Slytherin Forever! Book Two: Shadow

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Chapter Seven: Dreamer.

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What's the point of life

And what's the meaning if we all die in the end?

Does it make sense to learn or do we forget everything?

- The Phantom Agony (Between Hope And Despair), Epica.

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Two weeks before the end of term the weather cleared up and the ground were covered with sparkling frost. The students felt festive and nobody thought about the Dementors or Sirius Black anymore, certainly not when holiday plans were discussed.

Ginny was staying at school but most of the other Slytherins went home. The only people from her little group who went home were Marita, and Dev who was needed in the family home together with her sister Pansy.

Marita's explanation for leaving was pretty rude, Ginny recalled as she seated herself in one of the chairs, and the Slytherins hadn't been surprised at all by her words. Everybody knew that Marita, although she was a half-blood herself, hated everything that was connected with Muggles and so she also hated Natalya.

Natalya herself had just sneered when Marita said that she didn't want to spend the holiday in the same room as an orphaned brat whose blood was impure. Ginny'd had to restrain Zeynep from hitting Marita, but that hadn't stopped him from taking twenty points off his own House. Blaise feared for Zeynep's sanity, she confessed to Ginny one day, for he was now becoming a second Percy Weasley.

Ginny looked over to Zeynep and Natalya, who were making homework together. You wouldn't be able to call it making your own homework, Ginny realized with a grin, for Natalya was yawning and nearly fell asleep on Zeynep's shoulder as he explained something to her.

It was common knowledge among the Slytherins that Zeynep and Natalya were close friends and were never seen without each other. Nobody knew exactly what had been the start of the friendship, or what had caused them to become so close, but it didn't really matter. They were, for everybody else, the prototype of a good relationship.

"What is going on in your mind, Red?"

Ginny looked up and met Draco's eyes momentarily as he seated himself. She smiled at him and replied: "Look at those two. They don't care about anyone but each other. That's wonderful, isn't it?"

Draco looked at Zeynep and Natalya, who had put the homework aside and were now chatting quietly. He turned back to Ginny, grinned, and said:

"Keep one thing in mind: the Zabini family and the Romanovs never got along in the past."

"Natalya's last name is Cruz," Ginny frowned. "I think that you're mixing her up with Loki."

"Cruz is her mother's name," Draco explained. "Her father was Loki's brother. Dad told me about it a week ago in a letter."

"How come that she didn't recognize him then?"

"She had never seen him before. Loki hates little children, in case you didn't know, which is why he didn't take her in when her family was murdered by the Death Eaters."

"Poor thing," Ginny said softly as she looked at Natalya. "To grow up, all alone without any family... I can't imagine what it has been like for her."

"Me neither," Draco sighed. "Marita's a real lowlife for saying such things to Lya, isn't she?"

"You can say that again," Ginny chuckled. "Mind you, Lya doesn't like her either and said some pretty bad stuff in return."

"Yes, but that is called a normal reaction."

***

"The power is growing within you, my little Ginny. You shall turn thirteen in March, is it not?"

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"I am Laura Seideira. I know you because I knew Tom Riddle."

"Do not speak of him! He has damaged me; he has left me! He is gone!"

"He is never completely gone, for his power resides within you. Ginny, dearest, do not try to fight your destiny. Do not fight the rights and authority given to you by blood."

"This cannot be true. Tell me it isn't true!"

"I wish I could..."

"NOOOOO!"

"Ginny, wake up! You're having another nightmare!"

Ginny flew upright, fully aware of the fact that she has just screamed as if she was being tortured. She blinked against the bright light that had flared from Marita's wand tip and groaned as she realized that the rest of the dorm was awake, too.

"What happened?" Natalya asked with a small voice somewhere on Ginny's right side. "You scared us all to death this time..."

"I don't know," Ginny said shakily. "I heard a woman speak to me, she told me... things."

"What things?"

"Strange ones," Ginny replied. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You look really bad," Alisha remarked. "Are you sure that you shouldn't go to the Hospital Wing?"

"How many Dreamless Sleep potions will I have to take before the nightmares disappear?" Ginny asked with a sigh. "How many times do I have to endure such nights as this one before I know what all of this is about in the first place?"

"Do you want to talk to Snape?" Natalya asked quietly. "He might know a solution..."

"Not at the moment," Ginny replied. Then, all of a sudden, she knew who she could turn to. "Can you get Loki for me?"

"Sure, if that would help..."

Natalya walked towards the door, tip of her wand flaring with light as well, but Dev stopped her. Irritated, Natalya turned around and started to say something but Dev was quicker.

"What about Filch? You can't run to Loki in the middle of the night! It would cost us points if you were caught by anyone!"

"I have realized that, yes," Natalya snarled. "Now let go of me, Dev! I'm going to Zeynep because he is allowed out after curfew and knows where Loki's rooms are."

