Equal Nemesis

Equal Nemesis

Chapter 5

Neville's Awakening.

The hems of Horatio's long robes swept the dust behind him, leaving a shiny trail on the cracked floor. Walking in silence, the dark corridor was chilling and foreboding. This made Horatio wonder if there was a blasted Dementor sucking in a rattling breath within the vicinity. He scanned the place, but to his relief, the long blackened corridor was empty, invaded only by his presence.

He heard soft voices drifting ever closer as he took each step forward. One, he recognised as the Dark Lord's, the others were Lucius, Rebastan, and two new Death Eaters, Bronessa Morwen and Ervan Nairn waiting for instructions. Horatio waited behind the opened door, listening quietly to what was occurring.

"We know the weakest, and we'll approach from there without the use of Polyjuice. No one will suspect foul play, my Lord."

"Don't be so sure of it, Lucius, the Aurors and the Order will be led to suspect something is wrong unless it is properly handled. Besides, we have one of our own within the group. I want another for backup."

"It is a risk we'll have to take. But Master, maybe your powers will allow us to know if this mission is useless?" Lucius said.

"My new powers are still too early for me to delve into those things ... unfortunately I cannot tell you," Voldemort replied.

"Nevertheless, we are sure our double agent is one of the next to be picked. His record is faultless and he is highly reputable. He has also made sure that he has gotten excellent references. If he is not picked, then we have to use some of our influences," Bronessa said.

A silence loomed. Horatio knew the Dark Lord was pacing the room, deep in thought.

"Keep those I have requested untouched, since they are likely to be thwarted. Lucius, you and Bronessa can carry out the plan when ready. Ervan, advise our agents beyond the shores what will happen. See that this plan is put into use in their countries, though it must be very different so it would be investigated; Rabastan, put the plan under Fidelius; if someone is caught, it will be revealed and I don't want this plan to crumble," The Dark Lord hissed. "Horatio, come in."

Horatio pushed the door wider to reveal his entire form to the Dark Lord. "My Lord ... you wanted to see me?" he said as he entered and bowed, staring at Lucius while ignoring the other hooded followers as they left.

Horatio sensed that Lucius knew what the Dark Lord had planned for him, and he did not look pleased. Than again, Lucius had not looked amiable since Narcissa had joined the circle as a Death Eater. Lucius of course had protested when Bellatrix became a Death Eater over two decades ago, but laden down with the Dark Lord's power, Lucius had become used to working with her and other witches. Still, the thought of his own wife as a Death Eater had outraged him. Voldemort had stepped in and talked Lucius out of doing anything drastic, and reminded his Death Eater of an unwritten rule: that as long as there were women Death Eaters under the Dark Lord's authority, all men were to treat them equally.

In contrast to his colleague, Horatio didn't mind at all that women worked by his side. Their magical power can be just as strong as the males' and the added bonus was that they could think more logically.

Voldemort turned his head to view Horatio, a man he knew to be closely linked to Morganna Snape. "Hogwarts' term begins in a few days, Horatio. A new year. New students to be sorted. New things to learn. And a new chance to--" Voldemort tensed. The Dark Lord composed himself, calming down, his nostrils flaring. "Dolohov tells me you have a locket of Morganna's hair, from your little love affair with her months before she fell in love with the Animagus, Sirius Black."

Talden's inquisitive face turned harsh and cold. "Yes," he spat. "Yes Master, I do. Do you need it?"

"Bring it to me, and I shall tell you what will happen. I'm sending you on a mission since you know the woman well enough. Narcissa Malfoy will accompany you."

Lucius groaned. "Master, please recon--"

"Lucius, your wife is every bit as capable as yourself. Give her a chance to blossom," he said bluntly, his eyes blazing. Lucius looked on, forcing his mouth shut. "This assignment will greatly please Narcissa. I also have a new magical device that will facilitate events this time around. " Voldemort chuckled. "I'm sure for you, Horatio, this will be a different experience."

