Harry Potter and the Dreamer of Fears

Chapter 22 - Grey Pretense

Through what Dobby had explained to him in his kind of broken English, Harry pieced together the events of the Quidditch match and the result left him shaken.  Never had he thought that someone would be able to manipulate so many minds to think up their deepest fears and have them psychologically envision it to the fullest.

But what he didn't get was, what affected him so badly...what was his fear?  Did he actually fear anything?  Well...Voldemort for one-thing...Dementors...but do I really fear them or do I just don't like them, or loathe them?  Is loathing fear? He wondered as he looked around the Hospital Wing.  He had thanked Dobby for his care and the house elf had popped back to the kitchens since he was needed there.

His head didn't really pound so much as before, when he first woken up, but it still gave a small twinge of pain at times when he moved too quickly or was startled by one of the few people in the Wing.

Ron was in the bed next to him, in what looked like a cast wrapped around his right arm and lots of bandages wrapped around his middle.  Must have broken his ribs and arm or something.  But he was still wondering about the crystal orb next to Alicia's bed, which beeped at a slow, but steady rate.  It looked like a heart monitor, but why would anyone have a heart monitor except they had been injured badly...

As he was watching the orb beep and pulse at a steady rate, he didn't notice that Ron had awakened, until a groan came from his friend's bed and he saw Ron attempting to rise, but then collapse back onto the bed, wincing in pain as he did so.

"You okay?" he asked his best friend who turned his bleary sunken brown eyes on him and nodded.

"Hurts like bloody hell.  I feel like I've been bowled over by manticores and dragons," Ron grinned slightly then winced again as he instinctively grabbed his midsection, where the white bandages were wrapped tightly.

"Don't move too much, I think you've gotten broken ribs," Harry grinned at his friend who gave him a mock-glare.

"Of course, you prat.  You think-ouch-I didn't know that?" Ron shook his head slightly, "what happened?"

"Both teams are in..." Harry explained and gauged his friend's reaction carefully as he attempted another sit-up, this time succeeding, and looked around the Hospital Wing.  "Dobby was here.  He told me what he knew and it isn't too much.  I think its something to do with Voldemort though..."

"Would you please stop saying his name?" Ron interrupted him.

"Whatever," Harry shrugged. "Anyway, Dobby said that some powerful magic caused all of us to fear or something of that nature, whatever we feared-"

"That explains it.  I felt like spiders were crawling all over me and Aragog was picking me up by the pinchers, breaking my ribs...I guess I fell..." Ron frowned and looked sullen.

"Yeah...my scar started to hurt badly..." Harry started slightly as he remembered seeing Morgan staring at him intently before he passed out.  "Hey Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Before I passed out, I saw Morgan staring at me, at Malfoy and I.  You think she could be the one causing all of this?"

"How?  I mean, she could be only worried-"

"No...there was something in her eyes that looked like she knew something was going on.  She could be in league with Voldemort...remember what happened with Quirrell during the Quidditch match?"

"Point taken...she could be trying to hex you...hex all of us...but maybe mostly to get at you..."

"Yeah...my scar doesn't usually hurt unless Voldemort is killing someone or planning something diabolical..."Harry was about to say more when the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open with a slight bang, startling him and Ron, with Ron wincing again as his ribs were jarred in surprise.  But Harry stared at the door to which Marion burst through, behind her what looked to be bunches of tattered rags until the floating thing was clearer and Harry stared as he saw Snape, unconscious, bloodied, and looking deathly pale.

"Is that Snape?" Ron stage whispered to him as Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office, then gave a small cry at the sight of a harried looking Marion and the floating form of Snape.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked, their voices not normal speaking levels, but loud enough for Harry and Ron to hear as they looked towards where the nurse was placing Snape on a far corner bed and conjuring up orbs and bandages from every possible direction.

"Don't know...mission...possibly attacked..." Marion's voice was much softer and Harry strained his ears to hear what she was saying.

Just then, Dumbledore and Professor Lupin walked in, followed by the familiar clunk of Mad-Eye Moody's wooden leg.  Harry and Ron tried to stay as quiet as possible so they wouldn't attract the ears of Madam Pomfrey or of any other teacher.  But that was a bit dulled as Dumbledore quickly glanced at their direction and made a slight gesture to stay quiet as he approached to where Pomfrey was bustling around Snape's prone figure lying on the far corner bed.

