Secrets from the Future

(A/N: Hi there! I hope you're having a lovely time during your summer holidays. I wish to send a big thank you to Fbline - we'll see more of Jane and Theo together, in the future! -- and IC04 - many new twists are waiting ahead for Harry and Jane -- for their kind reviews. Thanks for still following my story! Another BIG thank you goes to my wonderful BETA reader IronChefOr, who has been really good in editing the chapter. Now relax and enjoy. Love, Petronilla )

Chapter 16. THE FOG BEGINS TO CLEAR

That cold morning in late November, Hogwarts Castle woke up, covered in snow. The first rays of sunlight poured over the lawns all around, making them glitter as if sprinkled with diamonds.

Like every day, at the ring of the bell all of the students entered their classrooms, sat at their desks, and took out their books.

In Greenhouse Nine, a Herbology class had just started for the sixth year students. Professor Sprout was explaining the correct way to prune the African Carnivorous Carnations, arousing a certain uneasiness from a few girls from Slytherin.

Amongst the group of Gryffindor students, Ginny was following the lesson with deep attention. A short distance from her, Jane Porter wasn't anywhere nearly as attentive. Since arriving in the greenhouse with her classmates, she kept wringing her hands nervously, checking her watch every minute, as if waiting for something to happen soon.

"Once you've put on your dragon skin gloves, you must grasp the carnation's stem firmly, and cut the leaves a short distance from the root," the teacher explained as she demonstrated also. "Of course, you must pay attention to not get stung by the poisonous thorns nor let the plant bite you with its sharp teeth."

The carnation did its best to sink its toothed-mouth into Professor Sprout's arm, but the teacher casually brushed the plant away promptly, as if doing something ordinary like drinking a cup of tea.

Jane raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Porter?"

"Well, I... I'm not... feeling very well," she stuttered with a trembling voice. "I think, I think I have a fever."

Professor Sprout locked the carnation back into its cage after fighting with it for a few seconds. The carnivorous plant absolutely did not want to go back in there. "Very well, very well," she replied distractedly, not paying much attention to what Jane was saying as she was focused on the plant. "Miss Weasley, would you please escort Miss Porter to the hospital wing?"

Ginny nodded obediently, but Jane shot her a worried look. Her plan to leave the class didn't include witnesses. Nevertheless, she agreed to leave with Ginny, not wanting anyone to get suspicious of her.

Both girls wrapped themselves in their heavy cloaks and slowly started walking back toward the castle. The sky was covered with grey clouds that were promising another snowfall.

After a long silence, Ginny turned to her classmate, looking her over from head to toe. "You're pretty pale. It really looks like you're feeling sick."

Jane didn't reply and kept walking with her eyes fixed to the ground. Her shoes sunk deeply into the fresh snow with each step, making the walk more difficult for her.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to Theo," Ginny dared, a bit uncertain on whether she should bring up this subject with Jane. "I'm sure it was just an accident. Harry would have never harmed him on purpose."

"Yeah, I know," Jane replied quietly.

Ginny thought it safe to continue sharing her opinion. "Anyway, I don't think you should blame Harry for this." She paused to check Jane's reaction, who was still staring at the ground impassively. "Theo certainly seemed quite interested in Hermione in the past few weeks. Any boy would have reacted as Harry did, seeing another boy going after his girlfriend."

Jane didn't reply; she simply turned her face to the lake to avoid Ginny's look. "Actually, if you want my opinion, I think Theo has treated you pretty poorly. He's been leading you on! He made you believe you were his girlfriend, and then he started flirting with Hermione!"

This time, Jane stopped abruptly. She slowly turned to face Ginny and frowned at her. "Theo wasn't flirting with Hermione!"

Ginny was stunned by the determination she saw in Jane's furious eyes.

"Besides, you don't have any right to insult him like that. You don't know him as I do."

Ginny showed a shy smile to try to lessen the tension between them. "Hey, I didn't want to offend anybody. We were just talking, that's all."

"Then do your best to not talk to me in the future," Jane replied firmly.

"Why don't you calm down?" Ginny was starting to lose her temper.

