Then, on the night of October thirty-first, after all the spooky fun was
over, Rory fell asleep only to be overcome by a very strange dream.
In her dream, she was walking down a street, empty and lonely, but not silent. Terrified screams filled the air, and the houses seemed vacant and staring. Rory entered one of the houses, and was led upstairs by the sound of crying. She entered a small bedroom to find a man and a woman, the woman in tears, though now they were silent.
The man, who had black ruffled hair, as though he had not had not gone through the effort to brush it, looked up at her.
"Please, protect him, the light." he said.
Now it was the womans turn to talk to her. She stared up, her green eyes pleading and wet.
"Ning one needs help," she said, as she pointed at the window next to her, as did the man.
Then there was a flash of green light, and Rory found herself alone in the room. She walked slowly to the window and peered out.
Rory gasped.
For Rory saw Hogwarts, but it was Hogwarts as she had never seen, or thought it could be. A dark shadow was cast over the land, and it seemed to be devoid of any good that it may have once held. She looked closer, and saw a tall, hooded figure come out of the main doros. Before Rory could duck, frozen by fear and shock, the figure looked up at her windown and ---- ---
Rory awoke, drenched in a cold sweat. She thought of waking Hermoine, but it seemed useless. They would have to talk in the morning. Instead, she walked down the steps into the common room. To her surprise, someone was already there.
"Harry?! What are you doing down her at this hour?"
"I could ask you the same thing. But, I couldn't sleep."
"Yeah, me neither. Had a weird dream. Must've had too much cnady or something," She settled down next to her friend, "Damn, its colder down here than I thought."
"I guess. come here. WE'll both be a bit warmer," he said, and Rory snuggled up, her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Rory?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm worried.." This statement made Rory sit straight up.
"What's happened?"
"Nothing. That's why I'm worried. You would think that once Vol-- you-know- who came back, he'dbe taking over at once. And trying to kill me, of course."
"Harry. Look at me. Stop worrying! Just be prepared." She said more seriously than she ever had before," And start saying the name, Voldemort, even to people who don't want to hear it. Yes, so they are afraid of the name. So what? THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS. If we make saying the name Voldemort to be no big deal, he'll lose some of his fear factor, which is part of what gives him so much power over people. This whole name thing, it's stupid, if you ask me!" It's like us Muggles being afraid of saying the name Osama Bin Laden!"
"Fear is a very powerful emotion, Harry. It gives the thing - or person - that is feared more power over the person who fears it. Stop the fear, stop the power flow, I say"
Harry looked intently at Rory. "You are deeper than you seem, Rory. I think you have some ground in that theory. In fact, I think it is pretty similar to Dumbledore's, actually. But I need to worry."
"Not this much. If you spend all of your time in fear, what's the point?"
"I don't live in fear! I just... I just... always have this. burden.. hanging over my head. You know, the fact that someone's been trying to kill me MY ENTIRE LIFE. And the fact that I don't even know why!"
Rory looked startled and humbled, "You - - you don't know why he's trying to kill you?"
"No. I have no idea. I think Dumbledore knows, but he won't tell me. 'When you are ready, you will know'" Harry mumbled.
"Harry, I think I know what you need. You need to breath, calm down, and go to sleep."
"Yes, I suppose. This was the night my parents died, you know."
"I know. But I also know they're watching over you. Now lay down," Grabbing a spare blanket, Rory curled up next to Harry. They fell asleep on the floor of the common room, a few hours before dawn.
"Harry! Rory! Wake up!" Hermione shook the two rounghly awake. "Harry, get up!"
"Hmm? What" They both groaned.
"Get up, before someone sees, and assumes. you know..." Hermione trailed of uncomfortably. Rory sat up. "Oh, yes. Right. That."
Harry laughed, "The people in this house desperately need to get their minds out of the gutter."
"But all the same," Hermione said, "You could get in loads of trouble."
"Fine. Fine. We're up" Rory groaned.
In her dream, she was walking down a street, empty and lonely, but not silent. Terrified screams filled the air, and the houses seemed vacant and staring. Rory entered one of the houses, and was led upstairs by the sound of crying. She entered a small bedroom to find a man and a woman, the woman in tears, though now they were silent.
The man, who had black ruffled hair, as though he had not had not gone through the effort to brush it, looked up at her.
"Please, protect him, the light." he said.
Now it was the womans turn to talk to her. She stared up, her green eyes pleading and wet.
"Ning one needs help," she said, as she pointed at the window next to her, as did the man.
Then there was a flash of green light, and Rory found herself alone in the room. She walked slowly to the window and peered out.
Rory gasped.
For Rory saw Hogwarts, but it was Hogwarts as she had never seen, or thought it could be. A dark shadow was cast over the land, and it seemed to be devoid of any good that it may have once held. She looked closer, and saw a tall, hooded figure come out of the main doros. Before Rory could duck, frozen by fear and shock, the figure looked up at her windown and ---- ---
Rory awoke, drenched in a cold sweat. She thought of waking Hermoine, but it seemed useless. They would have to talk in the morning. Instead, she walked down the steps into the common room. To her surprise, someone was already there.
"Harry?! What are you doing down her at this hour?"
"I could ask you the same thing. But, I couldn't sleep."
"Yeah, me neither. Had a weird dream. Must've had too much cnady or something," She settled down next to her friend, "Damn, its colder down here than I thought."
"I guess. come here. WE'll both be a bit warmer," he said, and Rory snuggled up, her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Rory?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm worried.." This statement made Rory sit straight up.
"What's happened?"
"Nothing. That's why I'm worried. You would think that once Vol-- you-know- who came back, he'dbe taking over at once. And trying to kill me, of course."
"Harry. Look at me. Stop worrying! Just be prepared." She said more seriously than she ever had before," And start saying the name, Voldemort, even to people who don't want to hear it. Yes, so they are afraid of the name. So what? THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS. If we make saying the name Voldemort to be no big deal, he'll lose some of his fear factor, which is part of what gives him so much power over people. This whole name thing, it's stupid, if you ask me!" It's like us Muggles being afraid of saying the name Osama Bin Laden!"
"Fear is a very powerful emotion, Harry. It gives the thing - or person - that is feared more power over the person who fears it. Stop the fear, stop the power flow, I say"
Harry looked intently at Rory. "You are deeper than you seem, Rory. I think you have some ground in that theory. In fact, I think it is pretty similar to Dumbledore's, actually. But I need to worry."
"Not this much. If you spend all of your time in fear, what's the point?"
"I don't live in fear! I just... I just... always have this. burden.. hanging over my head. You know, the fact that someone's been trying to kill me MY ENTIRE LIFE. And the fact that I don't even know why!"
Rory looked startled and humbled, "You - - you don't know why he's trying to kill you?"
"No. I have no idea. I think Dumbledore knows, but he won't tell me. 'When you are ready, you will know'" Harry mumbled.
"Harry, I think I know what you need. You need to breath, calm down, and go to sleep."
"Yes, I suppose. This was the night my parents died, you know."
"I know. But I also know they're watching over you. Now lay down," Grabbing a spare blanket, Rory curled up next to Harry. They fell asleep on the floor of the common room, a few hours before dawn.
"Harry! Rory! Wake up!" Hermione shook the two rounghly awake. "Harry, get up!"
"Hmm? What" They both groaned.
"Get up, before someone sees, and assumes. you know..." Hermione trailed of uncomfortably. Rory sat up. "Oh, yes. Right. That."
Harry laughed, "The people in this house desperately need to get their minds out of the gutter."
"But all the same," Hermione said, "You could get in loads of trouble."
"Fine. Fine. We're up" Rory groaned.