Chapter 1: A Newcomer
Harry Potter stared up at his ceiling, and watched as the cobwebs hanging from it swung gently in the breeze from his bedroom window. He was sure that if he had turned his light on, he would see spiders scuttling across the ceiling to try to find a dark corner.
He sighed, and felt his eyelids grow heavy. He hadn't been able to sleep all night, so he was greatly relieved when he began to feel tired. Afterwards, however, he would have wished that he never fell asleep after all.
Harry was in a dark room, lit up by candles that were suspended in mid-air, somewhat like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but this place was nowhere near as cheerful. For some reason, he was lying on the floor.
Harry soon realized that he was once again inside the mind of Nagini, Lord Voldemort's faithful pet snake. He slithered on the carpet until he heard voices. Very familiar voices.
Harry stopped when he saw Lucious Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and a few other Death Eaters surrounding a girl about the age of seventeen. She had long light brown hair, which was plastered to her face in sweat, and she had bright green eyes that were wide and fearful.
"I am going to ask you one more time: Where is it?" Lucious Malfoy yelled, his wand at the ready, pointed straight at the girl's heart.
The girl shook her head. "I d-don't have it!" She cried, shaking like mad.
Lucious narrowed his eyes. "Crucio!" He yelled, and there was a flash of silver light.
The girl on the ground screamed in pain and began to twitch violently. She writhed and shrieked until Malfoy lifted his wand. Then, she dropped to the ground and began to weep.
Harry, although he was the snake, felt a bit of sympathy for her. He was relieved to see that he was able to have his own thoughts and feelings, and not experience any of the snake's. He slithered towards Malfoy, who smiled at him.
"Nagini, give our friend a little something to remember for the next time she lies." He said menacingly.
Now, however, Harry was unable to control what he was doing, or what he was feeling. Without warning, the snake lunged at the girl and sunk its teeth into her arm.
"Aahh!" Harry screamed as he sat up, drenched in sweat. He looked around to see that he was in his bedroom, and sighed, relieved.
Harry wondered if the dream had been real, or if it had just been a nightmare. It certainly seemed real, and he hadn't been having any nightmares recently, just visions...
At first, Harry thought to write to Sirius, but then remembered with a pinch of agony, that his Godfather was now dead, thanks to Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry felt a surge of anger run through him, and wished that he could somehow get back at Bellatrix. It was only a matter of time until she and the other Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, and if Harry's dream had been real, they had already done so.
The next thing Harry thought to do was write to Dumbledore. Just as he thought this, there was a loud hoot, and Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, flew into the room through the open window.
"What have you got there, Hedwig?" Harry asked, looking at the envelope that was attached to her leg.
Harry took the envelope off of her leg, to see that it was a letter from Ron. Enclosed was a newspaper clipping from the Daily Prophet.
Harry-
Read this article, you won't believe it! I knew they would escape, but I didn't expect it so soon... This girl just moved to London with her sister- well, you can just read the article. The Ministry is looking for someone to take the girls in, since they won't say who their parents are. Dad's offered, and he's the only one so far.
I've met her already, and her sister is currently staying with us. Boy, are they two good-looking girls if I've ever seen some! Fred and George are home for the summer; they are only opening the joke shop during the school year. Mom isn't too pleased with them, but she kind-of saw this coming.
Dad will pick you up when he retrieves this other one from St. Mungo's. I haven't heard anything more than said in the article.
-Ron
Harry tossed the letter down and took out the article. He immediately recognized the girl in the picture: She was lying on the ground in the middle of an alley, all beat up and bloody, and her figure was trying it's best to make it to it's feet.
ATTACK ON SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD
MINISTRY SUSPECTS ESCAPED DEATH EATERS
Just this morning, a young girl was found in the middle of a dark alley, beaten up, bloody, and absolutely terrified. She would only give her first name, which is Corrine. Ministry cannot trace her last name, nor will she give it.
Corrine, 17, is currently being treated at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. At the present time, the hospital will not give out much information.
Corrine arrived in London just the other day with her sister, Willow, 16.
Both girls were supposedly walking down Diagon Alley, looking for new school supplies to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when Corrine just "disappeared".
"I have no idea what happened. It was in the middle of the day, the streets were crowded, and she just vanished." Willow retells the story.
"I went looking all over for her, and I had a terrible feeling that something was wrong, so I tried to contact the Ministry. Of course, I had no idea how, so I just went to the first trusty-looking adult that I could find, and told them my sister was missing."
