Out of the Books

Chapter Five - Mid-Summer Night Dreams

June 24^th 1995

Jack came out of the bathroom, ready to go to bed. The night was still quite young - it was only 9:30 - but Jack was the only one in the flat who was still awake.

Liz had gone to bed very early tonight, because she would have to get up at three in the morning to drive to Wimbledon, where she had to cover the Grand Slam championship for the Exeter Express. Of course, she could have gone there already yesterday and spend the night there, but she wanted to watch the blue-belt exam of the twins today.

That was the reason why the children were already in bed. They were simply knackered. They had talked excitedly about their really successful exams until about twenty minutes ago. But then they were almost more yawning than talking and so they finally went to bed.

With a proud smile Jack remembered how the twins had performed. They had absolved the exam together at the same time, so they could show all the partner exercises, which they had practiced so often, almost perfectly. Then they had to go through their poomsae, the fight against the imaginary enemy. Leo's and Amy's poomsae didn't look quite so harmonic and fluent, instead they were full of energy and watching them one could really imagine that they were fighting against someone.

After that, of course, they had a real chance to show their skills, as they were fighting against each other. It was simply fun, watching them whirling around, letting their legs and arms fly. Lightly stepping, kicking, dodging, yelling. Afterwards, even the examiner had mentioned the excellent fighting skills of the twins.

The last task had also been no problem for his children. They each had to destroy a board, which measured one square foot and was half an inch thick, using a sideway kick.

Jack quietly opened the door to the twins' room and grinned. Both of them were already fast asleep. Smiling, he shook his head. It probably wouldn't take much longer until they could give him a run for his money, he thought, as he closed the door again.

Barefoot, he went along the short corridor and opened the door to his and Liz's bedroom quietly. He didn't turn on the light, because he didn't want to wake up his wife. But he was glad that the half moon was shining into the room, so that he could see enough.

A beam of blue-white moonlight fell like silk on the broad double bed, where Liz was already sleeping peacefully. She was lying half on her side, half on her back, facing Jack's part of the bed. Her red hair, which looked almost black in the dark room, was spread widely on the pillow, while a stray strand fell into her face, tickling her cheek.

Quietly, Jack went over to the bed and climbed in carefully. He lay down sideways, putting his weight on his right elbow. Gently, he reached over with his left hand and pushed the hair out of Liz's face, watching her lovingly.

Liz looked quite relaxed, although her eyes where moving wildly under her lids, indicating that she was dreaming. Suddenly, Jack felt apprehensive. What was she dreaming about? In the past four years, Liz had had some quite intensive dreams, from which she usually awoke bathed in sweat and totally confused. Jack guessed that not all of her dreams had necessarily been nightmares, but they definitely upset her.

It had all started during the summer holidays four years ago, when she fell asleep by the campfire, and then woke up with a start, grinning at him like mad and telling him that someone was finally going to some place with a strange name.

Jack shook his head about the memory. He hadn't thought much of it at that time, but after that, her dreams had recurred regularly. And usually, they were worst sometime in the middle of June, around the end of the schoolyear.

The first time, three years ago, Liz had been thrashing around in her sheets, screaming "Leave him alone! Leave Harry alone, you monster!"

Then she had woken up, sweaty and pale and wasn't herself for two days, until she apparently dreamed again two nights later and woke up with the words "Thank Merlin, he's alright. I've seen him again. He's alright," she had thrown herself on Jack's shoulder and cried out of relief.

Jack had comforted her, because she was obviously distressed about the dream, but he didn't dare ask her about it, this first time at least. He also wondered why she would say "Thank Merlin." She usually didn't say that, and why should she?

The following year, she had some of these dreams again, but never as bad as that first one. Until in June 1993 a similar extreme dream returned. This time, this Harry-fellow seemed involved in a fight against some kind of dangerous animal, against which he fought with a sword, as far as Jack could tell, from Liz's screams.

