All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. All comments would be greatly
appreciated!
***
The holiday decorations of the Main Hall were being conjured by Professor McGonagal as the snow gently fell outside the castle's windows, early one morning during Winter Holiday. McGonagal, forced into holly- hocking and bell-hanging by Professor Flitwick, who was out sick with a slight case of dragon bug, was certainly grinning at something, though not intending to grin at all. Something in the air. The holidays gave off a spark smelling of cinnamon and warm sweaters by the fire. "Or perhaps," she thought, "it's just that most of the students are gone!"
Albus Dumbledore, while McGonagal held her wand (steadily dispersing a green and red ribbon, slowly turning to holly), smiled happily as he, too, smelled the atmosphere of Hogwarts.
"It's going to be a beautiful season, Professor, just beautiful."
"Well, Albus, we shall see."
Meanwhile, in Gryffindor tower, Harry, immersed in a down comforter, awoke with a start. He had had another one of his dreams. This time, more vivid than any of the others. A cold bead of sweat rolled down his scarred forehead as he recalled the flash of light that had blinded his eyes, revealing no one else but Sirius. He was holding something. A letter...addressed to him. Harry, writhing in his bed and twisting his night clothes, reached for the letter. But Sirius was always just out of reach. Just beyond his fingertips. Black held the letter out for Harry, and just as his fingers touched the parchment...POP! Gone, smoke, nothing. A black emptiness, devoid of any light until one beam of the, all-too- familiar, green punctured through the emptiness. No screaming this time. Just his mother saying, "Harry... Harry... wake up, Harry. Harry, Please! Please!"
And he did. Harry tried to sort it all out in his brain, but could make no sense of it. "I've just been to see Sirius! Why would I be dreaming I couldn't reach him? What was that letter all about?" Harry thought. He glanced out of the window. The sun was risen but not nearly midday. He hopped out of bed and tackled Ron, still asleep, in the bed next to him. He put the dream out of his mind for the moment. It was a beautiful day! He didn't need to worry about things he couldn't sort out just then, especially on Holiday!
"Ron! Ron, wake up! It's nearly 8:30!"
"Yeah! I know, nearly 8:30! I've got a good four hours still left of sleeping... get off, Harry!" Harry, by this time, was jumping up and down on Ron's bed, with an occassional jump on Ron himself. It felt good to be alone with just Ron in the Tower, at least on their side. Hermione stayed for the Holiday as well, probably wanting to get ahead on schoolwork. The day before, she came into the common room, huge smile on her face, proclaiming to Harry and Ron (playing a good game of Wizard Chess) that she had finished Snape's assignment ("Read the whole of 'Potions Our Potions: the Complete Guide to Advanced Metaphysicology Potioning' and write an essay on the importance in today's society as seen from the perspective of a wizard twice your age! Three parchments!" The class moaned, and many swore they wouldn't do it) plus done a little light reading for Hagrid and his Care of Magical Creatures class ('The Importances of Climate for Feathered and Furred: An Anthology'). However, Hermione was not up yet. A perfect time for Harry and Ron to work on her birthday present, coming up in just three days.
"Come on, Ron! We know we have to do it before she gets up, or else she'll see us! It has got to get done!" Harry whined, shaking Ron so hard that it frightened Pig, still too small to leave Ron's bedside table.
"Fine, fine. On one condition."
"What?"
"You have to feed Pig."
"Fine... Now get up!"
Ron rolled out of his four-poster as Harry took on the task of feeding the little owl. How hard could it be? Harder than Harry could imagine. Pig continued to jump up and down, up and down, that not only did Ron's glass of water hit the floor but any food that was supposed to go into the bird's mouth hit the floor, leaving a down-right mess.
"Hmm.. thanks for feeding Pig, Harry. Great job." Ron smiled, looking at the mess. He continued to rummage around in his trunk, when he found something that had definately not been there before.
"Harry..? What is this?" Ron pulled out a folded piece of parchment that was hidden in the bottom of his trunk. It said, quite boldly, "HARRY POTTER; URGENT". It was sealed with an unidentifiable wax marking. "This was not here last night! I remember! I was looking for my wool socks, and must have searched for them everywhere in this trunk! This was not here."
Ron held out the letter. Harry's breath became short and rapid. Another bead of sweat began to form on his forehead. He remembered the dream. "No.... Ron..." he whispered.
"What? What is it, Harry? Do you know?" Harry slowly walked toward Ron's outstretched hand to grab the letter. And, just like in his dream, once his fingertips touched...POP! It disappeared. Ron stared at his hand with his mouth opened. "WHAT happened, here?! What just happened!" Harry drew his hand back quickly and thought it over in his mind. "It's impossible.. things like that don't come true. What does it mean? Oh God, where is Sirius...?"
Ron had been thinking for a few moments, and said."Well...er.....Harry! Um, it had to have been a trick! Yes, yes. That's right. Just a trick. Left from Fred or George. Um.. you know what clowns they are! Always pulling your leg..." Ron tried to think of another explanation. He replayed in his head the night before, making sure that the parchment was indeed not there when he went to bed that night. I am most certain that it must have apparated, Harry. You know, from my house. In the middle of the night. Fred probably rigged a device that took Percy's apparation into a piece of --"
"No, Ron. That isn't it at all." Harry told him the dream he had that night. There was a moment of silence. Then --
"Wow. So, what does it mean?"
