The Figure Clothed in Black

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Italics are character's thoughts.

Bold is dreams.

Chapter Four. Doubts, Dreams, and Telepathy

The next day Amanda came and moved in, too. Harry really liked her. He thought it was impossible for anyone not to like her. She had a crazy personality and you just knew from the first time you met her that she was someone you could trust and knew you would remember forever.

Harry found that now he wasn't in the Dursley house and had people to talk to, that it was a lot easier to forget about Sirius being dead and since he wasn't having nightmares anymore, one of the adults made sure he took a sleeping potion every night. Though this hadn't always proved successful. One night he woke up screaming, even though he had taken a potion before he went to sleep, and after reassuring everyone that he was all right and they left his room, he cried for about thirty minutes and then took the potion Remus had left for him. Even though he found that the pain was diminishing somewhat and suicide wasn't as much as much as an option as it had been, little things brought back memories of Sirius. He wasn't sure if he could ever fly again without thinking of Sirius.

He was starting to find himself unwilling to get close to Kirsten and Dustin. At first he wasn't aware that he was doing it. The first day that they had been there he had been wiling to learn anything about them and glad to know that someone would travel across the sea just to see him, but now he found he was having doubts. He was making up excuses to stay in his room and not talk to them. At first they had thought that it was Sirius' death and he wanted to be alone but they were starting to think different. Aside from the occasional nightmare at night or during the day when he fell asleep sometimes, he appeared to be getting along fine.

Harry wasn't sure why he was making up excuses not to spend time with Kirsten and Dustin. After thinking about it for a while he just finally decided that it had something to do with his subconscious, even though he wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

A week after Harry had sent his letter to Ron and Hermione he got his reply.

Dear Harry,

We both are so glad that your summer is turning out for the better. Neither of us can believe that you got an O in potions, especially Ron. Here are my results: Potions: Outstanding, Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding, Astronomy: Acceptable, Herbology: Exceeds Expectation, Arthmicacy: Exceeds Expectation, Ancient Runes: Outstanding, Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding, Charms: Outstanding, Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectation, History of Magic: Poor. 5 outstandings and I only failed one. I can't believe a failed History of Magic. At least I won't have Professor Binns anymore. Here are Ron's: Potions: Poor, Charms: Acceptable, Transfiguration: Acceptable, History of Magic: Dreadful, Herbology: Acceptable, Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding, Divanation: Dreadful, Astronomy: Poor, Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectation. He failed four out of nine, which isn't all that bad still over half. Everything's normal here but Lupin hasn't been here in a while. Dumbledore said that he was doing something for him and that he wouldn't be here for the rest of the summer. Ron and I are having a good summer and we'll be seeing you soon but we can't tell you how.

Love,

Ron and Hermione

When and how are they going to be seeing me soon? It's only July still. Even though now I'm not sure how good of a summer it's going to be now. No one ever tells me anything. Why not just tell me now through the letter how you are going to be seeing me soon?

"Is that Ron and Hermione's reply?'' Kirsten asked bringing Harry out of his thoughts. He looked up startled, before nodding.

"They said they'll be seeing me soon but I don't know how and of course the letter didn't say, and since school doesn't start for over a month I have no clue how they will," Harry said though he had intended to keep it to himself.

"Well none of us are allowed to say too much in a letter in case it gets intercepted," Kirsten said hoping Harry would say something more. He didn't. He nodded and excused himself and went up to his room.

Kirsten sighed. I wish he would tell me what's wrong. It doesn't even have to be me; he just needs to tell somebody. Maybe Remus is right. Maybe it is just Sirius. But the night we came and the next day he seemed glad that we were here and now he doesn't talk to anyone and stays up in his room for hours. I don't really think that it's Sirius' death alone. I'm sure that comes somewhere into play but he's dealing with that better now that he doesn't have a nightmare every time he goes to sleep. He seemed to be willing to talk and told us tons of things and then suddenly he just clams up and won't talk hardly ever to anyone. No, he'll talk to Remus but he won't to Dustin and me. She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a loud sound from Harry's room and jumped up considering running up the stairs before she realized that it was music and then the sound faded away.

