Disclaimer: Do I really have to even say it? Come on….I don't own the characters of Harry Potter, etc…
Anyways, okay, inspiration has hit me and because you guys were so generous with your reviews and because you guys are all very, very awesome, I decided to go ahead and get the next chapter started. Woo Hoo! Everybody seemed really interested in finding out how Harry stopped in mid air. I'm glad I could clear that up for ya! Anyways, here we go.
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Prudence had been at Hogwarts for almost a month, and still Voldemort had tried nothing. Christmas Break had come and gone and Harry was beginning to wonder if he had really had that vision or not. If he had been correct, wouldn't Voldemort be attacking by now? He couldn't be sure, and he was beginning to worry.
Harry was now sitting on his bed in his dormitory with his best friend Ron. They were both wearing new sweaters that they had received from Mrs. Weasley. Looking out the window, he noticed that there had to be at least four inches, if not more, of snow on the ground. The whole area was blanketed in a gleaming white.
Ron had been munching on a chocolate frog and hadn't noticed Harry's far away look until just then. "Harry, are you alright? What are you thinking about?" Ron was constantly worried about him, and so was Hermione. Everyone in the school knew about Harry's premonition and were waiting for it to happen, however, as every passing day came and went without any attack, they were getting skeptical of his 'abilities'.
"I'm just thinking. What if Voldemort doesn't try to attack Hogwarts? Not that I want it to happen, but I almost just wish it would happen so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Either that or I wish that he would up and die. Not likely, though." Downcast didn't even apply to Harry's mood. Downright depressed better summed it up. And he had been this way for days, even though Ron and Hermione had tried unsuccessfully to cheer him up. Most everyone in the Gryffindor Tower had tried to cheer him up. No such luck.
"Look Harry, there's no need in torturing yourself over it, if it happens it happens, if it doesn't, then good for us. There's nothing you can do except to be prepared when and if it does happen."
"But if it doesn't happen to us, it will happen to somebody else. Voldemort won't just sit idly by and do nothing when he has all this power to show off. He wants control. He needs control. I'm not even sure if he can be stopped now. I had my mother's protection before, but now I don't." Harry was still staring out the window.
"You have the staff now Harry, remember?" asked Ron.
"I don't even know if it is truly for me. It may not be. Maybe I just have something that drew it to me, but I may not be the true holder. Prudence said so herself." said Harry, doubtfully.
"She also said that she was pretty sure it did belong to you. What about the way it stopped you from falling and getting smashed into the quidditch field? It sure the hell wasn't me or Hermione. It was you and that staff. You should really try and figure out what you can do with it!" Ron had been trying to get Harry to just simply touch the darn staff for the past month, but Harry wanted nothing to do with it. He felt weird when he was in the same room with it. He didn't know why.
"I told you, I don't like it. I always feel so tired when I'm around it. I'm scared of what would happen if I actually touched it." Ron sighed, giving up. He had tried every point of view possible to get Harry to use it, but he just wouldn't.
"Well, it's almost time for supper, we had better get down there."
"Alright."
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When they finally did reach the Great Hall, many were already in their seats, talking excitedly about the past Quidditch match. Of course, Gryffindor had won, but just barely. Hufflepuff had been ahead by seventy points when Harry had finally seen the Snitch and went for it. Thanks to Harry, Gryffindor had won the game.
Harry looked up and saw that Prudence was sitting beside Dumbledore at their table. Prudence glanced in Harry's direction, stopped, and waved at him. Harry just gave a slight gesture with his hand, supposedly a wave, and went on to his table. As soon as everyone had arrived, the golden plates were filled with every sort of food imaginable, and they all dug in. Harry was still hungry, despite his foul mood. In the middle of his meal, he started to feel strange. All at once, he knew what was about to happen. He was about to have another of those visions. Not wanting to have one in front of the whole school, he quickly stood up and made for the huge doors at the front of the Hall. He heard Ron call after him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting the heck out of that room, and fast. As soon as he had cleared the doors, he leaned up against the wall and placed his other hand against his chest, and gasped for air. This was the part he really didn't like about it. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and spun around quickly. Bad idea, as soon as he had turned, he got lightheaded and felt the world around him slipping away. He noticed that Professor Dumbledore, Prudence, Ron and Hermione were all gathered around him before he hit the floor. Then he stopped breathing.
