A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, but I thought I wasn't getting any reviews, so I was waiting

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, but I thought I wasn't getting any reviews, so I was waiting. Then I realized there were no more ReviewAlerts!!! *sigh* Also, just to let you know: Re is pronounced Ree. You'll find out who she is in the chapter!

Important Notice to EVERYONE!!!: Since there aren't any AuthorAlerts anymore, I am volunteering to send out a mini-alert to anyone who wants for my stories. Just leave your e-mail in your REVIEW and I'll 'alert' you when I post a chapter! Thanks! Also, the next chapter of 'Moonlight Shining' has been posted, for those of you who read that one too!

This Chapter is dedicated to Kelzery: Awwww! Don't feel bad! It's okay! There are more hints and subtleties in this one! See if you can connect his dream with anything. Or maybe look past the obvious 'voices' for Harry's power. (Oops, totally gave the plot away there didn't I?) And don't forget to review!!!!

Seventh Sphere

By Amanda H (aka Niffler)

The Voices of Those Who Cannot Speak

Harry tossed uncomfortably in bed. His forehead was damp with sweat as he tossed and turned his face contorted in distress.

He was running. Running through the thick, white mist again. Something was ahead of him and he had to get to it. He didn't know what it was; he just knew he had to reach it. An eerie feeling came over him.

He stopped so quickly he almost fell. Several meters in front of him stood a woman dressed in flowing white robes, fanning out around her in an invisible wind. Her auburn red hair billowed around her shoulders and her green eyes gazed directly into his soul. It wasn't a horrible feeling. It was a soft, comforting feeling. Her eyes mirrored his own as she gazed at him with compassion and love.

"Harry." She whispered, her voice echoing around him. He stared at her, stunned.

"Harry." She called again. He started to run. He had to reach her, but he wasn't moving. He pushed harder and harder, but he couldn't go anywhere. The woman began to back away into the mist, still calling his name.

"WAIT!" He screamed after her. "WAIT!!!!!" But she could not hear him. Her calls echoed around him until there was silence.

Suddenly, directly in front of him was a sphere. His eyes widened as he looked at it. Instead of the sphere he had seen before, this one was pearly white, with swirling shadows and light inside it, as though filled with the mist it's self. Harry watched it, confused.

Without warning the sphere began to change. It shivered and wobbled, fading and becoming clearer in short bursts. Harry watched as it slowly morphed into the sphere he had seen before.

It was completely clear with a golden thread through the middle. He reached out his hand to grab it. Suddenly the woman's voice floated back through the air.

"Harry!" She called. "Harry!" He thought he saw a glimpse of her hair through the mist. He abandoned the sphere and ran in that direction.

"WAIT! I'm over here!!! WAIT!!!" He screamed after her, but it was in vain. No trace of her was to be found. He sighed and turned to go back to the sphere but he couldn't remember the way. He was lost in the mist.

"HELP!!!!!!" He screamed. Suddenly he was unable to breath! Something was over his mouth. He clawed and fought to get it off.

Harry woke up suddenly to find the blanket over his head. He quickly pulled it off and gasped for air. When he felt fine again, he lay down slowly.

"What is happening to me?" He asked quietly. His only reply was Neville's gentle snores.

"Hurry up Ginny!" Charlotte called from the door to the dormitory. She shook her brown hair impatiently and rolled her violet eyes.

"I'm coming!" Ginny replied, frustrated as she ran the brush through her hair one last time before throwing it onto her bed, grabbing her book bag and running to the door. Charlotte was waiting for her.

"Come on! Re already left without us. " She said, turning and running down the stairs, two at a time. Ginny followed close at her heels as they rushed through the halls.

"Sheesh! For sleeping most of yesterday you sure took your time this morning!" Charlotte chided on the way through the halls. Ginny huffed impatiently.

"It's not my fault I like my sleep. Besides I did have the day off!" She replied haughtily as they entered the hall and headed to the Griffindor table. A young, girl with shoulder length blonde hair and gleaming blue eyes waved to them from her seat. They hurried over and sat in the two seats beside her.

"Morning Gin!" The girl smiled as Ginny set her bag on the floor.

"Morning Re." She replied, reaching across Charlotte for the toast in front of the other girl.

"Seriously Gin, this is your last warning! If you don't start getting up earlier I'm going to join Re and come down without. Then you can be late for class all on your own with no one to rush you." Charlotte proclaimed, stuffing a biscuit into her mouth. Re laughed.

