Harry lay awake in bed that night, listening to the screams. They had
started again. All the other Gryffindors were huddled together in the
Common Room. The professors were searching the school, but they couldn't
find the source of the screams since they seemed to come from everywhere.
Harry listened and thought about them. "What could they mean? Who was making them?" An extremely loud scream filled his ears with a ringing. That was it! He couldn't take it anymore! He got up and went down to the Common Room.
He found Ron, Hermione, Neval, Lee Jordan, and the Twins in their usual corner. When they saw him, they stood.
"Where've you been?" Lee asked.
"Just thinking."
"And you could actually hear yourself with all this noise?" George asked. Harry glanced around the room at the other students.
"Where's Kathryn?" he asked.
"She's asleep. She's been asleep since before the screams started up again," Hermione informed.
"Asleep? How's that possible?" asked Ron.
"I don't know. It's against all reasoning," answered Hermione.
"Are the teachers still searching the school?" Harry wondered aloud.
"As far as we know they are," Fred replied.
"Harry," Neval stated, "the Slytherins think you have something to do with this. Do you? If you do, then make it stop."
"Neval, if I could make it stop I would. I have nothing to do with all of this and I don't think any student or professor does."
"What do you think it is?" Hermione asked the group.
"It's probably just some new poltergeist," said Lee.
"What if it's something new altogether and the professors don't know how to handle it?" Ron spoke.
"Not possible," stated Hermione. "Someone has got to know something about it. I bet the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor knows what it is." The new professor Hermione spoke of was a witch who had been all over the world studying the Dark arts. She seemed to know more than Snape could.
Another scream rang in their ears, and then all was quiet. Professor McGonagall entered the Common Room.
"That will be the end of the screams for tonight. All of you back to bed."
"What if they start again?" a first year asked.
"Then we'll deal with that if it happens. We professors have noticed a pattern in the screams and have concluded that they are over for this evening. Now, back to bed." The students went back to their rooms to get what sleep they could.
~*~*~*~
"I heard it was Potter screaming for his mum," Draco laughed.
"I heard it was Draco screaming because he dreamed he lost his balls," Ron retorted.
They were passing each other in the halls. Hermione rolled her eyes at the two, and Kathryn glanced back at Harry. She was walking with Draco and his friends.
"Why can't you just ignore him?" Hermione asked Ron. "Harry does."
"That's only cause I'm here to shoot back for him. Isn't that right, Harry?"
"Uh-huh, sure."
"Harry, you paying attention?" Ron asked skeptically.
"Uh-huh, sure."
"No you're not! Malfoy just insulted you and you didn't even hear it!"
"Malfoy? Hang on!"
Hermione was startled. "What is it?"
"I think I just figured something out. Go on to class. I have to speak with Professor Dumbledore." With that statement, Harry took off running toward Dumbledore's office.
~*~*~*~
"Mr. Potter, where on earth are you going?" It was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"I need to speak to Dumbledore right away! It's urgent!"
"Urgent enough for you to miss my class?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Well then, hurry it up."
"Thank you Professor." Harry started running again and the new professor smiled in amusement.
~*~*~*~
Harry sat in a chair facing Dumbledore. "Now, Mr. Potter, what was it you needed to see me about?"
"The screams, sir, and a student."
"Ah, everyone is wondering about the screams. What is it?"
"How is it Kathryn Malfoy can sleep through them?"
"She sleeps through them?"
"Yes. The first time we heard them, she was the last to awaken. Last night, she was asleep at dinner and didn't wake until everyone was already in the Entrance Hall. Then, she slept through them again last night. How does she do it?"
"I'm not sure, Harry, but thank you for bringing it to my attention." A new interest seemed to spark in Dumbledore's eyes. "I would like it if you did not tell what you have just told me to anyone else, not even Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger."
"Yes, sir."
"I do believe you have a class to get to, do you not?"
~*~*~*~
When Harry got back to class, they had started. Kathryn was beating Hermione to all the answers and Hermione looked quite aggravated.
"She's not used to being second best," Ron explained when Harry joined them.
"Is there anything she can't do well?" Hermione said more to herself. Kathryn turned in her seat.
"I can't play quiditch. Never was very into the game. Besides, it's not very popular in America."
"How can you not be interested in quiditch?" Ron said in disbelief.
"I don't know. I'm just not."
"If you will please return your attention to the lesson," the professor commented. "Ah, Mr. Potter, nice of you to join us. I am professor Rennsinn." Harry nodded his reply. "As I was saying, the only way to vanquish a demon is with a specific spell."
~*~*~*~
That night, everyone slept. There were no screams of terror, not even a sound could be heard. All was quiet.
"I don't get it," Ron whispered to Harry.
"Neither do I."
"Do you think they've stopped for good?"
"It's hard to say. I don't really think they have. I think it's just for tonight."
"What do you suppose it is?"
"It always sounds human. I don't think anything else could scream like that."
"I think Hermione needs to get a move on and start looking in the library for something like this."
"Honestly, Ron, do you think she'll find anything about screams of terror in a book in the library?"
"Well, not really, but she's always looking for something."
"Yes, it is about time she started looking. I guess we don't have to know any first years to have to get someone out of trouble, huh?"
"I don't think it's anyone in the school. We were all at dinner that one night."
"Yes, I know. I'm tired now and this will most likely be one of our only nights for sleep. You and I both know we need it!"
"It seams a little creepy not to hear the screams while we sleep. It's almost as if something were wrong if we don't hear them."