Horatio grimaced, wondering what his Master had meant, seeing him chuckle coldly to the dark air. The Dark Lord continued.

"We will be changing location to go north at midnight. I want to be closer to our newest allies. We have been in contact with a water serpent so I've never seen them face-to-face before. No one had for more than a thousand years."

"But my Lord, what will you give in return? These creatures have been known to be the manipulator of both sides, waiting 'til death takes all and for them to rule. How will we--"

"Horatio, they have no leader, feuds have ravaged their kingdom for centuries. They have welcomed my authority. They will do my bidding."

***

Harry felt relieved and at peace that his baby cousin Florence was safe at the Dursleys'. It made his worries lighter, although he did hope that his Uncle Vernon and Dudley would never find out that she was a witch. He knew that if his uncle were to find out, there was going to be trouble. Until then, he was sure his Aunt Petunia would keep her secret hidden.

Harry was sure that his aunt would not let go of her own child, and treat her like she did with Harry. She loved her baby and that was something that Harry was not expecting when he visited her, and he dearly hoped it would stay that way. Beneath Aunt Petunia's hatred and fear of magic, she was not as cold-hearted as she was to Harry in years gone by. It was all thanks to Florence, Harry thought. In her own innocent way, Florence was teaching his aunt to let go of her hate and fear of differences that had stricken her past. The tables have turned; sometimes being forced to face a fear that a person is more intimately connected with changes them bit by bit.

"Harry, are you thinking about your cousin?" Ginny asked, her chin propped up on her hand comfortably. She sat reading The Quibbler with Hermione cringing by her side, reading some strange article on Horklumps, which were being experimented on by the Department of Mysteries to become miniature spies.

Harry turned from the window and sighed gently, giving Ginny an answer with the aid of his smiling eyes. "Yeah. I just can't get her face out of my head. She looks so much like the pictures I've seen of my Mum."

"Exactly like the child you dreamed about last year?" Hermione asked, scratching behind Crookshanks' ears, while Persia wanted Ron's attention. But Ron moved away, because he was already occupied with polishing his Cleansweep.

Harry nodded, patting Persia after she hopped on his lap, purring contently.

Harry told Hermione, Ron and Ginny about what had happened. Hermione looked stern when she heard that Harry went to the Dursleys' when he wasn't supposed to, but she was happy that Florence was going to be fine. Ron gaped in shock at the news, and was a little disappointed that he didn't go with Harry, while Ginny was cheerful all round.

"I seriously hope you will not do that again, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley scolded as she pulled out a glorious steaming steak and kidney pie from the stove to check if it was ready. "Professor Dumbledore wasn't exactly pleased with Sirius for letting you go."

"Oh? And what did Professor Dumbledore say?" Hermione asked.

"It was very dangerous! It could've turned out worse if Petunia Dursley had no idea that Florence was a witch, and then--" Mrs. Weasley sighed, closing the stove.

"What?" Ron asked. Harry already knew.

"And then he asked Harry if she was the most adorable thing in the world, with a cute button nose, because button noses are one of mother nature's most glorious creations," Mrs. Weasley replied, a little annoyed at hearing Ginny giggle.

"I always said he was off his rocker," Ron said grinning.

Harry nodded in agreement and suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched again. He had noticed throughout the day that Hermione wouldn't stop staring at him. He felt unnerved and he turned to Hermione to see her instantly look away, supposedly finding something interesting on the ceiling.

"Hermione, is there something you want to tell me?" He raised his eyebrows a little.

Hermione bit her lip gently and then opened her mouth to speak. "Yes there is. Can I talk to you in private?" she said quickly.

"All right, as long it has nothing to do with the NEWT's you keep reminding me and Ron about."

