Fleamont Potter, a first year Gryffindor, walked down the corridors one warm, sunny December afternoon. He was clutching a book to his chest and was about to turn the corner when a frightening chill crept down his back.
What's happening? Fleamont thought. He dropped his book as he saw the grandfather clock shake violently, just like he was.
"H-hello?" Fleamont squeaked out.
BANG!
Fleamont yelled and he dropped his book. He fumbled in his robes for his wand and pointed it at the grandfather clock. Then he looked towards the floor.
Minerva McGonagall was lying on the floor. Dead.
Her long black hair, covered with blood and dirt, her mouth slightly open, her grey eyes without any emotion.
Fleamont's breathing seemed to be quicking, because Minerva McGonagall couldn't be dead.
Or it could just be a Boggart.
Fleamont began shaking, his legs feeling quite weak.
"Riddikulus!" He yelled, pointing his wand at the 'dead' body of Minerva McGonagall.
Crack! Jackson, his twin brother, his partner in crime.
Crack! His mother, Charlotte, and Henry, his father.
Crack! His brothers, Charlus, Edward and Daniel.
Crack! His grandfather, Alexander.
Fleamont squeezed his eyes shut. All of the bodies seemed so vivid.
"RIDDIKULUS!" He yelled.
The Boggart turned into a mouse chasing its own tail and Fleamont laughed rather weakly.
He picked up his book and ran down the corridors, away from the Boggart.
Away.
Fleamont was in the first year boy's dormitory (two days after the Boggart incident), packing his belongings to go home for the Christmas holidays.
He picked up a old quilt Minerva had knitted him when they were nine years old. It was blue, green and white, patterned with owls, chocolate, hedgehogs (Fleamont's favorite animal) broomsticks and books - Fleamont's favorite colors and things.
Fleamont felt tears building up in his eyes. He never wanted to let go of his little sister.
Fleamont folded up the quilt and placed it carefully in his trunk. He blinked away the tears and began wondering whether he should leave his textbooks at Hogwarts or not.
Fleamont, a week later, made his way to breakfast before heading home for the holidays.
"You look awful." Charlus pointed out as Fleamont bit into a piece of toast.
"Do I?" Fleamont asked, yawning loudly.
"You barely slept last night. You kept on tossing and turning." Jack said.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel asked, putting his fork down.
Fleamont smiled.
"I'm fine, honestly." He said, filling his plate up with sausages and eggs.
Minerva looked satisfied.
Fleamont lifted his trunk onto the train, yawning loudly as he sat down, his eyes drooping as he opened his book again.
Fleamont yawned as his eyes shut automatically and his book dropped to the floor as he fell asleep.
Daniel entered the compartment with his brothers and Minerva to find Fleamont asleep on the seats, his book on the floor.
"Poor thing, he looked exhausted at breakfast." Minerva said, sitting down opposite Fleamont.
"He doesn't look the best." Daniel said, noticing bags under Fleamont's eyes and that even while sleeping, he looked tired.
"Just... just let him sleep." Charlus said, picking Fleamont's book up off the floor.
Edward opened Fleamont's trunk and took out the quilt Minerva had made him.
"He still has that old thing." Minerva said fondly.
Eddy smiled as he tossed the blanket over Fleamont, who shifted slightly as the train set off towards London.
The brothers and Minerva wheeled away most of the journey by playing Exploding Snap. Fleamont continued sleeping - no one had the heart to wake him up.
When the trolley witch came by, Minerva looked anxiously at Fleamont.
"Should we wake him up?" She asked as Charlus paid for the large stack of sweets.
"It's alright, deary." The trolley witch said as she handed Minerva a stack of Cauldron Cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."
Half an hour before the Hogwarts Express was due to arrive in London, Fleamont began to stir.
"Hullo there." Charlus said, grinning as Fleamont sat up.
Fleamont yawned. "Hey." He muttered. "How long have I been asleep for?"
Daniel streached. "I reckon a good six hours."
Fleamont's eyes widened. "That long?"
Edward ruffled his hair. "Well, you looked knackered, no one had the heart to wake you up."
Fleamont put the quilt back inside his trunk and locked it firmly.
"Thanks, I needed it."
Henry Potter laughed as Minerva hugged him tightly.
"Minnie, little love!" He cried as he hugged the girl tightly. "Haven't you grown!"
"One inch. Better than nothing." She said, smiling as Henry shank all of the trunks and put them in his pocket.
"Hello there, Monty!" Henry said, greeting his youngest son warmly. Fleamont hugged him.