"I agree, but what we really need right now is some undisturbed sleep."
With that last comment, Harry and Ron drifted off into a sound slumber.
Harry listened and thought about them. "What could they mean? Who was making them?" An extremely loud scream filled his ears with a ringing. That was it! He couldn't take it anymore! He got up and went down to the Common Room.
He found Ron, Hermione, Neval, Lee Jordan, and the Twins in their usual corner. When they saw him, they stood.
"Where've you been?" Lee asked.
"Just thinking."
"And you could actually hear yourself with all this noise?" George asked. Harry glanced around the room at the other students.
"Where's Kathryn?" he asked.
"She's asleep. She's been asleep since before the screams started up again," Hermione informed.
"Asleep? How's that possible?" asked Ron.
"I don't know. It's against all reasoning," answered Hermione.
"Are the teachers still searching the school?" Harry wondered aloud.
"As far as we know they are," Fred replied.
"Harry," Neval stated, "the Slytherins think you have something to do with this. Do you? If you do, then make it stop."
"Neval, if I could make it stop I would. I have nothing to do with all of this and I don't think any student or professor does."
"What do you think it is?" Hermione asked the group.
"It's probably just some new poltergeist," said Lee.
"What if it's something new altogether and the professors don't know how to handle it?" Ron spoke.
"Not possible," stated Hermione. "Someone has got to know something about it. I bet the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor knows what it is." The new professor Hermione spoke of was a witch who had been all over the world studying the Dark arts. She seemed to know more than Snape could.
Another scream rang in their ears, and then all was quiet. Professor McGonagall entered the Common Room.
"That will be the end of the screams for tonight. All of you back to bed."
"What if they start again?" a first year asked.
"Then we'll deal with that if it happens. We professors have noticed a pattern in the screams and have concluded that they are over for this evening. Now, back to bed." The students went back to their rooms to get what sleep they could.
~*~*~*~
"I heard it was Potter screaming for his mum," Draco laughed.
"I heard it was Draco screaming because he dreamed he lost his balls," Ron retorted.
They were passing each other in the halls. Hermione rolled her eyes at the two, and Kathryn glanced back at Harry. She was walking with Draco and his friends.
"Why can't you just ignore him?" Hermione asked Ron. "Harry does."
"That's only cause I'm here to shoot back for him. Isn't that right, Harry?"
"Uh-huh, sure."
"Harry, you paying attention?" Ron asked skeptically.
"Uh-huh, sure."
"No you're not! Malfoy just insulted you and you didn't even hear it!"
"Malfoy? Hang on!"
Hermione was startled. "What is it?"
"I think I just figured something out. Go on to class. I have to speak with Professor Dumbledore." With that statement, Harry took off running toward Dumbledore's office.
~*~*~*~
"Mr. Potter, where on earth are you going?" It was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"I need to speak to Dumbledore right away! It's urgent!"
"Urgent enough for you to miss my class?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Well then, hurry it up."
"Thank you Professor." Harry started running again and the new professor smiled in amusement.
~*~*~*~
Harry sat in a chair facing Dumbledore. "Now, Mr. Potter, what was it you needed to see me about?"
"The screams, sir, and a student."
"Ah, everyone is wondering about the screams. What is it?"
"How is it Kathryn Malfoy can sleep through them?"
"She sleeps through them?"
"Yes. The first time we heard them, she was the last to awaken. Last night, she was asleep at dinner and didn't wake until everyone was already in the Entrance Hall. Then, she slept through them again last night. How does she do it?"
"I'm not sure, Harry, but thank you for bringing it to my attention." A new interest seemed to spark in Dumbledore's eyes. "I would like it if you did not tell what you have just told me to anyone else, not even Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger."
"Yes, sir."
"I do believe you have a class to get to, do you not?"
~*~*~*~
When Harry got back to class, they had started. Kathryn was beating Hermione to all the answers and Hermione looked quite aggravated.
"She's not used to being second best," Ron explained when Harry joined them.
"Is there anything she can't do well?" Hermione said more to herself. Kathryn turned in her seat.
"I can't play quiditch. Never was very into the game. Besides, it's not very popular in America."
"How can you not be interested in quiditch?" Ron said in disbelief.
"I don't know. I'm just not."
"If you will please return your attention to the lesson," the professor commented. "Ah, Mr. Potter, nice of you to join us. I am professor Rennsinn." Harry nodded his reply. "As I was saying, the only way to vanquish a demon is with a specific spell."
~*~*~*~
That night, everyone slept. There were no screams of terror, not even a sound could be heard. All was quiet.
"I don't get it," Ron whispered to Harry.
"Neither do I."
"Do you think they've stopped for good?"
"It's hard to say. I don't really think they have. I think it's just for tonight."
"What do you suppose it is?"
"It always sounds human. I don't think anything else could scream like that."
"I think Hermione needs to get a move on and start looking in the library for something like this."
"Honestly, Ron, do you think she'll find anything about screams of terror in a book in the library?"
"Well, not really, but she's always looking for something."
"Yes, it is about time she started looking. I guess we don't have to know any first years to have to get someone out of trouble, huh?"
"I don't think it's anyone in the school. We were all at dinner that one night."
"Yes, I know. I'm tired now and this will most likely be one of our only nights for sleep. You and I both know we need it!"
"It seams a little creepy not to hear the screams while we sleep. It's almost as if something were wrong if we don't hear them."
"I agree, but what we really need right now is some undisturbed sleep."
With that last comment, Harry and Ron drifted off into a sound slumber.