A/N: So here's the next chapter, and another thank you to all of you reviewers out there!

With those three words, my world came crashing down. I sobbed even harder. So much for not getting my heart into this. Hermione cried into Ron's shoulder, holding onto him as I was holding onto Harry.

"What happened?" Dumbledore spoke, the twinkling blue eyes now a sad grey color. He spoke with none of the joy he had in the other times we spoke.

"I don't know, sir. It was too sudden. There was an explosion, and by the time the smoke cleared, Miss Manston was already here with Potter." Snape answered. Dumbledore turned to Ron and Hermione, obviously knowing I couldn't talk right now.

"Did any of you see what happened?" Ron shook his head, still in shock. Hermione couldn't answer. Finally, he knelt to the ground where I was blinded by my tears.

"Atarah, need you to be strong. What happened?" He asked dead serious. I cleared my throat, and tried to speak clearly, for Harry.

"H-he was asking me a personal question, I-I didn't w-want to answer so I-I ignored him and focused o-on the p-potion. He h-held onto my wrist, and wouldn't let g-go, b-but I-I told him I-I needed to p-put in an ingredient, but h-he didn't listen. T-the cauldron e-exploded, a-a-and he shielded me...h-h-he took the f-full blast. F-for me. I ran straight here. Oh, Merlin, if I-I had answered him, m-maybe h-h-he w-would..." I trailed off, unable to finish. If I had just answered him, it was only a bloody question! It was my fault, all my fault...

"Get Miss Granger and Mister Weasley out of here, and get Miss Manston sedated. A Calming Draught, perhaps." Ron and Hermione objected, wanting to be here, no matter what, but were shooed out of the room, escorted to their common room by Professor McGonagall. Snape helped me up and tried to take me to another bed, but I refused to let go of Harry's hand.

"Atarah, stop this childish behavior. Madam Pomfrey needs to help Potter. Let go." He commanded, but I didn't loosen my iron grip on Harry's hand. I couldn't. Snape finally let go and went away, leaving me alone in my pain and worry. My chest hurt from running so fast, and I had a huge headache from crying. But that was nothing compared to Harry.

I was wrong about Snape leaving, for he came back and forced a potion down my throat. Soon...I could feel my consciousness fading away...NO! I need to hold onto Harry! But I was unable to fight the effects of the potion and felt myself drifting into a sleep. But...Harry...

!#$%^

"Atarah...I told you! You just couldn't keep your heart out of it, could you?" I recognized Rose's voice, shocking me because of our last conversation. She hadn't visited me in a while. After a second, everything came crashing down on me. Rose's words, Potions, the explosion, Harry...

"Merlin...Rose! I need to get back! Harry..." I was so caught up in the thoughts of the real world that I didn't notice Rose staring at me with sad eyes. Teary eyes. The tears caught my attention.

"Rose...what's the matter?" She just shook her head and turned away from me.

"I can't tell you..." She turned back around abruptly and hugged me tightly. "Oh 'Tara! I can't take it! Seeing you all these times a-a-and k-knowing...Atarah! Why can't you just really accept Dumbledore's offer? Things, things would be so different!" She begged me. I sighed once again.

"Rose...you don't understand. How could you? You're not like me." She pulled away from me.

"What? How could you say that? I'm your sister! Of course I'm like you!" She said, not getting what I meant.

"No, you're not. I'm like dad. Like mom. You're not. You're like Grandma." Grandma was never rude to us, the only parenting figure we ever had in our lives. She died shortly after Rose...Mom said it was old age, I said it was heartbreak.

"You're good." She had the heart of a Gryffindor, not Slytherin, that's why...

"B-but what's saying you aren't good? I mean, look at what you've done? Harry probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you..." She said more, but it was all lost to me as I thought of Harry...Oh, Merlin...

"Harry! Oh...I have to go back! I have to help! Y-you said he's alright? B-but, I-I could...do something!" I closed my eyes, trying to get back...

"I'm the only one who can end the dream, Atarah...I could keep you here for as long as I like. And I need you to listen to me." I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was on her knees beside me, begging me to listen to her. So I did.

