Murky water surrounded me as I tried to breathe in the sulfurous air. My nostrils were burning. I coughed until my entire body wracked with sobs mixed with a gooey red substance. Blood. I tried to wipe it away but I just succeeded in brushing it into my hair. My eyelids were starting to close but I was fighting it. The yellow smoke started clouding my eyes. As it snaked about me I saw something. It's regal white head reared through the yellow death. The grey-blue eyes glittered and the mouth smirked. Suddenly the albino like head was swallowing me. A flash of white engulfs me.

I awake feeling like shit. My mind felt just like my hair for once. A tornado had hit me and I wasn't sure how to clear the feeling from my mind. I rubbed my eyes and felt the crumbling sand fall gently on my legs. My hands were icy and felt good on my crimson face.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"FUCK!" I screamed loudly. Ginny looked frightened as I scrambled out of bed dressed and went charging out the door. I tried to flick the hair out of my eyes but the wind kept blowing it back out of order. The wind and my hair don't mix well.

I ran into the library and dashed into the section on dreams. I grabbed the first book I saw. It was green and had a tattered binding. I figured it had been loved so it had to be at least decent. My mind was racing as I scanned the pages making sure my assumption was correct. "I believe angels signify hope…."

I was cut short by a cough. Neville looked concerned as he stared at my state of appearance. Up till then I hadn't given it a single thought. I was fully dressed in a becoming outfit; however, my tights had a long rip in them. No, it wasn't just that, My shirt was wrinkled, an earring was missing, my nose was running, my skirt backwards, my robe had a piece of chocolate frog on it, and my hair… was my hair.

"Oh… Um, hello Neville." I said, not embarrassed in the least.

"Good morning Hermione." He looked at my hands, and I wondered if my fingernail were dirty as well. "Nightmare?"

"What? Oh yes, I mean no. I was just um- researching."

He looked puzzled, but I had already turned my attention to my watch. Dead battery. "Shit!" I nearly squealed. "Neville what's the time?"

He seemed dazed as he replied that it was a quarter past eight.

Without another thought I left poor Neville to ponder on my new tendency to curse. Once I had run out of the library, my steps came to a grinding halt. My breath was fighting to catch up as I coughed loudly. The halls were emptying as the bell drew closer to ringing. I was so close to the classroom. I could see Harry and Ron grinning at Professor Snape, who did not look amused. I tightened my hands over my chest as my breaths became short and shallow. My legs began shaking and I felt myself falling. The classroom doors were shutting, creating an awful echoing noise to deafen my screams for help. I reached for my wand with rattling fingers, my throat was closing and I could no longer scream. Cold, ice, wood was all over me.

I shot up with a start. My wand was in my hand and I felt cool air returning to my lungs. My heartbeat was deafening as I tried to stand. I took a few short steps to calm myself and then broke into a run towards Professor Snape's class.

I snuck into the room exhausted. I tried to hide behind Pansy but she smirked and sat down with a thud exposing me to the Professor.

Snape's head turned sharply at me, and I knew it was coming. I'd seen it happen to many times to Harry and Ronald. The verbal battering was going to be bad.

"So, Miss Granger, did you think you no longer needed to take my class?"

"No."

"Did you decide that whatever research you do is more important than this class?"

"No…sir."

"Then what, pray tell, is that book, because it is not a book of potions."

I lowered my head in shame. I wasn't used to this.

"It's on dreams." I said meekly, grimacing as Snape walked briskly towards me.

Suddenly his expression changed, he looked amused. His eyes began to glitter in interest.

"Well, Miss Granger, share with us this "dream"."

I guess I looked satisfyingly horrified because he grinned a bit and motioned with his wand toward the front of the class. I was numb as I took baby steps towards my ultimate humiliation.

"We don't have all day, Granger." Pansy scowled as she stared at me.

I turned and looked at everyone. Harry and Ron looked sympathetic, and Neville looked like he might throw up for me. I considered lying but I realized Snape would just humiliate me further when he noticed. I tried to look brave as I began my speech.

"Well, I was in dirty water-" I was cut off by a whispered mudblood. I was angry and confused as I continued. "I was in some water, and I was surrounded by a yellow haze. I think it was sulfur because I started coughing up blood. I was dying, and suddenly a white dragon's head emerged from the smoke and-" I stopped again for effect. I don't know why, maybe was I beginning to enjoy the attention? My audience was held captive. Even the high and mighty Draco was rapt in attention. "It swallowed me whole." My friends looked horrified. Snape looked upset for some reason. It was silent as I gathered my belongings and headed to my seat.

"Well, well, looks like we won't be seeing Granger for much longer." Draco tried to stop the shocked look on his face as Pansy smirked next to him.

"That's enough Pansy." Declared Snape as he crossed the room.

My head swam, as I comprehended what she said. I realized as Snape began his lesson that she was right. I had read once that when someone dreams of death, they die soon after. I tried to write these thoughts off as myth or muggle talk, but I was scared. In the hallway I felt like I was near death. I hoped that maybe I had escaped death, but my mind kept coming up with all the most awful ways to die, and suddenly what had happened in the hallway didn't seem so bad.