"What happened, Marion?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"I...I don't really know.  We found Severus standing by the door, bloodied and haggard-looking.  He said that there would be trouble and just collapsed.  You think he found something with Voldemort's plans?" Marion speculated.

"It could be...but then again we should wait until Severus has awakened before we come to any conclusions..." Dumbledore said.

"Professor Snape will be fine, Albus...his vital signs are strong and it looks like he's only suffering from blood loss and a concussion...I'll notify you when he has awakened."

"Thank you, Poppy.  Alastor?  You do have a peculiar look on your face..."

"Headmaster...looks like two students are awake and listening," Moody replied and Harry noticed that Moody had turned towards them, his magical eye rolling around and then it focused on them like it could penetrate their deepest souls and secrets.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley.  I see that you're awake," Dumbledore came over to them along with Moody.  Harry saw that Professor Lupin and Marion were conversing to themselves on the side with Marion suddenly changing into her falcon form and flying out of the Hospital Wing.  Lupin came over to them, a small smile on his weathered face.

"Is he..." Harry started then trailed off as he took a glance at Snape's prone form.

"Professor Snape will be fine, Mr. Potter.  Now...how are you two feeling?" Dumbledore held a hand up to quell their questions.

"All right, I guess," he shrugged then glance at Ron who gave a similar shrug, "what happened Professor?"

"I can't tell you anything positive at the moment, but what I can tell you is that it looks like Voldemort's attacks will lessen at the moment as he is taxing his resources," Dumbledore replied a bit cryptically.

"But sir...Dobby was here and he told me that someone or something brought out our deepest fears during the Quidditch match-"

"Rubbish," Moody cut in, "the house elf doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Then can you explain to me why only the Quidditch teams are in the Hospital Wing and not the rest of the crowd?  Can you explain why I felt like spiders were crawling all over me?  Can you explain why Alicia is hooked up to a heart-monitor orb - as she is in a near-death state?!"

Harry stared at Ron for his outburst against Moody and noticed that his friend had fire lit in his eyes as it was either a defense against Hermione's cause for the house elves freedom or the fact that Moody had insulted all that Hermione was trying to work for to free the house elves...either way, he had never seen his friend talk back to an elder, much less an Auror who was known for his skill and ability.

Even Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin were staring at Ron with raised eyebrows and Moody only stared at Ron with a shrewish expression on his face.

"Questioning me in that tone, boy?"

Ron nodded, a shaken expression on his face as he started to realize his outburst wasn't a good thing.

Suddenly Moody burst out laughing, a low wheezing sound, like a dead muffler on a car, "Good spunk, my boy.  Just like your father when he senses something isn't being told to him."  Moody reached out and clapped Ron lightly on his back, his face twisting into a horribly grisly but proud smile.  "Now to answer your questions...I think, Albus, that it be a good thing to let them know, since Voldemort might be targeting them?"

"Of course, Alastor," Dumbledore smiled, "I believe that they have the right to know.  I presume, from Remus' explanations of his class work during his time as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, that you are afraid of spiders, am I correct Mr. Weasley?"

"Yeah..."

"You experienced your fear so many feet up in the air because of an entity called the Dreamer.  It is a Dreamer of Merlin's legend...the Dreamer of Fears to be more precise.  I think Voldemort has allied himself with the Dreamer of Fears to cause havoc among the wizarding world as a prelude to his building of power.  You see...he is very weak at the moment, after what happened during the end of the Triwizard Tournament-"

Harry flinched slightly at the mention of the last task of the Triwizard Tournament.  He unconsciously rubbed the thin scar that he had received when Wormtail was mixing his blood into a cauldron to resurrect Voldemort.

"So then...all of us within the Quidditch Pitch experienced our fears?" Harry asked.

"Precisely," Dumbledore replied.

"Then...how does that explain Alicia's condition..." Harry trailed off as he realized what Alicia's greatest fear was...  "The Dreamer of Fears is able to do that?"  He stared at her unmoving form just as Ron realized what Alicia had experienced and was too staring at her.

"Unfortunately..." Dumbledore heaved a sigh of resignation, "we do not know if she could be revived.  It is in her mind that she had been hit with the Killing Curse, but her heart still beats and it is up to her own conscience to snap out of the affects of the Dreamer of Fears."

