In the Shadow of the Devil!

1. Nightmare!

Is this reality? Or just one of my, not just rare, strange dreams? I walked through a deserted street. It burned only a few street lights. But from a house light was shining out of the street, where I was.

I didn't know what I did. I couldn't guide my actions. The light drew my like a magnet. When I arrived at the door as swung on its own. I didn't go in, because I knew what to except, but there was no other way.

I wanted to turn back home, but suddenly an undertow pulled me into the house. There I went up the stairs until I was just standing. Again in front of this door. I was afraid to enter, but there was no other way. I lay a hand on the dusty golden doorknob and cautiously opened the door. There came a hiss. I closed my eyes and wanted to wait until everything was over, but to no avail. I had to watch it with.

I had to opened my eyes because it fascinated me so to watch. In front of me there was a mirror on the wall. At the edge of this mirror there was a quote. And that one quote made me enormous anxiety. Nevertheless, I read it loud, like every time. »Who dares to look into, which will assist the devil now!«

After the last word pronounced the mirror shattered into seven parts. I went closer and then I heard this voice. She said something I didn't understand. Something in another language. The mirror attracted me. With each step, the voice was louder and thus distressing.

I came to stand in front of the mirror and saw, bloody-red eyes. The eyes of the devil! I stumbled a few steps back. The devil laughed and ran into a hellish speed towards me. He flew right through me and I landed with my head on the hard stone floor of the room.

I felt something warm and liquid on my hands and looked down. I sat in something red. In blood. I looked around and discovered the body of a boy in front of me. I got up to look more. As I stood before him, I started screaming. The boy on the floor ... was I! I was dizzy and I sank in nothingness. I could hear the diabolical laughter of the devil!

"James, darling. Wake up!" I opened my eyes and looked up into the face from my mother. I quickly sad up and looked around frantically. "It's all right. It's over, darling! It was ... just a nightmare!" I nodded vigorously and my mom pulled me into her arms. "What ... what's the time?" "It's seven o'clock in the morning."

"Did I wake you?" I looked at her apologetically. "No, darling, you didn't! Anyway, I was already awake because Sirius is coming back today from his uncle." "Oh yes, exactly. I had forgotten!" "Breakfast is almost ready, if you're hungry. Or do you prefer to sleep?" I shook my head and stood up. My mother left my room concerned and I changed my clothes.

I hated it when my mom so worried about me. It's the same as Sirius. What led me to think. Sirius was worried about me, nice and good, but why? Yes, we're like brothers, in which case such as twins. And by Mom, I can understand it. She was also my mother. But Sirius?

I slipped quickly into my sweatpants and then went down into the kitchen, where my mom was standing at the stove. I went to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and served me pancakes with maple syrup on the plate.

While I ate, I read the book, which I had get from Sirius to Christmas. And because I was engrossed in the book so I didn't realized that there was a knock at the door, my mom opened and Sirius stood behind me and beaming.

I immediately jumped up and hugged my brother. Then he sat down beside me and ate his breakfast too. "Tell me, how was it by your uncle?" "It was okay. Maybe not that what I had imagined, but it was funny."

After breakfast, we wanted to go into the nature, as always. Of course, not to learn something about it, but to play Quidditch, but before we could touch the door, Mom called after Sirius. He hurried back and so, I went alone before.

After about an quarter of an hour came at last Sirius. "Tell me, where have you been? I wanted to give a missing person!" "Ha ha, you joker. Mom wanted to talk with me." "Okay ... and about what?" "I'll tell you later. Come, let us play Quidditch." He grabbed his broom and took off.

We flew our laps, until Sirius flew back and landed on the floor. Obviously something was bothering him because he looked very worn. I landed too and asked, what's happened.

"Hey, ... what's going on? Otherwise, I'm the first, who lands." "Mom told me, that you had this dream again." I looked at the floor. "James ... ""Yes, I had that dream again. It's all the same, Sirius and ... it gives me shit scared! Every time I see myself as a dead man. And I don't know why" I think to myself, no one can give me an answer!"

I looked past Sirius the lake. He lay there peacefully and shimmered in the warm morning sun. I would love to know what's the meaning of this dream, but there was nobody I could ask and who it maybe could know.

Suddenly Sirius hastily snapped his fingers and beamed. "What?" I looked at him with wide eyes. "I know, who you could ask, and it maybe knows." "Oh, now I'm curious. And who do you think should this be, you genius?"

"Think about it, James. Did you last year in »Defense against the Dark Arts« not paying attention when we had Dumbledore?" "Uh ... no?" "James, Dumbledore has been talking about the devil. He has also told yet that he has the same dream every month, where a mirror and the devil appears. Or not?"

"Sirius? You. Are. A. Genius! I'm sorry about before." "No problem. Hey, even I got my flashes of light." "But ... school starts in a month again and in between I get this dream." "Attempt ... to stay awake all night?"

"Great idea and then ... I'll asleep and bang, I have the dream again." "You know, there's such a magic potion that allows you to rest without dreams! Maybe we could try it for once. What do you think?" "Yes, good idea, just what ingredients are needed?" "As far as I know a few. But the problem is, some are rare, some are expensive and some ... we only get in Knockturn Alley and neither Mom or Dad let us go there ... "

" ... And ask one of the two is out of question ..." " ... Because they'll never allow us ... " " ... Therefore we have to sneak out, without ..." " ... That one of the two don't even get a notice!" " ... Exactly!" There was a silence.

"but how are we doing this?" "Sirius, for the first time in my entire life ... I am myself stumped." He started laughing and soon after I joined in. "Hey, we should go home, James. Maybe Mom need help with something." "You're right. Who's there as the last!" "Just wait, you ... I'll catch you!"

The rest of the day was otherwise usual. Dad came home at lunch, we ate and sat together for a while, Dad told us how his day was so far and then ... well ... what everyone wanted to make itself. Dad went to his office to his remaining work to be done, Mom did the housecleaning and Sirius and I sat in my room and we were bored.

"Sirius, stop ruining my ceiling with the ball, otherwise I'll ruining yours." "Do." I was wrong on the bed, watching Sirius, which also was reversed on the couch and threw the little baseball toward the ceiling.

By the time it was too much for me and I took him off the ball, which is why he's upset. "Hey, I was just about to break my record." "Well ... I am sorry, then go and find yourself another ball! It nerving!" "What gets on your nerves?" He looked at me quizzically.

"Well, you and this stupid ball! Go out, if you want to ruin the area, but leave my room alone!" I almost yelled at him. He was shocked. I didn't realize at first what I was saying, but after a short time I realized.

"Sirius ... I am sorry! I-I don't know ... what was going on just with m-me ... " "All right, buddy. If you all right?" I sat back on my bed and put my face in my hands. "I-I don't know ... It was suddenly as if ... I wasn't myself, but ... but the devil!"

He stared at me. Sure, what I said must be total nonsense, but it was how it is. It was as if I had just been possessed by the devil. "Sirius?" "Yes, James?" "I ... 'm scared!" I looked into his eyes and ... there was the fear on his face.