Destiny Trilogy: The War

Chapter 8: To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

Harry gulped for air as he ran at full speed down to the dungeons, his shoes making loud echoing clacking noises on the stone floor. Sirius had written to him a couple of weeks before, and he was supposed to meet him and Remus this weekend during their last Hogsmeade trip of the year, so he was trying very hard not to get himself stuck in detention. A quick glance at his watch told him he had less than a minute to avoid Snape's wrath. With a last frantic burst of speed, he practically skidded into the classroom, huffing like the Hogwarts Express and knowing that his hair and uniform were probably in an even greater mess than usual.

"I'm honoured that you decided to favour us with the grace of your presence after all, Mr. Potter. We would have been sorely disappointed if you had chosen not to."

Still struggling to catch his breath, Harry ignored Snape's mocking tone and mumbled his excuses before making his way to a seat next to Ron behind. Kera, he noticed, was still sitting next to Malfoy, but with such unnatural stiffness that it was obvious both would much rather be somewhere else.

"We'll be doing a pain-relief potion today. It's a simple enough potion and even a bumbling idiot should be able to get it right," Snape smiled nastily.

"Although considering the fortune Mr. Longbottom has already made for the cauldron industry, I am quite certain that he's about to astound us all once again."

"What did Trelawney want?" Ron asked in an undertone as he grinded up his queen of the meadow.

"The usual...death, mayhem, and the end of the world..." Harry tried to chop his willow bark quickly and added it into his dangerously over-boiling potion.

Suddenly, a resounding boom interrupted their conversation. Strangely enough, it came from the front of the classroom, not the back where Neville was seated. Kera's cauldron was still hissing, but luckily the potion hadn't landed on anyone and was just giving off a truly putrid smell. Kera's expression was unreadable.

"Malfoy," Ron said. "Had to be him."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for getting something as simple as this wrong. Stay behind after class, Miss Ladon."

*~*~~*~**~*~*~~*

It was a beautiful May day. The bright blue skies had barely a hint of clouds, and a cool breeze soothed their sun-warmed skin.

"Did they say where they were meeting us?"

Harry shook his head.

"Probably the same place as last time then," Hermione reasoned.

"But how are we going to get past them?" Ron asked, gesturing to the sixth-year and seventh-year Prefects who were stationed around the perimeters of Hogsmeade.

Then, outside Dervish and Banges, they spotted a mild-looking wizard dressed in shabby robes, with a large shaggy black dog by his side.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione waved.

"Call me Remus, please," He said, his tired grey eyes twinkling. "Do you happen to know who owns this mutt? It's been following me around all day."

Sirius the dog narrowed his eyes and growled, making Harry grin.

"Hello, Snuffles," Harry said, petting him on the head.

"His name is Snuffles?" Remus grinned. "How sweet."

Sirius gave Remus a look that said in no uncertain terms that he was going to pay for all the teasing later, then sniffed Harry's bag and barked impatiently.

"Honestly, if it isn't about Harry it's about your stomach," Remus said, before leading them towards the edge of the village.

The four Hufflepuff Prefects were quite surprised to see their former professor again, but let them through after reminding the Gryffindor trio that they were to be back in Hogwarts before sundown. They climbed over the stile and followed Remus and Sirius towards the end of the path, but instead of climbing up the mountain, Remus simply led them over the boulders to the other side.

"We've rented a little cottage here," Remus explained, leading them beyond the rocky foot of the mountain.

What Remus had called a cottage was really more of a hovel. It was a rickety wooden thing, not unlike the Shrieking Shack, run-down and with gaping holes in the roof. All but one of the windows were broken, and the door looked like it wasn't going to stay on its hinges much longer either. It was isolated from all the other cottages, and behind it was a gloomy looking forest, which turned out to be the other end of the Forbidden Forest bordering the school grounds.

Once they were all inside, Sirius transformed back to his human form and made straight for Harry's bag, which was loaded with food he had gotten from the kitchens.

"I'm going to wring your neck...after I've eaten," Sirius told Remus as he unpacked the small mountain of food.

"In front of your godson?" Remus said in mock horror.

"Alright, after Harry goes back."

"Where's Buckbeak?" Hermione asked.

"He's with the Aurors guarding Azkaban," Sirius explained while he chewed on a drumstick.

He was wearing what looked like one of Remus's robes which didn't quite fit him, and his hair was short and clean once more, although a little untidy. The haunted look Sirius had when he had just gotten out of Azkaban was almost gone now, but he seemed to have lost all weight he'd gained after his escape.