"No, nothing to do with school!" Hermione said, shooting off her seat so fast it startled Harry. Hermione pulled Harry from his seat and marched out of the room. Harry turned back and saw Ron staring at the same spot Hermione found interesting on the ceiling, making Harry more confused at what was going on.

Up the stairs they went with Hermione pulling Harry with her.

Harry heard Mrs. Weasley shout that lunch was nearly ready, but Hermione did not hear it amidst her focused thoughts and her grip on Harry's hand tightened as they walked into Hermione and Ginny's bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked with a note of concern. "This seems pretty urgent, whatever you wanted to say," Harry said. Hermione let go of her grip.

Hermione closed the door behind him, leaning her head on it with a gentle thud and rolled her eyes in relief. "Oh finally!"

"What is it? Is it bad?" Harry urged on, getting worried.

Hermione tilted her head, folded her arms and stared at her boyfriend. "That was an excuse, Harry," Hermione pouted.

"But why--oh." Harry realised with a smile. "I get it," he said and moved closer, almost feeling her aura bathe him. Harry's eyes swooped down and he noted with a small thrill that Hermione's body was inches from his.

"Do you know that we haven't kissed since we parted at Kings' Cross? It's been driving me insane, because we're never alone, and there's so much happening now that I'm here," Hermione whispered as if someone was eavesdropping.

Harry grinned, his eyes catching site of the couch. "The couch is over there, you know," he said smoothly, making Hermione breathe heavier. Harry interlocked his fingers between Hermione's and led her gently to the seat.

"It's been so long, so we'll have--let's say--oh, maybe a good twenty minutes to make up for it," Hermione said spiritedly, glancing at the watch. Then she leaned closer until Harry could feel her bushy hair tickle his face.

Harry's eyes lit up, as her breath quickened. "Oh yeah, twenty minutes seems fi--" Hermione's lips touched his and he couldn't say another word.

Meanwhile, down in the kitchen, Ginny was talking to her mother about Dean and how wonderful he was, when there was a little knock on the kitchen door.

Professor Snape entered, her travelling cloak fastened at her neck with a little silver broach that resembled a snake.

"Is Sirius here?" Morganna asked, looking around at the stunned faces because of her appearance.

"No, Professor, he is at the Ministry with Professor Dumbledore and Remus," Molly replied, waving her ladle around. "Anything I can tell Sirius?"

"Ahh yes," she answered. "Please tell him that I'll be going. Tell him that I've left some of my research down in the basement and that the Wolfsbane Potion for Remus is nearly ready at my mother's.

"Headmaster Dumbledore knows that my mother is ill, and I may not be able to make it for the train, but I will try." Morganna turned to the two young Weasleys staring at her and gave a little curt nod towards them. "I'll see you two in Potions. Good day."

"Goodbye, Professor Snape," Ginny and Ron mumbled.

The Potions Mistress curled her lip at Ron when he looked her way. His ears had reddened, and he was clearly intimidated by the stare she was giving him.

Morganna left the room with a twirl of her cloak, heading towards the dining room to Floo to her mother's. She entered the quiet dining area setting, where a fire was raging. Since it was too hot, and most of the time the children were lazily sitting in the living room, Sirius felt it was better to have a fire somewhere else where they rarely were.

Morganna strode over, her fingers lightly trailing the fine walnut table. A string of silver candleholders were lined up on top of a white linen runner on the table, basking in the reflective green light the fire produced. Morganna thought it was a waste, since they never ate up here. The table was too beautiful to be hidden away. She would never have thought that a man like Sirius had any taste at all. Maybe the style was not his own. Sirius was not a man who cared about his accommodations in which he lived in. This was a style picked for him, when he did not care what he wanted. The only thing he wanted was Potter's happiness.

The thick burgundy curtains were closed, and the air was almost unbreathable in the room, as if nobody had entered it for centuries, and had been left to collect dust over time. It was the way she liked it. Morganna didn't want the sunshine blinding her eyes, making the room bright and gay. No. She liked the peacefulness; the quiet the darkness can produce in a small place wrapped away from peoples' use. Maybe that's why she loved her Hogwarts office so much, because it was in the dungeons. Yes, she was glad Severus thought the same way.