Both girls stared each other down for a few very long seconds. "Hey, wait a minute. You look a little too excited to have a fever," Ginny insinuated. After all, growing up with Fred and George ensured she was not naïve. "Was that just some silly excuse to go find your boyfriend in the hospital wing?"

With a wand in her hands, Jane would have surely hexed Ginny into oblivion. Fortunately her instincts pushed her to react in a less aggressive way. She forced herself to keep calm and made sure to emphasize her next few words. "Theo is NOT my BOYFRIEND! And even if he was, you're the last person in the world I would tell!"

Jane then ran away toward the castle, leaving Ginny standing there, astonished.

***O***

That morning, Madam Amelia Bones, the Minister of Magic herself, arrived with a small delegation of Aurors and had immediately asked to meet Albus Dumbledore.

Shortly thereafter, Professor McGonagall began climbing the stairs of Gryffindor Tower to summon Harry. He knew that the time for him to be punished for his horrible behaviour had come.

With his heart beating madly in his chest, he was now standing in front of Dumbledore's office; he'd been there for a good quarter of an hour. Unmoving with his hand on the door handle, he was deeply concentrated trying to listen to the excited conversation going on inside.

Against any of his expectations, and luckily for him, Harry's regrettable accident in the library wasn't chief among Madam Bones' main concerns at the moment.

"... and then there are the attacks, the kidnappings, and murderers! The situation is getting more and more serious, and we at the Ministry are finding ourselves increasingly backed against the wall. The public demands we do something!" Madam Bones exclaimed, then stopped.

Harry couldn't resist his curiosity and bent down to peek through the keyhole. He saw the Minister standing by the lit fireplace, her face deeply worried. She was a middle-aged woman, broad, and with very short grey hair.

Sitting at his desk, Dumbledore was watched her peacefully with the look of someone having a pleasant chat with an old friend.

Amelia Bones readjusted her pointed hat which had fallen over to the side and straightened the monocle in her left eye. She then inhaled deeply, puffing up her chest, doing her best to regain her look of importance. "Now, I'm not saying we're on the verge of death just yet... No, we've sent out our best Aurors all throughout the country. We're hunting Death Eaters left and right. We've even managed to foil an attack on the Tower of London and another one at St. Mungo's Hospital, arresting numerous suspects we found nearby."

"I'd dare say that you've sent them to Azkaban with too much haste, without any actual proof and without a regular trial," Dumbledore added in an accusatory tone.

"Oh, you can be sure they're going to get their regular trial soon, if this is what is bothering you, Albus. Just as soon as we make sure they're harmless," Madam Bones hurriedly explained.

Dumbledore was going to reply, but she cut him off. "It's just that... well, frankly I was expecting more support from your side. How could it be possible that you and the others from the Order of the Phoenix have not discovered anything useful for us? Something that we at the Ministry could use for..."

"We're working on it, Amelia, we're working on it. I can assure you of that. You know that we need time." Dumbledore was trying to reassure her using his usual peaceful tone, but it seemed as though Madam Bones was immune to it as she raised her voice once more.

"Well, you're not working hard enough!"

For a fraction of a second, Harry saw Dumbledore's face become stiff. "Amelia, please don't add anything you might feel bad about in the future."

"Oh, don't sell me one of your usual mystical sentences, Albus!" replied Madam Bones, forgetting every formalism as she caught her monocle which had suddenly jumped away from her face. "The Ministry is losing credibility. If we aren't able to react effectively, or at least give the impression that we're on the right track, it'll be truly the end for all of us. Yourself included!"

"What exactly do you want me to do, Amelia?"

"Well, we could solve the matter of Harry Potter for starters."

Harry jumped in place when he heard his name. Dumbledore remained unmoved while Madam Bones started to nervously pace the room, leaving her monocle to hang free at last and rubbing her hands energetically.

"I know he's your favourite student and I realize that that boy has faced several... incidents during the past few years. But now the time has come for him to give us a hand. Harry Potter has confronted You-Know-Who more times than any other wizard in the world, always managing to stay alive, one way or another. Now, the magical community has placed its last hopes on him. Harry Potter has now become a hero, an example to follow."