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Harry felt as if he were floating, far above all the others. When he looked down, he was surprised to see Cedric Diggory standing there. He looked calm and relaxed, and began to float up towards Harry. When he reached him, he clasped Harry around the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Harry, I've come to warn you. He is coming, he will be here shortly. You must stop him, Harry. Only you can do it. You must trust it Harry, for only it can save you. Harry nodded to Cedric then looked down again. "Why am I floating?" This has never happened before." Cedric looked slightly amused, but then he looked as if he didn't want to tell Harry something. Making up his mind, Cedric spoke. "Harry, you've stopped breathing." If he could have choked, he would have. "What?" This was definitely not what he expected. "How can I save them if I'm DEAD?!" he shouted at the floating figure dangling in front of him. "Calm down. You're not dead yet! You need to go back now Harry." Diggory looked once more at Harry, smiled serenely, and then disappeared. All that was left was Harry and the white mist that surrounded him. He began to panic, how the hell did he get back to his body? Like a rush of gusting wind, he felt as if he was being dragged backwards and then suddenly….
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He took in gulping breaths of air and sat up. Around him, he could see that Hermione was crying uncontrollably in Dumbledore and Ron's arms. They two were both crying and Prudence looked as if she would pass out at any moment. Hermione's hysterical sobs had attracted the attention of the other Professors and they too were standing around the group. He was quite surprised that no one had even noticed him sit up. Hermione was quite hysterical though.
Clearing his throat loudly, he got the attention of Professor Snape, who was standing the closest to him. He never thought he would see the day. The look on Snape's face would be one for the memory books. Snape nearly fell over in shock. He started to stammer. Then he quickly regained his composure and walked over to Harry, who still sat on the floor.
"You're alive I see." No shit, really? Harry was getting really annoyed with this man and all he had done was come over to him and say four words. Plus, he was beginning to worry about Hermione. She too was having difficulty breathing with all the sobbing she was doing.
So he shouted. "Hermione!" Everyone's heads snapped up so fast that he was genuinely surprised that they didn't fall off. She stood there, stock still, just staring at Harry. Then she moved. She was on Harry so fast that she knocked him down. She grabbed his face and put her ear to his mouth, making sure that he was breathing.
"Hermione!" he was gagging on her hair, and spitting in an attempt to get it out of his mouth.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were dead. We all did!" She once again embraced him in a tight hug and he had to nearly pry her off of him. Ron knelt down beside him and gave him a quick hug.
"Thought we'd lost you there, don't do it again, okay?" Ron was still wiping the tears off his face.
"Harry, what happened?" Dumbledore was quick to cut to the chase. Of course, he had waited until he was sure that Harry was alright before he did.
Remembering his extremely weird floating vision, he stood up from the floor, but had to lean against Ron and Hermione for support.
"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Dumbledore.
Harry waved his hand at him in a brushing off sort of way. "I'm fine, just a little weak. You know, I did stop breathing."
"Very well, maybe we should go somewhere that you can sit down."
"No, it's okay. Let's talk about it now. I'm not sure that we have much time."
Everyone started to get a little apprehensive.
"I guess when I stopped breathing I was brought to a place where I could see and talk to Cedric Diggory." He paused when the others in the room gasped at him. He wasn't sure if they believed him or not. "It happened."
"We believe you Harry. Please continue." Prudence said, out of nowhere. Harry nearly jumped. Then he shook his head gratefully at her.
"I was floating and so was he. He told me that Voldemort would be here soon. He didn't say when, just soon. I'm worried Dumbledore. My last vision said he would come when Prudence arrived. Well, she's been here for over a month now. What if this one is wrong as well?" Harry was beginning to think that everyone was thinking he was crazy.
"Harry, just because he hasn't come yet, doesn't mean anything. Prudence has arrived, that much is for sure. The attack was and still is unbeknownst to us. When he comes, we will be ready." Dumbledore spoke with such conviction that Harry believed him.
"Now, perhaps we should get you to your room, Harry." Professor McGonagall had grasped Harry by the arm.
"No, really, I feel find now. I actually am still a little hungry. Can I finish my supper?"
"Of course you can Harry." Said Professor McGonagall, and then, with her hand still secure on Harry's arm, as if trying to protect him, she lead him back into the Great Hall, where the students became deathly silent.
"Carry on with your meal, children. There is nothing to worry about." Dumbledore's words were immediately heeded and everyone turned back to their meal, but not without throwing sideways glances at the boy-who-lived. Twice now it seemed.
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Prudence had entered her private chambers, looking to get the Staff of Egis. She had a feeling that Harry would need it soon. Whether he wanted it or not. She threw open a large chest and pulled out the black cloak, and gasped in shock.
"Oh my dear goodness!" she shrieked into the empty room. She began to throw things haphazardly out of the chest, and began to silently pray that she hadn't just lost the most important thing in the world. At least in the wizarding world.