In the room Remus gave Harry, there was a boom box and an impressive CD collection. Harry had found this out and had been constantly playing the CDs seeing which he liked best. His favorite was a CD by Evanescence. He liked to play it full blast every once in a while just to annoy Amanda, who hated rock music. He especially liked "Everybody's Fool," "Going Under," "Imaginary," "Bring Me To Life," " My Immortal," and " Whisper." Remus also had a computer in that room that had Internet access and a program on it where you could download songs, video, images, and other things off it. Harry spent a lot of time on the Internet doing stuff, but mostly downloading songs and video. He had downloaded Evanescence's videos for "Bring Me to Life" and "Going Under" and watched them both like a million times a day. He came out mostly to eat.

They had all tried talking to him and figure out why all of a sudden he was so withdrawn, but it never worked. Sometimes he would talk but it wouldn't be about what was bothering him. They were reassuring their selves that it wasn't nothing to serious since he hadn't stopped eating yet.

At the moment Harry was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling thinking. He hadn't known why he suddenly decided not to talk to Kirsten and Dustin but yesterday he had figured out why. He was scared. He was scared that he would get close to them and love them and rely on them and then they would die like Sirius did. He had just really gotten close to him and starting to rely on him and then he died. He couldn't take the pain if that happened again. If that did he would commit suicide.

He got up and turned to the next song on the CD and then lay back down on the bed continuing to stare at the ceiling. It was suddenly very interesting. He thought back to the night Sirius died and tears came to his eyes. All I ever wanted was a family who loved me. Most kids have that. All of my friends do. I had Sirius but he died. There's Remus of course but I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to him. The only reason I've been talking to him is because it's to late not to get attached. And now I have a older brother and sister who are willing to help me and flew across the ocean to see me and I'm keeping myself from them, because I don't want to get hurt. And then there's that whole stupid prophecy. Why should I get attached to anyone more than I already have? I'm most likely going to die young and at the hands of Voldemort. Why should I get close to anyone? If I do they'll be hurt when I die, and if they die before I do then I'm hurt. Maybe it would just be better for everyone if I just disappeared off into Siberia. Go into exile. Cut myself off from the world. No one would be in danger then because they knew me then. No one would have contact with me. That probably is the best thing. I can't tell anyone the contents of the prophecy that would be too dangerous. If Voldemort found out that anyone knew it would be his number one priority to get to them.

Little did he know that someone was listening in on his thoughts and that person was over a thousand miles away.

*~*~

Kayla sighed after hearing the teenage boy's thoughts. He was so depressed and was seriously thinking of running of and cutting himself off from the world. Kayla Marie McGonagall was sitting on her bed in her room, in her adoptive parent's house. Her mother hadn't wanted her and had given her up for adoption and Britta and Josh McGonagall had adopted her at the age of 5 from her former family when it was discovered that they were abusing her. Her parents had told all of this last year when she had turned fifteen. They had offered to look for her birth mother if she wanted to but she had told them no, that they were her only parents.

Dang, telepathy. I can only hear his thoughts and we can't communicate and I don't even know who he is. He could be the next-door neighbor or he could thousands of miles away!!! I wish I could help him.

"Kayla, come down. It's time for dinner," her mum called up the stairs.

"Ok, Mum, coming," she called back down and pushed the thoughts of the mystery boy out of her head.

And, forgive me for repeating it, little did she know that someone was listening in her thoughts. It was the last person in the world she wanted listening in.

*~*

I've got to figure out whose thoughts I was listening to. A teenage girl I know that much. And she's hearing a depressed teenage boy's thoughts. What if she's hearing Harry Potter's thoughts? If she is then it could lead me to where he is and I could finish him once and for all!!