"I can't change your mind, but you should at least hear me out." I nodded at her, and she continued. "Use your brains, Atarah. Voldemort's just using your family, what happens when Harry's dead? You're going to be treated just the same then as you will when you stop worshiping him! Once he has power, everyone's going to be an enemy to him, ex-servant or not!"

"I don't worship him!" I defended myself, and pulling on a piece of my blonde hair. Rose was doing the same thing, it was a habit that we shared. She stopped and shook her head.

"'Tara! Stop thinking about hair for just a second and listen!" I nodded a second time and she sighed.

"So what's the point in it? And if you join the Order, then you can be trusted and you could defeat Voldemort with Harry! Then you could basically live happily ever after, right?" Sometimes she was just plain silly. I stood up and walked a few feet away from her.

"Rose...I can't change sides, even if I want to. And really? Happily ever after? Where'd you get that?" That was only in-

"The stories you used to tell me. About that girl with the glass slippers, Cinderella, right? And that story about...Snow White...and the dwarf thingies. Yes. The muggle stories." She smiled wryly. I remember those times.

"And when dad found out, remember his face?" I smiled at the memory. "He was so mad, it was almost worth the...well...afterwards." The smile faded off both of our faces. Of course we remember that.

"Anyways, what about Draco? And mom and dad, even after what they've done; they're still our parents!" Her face contorted into one of pain.

"Draco...well, m-maybe he'll come with you! And to hell with mom and dad! What have they done for us? What?" She was only eleven. Eleven and has a grudge. Shouldn't she let go of something that happened so long ago, and do dead people even have feelings? She stood up faster than someone her age should be able to.

"Of course I have feelings! Why else would I visit you? I love you too much!" Her dark hair seemed to glow fiercely in the setting sun.

"Yeah, but come on! You're not even real! You're dead!" My words made even me flinch at the harshness embedded in it. Rose backed off, hurt by my cruel words.

"I may be dead, and I'm pretty sure I'm real, but I sure have feelings. So go! Go off and do whatever it is you Death Eaters do! I don't care!" She whipped around, the tips of her hair stinging my face.

"Rose! Pleas-" But my pleading was cut short by the darkness.

!#$%^

I sat up and gasped for air. My body felt sore, and my limbs felt heavy, like they weighed a hundred pounds. It took me a second before I realized that I was in the real world again. I jumped out of the bed, only to collapse onto the ground. Trying as hard as I could, I pulled myself off of the floor and dragged myself to Harry's side. The gash on his cheek was healed, leaving a single white scar on his lifeless face. He had bandages all over, and his chest moved slightly up and down as he breathed shallowly.

"MISS MANSTON! What are you doing out of bed, young lady?" Madam Pomfrey rushed out of her small office and to my side. She gently pulled me away from Harry and laid me onto the bed beside him. My blonde hair was messed up and un-brushed.

"Madam Pomfrey, how is he?" I begged her for more information on Harry's condition. But she just shook her head.

"He's stable for now, but he's not getting any better. We're going to send him to St. Mungos to see if they can do anything more for him. As for you, you just need to rest. You should have known better than to cast that spell when you were already exhausted. Using that spell would normally tire you out to the fullest, but since you already ran as fast and as far as you could...let's just say you need rest." So that's why I felt so horrible. Her words gave me some comfort. If he was going to St Mungos they would be able to take care of him, right?

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" They should be here, right? Madam Pomfrey nodded toward the door.

"Waiting. I suppose I should let them see Potter before he goes." With a wave of her wand, the doors opened. Without any hesitation, they rushed in. Only it wasn't just Ron and Hermione, there were more. The twins and Ginny were there, Loony, Longbottom, and a couple other of Gryffindors. Ron and Hermione immediately went to Harry, while the others gave them some room.

Despite Madam Pomfrey's protests, I slowly found my way to their side. He looked so peaceful...but my thoughts were interrupted by something unexpected. Hermione had detached herself from Ron and launched herself at me. Hermione. Granger. Was. Hugging. Me. And I hugged her back.

"Thank you, for what it's worth. Without you, h-he would have surely not made it..." She whispered gratefully to me. She let go and went back to Ron. I dragged myself back to my bed, giving the trio some time alone.