She sat back on her legs in defeat, letting out a great sigh. "I've lost the Staff of Egis." She paused then, hope filling her. "Maybe not. Oh, Merlin please let him have it."
She burst through her door and strode purposefully down the corridor towards the Great Hall.
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Harry had just finished his fried chicken, something he had been craving all day and had suddenly appeared after he came in for the second time for supper. He was taking a huge swallow of his drink when Prudence Grinnellfield came into the room and walked quickly towards him.
Bodily pushing Ron over, Prudence sat down beside Harry and leaned in close.
"Harry, do you have the staff?" She said this as quietly as she could, while looking deeply into Harry's eyes.
"No, why?" Prudence suddenly looked on the verge of rage and Harry scooted away from her, only to be grabbed by the arms and pulled back.
"Now Harry, I know you have it. You and I are the only ones who knew where it was. It's not there anymore, now please tell me, what have you done with it? I won't be mad if you took it, I just need to know. Please Harry, this is important." She was nearly hissing into his ear and was squeezing his arms so hard it hurt.
Harry yanked his arms out of her grasp and sat back, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. "I don't have it. If I did, I would tell you." Harry talked in low tones, trying to keep their conversation to themselves. Prudence, however, was about to fly off the handle.
"Where is it!" she screamed, trying once again to grab hold of him. Harry quickly stood up and nearly fell into the Hufflepuffs, but they quickly caught him and gently stood him back on his feet.
Prudence was going for Harry again when Dumbledore's resounding voice filtered through.
"Prudence!" he bellowed, immediately catching her attention. She stopped at once, and nearly burst into tears.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry!" she moaned and quickly pulled him into a tight hug. Harry, who wasn't sure if she was going to squish him to death, stood still, not daring to move.
"It's the staff Harry. If we don't have it, we'll be doomed." she was nearly sobbing into his shoulder now.
"Now, please, tell me, do you have it? I need the truth. I won't get carried away again." She had pulled away from him and was wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.
"I did tell you the truth, I don't have it." Prudence looked as if she could pass out. However, for some odd reason, she still didn't believe him.
"Dumbledore, he must have it. He is the only other one who knew where it was hidden." She was trying to convince Dumbledore of her point of view and he quickly led her back up to the teacher's table.
"Come, we will talk."
Harry was mad. He couldn't believe that she didn't believe him. Other's could have broken into her room and stolen it. It wouldn't have been impossible. But to blame him, of all people. The nerve of her.
Harry noticed that most of the people in the room were giving him weird looks and whispering behind their hands. Malfoy and his cronies were over at the Slytherin table snickering. He had half the mind to go over there and beat some sense into that idgit.
"Stupid prat." He mumbled to himself.
As he was about to walk back over to his table, he felt a weird sensation from beneath him. As he looked down, he noticed that the floor had turned into a clear, rippling, piece of glass. Looking further into the floor, he was a dark shape. The closer it got, the darker it seemed to become. Then he realized, with a jolt of horror, who it was. His scar screamed at him, and so did he. He brought his hand up to his forehead and pressed it there, all the while screaming in agony. It had never hurt this badly before. Everyone in the room had gone into a panic; they were all looking at Harry, knowing full well what this meant. Voldemort was here. Just as the professors were reaching Harry, the glassy, rippling floor gave way and Harry fell through, landing with a thud on the floor of what seemed to be a cave of some sort. Looking up, Harry could see Dumbledore and others trying to get through the floor, but to no avail. Harry was now withering in pain on the floor, and could see the desperation of his friends from above him.
"Oh God, what do we do?" Hermione was screaming at anyone who was around her and pulling at them as well. "He'll kill him!" She couldn't lose Harry twice in one day.
Just as everyone was about to blast through the floor with their wands, a loud scream from the Slytherin table caught their attention. Draco, Crabb, and Goyle had all shot up out of their seats, screaming. Underneath the table, something was glowing a deep red. Suddenly, with a burst of light that almost blinded those around it, the Staff of Egis shot up from underneath the table and hovered above those in the room. It began to rotate, seeming to search for something, and then it stopped. It moved like lightening to the spot where the glassy floor was. Once again, it stopped in mid air above the floor. Everything was silent except for the sound of Harry's screams. Then the staff descended into the floor, and the glassiness dissolved, leaving only the hardwood floor. Silence reigned.
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Well, is it getting good? Are you all freaking out right about now? Are you cursing my name? Just wondering! I promise to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I'm surprised I was able to get this one up this fast, but once again, my roommates were not here to bother me! Woo Hoo! Well, until next time…..
Shadowarwen
