Darkness Over Bulgaria

Viktor sat down to breakfast with Vjekoslav, Anna and Peter. He still felt uneasy. He picked at his bacon and toast, making fitful attempts at conversation. 'I can't do this!' he exclaimed pushing back from the table. Vjeko got up to follow him, 'No Vjeko, you stay here. Eat your breakfast.' Viktor said as he was leaving. Vjeko sat back down.

Sitting in History of Magic Viktor kept thinking about his dreams. What did they mean and why did everyone keep turning into Karkaroff?

'Viktor! Pay attention!' snapped his teacher Professor Crowmanov. Professor Crowmanov was a short, balding man with glasses and a wicked smile. 'Now if you don't want to learn about the collapse of the Soviet wizarding world then I'll collapse your wizarding world!'

'Sorry Professor.' Viktor answered.

 

Professor Crowmanov smiled. 'That's ok. I'm sure you are.' Professor Crowmanov said turning back to the blackboard.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Except for the fact that Viktor accidentally transfigured Aleksander into a broom in Transfiguration, and the Boggart he was supposed to be vanishing turned into Professor Karkaroff. Viktor just couldn't focus on a funny thought. All he could focus on was his dream. It was so bad that Professor Babic, his Croatian Dark Arts teacher had to leap forward and vanish it.

'Get some rest.' he advised Viktor, 'Sleep it off, it'll help.' Little did he realize that sleep was the last place Viktor wanted to go. Sleep was like death, only with dreams and Viktor didn't like his dreams.

'...To sleep perchance to dream'

Hamlet

Was he dead? Was he dying? He didn't know. He wandered around in a daze, missed his classes, mealtimes, Quidditch training.

'There you are!' a voice cut into his thoughts. Anna walked up to him. He realized he was sitting in the stands of the Quidditch pitch. 'Are you okay?' she asked him, looking concerned.

'I don't know,' he replied, raising his head and pushing his thick black fringe out of his face.

 

Anna put her arm around his shoulder. 'Come on. You can't just sit here all night moping,' she said as she got up to leave. 'Aleksander should have cleared away your fan club by now.' Viktor looked over to see Aleksander shepherding a group of girls from behind the scoreboard. They got up and headed back towards school.

In the main hall, they passed Madame Andersson, the Professor in charge of Post-Graduate studies who said,

'Oh, Viktor, an owl arrived for you just now, I sent it up to your room.'

'Thank you,' he replied. Viktor and Anna continued up the stairs to the dormitories.

 

'Good night Viktor.' Anna said giving him a light kiss on the cheek and heading into her room.

'Yeah, Goodnight,' he said to the empty air.

He walked into his room to see a snowy white owl that looked familiar somehow perched on his bed. He took the two letters from its claws and recognized Harry and Hermione's writing. 'Of course, you must be Hedwig,' he said. Hedwig hooted in answer and Viktor gave her a piece of bread he had on his bedside table. 'Thanks,' he said as she hooted again and flew out of the window.

He was far too tired to read any letters now and so, unwillingly he collapsed into bed, afraid of what he might see when he fell asleep. He had good reason to be afraid, for what he saw that night would stay with him forever.

(A/N Dream sequence)

He saw Hogwarts, every window broken, looking very dark. Figures cast faint shadows in the halls and corridors and he felt a great evil presence. Suddenly there was a flash of all to familiar green light! But instead of Karkaroff leering at him he saw something far worse, a vision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

'So what was it?' Peter asked.

'It was horrible,' Viktor answered, looking up from his coffee.

'What was?' asked Anna as she and Vjekoslav sat down.

'Viktor had another nightmare,' Peter stated matter-of-factly.

'It was not just another nightmare!' Viktor almost yelled. 'It was different! It had Hermy-Own-Ninny and Karkaroff! There was blood everywhere and screaming and the school was all black and...'

'It was here!' Anna shrieked.

'No, Hogwarts' Viktor said as Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

In History of Magic Viktor made up his mind. He leaned back on his seat to talk to Vjekoslav and two of his friends Jakob and Mikhail. 'I have to go; I can't stay here when I see things like that. I have to go to Britain to see that Hermy-Own-Ninny is all right.'

'Why can't you just send an owl?' Mikhail asked.

'I'm not sure if it would be safe,' he answered.

'Will you tell Madame Vulchanov?' Vjeko asked.

'I'm not sure yet,' he replied.

'Will you four please pay attention!' Professor Crowmanov snapped.

'Sorry, Professor,' they answered.

 

'I must leave tonight,' he said as he turned around. Vjekoslav, Jakob and Mikhail nodded.

That night, Viktor bundled his clothes together and bewitched them to make them feather light. He strapped them to his Firebolt and turned.

 

Aleksander stuck his head in the door. 'It's all clear,' he whispered. 'Peter is watching the corridor and Anna and Vjekoslav are in the room.'