"Hiya Dad!" He said, muffling a large yawn.
"He slept most of the journey." Jack said.
"Yeah, true. Still tired though." Fleamont said.
"Right, let's get home."
"Children!" Alexander Potter yelled.
"GRANDDA!" Daniel yelled as his grandfather hugged him.
"Hello there, Charlus, how's Dorea?" Alexander said to his eldest grandson.
"She's good." Charlus said, going red.
"Ooh, Charlus has a girlfriend!" Edward said.
"Shut up. You'll wake Monty up." Minerva said irritably, pointing at Fleamont, who'd sat down on the couch and was half asleep.
Charlus's face softened slightly.
"Edward, we'll continue this is the morning." He said, sitting down beside Fleamont.
Fleamont yawned, as his eyes closed and his breathing deepened. His head flopped onto Charlus's shoulder.
"Get a blanket." Edward said.
Minerva threw a quilt over Fleamont's body and ruffled his hair.
"You go do whatever, I'll stay with him." Charlus said as Henry exited the room to put the trunks in the owner's bedroom.
"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked.
Charlus smiled sadly as Fleamont began to whimper softly.
"Never so sure in my life."
"AVADA KEDRAVA!"
Henry Potter fell to the floor. Fleamont screamed with fright.
He couldn't be dead!
Suddenly, bodies appeared all around Fleamont. His brothers, his grandfather, his mother and Minerva
A flash of green light-
Fleamont bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily.
He shook his head.
It's not real. He thought to himself. It's not real. Everyone's alive. They're safe.
Fleamont got out of bed and put on his slippers and walked over to the window.
He opened it, feeling the cool winter air on his hot and flushed face. Fleamont's eyes flickered over a few stars, some of which he recognized, thanks to Astronomy.
Sirius. Cassiopeia. Orion. Regulus. Arcturus. Pollux.
Stars in the sky, which were reflected in Fleamont's eyes.
He tried to recollect his nightmare but it was as simple as holding water while his hands were cupped.
Bodies... the smell of blood...
Fleamont shook his head hard, tears in his eyes.
Then the tears flowed freely down his face, and he took a jumper from his wardrobe and pulled it over his head.
The jumper was warm and fuzzy and Fleamont buried his face in the soft red and brown wool. He sobbed quietly. He didn't want to wake his family up.
He closed the windows, and suddenly, feeling waves of exhaustion wash over him, Fleamont lay down on the floor and used his old scarf as a pillow.
Henry Potter couldn't sleep. It was a normal occurrence. Sometimes he'd wake up in the middle of the night and might not get back to sleep.
Henry heard a creak from inside Fleamont's room. Henry, being the usual paranoid dad, opened the door and walked in.
Fleamont was streached out on the floor, underneath the window. Henry's heart broke when Fleamont whimpered.
"Hey, Monty, why are you on the floor?" Henry said softly as he picked Fleamont's body up.
Henry nearly dropped him. Not because he was heavy- because he was so light.
Fleamont barely weighed a feather.
Henry noticed how tired Fleamont looked, even while he was sleeping, and how there was huge bags under his eyes that Henry could still manage to see in the dark. Fleamont felt very small lying in Henry's arms.
Henry began to wonder if something was seriously wrong with Monty...
(Not that he hadn't noticed)
Just then, Fleamont began to stir.
"Don't worry." Henry said as Fleamont groaned in what seemed like - pain? "Dad's here."
Fleamont opened his eyes groggily and he set eyes on Henry, who smiled sleepily at him.
Fleamont yawned and closed his eyes once more.
Henry stroked his hair as he covered Fleamont with a quilt and laid him down on his bed.
Henry kneeled down beside the bed, looking at Fleamont's pained face.
Why did he looked so pained? Fleamont should have experienced joy during his first four months at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, not something they would give him nightmares by the look of it.
Fleamont yelped out in fright as he bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily.
He obviously didn't notice Henry was there.
"It's just a dream, it's just a dream!" Fleamont muttered to himself.
"What's just a dream?" Henry asked. Fleamont turned to face him.
"Dad- I'm sorry- I didn't mean-" He stuttered out but then his dark blue eyes widened. "You're alive."
"Of course I am." Henry said, confused.
"But you were dead. In my dream." Fleamont let out a sob. "It was so real."
"Oh, Monty." Henry said as he wrapped his arms around Fleamont gently. Fleamont clung onto him desperately, sobbing quietly.
"What started these nightmares, do you know?" Henry asked.
