Harry Potter and the Brothers of the Wolves

Chapter II: Nightmares

True to his word (and his alarm clock), Harry arose at five in the morning. His arms were a little sore and his mind was peacefully numb. He dressed into a mock version of running clothes, which consisted of a tattered pair of jean shorts and a grey shirt with a few random holes.

When he started to run, he finally realized just how out of shape he really was. He was panting practically before he left the drive. He headed off towards the park down near Magnolia Crescent (magnificently slow, he added).

Harry eventually made it back to the house at a quarter past six. He collapsed on the couch and blacked out...

*    *    *

"OOOWWWW!!!" came a distant voice. Harry Jumped alertly and then relaxed. Aunt Petunia had been leaning over Harry trying to wake him. She had slapped him in the face, resorting to the more violent ways to wake a person.

"What time is it?" Harry asked. How long had he been blacked out?

"It's seven thirty, and while you've been lazing around, I've tirelessly created a list for things to be done over the summer." She handed over a rather long list, but Harry wasn't paying any attention to her.

Harry wasn't purely blacked out. He had the dream again. It was the same every time, except for one thing: the person who died always changed.

"Kill the spare." Harry gave an involuntary shudder. Every night since THE night, Harry had been having nightmares. He always went to the graveyard, always with one person, and a chilling voice said those haunting words: "Kill the spare."

Harry couldn't remember who his partner was this time. Blazing, fiery hair with wide brown eyes opened in horror. Harry realized it wasn't just Aunt Petunia's slapping that had made Harry scream: he had felt pain in his scar, too.

Harry got up and started near the top of the list: "Trim the hedges."

Harry half-heartedly got through half a dozen or so of the tasks when he had to stop. He told Aunt Petunia he was too tired to continue and he walked up to his room before she could call him back down.

Harry fell asleep instantly...

*    *    *

"Where will it happen, M'Lord?"

"The Alley, fool. Where else would it hit so hard?"

"Sorry, M'Lord..." The shorter, plumper figure rasied his silver hand and slapped himself in the face.

"Is it pain you desire, Wormtail?" The red eyes from under the hood lit up with amusement.

"Please, M'Lord, no, I-"

"Crucio!"

"AAAGGGHHH!!!"

Harry bolted straight up. His throat was slightly sore, and he guessed he had been screaming along with the short, plump man because he could hear a little rustling in his relative's rooms.

So Harry didn't have a nightmare this time: more like a vision than a dream. But what did this mean? The alley... What alley? There was an alley between Privet Drive and Magnolia Crescent... If Voldemort had something going on there, Harry decided it best to avoid that area from now on. He would take the longer, hopefully safer route to the park near Magnolia Crescent.

Harry tried to settle down and had another restless sleep...

*    *    *

Harry went through two weeks of working in the yard and running, every day getting stronger and stronger. At night, the nightmares became few and far between, but now they were all constant. The fiery hair and terror-struck brown eyes never changed.

By the end of the second week, the work was completed. The day after completion, Harry walked down into the kitchen and seated himself. "What now?" Harry inquired of his uncle, who was hidden from the world behind the day's newspaper.

"What, 'what now?'" Vernon grunted.

"What should I do now that I've finished the landscaping?" Harry asked, slightly agitated.

"I've found a landscaping company for you to join. They offered a job for you since they hear you've been working decently for a good two weeks. You'll start tomorrow, as today you'll have the day off."

Harry relaxed the rest of the day in the newly redesigned backyard, lounging on his back with his shirt off, as he did most of the time during the two weeks he was working, and was now starting to develop a nice tan. Along with this and the working, Harry now had a rather toned body.

Harry had a peaceful night for once...