Pretty little serving tables sat against the wall. Morganna cringed, observing the silver on the shelves and table. What in Salazar's right mind was Sirius thinking? This did not scream the styling of a man's touch! She smirked, she knew exactly how to fix it ... It needs a little green, she thought with a little nod.

She turned her attentions to her travel, and hoped that her mother was feeling better after a week's stay at St Mungo's, suffering from a pout of Dragon Pox. Chicken Pox only afflicted Muggles, and the Dragon Pox was the magical version of it, which only infected those of magical blood. But they were similar and both were particularly deadly when it affected an adult. The contagious stage had passed, so Morganna felt safe in seeing her mother.

Morganna's pale fingers dipped into the Floo container and grabbed a handful of green powder, intending to throw it in for the fire to become suitable for travelling.

However, something immediately bewildered her.

Morganna swore she saw Longbottom's head appear in the flames for a split second. Blinking, Morganna replaced the Floo back into its container and bent down to the fire.

"Longbottom, are you there?" she asked. No answer came, just the merry crackling of the dancing flames. "Mr. Longbottom," she said, a little more boisterously.

Neville's head popped back into the fire and his eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Pro-Professor Snape?"

"Yes boy," she answered. "It is I."

"Does Professor Black live there?" Neville asked. She nodded.

Morganna knew he was a little confused at seeing her. Longbottom probably thought he had gotten the wrong grate from what Professor Dumbledore had told him to remember.

"I-I wasn't expecting to see you here," he stammered.

"I'm sure you weren't!" Morganna's lip curled in satisfaction at seeing the startled look on the boy's face. "Now what do you want?" she spat icily, impatient to get a move on. "I need to travel quickly, so you best show yourself here."

Neville disappeared in silence and a moment later Professor Snape pulled herself back to allow the boy to Floo into the household.

Green flames sparkled out of the fireplace like a miniature fireworks display. In a roar, Neville appeared and stepped out of it, ash piling on his robes. He looked around Harry's dwelling.

The Potions Mistress gazed curiously at him. "Something the matter, Longbottom, that the moment I was meant to Floo out, your graceful presence makes itself welcome?" The boy didn't answer.

"Well speak up." Morganna snapped. "You have now wasted considerable amounts of my precious time."

"I- I'm so sorry Mistress." Neville winced. "Um, er, is Harry here? I need to, er speak to him," Neville said bashfully.

Morganna closed her eyes, sighing and trying to honour Sirius' wishes to act civil towards Potter, but the urge to not comment was too much to bear. "I do not know," she finally replied, "but follow me."

Neville jolted suddenly at the Potions Mistress' sharp movement out of the room, and he took the move to follow her wherever she went. Morganna knew it was the boy's first time at Potter's house, but she wasn't in the mood, and didn't have the time to give the boy a tour.

Morganna halted at a door, forcing Neville to stop before he smacked into her. Morganna pushed it open to reveal the kitchen with Ginny and Ron and Mrs. Weasley in it.

"Neville," Ginny said suddenly, and Ron looked up smiling. "What a pleasant surprise, come in."

Neville waved to them and entered the kitchen carefully, sitting next to Ron amidst Professor Snape's venomous stare.

"Where's Potter?" Morganna said. Ginny cringed. Morganna sensed that the Weasley girl wanted to lie, but she faced the predicament of telling the truth or lying in front of her mother.

"Um, er, he's- he's in my bedroom with er--"

Mrs. Weasley turned abruptly with her hands on her hips, looking very stern. "Ginny, what is Harry doing in your bedroom with--."

"I'LL GO GET HIM!" Ron announced loudly, forcing Morganna to focus on him instead.

"D- Did I come at a bad time?" Neville asked, trying to break the weird tension in the room.