Harry continued to stare at Alicia's form, his mind working out the possibilities and horrors that the Dreamer of Fears committed during the Quidditch match.  He suddenly thought of something that made him frown.  Was Morgan the Dreamer of Fears?  Or was she just worried for his health?

* * * * *

After Professor Dumbledore, Lupin, and Moody had left Madam Pomfrey had come over and insisted that they get some rest and Harry tried to, but questions were floating in his mind.  He turned his head to see Ron also staring up at the ceiling, a frown forming on his face.

"Can't sleep?" Harry whispered to his friend.

"Yeah...too many questions," Ron muttered back.

"Ron...do you know anything about whatever Professor Dumbledore was talking about?  Something about a Dreamer of Fears?" he suddenly asked, lacing his fingers together behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, the waning glow of the sun setting beyond the windows reflecting off the white ceiling.

"Not really...Ginny's more into the Merlin legend, you'll have to ask her.  The only thing I know about Merlin or whatever Dreamer is that there were some pretty serious magic happening during that time.  I mean, major battles against various wizards...not like your average duel.  Wizard against wizard, wizard against witch, warlocks and sorceresses..." Ron made a small noise of emphasis before continuing on, "I didn't really follow any of the romantics of that era or other form of magicks like Ginny did back in our intermediate schooling, but I guess if Dumbledore is talking about something back from Merlin-era, it must be really serious...  Hermione probably knows about Merlin-era stuff too...since she's reading so many books..."

Harry suddenly grinned as he noted the slight wistfulness in his best friend's voice as he mentioned Hermione.  "So...what's been going on with the two of you?"

"Huh?"

"You've been warming up to her a lot more than you had during the last four years..." Harry egged him.

"Come off it Harry..." Ron trailed off as Harry started to laugh lightly, trying not to wake the other students in the Hospital Wing.  "What?"

"You like her, don't you," Harry started in a soft sing-song voice, "you, my friend, have a liking towards her..."

"No I don't!" Ron hissed back, but Harry could see that his friend was turning a slight pink behind his ears and a bit on his cheeks.

Just then the door to the Hospital Wing opened with a slight creak and both Harry and Ron froze.

"Please Madam Pomfrey, can we please check on them?  We've been waiting since yesterday...please..." Hermione's voice filtered through the slightly opened doorway.

"We?" Ron mouthed to him and Harry shook his head, not knowing who was this `we' Hermione was talking about.

"Well...all right...but no more than fifteen minutes!  Besides, I think they're all asleep," Madam Pomfrey finally relented and opened the door a bit wider and the lights to the Hospital Wing dimmed on, a soft glow, but enough for both Harry and Ron to see Hermione walk in, along with Ginny who looked like she had been crying her eyes out all day, Lina who looked slightly paled and hesitant, and Morgan who had an apprehensive expression on her face.

Harry immediately soured at the sight of Morgan and watched the Asian girl carefully.  Though he did feel a slight pang of sympathy for her since she had a disability and was picked on because she was an American, he still knew that he had to keep a close eye on her.  He didn't really trust her too much since he had seen her staring at him with haunted eyes during the Quidditch match.

As they walked in, Madam Pomfrey closed the door softly then started as she noticed the two of them, sitting up, wide awake.  She made a tutting noise in the back of her throat then headed into her office, only to reemerge a few seconds later with a vial of something that looked purple in the soft glow of the Wing and headed to the drawn curtains around the bed that Snape occupied.

Harry was slightly disappointed that Cho hadn't come with them...he had wished that she had come, maybe just to reassure him with a few words, or just for him to say a hi to her.  But he didn't have time to say anything as Hermione ran to hug Ron, who winced slightly against the pressure on his ribs, then suddenly released him and turned to Harry to hug him too.  As soon as she was done, she stood back to let Ginny through, who buried herself against Ron's chest, small choked off sobs coming through and Ron looked slightly abashed at the display of emotions on his little sister's face.

"I was so worried!  You...Fred...George...Harry...all of you," Ginny whispered fearfully after she had stopped cry and backed off.  "Lina told me that she had seen you guys fall..."

Harry could see that the blonde-haired girl was a bit tired looking and even paler.  He frowned...she didn't look too well, "You all right?"