"Should've joined me ages ago Lottey!" Re laughed again. Ginny smiled and began buttering her toast, though her eyes looked a million miles away. Re and Charlotte exchanged looks.

"So," Charlotte began, "where were you two nights ago?" She asked mischievously.

"Yeah! You disappeared from dinner and we were asleep before you came back." Re paused and grinned. "Harry Potter wouldn't have anything to do with this would he?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. The two girls watched Ginny with anticipation.

"Serenity! Charlotte! I'm shocked you would suggest such a thing!" Ginny replied indignantly.

"That usually means we're right!" Charlotte grinned.

"Well, not this time." Ginny said. "I'm way over Harry. I've been over him for a long time." She replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and picked up her toast. "Way over." She sighed, taking a bite. Serenity and Charlotte grinned at each other.

"Well?" They asked together.

"I'm not allowed to say." She answered through a mouthful of dry toast.

"What do you mean, 'not allowed'?" Charlotte asked unbelieving.

"Lottey! It obviously means she's having an affair with someone!" Serenity replied shaking her head.

"Oh God no Re!" Ginny replied, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand. "You've found out! Now I have to kill you!"

"Knock it off Ginny and tell us what really happened." Charlotte insisted, resting her chin in her hands and leaning her elbows on the table.

"I told you, I'm not allowed to say, by order of the Head Master." Ginny replied, sipping her pumpkin juice. The two girls gasped and sat up straight.

"Gin, are you in some sort of trouble?" Charlotte whispered apprehensively, leaning closer.

"No." Ginny replied shaking her head as though the idea were absurd. The girls let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew! Good! Did you, like, witness something?" Serenity asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Something like that." Ginny replied vaguely. "Now come on! We're going to be late for class!" Ginny said, standing and grabbing her books. Serenity and Charlotte followed, but exchanged puzzled looks as they followed Ginny out of the Great Hall.

Harry, Hermione and Ron walked down the hallway to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They're classes this year were interesting to say nothing less. They entered the classroom and found three seats side by side in the middle of the room. The rest of the class filed in with mild chatter and also sat down. As the bell sounded a figure floated into the room.

It was Professor Shinshuan. He was clad in his normal white flowing robes and wore brown sandals on his feet. His Chinese completion was as pale as usual and his goatee combed to a point. His waist length black hair was twisted into one long braid, which hung down his back. His eyes were closed as he stopped walking and turned to face the class. Everyone sat silently with straight backs as he slowly opened them, his mouth curling into a wide smile.

"Good morning my students." He greeted them, bowing in respect. They all inclined their heads in return. He paused, as though listening to an inaudible sound.

"Though it is a lovely Monday autumn morning," he began, a troubled expression on his face as he gesturing to the sun shining in the open window, "but many of you have turbulent auras." He paused. "Perhaps it would be best to begin this morning with a bit of meditation to calm ourselves. For, as I have said time and again, 'the source for all resistance of evil is within a calm soul.'" He sighed, closing his eyes as he spoke. Now he slowly opened them.

"Would everyone please sit cross legged on top of your desks?" The class was used to this bizarre instruction and everyone willingly climbed on top of their desks and crossed their legs. Professor Shinshuan did the same.

"Now, everyone, close your eyes and try to empty your mind of all thought." He instructed, leading by example and closing his eyes.

Harry copied the Professor, but as he tried to concentrate on nothingness the image of the sphere entered his mind again. He tried to ignore it but it would not go away and quickly filled his vision. He began to feel queasy and opened his eyes. He leaned forward on his desk and pursed his lips in an effort not to throw up.

As though by telepathy, Shinshuan's eyes popped open and he looked at him. Harry gave him a pleading look. The Professor rolled off his desk and came over to Harry. As the class became aware of the ceased instructions they opened their eyes and turned to Harry, who was now a noticeable shade of green.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, concerned. She laid a hand on his back. "What is it?"

"I think I'm going to throw up." Harry mumbled. Ron began to help him down from his desk.

"Come on mate, you'd better get to the hospital wing." He coxed.

"Please, both of you go with him." Shinshuan instructed. Ron and Hermione nodded as they walked with Harry out of the class.

Suddenly Harry stumbled and blacked out momentarily. Hermione gasped and caught his head before it hit the floor.

A glowing ball stood floated before him. It was clear, except for a string of gold through the centre. Harry wanted to grab it. He knew he had to grab it.