Jack had finally decided to talk to Liz about her nightmares, as they seemed pretty strange and he was very worried about his wife. But every time, he approached the subject, Liz skillfully changed the topic, so it was really hard for him to confront her about it. Once he tried to ask her directly and it had soon turned into a nasty row between the two of them.

Jack was feeling very worried and helpless. It frustrated him that the woman he loved suffered regularly at night, and he could do nothing against it. Furthermore, he would really like to know, who this Harry was who she kept screaming about in her sleep. He wasn't exactly jealous, as he could tell from the way she was dreaming about Harry that she cared for him, but there wasn't any romance. But he felt disappointed and hurt that Liz didn't trust him enough to tell him.

This secret that Liz didn't care to share with her husband began to slowly poison their relationship. Of course, they still loved each other, but once in a while in the morning, Liz stared defiantly at Jack, daring him to ask whether she had dreamed again, while Jack felt like he was walking on eggshells around her. The situation was really awkward. Luckily, the children hadn't noticed anything yet.

Jack sighed. The night almost exactly a year ago had been the worst yet. He himself had had a strangely realistic dream. He couldn't remember much of it, only the feeling of running on four legs. Although when he woke up from this dream, he didn't have the opportunity to dwell on it, as Liz was thrashing around in her sheets, her face so pale that it was more of a ghostly white, her hair sticking to her forehead, damp from cold sweat.

With a desperate and hysterical voice she kept screaming "Not Harry! Not Sirius! They are innocent! Leave them alone!"

It had been the first time, she ever mentioned anyone other than Harry. But Jack was sure that he had heard the name Sirius before, even though he knew nobody by this name.

Then Liz had awoken with a start, stared around in the dark bedroom as if she didn't realize where she was. She had been sitting like this for more than a minute, totally stiff, not moving, but shaking and shivering uncontrollably.

When Jack had finally dared to approach her cautiously, she had dived away from his hands and vomited over the edge of her bed. Even after she had emptied her stomach, she still had hung down from the edge of the bed with her upper body and was panting heavily.

Jack then had decisively grabbed her shoulders from behind and pulled her up gently.

"Liz, Liz, tell me what happened," he had whispered softly in her ear, while he had cradled her in his arms and rubbed her back.

Liz had sobbed in his shoulder and rambled about things Jack hadn't understood, upset and shocked of her dream.

"Oh, Jack, ...the dementors attacked them...they are going to suck out their souls...Sirius looked so horrible...and Harry, he is only thirteen, what did they want with him?"

Jack had continued rubbing her back and whispering caring and calming words in her ear. He was worried sick about the increasingly worse nightmares of his wife and he wanted to ask her who Harry and Sirius were, but not now. Now it was most important that Liz knew that he was there for her and that everything would be fine. But ask her, he would.

A year had gone by and Jack still didn't know what Liz lived through during her nightmares, neither did he know who Harry and Sirius were. There had been quite some arguments between him and Liz, but as his wife was at least as stubborn as he was, it was almost impossible to get her to talk about something she didn't want to talk about.

Jack shook his head and sighed. In fact, the whole last year had been relatively quiet concerning Liz's dreams, except that one time in February, but that night she didn't seem too worried, more reproachful and even a little amused, while she had talked about tricky stairs and eggs.

But Jack couldn't help feeling uneasy about this time of the year. Still he almost hoped that if Liz really had to dream again, she would do tonight. So he would be there for her afterwards. He hated for her to have such terrible nightmares, being all by herself in some lonely hotel room at Wimbledon.

Jack shifted into a more comfortable position and, although he was still a little worried, slowly drifted off to sleep.

...He was falling through absolute darkness. It wasn't even black; it was just nothing, as if he was blind. His body felt utterly weightless. He couldn't even tell whether he was falling down or sideways or even up. It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling and he hated it, that he had no control - neither over the direction in which he was moving nor over any of his body movements.

