Chapter 11: When Dreams may Come

Harry was tossing and turning in his sleep, it didn't seem to be getting any nice to him as the hours went by. The air had a deep chill to it and the ground crunched as he walked down the path that lay before him. He pulled his light jacket closer to him in order to attempt to block out the wind. The path seemed to be coming to an end as the trees thinned out.

Harry found himself starring at a familiar sight, a large house stood atop a hill, oddly it looked familiar from the distance. Slowly he crept forward and tomb stones came to into view. Suddenly he stopped, he knew where this was and he knew who lived there, or did he wasn't sure which.

A figure walked out of the tunnel further ahead that was lit my fire light. The hooded figure approached him slowly and raised their head. Red slitted eyes glowed and Harry instinctively took a step back as he came nearer.

"Now now Harry, I won't do anything to you. I've come because we need to talk. Not here; somewhere more private."

"I'm not meeting you any where Voldemort, I don't trust you."

"I knew you would say that so I've come to offer a wizards oath that I will only talk to you and you need not fear me. If by the end what I have to say does not appeal to you then I shall let you leave and without harm befalling you. I swear on my magic as wizard."

Harry looked at Voldemort's outstretched hand and back to his eyes. "What could possibly convince me to come to meet you. Alone, as I suspect."

"Perhaps I can give you a few reasons; Helen McKinley' Voldemort stepped closer at Harry's lack of recognition 'Arron McKinley's sister the Hufflepuff?' Voldemort smiled as recognition dawned 'Draco Malfoy, and Amy Whitehorse. All taken from Hogwarts and I'm sure most covered up."

"Where and when?" Harry asked.

"Here in the grave yard, tonight at midnight. That should give you sufficient time to sneak out and aparate to my family's home."

Harry agreed and shook his hand, black murky green cord wrapped around their hands as it emerged from Voldemort's hand while a bright royal-blue cord emerged from him to further bind them. As the light faded the cords left a light mark behind to remind where they had once held firm.

"Potter, don't be light please."

"I won't!"

Harry shot up in bed and turned off his alarm in his bedside table and then made a grab for his glasses. Ron was just beginning to rouse and Seamus was still fast asleep while Dean and Neville were no where to be seen. He knew today was going to be one of those days. He had to be someplace alone later tonight; a dangerous place, and alone. The chances of getting away from his friends today would be slim to none. After all they just seemed to know when he shouldn't be left to his own devices so why would today be any different.

Breakfast in the great hall was the start of a long morning. Hermione noticed instantly that he had received barely any sleep last night and Emma got worried he wasn't eating much. Ron came down half an hour later and took the seat next to him.

"What's wrong mate?"

"Nothing Ron just didn't get much sleep last night. I'm fine just got things on my mind."

"Understandable, things seem to be going crazy here. I heard another girl disappeared last night. Amy Whitehorse from Ravenclaw."

"Really? She was such a nice girl." Hermione replied.

"We should get to potions or we're going to be late."Emma exclaims as she jumps up.

"Oh no, hurry up Harry grab something."

Ron groans and grabs a couple apples for him and Harry and follows the others out and down the hall. They were in luck Snape was no where to be seen. As Harry took his seat between Emma and Hermione Snape entered with a loud BANG as the door hit the stone wall.

"Turn to page 156. You'll be making the draught of peace. Can anyone other than Miss Granger tell me what this is used for?" Snape barked and she slowly lowered her hand. Harry looked up and raised his hand. He smiled and shrugged at the look Hermione gave him.

"Yes Mr. Potter?" Snape asked with a disbelieving glare.

"It's used for patients that can't have the Dreamless Sleep potion any more. It allows them to sleep peacefully while having dreams but numbs them to the dreams they have. It uses the natural healing ability of herbs so there is no nasty addiction."

"And what are the ingredients used?"

"Lotus flower, unicorn tears, moon flower and purified moon water. Purified moon water is water that's been purified by having dried lavender and sage grow near the waters edge while basked in the first full moon of the new year."

"That is correct. Now team up and get your supplies; the instructions are on the board."

Class went by faster then he thought it would. Harry had made the potion many times before; Madam Pomphrey had showed him how once it became apparent the night mares wouldn't stop any time soon. Explaining this to Ron while they brewed was a little harder then anticipated.

Lunch seemed a lot better, the apple on their way to potions hadn't done very much to tied them over in Ron's opinion but Harry couldn't complain. The food on his plate looked appetizing and seemed to call his name. The steamed vegetables and chicken with rice disappeared as fast as it had appeared onto it.

"It's nice to see you eating, especially after this morning." Emma replied.

"Like I said I had a bad night it's not the end of the world." Harry laughed.

After lunch was Transfiguration which seemed to lag. Harry looked to the clock and back to the board where Professor McGonigall was outlining the transfiguration of medium sized animals to inanimate objects of equal size and or mass. It was getting closer and closer to dinner time and he still had no plan to get away from the castle. Using the invisibility cloak was a given, but what if Hermione and Emma stayed up late to finish home work.

Claiming a headache always could work Ron never seemed to enjoy staying up late, especially if it was for work. So naturally he'd be up roughly an hour after him and asleep half an hour after. Timing was critical.

Dinner came and went with a blur of roast beef, mashed potato, vegetables and pastry. With the upcoming meeting with a dark lord, how could Harry possibly eat? But so far his friends seemed to think everything was fine. He picked at his vegetables and had a small bite of potato.

Harry held Emma's hand as they climbs the stairs to the Gryffindor Common room. She smiled at him and gave him a kiss to his cheek.

