Chapter 1 – There's Something In The Water.

Harry Potter was sitting under a beautiful beach tree by the Black Lake with a long roll of parchment, a bottle of ink, a quill and his two best friends; Ron and Hermione. They were finishing off their homework on a serene Sunday afternoon.

"I can't believe Dumbledore let her teach here ..." Spoke Hermione for the first time in a few minutes.

"I don't think any of us can, Hermione," Harry replied setting his quill down.

"You'd think if the Ministry was going to send someone to check up on us they would at least send someone good, Umbridge is a total nightmare." Added Ron.

"Your right ... I wonder if the Ministry even knows how bad she is, they probably haven't been victim to her ruthless attitude," Harry continued.

Harry turned to Hermione expecting her to add something else on the matter, but instead he got nothing. Hermione however had stopped listening entirely, her gaze plastered on a dark object floating in the water.

Suddenly Hermione stood up, dropping her homework that was previously set down on her knees. Surprising Harry and Ron, she stumbled down the bank towards the lake, stopping only when her feet had made the waters edge.

"There's something in the water ..." She exclaimed, answering Ron and Harrys' bewildered states.

Harry and Ron too, stood up.

"Hermione, it's probably just the giant squid," Shrugged Ron, brushing off the matter.

"No, it's not ... You can't see it, can you?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, searching the waters surface until he spotted it, it seemed to be getting closer. He followed Hermione down to the bank, coming to a halt beside her.

"What? ... What is it?" Asked Ron puzzled.

"I ... I think it's a person," Hermione answered after a short moment.

Ron, still not spotting it, slowly edged closer to his friends.

Hermione and Harry shared a quick glance, Harry noting the horrified look on Hermiones' face.

By now, the body had drifted noticeably closer and was only a short distance away from them.

"I see it," Ron uttered behind them, his voice blank with emotion.

Harry focused his gaze on the body and unconsciously felt himself entering the water. He waded across to the body, the water lapping at his chest. He stretched out his arms and lifted the body from the water, now realizing that this person was in fact, female. Harry pushed back through the water until he had once again reached the bank, he carefully laid the girl on the grass just down from the beach tree they had been sitting at a short time ago, their homework set astray underneath.

"Is she alive?" Harry asked quietly, kneeling at her side.

"I-I can't tell," Said Hermione hopelessly.

This girl, didn't look to be older than 15, she was only young. Her clothes were soaked and torn roughly in places, she had numerous cuts all over her body and most of them looked quite deep, as if she had been attacked by a rabid animal.

Harry pushed her dark, wet hair out of her face to reveal more cuts and a rather pale complexion.

" ... She's not dead," Harry confirmed, staring at her limp form.

"How do you know?" Ron questioned, frankly, she looked quite dead to him.

"I can feel it, it's like a presence ..." He looked up to Ron and Hermione who were standing over him, their faces saddened.

"Harry ..." Hermione started.

"No Hermione, it might sound far-fetched but it's true, I just know,okay? She's still alive."

Hermione and Ron glanced at each other, skeptical of his decision, they both knew he had been around death his whole life, maybe he just didn't want to believe it anymore.

"We should get help," Said Harry, his voice hard.

Hermione was just about to agree when Ron interrupted.

"Guys ..." He blurted out, his voice shaky.

Harry and Hermione followed his gaze to the lake.

There, in front of them were large groups of lifeless bodies floating down the lake like this girl had done earlier.

"I'm getting help," Ron concluded and with one last glance at the others, he hurriedly stumbled up the grounds towards the castle.

Harry looked from the lake, to Hermione and back to the girl on the grass beside him, totally speechless.

Hermione and Harry, having no idea what to do, stared blankly at the scene unfolding in front of them. They couldn't rescue them all, there were far too many. After all, they had no way of knowing if they were even alive.

After what seemed like hours, Ron finally returned. He was accompanied by various teachers including Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Hagrid.

"Oh my," Uttered Professor McGonagall, holding a shaky hand to her mouth.

"We need to get them out of here," Dumbledore stated, his expression pained, his eyes then rested on the girl beside Harry and he spoke again, this time addressing the rather shocked trio, "Go back to your common room, tell no one of this."

The three obeyed his words and after pocketing their homework, made their way up to the castle. Harry paused, he took one last glance of the girl he had rescued and slowly followed Hermione and Ron, causes of this horrid scene flashing through his mind.

The familiar path to the Gryffindor common room came unnoticed to Harry as his mind was elsewhere. By the time they had gotten to the portrait hole, all three of them seemed to be lost in their thoughts.

"Wattlebird," Hermione muttered, pausing at the portrait of The Fat Lady.

"You three look exceptionally happy this evening," She commented sarcastically.

After receiving three hard glares, she closed her mouth and the portrait swung open.

The three climbed through the portrait hole and into the bustling common room, there seemed to be more students in here than usual.

Hermione and Ron sat themselves down on the couch in front of the fire, gazing blankly into the flames. Harry, however didn't sit. His gaze was focused on the window opposite him, the window that faced the grounds.

He couldn't look, he wouldn't. He should just leave it be, he shouldn't be walking towards it, not now. Harry stepped up to the window, gazing out onto the grounds.

Strewn across the grass were bodies. If they were alive, Harry couldn't tell.

Standing at the waters edge was Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape, they were using spells to lift the bodies out of the lake while Hagrid was wading through the water to get to the others. Professor McGonagall seemed to be conjuring up stretchers for the lot and Madam Pomfrey had been summoned, she was kneeling beside a man, checking his wounds.

As depressing as it was to watch such a thing Harry couldn't draw his eyes away. Especially when Madame Pomfrey began checking over the girl he had pulled out of the water.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden tap on the shoulder. He turned his head to find none other than Hermione, her hand outstretched, ready to tap again.

Harry looked passed her, however, to see Ginny and Neville sitting beside Ron on the couch, all three of them were looking this way.

"Harry, Neville and Ginny are starting to suspects things, we can't tell them."

Harry nodded in understanding and stood up. He followed Hermione to the fireplace and sat in a squashy armchair beside it.

The sky outside had darkened measurably and it brought the flames to life, they were dancing and licking at the edges of the fireplace like they were yearning to get out.

"How are you, Harry?" Neville asked pleasantly.

It took a moment for him to realise that Neville was talking to him, "I'm ... fine. Just fine."

There was a slight awkward silence, Harry wasn't doing such a good job on 'concealing' the matter.

"I-I found that book you were looking for, in the library. I borrowed it for you, it's beside my bed."

"Oh, thanks Neville."

Neville nodded curtly.

"Well, how has everyones weekend?" Ginny asked, trying to find a topic that would actually stick.

"Mine was good," Commented Neville, he seemed to be the only one to actually reply.

A moment passed until Harry spoke, "I think I might head off to bed."

The others nodded and murmured 'goodnight'.

"Night," Harry said before disappearing up the stairs towards the boys dormitory.

Harry entered the dormitory and made his way over to his trunk at the foot of his bed before absent-mindedly changing into his pyjamas.

Harry toppled onto his bed and gazed at the full moon rising into the sky from out his window. He noted the dark clouds shrouding the night sky and thought about how quickly this peaceful day had turned into something out of a nightmare.

Harry pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, shielding him from the moonlight.

Just moments later, he fell asleep.

A/N: I really hope everyone likes it! I didn't want it to sound too dramatic or un-realistic, but at least I tried. Take in mind that this is my very first story on FanFiction and that I'm open to constructive criticism as long as it's not brutal. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! =3

-xMessyNessy