It all stopped abruptly, as he was bathed in bright golden light and a sound that was unbelievably beautiful. It was like singing and like the sound of a large bronze bell at the same time and it filled him with indescribable power and happiness.

After a while, his eyes had adapted to the sudden brightness and now he could see the shape of some persons in front of him. They were no real persons, they just seemed to consist of some sort of golden smoke. He looked at the closest one, as he still couldn't move. It was an old man, who he had never seen before. "He was a real wizard, then?" he said towards a person who Jack couldn't see. "Killed me, that one did...you fight him boy..."

Jack had a feeling that it was of utter importance to know who this old man was talking to. So he craned his neck, but all he could see was the golden shape of a woman, who seemed vaguely familiar to him - Bertha Jorkins. But how he knew her name, Jack had no idea.

"Don't let go now!" the strangely familiar woman cried. "Don't let him get you, Harry - don't let go!"

Harry! That name rang a bell! But before he realized what that name meant to him, he felt as if he was pressed through some narrow hose. It was a similar feeling to apparating. He propelled forward and fell on his hands and knees. As he looked up, he took in the scene in front of him.

He could now see a boy with raven hair, not unlike his own, and glasses - Harry, his son!

The boy had a determined look on his face, while he held a wand raised in front of him. Even though James, he could now remember his own name, couldn't see what Harry was facing, as it was behind him, he knew. He could feel the presence of his own murderer - Voldemort, who was now threatening to murder his son as well.

James wasted no time standing up and, instinctly knowing what he had to do now, stepped forward. "Your mother is coming..." he quietly told Harry. "It will be all right...hold on..."

While he was waiting for the arrival of his wife, Lily, he took in his surroundings.

They stood on what seemed to be a large graveyard, as there were several tombstones surrounding them. Through the golden mist, which was caused by some peculiar connection between Voldemort's and Harry's wands and which formed a dome above them, he could see about thirty figures in cloaks and masks - deatheaters.

On a hill to his left, James could see a manor house, which propably had been gorgeous some centuries ago, but now looked abandoned. Right next to an open grave in front of him stood a big cauldron, which was still steaming.

He had no idea, how his son managed to get himself in such a dire situation, but he had no time to think about that now, as Lily was falling out of the wand and joined him.

After smiling at him weakly, she stepped forward determinedly and whispered into Harry's ear, "When the connection is broken, we will linger for only a moment...but we will give you time...you must get to the portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts...do you understand, Harry?"

"Yes," Harry gasped, as he now had to fight hard to hold on to his wand, which threatened to glide through his fingers.

James heard one of the shadowy figures next to him speak. It was a boy, barely older than Harry. He sounded sad, as he whispered, "Harry, take my body with you, please. Take it back to my parents..."

James realized that this boy must have died only some minutes ago and looked around again. And sure enough, his body was lying only a few meters away from the large cauldron. More determined to get his son out of here than before, James turned to Harry again.

Harry's face was twisted with the effort to hold on to his wand as he promised the boy to do what he had asked.

"Do it now," James whispered. "Be ready to run...do it now..."

"Now!" Harry yelled, as he forced up his right arm. The golden light and the wonderful sound, which James had meanwhile recognized as the song of a Phoenix, died away. Without wasting another minute, James, Lily and the other shadowy figures, which had been victims of Voldemort, built a tight circle around the dark wizard to separate him from Harry.

As James had told Harry, Voldemort couldn't get through. But his deatheaters, James and the others couldn't influence. They were throwing curse after curse after Harry, who ran as fast as he could towards the portkey while he dodged the many beams of light, which were coming from the wands of the deatheaters.

James could only hope that they wouldn't reach him, but he couldn't watch his son's flight, as his back was turned towards him.

Voldemort was now yelling at his servants "Stupefy him! Stupefy him!"

Behind him, James could hear, as if from very far away, how his son sent an impedimenta-jinx against one of his attackers.

