I woke and realized that fanciful day at the place called Hogwarts was a dream. It was just a dream. I looked around the cupboard and Harry wasn't at his spot. He probably had to go to the loo. I heard noises from outside the cupboard door and I decided to see what was going on.

I peeked out from behind the wooden door and saw a trail of blood going towards the kitchen. Against my better judgement, I followed the trail. I opened the kitchen door and saw where the blood was coming from, Harry . . . lying in a pool of his own blood. Laying beside him was Severus and Albus and Poppy. All of them lay deathly still on the ground in a massive river of blood. I tried to go to them, but I couldn't move. It was as if my feet were stuck to the ground. I couldn't contain my tears any longer.

Suddenly Uncle Vernon came barging through the backdoor. He came straight for me, but I couldn't run. I couldn't scream. It was as if my lips had been glued together. He grabbed me by the shoulder and tossed me into the cupboard. Just when I thought he would lock me in, he stepped inside himself . . .

I held in my scream as I woke from the horrid dream. I gasped for a breath of fresh air and hoped it wouldn't be dusty cupboard air. I looked around and saw my brother peacefully asleep in his bed. I thought about going back to bed, but I didn't want to close my eyes ever again in fear of seeing all their bodies once more. I had to use the loo so I quietly stood from bed and krept down the hall. I heard voices in the living room and I stood in the darkness listening.

" Fudge is just thick headed! Why can't he mind his own business?" The voice was Severus'.

" Cornelius is merely meddling because it got posted in the profit that the most famous twins in our world are missing from their relative's house. Surely you can see his reasoning for being meddlesome." This was Albus' voice.

" But surely he can just punish whoever posted it in the profit. It's an invasion of privacy. Surely they can just ignore the questions and inform the public the twins are accounted for." Poppy voice sounded so confident that whatever the issue was, it had an easy fix.

" Well, I'm sure the two of you are unaware that this conversation is no longer private. Come here, Anne." How did he know? I slowly walked out of the shadows and protection of the dark corridor. Poppy and Albus smiled at me, Severus just looked at me intently. " Are you alright, Anne? Why are you up at this hour?" I looked nervously at their feet. Severus approached me and got down on his knee. He took my face in his hands to make me look him in the eye.

" I just had a nightmare. I'm fine, though." I refused to look him in the eye. I don't think Severus believed me.

" Severus I think it's time Poppy and I get to bed. It's gotten rather late. Good night." Albus excused himself and Poppy and they left out the portrait hole.

" Sit down on the couch, Anne." I did as I was asked. He sat down beside me. " What was your nightmare about."

" It doesn't matter, I'm fine." I whispered in a hushed voice.

" It does matter, because I don't think you are fine. You look as pale as a ghost. You have a bead of sweat on your forehead. You're not fine." I don't understand why he can see right through my lies.

" Um . . . I was in our cupboard. I woke up or something . . . I thought yesterday had all been a dream. I didn't see Harry, so I thought he went to the loo or something. I heard noises coming from outside the cupboard door. I decided to look outside. I found a trail of blood outside the door and I followed it. It led me to the kitchen and inside the kitchen was . . . -" I didn't want to continue. I don't want to think about it.

" Yes? Anne, what was in the kitchen?" He spoke softly and nodded encouragingly.

" Bodies . . . Poppy's body, Albus', Harry's, and yours. I tried to go to you all, but I was stuck to the ground. I couldn't speak either . . . then Uncle Vernon appeared near the back door. He stalked closer and closer to me. I couldn't run. He grabbed me by the shoulders and tossed me back in the cupboard and . . ."

" Yes, Anne?"

" . . . I thought he was just going to lock me in, but he walked in and just came closer to me . . . and then I woke up." I looked anywhere but Severus' face.

" Anne . . . I hate to ask you. I know of course the bodies in the beginning of your dream were just your imagination but is the end . . . with your uncle from something that actually happened?" He asked this calmly and looked me in the eye, telling me not to lie.

" . . . Yes," I whispered barely audible over the cackling fire.

" Now, tell me, what did happen with your uncle?"

" He . . . he . . . I don't want to talk about this! Please, might I just go back to bed?" I asked hesitantly. He looked like he was about to say no, but then thought better of it and nodded his consent. I jumped quickly off the couch and scrambled back to my bedroom. I crawled into bed and cried silently under my covers, terrified to go back to sleep.

Severus POV

I knew what happened, she needed to tell me. I needed proof so I could be blunt about it. A floo to Poppy should do it. I stood from my place on the couch and grabbed a handful of floo powder. I stood in the fireplace and called my destination.

" Poppy? Poppy, are you here?" I called out into the empty Hospital Wing. Poppy's head popped out from her office, " Severus? What's wrong?"

" I spoke to Anne about the nightmare she had and all it did was further suggest what you suspected earlier . . . with their baths. Anyway though, I was wondering if there is a medical spell that can be done to see if it has happened. If so, can I bring them by in the morning before breakfast to check?"

" I recall reading the spell in a book I have. I don't remember off the top of my head, but I'll look for the spell. Just come by in the morning and I'll tell you if I have it or not. So, what do you think Cornelius will do about the profit? I mean you heard him. He said the Ministry got hundreds of letters asking if their missing saviors were safe, if they found who abducted them from their home or if they ran themselves. The whole situation is ridiculous. How hard was it for Cornelius to keep the whole situation under wraps?"

" I think Cornelius is going to ruin everything. If the Ministry found out that I, an ex Death Eater, was attempting to gain guardianship of the Potter twins they'd never allow 'd put the children up for adoption and Lucius Malfoy would probably end up with them. You know how he has the Minister wrapped around his finger. Cornelius probably wasn't trying very hard to keep under wraps because he knew unless he had an army of people asking questions he wouldn't get answers from Dumbledore." Poppy nodded her agreement. " Well, I best get going. It's already 4 in the morning. I'll bring the children by at 7 o'clock." She nodded and walked back towards her office. I decided that I needed a walk so I stalked back towards the dungeons.

I need to figure out how to get Anne to admit what happened, but I don't want to push her too hard. Albus asked me why I was so good with them right off the bat. I didn't know then, but I do now. She is just like Lily . . . brilliant, kind, fiery haired, and absolutely stubborn. I promised Lily I would protect them and look at what happened to them in the care of their only living kin. Those awful people are going to pay for what they have done to those poor children. I never thought I would grow to care for the living spawns of one James Potter, but I have.