Morganna turned her face slightly, without gazing anywhere else. "No, Mr. Weasley." she smirked. "I'll get him. Now SIT down." She pointed her long pale finger to the seat and Ron obeyed her. Mrs. Weasley agreed with the teacher.

Ron reddened, and slowly sat down again, his fingers white from grasping the table with great force.

Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes at her children, her lips pursed. Neville squeezed his eyes shut, paling as though he were bracing himself for the pending disaster, while Ron and Ginny both grimaced.

Morganna guessed what Granger and Potter were up to. She couldn't help but catch them out. She wanted to see Potter's startled and humiliated expression. The opportunity was too good to miss, despite the fact that she knew she would have to battle it out with Sirius when he found out. Morganna curled her lip nefariously and left the kitchen to make her way to the second floor.

Morganna spread her fingers to touch the bronze door handle to the bedroom, and sighed almost happily at her next move, yanking the door open.

The reaction from Granger and Potter was far better than what Morganna imagined. "My, my, what have I found here?" she said sweetly, relishing the moment. "Granger and Potter in the middle of their own little safari, I dare say?" Morganna clucked her tongue, and couldn't help but smirk broadly.

Hermione let go of Harry's chest and shifted in her seat, burying her face in her hands, inhaling deeply, making sure she did not meet the Professor's eyes.

Harry sat down properly and ran his fingers through his hair. In a rush, he got off the couch. "Professor Snape ..." he said through gritted teeth, his thoughts obviously going wild.

Morganna locked her eyes with his and narrowed them. "Now, now Mr. Potter. If I caught you out at Hogwarts saying that to me, that could earn you detention for the next two months."

Harry cringed and looked away, while Hermione dropped her hands, blushing profusely. "You have no-"

"Does it matter now, Potter?" Morganna smiled devilishly. "Right. Since the mood has now been extinguished, I've come up to tell you both that Mr. Longbottom is downstairs and wishes to speak to you Potter. Good day." Then she left the room, looking happy in her own evil way.

***

Harry watched the last of Professor Snape's blasted cloak leave the room and slammed the door shut behind her. He raised his hands in front of him and balled them into fists, biting his lip hard. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WOMAN--" he stopped himself from going further.

"Oh dear ... oh no," Hermione spoke at last, her cheeks still crimson.

"What?" Harry calmed down, staring at a deeply mortified Hermione. "We weren't doing anything that crossed the line." Harry breathed, buttoning the two buttons Hermione had opened on his shirt. He sat down on the couch again, calming himself. Away from Hermione, however. He stared at the floor, deep in thought, humiliation still bubbling within him. "Why did she have to come barging in?"

Mrs. Weasley shot through the room seconds later, followed by Ginny, Ron and Neville. Each had different expressions plastered on their faces: Ron and Ginny looked like they had been punished by a very angry looking Mrs. Weasley, who was pointing her finger at Harry and Hermione, while Neville looked very sorry, as if like he had started the whole mess.

"WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING?"

"Noth--"

"FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN! SIRIUS WILL--FORGET ABOUT SIRIUS! JUST THINK ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, HERMIONE! HOW DO YOU THINK THEY'D FEEL IF THEY CAUGHT YOU IN THE BEDROOM, WITH HARRY?" Mrs. Weasley shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Mrs. Weasley--" Hermione started, her forehead crinkled.

"--ALONE IN THE BEDROOM!" she emphasised again, "I'M NOT HAPPY WITH EITHER OF YOU!"

"We were just--"

"WHAT? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FOR THE SAKE OF MY SANITY!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, making Ginny and Ron cringe, both faces just as red as their hair. Brian began to cry somewhere in the house, calming Molly down.

Mrs. O'Connor walked into the room, rocking her baby in her arms. "What's happened here?" she asked in her Irish accent, her baby tugging on her brittle brown hair. Mrs. Weasley heaved her bosom and looked at the woman, pointing her finger at Harry and Hermione.