No, he thought, he looses time if he gets involved in a fight! But James couldn't do anything but hope that Harry would reach the portkey, as he felt how the world around him began to dissolve.

Paler and paler grew the graveyard around him and now he saw Voldemort moving towards him and walk right through him. Finally, he was floating through darkness again...

Jack awoke with a start. It was dark around him and for a moment he did not know where he was and what he was doing here. Then the memories of his dream came tumbling into his head - Lily - Voldemort - Harry.

Harry! Jack sat up suddenly. Did he make it? Did he, Lily and the others give him enough time to escape?

Those worrisome thoughts ran through Jacks mind as he remembered more and more details of his dream.

Or had it really been a dream? It had seemed so real. But how could it be real? Jack had no son named Harry and his wife's name was Liz, not Lily.

Jack shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was quite hard to think straight right after waking up. Then, like a hammer, realization hit him and his eyes widened in shock.

Liz's dreams...could it be? But how?

Mechanically, he turned around in bed to switch on the light on his bedside table. Then he slowly turned towards his wife and found her sitting in bed as well, staring at him with wide eyes, fine beads of sweat covering her pale face.

It was only then that Jack realized that he, too, was drenched in cold sweat and shivering, while his sheets were lying on the floor next to the bed. But that did not matter right now.

"Did...did you...?" he croaked.

Even though he could not finish the question, Liz seemed to know exactly what he meant, as she nodded slowly, never taking her wide, unblinking eyes off his face.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" Jack whispered, knowing the answer already, but still fearing that he was right.

Liz nodded again, then suddenly threw herself around his neck and cried hard into his shoulder. After she had cried silently for many long minutes, she mumbled something into the pit of his arm, her voice still being choked by occasional sobs that escaped her throat. So Jack had to strain his ears to make out her words.

"Oh James...knew all the time...fourteen years...missed him so much...couldn't tell anybody..."

Jack held her tightly and rubbed her back gently, while she continued rambling.

"I know, Lily, I know", he whispered softly in her ear.

Lily stiffened in his arms and suddenly drew back from his embrace.

James could now see her face, which first showed surprise, than she was looking at James, as if she now saw him for the first time, but finally a warm and loving smile lit up her face. She leaned towards him again, but this time she caught his lips with hers and drew him into a long and passionate kiss.

James felt like he was flying. That kiss was so special - so honest. There was nothing between them now. No secret, no worry that the other wouldn't understand. They both knew now.

Reluctantly, James ended the kiss and leaned back to look at his wife. He realized that he hadn't really looked at her like this for so many years.

She was older now than when they met, almost fourteen years ago, but just as beautiful. There were lines in her face now; the most prominent were the smile lines around her mouth and eyes. James really loved those, but he could also see the two thin horizontal lines across her forehead. She worried too much.

James knew now who she worried about, and he felt guilty, because for such a long time, she couldn't share this worry with him, and he couldn't ease her burden.

"Do you think he made it?" Lily interrupted his thoughts.

James knew, of course, that she meant Harry. "I'm sure, he did," James whispered and managed to sound more confident than he felt. "He's our son, after all," he added proudly.

Lily sighed. "He just has to survive," she muttered. Then she looked sharply up at James again. "Do you remember the prophecy?"

James remained silent and his eyes glazed over, while memory after memory of his old life crossed his mind. Going to Hogwarts, becoming friends with Sirius, Remus and Peter, finding out that Remus was a werewolf, becoming animagi, dating Lily, marrying Lily, becoming father...and then there was it.

He remembered how Dumbledore had visited them and urged them to go into hiding, after a prophecy about Harry had been made. Dumbledore had taken out a pensieve, which showed the seer, who spoke in a rough and unearthly voice:

'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...'

James came out of his reverie and looked his wife intensively in the eye. "Yes", he said seriously. "Yes, Lily, I remember everything now."