Madam Bones stopped abruptly and set the monocle back in her left eye. "But, instead of being thankful, instead of cooperating with the Ministry, he foolishly keeps landing himself in trouble, breaking the rules and putting his own school mates in danger!"

"He's just a boy..."

"Oh no, no, no, no. He's a man now!" the Minister corrected him. "You can't protect him forever. The time has come for Mr. Potter to assume his responsibilities and do his best to fight against You-Know-Who as an adult wizard."

Harry felt his blood boiling inside. How dare she talk to Dumbledore like that! he thought, feeling the sudden wish to rush into the office and give that witch what she deserved.

"I have to deduce that this is the main reason you've expelled him from school. Your intentions are clear: you want to push Harry into taking a certain position that supports the Ministry's work."

"I won't explain my reasons to you, Albus. You need only know that what I did, I did it for a noble purpose. I just wish that Mr. Potter would finally understand that every time he acts foolishly, the entire magical community is there, ready to watch and judge him. In short, we're expecting a lot from him and it isn't acceptable that he continually give the Ministry all of these headaches. As if we don't have enough troubles on our own..."

"As I've already told you, Harry is just a teenager. In my opinion, he's more mature than several other adult wizards I know personally. But he's still a boy, and most importantly, he isn't perfect, nor invincible. I wish to make perfectly clear this point."

"I got the point, thank you Albus," Madam Bones replied without hiding her disappointment. "But it's still my opinion that an anticipated apprenticeship in the Ministry wouldn't do any harm to him. Besides, it'd put him under a better light, amongst the entire magical world."

"Please, Amelia, let me correct you. I'm sure that an anticipated apprenticeship in the Ministry of Magic would put... only the Ministry itself under a better light, amongst the entire magical world," commented Dumbledore, letting slip out that he had perfectly understood the true intentions of Madam Bones. "In my modest opinion, the wiser thing to do for Harry is to complete his studies, here at Hogwarts."

"Harry Potter isn't your exclusive property, Albus!" replied the ancient witch. Taken by her vigour, she didn't catch her monocle in time, and it fell again hanging along her robe. "You can't always make decisions for him. And, if you continue to stubbornly turn down my requests for cooperation with the Ministry, I'll be forced to take serious measures against you."

With his hands trembling in anger, Harry grabbed the door handle more strongly, ready to rush inside if Madam Bones were to make good on her threats.

Dumbledore remained calm, and with an almost surreal coolness he expressed his thoughts. "I wish to remind you that Cornelius Fudge also has threatened me in the past, and it's because of his mistakes that you've now taken his place."

Madam Bones mumbled something to herself, starting to pace the room again. "It looks like you're the one who is threatening me here," she whispered, almost inaudibly. She realized that she might have just crossed the line with Dumbledore.

The Headmaster then spoke again as if nothing had just happened. "Regarding young Mr. Potter, you'll soon have the chance to talk to him personally, though I fear he may have gotten lost along the way, since I asked for him more than half an hour ago." Dumbledore pointed his finger at the old hourglass set on his desk.

Harry couldn't hide himself any longer. He knocked on the door twice, then entered. Curiously, Madam Bones welcomed him with a large smile printed on her wide face. "Oh, our dear Mr. Potter. What a pleasure."

Harry frowned at her, while whispering a nearly silent, "Morning."

"Come forward, Harry. Minister Bones and I were just talking about you. Am I correct, Amelia?"

"Of course, of course!" she hurriedly replied. "But let's get to the core of the subject immediately. First of all, I wish you to realize, my boy, how much serious your situation is."

The Minister then scolded him for a while, dwelling on the reasons why it was absolutely necessary for him to stay away from "Dark magic." She also struggled to explain the need to know how to behave correctly toward his fellow school mates.

Harry listened to her without saying a word or letting slip out any emotion. Sometimes, he would shoot a few glances at Dumbledore, who kept staring at him wearing a disarming smile.

