It's About Time

"It's About Time"

Chapter One

"Confessions"

Harry woke from his dream in a state of shock. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead and quickly wiped it away.

"Harry, are you okay?"

Harry turned and noticed Ron sitting next to him looking rather worried. He realized he was in History of Magic and sat up trying not to look too obvious. The last thing he needed was detention from the most boring teacher at Hogwarts.

Professor Binns, however, was too busy lecturing the class on the Goblin Rebellion of 1876 to really notice if anyone was asleep or (Harry didn't doubt it) dead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just dozed off."

Ron's long nosed, freckled face contorted with suspicion.

"What were you-?" he began.

"I'll tell you after dinner," Harry said quickly, desperately trying to get Ron to shut up.

"So class, I would like the names of all the Goblins in an essay explaining the reason why the Goblin Rebellion of 1876 started. Six inches of parchment; due on Wednesday," Professor Binns said dully from the front of the classroom.

Groans of frustration spread throughout the class. Hermione squealed with excitement.

The bell rung at that moment and Harry picked up his books. As soon as they had stepped outside the classroom, Ron turned to his friends and said, "I'm surprised he doesn't want it written in gold ink!"

"Really, Ron, I don't think-," Hermione burst out.

She stopped when she saw the dangerous look Harry had given her. He already had a headache from his dream and didn't feel like listening to Ron and Hermione bicker all day.

***After Dinner***

"Are you going to tell me what you were dreaming about in History of Magic? It must have been really awful. The look on your face was horrible."

Ron's question shook Harry from the daydream he'd been having.

"Well, I, um-," Harry began.

He had avoided telling Ron or Hermione about his dream. He'd been having the dream since Sirius' death. He couldn't believe that even now, almost the end of his sixth year, he was still having this dream.

There was a flash of green light and then he saw it. A dark figure was standing at the end of a long tunnel. Harry tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light of the tunnel but he couldn't. The figure spoke to him in a high-pitched voice.

"Follow the light, Harry."

Harry took a step forward and felt pain like he'd never felt before shoot across his head. The pain in his scar was blinding him.

"No, Harry! Don't listen to him!"

Harry recognized that voice, the voice of his father. Then Harry heard a sweet voice calling to him.

"My Harry, stay away from the light!"

It was his mother. Seconds passed and Sirius appeared before Harry.

"Leave, Harry, it is not your time!" he warned.

The dark figure stepped forward and Harry saw that it was Voldemort.

"Come you idiot boy! Don't you see that your time was 15 years ago, the same night your parents died? Step forward and face your destiny!"

It was at this point that Harry awoke from his dream. Then sweating and panting he would try to shake off the dream and go back to sleep still hearing Voldemort's haunting voice echoing in his head.

"Well, Ron, I was drea-," he began once again, but a frustrated Hermione cut him off.

"That utter git!" she yelled as she threw herself onto the nearest armchair.

"Who are you talking about, 'Mione?" asked Harry, desperately trying to get Ron's attention off his dream.

"Malfoy, of course!" said Hermione as if this was the only person she could be talking about.

"Calm down, Hermione. What did he do now?" Ron asked.

"H-he told Luna that I think she is a mad old bat. Oh, but I don't. I really don't; not anymore. We were starting to become good friends and now I don't know think she'll want to talk to me anymore."

At those words, Hermione began to sob. Ron and Harry rushed to her side. Ron put an arm around her shoulders and said, "but, 'Mione, you have plenty of friends."

This was a terrible mistake. Hermione gave Ron an Avada Kedavra look.

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Don't you remember what I told you over the summer?"

Ron thought for a moment and then said, "Oh! You mean that thing about treating Luna like a human and not acting like Slytherins towards her? 'Mione, I thought you were joking!"

"Ron, you are so shallow!" Hermione shouted, breathless with anger.

She jumped from her seat and ran up the girls' stairs to the dormitories.

"What did I say?" asked Ron, a little shocked from Hermione's outburst.

Harry shrugged trying not to point out how oblivious Ron was to feelings. He began to work on his N.E.W.T.S. Potions homework.

"So...what were you dreaming about?" Ron asked, as though nothing had happened.

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. After a few more minutes of Ron's begging, he told him the dream in a very reluctant manner. When he had finished Ron looked blankly at Harry. He had a slightly terrified look frozen on his face.

"But Harry, what does it mean? Are you going to tell Dumbledore? Is You-Know-Who trying to kill you in your sleep? Maybe Hermione knows what it means! What about Lupin? He's in the Order, he can help!"

"NO! Please don't tell anyone about this dream; especially not Lupin. He's got enough to worry about! Besides, stopping Voldemort is more important than my stupid dreams!"

Ron winced. "Don't say his name!"

Harry ignored him. "Promise me you won't tell anyone!"

"I promise."

After making sure that Ron was indeed telling the truth, Harry returned to his potions homework. After a while, they were too tired to carry on so they picked up their books and climbed the steps to the boys' dormitories.

Harry changed into his pajamas and got into bed. Harry was lucky that is was Friday night because he was having a hard time falling asleep. He kept thinking about Sirius. He rolled over and tried to fall asleep while trying to ignore the guilty voices roaring in his ears.

Ron wasn't getting much sleep either. He was furious with himself for getting Hermione so upset earlier. He cared about her so much that it made him very angry when someone got her the least bit upset. As he tossed and turned, a little voice at the back of his head whispered to him.

"You idiot! Isn't it obvious? You love her!"

Ron reflected on his friendship with Hermione and sighed.

"Oh, my God," he whispered, as he finally realized what had remained dormant in his heart for 6 long years.