Chapter 28 – The Cursed Man
The second Tuesday of June was the last day of the fair. Connor and his friends had finished their exams the week before and while most students spent the last four days enjoying themselves with their family and crowd at the fair, Connor spent most of his days in the Keeper's Chambers. The Saturday before, he had found a stairway going up from his bedroom, next to the privy he had wished for so fervently at the beginning of the year. The stairway gave him access to the tower observatory and now that the weather was warm, Connor spent a lot of time reading there.
Towards evening of the last day at school, Connor changed into his robes and made his way to the Great Hall for the end of the year feast. Before he could reach it, his path crossed Professor McGonagall's who undoubtedly was coming from her quarters.
"Mr McKeithan, what will you do when you go back home? You won't have access to the Keeper's Chambers as often to shield you."
"You know?" he asked surprised she seemed to know he had spent every weekend in the Chambers for the better part of the semester.
"Of course I know," she answered with a shadow of a smile on her lips. "And I do appreciate your discretion."
"How did you find out?"
"You do have a ghost who cares very much about you," answered the Headmistress.
"Profina," said Connor.
"Well, she did make it abundantly clear my preventing you from going to the Chambers when you needed it would not only be bad for you but could also result in her haunting my own chambers," said the Headmistress. "Since you have been very discreet, I didn't see why I should intervene and of course, I saw how much good it did to you."
"Thank you," said Connor.
"Now, with that being said, don't hesitate to visit this summer if you need to," added the Headmistress. "Just send us an owl to notify us and I will have someone open the front gate for you."
Connor had always thought the Headmistress to be a good person but at this moment, his opinion of her increased ten folded.
"Thank you," he said again, gratefully.
Honestly, he hadn't thought about what he would do if his dreams were overwhelming him during the summer but knowing he could come here reassured him considerably.
"I will keep your offer to visit in mind."
"Do, Mr McKeithan, do," she said, leaving him at the entrance of the Great Hall.
Connor walked into the Great Hall and went to sit with his friends.
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Connor's ride to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was a bittersweet one. This year, he wasn't going home to his parents but to the Weasleys instead. The first year anniversary of his parents' death was also approaching and it made Connor sad to think about them.
Guinevere, who was sharing his train compartment, looked as gloomy as he felt. Her family situation was even worse than his; however, she did have Quidditch camp in Romania to look forward to.
Joanna, who was also with them, was happy to go home. She had learned her mum had met a decent fellow and she was very anxious to meet him. Her mum had told her he was a social worker and loved kids.
Zarek, Lena and Theo were also anxious to go home and the three of them were making plans to meet over the summer. Connor knew Mrs Weasley would love to have his friends over during the holidays but Connor just didn't feel like suggesting it.
When they finally arrived in London, Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting for him. They gathered his trunk and half-kneazles and after a final goodbye to his friends, left the station and took a cab to Grimmauld Place.
"While Arthur will Apparate with your trunk and the cats, I thought it would be best for us to use the Floo Network."
Connor looked at Mrs Weasley grateful she had remembered about his issues with Apparating. Once at Grimmauld Place, Connor followed her into the fireplace.
The moment he set foot at the Burrow, Connor knew something was horribly wrong and reached for his wand. Mrs Weasley looked at him surprised.
"What's wrong, dear?" she asked.
"I don't know," he answered slowly. "Something isn't right."
Mrs Weasley took her wand in her hand and both of them looked around the house, frozen in place.
"What's going on?" asked Mr Weasley when he walked through the door, floating the trunk and the half-kneazles cages in front of him.
He put the trunk and the cages on the floor and pointed his wand in front of him, looking around the house for the potential threat.
"Something doesn't feel right," said Connor.
At that moment, they heard heavy steps in the stairway and Percy came into view.
Connor was shocked. Percy was not recognizable. He looked... evil and the feeling of wrongness came from him. As soon as they saw him, both half-kneazles hissed, confirming Connor's suspicion.
"What's that ruckus, mother?" he asked rudely, glaring at them. "I'm supposed to try to sleep."
"Sorry Percy dear," said Mrs Weasley. "We just returned from getting Connor."
Percy looked at Connor with a sneer as if he was less important than a bug, growled and went back up the stairs.
"Percy's been staying with us while he is recuperating," said Mrs Weasley.
"Something... something is wrong with him," said Connor with a frown.