Madam Bones finished her speech with her offering to start an apprenticeship at the Ministry soon. "Healthy discipline and rigid rules, that is what you need. You could also easily realize your dream of becoming an Auror. So then, what do you think about my offer, boy?"

After a minute of thinking it over, Harry finally expressed his doubts. "Do you mean that I'm no longer expelled?"

Madam Bones' face lit up with a forced smile. "If you'd like to put the matter in that way... well, the answer is yes. You're no longer expelled."

Harry wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "There is still something that I can't understand, I'm sorry."

"Tell me, don't be afraid. I'm happy to give you all the information you need."

"If I've committed such a reproachable action, to be judged by the Minister of Magic in person, why now are you offering for me to enter the Ministry? In short, it seems as if you're giving me a reward because I've done something bad."

"Well, it won't be really a reward, really," Madam Bones explained, showing a certain uneasiness. "The fact is this, Harry. Now that you've become of age, you have the duty to do something concrete to help the magical community, which has given so much to you during the past few years. Working for us, you'd officially represent the Ministry and you'd have at your disposal all of the most effective weapons and all the necessary help to fight against You-Know-Who."

Harry forced himself to remain calm, even though he was tempted to raise his voice. "To tell the truth, I've always planned on completing my studies here at Hogwarts. After all, I can't really understand all of this sudden interest the Ministry now shows toward me."

Madam Bones laughed nervously. "My dear Harry, I fear you're either too modest or you're seriously misinformed. Don't you realize how much popular you've become? After the return of You-Know-Who, you've been the only one who has managed to confront him and yet remain alive. Everyone loves you. They call you 'The Chosen One.' And now that you've become of age, everybody at the Ministry would be pleased to teach you all the tricks of the job. You just have to accept my offer, that's all."

Harry shot another glance toward Dumbledore, whose face had now became unemotional, like a wax statue. "I'm... I'm afraid, but I can't accept your offer. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, the smile of Madam Bones faded away and turned into a grimace of disappointment. "And, could you tell me the reason why?"

"Well, first of all, I'm sure that at the Ministry you could count on the help of Aurors who are much more skilled than I am," Harry promptly replied. "Second, I don't want to leave my friends here at Hogwarts."

Madam Bones inhaled so deeply through her nostrils that she almost resembled Professor McGonagall when she was very, very angry. "I think I need to congratulate you, Albus. You've done a great job with Potter. You've finally managed to turn him into your own puppet."

Harry couldn't stand this anymore. "How dare you!" he shouted, tightening his fists with rising anger.

"Harry, please. Self-control..." Dumbledore reminded him, but Harry didn't even give him a glance.

"The truth is that YOU want to make me into your own puppet," Harry went on, doing his best to control himself, though not at all succeeding. "A puppet to pull the strings at your own pleasure, to show to the world in case of victory, or to blame in case everything went wrong."

"That is not true!" exclaimed the Minister, trying to defend herself. "My only intention was to give you the chance to share in the victory of the magical war, fighting at the side of the Ministry. This is one of the main duties expected from an adult wizard."

Harry didn't pay attention to Madam Bones' words and continued to express his differing of opinion. "Dumbledore has always taken care of me. He's followed me through out these past years, helped me when everybody was against me. He defended me. In the meantime, where have you been? Behind your desks, ready to pass judgment without knowing the facts."

Madam Bones coughed nervously, rearranging her cloak. "I won't stay any longer. I won't let you treat me in this awful manner. Albus, I'm deeply offended. Mr. Potter, I'm deeply disappointed by your rude and insolent behaviour. Good day!"

Finishing her sentence, the Minister rushed to the door and left the room. When she slammed the door behind her, several bottles on the shelves rattled slightly and the ancient Headmasters in the paintings on the wall started whispering amongst themselves.

Harry and Dumbledore stared at each other for a few seconds in silence. Harry then lowered his gaze, realizing how much his clash with the Minister of Magic had certainly not helped his situation.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have..." he shyly admitted.

"You just expressed your opinion, nothing more," the Headmaster reassured, looking at him with sympathy.

"Do you think the Minister is going to expel me again?" Harry added, lifting his gaze.