I sighed and sat down.

!#$%^

Harry's POV...

!#$%^

Her eyes widened as she tried to warn me. The cauldron smoked, and I realized what she had meant. I quickly pulled her close to me and turned away from the smoking pot. I didn't have very much time to think, but all I could wonder is why I saved her. Did I do it because that's just who I am, I protect. Harry Potter, the protector. Or did I do it because I couldn't ever let her get hurt. Somehow, I leaned towards the second.

I didn't know why I felt the way I did about her. She was Atarah bloody Manston! The girl who had been my enemy since first year. We were natural enemies, no questions asked. She was as good as Malfoy was. Not to mention she was the daughter of Death Eaters. She worshiped Voldemort. She was on the other side. But none of that seemed to matter. It didn't change the way I felt about her.

I held her close to me as the cauldron exploded behind me. My world erupted into pain. I could feel myself slipping...no! I have to stay strong..have to be here for everyone. I could feel someone carry me, and realized it was Atarah, she was trying to save me, and somehow...that gave me all the strength I needed. I could feel the darkness looming over me, like vultures waiting on their prey. But I wouldn't give up. I would fight. I would fight until the end.

"MADAM POMFREY! HELP ME; PLEASE!" Her voice was full of pain and sorrow. I tried to let her know that I wasn't giving up, but I couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't do anything.

"HARRY! Oh, Merlin, Merlin, Merlin! Please!" She begged, and I longed to let her know that I was here; here and alright. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do more than think.

!#$%^

Atarah's POV...

!#$%^

Soon everyone was forced to leave by Madam Pomfrey, and I was left here in silence. Deafening silence. You know, that phrase has always amused me. I mean, it's silence. It doesn't make a sound! I guess it does make sense, though. All you can hear is silence, so it's deafening. I sighed and got out of my bed. It was still exhausting, but I managed to get into the chair besides Harry without collapsing again. I grabbed Harry's hand, which was surprisingly not broken.

"Harry...I-I tried to save you. I tried. And now I need you to pull through. And maybe not just for me, but for everyone else. You, you're the Boy-Who-Lived, whether you like it or not, and people are counting on you. No one else is able to do what you can." I laughed softly. "And look at me. I'm on the other side, and I'm asking you to kill the man our family is dedicated to. I'm a mess. I'm also so stupid. I know you probably can't hear me, but hey...at least if I embarrass myself, no one will know." I sighed.

"You know, in first year, I was actually excited to meet you. 'He's Harry Potter!' I told myself. You were so famous, I just wanted to meet you. But then, well everything changed. Draco hated you, so I hated you. I was sorted into Slytherin, and you were sorted into Gryffindor. Being enemies came natural. And yeah. I really did hate you. With every ounce of my being. But now...well, now I'm not sure about anything. I can honestly say that I don't hate you as much as I did before. You've changed into a-a f-fr-. Ah hell. I'll go ahead and say it." I closed my eyes tightly, wishing my next words were anything but true.

"You're a true friend. There! I said it!" I opened my light green eyes and rolled them. But then I frowned.

"And maybe something more..." I barely whispered. No one heard me, and thank Merlin. I didn't even want to hear me. But as horrible as it was, it was the truth.

"Anyways, enough soppy friendship confessions and other way too sweet things. You need to wake up. I command you. Okay? Wow, I'm weird...You really do need to wake up, though. Because I don't know what I'd, I mean, we'd do without you. You're too important to m-us. Ah bloody hell, I don't care. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're way too important to me. And we both know how selfish I am. You need to wake up because I want you to. It would suck if you went through all that trouble to save and in the end just leave me here alone. It'd do the opposite of what you'd intended. So wake the hell up, Potter."

I leaned down and kissed him on the lips ever so gently. A single tear leaked out of my eye and fell onto his cold, white cheek. What I didn't expect, though; was to be kissed back. I jerked away from him in surprise; only to see those beautiful green eyes staring back at me.

!#$%^

A/N: So whatcha think? Good, bad? In between? Any predictions? Any suggestions? Any comments? Any anything? My cast hurts...grrrr. Oh well, review please!