"I don't know, Ron. I wish I did."
***
The holiday decorations of the Main Hall were being conjured by Professor McGonagal as the snow gently fell outside the castle's windows, early one morning during Winter Holiday. McGonagal, forced into holly- hocking and bell-hanging by Professor Flitwick, who was out sick with a slight case of dragon bug, was certainly grinning at something, though not intending to grin at all. Something in the air. The holidays gave off a spark smelling of cinnamon and warm sweaters by the fire. "Or perhaps," she thought, "it's just that most of the students are gone!"
Albus Dumbledore, while McGonagal held her wand (steadily dispersing a green and red ribbon, slowly turning to holly), smiled happily as he, too, smelled the atmosphere of Hogwarts.
"It's going to be a beautiful season, Professor, just beautiful."
"Well, Albus, we shall see."
Meanwhile, in Gryffindor tower, Harry, immersed in a down comforter, awoke with a start. He had had another one of his dreams. This time, more vivid than any of the others. A cold bead of sweat rolled down his scarred forehead as he recalled the flash of light that had blinded his eyes, revealing no one else but Sirius. He was holding something. A letter...addressed to him. Harry, writhing in his bed and twisting his night clothes, reached for the letter. But Sirius was always just out of reach. Just beyond his fingertips. Black held the letter out for Harry, and just as his fingers touched the parchment...POP! Gone, smoke, nothing. A black emptiness, devoid of any light until one beam of the, all-too- familiar, green punctured through the emptiness. No screaming this time. Just his mother saying, "Harry... Harry... wake up, Harry. Harry, Please! Please!"
And he did. Harry tried to sort it all out in his brain, but could make no sense of it. "I've just been to see Sirius! Why would I be dreaming I couldn't reach him? What was that letter all about?" Harry thought. He glanced out of the window. The sun was risen but not nearly midday. He hopped out of bed and tackled Ron, still asleep, in the bed next to him. He put the dream out of his mind for the moment. It was a beautiful day! He didn't need to worry about things he couldn't sort out just then, especially on Holiday!
"Ron! Ron, wake up! It's nearly 8:30!"
"Yeah! I know, nearly 8:30! I've got a good four hours still left of sleeping... get off, Harry!" Harry, by this time, was jumping up and down on Ron's bed, with an occassional jump on Ron himself. It felt good to be alone with just Ron in the Tower, at least on their side. Hermione stayed for the Holiday as well, probably wanting to get ahead on schoolwork. The day before, she came into the common room, huge smile on her face, proclaiming to Harry and Ron (playing a good game of Wizard Chess) that she had finished Snape's assignment ("Read the whole of 'Potions Our Potions: the Complete Guide to Advanced Metaphysicology Potioning' and write an essay on the importance in today's society as seen from the perspective of a wizard twice your age! Three parchments!" The class moaned, and many swore they wouldn't do it) plus done a little light reading for Hagrid and his Care of Magical Creatures class ('The Importances of Climate for Feathered and Furred: An Anthology'). However, Hermione was not up yet. A perfect time for Harry and Ron to work on her birthday present, coming up in just three days.
"Come on, Ron! We know we have to do it before she gets up, or else she'll see us! It has got to get done!" Harry whined, shaking Ron so hard that it frightened Pig, still too small to leave Ron's bedside table.
"Fine, fine. On one condition."
"What?"
"You have to feed Pig."
"Fine... Now get up!"
Ron rolled out of his four-poster as Harry took on the task of feeding the little owl. How hard could it be? Harder than Harry could imagine. Pig continued to jump up and down, up and down, that not only did Ron's glass of water hit the floor but any food that was supposed to go into the bird's mouth hit the floor, leaving a down-right mess.
"Hmm.. thanks for feeding Pig, Harry. Great job." Ron smiled, looking at the mess. He continued to rummage around in his trunk, when he found something that had definately not been there before.
"Harry..? What is this?" Ron pulled out a folded piece of parchment that was hidden in the bottom of his trunk. It said, quite boldly, "HARRY POTTER; URGENT". It was sealed with an unidentifiable wax marking. "This was not here last night! I remember! I was looking for my wool socks, and must have searched for them everywhere in this trunk! This was not here."
Ron held out the letter. Harry's breath became short and rapid. Another bead of sweat began to form on his forehead. He remembered the dream. "No.... Ron..." he whispered.
"What? What is it, Harry? Do you know?" Harry slowly walked toward Ron's outstretched hand to grab the letter. And, just like in his dream, once his fingertips touched...POP! It disappeared. Ron stared at his hand with his mouth opened. "WHAT happened, here?! What just happened!" Harry drew his hand back quickly and thought it over in his mind. "It's impossible.. things like that don't come true. What does it mean? Oh God, where is Sirius...?"
Ron had been thinking for a few moments, and said."Well...er.....Harry! Um, it had to have been a trick! Yes, yes. That's right. Just a trick. Left from Fred or George. Um.. you know what clowns they are! Always pulling your leg..." Ron tried to think of another explanation. He replayed in his head the night before, making sure that the parchment was indeed not there when he went to bed that night. I am most certain that it must have apparated, Harry. You know, from my house. In the middle of the night. Fred probably rigged a device that took Percy's apparation into a piece of --"
"No, Ron. That isn't it at all." Harry told him the dream he had that night. There was a moment of silence. Then --
"Wow. So, what does it mean?"
"I don't know, Ron. I wish I did."