consider this your warning. This is NOT a prank, and there WILL be consequences if you fail to carry out this task. Time is running out, so you better get started. Again, don’t say ANYTHING to ANYONE.
Remember, I’m watching you.
Harry stared at the sheet in his hand. Who could possibly be watching his every move? Crumpling the letter into a ball, he flushed it down the toilet and sprinted to his dormitory.
“Mimbulus Mimbletonia,” Harry panted as he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She swung open, revealing a hole in the wall for him to pass through.
Rushing through the common room, he breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that nobody was there. Quickly, he made his way up to the fifth-year boys’ dormitory and lifted up his pillow.
A light green envelope, much like the one he had received at breakfast, was lying under the pillow. It was addressed to him in the same handwriting “ messy, but stylish cursive. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tore open the envelope and read:
Dear Harry,
I’ve still got my eyes on you. Follow these instructions, and remember, do not tell ANYONE about this task.
1) When you walk into the library, you will find a book lying on the ground. If the book is red, orange, yellow, or green, walk to your right. If the book is blue, purple, brown, or black, walk to your left. Make sure you walk until you have reached a wall, shelf, or other barrier.
2) Make sure you bring a mirror with you. When you have reached the end of the right or left side, close your eyes and spin around three times. Next, hold the mirror out in front you, and without opening your eyes, use your index finger to point randomly at the mirror. Then open your eyes.
3) The person you have pointed to is the person you must approach. Ask them to write out the alphabet on a scrap piece of parchment. Do not tell them why you want them to do this; if they ask, invent an excuse.
4) After they have written out the alphabet, thank them and leave their table. Check to see which letters have ink blots. Write those letters in alphabetical order and count how many letters you have written out. The first letter with an ink blot determines the first letter of someone’s name. The number of letters you write out determines how many letters are in that person’s name. The person will be in the same House and year as you.
5) Find that person and convince them to leave the library. Take them to a dark spot and kiss them, regardless of their gender. Do not tell them why you are doing this.
You have until midnight to do this or else you and your best friend(s) will suffer strange and unusual consequences. Make sure that you are not seen. Do not use your Invisibility Cloak. Good luck.
Remember, I’m watching you.
Harry stared at the letter. Was this some kind of a evil trick? He couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable. Not only did he have to go and kiss a random Gryffindor person in his year, but if he didn’t, Ron and Hermione would end up suffering the consequences. Things just didn’t seem to add up. What did the two of them have to do with his secret task? Was this just a threat to coerce him into fulfilling this assignment?
A/N: Please tell me what you think of it so far. Feedback and comments would be appreciated! :)
I've Got My Eyes On You by little_kitty
Chapter Notes: Thanks goes out to my betas, ms weasley and AstroFire.
I hope you enjoy this, as this is a bit different for me. I'd love it if you left me a review!