"Oh, I won't be worried if I were you. I know Amelia Bones pretty well and I know that she isn't the type of person to take back what she has promised."

Harry nodded even if he wasn't feeling very encouraged. "It's just that, well, that offer to enter the Ministry so soon without having deserved it... well, it sounded more or less like, like she just wanted to use me."

"I agree with you," Dumbledore admitted with sincerity. "You see, at the Ministry, they need to understand that the most important thing is to be, not to merely appear. They're extremely worried to look bad in the eyes of the magical community. This way of thinking lets them analyze the situation without due discernment."

The Headmaster slowly stood up and went to the stairs. "Well, now that this problem has been resolved, I wish to change the subject, if you'd agree. Could you maybe follow me upstairs, please? I'd like to show you one of my latest discoveries."

Without making him ask twice, Harry was at Dumbledore's side. Shortly they were upstairs where there was a large, old telescope pointed toward the sky. On the nearby desk were lying several different sky maps which showed the night sky. Other maps showed the sun, the moon, and the planets.

Dumbledore approached his desk and indicated Harry do the same. "After a long discussion with Firenze, I became interested in doing a little research. Studying the sky maps dating fifty years ago, right around the time Voldemort became powerful the first time, I discovered that in a particular period of the year, between the winter and the summer solstices, seven planets in our solar system aligned in a particular position."

The Headmaster pointed at one of his maps. This one represented the night sky; there were exactly seven planets set one behind the other, making a perfect line.

Harry observed with curiosity. "If I'm correct, this is Mercury. Then there is Mars, Jupiter, and... Saturn, yeah. The one with the rings. While these others are... are..."

"The farthest from the earth: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto," Dumbledore added.

A bit ashamed for his rustiness in Astronomy, Harry cleared his voice and posed another question. "Do you believe there is a connection between this sky event, the Arcane Path, and Voldemort?"

"Well, I am not one hundred percent certain," Dumbledore replied. "But it made me consider the fact that such an event had not occurred again since. And then, suddenly..."

The Headmaster stopped. He took another sky map from under another bunch of others, and unrolled it in front of Harry. "This is a more recent one. As you can see, right in these last few days, the same event is showing up again, just like fifty years ago."

The second map was similar to the first one, with the only difference that one of the seven planets wasn't yet lined up with the others.

"The planet missing is Mars, the one associated with the Greek god of War." Dumbledore lifted his eyes to the sky as a veil of worry descended on his face.

Everything suddenly cleared for Harry. "The winter solstice is coming. Soon, Mars will be lined up with the others planets, am I right?"

"Acute observation, Harry." The two wizards stared at each other. "If there really is a connection between this planetary event and the Arcane Path, then we'll soon have confirmation of this."

Hermione's words about what she had discovered came into Harry's mind. "The Arcane Path isn't exactly a real path, is it?"

"I'm glad to hear that you've done some research on your own," Dumbledore commented. "It's true. The wizard who wishes to find the Arcane Path needs to search for it inside of himself. Of course, there is a certain ritual to be performed. And also, the wizard will have to sacrifice forever the three things most important to him."

The subject was turning into something extremely complicated to understand. "W-what exactly would one have to sacrifice, in order to follow the Arcane Path?"

Dumbledore seemed hesitant to explain. "Well, it depends on the wizard, on what is most important to him in his life. Some people wouldn't give their wealth away for any reason in the world. Others wouldn't give away their jobs. For some, their friends and family, even their life with the ones they love. That is what they must sacrifice. The more difficult the sacrifice, the higher the reward of the Rebirth Flame will be."

Then, the Headmaster stared intensely at Harry, with an odd, almost searching look. "I wish to make something clear with you, my boy. I didn't tell you about the Arcane Path in order to encourage you to seek it. It's an extremely dangerous mission this one. The final prize is eternal life, but at what cost? How much are you willing to lose?"

Harry was stunned. He had always thought that he, and only he, was going to personally fight against Voldemort in the end. After all, everybody was now talking about Harry as "The Chosen One," the only one who was able to defeat Voldemort once and for all. There were two magical prophecies that confirmed this fact.

