Wahoo! It's almost the holidays! I'm going on vacation, so I will not be able to update unless I can somehow steal my sister's laptop while we're on the cruise boat. Well, enough about that, here's the next chapter. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, you guys are awsome:)

The Blind Seer: Bonds Stronger Than Blood

By cimmeriishadows

Standard Disclamer: Broke, living in the boondocks, attempting to become a writer. Clearly I don't own Harry Potter.

As weeks went by, I got used to my new talent, it was almost as good as seeing, but not quite. I still got visions, far and few, but those visions were in color, unlike my usual bombardment of images which were black and white. Plus there was the ever present boredom of knowing what was going to happen the split second before it happens.

"That looks good," I commented to Luna as she put the veggie pizza on the table.

Neville shivered, "I'm never going to get used to that."

"The blind boy that can see," Hermione commented dryly as she wheeled up to the table. "More to inflate his already huge ego."

Sonya walked into the room carrying a pitcher of juice, but tripped over the raised edge of the carper, spilling dark colored juice all over the light colored carpet and herself.

"Sonya." I yelled. "Watch out for the raised edge at the doorway, the juice won't come out of the carpet."

Sonya paused at the doorway, "Thanks Harry," She said grinning. "But that's still spooky."

"Instead of Spooky Mulder, we'd have to call him Spooky Harry," Neville said with a small laugh. Harry cursed the day he decided to rent the entire X-Files series from the video store.

"Then I guess my beautiful partner will have to be Special Agent Luna," I commented, "Since Hermione just doesn't believe in the alien conspiracy."

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, Harry. There are no such things as aliens. It's scientifically impossible for anything to live in outer space without some sort of air supply." Hermione lectured.

"What if their lungs adapted to the atmosphere of another planet? Like Mars or Venus? What if there was a water planet out there which supported water life? Isn't that our humble beginnings? Give it up Scully; you have to admit there are a lot of variables which could cause different outcomes. Potentially, there could be being out there watching us this minute." I said with a grin.

"You're hopeless Mulder," Hermione growled, "When will you grow up and look at the facts, aliens can't exist because there is no way for them to travel through space without them A. getting stuck, B. dieing from old age, and C. having the proper resources and intelligence. I mean, if we can't do it, how can they?"

"Well we can visit outer space, so why can't they live there?" I asked. "Seriously though, Muggles are always going into space with rocket ships, why couldn't aliens explore earth like we do outer space?"

Hermione launched into a long lecture about why aliens couldn't exist, while Neville yawned into his napkin, Joe rolled his eyes, Sonya looked on with raised eyebrows, but a decisively bored expression, and Luna watched Hermione's mouth with wide eyes, learning all she could from the bushy-haired girl's lecture. Little did everyone know, Luna would be awake all night in fear of being abducted by aliens.

"'Mione, shut up," I snapped.

Hermione gasped, "Why don't you?!"

"Harry, that wasn't very nice," Sonya half-heartedly scolded, setting the pitcher of juice down on the table.

I turned my head inconspicuously towards Sonya, which, in fact, was away from where Luna sat, so the blonde deaf girl couldn't read my lips. "She was going to start in on alien abductions, and Luna wouldn't be able to sleep because she thought the aliens were coming after her." I explained. Sonya's mouth formed an O in understanding.

"Oh," Hermione said with a sigh, "I wasn't really thinking."

"It's okay," I said with a smirk, turning back to the table. "We all know you don't do that very often," I joked.

"Though you have to admit, I do more often than you," Hermione said with an equally big smirk. She learns fast.

"Luna says that you two must share a brain, because when both of you do use them, you only use half." Neville said with a hearty laugh.

"Hmmm, I heard this really good blonde joke the other day……." I trailed off, grinning when I heard Luna's indignant snort of contempt. If there was one thing she hated, it was blonde jokes.

"Let's eat!" Joe exclaimed. I grinned, only Joe could switch an argument about aliens, brain usage, and blonde jokes, to food.

Later that night, I lay on my bed, lightly running my fingers over my Braille History of Magic, Battles of Barthalmou: The First Troll Uprising. It was about as interesting as clipping my toenails, but I knew I should get to know everything I could before it happened. What It was, I had no idea, I just knew It was going to happen sometime soon, and I had to be prepared.

Hermione wheeled up to my door, pausing before knocking hesitantly, eyes glancing up at the sign that read Mulder's Room: Enter if You Dare.

"Come on in Hermione," I said, sitting up and gladly putting down the dull book before she even raised her hand to knock.

"It's always creepy when you do that," she said with a giggle, wheeling herself into my room and next to my bed.

"Old habits die hard," I shrugged. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to apologize for at dinner, I should have known better than to bring up something Luna could believe is true and scare her." Hermione sighed, "Sometimes I want to be right so badly, I forget what I'm saying."