"Well, he's been increasingly impatient and moody but it's to be expected," justified Mrs Weasley with a reassuring smile. "After all, he's been stuck here for the last month and he must want to go back to work again."
But Connor didn't think it was the source of the problem. At dinner that night, Percy was rude to everybody, even calling Connor an intruder and a thief for having taken his bedroom. Mrs Weasley tried to excuse his son's behaviour while Mr Weasley pretended nothing was wrong. It almost seemed like the two had been manipulated into not seeing the problem, which worried Connor greatly.
"Mrs Weasley, may I visit Harry after dinner?" he asked Mrs Weasley when they were eating dessert.
"Of course, dear," she answered. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
Percy only glared at him and Connor did his best to ignore him. A little less than an hour later, Connor took the Floo back to Grimmauld Place, relieved to get away from the house. Ginny was sitting at the table reading a book and finishing a cup of tea when he arrived.
"Connor, what a surprise!" said Ginny looking up from her book. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw his frown.
"Something is wrong with..."
But Connor could not remember what he had wanted to say and looked up at Ginny in panic. That got Ginny out of her chair and urgently calling Harry over. A few moments later, Harry ran into the kitchen.
"Connor, take a deep breath and begin at the beginning," she suggested. "What's wrong, Connor?" she asked gently.
"I can't remember!" he said still very agitated.
"Do you remember getting off of the train?" asked Harry now intrigued and frowning.
"Yes," answered Connor.
"Then start from there," suggested Ginny.
"I got off the train and Mr and Mrs Weasley were there. I said my final goodbyes to my friends and we came here. Mr Weasley Apparated to the Burrow, and Mrs Weasley and I took the Floo. At the Burrow... My cats hissed! Something made them hiss!"
"Who was there?" asked Ginny.
"Mrs Weasley," he answered, concentrating hard to try to remember. "Mr Weasley... "
"Was Percy there?" asked Harry after a few moments of silence.
"Percy?" asked Connor puzzled. "Who is Percy?" he asked.
"Oh! Oh!" said Harry. "This is not good."
"Connor, why did we go to the Unicorn last Christmas?" asked Ginny.
"For a wedding," answered Connor.
"Whose?" she probed.
"For... for..."
Connor could not remember and looked up at her in alarm.
"I'll go get Ron and Hermione," said Harry, throwing Floo powder in the fireplace.
Connor looked at him leave puzzled.
"Why do we need Ron and Hermione?" he asked Ginny, having already forgotten what had just happened with his memory.
"Do you want some tea, Connor?" asked Ginny with a welcoming smile.
Tea sounded like a good idea so Connor nodded at the red-headed witch.
"So, how was school?" she asked while preparing a cup.
"Okay," he answered slowly. "But I don't think I did very well this year."
"Do you think you'll fail?"
"No but I think I'll mostly get As," he answered.
"Well, you didn't have an easy year, Connor," said Ginny, serving the tea. "I think it is understandable if you don't get Es and Os in everything."
"My parents would be disappointed," he said sadly.
"Your parents would understand," said Ginny, firmly contradicting him. "Those visions and dreams of yours are not easy to deal with."
Connor agreed with her and it made matter even worse that he didn't yet know how to live with them, or survive them.
"Were any of the journals helpful?" asked Ginny.
"There are so many," said Connor. "I read Profina's and Cassandra Black's but I haven't found anything to help me with my problem yet."
"Have you thought about asking Hermione to help you?" asked Ginny. "She reads pretty fast, understands Latin, and loves to do research."
Connor hadn't really thought about it. Besides, he didn't want to bother her.
"And I'm sure she would love to read those old journals," she added as if she had read Connor's mind. "After all, she read the entire Nicholas Flamel diary and he lived more than six hundred years."
As they were talking about Hermione, she appeared in the fireplace quickly followed by Ron and Harry.
"Hi Connor," she said with a smile. "Who's Percy?" she asked suddenly.
"Ginny's brother," he answered surprised by the question.
"Where is he now?" she asked.
"He's at..."
Connor looked up at her, not remembering what he was about to say.
"Whose wedding did we go to during the Christmas holiday?"
Connor remembered attending a wedding but didn't remember whose.
"Who's Percy?" asked Hermione.
"I... I don't know," answered Connor, looking at the adults who were all looking at him seriously.
"Ginny, call your mum and ask her to visit," directed Hermione.