"Okay then," Dev said softly and let Natalya go.

The black haired Slytherin disappeared quietly and closed the door softly behind her. Ginny mumbled something and tried to get up. The problem was, however, other than Alisha holding Ginny back, that she was too weak to attempt walking.

"I don't believe this," Ginny muttered. "First the dreams, now a disablement of moving around... What's next? Losing the ability to speak?"

"Don't give the illness ideas," Dev warned with a grin. "This is bad enough already."

Ginny gave the attempt to move up, making Alisha release her with a sigh. After that they waited silently for Natalya's return. When their friend finally returned she was out of breath and barely suppressing giggles.

"Ronald Nott tried to hex me when I entered the room," she laughed and flopped onto Ginny's bed. "The other guys screamed like little babies when they realized that it was me. I had trouble with waking Zeynep at first but Ronald poked him in the eye with his own wand after a moment. Zeynep nearly said something bad to Ronald but then he noticed that I was there and stopped in midsentence. He went to get Loki when I told him what had happened."

"I would have loved to see that," Alisha grinned. "I mean, of course, Zeynep being attacked by his own wand..."

"Naturally," Natalya replied with a smile.

"What did Zeynep say?" Marita asked with a frown. "Was he worried?"

"He wasn't, come to think of it," Natalya said. "He did say that he was used to crisis situations where we were concerned so that's probably the reason for his calmness."

"Poor Zeynep," Ginny sighed after a moment. "We rely on him way too much."

"Are you kidding me?" Natalya replied. "He loves the attention!"

There were footsteps nearing their room so the girls shut up and waited with bated breath. There was a polite knock on the door before it opened and revealed Loki. He strode into the room and over to Ginny's bed after a moment and remarked:

"You have developed a good way of getting a guy out of bed in no time, Miss Weasley. Now, what's the matter? Zeynep already told me something about a nightmare, but I am afraid that I don't get the complete picture..."

"I've been getting nightmares for quite some time now," Ginny replied. "I want to know what is going on here! Why am I getting them? What are the reasons?"

Loki closed his eyes, sighing. He took a deep breath and said:

"Get out of bed. It is too soon, and my instructions were different, but I am going to tell you some things you need to know." He turned to the other girls. "Keep quiet about this, do not tell anyone but Zeynep and Draco about Ginny's nightmares. I don't expect that Ginny will return to you tonight."

"Where are we going?"

"My office," Loki replied. "Some things are better kept from others."

"Why can't you tell her those things here?" Marita asked angrily. "We won't tell anyone!"

"I have no doubt about your trustworthiness, Miss Rosvenir," Loki said smoothly, "but there might be others listening. Miss Cruz and Mr Zabini made quite a racket up in the boys' dormitories and I am afraid that there are quite a few people awake over there now."

Ginny sighed mutely and tried to get up again. This time she managed to stand on her feet for an entire minute before she started to sway dangerously. Supported by Natalya and Alisha, however, she managed to get to the door.

"I'll take her from here," Loki's firm voice said from behind the girls. "Thank you all for your help. I shall send Zeynep up to you as a way of exception, and maybe Draco Malfoy will want to come too."

He swept Ginny up in his arms and carried her out of the room past the other dormitories. Zeynep was waiting for them just outside and gasped as he saw Ginny's face, which looked gaunt and hollow. Loki put Ginny down in a chair and turned to Zeynep.

"If Draco Malfoy is awake you can take him with you to the room of the girls. Try to ease them enough and let them get some sleep. This is a time when friends should be together."

He flicked his wand at the door they had come through, nodded firmly at Zeynep, picked Ginny up again and walked out of the common room. He carried her up a long flight of stairs, panting slightly, before putting her down at the top.

"My office is not far from here," he said softly. "Lean on me when needed."

Ginny nodded bravely and tried to take a few steps. It succeeded, but then she started to sway again so she put a hand on Loki's arm to steady herself. On they went, apprentice and master, until they reached a large oak door at the end of the corridor.

Loki ushered Ginny inside, shooting furtive glances around the corridor before closing the door behind him. He motioned for her to take a seat in front of the desk and flicked his wand at the empty fireplace impatiently. Flames flared up, giving Ginny a chance to look around the office.

It was certainly one of the most interesting offices. Old pictures in ancient-looking frames aligned the walls and Ginny was not entirely surprised to see that Gudrun was in some of them as well. Books were stacked in the corners of the room, and Ginny shivered as she realized that most of these books belonged in the Restricted Section of the library. There were some glass cabinets in the room too and behind those there lied stacks with bones and other things needed for Necromancy.

"When you have finished sight-seeing," Loki's voice interrupted, "I'd like to talk to you."