Fleamont placed his head on Henry's shoulder and allowed himself to sink into the warm hug.
"A week ago... I met a Boggart..." Fleamont whispered. "And... you were all dead. Mum, Minnie, Charlus, Daniel, Eddy, Jack, Grandda."
Henry's blood ran cold.
"That's why you've been so tired." He whispered. "And why you kept picking at your dinner."
Fleamont nodded sleepily.
"Here- wait a minute." Henry Apparted away and appeared again after barely five minutes.
"What's that?" Fleamont asked. He'd seen a large vial in Henry's hand, as well as a mug.
"Dreamless Sleep." Henry said, pouring half of the vial into the warm milk that was already in the mug. "Drink up, Monty."
Fleamont smiled as he drank the contents of the cup and Henry made sure he drank every last drop of it.
Soon the cup was empty and Fleamont was falling into a deep sleep. His black hair was sticking up all over the place and Henry tried to smooth it down. It lay down, still messy but much more tidy then normal.
Henry pulled back the sheets and placed Fleamont on the sheets. He looked much more rested under the influence of the potion.
"Rest well." Henry muttered as he pulled the blankets over Fleamont. He gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead
Henry entered the kitchen early the next morning, to get something to eat and perhaps make a start on breakfast. Henry didn't look like it but he was a great cook.
Henry was flipping the bacon by the time his wife, Charlotte had entered the room.
"Oh, you didn't have to." Charlotte said.
Henry kissed Charlotte on her cheek and she blushed as she took plates and forks out from the cupboard.
"Tastes good." Charlotte said, stuffing a piece of bacon into her mouth.
"Oi, leave some for the rest of us!" Henry said teasingly.
"Oh, give over! One piece, it was." Charlotte said.
Minerva McGonagall, Henry and Charlotte's only niece, burst into the room, sobbing.
"What is it?!" Charlotte asked, startled.
"Monty isn't waking up!" Minerva sobbed.
"He isn't WHAT?!" Charlotte shrieked.
"Calm down!" Henry said.
"HOW?!" Minerva yelled.
"I gave him Dreamless Sleep, he was having nightmares!" Henry said.
Minerva sighed with relief.
"You could have told me that!" She said, taking a piece of bacon.
"Nightmares?" Charlotte whispered.
Jack burst into the kitchen, sobbing.
"Yes?" Minerva said.
"Monty isn't-" He began
"Waking up?"
"How did you know?" Jack asked.
"I gave him Dreamless Sleep, he was having nightmares!" Henry said.
"You could have told me that!" Jack said. "What were the nightmares about?"
Henry bit his lip.
"I don't think it's my story to tell." He said.
"Fine." Minerva said, putting a few pieces of bacon and a few slices of buttery toast on a plate. "No one is to touch that plate. D'you hear me?"
"Who is it for?"
"Monty. Duh." Minerva said, rolling her eyes. "How does Monty like his tea again?"
"Two sugars, lots of milk." Jack said, knowing (nearly) everything about his twin brother.
Henry smiled. Monty was going to be in for quite a surprise.
Minerva boiled the kettle and took Monty's favorite mug from the cupboard as Jack put the milk and sugar on the counter.
"One spoon of sugar first-" Jack said.
"Then milk-" Minerva continued.
"Then sugar-"
"Stir it-"
Charlus entered the kitchen, yawning.
"Monty-"
" ISN'T WAKING UP! FOR FUCKS SAKE, WE ALREADY KNOW!" Minerva yelled.
Charlus looked surprised.
"Is awake." He said, raising his eyebrows.
Minerva squealed. Charlus rolled his eyes.
"I know he was having nightmares, because I heard Dad going into Monty's room last night-"
Henry went red.
"But he's seems okay now..." Charlus said. "I mean, he doesn't look as tired. But Eddy woke him up by accident, so he's a bit pissed about that."
"EDWARD JOSEPH POTTER YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR ARSE KICKED!"
"Here we go!" Fleamont muttered, grinning as he leaned against the doorway. He looked out of the kitchen. "Eddy, you better run, Minnie's going to murder you! And if you somehow survive you will not be having children!"
Everyone looked at him.
Monty raised his eyebrows.
"What?"
"Nightmares? Does that sound familiar?"
Monty looked sheepish.
"Well... I feel better now."
"Well, eat."
"Minnie, why?"
"You're pale, that's why."
And as Henry watched Minnie practically forcefeed Monty, he knew he would always have a special place in his heart for Monty, the baby boy he held in his arms all those years ago.