Ginny called her mum using the Floo and Mrs Weasley arrived a few moments later.
"Mum, who's Percy?" asked Ginny, picking up on what Hermione wanted to do.
"Your brother, of course," she answered.
"Who's wedding did we go to during the Christmas holiday?" asked Hermione.
"His, of course. You were there."
"Mum, where does Percy work?" asked Ginny.
"The Ministry," she answered, getting impatient. "Why all those questions?"
"Where is he right now?" asked Ginny.
"He's at..." Mrs Weasley trailed off, not able to answer.
"Mum, who's Percy?" asked Ginny again.
"I don't know any Percy, dear," answered Mrs Weasley frowning.
"This is not good," said Hermione with a frown.
"How do we fix this without being drawn in ourselves?" asked Ron.
"What's going on?" asked Mrs Weasley.
"Mrs Weasley," said Hermione gently. "Someone has put a spell on you and Connor, and we need to figure out what."
"Who?" asked Connor. "That Percy guy you've been talking about?"
"I don't think so, but he would be the source," answered Hermione. "Ron, call your dad over. He won't be safe at the Burrow until we figure out how to stop this and what are the causes."
"I've got to go back," protested Mrs Weasley. "I cannot stay here."
For a reason or another Connor felt the same way.
"Why?" asked Ginny.
But Mrs Weasley could not answer.
"Where is Audrey?" asked Hermione suddenly worried for her sister in law.
"Let me try her flat," said Ginny.
A few minutes later, Audrey and Mr Weasley had joined them. Audrey, in tears of distress, told them how, about three weeks ago, Percy had asked her to stay away from the Burrow, telling her he didn't want to see her again.
"Why didn't we notice?" asked Ginny. "We go there every Sunday for Quidditch. For that matter, why doesn't it seem to affect us?"
"Do you go in the house?" asked Hermione.
"Not really," answered Ginny. "Mum asked us to Apparate and walked to the pitch instead of using the Floo. She asked us about the same time Percy moved in for his convalescence. We thought it was because she wanted the house to remain peaceful for him."
Hermione frowned, concentrating in thoughts.
"Sounds like a curse to me, doesn't it?" said Ron. "And a very powerful one at that, would you say?"
"But why would Percy curse them?" asked Ginny. "Percy is stuck up but he would not do something like this to anyone."
"I need to do some research," said Hermione, walking to the fireplace. "I'll be at the Ministry library."
"Wait for us," said Ron, following her.
"Will you be okay with the four of them?" asked Harry to Ginny.
"Yes," she answered. "I'll send an owl to George and Bill to let them know what's going on."
"Good idea," said Harry.
He quickly kissed Ginny on the check before following his friends into the fireplace.
"Time for us to head back home now, dear," said Mrs Weasley.
"No, mum," said Ginny patiently. "You're staying here for the night."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ginny dear," said Mrs Weasley, walking towards the fireplace. "You know, I've got loads of work to do at home."
"Mum, no! You're staying here," said Ginny firmly.
"Of course not! I've got..."
"Petrificus Totallus," said Ginny, with her wand pointed at her mum.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" exclaimed her dad outraged. "This is not a way to treat your mother. You will release her right this instant."
"Sorry dad," said Ginny, turning to him. "Petrificus Totallus. Oh, and it's Potter now."
She then turned to a stunned Connor and looked at him, her hands on her waist.
"Do you have a pressing need to go to the Burrow too?" she asked him.
"Not really," he said, raising his hands in a gesture of submission.
It was his first day back from Hogwarts and while the majority of his friends would rather be home, he would rather not. As much as he appreciated the Weasleys, being at the Burrow only reminds him of what he had lost the previous summer. But the most puzzling thing to him was while he didn't want to be at the Burrow, he felt compelled to go back. At least, that compulsion was too strong and he could fight it off.
"But Ginny, why keeping your parents here?" he asked his step sister.
"Because something is not right at the Burrow right now," she answered. "Remember?"
"I know," he said. "I sort of felt it when I got there this afternoon. It made my cats hiss."
"Do you remember what was wrong?" asked Ginny, lifting her parents with her wand and floating them to one of the upstairs bedrooms.
"No, not really," answered Connor, following her.
"Was it Percy?" she asked.
"Who's Percy?" he asked back.
"No one, Connor," she answered with a sigh. "Don't worry about it."