"What have you been up to?" Harry asked.

"Running around, gathering people," Remus said vaguely.

"Looks like you haven't eaten a proper meal in days."

"Of course I haven't," Sirius said, still wolfing down his food. "Not when Remus is cooking."

"Hey!" Remus protested, smiling.

They carried on in this vein for sometime, and Harry was pleased to see that both of them were in good spirits.

"Anything interesting happening up at school?" Sirius asked, trying not to seem overly worried and failing rather miserably.

"Quidditch Finals next week," Ron replied promptly, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

Remus smiled, and Sirius couldn't help breaking into a grin.

"What are the chances of Gryffindor getting the Cup this year?"

"Pretty good. We've won every match so far."

"Looks like Harry's doing a good job then," Remus said smiling.

"We've got a new Keeper this year. She's pretty good," Harry said modestly.

"Who?" Remus asked, interested.

"You haven't met her, she's a transfer student. Kera Ladon."

"Ladon, you say?" Sirius said, frowning. "There used to be a Slytherin a couple of years before us with that name. Kept to himself pretty much, didn't even talk to the rest of the Slytherins. Even Lucius Malfoy wasn't good enough to be in his company. I think he married a Slytherin from our year, one of Lily's friends."

"My mother's friend?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Your mother didn't mind some of them. Hell, she even made friends with that slimy grease-ball Snape! But that girl was okay--for a Slytherin, anyway."

"What about you, Harry?" Remus asked. "How have you been doing?"

"I'm okay," Harry lied.

"No more nightmares?"

Harry shook his head. It was true, to some extent. It was hard to have nightmares if he didn't sleep in the first place.

"He had a vision," Hermione interrupted, proceeding to tell them about the vision Harry had seen at Christmas.

"But there's been no evidence so far to prove that what I saw was real," Harry protested, slightly annoyed that Hermione had told them about it when he has been trying so hard not to have them worried. So many months had passed with nothing happening that Harry had begun to feel a little foolish, wondering if it had all just been a product of his imagination.

"But--" Hermione began, and right on cue, Harry felt an excruciating pain flash across his scar.

"No...please, have mercy on me, My Lord."

"And why should I show mercy to a worthless traitor like you?" A cold sibilant voice said from the darkness of the throne.

"I have in-information for you!"

"Pray tell," Voldemort hissed with a humourless smile.

"I could tell you how to get past the wards around Hogwarts!"

"I don't need you for that. It is only too easy."

"Indeed? Dumbledore is no match for your greatness, My Lord--"

"Flattery will get you no where, Igor."

"Severus Snape! He's a spy for Dumbledore!" The man on the floor said desperately.

"Such a pity. He's a talented man," Voldemort said. "But that I already know. What else do you have for me?"

The man on the floor whimpered, all his last cards played.

"Now, I believe my faithful Death Eaters have a present for you. To welcome you back in our midst."

A circle of black-cloaked figures closed in with their wands aimed on the helpless man.

"Crucio!" They said in one voice.

A blood-curdling scream rang out into the foggy darkness.

"Harry!" Sirius said worriedly. He had never actually seen his godson have a vision, and it was frightening and frustrating to see him rolling about in agony and not being able to do anything about it.

"Kar...Karkaroff." Harry managed, still feeling like someone had whacked him on his scar with a pickaxe. "They...cruciatus..."

"You've got to rest now." Remus said firmly. Together with Sirius he managed to carry Harry to one of the lumpy beds in the next room.

"No, I have to go back...Hogwarts..." Harry muttered, fighting to stay conscious. "...warn Snape..."

Sirius growled in annoyance when Harry tried to push him away and get out of bed.

"It's no use Sirius, he's as hopeless as James."

"Fine. Let's get him to Albus quickly."

*~*~~*~**~*~*~~*

"What is it you want, Malfoy?"

Oh, so it's 'Malfoy' now, is it? He thought bitterly.

"You blew up your cauldron on purpose yesterday. The potion didn't require lacewings."

"Congratulations. You know your pain-relief potions," Kera turned to leave.

Draco grabbed her by the wrist.

"You told Professor Snape about the charm, didn't you?"

"If I had wanted to, I wouldn't have waited two months to do it."

"It'd have gotten me off the team."

"Winning isn't everything."

"So you say. Why do you even bother playing, then?"

She shook off his hand.

"I never said I didn't want to win."