'Thanks Aleksander,' he said. 'I'll see you when I get back.' Aleksander nodded and gave him a hug. 'If I get back,' he said to himself as he slipped into the corridor.

He stole down the corridor past Madame Andersson's room and came up behind Peter. 'Good Luck!' Peter whispered as Viktor slid past him. 'We'll send any word we get about Alex.'

'Thanks,' Viktor said. 'Just send any owls to Hogwarts. They'll know what to do.'

'Ok,' Peter whispered as Viktor stole down the corridor past him.

He entered the History of Magic classroom and was shocked to find it full. The entire class was there, all seven of them and Professor Crowmanov as well.

'Well, we couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye,' said Professor Crowmanov. 'Besides, you lot were talking about it so loud I'm surprised Madame Vulchanov hasn't heard about it.'

'She has,' said a voice from the door. They all jumped.

'Madame Vulchanov!' Viktor exclaimed. 'What are you doing here?'

'I came to say goodbye, Viktor,' she said. 'Besides, Jakob and Mikhail were talking so loudly I couldn't not overhear.' Viktor looked over at Jakob and Mikhail who were trying, unsuccessfully to hide behind Wilhelm and Aidan, two fellow students.

'Here,' she said, handing Viktor a bunch of papers. 'This is a ferry ticket to Sweden and a list of addresses should you need them. When you get to Britain go to The Leaky Cauldron and tell them to put anything you need on the Vulchanov bill.'

'But Madame Vulchanov I can afford...' Viktor began.

'I know you can, Viktor.' She said, 'But I want to give you this, help you on your way. Now hurry up or you'll miss the ferry.'

'Take care, and come back soon,' Anna said, throwing her arms around him.

'I'll try,' he said, swinging a leg over his Firebolt and turning to the window. 'Goodbye everyone!' he said as he kicked off and soared out into the night air.

After a few hours travel over the Karelian forests (A/N I am assuming the Durmstrang is in Finland, Karelia is in eastern Finland, near the Russian border.) Viktor approached the outskirts of Helsinki, the Finnish capital. He set down near a train station and walked across the road and bought a ticket with some of the money Madame Vulchanov had given him. Soon, he was walking down Helsinki docks, looking for the passenger ferry Baltic Maiden. He found it and went aboard, settling himself down in the most comfortable seat possible for the journey ahead. He drifted in and out of sleep during the voyage, dreaming of Hermione, Karkaroff and for some reason the 3^rd year seeker, Jakko Okkonen. He was awoken by the blast of the Baltic Maiden's whistle. He walked down the gangway and set out to explore Stockholm, capital of Sweden for a few hours until his flight was ready to leave. Madame Vulchanov had booked him on an SAS flight to London.

As he toured downtown Stockholm, he was struck by just how different it was to his native Sofia. It was much brighter and friendlier than the Bulgarian capital, but then again, Sweden was unaffected by Voldemort at the moment. He was walking down a Harbor side street when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Immediately, a cold shiver made it's way down his spine and his blood froze. It was Karkaroff. He looked up, saw Viktor staring at him, hair whipped back by the wind eyes ablaze with fury, and bolted.

Viktor took off after him. Chasing him through the narrow alleys around the docks. He was so intent on catching Karkaroff that he didn't notice the short figure in black robes get up from a café, toss a few Krone onto the table and move off after them.

Viktor finally caught Karkaroff in a blind alley. Karkaroff turned, leering evilly. Viktor sensed he was trapped, turned to escape, but suddenly Karkaroff shuddered, fell to the ground and cried out. He looked around fearfully and begins to speak, his voice full of desperation.

Elsewhere, two Swedish policemen had stopped the man in black.

'So, vhat do you think you are doing chust running through the streets of Stockholm like that?' the first one said. 'You're disturbing the peace.'

'I'm sorry officers; I thought I saw my wife ahead of me in the crowd and I wanted to surprise her, but alas, I was mistaken. It won't happen again.' he explained.

'Just make sure that it doesn't,' the second officer replied. Looking over the policeman's shoulder, the man could see Viktor emerge from the alleyway, shake his head and jog off in the direction of the train station. The man went into the alley to find Karkaroff and get an explanation.

Viktor hurriedly sent off an owl to Professor Dumbledore and one to Madame Vulchanov.

He settled back in his seat and opened the owl from Harry. It seemed ages since Hedwig flew in the window, but it was only two days ago. He thought briefly about the owls he had sent, he hoped they got through ok. The fate of the world rested on them.

He opened the envelope from Harry and began to read. 'Dear Viktor, I know this may seem a little strange me writing to you...' He fell asleep as the plane flew over Denmark.

(A/N) Ok this brings the background and introduction to an end. Next chapter we will see the V/Hr and maybe even a V/A I'll give a clue to that second pair. The V doesn't stand for Viktor. Have Fun guessing, owl or e-mail me with who you think the pair is. If you get it right, I'll let you read chapter 4 before anyone else, even my Betas!