"But then, why...?"

"Do you want to know why I told you about the Arcane Path in the first place? Well, the answer is simple. I thought it important that I inform you about what we've recently discovered. It was your right to know where the Order stood with its battle against dark forces. I told you the Path existed; I didn't suggest you seek it, nor did I tell you how."

Dumbledore set his hands on Harry's shoulders in a fatherly manner. "Accomplishing such a task, it's too dangerous for you. I would never have dreamed of asking you to make such a sacrifice, not even for one of the most noble causes in the world. Leave this task to someone else... someone with more experience and more years than you."

Harry felt an awkward sensation in his heart. On one hand, he was suddenly relieved. But on the other, he was deeply disappointed. Dumbledore was telling him that he wasn't going to take part in the war, that he wouldn't have the chance to avenge his parents, Sirius, and all the other innocents who had lost their lives because of Voldemort.

The Headmaster spoke with a grave tone. "You haven't any reason to start research on the Arcane Path. Promise me that you won't take any rushed action and that you'll remain at your place, here at Hogwarts. In due time, both prophecies will be fulfilled and you'll have to face Lord Voldemort. But not now. Your moment will come, but only when you're ready."

Harry nodded without any objection. Inside however, a difficult battle was waging.

"Tell me instead, are you still having your usual nightmares?" It looked like Dumbledore wanted desperately to change subject.

Still deeply wounded by the Headmaster's words, Harry moved toward the window. The sky was covered with large grey clouds; the rays of light barely filtered through them, causing the ground and the trees covered with snow to glow with an eerie light. "To tell you the truth, I've been having odd, recurrent dreams, since I've come back to school."

"Dreams about Voldemort?" asked Dumbledore with a certain worry in his voice.

"Not about Voldemort, no," Harry replied, still looking out the window. A murder of crows had just landed near Hagrid's hut, pecking away the snowy ground, in search of something to eat.

"It's about that new student, Jane Porter. It's crazy, I know, but the fact is that..." Harry hesitated, not yet certain to how explain the thing. "The fact is that every night I'm having dreams about her life. Just like when I entered into your Pensieve some time ago. I've lived again and again her childhood memories. I've seen the place where she grew up, I've met the ones she cared for."

Dumbledore looked rather surprised. He joined Harry by the window, showing his uneasiness. "Did you recognize any members of her family?"

"No, nobody. I've just seen her with a few friends, and also... with a few enemies," Harry replied, not wondering why the Headmaster was so interested about Jane's family. "From what I've seen, Jane has lived her life in a small magical community, a ghetto of Muggle-born wizards, always tormented by Death Eaters and dementors. I didn't know such a horrible place existed."

"Please, go on. What else have you discovered?" asked Dumbledore, not hiding his interest.

"Last night, it was different. For the first time, I've managed to enter her memories personally and to live them, even if Jane couldn't see or hear me. It was as if I was really there, rather than just watching. I've heard a conversation with an old witch. They were talking about Jane's father. They talked about how he left her and her mother many years ago. It also seems that her father has fought against Voldemort many times. Do you know him? Perhaps was he a wizard from the Order of the Phoenix, just like my parents?"

Dumbledore sighed deeply. Then he replied, speaking slowly, as if it was very difficult for him to face this subject. "Jane Porter's past is extremely complicated. I'd prefer not to talk about this now. I hope that you'll understand."

Harry nodded. "It's just that, well, why me? What's the reason for these dreams? What kind of connection is there between her and me?"

"You see, Harry, there could be many different explanations to your questions. The one that seems more reasonable to me could be the following. Jane Porter has suffered a lot during her life, almost like yourself. This fact has probably created a deep, subconscious connection between the two of you. It's a sort of call for help. But only you have been able to pick up on her call, reliving her suffering every night, in your own dreams."

Dumbledore's words had a certain logic, and placed a different light one that odd situation. If the Headmaster was right, then it meant that Jane Porter was only another victim of Lord Voldemort, a girl to pity, not an enemy to fear. Was the answer really that simple? There was still something Harry couldn't understand, but what was it?