Ginny turned back to him, slightly flushed because he had noticed her stare at the cabinets, and was startled to see that he had used the time when she was looking around the room to get dressed properly.

"I do not have the permission to tell you everything," he continued, "but I swear that I will answer as many questions as I can."

"I want to know everything of importance," Ginny whispered. "I am not a little child anymore! What are those people who gave you orders? Are they afraid that I cannot handle these things?"

"Ginny, you are only twelve years old," Loki replied with a sigh. "What I am about to tell you is already a heavy matter to deal with on your age. If I'd tell you everything my boss would never forgive me."

"I have a right to know," Ginny said to him. "If those things have something to do with everything that has happened since I arrived at Hogwarts you have to tell me all you know."

"I will tell you when I think that you are ready for it," Loki said through clenched teeth. "Not a moment sooner."

"Tell me now and you will know if I am ready or not!" Ginny shouted.

"Would you keep it down?" Loki hissed furiously. "We don't want to wake the entire school, now do we? Can we make a deal now?"

"What kind of deal?"

"You will tell me everything that has been going on since you arrived here," Loki said, "and I promise that I will tell you everything I know at the end of this school year."

"You are going to tell me now," Ginny said.

"Do you want to know something or not?" Loki replied. "I won't tell you anything right now if you don't agree with this deal. You are in no position to bargain with me, Miss Weasley, keep that in the back of your mind."

"Very well then," Ginny sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know when those nightmares started," Loki said, "and what happened in them."

"I had my first nightmare at the start of the previous school year," Ginny began. "I dreamed about a girl, a bit older than me, who was being attacked by other wizards. I knew her name already before the boy shouted it."

"What was she called?"

"Laura," Ginny said after a moment. "Her name was Laura. I recall the fact that she was pregnant pretty well, come to think of it, and that seemed like the most important thing in the dream."

"Did you dream about her before?"

"No. That was the first time I saw her. I didn't have any nightmares anymore after that, probably because of Tom, but they started again in the Chamber of Secrets."

"What did you see?"

"At first I only heard voices," Ginny frowned. "Then I saw things. I saw Taigan Slytherin and some other people from her time. I saw Tom with Laura. I saw You-Know-Who and a redheaded woman. I saw my mother."

"Are you certain about all of this?"

"Positive," Ginny replied confidently. "Anyway, I had nightmares in the holiday as well but those were about the Chamber of Secrets. Then, just before we returned to school, I had another nightmare."

"Did you see things again?"

"I was standing on the grounds of Hogwarts," Ginny said, "but the castle was nothing more than a ruin. A voice told me that this would be the future if I should fail my task. Taigan already said that I was related to her and her father and that the one who went astray will rise again when I turn thirteen. The Dementor who inspected the train at the start of this year triggered something. I heard voices, raised ones who were screaming and pleading with invisible people, and it was so cold..."

"What did you hear?"

"Something about 'pay with your life' and 'get out of here'. Then there was a very clear sentence, namely '...Born to those who have thrice defied him. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal...'. Then there was something from the Chamber of Secrets before somebody shook me awake."

"Did you ever hear those things before?" Loki asked after a moment. "Usually Dementors can make people recall their worst memories..."

"The Chamber of Secrets part, obviously, was something I knew. I didn't know the other parts."

"That's strange..." Loki said softly. "That is strange indeed..."

"I had a nightmare a couple of weeks ago again," Ginny continued after a while. "It was about Salazar Slytherin's death. I saw him getting killed by a person called Damien. The weird thing about it was that I was Damien in my dream."

"Damien belonged to the Vayaen," Loki said softly. "I expect, of course, that you know quite a bit about them..."

"Yes, of course. The others already said that I could be a Seer... Do you think that this is true?"

"No," Loki said abruptly. "Seers are different. I should know, seeing as I know one of them personally..."

"Good to hear it," Ginny sighed with relief.

"And tonight's nightmare?"

"Laura spoke to me again. She said that Tom's powers reside within me."

"Do you think that this is true?"

"It can't be. I am a Weasley. I don't care about the things said by both Laura and Taigan. I am just Ginny, not the Heir of God-knows-what!"

"Be that as it may," Loki said, "I believe that I have to tell you something too."

"What then?"

"These nightmares belong to your destiny. I cannot tell you what your destiny is but I can guide you so that you will be able to get some nightrest again.

The Rising, as we call it, is very important. You-Know-Who's rise to power will start again when you turn thirteen. That is what Taigan meant when she told you that the one who went astray would rise again. I am afraid that I cannot offer you anything else at the moment, love."

"But what about the connection these events have with me?"

"All will be explained in time."

"That's nice, isn't it?" Ginny asked bitterly. "Wait and see, little Ginny. You are linked to a destiny but nobody will tell you what it is."

"I would tell you if it was my choice to make..."

~*~