This trusty-looking adult, turned out to be Arthur Weasley, who works in the Ministry himself, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department.
"Well, when she told me her sister was missing, I found this a bit odd. I contacted Cornelius Fudge right away, and Willow's sister was found just a few hours later, somewhere in Knocturn Alley." Arthur explains.
The Ministry is currently looking for a place for the girls to stay until their departure for Hogwarts on September 1. One offer has been made, and the girls are so far, willing to accept it.
When asked where their parents are staying, so they could be transported there, Willow merely answers: "Our parents are in London, but we prefer not to disclose their whereabouts or address. We will live with whoever decides they would like to take us in, we haven't heard from our parents in ages. We didn't come here for them, we came here for an education."
Cornelius Fudge was also asked a few questions for the benefit of this article.
"It's such a sad thing," He says, referring to the attack on Corrine. "Of course, I do not believe that anyone normal would have done something like this to an innocent girl. I believe, and the Ministry stands behind me, that the escaped Death Eaters planned an attack on her, and proceeded with it. We have our best Aurors on the job, searching for these criminals. They will not be sent to Azkaban when they are found."
The Ministry is unsure of whether to give the death penalty to these escaped Death Eaters, but one can only hope that they will pay for what they have done to Corrine, and the many other families they have tortured.
Harry sighed and folded up the article. So his dream had been real. Once again, he wished that he had learned Occlumency so he wouldn't have had to witness the attack. Nor be a part of it.
Harry wrote back to Ron as quickly as he could, hoping Ron had received more information since he had written the letter.
Ron,
I read the article, and you'll never believe this: I saw it happen. It was terrible, is she all right? Did you find out anything more? Write back as quickly as you can, or I will talk to you when I arrive.
Harry
Harry sealed the envelope and sent Hedwig on her way to deliver the letter. He sat on his bed, wondering why he hadn't been able to stop the snake from attacking her.
Harry felt a pang of guilt. Once more, he could have prevented something terrible from happening if he had just learned Occlumency. Why hadn't he listened to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape? Why hadn't he listened to Sirius and Professor Lupin? Why did he have to be so stupid?
Harry sat there for as long as he could, wondering whether or not he had just murdered an innocent girl.
Harry Potter stared up at his ceiling, and watched as the cobwebs hanging from it swung gently in the breeze from his bedroom window. He was sure that if he had turned his light on, he would see spiders scuttling across the ceiling to try to find a dark corner.
He sighed, and felt his eyelids grow heavy. He hadn't been able to sleep all night, so he was greatly relieved when he began to feel tired. Afterwards, however, he would have wished that he never fell asleep after all.
Harry was in a dark room, lit up by candles that were suspended in mid-air, somewhat like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but this place was nowhere near as cheerful. For some reason, he was lying on the floor.
Harry soon realized that he was once again inside the mind of Nagini, Lord Voldemort's faithful pet snake. He slithered on the carpet until he heard voices. Very familiar voices.
Harry stopped when he saw Lucious Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and a few other Death Eaters surrounding a girl about the age of seventeen. She had long light brown hair, which was plastered to her face in sweat, and she had bright green eyes that were wide and fearful.
"I am going to ask you one more time: Where is it?" Lucious Malfoy yelled, his wand at the ready, pointed straight at the girl's heart.
The girl shook her head. "I d-don't have it!" She cried, shaking like mad.
Lucious narrowed his eyes. "Crucio!" He yelled, and there was a flash of silver light.
The girl on the ground screamed in pain and began to twitch violently. She writhed and shrieked until Malfoy lifted his wand. Then, she dropped to the ground and began to weep.
Harry, although he was the snake, felt a bit of sympathy for her. He was relieved to see that he was able to have his own thoughts and feelings, and not experience any of the snake's. He slithered towards Malfoy, who smiled at him.
"Nagini, give our friend a little something to remember for the next time she lies." He said menacingly.
Now, however, Harry was unable to control what he was doing, or what he was feeling. Without warning, the snake lunged at the girl and sunk its teeth into her arm.
"Aahh!" Harry screamed as he sat up, drenched in sweat. He looked around to see that he was in his bedroom, and sighed, relieved.
Harry wondered if the dream had been real, or if it had just been a nightmare. It certainly seemed real, and he hadn't been having any nightmares recently, just visions...