"We were just kissing, honestly!" Hermione said softly. Mrs. Weasley relaxed even further, breathing hard through her nose. "Really. Nothing more. Just doing what adolescents do."

Mrs. O'Connor was smiling. "Oh come on, Molly," she admonished. "I'm sure you and Arthur did some terrible things in your day."

Mrs. Weasley widened her eyes. "What adolescents do today is completely outrageous and nothing like our day! They were alone in the bedroom, Niamh," she said. The way Mrs. Weasley had said it one might be under the impression that they had been committing a horrible crime. Mrs. Weasley looked around the room, making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Next time, please kiss somewhere else other than the bedroom." Mrs. O'Connor paused and wiped away her son's tears. "Somewhere less intimate. You might do something you could regret later on," she said sternly, though Harry could see she was trying not to laugh.

"And do not dare continue this in that open patch in the woods or somewhere where you would do anything far more adventurous. That is now an official out of bounds area!" Molly hissed.

"Will you be watching us at Hogwarts, Mum?" Ron asked, trying to make his mother see reason. Although if truth be told, Harry had to admit that he was sure Ron didn't want to witness his two best friends snogging if it could be at all helped, even if Ron was over the events of their previous year.

"RONALD!"

"Sorry Mum." Ron bowed his head. Ginny burst out laughing, but her mother gave her a deadly look. Ginny inclined her head, biting her lip hard.

Harry and Hermione nodded and waited patiently for Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. O'Connor to leave the room.

When Ron was sure his mother was out of earshot he replaced his stance, blowing out a low whistle and sat on Ginny's bed. "Woah. Well, that was ...shall we say ... intense? Reminded me of a time when she caught out Bill with his girlfriend when we were little, eh Gin?" Ron said. Ginny shivered.

A silence drifted into the room and Harry only heard his ears buzzing from the backlash from Mrs. Weasley. He cushioned his head on the back of the sofa, enjoying the silence until it ended.

Neville lifted his hands, his face flushed. "Harry, I am so, so sorry," he finally said with a sigh, breaking the quiet as he sat on a spare seat.

"It's not your fault, Neville. It wasn't anything serious," Harry mumbled, feeling weakened by the whole ordeal. He looked up and found Ginny blinking at him and Hermione. "The nerve of Professor Snape--"

"Harry, forget about it," Hermione said, pulling a knot from her hair.

Ginny smiled feebly, taking a seat herself. "Well, think of it this way ... you made the day far more interesting than the entire summer put together."

Harry smiled. "I suppose so," he conceded. "If you put it that way, Ginny."

"I expect Sirius will be furious with her," Hermione pondered out loud.

"True, but he won't kill her like he's been tempted to do in the past," Harry said, making Ron choke in laughter.

Harry's smile faded when Neville stood up and roamed around the room, clearly looking like there was something on his mind. Something which could not have waited until their train ride to Hogwarts when they would've met. Words kept teetering on his lips but he couldn't say it, one stare at Harry and he lost concentration. Then Ron spoke up, making Neville relax.

"So. You and Luna are becoming an item?"

Neville furrowed his brow. "You heard? How?"

Ron took a deep breath and explained. "Oh, Parvati told me something about seeing you two with giant magnifying glasses, prowling around Diagon Alley in search of something." Ron said as matter-of-factly as he could. Neville went even redder and bowed his head. "Parvati asked Luna what she was doing with you. Luna said she was looking for some strange creature called the Dipooly-Smig. She said she couldn't be happier than with you by her side. It made things more ... fascinating."

Hermione snorted at that. "Dipooly-Smig!" she mumbled because she was not in earshot of Luna's presence.

"Yeah. You could say Luna and I are together," Neville shrugged, unsuccessfully trying to keep a grin off his face.

