The next day was Saturday, so I slept for most of it. Ivy tried to wake me but I turned and told her it was the time difference and I just needed to catch up. She smiled weakly at me, and went on her way but I know she didn't believe me. The nightmares had been plaguing me through the night. I had put up a sound barrier around my bed should I cry out in the night, and I'm sure that I did, but my dorm mates made no indication that they heard me.

At first it was as it had happened, but something would change, the creature had my face, blood soaking my chin and dripping into the white snow.

Then it changed, the snow had been completely untouched, and even when the creature bent down, it's elongated legs never left a mark. Still, Amka's body lay in a pool of blood.

Another time I saw a hole in the snow, and went to look down it only to find Amka, barely alive, her stomach torn open and her arm extended to the opening, "Help me" she squeaked. I felt the heat of something and turned to the creature. It's mouth descended before I awoke screaming.

Each time different, and yet the same helplessness, the same fear I had felt was present. Eventually I gave up hope of sleep and dressed to go down to the library to catch up on some work. Ivy had told me that Snape had them prepare papers for the previous topic so I needed some more information.

I shouldn't have gone alone. I should have found someone, Mato, Jacy, Ivy; someone. So when Pansy and her minions descended upon me, I was alone.

"Lookie, lookie. Who do we have here but wittle Miss Weed." She put her hands on my shoulders. She pressed down as if she was trying to put weight on me, but not seem too obvious about it. In front of me were two girls I didn't recognize, and one on the side of the table each, all of Slytherin but of various years.

"Hello Pansy," I looked around, "and crew. Take your hands off my shoulders please, it is a bit annoying, and I am trying to study. "

"Annoying is it?" She switched to putting her full forearm on the back of my neck. The pressure jolting me forward, my face leaning significantly closer to the tabletop. "How about now?" She said with a sickly sweetness.

"Oh you know, not terrible, but still I am trying to study as that is what students with aptitude do; I can't imagine what brought you to the library though," I grumbled through gritted teeth.

She pushed harder but this time, she lifted up to bear down on me, and that was her mistake. I filled the space between my neck and her arm with an air pocket and when she came down she bounced off it like a balloon. Her pale face went a pretty salmon colour but her eyebrows fell so closely together that they became one. She charged at me but before she could someone stood between us.

"Haven't you heard?"

"No magic in the library,"

"And we would know".

The smiling Weasley twins stood arms crossed barring Pansy from getting to me. They were much taller than her, and me, and yet she was ready to charge.

"What's going on here?" It was the Head Librarian, eyeing the the situation with great suspicion.

"There was a disagreement about where we were meeting, and apparently these Slytherins wanted this table, but as you see," and Fred turned to look the others in the eyes as well, "she wasn't lying, she was saving these spots for us." He pulled out the chair next to me, and plopped down in it.

"Precisely." George affirmed before turning around the table and shooing a first year Slytherin away.

At first she eyes the twins suspiciously before stating, "It's settled then, find yourselves another table," but when they paused she said with a bit more ferocity, "Get on now!" And they slugged their way out of sight.

"Thanks," I said once everyone had gone.

"No problem, Pansy is a bit of brat, and we don't see her in the library often."

I raised a brow, "you're in the library often this year are you?"

"O.W.L.s are this year after all." They shrugged. They had no books on them and George put his hands behind his head and clasped his hands around the back of his neck. "Yes, sir, studying for those O.W.L.s"

"Keep your secrets, then," and I giggled. It had been sometime since I had giggled. I put my hand to my mouth and smiled.

"Well, our work is done here, and we best be off," George stood, pushing the chair under the table as he went, "Coming Fred?"

"In a minute," Fred was still sitting down.

"What's the matter Fred?"

"You look tired today, you sure you're alright?"

"Time change, is all."

He nodded, then stood and too pushed his chair under the table, "I'll be seeing you then,"

I nodded back. He too did not believe me. As he walked away I became aware of someone staring at me from within the stacks, a dark haired girl, who was spooked by my seeing her and all I could see was the flash of green from her tie as she went.