"Its fine," I brushed off her apology. "You didn't even say it."

Hermione sighed, "But I was going to, that's the problem."

"Jeeze 'Mione, if I were you, I'd lay off the self-punishment. You didn't say it; Luna isn't scared about getting abducted by aliens. The world is safe, and once again, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup save the day." I quipped, lightening up the situation. Hermione laughed hard at the last comment.

"I used to love the Power Puff Girls when I was a kid," she giggled. "I wanted to be Blossom, the smart, powerful, perfect one.

"Hmmm, I didn't really like the Power Puff Girls, though my…..My brother's godfather did. He was a real moron that one." I said, suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of Eric and Sirius laughing on the couch watching the retarded little cartoon while Lily, James, and Remus all sat around the table in the kitchen with a mug of coffee, recounting their school days. I sat alone in the hallway, listening to everyone being happy without me. Invisible Harry, the nonexistent imperfect child, the blind brother of the Boy-Who-Lived, the Oh-So-Perfect Eric Potter.

"You okay Harry?" Hermione asked. I shook myself from the memory.

"I'm fine……Just thinking……" I sighed.

"About……Them?" She asked timidly, knowing the Potter's weren't a very good topic to tread upon.

"Though I despise to admit it, I am ashamed to say, yes. Them." I growled suddenly. "Why can't I forget them?! Why do I always wind up thinking about them, I hate them!"

"Harry, calm down," Hermione said softly. "Please Harry."

I couldn't calm down, all the pain, the memories of being neglected and forgotten; they all were weighing down on me. Hermione squeaked in terror, all the objects in the room suddenly lifted into the air, spinning around over our heads.

"Harry, please calm down. HARRY!" She screamed as a book dive-bombed her.

"WHY?!" I yelled, standing up. Little did anyone know, I had subconsciously and wandlessly threw up a silencing charm, even though the thought didn't even cross my mind.

"Why?" I asked miserably, sitting down on my bead with a thump. "Why?"

The objects fell around us as I calmed down. Hermione sighed beside me.

"Did you ever talk to Joe or Sonya about these feelings Harry?" Hermione asked after a long silence.

"No," I sighed. "I couldn't."

"Why?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Because they wouldn't understand, they don't understand. They all had families; they were loved when they were children. I wasn't. They hated me. They called me a freak. My family that is." I put my head down in my hands.

"You're not a freak Harry, and never, ever say that!" Hermione exclaimed. "If you believe them then they win. They dominate you. You will never prove to them that you are just as good as their other son."

"I know 'Mione, but at least you had a good childhood. I just am….. messed up. It's…..Why am I dumping all my problems on you, you have enough to worry about. I'm such an idiot." I sighed.

"Why are you dumping all your problems on me? Because I care Harry, you help so many people, but never ask for help yourself. You deserve to be happy and carefree. I'm always open to hearing your problems, I'm always around if you need me. Just remember that." Hermione smiled sadly. "I just wish you would have said something earlier, if I had known how much was weighing down on you…….."

"It's okay 'Mione, thank you. You're more family than the Potter's ever were hands down and I'm glad you don't mind me whining to you about how miserable my life is." I smiled lightly.

"You listen to me whine about my miserable life, so I guess we could call it even. Just no floaty flying evil projectiles of doom dive bombing me next time, okay? When you have a problem talk it out." Hermione grinned, "If that's all……I think there's something big going on tomorrow, but Joe and Sonya won't clue me in, nor Neville or Luna. I doubt they're going to tell anyone."

"Then I guess you should get some sleep, get up early tomorrow, and get that secret out of them." I grinned widely. "If that doesn't work, we could always resort to torture, plucking they're eyebrow hairs out one by one, playing the Barney song over and over again on full blast on a walkman for hours on end….." I smiled evilly.

"Men and their terrible imaginations," Hermione sighed, but then giggled. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Scully," I laughed.

"Goodnight Mulder," she giggled in reply, wheeling out of my room, I smiled, only Hermione Granger could get me to tell her exactly what she wanted without any torture or truth serums.

The next morning came fast, my alarm waking me at my normal time of 7:30 a.m. I yawned, stretching, and sighing as my back cracked satisfactorily. Am I the only person who enjoys getting up in the morning only to stretch and feel all my muscles pull and stretch as they wake up? To me, that is the best feeling in the world.

It was then it hit me, Joe and Sonya were telling us they mysterious secret today, I hurriedly threw on a pair of baggy black pants and a white wife-beater undershirt/tang top. Running a brush quickly through my messy hair, I winced as I hit a knot but kept pulling through it. That was one thing I hated about my hair, all the knots that developed in it.