"If she openly asks for your help, then not deny it to her," Dumbledore went on. "In this time in which hate and indifference seem to take over everything, it's our duty hold high the noble values of friendship, fellowship, and selflessness. Please, always remember this, Harry, even during the most difficult moments."

"I will."

Harry realized that talking with Dumbledore about Jane Porter had helped him to clarify things. From now on, he'd be less prejudiced against her, even if his instincts were preventing him from lowering his guard too much and telling his secrets.

After all, as Dumbledore had already told him, Hogwarts wasn't a safe place anymore, for any of them.

***O***

Magnus Erudio's office looked more eccentric than ever. The myriad of clocks hanging from the wall had now been moved to the side, replaced by a great number of Middle Age weapons, like ancient swords, harpoons, iron shields, all cleaned and shining as someone was going to use them very soon.

Jane's cadenced steps had aligned themselves to the annoying, synchronized ticking of the clocks. She was nervously pacing the room, tormenting her long hair by twisting it with her fingers.

Erudio sat quietly at his desk, his unmoving gaze fixed into space. "How is Theo?"

"I've just been with him until now. Madam Pomfrey will finally release him after lunch."

"I'm very pleased with that. I strongly hope that from now on, he'll be more careful to not get into trouble again."

"I hope so too."

"Now, let's talk about what you've just told me. You said that since your arrival at Hogwarts, your nights have been disturbed by visions of your past."

Jane didn't reply. She just nodded without stopping her pacing.

"This is very worrying, as I suspect that these visions have been caused by your closeness with Harry." The ancient warlock stopped, thinking over for a second. "I wonder why you've waited so long before telling me," he added, a note of disappointment in his voice.

Jane stopped abruptly, her eyes pointed directly toward the teacher. "I thought I could manage the dreams, and I didn't want to worry you more than necessary. But last night was different. Last night, I felt a presence. It was as if someone else was witnessing those events with me." Jane lowered her gaze, worried. "What does it mean exactly that those visions have been caused by my closeness with Harry?"

"As you already know, your father isn't just an excellent wizard, he's also a Seer. He possesses an extremely powerful mind. If only he could take advantage of all of his inborn potentialities, he could easily become more powerful than Lord Voldemort himself!" Erudio placed a certain emphasis on his last sentence.

"I'm telling you this to make you understand how delicate our situation has become. You've inherited the same powers as your father, I suppose. When I let you come to the past, I knew that something extraordinary might happen, just by putting you two together."

"You mean that without knowing it, Harry could have witnessed scenes from my past?"

"I'm telling you it is for certain, as I've just had confirmation of this. A few hours ago, the Headmaster had a very interesting conversation with Harry. Our boy told him exactly what you've just told me now."

The girl's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. "But then, this means that he... that he knows."

"Oh, do not fool yourself, Lily Jane. It's not that simple. Harry may have entered into your memories, but it doesn't mean that he has discovered your true identity. After all, he's still just a seventeen year-old boy. Suddenly realizing that he's face-to-face with his teenage daughter, well, I guess it wouldn't be very simple to accept. I strongly believe that the possibility hasn't even occurred to him, not even distantly."

The smile on Jane's face faded away. "Anyway, I think that this problem of the dreams has complicated the situation just the same."

"Not any more than I anticipated. I understand your great desire to find your father again, but that wasn't our only purpose here in the first place. Your task was to get Harry's attention, without revealing your true identity. Push him to let you into the circle of his closest friends, get him to trust you so much that he follows your suggestions. Despite the unforeseen events that have happened, the fact that he's continued to dream about you for almost three months should have aroused in him a certain interest in you. If nothing else, at least the curiosity to discover who you really are."

"Then, I'll just have to go and tell him that..."

"Listen to me, Lily Jane. Harry hasn't learned to trust you yet. He's also a very suspicious boy. He's surely wondering what are your real intentions, wondering which side you're fighting for."

"Well, if he has really entered my memories, he'll know by now how much pain Voldemort has caused our family and friends."

"I strongly hope so, but I won't swear it," Erudio replied.