"Don't you have home work to do Ronald?" Hermione asked as Ron began to pull out his exploding snap.

"For Divination why?" he asked sourly. Hermione pulled a chair out and indicated him to sit. It wasn't an offer.

"I hate Divination, I can never understand the crystal balls." Harry muttered from his spot beside Emma.

At 9:30 Harry pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, they were starting to go red. Emma rubbed his back and leaned over to him.

"You ok baby?" She asked.

"Fine just getting a headache. Think I've been straining my eyes. I'm going to head to bed."

"You should see madam Pomphrey Harry." Hermione replies.

"Perhaps tomorrow it's past curfew now."

An hour later Ron stumbled into the room mumbling about evil witches and homework. True to word, Ron fell asleep full with snores half an hour later. Slowly Harry got up out of bed put on his shoes and pulled out his invisibility cloak from his trunk.

He stepped outside the room and slowly slid the door shut. He could hear the fire crackling from the common room and the quiet chatter of both Hermione and Emma. Great, his luck hadn't changed. He crept down the stairs being sure to avoid the creaky ones he knew.

Hermione and Emma sat by the fire with their books catching up on some reading for Potions. Harry sighed lightly and crept to the door. The floor creaked and he stopped in his tracks to look at the girls.

"What was that?" Emma asked looking around.

"Probably nothing might be the ghosts. You can't always see them. The castle is very old." Hermione replied.

"Oh, that's so creepy ya know? How can you stand it?" Emma asks and puts her book in her bag.

"Easy, keep reminding yourself it's just Nearly-Headless Nick. He's so nice it makes it seem ok. You heading to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm getting tired. Hope Harry gets a better sleep tonight." Emma sighs.

"I know, he always seems to get the short end of the stick. It's been like that since we started hear in first year." Hermione replies following her up the steps.

Harry released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. As the door to the girls dorm closed her went through the portrait hole and strait to the front doors. Harry walked to the whomping whillow and after a stunner crept through the hole and to the shrieking shack.

The Grave yard seemed even scarier tonight then in his dreams. The ground crunched with snow under neath him. He could see Voldemort standing hear his fathers grave. He lowered his hood and stepped closer to meet Harry half way.

"You made it a bit early I see. Welcome Potter."

"You wanted to talk so talk."

"Strait to the point, well I have come to offer you a chance to help your friends. You see the few people I took won't be the last. I need a few more and I plan to take Julia as well as Emma. Their father misses them so." he smiled.

"You can't have them and I won't let you." Harry replied with clenched teeth.

"They won't come to harm, their father is in my service and wishes them by his side. He fears for them; from you. But you can still see them, if you join me. I swear you won't come to any harm if you join me; not by me or my death-eaters. If you don't want to be on raids then so be it. All I need you to do is stay out of my way and non of your friends shall come to harm if they do not interfere. Think Harry you and your friends can head to America or Japan or any place in the world with no worries and relax. Your night mares will stop Harry!" He smiles.

"You, your causing them. Your the reason I can never sleep any more. The reason why my friends worry and I have to lie to them. What for? What's the purpose? I'm just a kid there isn't anything about me that's special." Harry begins to get frustrated.

Harry feels the hair on the back of his neck start to prickle. He could feel eyes on him, and it wasn't from the daemon in front of him. Harry sees a blur in the corner of his eye and the trees start to wave and pine needles begin to blow around. Julia is further away he notices. Perhaps it was her?

He looks back to Voldemort and frowns, it was tempting; very temping to accept the offer to get away and relax. No more night mares or pain. But really at what cost? Let the rest of the world suffer? Condemn them to a life of misery while he had it easy?

"I can't Voldemort, I can't let the rest of the world suffer when I can do something to stop it. It doesn't matter who has wronged us or how unfair the world has been to us. There are people out there who are different that we haven't met yet. To destroy them because the rest of their kind are pigs isn't right."

As Harry stepped back to end the conversation Voldemort smiled. "Fine, as you wish it Harry."

Harry's head snapped up to meet his eyes and he tilted his head. Harry stumbled forward a few steps and striated him self. He could feel himself floating he knew everything would be ok. He didn't know how he knew but calmly he walked forwards.

It wouldn't be so bad, after all Dumbledore kept sending him back to those muggles. He hated it there. With him he'd never have to go back, his friends would be ok, yes it was unreasonable or it would be to Dumbledore. But really what made him boss. He kept important things from him, never seemed to understand and he never cared about Riddle when he was a boy. He begged to stay there, and it was in his power to let him. But he refused. It's his fault Tom Riddle turned out as he did no?

If Dumbledore had listened and let him stay he could have introduced him to nice people like Hagrid and showed him the world wasn't all out to get him. Perhaps he could show him it's not all bad? How he didn't know. But he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. In the end he could always take him down if he needed to. And it would be so much easier from behind enemy lines.

He reached forward and with a smile said to him "You have a deal. On one condition, I'm not marked."

"Of course not." Voldemort smiled.

The cords appeared again and vaguely he thought to himself that might cause a problem. But he'd have to cross that path as he came to it. He did always manage to get himself into things.

"For now head back to school. I'll grab you and your friends in 'raid' and you will be transported to my new base of operations. There we will explain the situation. Not to worry Harry. Until then I need you to keep an eye on Dumbledore and tell me everything he does. I don't want to do it at the wrong time and hurt you and your friends. It would go against our deal after all." Voldemort smiled.

Harry stepped back and nodded, nothing said he had to tell him everything correct? With a large sigh he aparated to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.