"Yeah...just tired...didn't get too good of a sleep last night," Lina replied, giving him a small, but tired smile.

"Cho wanted me to send her regards to all of you," Morgan spoke up, directing Harry's attention to her.  He nodded carefully, not letting on that he knew there was something suspicious in her actions and silently hoped Ron would also keep his cool.

"And she is..." Ron started, his voice betraying nothing and Harry was glad that Ron didn't shoot his mouth off, as he was sometimes known to do.

"Talking with Professor Marion at the moment...you know...her training..." Morgan shrugged.

Harry wrinkled his eyebrows slightly at her statement.  Only a few minutes ago did Marion leave the infirmary in her falcon form...surely Marion didn't change out of her form just to talk with Cho.  He figured she was going to deliver a message or something...

"She was only in here a few minutes ago, then left in her falcon form," Ron stated.

"I know...I saw her flying up to the Ravenclaw Common Room," Morgan smiled slightly, "with a dead rat hanging by her beak.  I think she needed a breather, but I don't really know anything about what's going on."

"Did you guys see anything unusual in the stands?" Harry suddenly asked, and Hermione gave him a questioning look, to which he made a small gesture as to tell her later.

"No...not really," Ginny replied, puzzled, "but don't you think that it's odd that only you guys are the only ones affected while the rest of us aren't?"

"You think it could be a repeat of what Quirrell tried to do?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged and was about to answer when Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of the curtains that Snape occupied and gave them a look that plainly said, your fifteen minutes are up.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be joining you in a few," Hermione called after both Lina and Morgan, the two girls in what looked to be a conversation that had Lina frowning and Morgan with a neutral expression on her face.

Ginny joined the two girls after checking up on his two other brothers and they all went out, except for Hermione.  After the door had closed, Hermione whirled on the two of them.  "Well?"

"Morgan's hiding something...either that she's lying by the seat of her robes," Ron said, crossing his arms together.

"When we were in the field, my scar exploded with pain, nothing serious, but it felt like Voldemort was doing something.  But the odd thing was that when every time my scar hurt I would see things, see Voldemort planning or something to do with the Dark Lord-" Harry ignored the flinches coming from both Hermione and Ron and continued, "but during this time...I didn't see a thing.  I only saw Morgan, staring at me like she was casting a silent spell or something.  Both of us thought it could be another Professor Quirrell incident, but..."

"You should tell Professor Dumbledore about this, Harry," Hermione interrupted him, sitting at the foot of Ron's bed, her hands folded on her lap.

"I...did...but I don't think bothering him with it more would be good," Harry disagreed.

"Why not?"

"Snape's returned from his mission..." Ron whispered, pointing to the enclosed bed with sheets around it and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Injured?"

"I suppose so...Professor Marion brought him in here then flew out in her falcon form.  Professor Dumbledore came over and told us why Alicia was hooked up to a heart-beat monitor-"

"Oh my stars...I didn't notice," Hermione now stared at the unmoving form of Alicia Spinnet, her hands clamped over her mouth in horror.  "How is she?"

"Professor Dumbledore said that her mind thought that she was hit with the Killing Curse and effectively placed her in a coma...no one knows when she will awaken."

"Killing Curse?  But how?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged, "but he mentioned something about a Dreamer of Fears from Merlin's legends.  You know anything about that?"

"Ginny might know...I'll go ask her.  I'll also check my books..." Hermione made a move to get up when Harry reached out.

"Hermione, please don't tell Morgan about this.  I think she might be the Dreamer of Fears," he warned her.

"All right," Hermione nodded uncertainly, "I'll come and see you two tomorrow morning.  Sleep well..."

She took one more look at them, and Harry noted the longer look she gave to Ron and smiled slightly, then turned and left, her steps echoing in the mostly silent Hospital Wing.

"You think Morgan's the Dreamer of Fears?" Ron asked as the door behind Hermione closed, leaving them in the darkness of the Wing, only illuminated by the half-moon light.

"Honestly, Ron, I don't know..." Harry said, confused by the whole thing.  He hoped that in the morning, Hermione would at least have some information about the Dreamer of Fears or anything on Merlin to make him have some semblance of factual information.  Rolling over, he closed his eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep...one with dreams.

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