As he thought this, a cruel smile lit his face but it suddenly turned to a frown. The girl is right. Stupid telepathy. I can't communicate with her. I need to communicate with her to form a plan and do the plan and prove once and for all I am more powerful than that fool Albus Dumbledore. As he thought a smirk came to his face, fantasying about how good it will be when he finally is one up on Albus Dumbledore.

*~*

Back at the Lupin house everyone had just sat down for dinner and were eating and talking, when Harry felt an odd feeling come over him. Voldemort. He's confused and frustrated about something. Well I guess I'm okay. As long as he's not happy, I'm fine. Remus addressing him brought Harry of his thoughts. He answered the question and then started eating again. Everyone finished eating and then went into the living room and Harry and Remus started playing chess while Kirsten and Dustin talked.

Remus beat Harry and they all stayed down for a while doing little things before heading up to bed. Harry changed and took the sleeping potion even though it didn't stop Harry from a dream that night. And the weirdest thing was that it wasn't about Sirius.

He was in a house he didn't recognize and there was a girl that looked about his age sleeping in a bed that had pink bed covers on it. Harry looked around. Almost the whole room was a pale pink. Where it wasn't pink it was a pale baby blue. The bed was up against the wall. On the right side of the room there were windows with a comfy pale baby blue window sit. There was a nightstand beside the bed that had pictures of a brown-headed girl with a couple. The woman had bright blonde hair and the man had red hair. Harry went over to the window and looked out at the night sky. It was a clear night with tons of stars in the sky. Harry looked down the street looking for any sign of something strange. There had to be a reason he was here and he was betting that it was Voldemort.

He was about to turn away form the window but movement caught his eye. He knew it. There were at least a dozen Death Eaters walking toward the house. Harry went over to the girl and tried to wake her up but his hands went right through her.

Harry ran out of the room, into the hallway and into another room to find the couple that was in picture sleeping soundly. He was relieved slightly when he saw that there were two wands laying on the nightstand beside the bed. At least they had somewhat of a chance, though it was very slim.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" he yelled but didn't get a response out of the couple. He ran over to window and looked out. The Death Eaters were still down at the other end of the street but they were getting closer. He looked around the room frantically. Maybe he could hit something or break something and wake them up.

He saw a shoe in the floor and through at the woman. It hit her and woke her up immediately.

I hope my hands don't go through it, Harry thought as he went for the shoe. Fortunately his hands didn't go through it and he threw it at the woman, successfully hitting her.

"What in the world?" she said sitting up looking to see who had thrown the shoe.

"What's wrong?" said the man, whom Harry assumed was her husband, having woken up by his wife's sudden movement.

"Someone threw a shoe at me but I don't see anybody," she said as she took her wand off the nightstand. She muttered something that Harry didn't understand. Nothing happened. Harry went over to the window and looked out again. They were only about three houses away. He moved the curtains to get their attention. It worked. The man and woman both sent a stunning curse in that direction but both just passed through Harry. The man slowly got out of bed and went over to the window closely followed by his wife. They both gasped as they saw the Death Eaters. The woman ran out of them room and Harry could hear her waking up the girl. She yelled softly for the man and he left the room and Harry followed.

They went down the hallway and into a room with a fireplace. Harry heard the door being blown off its hinges. The man threw what Harry recognized as floo powder in the fire and the daughter went first into it shouting "Three Broomsticks" and was gone. The mother went next and then the father went just as a Death Eater came in the room and sent a curse at the fireplace but he was already out of site.

Everything was fading. The dream was ending. Harry slept on now in a world of black.

*~*

Remus, Kirsten, and Dusting sighed as Harry finally stopped thrashing and screaming. He had been for the past hour and even though they had forced sleeping potions down his throat, it hadn't helped. Remus transfigured some things in the room into big armchairs for them to curl up in and go to sleep in, in case this happened again they would be in the room. They all got settled and fell asleep.

When Harry woke up the next morning, Remus told Harry about what happened last night Harry didn't remember anything about the dream.