In a rush, I felt my way out of my room, running my hand along the wall in the hallway, feeling the familiar texture of the slightly peeling wallpaper. When I hit the steps, I silently counted, reaching the bottom, I quickly entered the kitchen. In the past few weeks, I had taken to keeping my eyes shut, knowing exactly what was going to happen right before it happened was rather annoying.

Sonya was humming some tune; I could smell the pancake batter which she was mixing. "Smells good Sonya," I grinned.

"It'll be better once it's cooked you monkey,' She laughed. "Get some coffee and grab a seat, whenever the other's get here, and Joe, he and I have some news we'd like to share with you." Sonya stopped mixing the batter; I heard the sizzling of the batter as it met the hot buttered pan.

"Are you and Joe getting married?" I asked impishly, starting to pour myself a cup of coffee. I stuck my index finger into the cup and poured until I felt the coffee burn the tip of my finger. I immediately took a huge gulp of the refreshing black addiction filled with life sustaining caffeine and other lovely things to keep me awake and completely wired for hours to some.

"Where did you get that idea?" She asked sharply.

"Did I hit a nerve?" I asked between sips.

"No," Sonya replied sourly. "Now look what you made me do, I burned the pancake."

"Not my fault," I quipped, "I didn't see it happen."

"Excuses, excuses," she grumbled. I grinned, that was what I loved about Sonya.

I sat down in my normal chair as Hermione wheeled in, shortly followed by Neville and Luna. Joe stumbled in a few minutes later, mumbling something about coffee, need coffee. After we were all served and seated, Hermione, who couldn't retain it any longer, asked, "So?

"So what?" Joe said with a deep laugh.

"So what is this secret you refused to tell us last night," she said, annoyed.

"Should we tell them Joe?" Sonya asked wryly.

"Maybe we should, maybe we shouldn't," he replied wickedly.

"Come on guys," Neville begged. "Luna and I really want to know."

"As do I," I chipped in. "What is so important that Joe actually got up before ten a.m.?"

"Well, since you are all interested," Sonya said.

"I guess we should tell you," Joe finished.

"Just say it!" Hermione exploded, causing Joe and Sonya to laugh at her impatience.

"We're taking you guys on a trip." Sonya stated.

"Where?" Hermione squealed eagerly. "A museum? Art expo.? Book signing? Historical site? Library?"

"Whoa," Joe said with a laugh, "slow down kiddo."

"SO?" Hermione practically yelled.

"California," Sonya stated simply. We all sat in a shell-shocked silence for a few moments before the questions started.

"California? Like in the United States?" Neville asked.

"Yes that California," Joe confirmed, taking another pancake.

"COOL!" Neville exclaimed, invoking a few chuckles from all of the people around the table about his exuberance.

"So we're going to California? May I ask why?" I questioned coolly, I wasn't too keen on leaving the city let alone the country. I didn't like to travel, it confused me.

"Joe's brother lives there and they haven't seen each other for years, so we decided that you guys should get away for awhile, experience another country and this was the perfect opportunity." Sonya said informingly, taking a sip of her tea.

"Luna wants to know if we will get to see the ocean," Neville said, I could imagine the pure look of childish excitement on Luna's face at the idea of seeing the ocean. I pushed down the temptation to open my eyes.

"Yes we'll get to see the ocean, and go in it too," Joe said happily. "We were planning to stay at a hotel just down the street from my brother, Jason's house. We're actually on the beach, as is Jason's house." Joe informed us. Luna squealed in glee.

"That's going to be so great," Hermione said dreamily, already hearing imaginary seagulls squawking and waves crashing in her head.

"Who else is going to be there?" I asked cautiously. I quickly opened my eyes to see Joe and Sonya shoot each other looks saying, 'we forgot about Harry's little problem with traveling.'

"I'm okay with the travel, really." I lied, I didn't want to mess the trip up for everyone like I did the museum.

"Well my brother Jason, his wife Tory, and their kids Kelly and Trent." Joe said, "Is that okay? I know you're not really fond of travel, but it's a once in a lifetime experience."

"It's all good," I said, lying through my teeth. Going to America meant we had to take an airplane. I had never flown before, but Wizarding methods, like a portkey would be too much for Hermione, so a plane was really our only option.

"Are you sure……" Sonya started.

"Its fine," I cut in, "really. I'll be okay."

"In that case," Joe exclaimed happily, "We're going to California! Now pass the pancakes."

Joe's a moron:) Isn't he? He reminds me of my cousin before he got all old and boring. Well, please don't forget to review, I always love to hear from you. This chapter was supposed to have a bit more action...But it didn't work that way. Damn those crazy, evil plot bunnies:) Well, next chapter, Harry and Co. go to Cali. Surfs up dude:) Well. Kinda. More action soon. Have a great and safe holiday, I'm getting coal for Christmas. Pity. I really wanted a pony. may all your holiday wishes come true.

Signing off,

CimmeriiShadows