"What shall I do now?" asked Jane, discouraged.

"First of all, you will have to practice Occlumency before going to bed. I know that it may seem difficult, but it's the only way to solve your dream problem. Doing so, your memories will stay hidden from curious eyes.

Jane felt it was going to be very difficult, though not impossible. She decided that she would do her best with the Occlumency.

"As for Harry, you'll have to do everything you can to watch over him, without letting him notice it. You'll have to follow him everywhere he goes. And when the time of the battle comes, you'll have to remain at his side and protect him. Our job is to avoid any open confrontation between him and Voldemort. It's too early!"

A cold silence fell between them. Jane furrowed her forehead thoughtfully. "Why don't we try to tell him the truth?"

Erudio sighed deeply. "Surely you've gotten to know Harry by now. You know that he would never accept a command from above. If I or even Dumbledore were to try to order him to stay away, far from the danger, he wouldn't listen to us. He'd go on and do something dangerous, and we must avoid this at any cost. But you, well, you're a student just like him. He'd certainly accept your suggestions, once he learns to trust you."

"But, what if he forces me to tell the truth? What should I say, to avoid spoiling our mission?" Jane asked again.

"I trust you. I'm sure you'll find the right answers. You just have to remember that the eyes are the mirror to the soul. If you lie to him, Harry will know it."

Jane started pacing the room again. "The eyes are my real problem. I've transfigured the colour of my eyes, which were too similar to his, but hadn't foreseen this problem with the dreams. It's a real mess now!"

"Don't worry, my dear. Try to be sincere with him, but not reveal anything compromising to our mission. If everything goes as we're hoping, I trust that when you return to the future, you'll find both of your parents waiting for you. And you'll discover that the past, as you've known it, never happened."

Hearing those words, Jane felt her heart jump up in her chest. I really hope Erudio is right, she said to herself, trying not to lose hope, even though the mission waiting for her was arduous and extremely dangerous.

***O***

Most of the students were taking their seats in the Great Hall for lunch. Since the snow outside was still fresh, most of them spent the short time before the afternoon lessons outside, playing in the snow.

In an isolated corner near the main entrance, Ron and Luna were deeply absorbed in one another, despite the crowds of boys and girls entering and exiting nearby. They exchanged a few tender kisses, closed up in their little golden world.

"Why don't we take a walk in the snow after lunch?" asked Luna, moving away from the embrace. Her long blonde hair fell ruffled over her shoulders. Her round blue eyes searched his with attention. "Daddy just sent me the new Heat and Melt boots, which are great to heat your feet and at the same time melt snow on the ground."

Ron smiled. His girlfriend had the wonderful ability to put him in a good mood, even in the most difficult of times. Suddenly, he became serious again. "Well, I'd really like to, but, I just wanted to talk to Harry first. You know, after what happened last night in the library... I haven't had a chance to talk to him since then."

Luna sighed, worriedly. "Yeah, you're right. It really seems that adversity has befallen our common friend. Poor guy."

"Yeah..." Ron replied, turning his gaze. "I think I should head to the common room. Maybe I'll find him there. We'll meet afterwards, outside in the garden, all right?"

"Ehm, all right. I'll be waiting in front of the main gate then. Take all the time you need."

Ron and Luna exchanged a small, sweet kiss. He then ran away with his school bag hanging from his shoulder. "See you later!"

Luna remained there, waving goodbye. Ron ran through several corridors crowded with students that were headed in the opposite direction, pushing him back. He climbed a couple of stairs, then found one of the many secret passageways in the castle. This one was the portrait of a mermaid swimming in the sea, which opened in front of him as soon as Ron pronounced the password. He entered a dark corridor and went through it with a certain confidence, the tip of his wand lit up.

A few more meters and I'm there, he thought, hastening his walk.

The passageway ended in front of a wooden door which Ron opened without difficulties. He had just crossed the doorway when he froze at what he saw.

"YOU! What the hell are you..."

Ron didn't have the chance to finish his sentence as a ray of red light hit him square in the chest, knocking him to the floor unconscious.

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