Harry wasn't surprised that Neville was seeing Luna. After all, he remembered that Luna was going to go on an expedition with Neville before exams in sixth year to locate a Crunchstimple, an animal that Harry did not bother finding out what it was.

"How have your holidays been so far?" Neville started. "Mine's been chaotic. Professor Dumbledore came to my house and he put the house under some sort of charm and then gave me the whereabouts of the Order, if I needed any help."

"I lost Trevor on my birthday, then I lost him again another two times. Then my Great Uncle Algie had a disastrous accident with a potion which landed him a month's stay in hospital. Also, Uncle Algie has been thinking about joining the Order, too. Don't know how much he can do; he's so old. But Professor Dumbledore is going to welcome him into the Order when he's well enough. Gran, of course, doesn't want me to join. She says I'm too young."

"That is what everyone keeps telling us, too," Harry grumbled, slouching in his seat. "But Sirius is starting to tell me some little tidbits of information."

"And he shouldn't have, not without Professor Dumbledore's permission, Harry. Sirius should wait until you finish Hogwarts," Hermione reproved. "Our holidays have been fine, Neville. I went to France and Egypt, lovely places." Hermione explained.

Ron rolled his eyes and buried his head under a pillow, unable to listen Hermione's rambling about how much information she'd stumbled across in Egypt again.

Neville nodded, sitting back down, looking as if something was eating at his mind. Harry was becoming agitated at the sight of Neville's nervousness. "Okay, what's wrong Neville? Why did you really come?" Harry prodded.

Neville wrung his hands and looked at Harry, working up the courage to say what he needed to. "Are your powers working yet, Harry?"

Harry blinked and shook his head. "No- not yet, why?" he said slowly.

Harry thought that it was amazing how a simple question can instantly turn a friendly atmosphere into something worthy of a foreboding presence, creepily crawling on their skin.

"Well, uh, I think m-mine has started today."

Neville paused, and bowed his head inhaling deeply.

"I was looking for Trevor when I think I saw something of the future. I mean, the image only lasted for three seconds, but it felt so lucid, so frightening that I fell to the ground gasping," Neville replied gulping. His sight firmly planted on the blue carpet beneath his feet. "It was something which couldn't have been some passing flash of my own memory ... it had to be the Water of Knowledge working, Harry. I've never had that sort of premonition before, and it certainly does not run in my family."

Harry stared, feeling a little numb, more than a little scared, confused, and surprisingly a little bit jealous. He couldn't believe that Neville's new powers had started working, but it hadn't begun to rise to the surface in him. What was Neville doing that he wasn't? Harry's other feelings were torn at the news, and that something had tormented Neville, because it was he who had let Neville drink the water in the first place.

Hermione asked the question that they were all dreading to hear. "Wha- what exactly did you see, Neville?"

Neville pulled his head up, turning to look at Harry. Harry could see his bottom lip was trembling as his mind hesitated from revealing his secret. "I heard Who-Know-Who and a woman scream at the same time and--and then I saw you, Harry, standing over ... a- a body."

Ron paled considerably and Harry felt everyone was staring at him. "Anything else?" Harry quietly asked, closing his eyes. "Anything else I was doing?"

Neville shook his head. "It was dark around you and stars were in the sky. You fell to your knees observing her. That was all I saw. I'm sorry."

Harry rubbed his eyes, taking in the piece of information that was stirring his stomach and his heart was suddenly pounding. He was feeling sick at the news of a dead body beneath his feet.

Ron stood up and hurried to the door, "I'm going to get Dumbledore," he said. "You-Know-Who wouldn't know by any chance, Harry, would he?"

Harry shook his head, afraid to open his mouth. He was relieved when Hermione answered for him.

"No. I doubt he would've had the same vision anyway. After all, we are all different." Hermione concluded. Harry hoped she was right. There were only two people they could really learn more from and that was either Professor Dumbledore or Niamh O'Connor since she knew of her husband's secrets.