Suddenly Hermione's face came into focus above his own. He blink several times, then noticing he was on the floor, tried to get up.

"Harry! Slowly!" Hermione coxed, helping him to stand. Then suddenly he saw it. Straight ahead, floating in the middle of the hallway was the sphere. He gasped.

"What is it Harry?" Ron asked.

"I see it! It's right ahead!" He cried, the nausea leaving him completely. He shook his friends off his arms. "I'm okay, I feel fine now." He assured them. "Look, do you see it?" He asked, stepping forward.

"What?" Ron asked.

"The sphere!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione gasped.

"Grab it Harry! Before it disappears!" Hermione urged. Harry rushed forwards. The sphere seemed to move away as well.

"It's moving too!" He yelled. His friends ran to catch up.

"Go after it!" Ron yelled. Harry started running after the sphere with Ron and Hermione following. The sphere seemed to stay the same distance away, always just out of reach. When Harry slowed down, it slowed too. When he sped up, so did the sphere. He could hear Hermione panting over his shoulder. He knew he had to get it, so with one great lung he dove forward into the air and grabbed it. He fell to the floor feeling the hard, smooth object in his hand.

Hermione and Ron stopped on either side of him. Hermione fell to he knees, panting with the strained effort of the long sprint. Ron glanced at the sphere in Harry's hand.

"Harry, you don't need the hospital wing, you need Dumbledoor's office." He grinned.

Moments later, that's exactly where they were. Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat across the large oak desk from Dumbledoor, who was inspecting the sphere and smiling knowingly.

"Yes Harry, you have a sphere." He said, handing it back to him. Harry fingered it in his hand. Its glassy surface gleamed while inside the golden thread shimmered. He remained silent. Finally Ron spoke.

"Well, which one?" He asked.

"Harry, you hold the Sphere of Hope." Dumbledoor said proudly. Harry remained silent. Dumbledoor continued. "It enables its holder to hear the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves." The trio regarded him quizzically. Hermione bit her lip in concentration.

"Like unicorns and snakes?" She asked finally. Dumbledoor nodded. Hermione beamed.

"That's how you were able to talk to Hagrid's unicorn Harry!" Ron informed his best friend who was still staring avidly at the sphere.

"Is there a problem Harry?" Dumbledoor asked quietly. Harry bit his lip and looked up. His green eyes were sad and his black hair lay across his forehead, his scar just visible behind it.

"Before I was born, was the sphere my mother's or my father's?" He asked quietly, the words catching in his throat.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she gripped the arm of the chair. Ron twisted his hands nervously.

"It was your father's." Dumbledoor sighed. Harry leaned back in his chair with a puzzled expression on his face and closed his eyes. They waited for him to speak.

"Then why didn't he use it fight Voldemort when the other sphere was uncovered?" Harry asked, almost angrily.

"He didn't have it Harry." Dumbledoor answered simply. Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the Head Master. His eyes showed fear and pain.

"I told you that spheres are passed down from parent to child." The three nodded. "When the time was right for your father to access his sphere he had already passed it on to you. You were only a baby. You couldn't use it. Therefore it was not discovered at the time." Dumbledoor explained. Harry nodded.

"So what do you want me to do with it?" He asked.

"Exactly the same as Hermione. Keep it with you at all times, stay out of danger," he looked pointedly at him then continued, "and remain open to new experiences." He explained. Harry nodded again.

"I'll make yours into a pendant as well if you would like." Harry passed the sphere to Dumbledoor who placed the Sphereiousa Pendulum charm on it. It quickly turned into a necklace and Harry put it around his neck.

"Alright." He replied.

"Harry?" Dumbledoor asked. "Is something else bothering you?" He looked at Harry kindly.

"No sir. It's nothing. Just a bit tired I suppose. I haven't been getting much sleep." He replied.

"Just know that you can always come to me Harry." Dumbledoor answered with a slight smile. "Day or night." Harry nodded. The Head Master leaned back in his chair again.

"Now, if there is nothing further, I suggest you go back to class." Dumbledoor suggested. The three stood.

"Thank you professor." Harry smiled.

"You're welcome Harry." He replied smiling. "Oh, and good luck with the Quidditch match on Thursday!" Harry nodded and stood to leave. Ron and Hermione followed Harry out the door and down the stairs. As the reached the bottom the bell rang signifying the end of the class. They ran to the DADA room to grab their books then rushed to Transfiguration.