At first, Harry thought to write to Sirius, but then remembered with a pinch of agony, that his Godfather was now dead, thanks to Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry felt a surge of anger run through him, and wished that he could somehow get back at Bellatrix. It was only a matter of time until she and the other Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, and if Harry's dream had been real, they had already done so.
The next thing Harry thought to do was write to Dumbledore. Just as he thought this, there was a loud hoot, and Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, flew into the room through the open window.
"What have you got there, Hedwig?" Harry asked, looking at the envelope that was attached to her leg.
Harry took the envelope off of her leg, to see that it was a letter from Ron. Enclosed was a newspaper clipping from the Daily Prophet.
Harry-
Read this article, you won't believe it! I knew they would escape, but I didn't expect it so soon... This girl just moved to London with her sister- well, you can just read the article. The Ministry is looking for someone to take the girls in, since they won't say who their parents are. Dad's offered, and he's the only one so far.
I've met her already, and her sister is currently staying with us. Boy, are they two good-looking girls if I've ever seen some! Fred and George are home for the summer; they are only opening the joke shop during the school year. Mom isn't too pleased with them, but she kind-of saw this coming.
Dad will pick you up when he retrieves this other one from St. Mungo's. I haven't heard anything more than said in the article.
-Ron
Harry tossed the letter down and took out the article. He immediately recognized the girl in the picture: She was lying on the ground in the middle of an alley, all beat up and bloody, and her figure was trying it's best to make it to it's feet.
ATTACK ON SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD
MINISTRY SUSPECTS ESCAPED DEATH EATERS
Just this morning, a young girl was found in the middle of a dark alley, beaten up, bloody, and absolutely terrified. She would only give her first name, which is Corrine. Ministry cannot trace her last name, nor will she give it.
Corrine, 17, is currently being treated at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. At the present time, the hospital will not give out much information.
Corrine arrived in London just the other day with her sister, Willow, 16.
Both girls were supposedly walking down Diagon Alley, looking for new school supplies to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when Corrine just "disappeared".
"I have no idea what happened. It was in the middle of the day, the streets were crowded, and she just vanished." Willow retells the story.
"I went looking all over for her, and I had a terrible feeling that something was wrong, so I tried to contact the Ministry. Of course, I had no idea how, so I just went to the first trusty-looking adult that I could find, and told them my sister was missing."
This trusty-looking adult, turned out to be Arthur Weasley, who works in the Ministry himself, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department.
"Well, when she told me her sister was missing, I found this a bit odd. I contacted Cornelius Fudge right away, and Willow's sister was found just a few hours later, somewhere in Knocturn Alley." Arthur explains.
The Ministry is currently looking for a place for the girls to stay until their departure for Hogwarts on September 1. One offer has been made, and the girls are so far, willing to accept it.
When asked where their parents are staying, so they could be transported there, Willow merely answers: "Our parents are in London, but we prefer not to disclose their whereabouts or address. We will live with whoever decides they would like to take us in, we haven't heard from our parents in ages. We didn't come here for them, we came here for an education."
Cornelius Fudge was also asked a few questions for the benefit of this article.
"It's such a sad thing," He says, referring to the attack on Corrine. "Of course, I do not believe that anyone normal would have done something like this to an innocent girl. I believe, and the Ministry stands behind me, that the escaped Death Eaters planned an attack on her, and proceeded with it. We have our best Aurors on the job, searching for these criminals. They will not be sent to Azkaban when they are found."
The Ministry is unsure of whether to give the death penalty to these escaped Death Eaters, but one can only hope that they will pay for what they have done to Corrine, and the many other families they have tortured.
Harry sighed and folded up the article. So his dream had been real. Once again, he wished that he had learned Occlumency so he wouldn't have had to witness the attack. Nor be a part of it.
Harry wrote back to Ron as quickly as he could, hoping Ron had received more information since he had written the letter.
Ron,
I read the article, and you'll never believe this: I saw it happen. It was terrible, is she all right? Did you find out anything more? Write back as quickly as you can, or I will talk to you when I arrive.
Harry
Harry sealed the envelope and sent Hedwig on her way to deliver the letter. He sat on his bed, wondering why he hadn't been able to stop the snake from attacking her.
Harry felt a pang of guilt. Once more, he could have prevented something terrible from happening if he had just learned Occlumency. Why hadn't he listened to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape? Why hadn't he listened to Sirius and Professor Lupin? Why did he have to be so stupid?
Harry sat there for as long as he could, wondering whether or not he had just murdered an innocent girl.