After they set Mr and Mrs Wesley on the bed, they went back down the stairs and found Audrey waiting for them in the lobby, looking at the Black matriarch portrait.
"Apparently, way back, our family was joined by marriage," said Audrey to the portrait. "I'm a Flint, you see."
The portrait, who still could not talk following the spell Ginny had put on her three years earlier, only nodded.
"Audrey," said Ginny gently. "You're welcome to stay here if you want," she offered.
"Thank you, Ginny," said the tall girl sadly. "I would love to. I haven't told my parents what happened between Percy and me three weeks ago, and I really don't feel like going back to our empty flat."
"Don't worry Audrey, we'll fix this and you'll have Percy back," said Ginny.
"I hope so," she said with tears in her eyes. "I do love him, you know."
"I sort of figure that one out when you married him," said Ginny with a grin.
Audrey gave her a watery smile.
"Let's owl George and Bill," said Ginny, walking towards the office.
"Mistress, Kraecher and I could deliver the messages if you want. It would be faster," said Malda, who had come up from the kitchen followed by Kraecher and her little Dobby who was holding on to her shirt.
"Thank you, Malda," said Ginny with a grateful smile at her house-elf. "I would greatly appreciate if you and Kraecher would go and see George and Bill and tell them something is very wrong with Percy and we would like their help. Also, please tell them Harry, Ron and Hermione are at the Ministry library.
"And while you're gone, I'll keep an eye on young Dobby," said Ginny with a smile at the toddler.
The toddler smiled back at her and ran to her. Ginny scooped him up and he laughed happily.
"Thank you, Mistress Ginny," said Malda. "We go now."
The house-elves disappeared with two pops.
"Now, we wait," said Ginny with a sigh.
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Early the next morning, Harry, Ginny and Bill took Mr and Mrs Wealey and Connor to St. Mungo's. Connor, who had spent an exhausting night dreaming about things he couldn't remember, did not quite understand why he had to go to the hospital but neither did Mr and Mrs Weasley.
"I should be home, preparing for tomorrow's Quidditch game," protested Mrs Weasley. "Not on my way to St. Mungo's. And Bill, why aren't you with your wife? She must be rather busy with two young children at home. Tell them, Arthur, we shouldn't be wasting those Healers time with imaginary diseases! They are busy enough as it is!"
"Yes, dear," simply said Mr Weasley dutifully.
The ride to St. Mungo's was a short one but Mrs Weasley protested the entire way, making the already exhausted Connor wished for the peace and quiet of the Keeper's Chambers. Finally, they reached the hospital and were admitted by a back entrance in order to avoid the lobby waiting crowd. A few minutes later, they had reached the right floor, and Bill and Harry went to talk with the Healers in charge while a nurse took the rest of them to a room with four beds. She asked Connor, Mr Weasley and the still protesting Mrs Weasley to lie down and make themselves comfortable. Exhausted, Connor closed his eyes and tried to relax.
"I shouldn't be here! I should be home preparing..."
"Mum! If you don't shut up right now, I'll cast a silencing spell on you!" said Ginny forcefully.
'Finally,' thought Connor in the silence that followed.
"But..."
"I mean it, mum!" interrupted Ginny before Mrs Weasley could continue.
A few minutes later, the Healers, Bill and Harry walked into the room.
"Who's first?" asked the Healer.
"My mum," firmly stated Ginny, glaring at her mother as if to dare her to speak again.
Connor had no idea how long they worked on Mr and Mrs Weasley because he felt asleep. He was dreaming of an intense battle taking place at the Burrow when he was shaken awake.
"All right, Connor?" asked Harry.
But Connor was far from all right. He was drenched in his own sweat and he felt even more tired than when he had woken up that morning.
"We've got to remove the curse on you now," said Harry.
Connor nodded, and the Healers and Bill started working on him.
"There," said Bill after a few minutes.
Connor felt like a snap in his head, and memories of what went wrong at the Burrow flooded his mind.
"Percy," he said, looking at Harry and Ginny.
"We know," said Ginny reassuringly. "We're working on it. And that is thanks to you otherwise we would not have never known."
Connor remembered arriving at Grimmauld Place and everything that happened. He hadn't been able to say what was wrong but had said just enough to make Harry and Ginny figure it out. And more importantly they had believed him even if he could not really say what was wrong.
"Thank you," he said to them.
"Actually, shouldn't we be the ones thanking you?" asked Ginny with a grin.
