That night a gust of wind rattled the stain glass windows. Leaving behind streaks of rain drops
Sweat accumulated on Harry's forehead, under his closed eyelids Harry's eyes darted from side to side.
Dark figures moved in a cold wet place. Harry was sure he heard a wolf howling. His heart increased at the same rate as his fear.
He felt as if he was running. Suddenly he found himself standing in front of the weeping willow and then with one sound all of Harry's fear drained away.
Again came another bark, Sirius was there.
Harry had no sooner seen Lupin the wolf and Sirius the dog when suddenly both changed form. Instead of seeing things as they had actually happened Harry, Ron, Hermione, Snape, Lupin, Peter and Sirius.
The figure that emerged from the wimping willow was a moon-light white head of Draco Malfoy.
At first Harry's heart fluttered but dropped just as suddenly. Draco was not alone, the very sight of her enraged Harry.
Draco turned to assist his aunt out of the hole under the comatose whomping willow. There now stood Bellatrix Lestrange. Her hair even weld in the wind.
Suddenly Harry became aware that he was running towards his godfather's murderer. Draco stepped between the pair.
"You can't hurt each other without hurting me! Don't you get that?" Yelled Draco.
Bellatrix smiled showing her crooked, chipped and stained teeth.
Though his face showed his displeasure Harry lowered his wand.
"The dark Lord will hear of this." Bellatrix hissed.
Her words were not a warning, but held the tone of someone who intended to hand deliver the news personally.
Draco turned so he faced Bellatrix.
"I would no sooner let you hurt Harry then you would hurt your precious Voldi" As he spoke Draco seemed to become taller, his chest puffed out.
"Is that so?!" Bellatrix asked using her wand to move her hair out of her eyes.
"Sorry coco." She said as she pointed her wand at Draco's chest.
A flash of green light struck the young man and he fell backwords into Harry's arms, cold, and as pale as his hair.
Harry's hand clasped Draco's lifeless one.
"Wake up, Draco wake up. I didn't get to tell you!" Cried Harry.
Harry sobbed over Draco's dead body.
He could hear Bellatrix move closer. "You really are pathetic. Mudblood, powerless Potter."
Harry knew what was coming, he closed his eyes, knowing that when he opened them again he would see the parents he lost so young and the boy he secretly loved.
There was a flash of light yet when Harry opened his eyes he saw the familiar scarlet red and gold hangings covering the walls, emblazed with roaring lions.
His breath was shallow and beads of sweat dripped from his chin.
Relief washed over Harry when he knew he had not called out in his sleep. Ron's snoring assured him of that.
Harry lay back down, his T-shirt sticking to the sweat on his back and chest. He ran his hand over his forehead. He took a deep breath as confusion crossed his face. When he found he was wondering what it all meant he scolded himself "It was just a dream." He told himself.
Fawkes the phoenix cawed and Harry saw the sun was rising. The weather had improved but somehow it wasn't enough to take Harry's mind off Bellatrix Lestrange.
A bad night's sleep was not what Harry needed right now he was going to have Snape first class for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
It was true Harry usually told himself some excuse sot that he could stare at the buttery blonde, Malfoy, but today Harry noticed something.
Malfoy usually liked Snape's lesson, no that simplified it too much. In all the years he was at Hogwarts Harry had known only one teacher that Malfoy listened to, only one Malfoy ever tried to impress and that was Snape.
Malfoy was often so attentive he leaned forward inhaling every word that passed Snape's sneering lips. But today, today Malfoy slouched in his seat and not only did he not seem invigorated he looked like he was confounded. His eyes were unfocused and unseeing, not even the eerie contents of the jars on the walls could snare his attention.
This unnerved Harry what could be so important to Malfoy?
"And that… children is how an Octuberis is slain." Finished Snape as he tapped the projector with the tip of his want.
With an added flick of his wand Snape turned the lights back on.
"Two rolls of parchment on the natural habitat of an Octurberis by Monday." Commanded Snape.
"Detention… for those who fail to present it! I hear Filch needs … help cleaning up thestral dung."
Everyone knew this was not an idle threat.
"Great!" Said Ron sarcastically "I have an essay for McGonagall on "The correct use of a wand in transfiguration" He told them in a mocking Scottish accent that was a good likeness to McGonigle "Three rolls for Flitwick on Controlling Charms, practically a book for Beans, practicing tea leaf reading, and now two rolls for Snape. I'll never make time for quidditch practice." He whined.
"Yeah, let's just be glad Slughorn isn't dealing out homework." Harry pointed out.
"Really? Well I have the same plus runes and divination." Beamed Hermione unable to hide her smugness.
"Yeah but that's different you don't play quidditch." Began Ron who was flustered, did she always have to be so perfect.
"No, but I've never missed a match, or a practice for that matter." She said her smile intact.
"Wait a minute!" Ron said suddenly his whole expression changing from anger to one of confusion. "You can't be taking runes! It's on the same time as potions." Ron followed Hermione down the stairs and he spoke.
They were on their way to the great hall for dinner.
"I think you'll find you're mistaken Ronald." Hermione replied as she reached the bottom of the staircase and sauntered into the great hall.
"Just once, I'd like to know she's got something wrong." Growled Ron in annoyance,
"Pray it's not your homework." Harry jeered Ron jokingly.
"Ha ha." Laughed Ron sarcastically.
Harry did notice that Malfoy did not appear during dinner. He also noted that this was not due to Slytherin quidditch practice as the rest of the team sat at the Slytherin table stuffing their faces.
He was also sure that he heard Miles Bletchley complain that he would go to Snape if Malfoy missed one more quidditch practices.
"I don't care who his father is!" stated Bletchley as he and his friends climbed the staircase.
It started to grate on Harry, what was Malfoy using all his time for?
"Bleaching his roots?!" offered Ron when Harry made the mistake of voicing his concern.
"Call me crazy but maybe unlike you two Malfoy is actually studying?!" Hermione jeered.
Ron and Harry looked at each other, "You're crazy." They chorused.
It was no good, Harry lay awake in the middle of the night looking at the groves in the wood in the ceiling of his fourposter bed.
Had Harry ever seen Malfoy so obsessed before? Maybe when he wanted to join the quidditch team.
But Malfoy had been happy than, boastfully even.
Harry could barely keep his eyes open in double potions after lunch.
This is all I needed, thought Harry sarcastically his head pounded from a lack of sleep.
Slughorn coughed to bring the class to at attention. He liked attention did Slughorn.
"Here we go," Harry mothed to Ron.
"Good evening class. I hope I find you all well?!" Slughorn asked rhetorically.
Ron rolled his eyes in a way which only Harry could see.
"Today we well be brewing skelingtenis. Better known as skele-gro but that's a trade brand." Explained Slughorn, laughing as he finished speaking.
Ron opened his pristine copy of Potion Making. Harry followed suit, he opened his beaten up yet trusty book.
Harry gathered his ingredients and magicked a flame under his cauldron.
When Harry began to add the ingredients to the cauldron he noticed that Malfoy moved slowly as if he was in a daze. Had he too had a sleepless night?
Minutes later Malfoy was not the only one acting strangely. Hermione's hair was all over the place, it stuck out at weird angles it put Harry in mind of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Ron on the other hand kept talking to himself and squeaking when his potion went wrong.