He thought of calling for her to wait, but he bit his tongue. What was he going to do? Apologise? Malfoys never apologise--Father had drummed that in from a young age. To apologise was to admit failure, to admit that something that never should have happened had occurred. What would Father say if he heard that he'd actually apologised...to a Gryffindor? Draco scowled and turned round a corridor to go back to the Common Room and sulk when he heard someone call out to Kera. A voice that he recognised belonged to Pansy.

"Go away, Parkinson."

"What's the matter? Too proud to fight?"

Kera eyed Pansy warily.

"What do you want?"

"You thought you'd humiliate me by playing about with Draco, didn't you?"

Why, Pansy, I didn't know you cared.

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Kera muttered, pushing Pansy out of the way and stalking off.

"Oh no, you don't." Pansy pointed her wand at Kera's retreating form.

What in the name of Salazar does she think she's doing? Draco cursed, getting out his own wand.

"Stupefy!"

Pansy collapsed into a limp bundle on the floor. Kera turned around in surprise.

"Haven't you learnt never to turn your back on an opponent?" Draco fumed.

"You didn't have to help me."

"That much is obvious."

She paused.

"Thank you."

"What? No ranting about me arranging all this?" He asked sarcastically.

To his surprise, Kera quirked her mouth into a slight smile.

"No. And nothing to throw at you either."

*~*~~*~**~*~*~~*

"Oh joy," Ron muttered as they trudged their way up to the North Tower. "It's classes with the human Augurey again."

They made their way up the ladder to find large bowls of water had been placed on every table. Trelawney was busy adding drops of some sort of oil into each bowl. The oil swirled and made strange multi-coloured patterns on the surface of the water.

"We are starting on scrying today," Trelawney told them dreamily when they were all seated.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat.

"You okay?" Ron whispered in concern.

"Yeah." And stop treating me like I'm made of glass!

"The cards have informed me that scrying is a skill you must learn if you are to avoid disaster at the end of this year," Trelawney said in her misty tone.

"A sickle says this is coming up for our O.W.L.s," Ron muttered.

Trelawney spent a good half an hour urging them to "clear their minds". Seamus had discreetly opened one of the windows and was now drifting off to a deep sleep in his squishy armchair. Ron was valiantly trying to make some jokes to lighten up Harry's mood, but neither seemed to find anything particularly funny. The memory of Karkaroff was still too fresh in their minds.

At first, Harry tried to look anywhere but the bowl of water, afraid of what he might see this time. He caught sight of a fly that had accidentally flown in and apparently gotten quite woozy from the fumes of Trelawney's perfumed fire. It made a rather comical spin and fell into the greasy water. Harry looked on, morbidly fascinated by the ripples in the water made by the struggling fly. A familiar feeling began to overcome him, as the classroom faded away...

He was in a forest, a very gloomy and misty one. The trees were twisted into monstrous looking shapes as they reached out to the skies for whatever sunlight they could get. It felt more real this time, and he half expected to feel the rough bark of the gnarled tree if he were to just reach out to touch it. But there was nothing else to be seen except trees. Puzzled and affected by a great sense of unease, Harry stumbled his way across tree roots and shrubbery until he reached a clearing. In the darkness, he thought he saw something lying on the ground.

He felt his lunch threaten to make a re-appearance.

No...please, no...

His blue eyes were blank and staring, like that of a broken doll. They were clouded and distant as if he could see something behind him...something terrible and dangerous...something out of this realm, beyond his reach. His wand was still gripped tightly in one hand. Blood from a horrible gaping wound in his chest slowly pooled around his head, soaking his fiery red hair.

This is just a dream...it has to be.

Harry walked towards the body of his best friend in a trance, reaching out to touch it hoping that his fingers would somehow go through it and he would find that it was just an illusion, but knowing that his fingers would touch solid flesh still warm and alive just moments before...

"Harry?"

Harry was jolted back to the reality of the Divination classroom with a shock. Seamus had woken from his nap and Ron was staring at Harry, looking puzzled and worried.

"My dear child, were you having a vision?" Trelawney asked, her super-magnified eyes gleaming with interest.

"No!" Harry said quickly, hoping he didn't look as nauseas as he felt.

"You were staring so intently at your bowl!"

"There's a fly drowning in the water," Harry said, the first excuse he could think of.

Ron snorted with laughter while Seamus and Dean tried to hide their laughter with a coughing fit.

"Good one, Harry," Ron chortled.

Harry forced a smile.

...a pair of glassy blue voids, fixed in horror and pain at something...

He was going to have a long walk tonight.