"You'll fight him... won't you?" asked Connor to Harry.
"I don't know," answered Harry. "We'll try not to."
Connor nodded.
"It's time to head home now," said Ginny. "Can you get up?"
Connor slowly sat and fought vertigo for a moment before standing up, helped by Ginny and Mr Weasley.
"Mr Potter, may we have a word before you go?" asked one of the Healers who was to the side, discussing with Bill.
"Head on home," said Harry to Ginny. "We'll meet you there later."
Ginny nodded and they left with the Ministry car which was still waiting for them down the stairs.
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It took Harry, Hermione, Ron, George, Bill, Mr Weasley and the Healers who were helping them the entire day and most of the night before they figured out how to confront Percy. During that time, Mrs Weasley worried continuously. By then, they suspected the blade which had struck him a month earlier was the source of what had changed him.
"It only makes sense; the blade was not only poisoned but also cursed," explained a tired Hermione at breakfast the next morning. "While the Healers were concentrating on finding the poison, they would have missed the curse. Now, if the knife had hit its intended target, its results may have been even more devastating. Imagine Kingsley had been hit and had survived. He could have ruined the entire wizarding world before someone noticed or could do something about it."
Hermione's words were indeed very alarming.
"So, how do you plan on facing Percy without being affected?" asked Mrs Weasley.
"We devised a shield which should protect us from his influence," explained Hermione. "We will Apparate outside of the grounds and walk to the house. Our goal is to stun Percy long enough for us to remove the curse."
"So you know what it is?" asked Mrs Weasley.
"Not quite," answered Bill slowly. "But we have a fairly good idea."
Mrs Weasley gravely nodded, her lips pinched in a thin line.
"We're going to confront him later this afternoon," said Bill. "We just want a chance to sleep a little first."
They left around four that afternoon, leaving Connor, Audrey, Ginny and Mrs Weasley behind, sitting in the Sitting Room.
"I should have gone with them," said Mrs Weasley, ten minutes after they had gone.
"No, mum," said Ginny. "You don't want to be there. They've got to do what they've got to do and if you're there, they may hesitate and someone may get hurt."
Half an hour later, Mr Weasley arrived. He looked tired but otherwise okay.
"Molly, time to go home now," he said quietly.
"How is Percy?" she asked, coming to her feet.
"He should be fine, except for his pride," answered Mr Weasley with a sigh. "But he could really use some patching up and some food. I don't think he has eaten much in the last few days.
"Audrey, I think it may be a good thing if you came with us," added Mr Weasley, looking at his daughter-in-law. "It may do him some good to have you around.
"Connor, are you ready?" asked Mr Weasley, turning to his adopted son.
"Dad, Harry and I would like to have Connor around for a few days," said Ginny. "Maybe Harry could grab some of his things before heading home."
Connor looked at her surprised by the sudden invitation and was about to say something when he saw her discreetly raise her hand in a sign of silence.
"Sure dear, if that's what Connor wants," said Mr Weasley with a tired smile.
Connor only nodded.
A few minutes later, they were gone and Connor looked at Ginny, waiting for her to talk.
"It'll be quite hectic at the Burrow for the next few days," she said. "I don't think Percy is in a very good way and I'm pretty sure mum will insist on quietness," she offered as an explanation.
But somehow, Connor did not buy it. He felt there was more to it than the Burrow being hectic. And he found out that night, shortly after dinner when Harry took him to the sitting room for tea while Ginny, Bill, Hermione, Ron and George found excuses to stay in the dining room. Connor's half-kneazles, who Harry had brought back with him, joined them.
"Connor, when the Healers removed the curse, they found something very strange with you," began Harry once they were seated. "First of, they were surprised at how much your magical energy was depleted. Your dreams, they are doing that to you, aren't they?"
Connor nodded. He wondered why they were having this conversation up here when he was pretty sure everybody else down the stairs knew about it.
"Connor, if nothing gets done, you won't survive the summer," finally said Harry. "It's a miracle you survived the year."
He had survived because of the time he had spent in the Chambers every week. But now, a week after the last time he was there, the dreams were getting the better of him.
"Connor, we want to help you," said Hermione, walking into the room and surprising them both.
"How?" he asked quietly, shaking his head sadly.
He hadn't thought he could be helped.
"Well, we think we may be able to find a way to stop the dreams from sapping your energy. In this house, right now, are some of the best wizards in England and we know how to create magical objects that would make any wizard green with envy," she said, showing him her ring. "But first, we need to know a few things. Will you let us try to help you and tell us about your dreams?"
Connor nodded.
"Okay," said Hermione. "Let me get the others?"
"You think I'm going to die, don't you?" he asked his mentor once Hermione was gone.
"If we don't help you, yes," answered Harry honestly. "The Healers wanted to keep you at the Hospital. The only reason why I didn't let them is because I don't think they understand what you are and I don't want them poking in your mind. And of course, I'm Harry Potter; it always helped me having things go my way," he added with sarcasm.
Connor would have thought the remark funny if he wasn't so afraid to die.
"I don't want to die," he murmured.
"And we won't let you," said George, walking into the room, followed by the others.
For the first time, Connor paid attention to their fingers and they all had rings similar to one another in design.
"Are all your rings like Harry and Ginny's?" he asked.
"Yes, they are," answered George with a smile. "Ron and I, with a little help from Hermione I may add, made them. And now, I understand we are to have our biggest challenge yet," he added with a grin, rubbing his hands together in glee at the new challenge which was now facing him. "That's why we brought the heavy artillery," he added, pointing at Bill.
Connor frowned, not sure if he understood how they could really help.
"Connor, the thing you've got to understand is that my family, the Weasleys, are very powerful witches and wizards, and one of our strongest suit is magical artefacts," said Ginny. "We think the four of us, with Hermione's help, can create a ring which would prevent the draining of your energy. We just need to try to find out how it all happens in the first place."
"I... I don't know," said Connor. "I just know it used not to, but now, it does."
"Connor, what was your latest dream?" asked Hermione.
"The last one I remember, I was a soldier on a mission in the desert," he answered.
"What happened?" probed Hermione further.
"I was running with other soldiers. I had a rifle in my hand and a heavy backpack on my back. It was dark and we were looking for someone, we were sent to capture someone. We entered a building and began to search it. We found a tunnel entrance and came under fire. The next thing I knew, I was outside, running to safety with someone on my shoulders."
"That's horrible," sympathised Hermione.
"Did you say you were the soldier?" asked Bill with a frown.
Connor nodded.
"When you dream, are you always actively participating?" he asked again.
"Ever since I remember," he answered. "When I dreamt about my Christmas gift, I would be my mum, or the shop keeper. When I dreamt about my godfather, I was a kid hanging out with other kids in a park. I am always someone in my dreams and also in most of my visions."
"I think I've got an idea," said Bill seriously.
"I think I've got it too," said George with a grin.
The four Weasleys and Hermione left the room in discussion, leaving Harry and Connor behind.
"You're not helping them?" he asked his mentor.
"No," answered Harry with a chuckle. "My strength is Defensive spells. I would be more of a nuisance if I was to try my hand at the Charms they can do."
"By looking at them, you wouldn't know they are that powerful," said Connor.
"And it has always been people's mistake with them. The Weasleys are very often set aside or thought as insignificant by the wizarding high society and that only because they never were very rich and never pursued prestigious positions. But in reality, they are often more magically powerful than the magical aristocracy.
"Now, they don't go around and flaunt their powers but if those families only knew, they would be very jealous. And it is beginning to be known, in certain circles, especially since the Wheezes start producing the different rings."
"Other than yours, what others do they do?" asked Connor.
"They actually succeeded in creating an Invisibility Ring and a Shielding Ring," said Harry, showing his left hand. "I've got one of the only two Shielding Rings they made. It diminishes the effects of spells thrown at me. That ring is actually still top secret and very few people know about it."
"Why tell me?"
"I doubt you'll run and tell everyone," said Harry with a smile. "Now, to come back to the problem at hand, Hermione, Ron and I will throw shields on you tonight. It worked before to stop the Visions so we hope it'll work with the dreams to."
"But... I cannot not dream!" said Connor. "If I didn't have dreams, how would I have been able to warn you about the Minister? How could I have helped you save Ginny?"
"Connor, I understand, but you need a few nights of rest," said Harry seriously. "Until the others come up with a ring, we have no choice."
Connor looked at his hands. Harry was right, he was tired and he needed rest. But what if he missed a crucial dream? What if somebody died because of it?
"Connor, you won't do anyone any good if you're no longer here to dream," said Harry gently.
Connor nodded.
That night, for the first time in a week, he actually got to rest without dreams.
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